{"id":18190,"date":"2023-06-24T03:35:56","date_gmt":"2023-06-24T03:35:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/?p=18190"},"modified":"2023-06-24T03:36:17","modified_gmt":"2023-06-24T03:36:17","slug":"the-life-and-ministry-of-w-e-palmer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/2023\/06\/the-life-and-ministry-of-w-e-palmer\/","title":{"rendered":"The Life And Ministry Of W. E. Palmer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earthen Vessel 1891:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr. W. E. Palmer, Pastor (Succoth), Rushden, Northamptonshire<\/p>\n

Dear Brother Winters,\u2014At your request I give a brief outline of my strange pathway. I was born in London, May 9th<\/sup>, 1834.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My parents were professedly of the Established Church, and so I was brought up to that Church. My father died suddenly, when I was about five years old, and, as a consequence, as soon as able, I had to leave school and go to work. But from my earliest recollection I had a fear of God, and trembled at the thought of death. I often, to calm this fear, vowed and resolved to be a Christian. But alas! when I entered into life’s labour I sought to drown this feeling by entering into all manner of sin and wickedness.<\/p>\n

Having been taken by a neighbour to learn the trade of a plasterer, after about two years he died, and thus being free, and knowing a good part of the trade, I was able to earn good wages, and spent them as fast as I got them in sinful pleasures; and but for free and sovereign grace I know not what the end would have been. About this time my mother went to London (we were then living in Kent); she saw a gentleman that wanted an apprentice in the flint-glass cutting trade, and she thought if she could get me in his employ it would take me from my companions in sin; and when she came home, although late, she could not go to bed till she came into my bedroom and awoke me and got my consent to go to London. I knew the life I was leading was wrong, but too proud to confess it. I secretly resolved to make no companions in London, but join some Sunday-school, and be, as I thought, a Christian.<\/p>\n

I became a teacher, and tried hard to be a Christian, and was thought to be one by others. About twelve months after, one of the deacons of Spa-field’s Chapel (Lady Huntingdon’s) spoke to me about becoming a member of the Church. I told him that I earnestly desired that, but did not think I was quite fit. He gave me a paper with some questions on it, told me to take it home, and answer those questions as best I could. Having answered them to the satisfaction of the Church, I received a note informing me that the pastor, Mr. T. E. Thorsby, would receive me into fellowship next Ordinance Sunday. Then I thought I was indeed a Christian. I had been a member about two years, and a Mr. Lewis, of Rochdale, came to preach sermons to young people. His text was Psa. 144:15. He showed so clearly what God’s people were, that all my Christianity was gone. He left me a worthless, hell-deserving sinner, without the shadow of a hope, and not till then (with all my profession) did I know what it was to be a lost sinner. What I went through no tongue can tell, or pen write; only those who have travelled a similar pathway can understand. But blessed be God, light and liberty came at last; and through free grace, even this poor one was enabled to rejoice and sing, “Hallelujah! Jesus is my Saviour!”<\/p>\n

From this time the desire to tell to others this glorious Gospel of the grace of God burned within me, and for some years I used to go with others, and preach in the courts and alleys of Clerkenwell, and other places.<\/p>\n

Sometime after, the subject of baptism, its mode, and its subjects, was discussed in our young men’s Bible-class, and I was led to see immersion was right, and believers the proper subjects; but not till the year 1863 was the way made clear, when I was baptized and joined a Baptist Church at King’s Cross. The desire to speak the glories of the Cross, now seemed more intense, and being in a good position, and earning good wages, the devil often told me I had better remain as I was; but the Lord directed otherwise. I had no rest, a voice was continuously heard, “Go and tell of free and sovereign grace and everlasting salvation.” Having received a fair education, but sorely feeling my need of more, I sought an entrance into the Metropolitan College; but not having a friend at court, after waiting some months I received a note from Mr. Spurgeon, stating he thought I was too old to go through a college course, and I had better remain where I was. I need not tell you what I felt. My God knows it all, and in His own time made it plain. He opened a door for me. I was asked to take a shut-up meeting place close to Caledonian-road, King’s Cross; and in that place the Lord blest the word. About twelve months after I received and accepted an invite to Red Lion-street Chapel, and there preached with many tokens of the Father’s blessing, till removing from London, I was compelled to resign. In 1871 I joined in fellowship at Ebenezer, Hornsey-rise (W. S. Waterer, pastor). Mr. Waterer, knowing I had been preaching, asked if I would preach for him one Sunday, which the Lord helped me to do. I was then introduced by Mr. Waterer and Mr. Herring to the Strict Baptist Itinerant Society, and from that time I have been fully engaged.<\/p>\n

The educational help I had sought years before, and had been refused, was now opened to me. I heard of the Strict Baptist Student’s Class, held at Meard’s-court Chapel. I sought, and gained admission, and have reason to be thankful for the help received. There I had the pleasure of taking a prize for an essay on the Atonement.<\/p>\n

In 1878 I was called to preach, and received and accepted an invite to the pastorate at Offord-hill, Norwich; there the blessing of heaven was signally given. In 1883 I was removed to Zion, High Wycombe, Bucks, and there our covenant God gave many tokens of His love, to which I know many can bear witness. In May, 1889, I received a call to my present pastorate at Succoth, Rushden, Northamptonshire, and here I wait, as in times past, watching God’s band, looking for the showers to fall, and waiting His direction in all my ways. If this brief account should be helpful to anyone travelling in a strange pathway to Zion above, to our Three-One covenant God be all the praise and glory.<\/p>\n

Yours in Gospel bonds,<\/p>\n

W. E. Palmer<\/p>\n

<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mr. W. E. Palmer, Pastor (Succoth), Rushden, Northamptonshire<\/p>\n

Dear Brother Winters,\u2014At your request I give a brief outline of my strange pathway. I was born in London, May 9th, 1834.\u00a0<\/p>\n

My parents were professedly of the Established Church, and so I was brought up to that Church. My father died suddenly, when I was about five years old, and, as a consequence, as soon as able, I had to leave school and go to work. But from my earliest recollection I had a fear of God, and trembled at the thought of death. I often, to calm this fear, vowed and resolved to be a Christian. But alas! when I entered into life’s labour I sought to drown this feeling by entering into all manner of sin and wickedness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":118,"featured_media":18188,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1355],"tags":[1232,1226],"class_list":["post-18190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-w-e-palmer","tag-baptist-history","tag-gospel-preachers"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/118"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18190"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18190\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18191,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18190\/revisions\/18191"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18188"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}