JT-06-1812
I preached in Shenandoah and Frederick counties in a number of places. At M. Rittenour’s, after preaching a few times, the work of the Lord revived. In the space of two months, about sixty-five persons had professed to be converted, and about seventy-two I baptized in the neighborhood. During this time, in other places the work of the Lord revived; several came to the knowledge of the truth, and I baptized them. On the third Sunday of February, I attended at the Round hill, with a large audience. A Mr. M. Fry, a Methodist preacher, had put in an appointment at the same time and place. He told me he intended to preach, and then hold class meeting. I saw he was for an opposition. I told the people that all who wished to bear me, should follow me to brother Carter’s. The people all followed me, but a few, with whom he neither preached nor held class meeting, as I was told.
March 21st, 1812, I proposed, for the first time, the subject of marriage to Christiana Rittenour. I told her that if she was not prepared to give me a decisive answer, she might consider on the subject one week. Her answer was deferred. In our next interview, our marriage was decided on. It was agreeable to her parents.
April 5th, 1812. On Sunday evening at candlelight, in the house of Michael Rittenour, I was married to his daughter Christiana. About this time, it was reported that I had a wife in the State of Ohio, and many other things prejudicial to my character. I continued to preach in the regions round, until April 30th, with unwearied diligence; suffering much persecution and opposition; and the Lord abundantly blessed my feeble labors, to the comfort and to the salvation of many souls.
April 30th, 1812, I left my father-in-law’s--my wife and me--and started for North Carolina. I and brother Ferguson now parted. He was to stay in the regions round here, to attend to the work of the ministry. The first Sunday in May I preached in Fall’s church, in Fairfax county, and then at different places in the neighborhood, to attentive and some seriously affected audiences. Thence in Alexandria, Ocquecon, Dumfress, Stafford Court house, and Fredericksburg. In this last place I put up with my kind friend C. Clark, a Christian preacher. Thence to Wm. Guiry’s. He is a man of great natural and acquired abilities--has been of great popularity and usefulness. But I am afraid he is indulging too much in the vanities of this world. Here I was detained three days, by a great fall of rain. After leaving this place, in going a few miles, I came to a creek that was yet full and very rapid. Fearing to venture in the water with the gig, I loosed the horse, and took my wife behind me, and ventured in. The horse was directly borne down by the current, below the fording place, and my wife fell off the horse into the stream! With much difficulty I saved her from drowning, and brought her to the shore. I then hitched my horse into the gig and drove in; but about the middle of the stream, one wheel hitched against a rock, and the horse, in drawing, broke the harness, went on, and left his gig and its contents in the stream. I was with hazard and difficulty that I finally extricated all from the water! Leaving this place, we presently came to another stream, more large and dangerous than the other. On the bank, we came out of the gig, and immediately the horse became frightened, and took to the stream; a number of books and some other articles were tossed out of the gig, and lost in the water, and we were then left behind! I then waded and swam the stream--overtook my horse, and with much trouble I brought all over safely. I then went on, and tarried two days at old brother Gwatkin’s. Here I preached to a weeping audience, and felt much better than I did six years ago, when I was here, soon after I began to try to preach. Then I was despised and rejected. Here I was offered fifty acres of land, with a good house on it, etc., if I would settle myself, and take charge of the church in that place.
Thence I went on, and preached in Richmond; and at brother Gils’s, a Christian preacher, near Petersburg. Here I met brother Z. Holloway, my son in the gospel, who had made great improvement. From this place, I went up the country, preaching almost every day. Crossed Roanoke river, and came into North Carolina, and called at brother Moss’s. I preached at Liberty meeting house, to an attentive and serious congregation, and was publicly opposed by brother T. Morris, a Christian preacher. As he was an aged man, I made no reply. Thence to the White Plains, and at several other places, to Hillsborough. From this place I went on to my mother’s. I felt thankful to my Heavenly Father, that I had been spared during an absence of eighteen months. In this time, I traveled about seven thousand miles, preached four hundred and sixty times, and saw about ninety-two souls delivered from the power of darkness, professedly through my instrumentality!
Here I left my wife, and traveled through Guilford, Stokes, Iredel and Surry counties, in North Carolina; and Grayson and Whythe counties, in Virginia. In this route, I saw and felt some precious seasons of spiritual joy and prosperity. In Grayson, I was rejoiced to see that a great reformation had taken place amongst the people, since I first visited them with the gospel. Thence I returned on the game route, and arrived safely at my mother’s, where my wife was, having been absent about four weeks, traveled about four hundred miles, and preached thirty times.
Here I bought fifty acres of land, and began to improve on it. So soon as I became located, meeting house doors were shut, and a furious opposition, by the Methodists, Presbyterians, and Baptists, raged against me! I had several places erected in the woods to preach at, but some of the public speakers of the sects, fearing, as they thought, I would lead the people astray, frequently met me at those places, and opposed me, to the great disturbance of the congregation. It was not an uncommon thing now, for a preacher to say, (while in his pulpit,) of me, that I ought to be put into prison--should be closed in a dungeon--should not be suffered to preach, and one, that I, with all my books ought to be burnt! I now had reason to believe, that if the laws of our country favored the blood-spilling spirit of Anti-Christ, the former times of strife and vengeance would soon roll on again, when one professed Christian, could triumphantly cut off the head of another, and rejoice to see a brother dissenter, expire in the flames, if he should not subscribe to his human-made creed, and receive all his unscriptural dogmas! When I would go to the meetings of those people, I could hear them pray for Christian union--tell us to love one another--could hear them shout, and praise God, &c. How inconsistent! What disparity between example and precept! What hypocrisy! How degrading to the cause of Christ.