which men were added to the church under Mr. Rice's administration. "I do not recollect," says he, "that I ever attempted to make a proselyte, and seldom heard of any attempt of that kind being made by any denomination in these parts."

By the blessing of heaven on the faithful labours of his servant, the three congregations so increased, that the sphere of labour was too extensive for one man, even could they all have met in one place of worship. He, therefore, first gave up one of the congregations below, and then the other, and confined his attention to the Peaks of Otter.

It is to be added, that these people were faithful and punctual in fulfilling their pecuniary engagements with their pastor-that the gospel continues among them and is supported by them still-and that sometime after Mr. Rice's removal from them they were blest with a considerable revival, a number of the subjects of which attributed their first serious impressions to his preaching.

It is also to be remarked, that the period of Mr. Rice's residence among those people was during the war of the revolution, and that while many of the servants of God in the cities and on the sea coast were driven from their flocks by the unnatural invasion of the British troops, Mr. Rice was in the full, and successful, and uninterrupted discharge of the duties of the pastoral office. The mountains brought forth peace to the people, and the little hills by righteousness.

THE duty which a christian minister owes to his fam ly is of a varied kind. With every other christian pa rent he is indeed to be deeply concerned for their eternal welfare, but he is also to have a due regard to their temporal comfort; and to their temporal comfort not only when they are under his roof, in a great measure incapable of providing for their daily wants-but his views and arrangements ought also to extend as far as possible to the mode in which they may provide for themselves and others when they shall have arrived at maturity, and have other families depending upon them, Now, in what particular way, and to what particular extent a provision of this kind is to be made, is often, with a conscientious servant of the cross, a question of difficult solution.

It is doubtful whether any christian parent ought to form and attempt to execute plans having for their chief object an independent fortune either for himself or for his children. All agree that such a spirit cherished in a christian minister is utterly incompatible with his character. Yet a preacher of the gospel, who has a rising family, must look a little a-head and contemplate a period when perhaps, he himself may depend entirely for his support upon his own children. It is of importance, then, that as soon as possible these his children

be placed in some such situation in which, with the blessing of providence, they may discharge at once parental and filial duties.

It was under circumstances of this nature that Mr. Rice first turned his attention towards Kentucky. It was spoken of and recommended to him as a country where the best of land might be procured with little more expense and trouble than that connected with having it entered and surveyed as the law directed. He accordingly was induced at a convenient time to ride out and see the country, not principally with the view of preaching the gospel, nor even with the view of moving there soon, if ever; but merely to become acquainted with the country, and if all circumstances were encouraging, to procure settlements for some of his numerous family.

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A land office for Kentucky had just been opened, and swarms of land speculators were pouring into it.— Though he was charmed with the country, neither the mode appointed by the Legislature of Virginia for taking up land, nor the character of the settlers generally, pleased him. "I saw," says he, "that the spirit of speculation was flowing in such a torrent that it would bear down every weak obstacle that stood in its way. I looked forward to fifty or sixty years, and saw the inbabitants engaged in very expensive and demoralizing litigations about their landed property. I knew the make of my own mind, that I could not enjoy the happiness of life if engaged in disputes and law-suits. I therefore resolved to return home without securing a single foot of land."

While in Kentucky he preached when opportunity offered. On his return he met with upwards of four thousand people moving out. Shortly after his return he received a verbal invitation to come to Kentucky and officiate as a minister. He replied, that if a written invitation were sent him, signed only by thos by those who were permanently settled, and who wished to attach themSelves to religious society, he would take it into consideration, and return an answer in due time. After a few months a call, subscribed by three hundred men, was forwarded to him; but from the face of it he had strong suspicions, that his request, respecting the situation of subscribers, had not been attended to. However, he, upon the whole, resolved to remove to this new country, which he did in Oct. 1783.

CHAPTER IX.

STATE OF RELIGION IN KENTUCKY IN 1784 -ORGANIZATION OF THE FIRST CONGRE

GATION THERE.

MR. RICE soon found that his suspicions concerning the character and situation of those who had put their names to his call, were not without ground. He expected that as soon as he should have obtained a temporary residence, a number of old professors would have come and made up their acquaintance with him. But he was

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greatly surprised and distressed to find scarcely any such, a few who had been his old acquaintances and hearers in Virginia excepted. "After I had been here," says he, "some weeks, and had preached at several places, I found scarcely one man and but few women who supported a credible profession of religion. Some were grossly ignorant of the first principles of religion. Some were given to quarrelling and fighting, some to profane swearing, some to intemperance, and perhaps most of them totally negligent of the forms of religion in their own houses."

"I could not think," continues he, "a church formed of such materials as these could properly be called a church of Christ. With this I was considerably distres. sed, and made to cry, where am I! What situation am I in? Many of these produced certificates of their hav ing been regular members in full communion and in good standing in the churches from which they had emigrated, and this they thought entitled them to what, they called christian privileges here. Others would be angry and raise a quarrel with their neighbours if they did not certify, contrary to their knowledge and belief, that the bearer was a good moral character. I found indeed very few on whose information I could rely respecting the moral character of those who wished to be church members."

In these perplexities he resolved not to administer sealing ordinances, but preach among the people one year, that he might get better acquainted with them and they with him. This exposed him to much censure from the loose nominal professors and-tended greatly