The Life And Legacy Of Richard Huxham

Earthen Vessel 1898:

The Late Mr. R. A. Huxham

By Mr. E Beecher

To The Editor Of The Earthen Vessel & Gospel Herald:

My Dear Brother,—In availing myself of your kind permission to supplement the short account given in your issue for February last, of the late Mr. Richard Ash Huxham, I may say on behalf of his dear aged widow, many friends, and myself, that we gratefully appreciate your kindness in allowing this to appear, and trust that our God will be glorified thereby, as His grace as manifested in His dear servant is magnified.

My first personal acquaintance with him took place on the first Lord’s-day in June, 1874, an acquaintance that quickly ripened in the warmest realizations of Christian love and consequent fellowship.

The record of his fourteen years pastorate at Totnes, Devon, is given in your February issue, but there is one thing connected with his ministry there that I think should be recorded to Jehovah’s glory. The late Mr. R. Varder, who was afterwards the pastor of the Church at Yeovil, and who was also well-known at the Surrey Tabernacle was, in the providence of God, brought to hear Mr. H., and Mr. V.’s own version of the circumstance was, “I went into the chapel a stiff-starched Pharisee, and came out a humbled sinner.” He was very much blessed under Mr. H.’s ministry, and soon became an acceptable preacher, and was chosen and remained pastor at Yeovil until called up to higher service before the throne.

Mr. H. removed from Totnes to London, for a time ministering at Lever-street, from whence he removed to Borough Green, Kent, succeeding the late Mr. G. Wyard there about 1872. During the first two years of his ministry there a new Sunday-school-room and vestries were erected and paid for, many were added to the Church, and much prosperity was realised, love and unity abounded, splendid work was done in the Sunday-school, and Mr. and Mrs. H. made many warm and lasting friendships, and eternity only will reveal the whole of his great usefulness there. Here I may insert a personal reminiscence or two. I went to the chapel on the date above named in 1874 out of curiosity just to see the place. My own condition then was that of a quickened sinner, who had been trying to find pardon and peace in my own way for fifteen years and had failed. Mr. H. was God’s messenger to me that day and onwards. Instruction, light, peace, comfort, and joy followed each other in rapid succession, and made me another being altogether. In ten months after our first meeting he baptized me, in another eleven months I was chosen deacon, and four months later he put me in his own pulpit to try to preach the Gospel, which I have continued to do ever since. I shall never be able to tell the worth of his ministry to me, but am glad to bear my humble testimony thereto to the glory of God. 

There was at that time a very young man in the congregation, George Langford by name, who was removed to New Cross, and was baptized by the late Mr. J. S. Anderson, who bore glad testimony to Mr. H.’s usefulness to him at Borough Green, and who, I have heard, is now the honoured and useful pastor of a Baptist Church in America, so that at least three pastors (there may be more), have been brought out of the chains of Satan’s service to serve publicly under the banner of the Lord Jesus Christ as the fruit of his ministry. To these may be added three other brethren (one of them a pastor), who are now preaching the same Gospel as the fruit of my humble labours, resulting from the teaching received by me under the able ministry of Mr. H., and who shall tell how wide and far the benefit shall flow?

Mr. H.’s next pastorate was at Burgh-le-Marsh and Monksthorpe, where he ministered very acceptably; thence he returned to Chelmsford, then to Rattlesden, and to Aldringham as reported in your February issue. Here his pastoral work ended, health and strength failed, and his much loved work of preaching the Gospel had to be relinquished, but “the Gospel bore his spirit up.” and the Master did not leave His servant, but often visited and comforted him, until He took him home.

I saw him but once after he was obliged to give up preaching. That interview can be better imagined than described, but he blessed me in his Master’s name, and bade me God speed in a most affecting and not-to-be-forgotten manner.  

Mr. H. was not the acme of perfection by any means, and none knew this better than he, but by the grace of God, he was a very clear, useful, and instructive minister of the Gospel, honoured by God in the experience of many precious souls, who will be his joy and crown of rejoicing in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming, and now he rests from his labours, and his works do follow him.

“Methinks I see him now at rest,

In the bright mansion Love ordained;

His head reclined on Jesus’ breast, 

No more by sin or sorrow pained.”

May our God raise up many more who shall be enabled to declare as clearly, faithfully, and lovingly, the “whole counsel of God” in the Gospel of our salvation. So prays,

Yours very sincerely, 

Ebenezer Beecher

12, Clydesdale-road, Notting Hill, W. August 13^th, 1898