William Nevins, part 1: A Life Half-Lived in 19 Years
(6 minutes)
Burning and shining lights
“Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine. I seek not a long life, but a full one, like you, Lord Jesus.” These are the words of Jim Elliot, missionary to Ecuador, whose prayer was answered when he died at 28. We don’t know why, but God often gives just a few years of ministry to some of His most useful servants.
Henry Martyn, missionary to India, died of sickness, aged 31.
David Brainerd, missionary to American Indians, died of sickness, aged 29.
Robert Murray M'Cheyne, pastor in Scotland, died of sickness, aged 29.
William Nevins, pastor in Baltimore, died of sickness, aged 38.
John the Baptist, last Old Testament prophet, executed, aged about 30.
Jesus, the Messiah, executed, aged about 33.
Jesus said that John the Baptist had been “a burning and shining light.” The same was true of these men and many like them. Each light flashed into the darkness but was snuffed out almost as quickly.
These names—except for Nevins—are well known in the story of the church. Much has been written about Elliot, Martyn, and the others. But like many other “ordinary” Christians, William Nevins has slipped through the cracks of time.
Raised in superficial Christianity
He was born in Connecticut in 1797, the 12th child of a Revolutionary War veteran. America was still a young country when Nevins was a boy; John Adams was president, and George Washington was recently retired to Mount Vernon. The religious atmosphere of his childhood is not completely clear, but it was not ideal. Neither of his parents became true Christians until after he had left home.
When William was 14, he went to New York City to work in a business office, but a year with sums and figures was enough to show his mind was made for other things. He longed for higher education, and with the support of his parents he enrolled at Yale. He was described at this stage as having a quick wit and enjoying good times. The catechism truths he’d memorized as a child had not affected his heart. He had little interest in spiritual things.
Finding Christ at Yale
The Yale of 1815 was not the spiritual desert it is today. Timothy Dwight, grandson of Jonathan Edwards, had presided there for 20 years, and in that time there had been several spiritual revivals on campus. The first came in 1802, and by the time it faded, half the students had been converted.
Other waves came, including one in 1815, during William’s time as a student. He was saved during that revival, and it changed the course of his life. Few details have been passed down about what exactly happened, but in later years he spoke of the preaching impact of Asa Thurston, who spent most of his life as a missionary to the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii).
Off to Princeton
Upon graduation, he decided to prepare for ministry. He traveled that fall from New Haven, Connecticut, to Princeton, New Jersey, where he enrolled in the new theological seminary. Princeton had been created to teach men who “truly believe, and cordially love, the Confession of Faith, catechisms, and polity [organizational structure] of the Presbyterian church.” During his three years in seminary there were only 2 professors and about 70 students, but the school became even more of a spiritual incubator than Yale had been.
For three years, he sat under the teaching of Archibald Alexander and Samuel Miller. Both were highly regarded in the 19th century church for the impact they had on generations of pastors. At Princeton, Nevins benefitted not only from his professors but also from fellow students like Charles Hodge, who would become one of the most helpful and important theologians of the century.
Another graduation, another crossroads
Nevins finished Princeton in 1819 and faced another important decision. For a time, he considered missionary work in South America. During this period of uncertainty, he made his way into Virginia, where he stayed for a season in the greater Richmond area. He spent his time there preaching in nearby cities and working with prisoners in the Richmond jail. Wherever he preached he was well received – an indication of fruitful ministry that awaited him.
By the summer of 1820, he decided to head north to Baltimore. In that city, he found a ministry, a home, and some of the deepest waters a Christian can ever know.
His diary: window to his soul
Two excerpts from Nevins’ diary let us to see the kind of man he was.
February 4, 1830. Oh, that God, by his abundant grace, would keep me from being lifted up with pride. God forbid, especially, that I should ever allow myself to take any credit for a conversion. Let me not think that even my abilities are needed by the Lord. How easily he could do without me. It is an act of pure favor that I am permitted to be in any way useful to the spiritual good of others, and so may I ever esteem it.
April 30, 1830. It is awful to make use of the cross of Christ as a ladder to fame….I observe this as a day of fasting and special prayer…Effort is much easier than self-denial. It is much easier to wear myself out with work, even when I do it cheerfully, than for me to practice one act of self-denial. Therefore, self-denial is the better test of character.
To read more of Nevins’ story, visit the Archives.
