Nathanael Rawlings

This memoir of Nathaniel Rawlin(g)s is from The Baptist Magazine 1810, pp 27, 28

REV. NATHANAEL RAWLINGS

Your fathers where are they? And the Prophets, do they live forever? No, these men of like passions with otliers, like other men, like all sinners, die. Yet the memory of the just is blessecl; their journey through life is marked by a progress, which in its moral splendour resembles the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day. This beautiful illustration very happily characterised the pious subject of this slight memoir; the days of whose pilgrimage, amounting to more than threescore years and ten, were nearly all spent in this state of blessed prgression. The late Rev N Rawlings was born in Morton-in-theMmarsh, Gloucestershire, 1733. His mother and father were long members of the Baptist church in Bourton-on-the-Water. On his maternal side genuine piety is to be traced through preceding generations. His ancestors were among those of whom the world is not worthy and who avoided its fury during persecuting times by assembling in solitary places. Mr R was serious from a child and was baptised at Bourton in 1750 at 18 years of age. The church soon requested him to preach and when after long solicitation his diffidence yielded to this trial of his abilities, he was sent to Bristol Academy, then under the care of the Rev H Evans and the Rev B Foskett. Here he remained four years; during this period he supplied the church at Trowbridge and was so far approved as to be called at the termination of it to the pastoral charge. It was nevertheless a season of adversity; the number was scanty, the brethren were at variance, and symptoms of disaffection to the ministry of Mr. R. began to discover themselves, so that his ordination, which occurred, October l0th, 1765, was succeeded by his resignation and removal in 1771, when he settled at Bronghton, in Hampshire.

A few days preivious to his departure he married Miss Mary Webb, an emineutly pious woman, who was baptised at the uge of twelve; with her he enjoyed the sacred interests of eonjugal life for thirty years; she died in November 1801 without children, and he remained a widower.

At Broughton he resided six years, when a visit to his friends at Trowbridge renewing all their former attachments produced the united and successful application for his return. He resumed his charge in November 1777. The first settlement was short and troublesome, the last durable and happy. A long series of uninterrupted rosperity in this part of Zion signalised with peculiar favour his subsequent ministry; and his declining life, cheered by the affection of his people and the success of his labours did not present that sort of gloomy pause which has marked alas so frequently the fainting energies of extended age; producing a melancholy interval between the business of both worlds.

A remarkable integrity of character united with great plainness of manners sometimes failed to introduce Mr R advantageously to the attention of a stranger but gave him an honourable seat in the circle of friendship. There it was known how much the law of kindness governed his heart and there breaking through his natural reserve it was expressed by the appropriate communications of the tongue ministering grace to the hearers.

To the popularity of his address or the brilliancy of his talent none of the friends of Mr R will attribute his permanent success as a preacher; but they will remember with veneration how well his holy life and deep personal experience enabled him to enforce those doctrinal subjects in which he especially delighted. They will recollect the usefulness of discourses which finding entrance at the heart abundantly compensated for the want of elegancies which had they distinguished the preacher could not have survived him. They will look round on the late converts of his ministry and see how this aged shepherd brought home the wanderers to his Master's fold when it was eventide with himself and nature might have languished for repose. More than 40 members have been added to the church during the last five years and the place of worship has been crowded.

He was taken ill while attending the funeral of the late Reverend Mr Clarke of Trowbridge and never preached afterwards. He said to a friend who called on him the next day "My work is done. I have nothing more to do here". His tedious illness was admirably sustained, his consolations were not expressed by ecstasies but by the peaceful triumph of an abiding hop; of which he often spoke to those about him. He died October 7th, 1809. His funeral sermon by the Reverend J Barnard of Bradford was delivered to an overflowing house from whence indeed hundreds departed unable to obtain admission. It was founded on a passage selected by himself; at once describing the blessedness of his past experience and the emphasis of his present joy Christ is all and in all.