Ivimey on Wallin 01

In his Baptist History Joseph Ivimey explains that Benjamin Wallin was the son of a former pastor of the church where he went on to serve, Edward Wallin. Benjamin Wallin Ivimey goes on to say

was born in London, in the year 1711, and from an accident which happened to him while an infant at nurse an incurable lameness was contracted; but at fourteen years of age, through the skill of Mr. Jonas Thoroughgood, a Baptist minister in Herefordshire, he was so far recovered as to be able to walk in a much more comfortable manner than before. Though this youth was trained up in the way he should go, and, as he states, had the advantage of hearing the word of God from his infancy, under the ministry of his excellent father; yet he adds, "Under his judicious and affectionate instructions, both as a parent and a minister, I continued a long time a melancholy instance of the insufficiency of the best of means without a special blessing: but I trust before his merciful removal, it pleased God, who is rich in mercy, to open the eyes of my understanding, and to change what was before only the form to the power of godliness."

Mr. Wallin received the rudiments of a good education, under the Rev. John Needham of Hitchin,* and was afterwards under considerable obligations to Dr. Sayer Rhudd, and more especially to that eminently evangelical minister, Dr. Joseph Stennett, from whose instructions and counsels he received much useful knowledge, which insensibly prepared him for an office, which, at that time, he had no intention or prospect of filling, a station in the Church of God.

Mr. Wallin was baptized by his honoured father, and joined the church in Maze-pond. Alluding to this, he says, in his address to the church, "I made a free choice of you, as the temple where I would pay my vows, and offer up the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, as well as seek my future spiritual improvement." When Mr. Wallin was in his twenty-first year, about 1732, and whilst he was an apprentice, the year before his father's death, some of the members of the church proposed that he should be encouraged to exercise his gifts for the work of the ministry, but, on account of some interposing difficulties, the design was abandoned until several years afterwards. Mr. Wallin having no thought of entering upon the ministry, engaged in business, and entered into the marriage relation. Still there were those among his friends, who thought he ought not to abandon the design.

In May 1734, two deacons, Mr. John Manypenny and Mr. John Williams, conversed with him seriously on the subject. They informed him that, in their opinion, he had a gift for public usefulness, and that he had acknowledged a church of Christ had power to make trial of those they considered as having promising gifts; and therefore it was their firm intention to propose to the church in Maze-pond, to call him to speak before them. As, however, they would not proceed to that measure without Mr. Wallin's consent, and he having in a respectful, serious, and sensible manner, offered reasons why he thought he ought not to give up his business for the public ministry, the matter was again dropped.

On November 6, 1739, after the death of Mr. [Abraham] West, [the minister of the church] three deacons of the church, Messrs. George Ring, Edward Tom, Thomas Cox, acquainted Mr. Wallin, that they were appointed to inform him that the church apprehended he had a gift for public service, and that they had unanimously given him a call to exercise before them the next church meeting. This communication was so entirely unexpected, that Mr. Wallin was quite unprepared to comply with their request: and in a letter addressed to the church, December 3, 1739, he says, 

"When I consider the design of such a call, which at least must be if I am approved of, to be employed more or less in preaching the gospel; the very thought strikes me with terror: to address the judgements and consciences of men, on subjects revealed from heaven of the most lasting importance to their precious and immortal souls, is a work of so awful a nature, that an inspired apostle, with all the greatest natural, acquired, and miraculous gifts, thought himself insufficient for it. It is no wonder then that one void of almost every qualification should think it presumption to touch the sacred service," &c.

Mr. Wallin urged also the difficulty he should have to relinquish his business, and his fears lest he should, by not providing for his own house, bring a reproach upon the gospel; he promised however, to take the matter into consideration, and thus piously concludes his letter:

"I may say as the apostle in another case, God is my record how greatly I long after our being fixed with a sound and able minister, whose soul may yearn after us in the bowels of Jesus Christ; and through whose prayers and instructions, under the divine blessing, our love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement ; and that we may approve things that are excellent, and be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ."

Mr. Wallin had asked the advice of Mr. (afterwards Dr.) Joseph Stennett, upon receiving the message of the church: the following letter was sent to that worthy minister, enclosing that which Mr. Wallin had prepared as an answer to the church, and from which some extracts have been already given. This letter lays open the state of Mr. Wallin's mind, and affords evidence of the prudence of wisdom by which he governed his affairs.

"To the Rev. Mr. Joseph Stennett, Sen.

Rev. Sir, "You will readily believe the concern of my mind has been very great since I saw you last: such have been the calls of my own private business, and my public office in the parish, I have not been able to come at so much time in private together, as you recommended and I desired. But no time has past without some thought of the important affair, nor have I been without several seasons wherein I have solemnly addressed the throne of grace.

"The main point with me is, whether it is probable I can be more useful in the station proposed to me, than that in which I at present stand; So many are those qualifications, necessary to the honourable discharge of that work, which I am destitute of, and so much do the credit of religion and peace of my own conscience depend upon such a discharge of it, if I enter upon it; that the deep sense I have of my own inability and unworthiness, will not suffer me to entertain a hope sufficient to encourage me. If the Lord is descending to me in this way, He makes the clouds his chariots. Did I but know ins will, my heart deceives me if I am not ready to obey it. But so many instances of unfaithfulness have I to charge myself with in my private station, that sure I cannot think I can be counted faithful and put into the ministry!

"I have written something as an answer to the church's message, in which you may see more of my thoughts: please to return it before Monday, that being the day they are to meet.

Mr. Benjamin. Wallin.

"I doubt not but I have an interest in your thoughts and prayers, and subscribe myself your unworthy relation in the best bonds,

B. W. London, November 28. 1739."

The church were willing to wait, till Mr. Wallin was relieved from a public station which he filled in the parish; but before that period arrived, a sermon having been preached by Mr. Benjamin Beddome, a deacon who was unfriendly to Mr. Wallin's being brought into the pastoral office, without having even consulted his brethren in office or the church, stopped the members after the sermon, and proposed Mr. Beddome as a suitable person for the pastoral office; this however turned out to the mortification of this Diotrephes; for no one seconding the motion, the matter dropped of course.

On the business of speaking before the church being again urged upon Mr. Wallin, and there being great cause to apprehend a division if he did not comply, he again consulted his friend, Mr. Joseph Stennett. The following extract from the answer given by that worthy minister, is worthy of being preserved.

"As for your humble, broken, timorous frame, with all the circumstances which have tended to promote such a temper of mind, I apprehend it is that preparation of heart which is from the Lord. Conscience testifies for you, my brother, that you are not seeking your own things: you have the regular call of God's people; and without a trial, how will you know whether it is the call of God or no? Take courage, dear sir, and put your trust in him, and he will, I trust, strengthen your heart and guide you in the way in which you ought to go."

Mr. Wallin accordingly exercised his gifts, by speaking before the church, on July 6, 1740. After this he felt such discouragement that he wrote to the church, requesting they would not urge him to continue speaking before them. To this letter a friendly and sensible reply was returned by one of the deacons, who appears to have suspected that the principal cause why Mr. Wallin was discouraged, was the opposition which some few of the members made to him. He says,

"Our brethren and sisters, in the opposition, have nothing to urge as a sufficient objection to your conduct either in the world or in the church, neither have they any just plea against your abilities: and if I may be allowed to guess the reason they act thus, it is because they would not have a lay teacher, and daub over their true sentiments with the untempered mortar, of fear and trembling about the hurt that may accrue to your family, and the peace and prosperity of the church!"

In another letter from this worthy deacon, dated September 19, 1740, he produces a number of arguments from Scripture, and from authors, and the practice of our churches, to shew the right the church had to call a gifted brother to the pastor's office, and still strongly urges Mr. Wallin to a compliance with their call.

Fearing to trust his own opinion, which was that he ought to decline all thoughts of the ministry, Mr. Wallin, October 30, 1740, addressed a letter to four eminent Baptist ministers, requesting their advice, and was encouraged by them to comply with the call of the church: these were the Rev. Messrs. Gill, Stennett, Wilson, and Brine. After numerous difficulties, arising principally from mental exercises, Mr. Wallin engaged publicly in the work of preaching the gospel on Nov. 9, 1740, from 2 Cor. ii, 16. Who is sufficient for these things?

He was afterwards invited on June 8, 1741, to preach twice a day, for a month or two, as a probationer for the pastoral office. On July 9, the church resolved to call him to the work, and at the request of Mr. Wallin, a solemn season of prayer, on July 15, was held on his behalf. The ordination service was conducted in the following manner, as detailed in Mr. Wallin's manuscripts.

"Thursday October 15, 1741, I was publicly and solemnly invested with the office of pastor, after the church had given the assembly an account, by brother Tomkins, of the call of the church, and the motives inducing thereunto, and I had solemnly recognized my acceptance thereof.

"Mr. Thomas Flower began in prayer. Mr. John Gill ordained. Mr. Dawkes proceeded immediately after ordination. Mr. Samuel Wilson gave the exhortation from 2 Cor. ii. 16. Mr. Brine prayed after Mr. Wilson had finished; then Mr. Gill preached to the people from Heb. xiii. 18; and Mr. Edmund Townsend concluded: the solemnity lasted from half past ten to three-quarters past two. NB Some members met to pray by eight o'clock in the morning"

*This is the father of the better known minister and hymn writer of the same name who worked with John Beddome and others in Bristol