The Life And Ministry Of Ebenezer Beecher
Earthen Vessel 1897:
Mr. Ebenezer Beecher, Shouldham-street, London
My Dear Brother,—In response to your request for a sketch of my life, I may say, that although born of believing parents on November 9th, 1837, and trained by them according to their ideas of propriety, it became evident in my case that, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh,” and although I was preserved from going to a great length in open profanity, I had no manifest spiritual life until I was over 21 years of age; still, there were three distinct events earlier than that, which I now know to be the work of the Holy Spirit. But in the summer of 1859, an answer given to a question propounded by me, was the means of opening my eyes, and sending me home to spend a sleepless night in prayer, for until then I had not really prayed, and since then I have not left off. I had always been brought up to attend a Strict Baptist Chapel, but inconsistency in some of the people disgusted me, and on coming out of my apprenticeship I went to the Church of England and was baptized into that communion in 1860. I was a devout churchman until 1874, and for all those years tried to find peace of mind and spiritual food in the services, and not finding it in my own parish, I went in search of it to all the Churches round, but found it not. In the course of my wanderings, I saw over a valley one Lord’s day morning the roof of Borough Green Chapel, and asked my companion if he knew what it was. Receiving an affirmative reply, I said, “I will go there next Sunday,” and went accordingly. It was the first Lord’s-day in June, 1874; the Lord met me there that day, and constrained me to continue to go there, and so blessed the richly instructive ministry of the Pastor, Mr. R. H. Huxham, that I began to grow and get strong in knowledge and faith, and on one never-to-be-forgotten Lord’s-day morning was set at happy liberty by the words, “Having made peace through the blood of His cross,” and feeling constrained to testify my gratitude and love to Jesus, I was baptized in April, 1875, was chosen deacon in March, 1876, and in August of the same year was thrust into the pulpit in my own home by my pastor. I soon received invitations from neighbouring Churches, and continued to be almost continually engaged in serving them as a supply until 1889. In September of that year the Church worshipping at Shouldham-street invited me to serve them six months with a view to the pastorate, commencing with December. This I accepted, and having served three months, I received and accepted a unanimous invitation to the pastoral office to commence with April, 1890, and “having obtained help of God,” have continued to work there with some signs of Divine blessing and acceptance with the people, and have spent seven as happy years of service at Shouldham-street as ever I expect to have this side of heaven, for which, among thousands of other mercies received, I owe an infinite debt of gratitude to my God and Father in Christ Jesus my Lord, and hope, while I live, to be enabled to—
“Tell to sinners round,
What a dear Saviour I have found,
To point to His redeeming blood,
And say, ‘Behold the way to God.'”
Yours very sincerely,
Ebenezer Beecher
130, Maygrove-road, West Hampstead, N.W., May 5, 1897
Ebenezer Beecher (1837-?) was a Strict and Particular Baptist preacher. In 1890, he was appointed pastor of the church meeting at Shouldham-street, London.
