The Life And Ministry Of Joseph Walker

Earthen Vessel 1899:

We are largely indebted to Mr. Samuel Hull, the senior Deacon of “Providence” Baptist Chapel, Northampton, for the following particulars relating to the late Mr. Joseph Walker, whose excellent portrait accompanies this month’s issue.

Mr. Walker was born at Leicester in 1851. The son of godly parents, he was regular in his attendance on the means of grace from childhood, but manifested no serious concern for his own state until he reached manhood.

The Lord gradually laid Divine things with power upon his mind, by which he was made to pray for a personal interest in Christ. In the course of time it became manifest to those with whom he came in contact that the Lord had begun a saving work in his soul. He was eventually baptized, and joined the Church under the pastoral care of Mr. Hazlerigg. After a time the ministry was laid upon his mind, and doors being opened in the neighbourhood, he ventured to speak in the name of the Lord.

Having a competency he was able to help by his services poor causes, among whom the Lord gave him many instances of His blessing.

He married a godly lady (Miss Blunt, of Walgrave), and settled down at Kettering, where they were great friends to the late Mr. and Mrs. Princep, to whom he allowed an annuity to the end of their days.

While at Kettering he supplied at Northampton, and a vacancy in the pastorate having arisen by the death of Mr. Thos. Shelton, he received and accepted a call to the pastorate, removing to that town in 1881. In 1891 he was called to part with his beloved companion, to whom he was devotedly attached, as also was the Church at Northampton, whose esteem she won by her gracious life and amiable character.

From that time an aged aunt, Mrs. Dove, resided with him. Our brother did not marry again, and has left no family to mourn his loss. The latter period of his life was marked by many trials, but which only those in his confidence knew anything about, except when it became plainly visible in his ministry.

For some time past he manifested a gradual ripening for the great change that awaited him, in his spirituality of mind and consecration to his dear Lord, the exaltation of whom, in the salvation of poor sinners, was his principal aim in his ministry; this was the great theme on which he loved to dwell, the fruit of which not only attended it in his life, but will doubtless be manifested in days to come.

His godly life and consecration commended him to the consciences of not only his own people, but many others in the town, as was manifest in the large attendance at the funeral, and the many letters of sympathy received by his aged aunt (Mrs. Dove), and also by the bereaved Church, all expressive of the loss everyone sustained by his removal.

On the Friday before his death he said to his aunt, “The Lord says, ‘Where two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven’— do you believe this?” “Why, yes! of course I do.”  “Well, then, let us go upstairs and pour out our hearts before the Lord,” and this he did in a most wonderful manner. On the Saturday evening, before retiring to rest she said to him, ”We are a day’s march nearer home.” “Yes!” he replied; “and I hope it will not be long—I want to see my dear Lord.” Little did he think he was so near that everlasting sight.

On Monday morning—the day of his death—he left home a little after eleven o’clock; and about half an hour afterwards his aunt had a most remarkable experience of the presence and blessing of the Lord. Overwhelmed in adoration of the dear Lord Jesus, she was compelled to cry out, “Oh! my dear Lord.” How mysterious are His ways! Just about this time, it is supposed, our dear brother passed away, for he had gone to have his bath at a public institution, where, some hours afterwards, his body was found. We do not wonder that the dear, aged one now feels, though she had no such thought at the time, that such a visit from her beloved Lord was to prepare her for this terrible blow. But so it was. Hour after hour passed. The time of service came, and no Pastor could be heard of, and not until the next morning was the sad event discovered.

On the following Thursday the Chapel, where the loved Pastor had so long and faithfully laboured, was crowded, as they devoutly laid the mortal remains before the pulpit where, only four days before, he proclaimed for the last time “the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.”

Mr. Fuller, of Bedford, conducted the service and kindly preached for the bereaved Church on the following Lord’s-day.

The following is the account of the funeral from the Northampton Mercury:—

“The service, which was most impressive, and which was occasionally interrupted by the sobs of many of the ladies present, was conducted by Mr. Frederick Fuller, of Bedford, who was a close personal friend of Mr. Walker. The hymn, ‘ Give me the wings of faith to rise’ was first sung, Mr. Fuller announcing it from the pulpit, which was draped in black. Then Mr. Fuller read consoling passages of Scripture, and at the close he delivered a short address. Speaking at times with evident, though subdued, emotion, he spoke of the solemnity of death, which was the close of life’s journey, of life’s pilgrimage, of life’s hopes and life’s fears. It was, moreover, the entrance into the Divine presence, and whether we contemplated death as the end of life or as the entrance into the Divine presence, the most desirable thing to us was fitness for it. Who would doubt the fitness of him who had been so suddenly taken from their midst, to lay down life’s burden; who would doubt his fitness to enter into the Divine presence? Remember him as the under-shepherd whom God had placed for such a number of years amongst His people. Loving affection grew as the years went by, and a sincere Christian regard had been the privilege afforded him during that number of years. Remember his patience, his loving patience, and the sincere and heartfelt regard for the truths of the Holy Scriptures. Let the memory recall his presence, his words, his example, his affectionate speech under all circumstances, and bear in mind that the Lord gave and the Lord taketh away. It was Mr. Fuller’s privilege to know Mr. Walker personally, and in personal friendships there are some intimacies, some communications, which are not altogether for the outward ear. His personal friendship, his ministerial friendship, Mr. Fuller appreciated at its highest worth, grieving indeed that a real friend had been taken from him. The congregation, however, had known Mr. Walker for much longer—for 20 years, in fact, had they been permitted to know, to appreciate, to enjoy his friendship and therefore let his memory be to them not only a reminder of what the grace of God can do, but a there for supplication at the mercy seat, and God grant that they might walk in his steps and follow Christ as he followed Him. Remember Mr. Walker also as a sincere Christian, not in word only, but in deed and in truth; not in name, but in blessed reality. God had taken a sincere Christian away, and Northampton was poorer by his removal. In concluding, he urged the congregation to walk in Mr. Walker’s footsteps, making their religion a sincere, practical religion. Be not discouraged by the manner in which God had removed him. Some perhaps were ready to apportion blame, or perhaps to make excuses. The preacher did neither the one nor the other. God knows. Whatever the manner in which a sincere Christian was removed it would not disqualify him from entering into Light. God never yet made a mistake: His hand of love and the word of command, ‘Come up higher’ are inseparably joined together. After Mr. Fuller had prayed earnestly, the hymn, ‘Rock of Agee shelter me’ was sung, and the service in the Chapel concluded.

”The body was then taken to the Cemetery. Following the mourners’ coaches were three or four coaches, containing, amongst others, Miss Creasey, Miss Hull, Mrs. Wheeler, Miss Wheeler, Mrs. Drakeford, Mrs. Beeby, Miss Tarry, Mr. R. Danford and Mrs. Danford, Miss Allchin, Mr. C. S. Hull, Mr. I. Neville, Mrs. Neville, etc. The coffin was reverently lowered by the bearers into the grave, which was fringed with laurel leaves. Mr. Fuller spoke a few sentences, confident of the happy result of the change from life terrestrial to life eternal. Many persons visited the graveside to take a farewell look.”

May the God of all grace comfort the stricken Church, and speedily raise up for them an under-shepherd like unto His dear servant, the knowledge of whose eternal gain gilds the cloud of our gloom. We cannot do better than close this brief sketch with a few sentences from our brother’s last sermon, delivered while standing on the threshold of glory. Text: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

“The people in the houses did not see the blood. The Lord saw it. The All-wise God needed no sign to tell Him where the Israelites were. The blood round the door must be a type to us of something—of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ sheltering us from the destroyer. Do not make too much of men. You never yet found a perfect person, and you never found a perfect minister. A lamb was the most frequent sacrifice. They were offered on the most important occasions. Other things were offered, but this stands first on the list. He (Jesus), is called the Lamb of God; because God has provided Him, has sent Him into the world, and has accepted His sacrifice on the part of all who believe; and He is the only sacrifice God has provided for poor sinners. No other sacrifice for sin will He accept. We are ‘accepted in the Beloved.’ The word, ‘take away,’ means to lift up a heavy burden and carry it away. No one but the Son of God could bear so heavy a burden and take it away. It is perfectly certain that all the sin of all the people in the world is not taken away. How many there are who perish in their sins? You never find that the prophets were commanded to go and preach to other nations, with the exception of the prophet Jonah. It took a great deal to break down the middle wall of partition. I believe the general expressions refer to that. He takes away not the sins of believing Jews only but of believing Gentiles as well. When John says, ‘not for ours only,’ he refers to believing Israelites. Not one pang could be left out. What must sin be, if all this was necessary to take away sin? Nothing less than a sacrifice like this would suffice. You will have no peace with God until you find the Lamb of God, then you will have peace. Has He taken away your sin? You shall know that in due time.

‘Though we are sinners, every one.

Jesus died.’”

Stratford.

E. Marsh