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Copy of a Letter addressed to the Rev. Dr. Hannah, Theological Tutor , 
 Didsbury—on the occasion of the death of the Rev. John Hunt, 
 Chairman of the Feejee District—printed for the convenience of the 
 Brethren and the bereaved Widow in giving information of the de¬ 
 ceased to his and their Friends in England and elsewhere. 
 
 Vewa, Feejee, Oct. 25, 1848. 
 Rev. and very dear Sir,— 
 
 Happy should I be to write to you, as heretofore, about our 
 labours, trials and continued successes in Feejee. But, alas! 
 an event most painful demands our first attention. We have 
 to inform you that your faithful and approved Student—the 
 Rev. John Hunt —has been severely afflicted, and that he 
 finished his Christian course with joy, and the ministry which 
 he received of the Lord Jesus, on the fourth of this month, 
 at twenty minutes past three, p.m. 
 
 Our most excellent Chairman was ardently loved, and very 
 highly esteemed, by each of his brethren. He was eminently 
 qualified for the office he sustained. The loss of such a man 
 —great anywhere!—is immense in this extensive but scantilv- 
 supplied District; especially so now, as our work is in vigour- 
 ous prosperity, and we now, more than at any former period, 
 need an increase of labourers. We keenly feel our bereave¬ 
 ment—which has tinged our future prospects with gloom. 
 
 Mr. Lyth, my superintendent, has written fully of Mr. 
 Hunt’s last illness and happy death to the Secretaries. That 
 I hope you will see, as it contains much information that you 
 will desire to know of the nature of his disease—of his perfect 
 happiness in his last affliction, and full preparedness for death 
 —and some of the expressive statements he made to us. 
 
 It is a source of very great comfort to us in our sorrows 
 that Mr. Hunt was favoured with the presence of his most in¬ 
 timate friend, doctor and colleague —whose judicious skill and 
 unremitting attentions so much alleviated Ins sufferings, and 
 prolonged his stay with us. 
 
 He was born June 13th, 1812, at Hykeham-moor, near 
 Lincoln. During his youthliood he had impressive views of 
 the providence of God : and grew up in the fear of the Lord. 
 
 His convictions of sin were full. He deeply repented. 
 Under the instructions of the late Rev. J. Smith he trusted 
 fully in Christ for his personal salvation ; and being justified 
 by faith, he then had peace with God. This was in the 
 eighteenth year of his age. 
 
 His piety became deep. The love of God was perfected im 
 
liim. He early became, what be continued to be, a man of 
 simple, ardent, believing prayer—agonizing with God for bles¬ 
 sings on himself and others. 
 
 He became a diligent reader of the Bible at an early period 
 of his Christian course, adopting—what he has frequently 
 practised since—the invaluable plan of choosing a passage 
 for each day’s meditation; by which he kept his mind engaged, 
 and obtained a knowledge of the Word of God which was the 
 result of deep thought. 
 
 After having preached the Gospel with acceptance and suc¬ 
 cess for about four years, at the Conference of 1835 you will 
 remember he entered the Institution at Hoxton. You are 
 aware of the improvement he there made, by hard study, ex¬ 
 treme diligence—often, as I remember, rising at four o’clock 
 in the morning—and never entering into trifling conversation, 
 or wasting time. He must then have fully adopted as his 
 guide, what he has to the last day of his life fully practised. 
 The Twelve Rules of a Helper. 
 
 Among many Institution principles which he carried out, 
 one deserves prominent notice and full remembrance—his 
 willingness to communicate instruction and render help. 
 Most cheerfully would he labour hard, and even write, for the 
 use of his brethren. 
 
 You have had no student more faithful to the invaluable in¬ 
 structions which you re-iterated again and again—that we 
 were to continue in those studies which were there com¬ 
 menced. He gave himself fully to them; his profiting was 
 known to all men. His diligence told well on himself; and 
 his constancy, seriousness and full devotedness—without a 
 word from him—was the most cutting reproof to those of us 
 who had not got into the same plan of strict application to 
 useful study. He was always employed—never triflingly so : 
 and that is one grand reason of his effecting so much. 
 
 You know well that he not only had a sound mind in a 
 strong body—but that his capabilities were more than ordina¬ 
 ry. Yet, it was dint of application—hard thinking, and con¬ 
 stancy in good employment that made him stand most con¬ 
 spicuously far before and above his brethren—both in the In¬ 
 stitution and since he left. 
 
 His general spirit and application every one saw and felt in 
 the Institution ; but I had a nearer view of him within the 
 sides of a ship during a long voyage, and at places where we 
 landed before we arrived at our destination. If, under any 
 circumstances, a man can have a plausible excuse or reason 
 for relaxation, surely then he might. But not so with brother 
 Hunt—he was always at work : and he had entered so fully 
 into his duty, that it became his delight, and he could not be 
 happy without fulfilling it. Every day learning something 
 useful—in every place doing something good. So far from 
 
desiring to rest—lie could not be persuaded to it. lie must 
 be on full stretch ! 
 
 In entering on his work in Feejee in January, 1839, he 
 went on in his usual way of entire-consecration—only turning 
 the direction of his mind and efforts to the work he then 
 commenced. He quickly learned so much of the language 
 as enabled him to preach and converse. 
 
 After remaining only six months at Rawa, he removed to a 
 new Station, where he was called to work without the tokens 
 of good which would have satisfied him—conversions from sin 
 to holiness. However, though he could not there see what he 
 longed for, he was determined to do what he could. With his 
 colleague he made much progress and proficiency in the lan¬ 
 guage, which was made to tell considerably, when correctness 
 and extensive knoivledge were so much needed afterwards. 
 There too he learnt many lessons of patience and resignation 
 in the extreme sufferings of Mrs. Hunt, and the death of his 
 only son, his then only child. 
 
 In 1842 he removed from Somosomo to Yewa. Here he 
 lived, laboured and died, and here his remains are deposited. 
 
 lie nobly laboured in building two good Mission-houses. 
 Through the respect which the Foreigners who reside in Feejee 
 had for Mr. Hunt, several of them volunteered to put up the 
 frame of a wooden house free of expense to him or the Mission. 
 
 In 1845 a blessed revival of religion took place at Yewa— 
 whenmany became the acceptedand regenerated children of God. 
 
 His preaching both in native and English was most excel¬ 
 lent. All his sermons were well-studied and well-arranged in 
 his mind before preaching or writing. He thoroughly under¬ 
 stood—fully explained—and most faithfully applied God’s 
 holy Word. He was a good and faithful minister of Jesus 
 Christ , nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, 
 whereunto he had attained, lie studied to show himself ap¬ 
 proved unto God , a workman that needed not to he ashamed , 
 rightly dividing the word of truth. 
 
 He translated nearly the whole of the New Testament— 
 which has been well printed. It is esteemed by all his bre¬ 
 thren as a most excellent version. 
 
 He prepared a Course of Christian Theology in short ser¬ 
 mons—comprising the Evidences, Doctrines, Duties and In¬ 
 stitutions. This has been a very useful book to the local 
 preachers. In the plan and in some of the matter he was 
 indebted to you; but every part was really his own by 
 diligent study and personal investigation.—During the last 
 year he has been preparing a much-enlarged edition of this 
 work, which he had nearly finished. This we hope soon to 
 print: so that he, being dead, may yet speak sound words to 
 the edification of Feejeean Teachers for ages to come ; and 
 that we who remain, and those who may come, may derive 
 
much assistance in this, as well as in many other things, from 
 his invaluable labours. His thoughts are very good ; his lan¬ 
 guage is thoroughly Feejeean, and well understood by the na¬ 
 tives. He obtained an extensive knowledge of the Feejeean 
 language, and had a peculiar aptitude to translate, write and 
 speak most intelligibly. He delivered these lectures to several 
 students five days a week, at six o’clock in the morning, du¬ 
 ring the last few months of his life. 
 
 His career, though short, has been pre-eminently good and 
 bright. He gained much influence and esteem everywhere 
 and with almost everybody. In his intercourse with chiefs, 
 heathen and Christian people, captains of ships, foreigners, 
 his brethren—every one—he was most happy ; and successful 
 in doing good to an immense extent. The effects of his life, 
 voyaging, prayers, preaching, conversations, are on a broad 
 basis, and will doubtless tell much as long as Feejee exists. 
 
 Soon after we came to Feejee, brother Hunt proposed that 
 he and I should correspond on Entire Sanctification. We ex¬ 
 changed several letters on the subject. It appeared to me 
 that he was able to produce something that would be gener¬ 
 ally useful. He continued to write; and at his death he de¬ 
 sired his Manuscripts on this subject might be offered to Mr. 
 Mason; the profits to be for the benefit of the Book Room 
 and the Feejee Mission. He desired the book might be de¬ 
 dicated to you. The papers, which will make a considerable 
 volume, Mrs. Hunt will take with her to England. We hope 
 you will be able to prepare for the press, and that the work 
 will be published, as all his brethren here who have read the 
 Manuscript urged him to allow it to be published. The 
 brethren said the Letters had been useful to them , and believed 
 that they would be to others. The point of usefulness made 
 brother Hunt yield to the solicitations of his brethren. 
 
 He has left considerable MSS. in Journal, Outlines, Ser¬ 
 mons, etc., and we have copious letters which he wrote to his 
 brethren. At Mrs. Hunt’s request, brother Lyth and I have 
 consented to arrange Memorials and Remains ; which we pur¬ 
 pose forwarding to Mrs. Hunt, for her additions ; and we 
 hope you will prepare the whole for the public. We are de¬ 
 sirous that something should be published respecting him; 
 and we are willing to do what we can, as we have had a long 
 intimacy with him. 
 
 On the ninth of August and some days previous, brother 
 Hunt had most severe attacks of spasm and inflammation in 
 the bowels—and it was feared that his life would then 
 be finished. However, ardent prayer was made by the 
 Church without ceasing for him ; and the Lord sanctified the 
 means used to the alleviation of his sufferings. 
 
 On the 6th of September I arrived at Yewa by the Wesley 
 Jxom Lakemba. I found brother Hunt able to sit on the sofa. 
 
and walk over the room with a stick; but very much shatter¬ 
 ed by his frequent attacks, and continued disease. 
 
 On the 7th I had a long conversation with him. He 
 spoke of his very severe attack of illness. Aft$r the re¬ 
 moval of the paroxysm on the 9tli of August, he entered into 
 a full consideration of his state. He said:—“ I had most 
 humbling views of my own nothingness and uselessness, which 
 distressed me: until it came to my mind, powerfully as if the 
 Lord had spoken it to me, ‘ Are not ye my work in the Lord? 
 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you : 
 for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.’ After 
 that, the Lord would not allow me to reproach myself, but 
 manifested himself to me in a surprising manner, and I seem¬ 
 ed overwhelmed and filled with the love of God. My will 
 was completely lost in God’s will.” At the same time he said, 
 “ I feel my work is done. When you used to write to me 
 about my translating the Old Testament, and said that I should 
 doubtless feel the same about it as about the New Testament, 
 
 I never did—I never could. I desired to finish the revised and 
 much-enlarged edition of the Sermons on Christian Theology .” 
 
 On the 17th I read, at br. Hunt’s request, the ninth and 
 tenth of Hebrews. After prayer he said—“Paul gives such a 
 view of the work of the Saviour in those two chapters as fills me 
 with such admiration of, and feelings about, the Saviour as 
 I cannot express. I feel Him a perfect Saviour. I never had 
 such views and hold of the Saviour as I have in this illness.” 
 
 On the 25th he said, “I have comfort—constant comfort—■ 
 but I have not joy. I desire a greater manifestation of God’s 
 love ; but perhaps I could not bear more in my weak state. 
 I leave myself in the Lord’s hands, to do as he sees best. I 
 am safe in his hands.” He had then been a week confined 
 to his bed, and was very much reduced. 
 
 On the 26th he was easier, but very weak. I read the 
 17th John and prayed. He was much engaged in devotion 
 during prayer. Towards the close he began to weep. After 
 we arose from our knees his weeping continued and increased ; 
 until at length he burst out, crying aloud, “Lord, bless Feejee! 
 Save Feejee ! Thou knowest my soul has loved Feejee. My 
 heart has travailed in pain for Feejee.” Mrs. Hunt and I 
 were gratified with the outbursting of what always tilled his 
 heart; but we knew his great weakness would not admit of 
 such exertion. We therefore tried to prevent him. I said 
 “The Lord knows you love Feejee. We know. The Feejeean 
 Christians know. And the heathens of Feejee know it. 
 You have laboured hard for Feejee when you were strong. 
 Now, you are so weak, you must be silent, God will save 
 Feejee. He is saving Feejee.” For a short time he wept low ; 
 but again, unable to suppress his powerful feelings, he wept 
 and called aloud, with great vohemcncy, grasping me firmly 
 
with one hand and lifting one up, “Oh let me pray once more 
 for Feejee! Lord, for Christ’s sake, bless Feejee ! Save Feejee! 
 Save thy servants !—Save thy people!—Save the heathen!—in 
 Feejee.” His full heart was overpowered, and he would glad¬ 
 ly have agonized beyond his strength, as he had long laboured, 
 on behalf of Feejee: but we insisted upon his giving up and 
 being easy. 
 
 On the 28th he said “For two days I can think only of 
 Paul’s language, ( l am in a strait betwixt two.’ ‘For me to 
 live is Christ.’ If needful for my family and the Church I 
 shall be raised up again. I have no choice. I am resigned to 
 the will of God. I am more, I love the ivill of God. He rules.” 
 I said “If we ruled, we should keep you; but He knows best.” 
 He rejoined “Yes. He is my ruler, my proprietor. He will 
 soon make it up in many ways.” 
 
 On the 2nd October he said, “I have no anxiety. I trust 
 in Jesus, and feel he is mine; and I wait the end. I await the 
 word of relief, or release. I do not believe in either: but I feel a 
 very little would decide for either. I leave all with the Lord.” 
 
 At daylight on the 4th we found br. Hunt exceedingly 
 weak. We assembled around his bed. He said “How strange! 
 I cannot realize that I am dying ; and yet you all look as if I 
 were.” “Well; if this be dying, praise the Lord.” 
 
 At his request br. Lyth read the 14th John. Fie engaged with 
 his wonted earnestness in prayer. He desired again and again 
 to be left alone. His mind, which retained all its vigour to the 
 last, was fully engaged, his eyes uplifted, and his lips moving. I 
 said “The Lord is faithful and helps you.” “Yes;” he replied. 
 
 About one o’clock, he said,—“ It is a solemn thing to die 
 —very solemn.” I said, “Mr. Wesley, in dying, clung to 
 Jesus—and you do.” “Yes”—he replied, with solemnity— 
 “I cleave to Jesus, and am right. I have nothing else to 
 look to. He is all I have to trust in. If I look from him I 
 am in a vortex—have doubts and condemnation. But I have 
 full faith in him. I have peace and pardon through him. I 
 have no disturbance at all.” 
 
 His whole soul was engaged with the Lord. He cried aloud, 
 “0 Lord, my Saviour! Jesus!” More than usual earnestness 
 marked his countenance. Shortly after this wrestling with 
 the God of all grace and consolation, his complacent smile be¬ 
 spoke gratitude and joy. Then he appeared to be engaged in 
 meditation. Again he spoke: “ I want strength to praise 
 Him abundantly ! I am very happy.”—About eight o’clock in 
 the morning, after being informed of the approach of death, 
 he said to Mrs. Hunt, “Oh for one more baptism!” She 
 now asked him—“ Have you had a fresh manifestation, my 
 dear?” “Yes! Hallelujah! Praise Jesus ! ” Then added, “I 
 don’t depend on this [significantly shaking his head]. I bless 
 the Lord, I trust in Jesus.” 
 
Soon after he exclaimed— “Now he is my Joy. I thought 
 I should have entered heaven singing ‘ Jesus and salvation! ” 
 Now I shall go, singing, Jesus, salvation and glory —eternal 
 glory/ 5 
 
 He then settled down, saying very many times, “ Hallelu¬ 
 jah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! 55 
 
 He delivered messages to the chiefs, people, his brethren and 
 sisters: prayed for his children, desiring them to obey and 
 imitate their mother: affectionately commended his much- 
 beloved partner to the guidance of Divine providence; prayed 
 for God’s blessing on a faithful servant who had been with him 
 ever since his arrival in Feejee : and then desired me to pray 
 
 About three o’clock, p.m., he grasped me, and turned on 
 his side ; and, after breathing with difficulty for about twen¬ 
 ty minutes, his spirit departed to eternal blessedness. 
 
 He was most happy in his marriage. It was Mrs. Hunt’s 
 pleasure to anticipate his every want, and night and day for 
 several weeks of trying affliction to administer to his necessities 
 with her own careful hands. She is bereaved indeed. Her 
 beloved and loving husband taken from her at the early age 
 of thirty-six, in the very height of his prosperity and use¬ 
 fulness ; leaving two dear infants—remembrancers of him— 
 for whom she alone will have to care, and train up for Heaven. 
 It was a cause of great rejoicing to br. Hunt to see his dear 
 w r ife so resigned; saying, “ She is wonderfully supported.” In 
 praying with him a short time before his death, she said, 
 4 ‘ Good is thy will, OLord! Me would embrace thy will.” 
 With much satisfaction and cheerfulness he promptly ex¬ 
 claimed, “ Praise the Lord.” Throughout the affliction sister 
 Hunt bore up with much fortitude. Even at the hour of 
 death we were astonishingly upheld—all of us. Our hearts 
 were drawn heavenward. We seemed to go with him to the 
 portals—and finding ourselves left to mourn, our first 
 thoughts were concern for ourselves—and as with one heart 
 and voice we cried, 
 
 “ O may / triumph SO, 
 
 When all my warfare’s past.” 
 
 The natives flocked to see the remains of their beloved 
 Minister. A neat coffin was immediately made, covered with 
 black calico, on which was inscribed— 
 
 HEY. JOHN HUNT 
 Slept in Jesus 
 October 4th, 1848, 
 
 Aged 30 years. 
 
 Early on the morning of the 5th, the principal Chief of Bau, 
 with many attendants, arrived. He was impatient to see the 
 remains; and was evidently much affected with brother Hunt’s 
 message, and the account we gave of his good end. 
 
 At three o’clock he was borne by native Students. The 
 
Foreigners residing here, and some from islands near, attended 
 tlie funeral, neatly attired. Mr. Lytli read the Burial Service 
 in English. Afterwards I addressed the people in Feejeean. 
 
 On the following Sabbath Mr. Lyth preached in English 
 from,— “ And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, 
 Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from hence¬ 
 forth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their la¬ 
 bours : and their works do follow them.” I addressed the Fee- 
 jeeans from—“ And Enoch walked with God ; and he was not; 
 for God took him A 
 
 The brethren Watsford and Hazlewood had the advantage 
 of being with our dear brother for some weeks before his de¬ 
 parture ; but they had to leave Vewa for their Circuits a few 
 days before his death. I remained with Brother Lyth in or¬ 
 der to attend to our mutual and much-loved Friend, while the 
 Wesley went to remove Mrs. C. and family from Lakemba. 
 
 During the whole of the illness, he was waited on continu¬ 
 ally with great cheerfulness and kindness by Mr. Joseph 
 Rees, son of the late Rev. John Rees, of London. He has long 
 been concerned about his soul; and has begun to meet in class, 
 his convictions and desires for salvation being greatly increased 
 by what he saw, heard and felt while gratuitously rendering 
 invaluable services to Mr. Hunt. He is a good printer, and we 
 have fully employed him in the Mission Printing-office. 
 
 We know you will feel keenly at this unexpected and pain¬ 
 ful event, hastened perhaps by over-exertion: and that you 
 will deeply sympathize with us in our bereft condition. All 
 Feejee is before us! Immense labour awaits us! and we are 
 greatly weakened! Br. Flunt translated Exodus and the 
 Psalms, and revised Genesis : but most of the Old Testament 
 remains to be translated. We much desire that the whole of 
 THE BOOK may be as good a version as that which has been 
 effected of the New Testament. To the Institutions especially 
 we look for a man to help in the translation and revision of the 
 Old Testament. May the Lord send us one as well qualified 
 as was our departed Friend! And oh that He would thrust 
 forth speedily many labourers into the harvest—while we who 
 Remain are alive—while the Lord is working mightily by his 
 Word and Spirit—and while Feejee is inviting, and benefiting 
 by, our labours! 
 
 Br. Hunt received from Mr. Mason, a few weeks before his 
 death, 50 copies of his Memoirs of the Rev. W. Cross; and 
 was gratified by the favourable Notices of his Work in Mr. 
 Hoole’s Year Book of Missions, and in the Magazine and 
 Watchman. 
 
 I am, Rev. and dear Sir, 
 
 Your’s most affectionately, 
 
 James Calvert. 
 
 To the Rev. J. Hannah, D. D.