When Mr. Raban had accepted the invitation to Yardley, he was much devoted to the spiritual interests of his flock; but having a numerous family, he continued at Olney, following his occupation as a mechanic or builder. This enabled him to serve his flock with scarcely any reward but their affections and their prayers. In addition to his labours at Yardley, he preached lectures in different places; and it is worthy of remark, that he was the first Dissenting minister who established a lecture at Woburn, Bedfordshire, where there is now a settled congregation.
Several remarkable escapes from danger and death were experienced by Mr. Raban. On one occasion, being in an unfinished building two stories high, his foot slipped and he fell to the ground and pitched upon an axe, the edge of which stood upright; it cut his hat, but missed his head, and he sustained little or no injury. At another time, a large piece of timber, on which he had set his foot, heaved up and fell with him into a saw-pit, and an anvil of a hundred pounds' weight, connected with the wood, fell upon him; but it only bruised his leg, which was soon healed. There was another still more remarkable preservation which he had to record. As he was assisting in raising a beam in a mill, the rope slipped, when the beam, under which he stood, fell with him from a height of four stories; but though much injured by the fall, his life was wonderfully preserved. At another time, he was driving a team with a load of hay down a narrow lane, when, by attempting to get on the other side of the waggon, he was thrown under the wheel; but he had the presence of mind to call to the horses to stop, which they did in a moment, and thus he was once more saved from instantaneous death. Such deliverances must have deeply affected the heart of a good man, and have led him with some deep emotion to say, with the Psalmist, "who redeemeth our life from destruction." But within the last month of his existence, the truth of Cowper's beautiful lines were exemplified—
"Safety consists not in escape
From dangers of a frightful shape;
An earthquake may be bid to spare
The man that's strangled by a hair."
On Lord's-day, May 9th, he was engaged in preaching at Woburn. After service, when leaving a friend's house, his foot slipped over a pebble—he fell, and found his right leg was broken; and that was the means of bringing him to the end of his life, on the 31st of the same month.
"In his person," it is said, "Mr. Raban was tall, being full six feet high, of an athletic habit, and of regular features. His perceptions were quick, his memory strong, his spirit ardent and undaunted, mingled with a good degree of patience and perseverance; in fine, he enjoyed the union of those good qualities which rendered his life highly serviceable and honourable in the situation where infinite wisdom had placed him."
The Rev. William Bull, of Newport, preached his funeral sermon, at Yardley, from 2 Chron. xxxii. 33 ("And all Judah and Jerusalem did him honour at his death"), in which he gave the following account of Mr. Raban's character and ministry:—
It may appear needless for me to dwell upon the character of your deceased pastor, to persons who have known him so many years; but I believe very few, except his own family, were so intimately acquainted with him, either as a man, a Christian, or a minister. He had long been accustomed to open his mind freely to me; and I have remarked, that those who best knew him esteemed him most; so I am conscious the more I saw of his heart the stronger affection I felt for him. Few persons have filled up a greater variety of relations in life than our departed friend. Early habituated to business, his increasing family and peculiar circumstances led him into complicated scenes of worldly engagements, all of which, to the best of my knowledge, he discharged with unblemished integrity and uncommon disinterestedness. In such a situation, I believe, no man ever lived wholly without censure, much less a real Christian, and least of all a minister of the Gospel. Envy is sure to attack such a character on one side or the other. Failings, from which the best of men are never exempt, are often in such cases dwelt upon with pleasure, if not magnified with diligence. However, I can truly say, that scarcely any man I know had fewer or smaller faults than my late dear friend. Whatever they were, they may now properly be buried with him, while his good works, in which he abounded to the glory of God and the good of men, have followed him to another world. His disposition as a man was peaceable, loving, and friendly. His weeping family bear testimony to his peculiar tenderness and love, both as a husband and parent. It is my duty to unite with his friends in speaking of that kindness and disinterestedness with which he administered every service in his power to all who enjoyed his familiar friendship. I do not doubt but the town of Olney will miss and lament him, and so will this Church and congregation; and I am sure several ministers of the Gospel will feel the wound deeply.
His hope of salvation was firmly grounded on the Lord Jesus Christ; his views of the Gospel were evangelical and clear; his experience deep and lively; and his desires after real holiness of heart and life were steadfast and influential. While from the first of his separation from the Established Church he was conscientious and firm in his dissent, no person was ever more removed from bigotry towards any party. He was friendly and affectionate to pious people, and useful to the encouragement of ministers whose judgment in trivial matters differed from his own. Seldom has the loss of one individual been so deeply and affectionately felt as his will be, on this account. An earnest desire to be useful to those about him strongly marked all his actions, whether it respected their temporal or their spiritual concerns. It is no wonder, therefore, that he took peculiar delight in preaching that free grace which he himself had tasted and enjoyed. To this his congregation can bear a decided testimony; and I hope, my dear friends, you will prove your love to the Gospel which so long has been freely preached to you, by your exertions for its continuance now your worthy pastor is no more. "Remember him who has had the rule over you, whose faith follow, considering the end of his conversation." He is gone to give an account of his ministry; and very soon you must follow him, to give your account of the use and abuse you have made of his labours of love. How happy are those who went before him to glory! and how happy will it be for you, if you follow after!
As to his family, prudence tenderness and love say, Be sparing. I commit them all to the support of his Lord and their Lord, to his God and their God. His dying prayer for his son in the ministry was, that he might be kept in a humble and faithful attachment to the truths of the Gospel; and to this I add my hearty Amen!
Upon the whole, there might be some things in his example for us to avoid; but I am sure there were many for us to imitate. His happy spirit is now doubtless before the throne, enjoying the friendship of his companion and fellow labourer, Mr. Perry. Now their labours are ended, in the enjoyment of that "rest which remaineth for the people of God."
"There, on a green and flowery mount,
Their weary spirits sit,
And with transporting joy recount
The labours of their feet."
The next minister who was placed over this people was Mr. John Hoppus, who accepted an invitation to the pastoral office, and was ordained in May, 1804. Mr. Hoppus was born in London, 1761; and becoming early acquainted with real religion, he joined the Church under the care of the Rev. W. Bennett, Moorfields, availing himself also, on suitable occasions, of the pulpit instructions of the Rev. Messrs. Newton and Romaine; and the Rev. Rowland Hill greatly attracted his admiration, on account of his fervent and zealous address. He sympathized with that school of Christians which sprung from the labours of Whitefield, whose letters, detailing his labours in Britain and America, were always perused by Mr. Hoppus with delight. The very name of their author was sufficient to animate him to earnest conversation, when oppressed by bodily affliction and declining years. Indeed, such was his admiration of the zealous spirit of Whitefield, as recorded in his history, that to feel and to express the same sentiment in the hearing of Mr. Hoppus was one of the readiest avenues to his friendship. While engaged in business, he became connected with the London Itinerant Society, preaching in many places in the vicinity of the metropolis; and his labours proved very acceptable and useful. The following remarkable instance is deserving of notice: "When he was preaching on one occasion at Lewisham, a lady who through domestic trouble was resolved on suicide, and was on her way to commit the deed, passed the door of the place where Mr. Hoppus was at that moment speaking of the sin of Judas, who "went out, and hanged himself." Hearing the preacher's voice, she entered, was much struck with his earnest manner, and applied the subject to her own case. She told him, in a subsequent interview, that he had been the means of saving both body and soul."
Mr. Hoppus at length resigned his business, to devote himself entirely to the work of the ministry. He removed to Newport Pagnell, to avail himself of the advantages of the academical institution there, under the care of the Rev. W. Bull. While there, he was highly esteemed by his worthy tutor, his fellow students, and many of the good people in the town and neighbourhood.
He had several invitations to the pastoral office, but declined the others to accept the one he received from Yardley, though the cause was then in so low a state that the Church consisted of only nine members, and the congregation of about forty hearers. But it was soon found necessary to erect a gallery, and remodel the interior of the Chapel; and as there was no house suitable for the minister, a commodious one was erected adjoining the Chapel, by the liberal permission of the Marquis of Northampton, the ground landlord.