|
Some Events In The Life of...
Part IV
Written By Himself.
In June, 1787, I was ordained by laying on of hands. The ministers
that officiated, were Nathaniel Saunders, John Waller and John Price. By
this, not only a union took place between myself and others, but it was a
small link in the chain of events, which produced a union among all the
Baptists in Virginia, not long afterwards.
In l787, old Col. Harris made me a visit, whose coming called out a
vast crowd of ministers and people. His eyes--his every motion was
preaching; but after he had read his text, his mind was so dark that he
could not preach ; and of course the lot fell on me.
From my house, Col. Harris went down to Spottsylvania, where the
work of the Lord, like a mighty torrent, broke out under his ministry.
A ew weeks afterwards, I went down through Spottsylvania and Caroline,
and was glad to see the grace of God, but was extremely mortified to
find myself so far behind the work of God. In this visit, however, I caught
the spirit of prayer, which lasted me home.4 Indeed, before I got home,
I gained an evidence that God would work in Orange. Having such
confidence, I addressed myself to the work of the ministry with fresh courage.
There was a dancing school set up in the vicinity, which was much in my
way. On Sunday, after service, I told the people that I had opened a
dancing school, which I would attend one quarter gratis: that I would tiddie
the tune which the angels sung, if they would dance repentance on
their knees. The project succeeded; the dancing school gave way, and
my meetings were thronged. Solemnity, sobs, sighs and tears soon appeared.
The last Sunday in October I began to baptize those that were
brought out, and the work prevailed greatly. The tract of land which I
occupied in this revival was more than twenty miles square, including the
corners of Orange, Culpepper, Spottsylvania and Louisa.
_________________________
4____"On my return through Caroline county, after I
had been preaching, I sat in the door-yard of a friend's house conversing
as usual; but here a strange solemnity seized my mind, and a strong drawing
of soul to God inspired my breast, such as I had not enjoyed for some years.
I soon lost sight of my company, and was conversant at the throne of grace.
This frame of mind continued, with some abatements, until I reached home,
which was two days afterwards. About three miles before I reached hame, I
obtained great comfort in believing that God would work among the people
in, Orange.--MS.
When the work seemed to languish in one neighborhood, it would break
out in another, and consequently, there was a continual fall of heavenly
rain from October, 1787, until, March, 1789, during which time I baptized
about 400. Precisely 300 of them were baptized in 1788--more than I
have ever baptized in any other year. During the ingathering, the following
events took place. In the south part of Orange, a man took his gnr!,
with the professed intention of killing me. He had given his consent for
his wife to be baptized, and the meeting was appointed for that purpose;
but when we got to the water, and I had taken her by the hand to lead her
into the water, there was an alarm that the man was coming with his gun.
While a detachment of the congregation went to meet the man and pacify
him, I thought, "now or never," and baptised her. No mischief ensued.
In another part of Orange, a woman, who was in the habit of intimacy
with myself and wife, invited me to preach at her house on a certain evening.
When we got at the gate, her son, who was a Captain, (having been
reproved by his mother, and taken offence at it,) met us, and said I should
not preach there. I asked him if he thought he was right. " No," said
he, "I know I am wrong, and I expect to he damned for it; but I have
said it and shall abide by my word." The man of the house came also
to the gate, and desired us to go into the house, and said the house was his
own and not his son's. The woman was at a loss what was best. I hesitated,
but fineily went in. As the people began to collect, the Captain withdrew
with threatenings. After I arose to open the meeting by singing, he
came rushing into the house, like a bear bereaved of her whelps--sprang
upon the bed-took his sword and drew it out of the scabbard--and stepping
off the bed with his arm extended end sword glittering, exclaimed,
"let me kill the damned rascal !" As he made a stroke towards me, the
point of the sword hit the joists, and he behaved like an awkward soldier.
The case was this: my wife, who was seated near the head of the bed,
when she saw the Captain step from the bed with his sword drawn, and
draw back his arm to give the thrust, like a female angel, sprang like the
lightning of heaven, clasped her arms within his elbow, around his body,
locked her hands together, and held him like a vice, till tile men took away
his sword. We then took a lantern and went into the road and carried
on our meeting. As God would have it, a young man and a young woman
dated their change of heart at this meeting.
As I was returning from Fredericlrsburg, in the lower part of Orange,
a young man had married and brought his bride to his father's, where
there was music and dancing. I stopped in the road, and the groom
came out and wished me to drink sling with him. I asked him what
noise it was that I heard in the house? He answered it was a fiddle.
As he was going to the house, I requested him to bring the fiddle to
me. But as this was not done, I lighted off my horse and went into
the house. By the time I got in, the fiddle was hidden, and all was
still. I told them, if fiddling and dancing was serving God, to proceed
on, and if I could gain conviction of it, I would join them. As they did
not proceed, I told them I would attempt to serve God in my way. I
then prayed among them and took my leave. The next week I was
sent for to come and preach at the same house. The power of the Lord
was present to heal. In the course of a few weeks, numbers were
converted and turned to the Lord, whom I baptized in a stream of water
near the house.
At another time, I had a meeting at John Lea's, in Louisa, when
something seemed to descend on the people, like that which took place
at Mr. Hodgers's, (mentioned before,) but the effects were not so great.
The next day there were five to be baptized. The day was very cold.
While Mr. Bowles was preaching to the people, I composed the hymn:
Christians, if your hearts be warm,
Ice And snow can do no harm;
If by Jesus you are priz'd,
Rise, believe, And be baptiz'd.
Jesus drank the gall for you,
Bore the Cross for sinners due;
Children, prove your love to him,
Never fear the frozen stream.
Never shun the Saviour's Cross,
All on earth is worthless dross;
If the Saviour's love you feel,
Let the world behold your zeal.
At an Association in Caroline, two others with myself were chosen to
preach on Sunday. When my turn came, I felt every way unprepared. I was
hoarse with a cold, and exceedingly barren in spirit. I therefore declined,
and one of the others preached. While he was preaching, I doubted whether
I was right in declining, and resolved that as soon as he had fnished,
I would do what I could. Accordingly I did. My voice improved; my ideas
brightened so much that I preached about forty minutes. The people
were greatly affected. On account of a similitude used, together with the
shortness of the discourse, it was called the GINGER-CAKE sermon. Mr.
Waller, who was the stated minister at that place, told me afterwards,
that in the relations which the people gave before baptism, not less than
fifteen persons had reference to the GINGER-BREAD sermon.
In the year 1789, nothing of importance turned up.
In 1790, I travelled into New England, to see my father and relations.
I preached on the way, going and coming. The term of my absence from
home was four months. The number baptized thirty-two.
The winter following, I made my arrangements to move into New England.
Having baptized precisely seven hundred while I lived there, and
leaving two churches, one in Orange, and the other in Louisa; the first
containing three hundred and the other two hundred members. On the
last of March, I started, with my family of a wife and eight children, and
a small quantum of effects, and travelled by land to Fredericksburg, where
I took ship for New England. We fell down the Rappahannock river,
crossed the Chesapeake, and entered the sea between the Capes of Henry
and Charles. The day after we entered the Atlantic, we were attacked
by a thunder gust and heavy gale of wind, which lasted fifteen hours. The
boat was crippled, the oars swept off, the quadrant injured, and some of
my goods were swept from the quarter-deck. That passengers should be
affrighted, is not to be wondered at; but here, the sailors all turned pale.
In the midst of the gale, the wind shifted, and flung the vessel into the
trough of the sea; on which the Captain stepped to the cabin door and
said, "We shall not weather it many minutes." This he said, (as I
judged,) not to terrify the sailors, but for my sake. The sense of it, to
me, was this: "Leland, if you have got a God, now call upon him." But
there was no need of this admonition, for I had begun the work before;
and can now say, that that night is the only one of my life that I spent
wholly in prayer. That I prayed in faith, is more than I can say; but
that I prayed in distress, is certain. About day-light, April 15th, the wind
abated, but we knew not where we were for five days; for the quadrant
was injured. The distress which I had at that time, so affected my nervous
system, that I did not entirely recover from it for more than ten years.
In time, however, we gained the port of New London, on certain Saturday
night. I did not intend to make any stay at that place, save only to get
some refreshments, but the Captain had written from Fredericksburgh, to
his friends in New London, that he had turned his vessel into a
meeting-house, and was bringing a preacher and his family with him. On
Sunday morning early it was known that the vessel lay by the wharf, and
before I was up the brethren in New London came down to the vessel, to see
what, for a cargo, the Captain had brought into port. The Captain told
them that he intended to go to the insurance office, and demand the sum
that was insured on the vessel; for if it had not been for my prayers he
was sure the vessel would have been lost. The brethren invited me to go
ashore, and preach to them in the state-house, which I acceded to. Finding
myself courteously received, I tarried there about two months. Here I met
with some success in winning souls; and here my wife was sick nigh unto
death; but she had more faith in prayer than she had in physic. The godly
old Elder, Z. Darrow, came to visit us, whose prayer for my wife seemed to
be answered, and she recovered. The people were very kind and liberal to me;
but the expenses of my family, and the sickness of my wife, cost me about
twenty dollars more than I received. But this thought came to my mind: "Jesus
gave his life and blood for sinners, and shall I begrudge a few dollars for
their salvation!" After preaching around in the towns about New London,
on the ist of July we left the place, and, in boats and scows, went up
Connecticut river to Sunderland, and then by land to Conway, where my
father and old acquaintance were living. In Conway, I purchased a house
and small lot, for a temporary residence until I gained more acquaintance
in the country. At this place, my family abode eight months. My travels
in the meantime in the country were considerable--my success some.
The last day of February, 1792, I moved into Cheshire, which has been
my home the chiefest of the time since. For two or three years there
was a sprinkling of blessings on the people in Cheshire, Lanesborough and
Adams, so that about seventy were baptized. And in Philip's town, Canaan
and the Gore, I had good success. In the year 1795, the work of God
appeared in Conway. A messenger came and desired me to visit them; I
went and preached twelve times among them, and baptized twelve persons
at that time, and more afterwards. Here my heart caught a little
heavenly fire, and I returned home to Cheshire, longing and praying that
God would pour out his spirit on the people in Cheshire. I set up evening
meetings, and preach about as often as once a day, for seventy days
running. I have never known a time like this, when I had so much of the
spirit of praying and preaching, and met with so small success. No more
than seven came forward as the reward of my painful labor. In the compass
of these seventy days, I had a night meeting at Deacon Wood's, in
Cheshire. Going to the meeting, my mind was so solemnly impressed, that
I could hardly walk. When I arose to speak, I could scarcely stand.
Of the many thousands of sermons that I have preached in my life, (for
solemnity of mind, discovery of heavenly things, and flow of words,) I give
that the preference, and yet but small effects followed. An individual
young woman only was divinely wrought upon. Christ's time was not yet
come to work miraculously in Cheshire.
I continued my travels in the New England states, and state of New
York, until 1797. In August, that year, I made a tour to Virginia, and
was gone six months. I preached all the way there, and travelled and
preached among my old friends three months, and then returned home,
having travelled more than two thousand miles, and preached more than
one hundred and seventy times. My friends through the whole received
me kindly; but I saw no great revivals of religion anywhere, save only at
Scotch Plains, among Mr. Vanhorn's people. After my return, I was
busily employed in domestic concerns for about eighteen months, preparing
to go to Virginia again, in August, 1799. To this end, I had sent on
appointments for meetings, about one hundred miles on my way, as far as
Carmel meeting-house. Having finished my domestic affairs a fortnight
before my appointments began, I told the people in Cheshire, that I would
preach for them every day or night until I started. At this time, a heavenly
visitant came to my house--my heart, with the salutation of "Peace be
to you--peace on earth and good will to mcn."5 When I sat in my
house, it would seem as if the room was white-washed with love. When
I went into the field, a circle of heavenly mildness would seem to surround
me, and the following words would be injected into my heart again, again,
and again: "The Lord will work." My meetings, during this feast of
tabernacles, (as I called the fortnight,) were crowded. At the meeting-
house, such silence reigned as I had never seen before. My struggle of
mind was great, whether I should go to Virginia and leave these hopeful
appearances, or stay at home and strive to fan the sparks. And as the
time drew on, my struggles increased. I prepared for my journey, and
preached my last sermon a few miles on the way. The people followed
in droves, and, in time of meeting, wept bitterly. I finally went on my
journey, and attended my appointments, which I before had made, the
distance of one hundred miles, and then returned back. I was gone about
twenty days, and preached about the same number of sermons, and baptized
thirteen persons. On my return, I found the work had broken out
like the mighty rushing waters. This induced me to preach every day or
night until the March following, in which time more than two hundred
were baptized.
_______________________
5____In August, 1799, my soul was again visited with the
same peace and holy longings after God and the salvation of men as at former
times. My preaching then, through grace, was not coasting around the shallow
shores of doubt and uncertainty, but launching our into the deep for a
draught. Attention and solemnity followed."--MS.
Before the work made a visible appearance, and for three months
afterwards, there was not a day but what I had the spirit of prayer,
and a travail for souls; and often felt as if I should sink under the weight
of my burden if souls were no delivered. Sometimes, individuals would lay in
my heart; at other times, the longings desire would be more general.
After three months I felt that spirit of prayer abate, but the spirit of
preaching continued for three months afterwards, until the ingathering was
over, and then the peculiar impression which I had, subsided.6
__________________
6____At the close of the original MS., before referred to,
he writes, "I have experienced seven instances in my life in praying for the
sick and maimed, when there appeared to be such an immediate relief granted,
that I should be unbelieving and ungrateful not to mention them among the
signal favors of God to me. I have passed through many fatigues in travel,
several perils occasioned by mobs and furious men, many wants and pinches in
life, and many tokens of providential relief; but after all, remain an unholy,
helpless creature, and if the Lord does not keep me, I shall fall, disgrace
myself, bring the ministry under blame, and be ashamed to read what I have
now written. Amen."
|
A
CHARGE TO DEACONS