William Huntington (S.S.)

William Huntington (1745–1813) rose from hard labor to public ministry, known first as a coal shoveler and later as a bold preacher who would not soften the message to gain approval. He spoke plainly of sin, grace, and the new birth, and he carried a steady confidence that God saves by mercy, not by human worthiness. His self-chosen initials, “W.H. S.S.”—“Sinner Saved”—summed up both his humility and his hope: a man not presenting achievements, but pointing to pardon.

Tunbridge Wells and Lewes: The Reinterment (July 8, 1813)

On July 8, 1813, Huntington’s remains were moved from a temporary grave at Tunbridge Wells to a permanent resting place at Lewes. Such a transfer was more than logistics; it was a public closing of an earthly pilgrimage. Tunbridge Wells, a place of respite and treatment, became the setting of his final days, while Lewes received him as a settled memorial—a reminder that the believer’s body is laid down in expectation, not despair. The quiet act of reinterment testified that the gospel he preached does not end at death, but looks through it.

Epitaph and the Great Assize

Only days before dying, Huntington wrote his own epitaph, leaving blanks for the date and age, as though to say, “Even this is in God’s hands.” Its sharp line—“beloved of his God, but abhorred by men”—captures the strain faithful witnesses often feel: cherished by the Lord, yet dismissed by the world. Jesus prepared His disciples for that conflict: “If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first” (John 15:18). Huntington’s courage was not stubbornness, but steadfastness—speaking as one who expected a final public reckoning. The “Great Assize” is that open day when the Lord’s verdict will be unmistakable, and hidden faithfulness will be vindicated. As Scripture promises, “I have fought the good fight… I have kept the faith… the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day” (2 Timothy 4:7–8).