The Life And Testimony Of William Dunderdale

Gospel Standard 1874:

Death. On March 10th, aged 63, Mr. “William Dunderdale, for nearly 40 years a member, and for 27 of that time a deacon of the church at Kirkland, near Garstang, Lancashire.

He was born in a remote and obscure farming district. His mother thought it right to have him christened, and so took him for that purpose to Mr. B., a minister in the Church of England; but she was greatly disappointed by finding him intoxicated, and incapable of performing that rite. However, she went a second time; but, to her astonishment, found him in the same sad and lamentable state, and had to come home with a heavy heart. She made a third attempt, but had to return with the child unchristened, from the very same cause as before named. This brought her to the conclusion that her dear little babe should remain as he was, rather than have a drunken parson to perform upon him; and thus he never got the rite of sprinkling in the Establishment.

As he grew up, he, like all the fallen sons of Adam, soon proved the truth that he was born in his, Adam’s, image. Adverse circumstances took place, in the course of divine providence, with William’s parents, which was the cause of his having to leave home and go into farm servitude. His master being a strict churchman, insisted upon all his servants going to some place of worship; consequently, William was compelled to go contrary to his will; for he hated, in his very heart, all profession of religion. In course of time he became acquainted with a number of card-players; and after their daily occupation was over, they met in the evening as often as possible. O what a sad thing is the first false step; for although William was not led or suffered to go to any great lengths in drunkenness, yet, from various temptations and opportunities, he was suffered to go on to greater lengths in other forbidden paths. But I refrain here from particularizing. Suffice it to say, it was a source of great trouble and sorrow to him in after days. His mother often warned him of the consequence of his sad career, reasoned and prayed with and for him; for she is believed to have been a God-fearing woman; and it pleased God, who is rich in mercy, for the great love where­ with he loved his people, even when dead in sin, to hear and answer her many prayers; for William now began to hear the gospel preached in the house of his parents and elsewhere, and proved the power of that scripture which says, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” The word proved quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, in the hands of the blessed Spirit, in the conscience of William. His convictions were very deep, feeling the arrow of the Almighty stick fast, and the hand of God pressing him sore. Card-playing was at once given up, and his former companions and sinful practices renounced. He now often retired into corners of fields, and into dry ditches, out of all human sight, to cry to God, confess his vile sins, and plead for mercy. O what a blessed change! “Behold, he prayeth.” The change was so great and conspicuous in his life and outward conduct as not only to be seen by his former companions, but by all who knew him, and especially by his dear affectionate praying mother; for he sincerely confessed his sins, and was enabled to forsake them. The set time at length came when the Lord, in mercy, delivered manifestively his soul from death, his eyes from tears, and his feet from falling, and now his consolations abounded. To the joy of his soul he felt the spirit of adoption, and sweetly and blessedly experienced the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost. Then he desired to tell what a dear Saviour he had found, and he went before the church, related his experience, and was received and baptized. Being so well known, the members could not but wonder at the grace of God in him, and they exclaimed, “What hath God wrought!”

He was now desirous of settling in life, and having kept company with his (now) widow, she no longer hesitated to take him for her husband, seeing so miraculous a change in him. They were married, and he took his bride home under his mother’s roof, and in the evening of that day, he took up the Bible, read the chapter setting forth the duties of husband and wife, and afterwards kneeling down, prayed most fervently to the Lord that he would enable them by his grace to walk in the commands and precepts of the Lord, and that their union might be made a mutual blessing to each other, both for this life and the life to come. This again added to the joy and comfort of his dear mother, who herself had now become a member of a Particular Baptist church, and I can (as well as many others) bear testimony that the prayers of the son that night have been heard and abundantly answered. They subsequently travelled miles together on the Lord’s day to hear the glorious gospel of the blessed God preached; and “William was always found in his place on that day, through all weathers,—rain, hail, frost, or snow, often blessing and praising a covenant God that he should have magnified the riches of his grace in remembering such a wretch and vile sinner as he was, and plucking him as a brand from the fire, whilst he left his fellow-companions to follow the evil of their own hearts.

The Lord, in his providence, opened the door by which William became the tenant of a small farm, on which was a large quantity of turf, used much for fuel amongst the farmers and in neighbouring towns and villages. It had lain there for ages, and in some places goes yards deep into the ground. William not only farmed his land, but began extensively to cut and dry the turf for sale. Sometimes he would have as many as 100 or more stacks piled up. It happened at one time that fires being kindled on various parts of the land where the turf was, the wind arose, carried the fire right into the midst of his stacks, and set so many on fire that his loss was considerably above a hundred pounds,—a large sum to him. One day a travelling tradesman called upon his brother, who keeps a shop in the neighbourhood, and addressed him thus: “I hear your brother William has had a great loss of his turf by fire. I leave with you five shillings for him.” The first time William called, his brother told him the circumstance and handed him the five shillings. He stood silent for a short time, and then said, “Peter, I cannot take it with a good conscience; but there is T. W. and J. C., poor members of ours; weigh them each a half-crown’s worth of meal or flour, and send it as soon as you can; for I feel sure they need it; but don’t si y where it came from.” The thing was done; and indeed it proved to be needed at both houses, for they afterwards declared they had not a morsel of bread in the house when the provision arrived, and they blessed God for such a signal deliverance. “O what a present help is the Lord in every time of need.”

Notwithstanding this severe loss, God blessed William in his basket and store, and preserved him in his going out and coming in; for whilst the left hand of the Lord appeared to go out against him tenfold, his right hand brought him in twentyfold; and above all his soul was kept humble, watchful, and prayerful; so that he was taught to observe these things, and to understand the loving-kindness of the Lord in providence and in grace.

God still prospering his handy work, another trial is at the door. The land agent of a gentleman who had the control of his farm, now planned so to raise his moss rent that, if carried out, it would soon take away the most of William’s previous hard-gotten gains. When he became acquainted with the circumstance it took away his rest, peace of mind, sleep, and appetite; and one day, pondering over the great injustice about to be inflicted on him, a spirit of prayer came powerfully upon him. He cried to the Lord in his trouble; the Lord heard him, and sent Ps. 37:1-3 home to his very heart. This made him to rest in hope. But he had not long to wait; for in about a week the gentleman died suddenly, the snare was broken and William escaped, whilst the naked bow of God was so conspicuously made bare on his behalf.

I will now relate a few particulars respecting the church and the chapel where they met at Kirkland. The minister, Mr. John Shaw, dying (of whom there was an account in the “G. S.” at the time, 1839) as in some other places under similar circumstances, contention and strife began, heresies and party spirit sprang up, until at last the trustees had to be called in, William and myself being of the number. The result was that the deacons had to give up their office, and the remaining members proceeded to elect fresh ones, of whom William was chosen one, and remained so up to his death. The congregation, however, began to fall off; members left and opened another place, where heretical doctrines soon began to be advanced. They went on with zeal for a time; but the end proved that they were “clouds without water;” for it was not very long before, like the foolish virgins, their lamps went out, and they no longer continued to meet together.

This was indeed a time of severe trial for the original place. William felt pressed out of measure, and wrote to his old friend to come over and help them. His letter moved the heart of his real and tried friend, for God was in it of a truth, as the sequel proved. This friend went, and commenced going twice and sometimes thrice a month. God, who had scattered Israel, now began to gather her. The attendance gradually increased with anxious hearers, until the chapel became nearly filled, numbers coming for miles round. The Lord now began to bear witness to the word of his grace, some being made willing in the day of his power to give themselves to the Lord and to his people; and in course of time three of William’s daughters, a daughter-in-law, and three of his daughter’s husbands were baptized and joined the church amongst the rest; and I believe if ever Ps. 126 was realized in spirit and in truth in our day it was at this time and at that place; and no one entered into the spirit of it more than William; and indeed none had more reason; for up to the time of his death, like Jacob of old, he would often look back and say with a full heart, “The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.” Annual collections were commenced, his friend always preaching on such occasions; and year after year the collections gradually increased until last year they amounted to the sum of £67 18s. 7d., the people offering most willingly, and none more so than our departed brother, with heart, and soul, and pocket. His friend being called to labour more abundantly in other parts of the Lord’s vineyard, William and his brother deacon were called frequently to speak to the people, one taking the morning, the other the afternoon; and it soon became evident that the Lord blessed their labours to the souls of his people, love and union dwelling amongst them; and so mightily grew the word of God and prevailed that the people have become respected by most of the surrounding neighbourhood. There has been a new school built, and about 80 scholars are on their books. A new stable to hold seven horses has been also built for the convenience of distant comers, and last year the burial ground was much enlarged, and all walled in and paid for. William was permitted to see all this. Having known what trouble and warfare were, he was now brought to see and realize the blessings of peace, love, union, and concord; for most of his former enemies were brought to be at peace with him.

I must now come to speak of his latter days. He had been repeatedly afflicted in body, and on one occasion it was feared he would not recover; but his time had not then come. He was a man bold and unflinching in the things of God, and a staunch advocate of the doctrines of God’a discriminating grace, very sensitive, thoughtful, often in deep meditation, and very anxious in all things he had to do with, secular or religious. He was naturally of a good constitution, which enabled him to bear up tinder the great pressure he sometimes had to endure when many would have sunk. He had a fine black head of hair, which at one time turned grey very quickly, then came off, and his head, behind as well as before and the top, was as destitute of hair as the ball of the hand; but, singular to state, when all hope had gone of ever having hair more, behold another crop of black hair came upon his head, and again turned grey before his death. I merely state this to show the effect of trouble and anxiety of various kinds.

But the last affliction now came, which was to bring down the tabernacle. His sufferings, at times, were very great, but his consolations from the great Physician were greater; and although he had to groan, being burdened, yet the Lord was near to support with his everlasting arms underneath, and he enabled him to say, “I know that if the earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved I have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

The last time he spoke in the chapel on a Lord’s day was Feb. 15th, 1874. When giving out hymn 1106, and coming to the last verse, with great solemnity and emphasis he spoke it:

“When I shall launch to worlds unseen, 

O may I then be found in him; 

Dress’d in his righteousness alone, 

Faultless to stand before his throne.”

This left an impression on some of the friends that the speaker would not be long before he entered into the solemn reality of that verse; and so it proved.

The day following he managed to get to the chapel to bury one who had once been in church fellowship with him. With difficulty he returned home. A physician was sent for, who consulted with another in attendance, and then said to Mrs. D., “Your husband has a complaint upon him that no human power can cure or be of any real help to.” Heavy tidings indeed; but they were received by William with the greatest composure and resignation to the Lord’s will. His sufferings became extreme, and the pain very great, which made him often cry out, “O Lord, give me patience! Lord, help me!” And pausing awhile he would then say, “But what are my sufferings to be compared with the sufferings of the dear Lamb of God?'” Then again, “Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee ?” When his family were about his bed, each desiring to do something to alleviate his pains, he would say, “I fear I shall tire you all out. O how God has blessed me and us as a family. O blessed God, I adore thee, I bless thee, I thank thee! What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me? God almighty bless you all. How much better I am attended to than the dear Son of God was!” Again his pains would come on, and he again said, “‘Weary of earth, myself, and sin, Dear Jesus, set me free,’ &c. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Lord, help me, a poor helpless sinner. Another time, speaking of death, he said. “Death has no terrors for me. Death is swallowed up in the victory of the Son of God! O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

When a friend asked, “Have you any advice to give to the church?” “O no,” was his reply. “Look to Jesus, look to Jesus for advice. I am but a poor helpless sinner. The Lord will be with you and carry on the cause. He told me so when we were only three of us left.” When his pains were a little easier, he said, “Soon shall I pass this gloomy vale,” &c.

It was now evident his time could but be short here, and he felt he could give up wife, children, the church, and all into the hands of God, often praying and pouring forth a husband’s and father’s blessing upon them. The last Lord’s day he was on earth, a number of the members went to see him after the afternoon’s service, to take a last farewell of him. When they surrounded his poor weak body, O how he blessed them in the name of the Lord, saying, “Blessed Lord and blessed church! Natural ties and affections are not to be compared to the spiritual love and affection of the Lord’s family. You are my real brethren and friends, and Jesus is our Elder Brother;” and he then quoted the lines:

“There my best friends, my kindred dwell; 

There God my Saviour reigns.”

He most affectionately took his leave of them all, asking his brother deacon to engage in prayer, and saying, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Prayer accordingly was offered up to the Lord, and they parted to meet no more in this world, William saying, “We shall meet again in glory.” It was a sorrowful parting.

Between this time and his death, he repeated most of hymn 468: “Death is no more a frightful foe,” &c.

His brother, visiting him for the last time, said, “Well, William, you have often preached and conversed about Christian entering the river. I think you are now in it!” His reply was, “I am; but whilst the priests held the ark of the covenant in the river Jordan, the waters stood on a heap on each side.” And he then quoted verse 5, hymn 87: “And when through Jordan’s flood,” &c.

And after a short pause he burst forth with, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” And again: “But when this lisping, stammering tongue Lies silent in the grave,” &c.

On being asked how he felt, his reply was, “The nearer my latter end, the brighter my hopes; and soon shall I hear my Jesus say, ‘Come, thou blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world.'”

Thus lived and died one of whom I can truly say, “The memory of the just is blessed.” “He often sang, while here below, ‘A sinner saved by grace;’ But now he sings the same above, Amongst the ransomed race.”

Thomas Walsh