The Life And Ministry Of William Webb

Earthen Vessel 1900:

Mr. E. Mitchell,—My dear brother in Christ and in the ministry. In response to your request, I forward you a short outline of my somewhat long life in this world of sin and trouble.

I first saw the light in the village of Cowlinge, in Cambridgeshire, on February 5th, 1822. About three years after my birth my parents removed to London, taking me with them, and settled in an eastern district of our great metropolis. In the course of time it pleased God, in His infinite mercy, to call by His grace both my father and my mother. They attended a Baptist Chapel, and used to take me with them. This I intensely disliked, and at a comparatively early age I broke away from parental restraint, and determined to have my fill of the pleasures of this world, but soon found that “the way of transgressors is hard.”

At the age of eighteen, I tried hard to convince myself that the opinions of atheists and infidels were well founded, but was unable to accomplish this. I could not embrace their views, because my reason convinced me from what I saw in nature around me by day, and especially in the starry skies at night, that there must be a Creator. These cogitations of mind ended in my becoming a Deist, in which state I continued until my twenty-first year, when it pleased the Lord to let some measure of light into my dark mind, in the following manner.

A Mr. Harris, a well-known and popular evangelical minister of the Established Church, was preaching in the Church in Spicer Street, Spitalfields. In the providence of God I was led to hear him preach. I entered the Church a Deist, I came out a firm believer in the truths I heard. I was solemnly convinced that there was a heaven for the righteous, and a hell for the wicked, and felt sure that if death seized me in my then state hell would be my terrible abode for ever. This wrought a great change in my habits of life. I broke off my old ways and companions, and became strictly moral in my behaviour. I commenced to attend the ministry of that favoured servant of Christ, the late Mr. William Allen, at the old Cave Adullam Chapel, Stepney. Still I foolishly thought that by my repentance, reformation, and religious duties, I could atone for my sins, and commend myself to God.

This state of things continued for about eight months, when, without any human instrumentality, I was suddenly deeply convinced that I was a law-breaker, and could by no means repair the law I had broken, and made smartingly to feel that I was a condemned sinner before God, lost, ruined, and utterly undone for ever, unless the Lord had mercy on me. At this time the words, “Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the law to do them,” sounded fearfully in my inmost soul. By this, my reformation, repentance, and works were all shattered and driven away as chaff before the wind, and all my religion came to an end. I wrung my hands in the anguish of my soul, and cried, “What shall I do?” Now for the first time, in the bitterness of my spirit, I truly cried to the Lord to have mercy upon me. For six months I continued in this state. I have no words wherewith to express what I passed through during this period. The spirituality of God’s holy law was opened to my mind, and applied to my conscience; the great deeps of the depravity of my nature were broken up; awful temptations assailed me; I felt myself a wretch undone, and was afraid to go to sleep lest I should awake in hell. 

But the time appointed for deliverance came. The Lord graciously heard my cries, removed my burden, and set my soul at happy liberty, under a sermon preached by Mr. W. Allen. Then I could say with David, “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His Name together.” The same night I applied for membership. I was visited in the usual way, gave in my testimony before the Church, which was received, and I was baptized and received into full communion by Mr. Allen. Now for a time I ran rejoicingly in the ways of the Lord, and enjoyed much of His presence and favour. But Satan, working on my natural corruption, drew me into a self-sufficient and puffed-up state. I thought all the Lord’s people ought to be as happy as I was, and that it was their own fault that they were not. I needed a lesson and received a sharp one. My pride grieved the Holy Spirit; the Lord withdrew the light of His countenance from me; the Bible, from which I had enjoyed so much, became as a sealed book to me, and the ministry of the Word as dry breasts. I began to fear that I had deceived myself, and entertained a hope of salvation that was delusive. For twelve long months I suffered from darkness of mind and bondage of spirit, being sorely tempted and tried. But the Lord graciously delivered me, and restored “to me the joy of His salvation” under a sermon preached by the late Mr. Chamberlain, of Stepney. So great was the joy I experienced under this deliverance, that I verily thought my heart would burst. Now I could again sing joyfully the praises of the Lord.

Soon after this I began to be exercised about preaching the Gospel. I tried hard to put all thought of preaching away from me, thinking it was presumption to entertain such a thought. I prayed the Lord remove it entirely from me, but do all I could the desire continued with me, and increased in intensity. This exercise continued for three years, and then the Lord decided the matter for me by saying, through His Word, to my soul, “Now therefore go, and I wilt be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.” I spoke to my pastor, and he arranged for me to preach before the Church, which I did on three occasions, receiving help from the Lord. The Church unanimously agreed that they believed I was called to preach the Gospel, and recommended me to the Churches as one sent of the Lord.

Doors were speedily opened for me, and invitations came in faster than I could accept them. After supplying the pulpit at Rehoboth, Pimlico, for some time, I accepted an invitation to the pastorate there. Ordination services were held in Carmel Chapel, lent for the occasion, and the ministerial brethren, W. Palmer, J. Wells, J. Foreman, and J. Hazelton, took part in the services. I have to thank the Lord that the ministry was attended with many blessings during my stay at Rehoboth. Since leaving Pimlico, I have been upheld by His grace in pastorates at Staines, Tunbridge Wells, Bow, Leicester (Newarke Street), and Southampton.

I resigned at Southampton owing to suffering from a severe attack of nervous prostration, and returned to London, at the age of seventy- four. Through the merciful kindness of our covenant God, and His blessing on the means employed, I have been in a large measure restored to health, and have been enabled the last five years to serve various Churches as a supply.

Now, my dear brother, I would record the love, the grace, and the mercy that has kept me to this day, and sustained me in preaching that Gospel I love with all my heart for so long a period: for on the 17th of June, 1900, I completed the fiftieth year of my ministry as a Strict and Particular Baptist. I have had very many friends, and but few foes. I dearly love my Master’s work and people. I hope to die in harness, but desire to leave that, and all other things that concern me, to His decision, who is too wise to err, and too good to be unkind. To Him would I render all praise, honour, and glory. With Christian love, I remain, dear brother, 

Yours in Jesus,

William Webb

October 10^th, 1900

60B, Turner’s Road, Burnett Road, E., 

[We have personally known our brother Webb for nearly 30 years. He has ever maintained an unblemished character. He is now in his 79th year, and has been preaching the Gospel over 50 years. He has an aged invalid wife, and therefore requires, what the Lord has graciously given him, the services of a devoted daughter. His means are small. A few tokens of sympathy would do much to brighten his latter days. What brethren will get joy to themselves in remembering our aged brother. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”-E. Mitchell]