250 OUR HYMNS :
Burcler s Supplement," 1784. A brief sketch of him in the "Evangelical Magazine," October, 1809, describes him as "a man of sense, piety, activity, and fortitude ; a firm and generous friend ; and a kind benefactor to the poor, both by his medical assistance and his ministerial labours."
From a sketch in the "Evangelical Magazine," March, 1847, by Dr. John Styles, who was then minister at Foleshill, we glean a few additional particulars of Mr. Evans. He was born of humble parents, at Coventry, in 1748 or 1749. He was employed in a ribbon manufactory, and as a youth went beyond his com panions in gaiety and excesses. About the year 1778 he became a Christian convert, and a member of the church under the pas torate of the Rev. G. Burder, at Coventry. Circumstances did not at first admit of his leaving his secular pursuits to engage in the work of the ministry, but he gladly seized every opportunity to preach the Gospel, and often experienced the violent opposition Gospel preachers of those times were exposed to. In 1784, he purchased a building at Foleshill, and fitted it up for a chapel. This was enlarged, and in 1795 a new chapel was built. His last illness came upon him suddenly, and produced some anxiety in his mind for the future of his attached congregation. Dr. Styles has given several of Mr. Evans s hymns in the " Evan gelical Magazine," and the people of Foleshill still remember them. He assigns to him there the authorship of hymn 884. Mr. Evans published a sermon on New Year s Day, 1800, called " A New Year s Gift," and he was the author of an able contro versial pamphlet on the subjects and mode of baptism.
" Hark! the voice of love and mercy."- No. 384.
The authorship of this spirit-stirring noble Christian hymn is disputed. The late Dr. Joseph Belcher, in his " Historical Sketches of Hymns," 1859, assigns it without hesitation to the above-named author, and says that it is part of a much longer piece by him. The congregation at Foleshill have for a long time attributed it to him ; and the late Rev. John Styles, D.D.,
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