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ister, but were visited by ministers who lived around them; of the seventy who united with the church, I baptized twenty-seven.

Since I began to preach in 1774, I have travelled distances, which, together, would form a girdle nearly sufficient to go round the terraqueous globe three times. The number of sermons which I have preached, is not far from eight thousand. The number of persons that I have baptised is one thousand two hundred and seventy-eight. The number of Baptist ministers whom I have personally known is nine hundred and sixty-two. Those of them whom I have heard preach, in number, make three hundred and three. Those who have died, (whose deaths I have heard of,) amount to three hundred. The number that have visited me at my house is two hundred and seven. The pamphlets which I have written, that have been published, are about thirty.

I am now in the decline of life, having lived nearly two-thirds of a century. When Jacob had lived twice as long, his days had been few and evil. I have spent my years like a tale that is told. Looking over the foregoing narrative, there is proof enough of imperfection; and yet what I have written is the best part of my life. A history seven times as large might be written of my error in judgment, incorrectness of behaviour, and baseness of heart. My only hope of acceptance with God, is in the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. And when I come to Christ for pardon, I come as an old grey-headed sinner; in the language of the publican, " God be merciful to me a sinner."

How long I have to stay on earth I know not. What labors or sufferings I have yet to sustain below, I cannot tell. O, that the God of all grace would keep me in his holy care, and never suffer me to make shipwreck of faith and a good conscience, but make me faithful unto death, that I might finish my course with joy and receive a crown at last.

June 15, 1824. It is now more than four years since I closed the foregoing narrative of events. My life and health have been preserved until the present time. In several places within the district of my ministration, there have been times of refreshing, so that I have baptized seventy-four persons in the four years.

The 14th of May past was my birth-day: I preached on the occasion a septennarian sermon.

January 14, 1825.—I have preached in four hundred and thirty-six meeting-houses, thirty-seven court-houses, several capitols, many academies. and school-houses; barns, tobacco-houses and dwelling-houses: and many hundreds of times on stages in the open air. Not the place, but the presence of Christ, and a right temper of mind, makes preaching solemnly easy and profitable. My congregations have consisted of from five hearers to ten thousand.

December 12, 1826.—Faint yet pursuing. The summer past I have

spent chiefly in travelling and preaching. I have attended three Associa tions—the jubilee and funeral of three Presidents—as also a general meeting which lasted four days—preached eighty-one times, and seen eighty-six Baptist preachers since the first of June.

Two remarkable events have taken place the present year. Two old patriots, both of them Ex-Presidents, died on the 4th of July; just fifty years after they signed the Declaration of Independence--John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. The first aged ninety-one, the other eighty-three. Mr. Jefferson drew the Declaration of Independence; and by his writings and administration, he has justly acquired the title of the Apostle of Liberty. In the state of Vermont, the Governor and Lieutenant-Governor are both Baptist preachers—Ezra Butler and Aaron Leland. This is a new thing in the world.

March 25, 1827.—Baptized ten candidates, which makes my baptismal number one thousand three hundred and sixty-two. It is not probable that I ever shall baptize many (if any) more.

From pretty correct information, I find I have now living eighty-two descendants, including children, grand-children, and great-grand-children. A few of my posterity have died at their respective homes; but I have never had a coffin or a death at my house.

If a conscious sinner may apply words to himself which were spoken of Abraham, they are as follows: "For I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him."

May 6.-Beyond my expectation, this day I baptized fifteen, making up the number...

.............1,377

May 27. Wondering still: preached this day to a large concourse, and baptized eleven, making..

.1,388 4

Baptized.....

July 4.-Preached to nearly 1,000 people, and baptized six, two of whom were my grand-children, making...

..1,398

July 15.-Baptized another of my grand-children and four others,
Baptized.....

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July 29.-Baptized

6

Aug. 12.-Baptized five in Cheshire and three in Lanesborough,

Making.....

I have a great-grand-child, (Helen Maria Brown,) who has now living

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ten direct, and great grand-fathers and grand-mothers.

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Oct. 7.-Baptized

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One of these last was Eunice Baxter, whose grand and great grand-moth

ers I baptized more than thirty years past.

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One of these was seventy-seven years old, which added to the age of the administrator, (seventy-three,) would make one hundred and fifty years.

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The father and mother of this candidate have fourteen children now liv. ing; eleven of whom I have baptized.

Baptized five more, making.....

.1,465.

May 14, 1828.—I am this day seventy-four years old, able to travel and preach as doors open; and labor with my hands as duty calls.

The sins of childhood—the vices of youth--the improprieties, pride and arrogance of riper years; with the presumptuous and blasphemous suggestions of my mind, up till the present time, lie heavy on my mind, and sink my spirits very low. It is true, I have had a hope for more than fifty years, that my sins were attoned for by the blood of Christ, and forgiven for his name's sake; but still I find them attached to my character, and must forever, for truth cannot decease.

When the saints in heaven look on the blessed Jesus, and remember the doleful sorrow and pain which their sins cost him, what kind of feeling must they have? To call their feeling sorrow, tears or mourning, would be unscriptural; but a remembrance of their sins, a view of their Redeemer, and a sense of his bloody agony, must give them a surprizing

fill them with an exquisite hatred to sin, and raise their songs of praise to him who has redeemed them.

December 7, 1828.—This day, for the first time, I baptized a man in a font, near the pulpit, in Albany. During my stay in Albany, which was four days, I was introduced to three governors. My rusticity of manners, and the humble rank I fill, make such interviews more painful than flattering.

May 14, 1829.—This day I am seventy-five years old. Nothing singular with respect to myself has occurred in the course of the last year.

My greatest afflictions in life have been of that character that I have had to bear them all alone; a communication of them to others, (if indeed I could have done it,) would only have added to their weight.

I noticed, in a former page, that in the year 1795, I had the most solemn meeting at Deacon Nathan Wood's, that I had ever experienced, which was attended with but small success. I have now to add, that in the lapse of something more than thirty years, I have baptized fifty-seven grand and great-grand-children of the said Deacon Wood; all of whom, except one, are now living, as is believed.

May 14, 1830.—Another year of my unprofitable life is gone. Nothing worth recording has taken place with me in the year. Of the fourteen hun

dred and seventy-one that I have baptized, but very few of them had the seal of the covenant put upon them in infancy, and but one or two ever attended Sunday Schools.

May 14, 1831.—I am yet living and enjoying good health. The year past I have had a large epistolary correspondence with distant friends; and have been advertised in the newspapers, through the states, as an infidel and an outcast. May the Lord increase my faith and make me more holy, which will be the best refutation of the libel. From the uttermost parts of the earth have we heard songs; even glory to the righteous but I said, my leanness, my leanness. It is now said that there is a great ingathering into the fold of Christ in all the country around; but according to appearances, I am left behind. Well, let me, like John the Baptist, be full of joy, that others increase while I decrease. I have had my day, and must now give "way to the young. The unchangeable God has one class of servants after another to work in his vineyard.

July 11. Why art thou cast down, O my soul! The morning cometh as well as the night. Since writing the above note, God has graciously poured out his spirit in Hancock.

Yesterday I baptized ten, which, together with three scattering ones, raises my baptismal list to fourteen hundred and eighty-four.

Baptism does not put away the filth of the flesh; it is the answer of a good conscience towards God, and only figures out the salvation of the soul; which is by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead: who died for our sins and rose again for our justification.

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One of these four was eighty-two years old. In the winter of 1800, I baptized one who was ninety years of age. The youngest that I ever bapti zed was nine years old, in 1783. I have ever found water a harmless ele

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Nov. 10. After living in New-Ashford more than sixteen years, this day I removed into Cheshire again. My age and decays admonish me that the time of my departure is not far distant. When I die, I neither deserve nor desire any funeral pomp. If my friends think best to rear a little monument over my body, "Here lies the body of JOHN LELAND, who labored

to promote piety, and vindicate the civil and religious rights of all men," is the sentence which I wish to be engraved upon it.

It is now (1831) 57 years.

May 14, 1834.—I am this day fourscore years old; have just returned from Chatham; (30 miles off,) where I preached three times, at the opening of a new meeting-house, and this day at Cheshire, to 600 people by estimation. I have now several little preaching tours appointed; but my Maker only knows whether life and strength will be given me to fill them.

It is now sixty years since I began to preach. But ah! how little I have done! and how imperfect that little!

May 15.—Last night fell the largest snow that I ever knew so late in the season.

Many changes in the mechanical, political and religious world have taken place in the course of my life. Most of the changes among us in factories and machines are trans-Atlantic. The steam machines are original Americans. The plea for religious liberty has been long and powerful but it has been left for the United States to acknowledge it a right inherent, and not a favor granted: to exclude religious opinions from the list of objects of legislation. Sunday schools and missionary societies are of long standing; but camp-meetings and protracted meetings (in their present mode of operation) are novel. What changes may hereafter take place, to me is uncertain. None, however, that will change the character of God, destroy the kingdom of Christ, or assure any of heaven without repentance towards God, and faith towards the Lord Jesus.

I have never labored hard to support the creed of any religious society; but have felt greatly interested that all of them should have their rights secured to them beyond the reach of tyrants.

Brevity is the soul of wit, the nerve of argument and the bone of good sense, but loquacity palsies attention, massacres time, and darkens counsel. August 17, 1834.—This day I baptized five, which are the first that I have baptized since I was eighty years old. My baptismal list is now fif teen hundred and twenty-four.

January 28, 1835.—I have been preaching sixty years to convince men that human powers were too degenerate to effect a change of heart by self-exertion; and all the revivals of religion that I have seen have substantially accorded with that sentiment. But now a host of preachers and people have risen up, who ground salvation on the foundation that I have sought to demolish. The world is gone after them, and their converts increase abundantly. How much error there has been in the doctrine and measures that I have advocated, I cannot say; no doubt some, for I claim not infallible inspiration. But I have not yet been convinced of any mis. take so radical as to justify a renunciation of what I have believed, and adopt the new measures. I am waiting to see what the event will be ; praying for light; open to conviction; willing to retract, and ready to confess when convicted.

July 4, 1835.—It is now fifty-nine years since the independence of the

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