At one year old I was taken to raise by my aged grandfather, with whom I remained till eleven years old, when I was taken into the family of an uncle. It was here that I received my first religious impressions, from the prayers of my aunt, and the occasional visits of the old stamp Methodist preachers, whose appearance and godly walk led me to believe they were men of God. At this age I felt the strivings of the Spirit of God, and tried [151] to pray, but did not know what to do. At seventeen I went to a trade, to a man who was given to drinking. The community was a church-going people, and I thought I might find something among them to relieve a guilty conscience; but found them all to be as wicked as the man I lived with. In this nursery of sin I commenced their bad habits, thinking myself about as good as they were. But I soon found I must abandon those habits.

      I then returned to my old home, and my convictions were revived afresh. I commenced raising my heart to God for mercy, while at my work. One day, whilst calling on the Lord, a colt, running by, kicked me, which caused me to forget my good desires and use profane language against the animal. My convictions now became more pungent, and from that time I strove more fervently for salvation, till some time after, when I found relief at a camp-meeting, I came home enjoying a hope, and began to search the Scriptures, to learn my duty. I found that after faith baptism is enjoined. I attended another camp-meeting, when Elder John Winebrenner, of the Church of God, preached on the commandments. I found from his sermon, that my conclusion was right; and I, therefore, with thirty-nine others, was "buried with Christ in baptism" [Colossians 2:12].

      Owing to prejudices on account of my baptism, and the unbecoming conduct of the class-leader of [152] the church I had joined, I began to neglect meetings and prayer, and so became embarrassed again in sin. I then married; and both my wife and I were destitute of grace. We set out for wealth and pleasure, but all in vain. Upon visiting the dying chamber of an aunt, I felt my guilt more powerfully, and commenced to seek forgiveness for my backslidings; and for two years I sought the Lord with strong cries, in the woods and wherever I went, thinking to find peace in secret, but all was of no avail to me; and I feared I had grieved the Spirit of God away, and that my day of grace was past. I was therefore very miserable, and often wished I was dead, to be out of my present misery. After some time I had a frightful dream; and from that moment I determined to try every means for pardon, or perish in the trial. Soon a missionary of the Baptist church came along and held a meeting, and while listening, to his preaching, I found my heart's desire in the pardon of my sins. From that time to the present (twenty years), I have had many trials, but God's grace has ever been sufficient for me; and my strongest desire is to spend my days in the service of my divine Master, by preaching His gospel to sinners and winning many souls for Him.

[THW 151-153]