Our departed brother was born at Thundersley, Essex, on August 8, 1843. While the influence and training of his godly parents (to which he often alluded) was not lost upon him, he soon gave evidence that he was born in sin, though presented from going to the excess of wickedness to which many have gone. From a child there were exercises of mind concerning his state as a sinner before God. The work of grace in his soul was of gradual development. He could never point to any special time or place where it was begun, and this was, at times, all through life a trial to him. He has said that very often, when in the company of other young men, the thought would…