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it. But how mysterious are the ways of God. This faithful and successful minister of the New Testament was called home, August 5th, 1794, before he had completed the first year of his pastoral services.

Mr. Allen was by all accounts a most interesting servant of the Lord Jesus. His name is still held in remembrance by many who had the pleasure of sitting under his ministry. And though his period of service was short, it was far from being useless. The Lord of the harvest gave him his harvest and then took him home.

In the spring and summer of 1796, Mr. Matthew Huston, another licentiate from Virginia, visited these congregations as a missionary, and on the 14th of April, 1797, he was ordained and installed their pastor. He was a popular preacher, was much admired and beloved by his people, and continued to labour among them with apparent faithfulness and success, until the year 1801.

In the summer of 1802 the great revival reached this part of the country. Mr. Huston entered deeply into the work. It continued among his people with almost unabated vigour for two years, and many, of all ranks, and all ages, and all characters, were added to the church.

The fruits were dreadful. In 1803, and 4, and 5, Mr. Huston passed, with a considerable number of his people, through all the errors of Armenianism and Socianism, and finally ended in Shakerism, and with some in infidelity. Mr. Hnston being at last deposed by the

the Presbytery, retired with a number of his adherents fo one of the Shaker towns.

The churches of Silver Creek and Paint Lick were now reduced literally to an handful. Yet the good Shepherd kept his hand about them. By the faithful and persevering labours of some of the neighbouring fathers, they were re-organized. In 1807 or 8, Rev. Benjamin Irvine providentially had his lot cast within the bounds of Silver Creek, and undertook the pastoral charge of them in the character of a stated supply. He continued to labour among them for eight years. By his ministrations the people of God were strengthened and comforted, and a few were added to the church of such as we believe shall be saved. During the same time Paint Lick congregation was attended to nearly in the same way, and with similar success,by Rev. Samuel Finley, of Lincoln county. And though the prospects were gloomy, and though neither of these aged servants of the Redeemer had much personal comfort in their labours of pure love, yet their labours were not in vain in the Lord, nor will they be without their reward in the day when God shall make up his jewels. These congregations are at present under the pastoral care of Rev. James C. Barnes, He was ordained among them, March 6th, 1819. He is a native of Kentucky, and studied divinity in the Seminary at Princeton. His ministrations are well attended. Bible classes for the instruction of the youth have been formed by him, and pastoral visitations have been performed by him to as great an extent as the circumstances inseparable from a widely extended charge will permit.

And upon the whole, these two churches may safely be pronounced to be now in a far more flourishing situation than they were in 1802 and 3, when the great revival was in its zenith among them.

The Rev. Samuel Shannon was a graduate of Princeton College, while under the Presidency of Dr. Witherspoon. He was admitted a member of Transylvania Presbytery, as a transfer from the Presbytery of Lexington, Virginia, April 28th, 1789, and was the third Presbyterian clergyman who settled north of the Kentucky river. He lived till the year 1806 in the lower part of Woodford county, and had the charge of a small church, called Woodford church. He then moved across the Kentucky river into Franklin county, where his family remained, and where he had his home till his death.

The last years of his life were spent in Missionary labours, chiefly in the destitute parts of the state of Indidiana. In the summer of 1822, while engaged in one of these missionary excursions, he caught the fever of the season and of the place. Apprehensive of the consequences, he made the best of his way home. His family met him a few miles from home, but were unable to move him any farther. They had just an opportunity of expressing their affection towards him, and of receiving his departing blessing, when he expired.

Mr. William Vance was licensed by Transylvania Presbytery, April 3d, 1803. He is represented by those who knew him as having been a young man of

fine education, handsome address, and promising talents. The churches of Danville and the Forks of Dick's river, which had just been left without a pastor by the removal of father Rice, had their eye upon him as his successor. He preached one sermon in each of these places when He whose ways are often unsearchable, called him from time into eternity.

He had, it is believed, sincerely devoted himself to the work of the ministry, and was willing and anxious to spend and to have been spent for Christ-was willing to undergo, if necessary, the labour and the hardships of every kind of forty or fifty years.. His Lord and Master accepted of the will for the deed-dispensed with his services, and took him home to his Father's house.

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No. 23.

SKETCH OF THE BAPTIST CHURCHES OF KENTUCKY.—(Facts chiefly furnished by Benedict's History of the Baptists, published 1813.*)

In the year 1786 the following ministers, viz. Lewis Craig, Joseph Bledsoe, George S. Smith, Richard Cave,

*By David Benedict, of Pawtucket, Rhode-Island, 2 Vol. umes, octavo.

The work was undertaken in 1802. The facts were cól

James Smith, James Rucker, Robert Elkin, John Tay-. lor, William Taylor, John Tanner, John Bailey, Joseph Craig, and Ambrose Dudley, had taken up their residence in different parts of the Kentucky woods.

A flood of Baptist emigrants, mostly from Virginia, poured into this country at the close of the Revolutionary war, and by them a considerable number of churches were soon established, and as early as 1785, three associations were organized, which were known by the names of Elkhorn, Salem, and the Separate and South Kentucky Associations.

1. Elkhorn Association.

This body at its constitution contained only the three churches of Tate's Creek, Clear Creek, and South Elkhorn; all of which were formed in 1785, the same year in which they were associated. Some churches were gathered the same year, and a number shortly after, which united with this establishment; so that in seven years it had increased to twenty-three churches and 1700 members.

The bounds of this Association were for many years very extensive, as it comprehended all the churches north of the Kentucky river, and some of those which were south of it-the church at Columbia, in the state of Ohio, and a church in the Cumberland settlements in the state of Tennessee. It has also contained from the very first a number of very large and flourishing

lected by visiting all the states in the Union, and opening a correspondence with all the leading men among the Baptists. He was in Kentucky in 1809.

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