25 The Transit of the Century 1799-1801

25 - THE TRANSIT OF THE CENTURY 1799-1801 THE closing years of the eighteenth century and the opening years of the nineteenth were among the busiest years of Mr. Randall’s very active career.

Certain people in Marshfield, Massachusetts, having applied to the Quarterly Meeting for a messenger to visit them and explain to them more fully the doctrines held and taught by Free Baptists, the request was referred to the New Durham church, and Mr. Randall was appointed to answer the call. With Nathan Keniston as traveling companion, Mr. Randall started on this journey February twenty-sixth. On his arrival he was given a cordial reception. He there found open doors for meetings and open hearts for the gospel of free grace. On this circuit he took in Boston, Andover, Brain-tree, and Scituate. He was absent from home nearly a month, preached twenty-four times, and conducted many devotional meetings. A record in his journal runs thus:

"All seemed to receive the gospel of free grace gladly, and many sinners were converted." In the early March of 1800, Mr. Randall went on a missionary tour through western Vermont, where he found the work spreading gloriously under the evangelistic labors of Joseph Boody, Jr., of New Durham. In the previous June, in response to earnest invitations of friends and the promptings of duty, Boody went on an evangelistic tour through those regions. He preached at Hardwick, Greensboro, Hyde Park, Cabot, Danville, Dewey Gore, Wolcott, and Walden. He saw extensive revivals in all these towns. He had collected a company of fifty-two converts in Hardwick. These Mr. Randall embodied into a church. Others were gathered later. These towns were in the region of Mr. Randall’s visit. In all this tour he enjoyed precious manifestations of the Holy Spirit in connection with his preaching. At the June Yearly Meeting, held as usual at New Durham, before the preliminary business had been completed, the glory of God came down in Pentecostal showers; so that nothing could be done but adjourn business till Monday and attend worship. This session entertained a request from churches in Vermont to be organized into a Quarterly Meeting. Elders Aaron Buzzell, Daniel Lord, and John Shepard were constituted a council with discretionary power to respond. A little later the Strafford Quarterly Meeting, Vermont, was received. In this were five churches-Strafford, Tun-bridge, Vershire, Corinth, and Brookfield, which reported five ordained ministers and three hundred and thirty members, and added the pleasing statement that "the work of God is gloriously spreading in all these regions."

Mr. Randall made his second visit to Marshfield and vicinity in August. He was gone seventeen days, visited much, and held about one religious service, on an average each day of his absence.

Early in September he started on another extended tour in Maine. One dark night he lost his way in a dense forest. His horse broke through a bridge and both were precipitated down a steep bank. But as they fell upon a bed of thick bushes, both were rescued without serious injury to either. These experiences, though sad at the time, were reckoned among the sufferings which were not worthy to be compared with the glory revealed in preaching the gospel for the salvation of men.

He was away from home on this journey thirty-three days, attended sixty-one meetings, and traveled five hundred and seventy-four miles.

One incident illustrative of Mr. Randall’s total-abstinence principles must stand for the many that cannot be admitted. On an afternoon of December, 1800, he left home, purposing to preach the next day at Alton; but when about two miles away he was attacked with a violent colic, an illness to which he was an occasional victim. He stopped at a Mrs. Willey’s, where, for twelve hours, he struggled with excruciating pain. At times it was feared he must die. But, by the skill of his physician and the blessing of God, in ’a few days he was able to be carried home.

While he was suffering the most acute paroxysms of pain, it was suggested that if he would drink some liquor he might obtain relief. But he positively refused. Whereupon a bystander exclaimed: "I believe that these spells are sent upon Elder Randall as a judgment, because he is so bitterly opposed to using ardent spirits." This incident illustrates at once the current opinion of the times respecting the use of liquors, and Mr. Randall’s position on the subject. In this he was as much in advance of his times as he was on matters religious. His rebukes of the drinking custom of his times were frequent and scathing.

Monday, May 18, 1801, found Mr. Randall on his way to New Hampton, where the Quarterly Meeting was to convene. " In the evening we held a meeting in Gilmanton_ a blessed, powerful season." The next day, with a company of about forty, he took dinner at Brother Samuel Crockett’s, in Meredith. In their host and family they found Christians with large hearts, keeping open doors for all of God’s people.

Having been well refreshed with material sustenance, and the sweet opportunity for song and prayer, in the afternoon they moved on in order, two abreast, to the home of Deacon Pease, where another company was gathered in worship, led by Elder Martin. Because of this accession to their numbers, the company had to repair to the orchard for worship. This is reported as " a wonderful, very wonderful meeting." On Wednesday morning the company set off again in double file, now a cavalcade of a hundred people on horseback, with Randall in the van. Among those who made up this procession of Christians were many excellent singers. When nearing the church edifice, where the crowd had already gathered, the cavalcade commenced a most solemn and impressive hymn. "And as the melodious strains from those voices floated out on the air, the effect was perfectly thrilling, not only to those singing, but to the waiting assembly." At the meeting the devotional fervidness soon rose to such a point that many sinners began to pray for mercy. The scene was a fitting prelude to what was to follow. In business all gave excellent attention, though about six hundred were present.

Conference met for business the next morning, but for two hours or more there was no room for business. The religious fervidness had risen to such a high pitch that it seemed best to allow its expression in devotion and worship. In the afternoon, Elder Martin preached to the edification of all. Others followed with exhortation. Then the Lord’s Supper was administered. "A powerful scene! Indescribably glorious! We had never witnessed such a Quarterly Meeting as this before." The new century dawned upon general prosperity along all lines of Free Baptist activities. From sweeping revivals nearly all the churches were able to report accessions, and several new churches had been organized.