Glimpses of Christian History Presents Pastwords #133: Life of Elder Benjamin Randal Founder of the Free Will Baptists by John Buzzell ©2007

BUZZELL, JOHN. The Life of Elder Benjamin Randal. Principally Taken from Documents Written by Himself (2 lines)Limerick: (ME) Published by Hobbs, Woodman & Co. 1827.12 mo.

Benjamin Randall (1749-1808) the founder of the Free Will Baptist Denomination. His conversion came about after hearing George Whitfield preach. He untied with the Congregationalists, then joined the Baptist but his fellow ministers made a public declaration of non-fellowship with him because he was not preaching the doctrines of John Calvin. He traveled extensively throughout New England preaching, building up & consolidating the Free Will Baptist work. "..he closed his diary for the year (1807) with this entry: 'Having traveled only 2, 593 miles, and having been so much ill, I have attended only 203 public meetings, besides weddings and funerals.' "--Free Bapt. Ency., p. 560.

"In 1770, the year that I was twenty-one, the God of heaven sent that flaming preacher, George Whitefield, through these states. He arrived at Portsmouth, N.H. on the 23rd of September. But O, how disgustful to me was the news of his arrival; for I was much opposed to all traveling preachers, who in those days, by way of derision, were called Newlights; and in short, to all, except the settled congregational clergy, and to every thing but form, so that the power of God was even a torment to me. Where there was any power in the preaching, I thought it was all delusion and enthusiasm; and that all such preachers were turning the world upside down-breaking up churches--frightening the people--that their earnest and loud preaching was all affected, and designed to make the people cry out, and make a noise-and that they preached only because they would not work. I felt enough of the spirit of persecution to have had all such preachers whipped out of town; though I should not like to have been seen in it myself, yet I should have been willing to have seen others do it." Here he adds, "Believing there are many others of the same disposition, I mention this with grief and shame, that if any such should ever read it, they may take warning, and cry to God to change their hearts, and give themselves to rest, till they feel the disposition removed. O, how dreadful to have a profession of religion, a form of godliness, yet deny the power; to belong to a visible church, eat and drink in Christ's name, yet hate his spiritual appearing! O, what a hell I should have found, had I died in that state. O, persecuting Pharisees, Christless professors, take warning, I pray you, before it be too late."

To return to my narrative. Although Mr. Whitefield's coming was so disgustful to me, yet as almost every body else turned out to hear him, I likewise went; but more as a mere spectator, than with a desire to reap any benefit; for I was resolved that his preaching should have no effect on me. I heard him for the first time on the 24th of the September; he spake from Rev. ii. 4,5. The power with which he spake was a torment to me. When he began to be engaged, and his blessed soul to be inflamed with love, and his heart with grief and pity to poor sinners, and began to expand his arms, and the tears began to roll down from his eyes, it immediately raised an evil spirit within me. Ah, thought I, you are a worthless, noisy fellow; all you want it to make the people cry out; my good old minister does not do so, and he is as good a man as you, and much better.

The next day I heard him again, at the great meeting house in Portsmouth. He spake from Luke xv. 2. His preaching had much the same effect on me as before. The last time I heard his blessed voice proclaim the glorious gospel was on the 28th of Sept.--Friday before the Sabbath on which he died He spake from Mark xvi. 15, 16. O, how wonderfully he spake! As one having authority, and not as the scribes; but it still raised a dreadful spirit of opposition within me. But O, the mercy of God! That he had not let me drop into hell. O, stupendous love! O, what an eternal wonder it will be of long suffering patience, that I, after all this, and much more, have found forgiveness of God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Glory, glory, everlasting glory be to his name.

The next Sabbath, Sept. 30, 1770; that memorable day! That blessed day to Whitefield! That blessed day to me! The minister of our town went to Portsmouth to preach at the great meeting house, and I went with him. At noon, as I went from the place of worship, I stopped with an acquaintance at Packer's corner; and a man came riding along, and as he rode, he cried, "Mr. Whitefield is dead. He died this morning at Newbury, about six o'clock." As soon as his voice reached my ears, an arrow from the quiver of the Almighty struck through my heart; and a mental voice sounded through my soul, louder than ever thunder sounded through my ears. The first thoughts that passed through my mind were, Whitefield is now in heaven, and I am in the road to hell. I shall never hear his voice any more. He was a man of God, and I have reviled him, and spoken reproachfully of him. He has taught me the way to heaven; but I regarded it not--O, that voice is now silent in death; I would sacrifice any thing if I could but hear it again. But ah! Never, never more shall I hear it in this life. O, with what a loss I have met; but it cannot be recalled. He will be a powerful witness against me in the judgment of the great day. I trembled. Every part of my body was affected, as well as my mind. I thought, O, that I could be hid, that no one might know how I felt; for I felt nothing but shame, hell and condemnation. I tried to conceal my feelings till I got home. I then took my room, and kept my distress as much as possible to myself; for I thought no person ever felt such horror as I did. My former religion appeared altogether worthless, and fled from me as though it never had been. It seemed as if there never was any person so vile as I, nor any one possessed of such heart alienation, and enmity to God in all his nature, and to the manifestations of his spirit and power; no one that felt such unreconciliation to God, in every sense of the word. A query would sometimes arise in my mind,--Why should I be so distressed? I have never been so bad as such and such people--I have never cursed and sworn like them. But I would soon think again, Ah, their sins were all outward; they never had such a heart as mine.

I sometimes felt a little calmed, and wrote a little, and made some remarks on the preaching of Mr. Whitefield; for in the time of my distress, all his preaching was brought to my remembrance; and then my distress would roll again upon my mind like a flood; and I became so distracted, that I rose from my seat, walked the floor, and was ready, seemingly, to pull the hair out of my head. If any thing like comfort came into my mind, I could not, I would not have it; for it appeared impossible that it could be for me. Yet I believed God was merciful enough to save me and every body else; but how it could be possible for him to be just and save me, I could not see. Notwithstanding my distress, I felt as if I could not bear that any of God's attributes should be infringed upon. O, that blessed "Just God and a Savior" was such a mystery to me, that I could not get any discovery of it. At length I came to this conclusion, viz. that it would be better for me to be damned, than that God's justice should be infringed. Mind, I do not say that I felt willing to be damned. Some say that a soul can never be converted, until they are willing to be damned. But I do not believe the idea; for if the scriptures be true, and I believe they are, God is not willing that any should perish; and he never required that nay of his creatures should will that which he himself does not will. I was never willing to be damned, but I felt as if it would be better for me to be damned, than that they glory of God should be eclipsed.

I continued in this unutterable horror more than two weeks; in which time, by experience, I could say, "Weeping, wo, and lamentation, Vain desires and fruitless prayer, Shame, and hell, and condemnation, Doubt, distraction, and despair." were all I felt. For I despaired of obtaining salvation from any, or all of my former duties--of obtaining help from any created power. I even despaired of the mercy of God, unless there could be a way that he could have mercy on me consistent with his justice; for I was convinced that he was a just God, as well as a Savior. In this situation, I had no one to whom I could tell my trials, or from whom to receive any advice.

One day I had a little calm on my mind, and while sitting and musing on my state, the following train of thoughts fell into my mind.--Once I was company for almost any person, but now I am company for nobody. There was a time when I took pleasure in the world, but now there is nothing earthly that is desirable to me,--all things are tasteless and insipid. O, that I had never been born, was the language of my heart, for nothing will again be agreeable to me. I shall never feel any more satisfaction in company. I, who used to pray so much and so constantly, cannot now offer one petition; for it seemed as if I did not pray at all; yet, upon a recollection, I believe I breathed prayer all the time; and that all my sighs were, "God be merciful to me a sinner;" for I kept breathing, or repeating the following lines: "O God of mercy, hear my call, My load of guilt remove, Break down this separating wall which bars me from thy love."

While I was thus musing, the words of the apostle (Heb. Ix. 26) passed through my mind, "But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." But I was in such deep meditation, that they seemed to pass through my mind without notice. The same words occurred a second time; but still I took no thought upon them. They came to my mind a third time, and I began to think, What can these words mean? "But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." As I was meditating on this passage, my load and burden of sin went off; and I began to feel calm and peaceable in my mind. This affrightened me; for I feared I was losing my concern, and should turn back into my old state and be as bad or worse than ever. I cried, O Lord, I had rather remain in this distressed state, till I am as old as Methuselah, could it be possible, than to turn back again to folly. I then tried to make myself feel as I had felt before, by thinking of what a bad state I was in, but I could not again obtain that feeling and distress. I then concluded that the spirit of God had departed from me, and that I was left to myself, and given up to hardness of heart and blindness of mind. But still in all this, I could not feel that distress which I had felt before.

At length, I began to reason with myself, in the following manner: What does this mean? What state was I in, when I was taken with this distress? I was in love with the world and its vanities. In what state has it left me? The world and all its vanities are not loathsome to me--I hate sin and folly, and have no relish for any earthly good. What do I love? I know I love God, and long after righteousness. What then is this, but a change, wrought by the power of God in my soul? This is conversion; this is what I read of in the scriptures, being born again. As soon as I believed this, I gave glory to God; and O! what love, joy, and peace, filled my soul! Now I saw a just God and a Savior; and, in Christ, I beheld a blessed sacrifice for sin, to the full satisfaction of Divine Justice. O! how the character of Jesus shined in my soul. O! thought I, Jesus is precious to me--"My transport and my trust." My soul kept crying, Jesus, Jesus, and it was all I could say for some time. Ah, it seemed if I had ten thousand souls, I could trust them all with Jesus. I saw in him a universal love, a universal atonement, a universal call to mankind, and was confident that none would ever perish, but those who refused to obey it. Now I saw that God had ever been my friend; and that he had ever been waiting to be gracious to me. My joy became unspeakable and full of glory. My soul was inflamed with love to God, as my great Creator, as my only Redeemer; and to the Holy Ghost, as my Reprover and blessed Comforter. O, what love I felt to all mankind, and wished that they all might share in that fullness, which I saw so extensive and so free for them all. O, what pity flowed into my soul for poor sinners, whom I saw in the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity.

In this heavenly frame of mind, I walked, and leaped, and praised God, with ineffable joy, while no creature was witness to my happiness. Thus I continued for some time. But, as I had never seen any person in such raptures before, I thought that no one could conceive any thing about it, and that every body, with whom I was acquainted, were strangers to it. I, therefore, thought it would be best to keep it all to myself, lest I should be laughed at, and ridiculed for it. However, I soon discovered that this was a suggestion of the enemy, and that it would prove a snare to me; for I found that in order to keep my religion secret, I had in some measure to conform to the world, and could not reprove the ungodly much."

The subject of this memoir experienced the above change, October 15th, 1770, being 21 years and 8 months old.

In July, 1779, a meeting being appointed for that purpose, at the Baptist meeting house In Gilmanton, Mr. Randal was called upon to answer for himself, before a public assembly. A debate ensued which continued the greater part of two days; and at the close, the minister, who had been principal in the debate, arose, and made a public declaration in the following words, "I have no fellowship with brother Randal, in his principles." Upon hearing this, Mr. Randal stepped upon a seat, and said, "It makes no odds with me, who disowns me, as long as I know that the Lord owns me." "And now let that God be God, who answers by fire; and that people, be God's people, whom he owneth and blesseth."

Soon after this, he was called upon again to answer for what they called his errors, before another public assemble, at Madbury meeting house. Also, a brother by the name of Daniel Lord, was called to the same meeting on the same occasion. He records nothing very particular of what transpired at that place; only says, "They had us in a great meeting house, before a great assembly, and disputed with us as long as they saw fit; and then let us go, without either owning or disowning us. He adds, "I applied to the church to which I belonged, for a dismission, but they would never grant it. Neither was there ever a committee appointed by the church, to labor with me, that ever I knew of; and so they let me alone."

These public and sharp labors with Mr. Randal, had no conciliating effects; but rather tended to increase the division. Much was said about Randal and his doctrine, and the public excitement was very great. Almost every body was searching the scriptures, to see what doctrine they contained, and what principles to adopt; and as fast as they got satisfaction, they took a stand on one side or the other, and a visible separation began to take place through all the region.

About the beginning of 1779, a church, embodied by Eld. Edward Lock, in London and Canterbury, N.H., separated themselves, and protested against Calvin election. In August, the same year, the brethren in Barrington who had been considered a branch of the Berwick church, being of general sentiments, embodied into a church, and became separate; and Eld. Toser Lord, who having been previously ordained at Lebanon, Me., by Dr. Samuel Shepard and others, separated himself from the Calvinistic church, and the same fall, became a member of the church in Barrington. In March, 1780, Mr. Randal was received into the fellowship of the same church; and on the 5th day of the ensuing April, he was publicly ordained, at New-Durham, to the work of an evangelist.

The ordination was performed in the following manner, viz. Elder Toser Lord, preached a sermon suited to the occasion, from Acts. xiii. 2,3; "As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them, and when they had fasted, and prayed, they laid their hands on them, and sent them away." Elder Lord also gave the charge. Elder Edward Lock gave the right hand of fellowship. Here Mr. Randal took the title of Elder Randal. A title which I shall frequently make use of in the sequel, instead of Mr. Randal, being more familiar both to me and the people of the connexion.

Elder Randal now began his gospel career, and laid the foundation of the connexion, now extending over a great part of North America, commonly known by the denomination of FREE WILL BAPTIST.

The circumstances attending this memorable event, he records in about the following words, "There being a considerable number of brethren and sisters in New-Durham and its vicinity, we had it in contemplation to embody as a church by ourselves, and were still of opinion that there must be some written articles of faith, and a written covenant for us to sign; although we concluded that the scriptures of truth were the only rule of faith and practice.

It was, therefore, agreed that I should write such articles and such a covenant as I thought would do, and lay the same before the brethren for them to judge of. I accordingly wrote thirteen articles which may be seen by referring to the church record, vol. i. I also wrote the following covenant, which I here insert for the satisfaction of those who may wish to know how this denomination first embodied.

THE COVENANT

We do now declare that we have given ourselves to God; and do now agree to give ourselves to each other in love and fellowship; and do also agree to take the scriptures of truth for the rule of our faith and practice, respecting our duty toward God, our neighbors, and ourselves.

We do promise to practice all the commands in the New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, so far as they are now, or shall be made known to us by the light of the Holy Spirit of truth, without which, we are sensible, we cannot attain to the true knowledge thereof. We also promise to bear each other's burdens, and so fulfil the law of love, which is the law of Christ. We do further agree to give liberty for the improvement of the gifts of the brethren, and to keep us for the worship of God, and not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is. We do likewise further agree not to receive any person into fellowship, except they give a satisfactory evidence of a change in life and heart; and also promise to submit to the order of the Gospel as above. Amen."

"After the above named articles, and covenant were drawn up and laid before the members, on the 30th day of June, 1780, we all, in a solemn manner, by prayer and supplication to the Lord, covenanted together in the fear of God, and signed our names to the above instrument. This is the beginning of the now large and extensive connexion, called FREE WILL BAPTIST."

After preaching a while, Elder Randell fell into a great trial, in respect to the meaning of those controverted subjects. At length his trial so increased, that he was brought quite to a stand, and said he felt as if he could not preach, unless he could have those subjects opened to his mind. Soon after this he was thrown into great distress of soul, in which time he cried constantly to the Lord to be taught. He said, he felt no freedom to search any writings to get the opinions of men; he even felt forbidden to do it.

Here he relates an extraordinary manifestation, which he experienced in the end of his trial, and which proved satisfactory to him in respect to the meaning of those passages. He says, "Sometime in July, 1780, I was in great trial of mind, on account of the above texts; and in order that I might not be discovered by any, I walked into a remote place, where I had a piece of corn growing, and went into the midst of it. My soul was in great agony, I sat down upon a rock and was praying to my heavenly Father to be taught. All at once, it seemed as if the Lord denied to teach me. This increased my trial, and I cried, Lord, why may I not be taught? And the answer was, "because thou hast too many right hands, and too many right eyes." I said, "Lord, what are my right hands, and right eyes?" And it appeared to me that they were my traditions, which I still held, and my old brethren whom I had come out from; for although I had left them, I was too much hung upon them, and had not fully renounced their doctrines and opinions. I saw too, that I was too much incumbered with natural connexions. I saw that I needed much purifying and refining. I said, Lord, here I am, take me, and do with me as thou wilt. I freely surrendered myself, that moment, into his hands; and O! the flaming power, which instantly passed through my soul. It would be impossible to give any person an adequate idea of it, unless they had experienced the same. It was so amazingly powerful, and began to strip away every thing from me, in such a manner, that I thought I was going to lose all I ever had. I began to hold back a part; but immediately something whispered in my soul, saying, Didst thou not resign up all? I said, yea, Lord, and here I am. The power then increased my soul until it stripped me of every created thing, as to my affections. I tried to recollect my brethren and connections, but I could not get any feeling sense of them. I had no feeling of any thing, but the great and awful, terrible and dreadful majesty of God, which sank me, as it were, into nothing. When I was thus stripped, it appeared to me that I saw a white robe brought and put over me, and I appeared as white as snow. A perfect calm, an awful reverence, and solemn fear of God, pervaded all my soul. I looked down all over me, and I appeared as white as snow. A perfect calm, an awful reverence, and solemn fear of God, pervaded all my soul. A bible was then presented before the eyes of my mind, and I heard a still small voice, saying look therein. I looked in at the beginning of Genesis, and looked out at Revelation. I saw all the scriptures in perfect harmony; and those texts, about which my opposers were contending, were all opened to my mind; and I saw that they ran in perfect connection with the universal atonement in the work of redemption, by Jesus Christ, who tasted death for every man--the universal appearance of grace to all men, and with the universal call of the gospel; and, glory to God! My soul has never been in any trials about the meaning of those scriptures since. After passing through the above, the scene was withdrawn. I came to myself, and was sitting on the rock, and all flowing with sweat, and was so weak that I could barely sit up. I observed this exercise as much as one and a half hour. I never could tell whether I was in the body or not."

It would doubtless have been gratifying to my readers, if Elder Randal had given a short specimen of his extraordinary view of the construction, and plain meaning of those controverted subjects, to which he alludes. All candid Christians, no doubt, will admit that the scriptures of truth are in perfect harmony; and if rightly and fully understood, contain no paradoxes. Yet good men of different persuasions, have different views of the meaning of the scriptures, and are naturally apt to put such constructions on them, as will best prove their favorite systems, and promote their favorite objects.

The partisans of all denominations are loudly proclaiming, that the scriptures are all in unison with their sentiments, and go to prove their doctrines. Some men presume that if they can select as many simple verses, or half verses as there are canonical books in the bible, and can by any mode of allegation without any regard to their connections, put them in such order, as to make them appear to prove some darling doctrine, which they may affect to hold, under any pretext whatever, they will even dare to affirm, that all the bible goes to prove their system.

Elder Randal, however, was not of the above description; but was quite the reverse. He ever appeared to entertain the highest sense of the authenticity of the holy scriptures. He believed they were written by holy men, inspired by God for that purpose; and that they contain every thing necessary for us to believe and practice. He also considered it to be almost an unpardonable sin, for any one willfully to add to, or take away from that sacred book. He considered any man equally obnoxious, who should dare to wrest any part of the scriptures, for the sake of maintaining or supporting any favorite tenet. He also considered it gross presumption for himself, or any other man, in the capacity of a public teacher, to offer an explanation upon any passage of scripture, unless he was led understandingly into the same, by the spirit of God.

It might further be remarked that Elder Randal was not one of those disciples, who keep their light under the bed or bushel; but at all times and on all occasions, he ever appeared to be willing to set his light on a candlestick, that it might give light to all who came into the house. Neither was he like those preachers who strive to please every body, and accommodate their discourses to the opinions of those who hear them; but he zealously maintained his opinions at home and abroad, before his friends and his foes, his admirers and persecutors, without seeking the applause of the one or fearing the reproach of the other. I recollect of hearing him say, not long before his death, that he defied any man to prove that ever he preached any more than one doctrine wherever he had traveled.

M. Brother Randal, I preach as free as you do. I have to-day.

R.I know you tried to, but I could see your bare spots. However, I believe a great deal of what you have said to-day; and should have said Amen, if I had thought you believed it yourself; but there was something in me, that kept saying all the while you was preaching, "He is a hypocrite--he is a hypocrite. He has a mitten for either hand. When he is with the Predestinations, then he is a great Predestination; and when he is with the Free Willers, then he is a great Free Willer."

M.Well, brother, Randal, I believe there is no one that will ever be able to say that of you; for I believe when you are with those who think differently from you, you sway the harder upon your principles.

R.That I do, indeed. And I do it, if possible, to convince them of their errors.

This manner of plain dealing, often stirred up Elder Randal's enemies; and caused them to speak reproachfully and diminutively of him; but, at the same time, procured him a great many friends; for it often happened that those who were his most violent opposers, by hearing his plain and pointed discourses, were convinced, and became his most loving brethren. His honest zeal and assiduous labors were often rewarded with large companies of new-born souls; while others, of more acquired abilities, have died without seeing much fruit of their labors. Elder Randal now felt his heart greatly enlarged, and began to feel impressions on his mind to travel more extensively. The same year, he traveled east as far as Saco river, and made his first visit to Little Falls, (now called Hollis.) A reformation took place, and spread in that region, till a church was embodied consisting of one hundred members. But here, as well as in other places, he met with opposition.

One day as he was about to administer baptism to a number of candidates, and for that purpose repaired to a small millpond, it being the most convenient place; the man who owned the pond, feeling great opposition to Randal, resolved to deprive him of the privilege of baptizing in it. He ran immediately to his mill, and hoisted both gates to draw off the water, and so disappoint him. Randal observing that the water was fast falling, without knowing the intention of the man, said ,"Our heavenly Father has given us water to baptize in, and we must improve it while we have it;" and began to baptize. The man finding himself disappointed, ran with great violence to the bridge, and taking up a club in his hand, threw it at Randal as he was baptizing; but some of the people caught hold of his arm, and stopped its force, so that if fell short and dropped into the water. Several clubs were afterward sent; but the mischief was prevented in the same manner. Randal observed that clubs were falling into the water, but being solemnly engaged, he made no inquiry, until the candidates were all baptized; when coming up out of the water, and seeing a tumult among the people on the bridge, he inquired the cause of it. Upon which he was told that there was a man on the bridge, who had been trying to kill him while he had been baptizing. "Where is the dear soul," said Randal, "Let me go and speak to him." Crowding through the people, he came to the man, and began to address him in the most loving manner. But the man seeing Randal, immediately setting his brow as brass, and his neck as an iron sinew, drew back his arm, and directed his fist at Randal's face; and no doubt the blow might have proved painful, had it not been for the all-preserving hand of God, through the interference of several friendly persons who were standing by, and suddenly pulled Randal out of the man's reach. "Why did you not let him strike me?" said Randal, "it might have been the means of the conversion of his dear soul." He never appeared to value what he suffered, if he could but see souls converted. This same year, the work of the Lord spread in a very rapid manner through the country round about, and many were hopefully converted.

New-Durham, July 31, 1804.

Dearly beloved brethren and friends,--Although I write with a weak frame and trembling hand, yet, glory to God, I write with a soul inflamed with love to him and to you, my dear and precious fellow travelers to eternal glory. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be and abide with you all, and all that wisdom be given you which you need.

I take this method to appear in quarterly meeting, being so reduced in bodily strength, that I am not able to attend any other way; neither do I ever expect to sit with you again in public meeting, until we sit around the great white throne; unless the Lord unexpectedly raises me again, which, if he should, will be miraculous. I had a cough settled on me the first of last March, which has been increasing ever since, so that I have been hindered from traveling from that time to this, excepting I attended the quarterly meeting in May, but was very weak and low. Once I went to Nottingham, but all tended to increase my complaint. The first of this month I thought I felt a little revived, and myself and others thought it might be profitable for me to go toward the sea shore. Accordingly, I went to Portsmouth and Newcastle, but I grew worse from the time I started till I returned. I arrived at home on the 29th instant, and am so weak that it is with great difficulty that I handle my pen, or sit up long enough to write you. Had not this been the case I should have sat out the first of the present month, and have visited Richmond, and so gone up the Connecticut river through all our Connexion in that quarter, and have attended this meeting. But farewell! Farewell! You must henceforward do without me. As to the state of my soul, I feel strong in the Lord and in the power of his might, and think I have no choice but the Lord's choice. As to my faith, it remains unshaken. I am more and more established in the doctrine I have always preached; I know that I received it not of men, neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. I only regret that I have been no more industrious and laborious in my Master's vineyard. O, my fellow laborers! I tremble for some of you, fearing you are too negligent, and make our Master's work too much a by-business. O, for Christ's sake, be more laborious if you would with confidence receive your penny when your day is ended.

I am strong in the belief of the universal love of God to all men in the atonement; and in the universal appearance of the light, love and grace of God to all men; and that the salvation or damnation of mankind, turns upon their receiving or rejecting the same. I know from God that the doctrine which teacheth that it is impossible for any of those for whom Christ died to sin themselves to hell, is a doctrine of error, invented to destroy souls; and do now in my last moments, bear my testimony against it; and also against that shocking, inconsistent, Calvinistic doctrine, of eternal election and reprobation. I rejoice much to see how fast Christ is consuming it, by the breath of his mouth, and the brightness of his appearing. I am strong in the belief of the blessed ordinances of the gospel, as we find them recorded in the scriptures, and as we now practice them; and also in our order and discipline.

New, brethren, I am going to leave the Connexion with you, and I know not on whom my mantle will fall; I will it to whom the Lord will; I hope it will fall on some one a thousand times more fit for it than ever I was. The thing I most fear, that will hinder the advancement of the cause, is "Who shall be the greatest?" I have discovered so much of it, I have, and do greatly fear. O my brethren, "Humility goeth before promotion, and a haughty spirit before a fall." Let nothing be done among you through strife or vain glory, but in holiness of mind, let each esteem others better than themselves. There is some branches, and in some members in this Connexion, I think, a great inclination to mingle with the world; and this I fear will cause a great deal of trouble. O, beware of it, I pray you; for we are called out from the world, and from every people under heaven; and our prosperity wholly depends on our following our heavenly Leader; and if we do not, God will raise him another people, and we shall sink as others have done before us. I have many things to say, but I forbear now, and hope the Lord will enable me to leave my charge to the whole Connexion. I here end, sending my love to the meeting, to all my friends, my enemies, and to all my fellow men.

From your dying servant and brother in our Lord Jesus Christ. Farewell.

B. Randal

Eld. Randal being now in a very low state of health, and not able to attend the August quarterly meeting, wrote as follows: "New-Durham, Aug. 15, 1807.

Dear and well beloved, in our Lord Jesus Christ, --It is with a degree of trial and pleasure, that I salute you in this manner: trial, that I must write to you instead of appearing in bodily presence, which I have much longed for; but pleasure, that I have this one resource left me, that, though unable to be bodily present, I may write to you, and bless you in the name of the Lord. O, my brethren, the cause of God is mine. My soul's care and delight is to see it prosper. I married this Connexion in early life, and in that sense it is my spouse; and when able, I have spared no labor, either of body or mind, night nor day, cold or hot, far or near, for the advancement of the same. And, glory to God, I have the testimony of my conscience; but my labors are almost over, and I am about to receive my crown. My body is now too weak to go to Adams; but I bless the Lord, that I can be there in spirit, and by letter; and shall take the freedom to give a word of advice, as a father to his children, though with humility and respect. First, to my dear brethren in the ministry. I feel much on my soul on your account. Your lot is a particular lot, and much, very much depends on you, as to the promotion or destruction of the cause. We are on an eminence in a certain sense, like a city on a hill; all eyes are on us. We profess to be the representatives of Jesus Christ. O, let us consider what an example he set for his ambassadors to follow. What humility! What meekness! What holiness! What godliness! What temperance! What self-denial! What separation from the world! Yea, and every thing that is amiable and lovely he hath exhibited in his life, for his ambassadors to follow. Let each of us, therefore, ask ourselves the question, How much am I, or do I strive to be like him? When I ask myself the question, I blush, being sensible of my own unlikeness to him. I have been in the ministry thirty years last March, and have been making observations on the ministers of all denominations, our own as well as others, and have observed much, which has, and still doth cause much grief. Although many, when they first come into the ministry, feel some good degree of humility; yet how soon they begin to feel self-important, think themselves to be something great, conform to the world, seek after worldly interest and honor, rabbyings, greetings, uppermost rooms, chief seats, and want to be considered first and greatest! They get to be heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God--making a by-business of preaching, reclining in the sun-beams of worldly pleasure, and desiring to walk to heaven in golden slippers on sunshiny days. O, what a melancholy portrait! God forbid that any feature of it should belong to us, my brethren. But O, let us watch for we are in danger. O, how many, and some even of our own, have already made shipwreck, and are wholly destroyed, become a scandalous and useless. O, my soul trembles. Bear with me, being such an one as Benjamin the aged. For Christ's sake, my brethren, let us be little, humble, cross-bearing disciples. See to it, that we do not get any new-fangled, heady, wordy, tonguey doctrine of men, which leads from Christ instead of leading to him. But let our doctrine be such as comes from Christ into our hearts, and that will lead to his spiritual appearance and terminate in his glory. O, beware of schisms and rents; be not of such as cause divisions; but mark such, and turn away from them. United we stand, but divided we fall. My dear brethren, follow this advice, and walk in the examples of Christ, and when the chief Shepherd shall appear, then will you also appear with him in glory.

A word to all in general. Dearly beloved, I have before said that I was early married to this Connexion, and that when able have spared no pains in promoting its prosperity and happiness. I bless God that although I have got to be enfeebled in body, my care for the cause is still the same; my mind still travels to every part, and I feel thankful when I look back to the year 1780, the year in which this Connexion was first embodied, and see what the Lord hath done for us between that time and this. My soul cries out with astonishment, "O! come, let us magnify the Lord together; let us exalt his name for he is worthy." O, my brethren, we have become a numerous people, and I am afraid we are not so humble as we should be. Let us, I pray you, have a strife among us, not "Who shall be the greatest?" but who shall be the least of all-who shall be the humblest-who shall be the most of a servant-who shall lay the lowest at the feet of Jesus-who shall bring forth the most fruit to the glory of God? O, my brethren, let us keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. I feel afraid of a division in doctrine and tenets, for there is a scattering spirit abroad in the world. "Lo, here is Christ, and lo, there is Christ." O, beware of human inventions; for there is much pleading for those things. Human disciplines, platforms, creeds, covenants, and forms for ordinances, which are not to be found in the scriptures of truth. Well may it be said to many, as Christ said to some, "Full well ye reject the commandments of God, that ye may keep your own traditions." O, reject these things altogether, and cleave to the scriptures. Make them your only rule of faith and practice, both in temporal life and for the government of the church. I have to many things to say, to write them with pen and ink, and must therefore forbear.

I long to be with you, but bodily infirmities forbid. I have been very weak ever since last March, and was not able to go any lengthy journey until the last of July, when, in much weakness, I went to Ashby, to perform business appointed me by the quarterly meeting. But the journey proved too hard for me, which caused me to bleed from my lungs very much, and I have not ceased to bleed a day since. I am also lame, so that I dare not ride, but must lie still awhile, and if I get so as to ride in a carriage, I shall try to go to the yearly meeting in September. O, my brethren, pray for your unworthy brother and servant for Christ's sake. B. Randal"

In a letter to the quarterly meeting at Andover, N.H., dated May 14, 1808, he urged the necessity of being Christ's disciples indeed.

In the same letter he also urged the necessity of adopting measures to correct those irregularities and prevailing disorders, which were then existing in some parts of the Connexion. He also mentioned the inconsistency of holding forth the impossibility of falling from grace, which he considered a doctrine dangerous to souls. He also mentioned a doctrine, then lately propagated in the country, called "The end of the wicked," which inculcates the idea that at the day of judgment the wicked will be burnt up; soul and body, and be no more. This he also considered an unscriptural and dangerous doctrine, and gave it as his opinion, that such as preached it ought not to be holden in fellowship, or rather, that they ought to be noted as not belonging to the Connexion. In the close of his letter, he animadverted warmly on the conduct of those preachers, who being fond of novelty, lay hold of any new doctrine which is presented, and without examining it by the bible, fall in with it, and recommend it to others, and try to make every body believe it. And when another doctrine is presented, the former is given up as erroneous, and the latter is embraced as truth, and propagated with the same zeal as the former. In their own opinion, such preachers have been always wrong before, and right now; but they, being still unstable, may tell us a few days hence that they are wrong now. As an antidote for this disorder, he recommends, 1. Submission to God. 2. A constant learning of Jesus. 3. A steady perseverance in the commandments of God. He gives it as his opinion, that none but such will ever rightly understand the mystery of godliness, or have the testimony of their consciences that they please God.

Through all his sickness, he enjoyed great presence of mind; and when able to converse, his mind appeared to be as fruitful of resources, as when in perfect health. In the month of June I made him a visit, with several other ministers. I found him extremely weak in body, but strong in faith and happy in mind. I observed to him, that I had often been delighted and edified by his improvement as a preacher; that I had now come to see him upon his death-bed, and wished to know if the doctrine he had propagated in life, would support him in death. He answered in the affirmative, with great emphasis, and said, "I am more and more confirmed in it." I then questioned him upon all the fundamental points of his doctrine separately, to which he gave satisfactory and scriptural answers. I asked him if he did not think that he had been too zealous in propagating those points? He answered no; and added, "If I had my life to live over again, I would be more zealous than I ever have been." He being now almost exhausted, I waived the subject for a while, and attended to personal experience and prayer. After he revived a little, I asked his opinion of the doctrine of annihilation, or what is called, "the end of the wicked." To which he answered, "It is a doctrine of error, and I have found three hundred texts in the bible, expressly to the contrary of it." Before we parted, he related to us the following dialogue, which had a few days before taken place, between him and a minister of Calvinistic sentiments, who made him a visit.

Min. "Brother Randal, don't you sometimes long to die, that you may get into heaven?"

Ran. "No; for I am in heaven now, and have been through all my sickness: I have enjoyed the presence of God through it all, and that is heaven to me."

Min. "But don't you think that you will enjoy a greater measure of happiness, after you leave the body, than you can enjoy in it?"

Ran. "Yes; but I am full now, and I shall only be full then; when a vessel is full, it is full; and if a vessel is full, if it don't hold more than a pill cap, it is as happy in its measure, as if it was as big as a gallon pot."

Min."Don't you expect that when you leave this body, you will be rewarded for all your labors here below?"

Ran. "No, blessed be God! The Lord is not in debt to me. I expect to go to heaven when I die, but I don't expect to enjoy heaven as a reward for my labors. I have had my reward all the way as I came along, and expect the joys of heaven will be gratis!"

He always believed it his duty to serve God, and that the reward was in doing the commandments, and not for doing them. He believed his salvation was entirely of grace. FREE GRACE was his theme living and dying. In the course of his confinement, he had a great many visits of brethren and friends from different parts, who were delighted with his conversation, and contributed to his necessities. The church, at his request, frequently appointed their conferences and prayer meetings at his house, and nothing delighted him so much, as to see them engaged in his cause.

At his request, I appointed a meeting for preaching at his house, and observing his extreme weakness, I thought the usual exercises of a public meeting might overcome him. I therefore asked him if he thought he could bear the exercise of singing? He answered "Yes. If you sing with the spirit and understanding also, you may sing as much as you please. Glory to God! I can bear to hear any body praise Him. I expect soon to join with the singing millions above." I then proceeded in my usual manner, and no one in the assembly appeared to take so much interest in the exercise, as he did. He followed the discourse clear through, and when I ended, he was able to recapitulate all the leading ideas, and in a most solemn and impressive manner recommended the whole to the consideration of the audience. His outward man gradually decayed and perished, while his inward man was renewed day by day. Previous to his dissolution, he, in a most cool and dispassionate manner, settled all his temporal concerns-made every arrangement in respect to his funeral-ordered how his grave clothes should be made, and saw them cut and made-ordered the form of his coffin, all in the plainest and most decent manner; and, finally, composed a hymn to be read to the spectators, when the corpse should be opened-appointed the man to preach his funeral sermon; and even planned the order of the procession, and the way and manner they should march to and from the grave.

He died Oct. 22, 1808, after a confinement of about nine months with the consumption. Just before his exit, being asked by a friend how he did, he answered, "All I wait for is my Father's command, and my soul will then leave this body." And in a few minutes he breathed out his soul into the arms of his blessed Jesus, with whom he longed to be.

His wife lost a kind and benevolent husband-his children an affectionate parent-the church a faithful servant and minister of the gospel-the town an amiable member of society-the state of New Hampshire one of its most useful and respected citizens; and this poor benighted world, a burning and shining light. He lived upon earth 59 years, 7 months, and 26 days. About 31 years and 7 months he spent in public testimony; laboring day and night for the salvation of fallen men. He always appeared ready to preach the word. He was instant in season and out of season, to reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine. He was often opposed by men; but constantly supported by God. God testified of his gifts, by blessing his labors. Hundreds of souls have dated their experience of grace under his ministry. Although a layman, he was one of the best of preachers. Dyer says,"He is the best preacher, who does the most good and wins the most souls." He was a man subject to like passions as we are; but in all his addresses he was remarkably tender and affectionate. In doctrine, he was clear and decisive-in argument, pointed and powerful.