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THE

Evangelical Magazine,

FOR DECEMBER, 1797

BIOGRAPHY.

BRIEF MEMOIRS OF CAPTAIN WILLIAM HUNTER, "SENIOR..

[Extracted from a Letter, written by the Reverend Mr. Medley, to a Friend.]

Liverpool, O, 3, 1797.

APTAIN Hunter was a native of this town, the fon

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of eminently pious parents, who died in a good old age, bearing teftimony to the truth and power of the Go!pel in their laft moments. Our dear deceafed friend was brought up to the fea, under the eye of his father, who failed between this port and London, as his fon fince did, i wards of fifty years. About twenty or thirty years ago, ur friend joined the Baptift church here, in connection with which he was an uniform ornament to his profeffion,-a fteady walking Chriftian, fhewing forth the praises of Him who called him out of darkhefs into marvellous "light.". His natural temper was uncommonly fweet; he won the affections and gained the esteem of all his Chriftian acquaintance. The glory of God, the honour of the Lord Jefus Chrift, and the welfare of Zion, lay near his heart, and diligently and steadily he pursued them. He was a man of great humility and diffidence; deeply and frequently would he figh and mourn over the remaining darkness and hardnefs of his heart, and often, when he has mentioned it, have I feen the tears trickle down his aged face. He was a man earneft and conftant in prayer God of grace, the word of grace, the Spirit of grace,and the throne of grace, were his delight. He had a strong and peculiar affection for the eternal interefts of the dear : VOL. V.

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the

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youth around him. O how have I heard him wrestle in prayer for his dear children, his children's children, and the rifing generation at large-He was a man of peace, and ever itrove to maintain it; while his whole conduct ferved. at once both to recommend and enforce it. As a man of business, fuffice it to fay, that those who had most and longeft to do with him,,efteemed him moft: for, as to integrity and punctuality, I may venture to fay, he was excelled by

none.

He followed his nautical profeffion full fifty years; during the greater part of which he commanded a ship out of this port. About two years ago, he retired from public bufinefs, to fpend his remaining days with his dear children, relations, and friends, at Liverpool; and fondly we hoped to have enjoyed much pleafure and profit from his company and converfation.

About two months ago a particular Providence called his fon to Lancafter; and as his fhip was nearly loaded and ready for failing from London, our dear friend went up thither by land, to take the command of her, and bring her round to Liverpool. This he effected; being favoured with a fhort and merciful paffage; and we all observed that he had fcarcely ever returned from a voyage in fuch good health and fpirits. The fhip arrived in the river on Thurfday, September 14th, and lay a mile or two below the town. On Friday he went down to the fhip on business, and returned in fafety. On Saturday he had occafion to go down to her again; and, as the morning was fair and promifing, our dear friend Captain M and his lady, hoping for fome benefit to her health from the air on the river, accompanied him, and dined with him on board. After dinner the dear man read to his friends the account published in the Evangelical Magazine, of the happy death of a young perfon the daughter of a widowed mother; in perufing which, the tears flowed fo faft down his cheeks, as to interrupt his reading. This was the laft act of focial religion that he ever performed. The tide now ferved for their return; they all (eleven in number) got into the boat, and had very nearly reached St. George's Dock, where they intended to land; but as the wind was rather contrary, the dear deceased, who was at the helm, thought it would be best to stretch out a little, expecting to fetch in by the next tack. But now the awful moment was come for in putting the boat about, whatever the caufe might be, in an inftant the filled with water and overfet. Here our dear friend

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met his death. Boats being immediately brought to their affiftance, they were all taken up and put on fhore; there was no reafon to doubt of the recovery of the rest of the company, which, bieffed be God, has taken place; but our friend was gone. Every medical affiftance was procured, and tried for two hours, but all in vain! Thus terminated the mortal life of a pious, excellent, ufeful, and truly valuable man. How this fhock has been, and is ftill, felt by his family and friends, I need not fay. You can realize it. O what a brother-a friend-a right-hand man, is removed from the poor minifter and church!" But thall not the judge of all the earth do right?"

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On the Lord's day after his interment, a difcourfe was preached at the request of his fon, from Job. v. 26. "Thou "fhalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn "cometh in his feafon." And in the evening another difcourfe from i Samuel xx. 3. "But truly as the Lord liveth, and as thy foul liveth, there is but a step between me and death!" They were crowded meetings, and folemn hours. The Lord fanctify the ftroke! I will only add, in reference to my dear departed brother, the pious and truly applicable lines of the late Mr. Fanch.

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"Now fafe arrives the heavenly mariner;

"The battering ftorm-the hurricane of life

"All die away in one eternal calm.

"With joy divine, full glowing in his breast,

"He gains the port of everlasting reft."

A FRAGMENT.

"BEWARE OF COUNTERFEITS."

WILL

ILL you buy any counterfeits?" faid a poor Jew, as I paffed along the street the other day, prefenting at the fame time fome glittering pieces of bafe metal. Alas! friend (my heart fecretly aníwered) what need of buying counterfeits in fuch a world, where fo many are daily paffed upon us?" The thought followed me for fome time, and as it fuggefted inftruction to my mind, the reader may alfo, by the divine bleffing, receive a profitable hint from it.

It is an acknowledged truth that, our principal danger arifes from thofe enemies, which, as they are leaft fufpected, have the greater advantage in their attack upon us; of .thefe I would defire to give warning, and though the limits

of

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