CHAPTER 10 BENJAMIN LAKIN
CHAPTER 10 BENJAMIN LAKIN This western pioneer was born in the state or Maryland. When quite young his parents removed to the state of Pennsylvania; but not being satisfied with the country, they continued their peregrinations westward till they arrived at the state of Kentucky. It was in the early settlement of that country that they made their home among its cane-brakes. Young Lakin, sharing the fortunes of his father, amid the scenes of the dark and bloody ground, could not be expected to have received much literary or religious training. In that day there were few who knew any thing about experimental religion, what there was consisting more of a mere form than any thing else. Indeed, there was precious little even of that. Still the country was not wholly destitute for a wandering Methodist preacher whose circuit, like the track of a comet, swept over the whole space of the country, would touch at the different and distant neighborhoods, and pour from his heart, richly filled with the treasures of experimental religion, the soul-saving truths of the Gospel. Under the influence of such preaching, young Lakin was brought to feel his need of a Savior; and, after seeking with great earnestness for the blessing of pardon and salvation, he at length was enabled, through faith, to behold and embrace the "Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world." It was not long after his conversion that he felt called to take up his cross and follow his Savior, in bearing the messages of mercy to his dying fellow-men.
There was nothing in those days to render an itinerant life in the least degree inviting. Every step of such a mission was connected with danger and toil; and it was not likely that any would enter the ministry except from the firmest convictions of a duty the most pressing and imperative in its nature. It seems to us, though we may be wrong — if so, God forgive us — that such has been the change wrought upon the face of the country and society in general, making the post of a Gospel minister rather desirable than otherwise, that many do not feel that awful sense of responsibility connected with the calling which it is just as important to feel now as then, and that we find young men entering upon this work about in the same way, and with no greater anxiety or interest than they would enter upon any learned or business profession for the purpose of honor and emolument; and the danger of mistaking the call is increased, from the fact that so much stress is laid upon mere literary training and scholastic attainments connected with the wonderfully — restless desire the present generation has for learned ministers. We know of nothing that would tend more effectually to bring back the dark ages upon the Church than such a disposition to exalt learning at the expense of the zeal and wisdom of our fathers in the ministry.
They perhaps knew little about Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, or Biblical literature, in the critical sense of that term, but they were thoroughly versed in the Bible; and hence, in the language of Luther, "Bonus textuarius, bonus theologus " — he is always the best divine who is best acquainted with the Scriptures. They were men of the Bible; men of faith and men of prayer; and coming to their congregations with an unction from the Holy One, the word of God was like "a fire and a hammer, which broke the rock in pieces." We would not decry knowledge; God forbid! Let the minister of the present day study all the branches of theological literature, and all collateral sciences, posting himself up thoroughly in all departments; but above all, let him, when he comes to feed the flock of God, come from the deep fountains of eternal Truth, and from the foot of the cross. Let his visits be frequent to Tabor and Olivet, as well as Gethsemane and Calvary, and, filled with the Spirit of Jesus, he will be mighty, through God, to the pulling down of the strongholds of infidelity and sin. We do not believe, now that the days of miracles and inspiration are passed, that God will prepare sermons for drones, or that he will convert a dull and stupid intellect into a bright one. Such extraordinary manifestations we are not to look for; and hence we judge with the Church, that with "grace" must be connected "gifts." We recollect distinctly when, if a father had three sons and was able to give them an education, he selected the brightest for a lawyer, the next for a doctor, and the dullest of all for a preacher. We would reverse this arrangement, and judge that the last should be first and the first last. But to our sketch.
Young Lakin was called to preach, and, conferring not with flesh and blood, he entered the itinerant ranks in the year 1794, and traveled under the presiding elder, Francis Poythress. In the following spring he was admitted on trial and appointed to Green River circuit. In 1796 he was appointed to Danville circuit, and in 1797 he was admitted into full connection, ordained a deacon, and appointed to Lexington circuit. During this year he married an excellent wife and located. Such was the prejudice that existed in the Church, at that day, against married preachers, that it was almost out of the question for any man to continue in the work if he had a wife. They were not exactly obliged to take the Popish vow of celibacy, but it almost amounted to the same thing; and there being such a high example for single life, as exhibited in the cases of the bishops, if a preacher married he was looked upon almost as a heretic who had denied the faith. Besides, no provision was made for the wife, and she was regarded, on all hands, as an incumbrance. Whether this opposition arose from the poverty or parsimoniousness of the Church, or from the belief that a man with a wife was not sufficiently disentangled from the world, and hence unfit for the work of an itinerant, or, perhaps, from all combined, we know not; but such was the fact, that but only one or two had courage and endurance enough to travel when married. We recollect that within the last twenty years, in the Ohio conference, young men have been discontinued who married within two years, though there was nothing else against them.
Under such a state of things Lakin located, and laboring with his own hands during the week, to support his family, he preached from place to place on Sabbath with zeal and power. Having to support himself, there was no objection to his preaching; for of all denominations of Christians we ever knew, the Methodists, in general, are most attached to a free Gospel; that is, one that costs them nothing; and, humiliating as it may seem, we have heard some thank God for it. The time came, however, when brother Lakin, being able, after some sort, to support his family, re-entered the traveling Connection, and was appointed to Limestone circuit. In the year 1802 he was appointed to travel Scioto and Miami circuits combined. We request our reader to look at the map, and see the extent of the field of this one man’s labor — tract of country including all southern Ohio. It was during this year we became acquainted with this pioneer. We met him as he was moving from Kentucky to the field of his labor. The point where we met him was on the eastern side of the Little Miami, the track of the railroad now occupying the spot. Then there was nothing that deserved the name of a road — a kind of a trace. We were surprised to see a man and woman in a cart drawn by one horse — surprised, because this was a superior way of traveling, not known to the settlers, who traveled and carried their movables on pack-horses. As we came up we halted to look at his vehicle. As we stopped he inquired how far it was to the next house. This we were unable to tell, for the road was uninhabited. We then had the curiosity to ask him who he was, where he was going, and what was his business? he quickly and kindly replied, "My name is Lakin; I am a Methodist preacher, and am going to preach the Gospel to lost sinners in the Miami and Scioto country." Filled with strange imaginings we parted, and the preacher drove on.
What would the young preacher of the present day think of taking his wife in a cart and starting out without money, home, or friends and traveling through the wilderness seeking for the lost? Yet such trials and hardships your fathers endured. God be praised that the times have changed, and that you are not subjected to the same toils and sufferings! After filling up this year brother Lakin was sent to Salt River, circuit, in Kentucky, and in all probability returned with his family and all in that little cart. In 1804 he was appointed to Danville, and in 1805 to Salt River and Shelby united. In 1806 and 1807 he was sent back to Miami, and traveled successively the following circuits; namely, Deer Creek, Hockhocking, Cincinnati, Whiteoak, Union, Limestone, Lexington, and Hinkston. At the close of his year on this circuit, his health failing, he was returned supernumerary, and the next year 1819 continuing to decline, he was placed on the superannuated list, where he remained till the day of his death.
We have thus given a brief and rapid outline of the labors of this faithful and devoted servant of Jesus. He was one of the ministers of those days who stood side by side and guided the Church through that most remarkable revival of religion, which swept like a tornado over the western world. In the greatest excitement the clear and penetrating voice of Lakin might be heard amid the din and roar of the Lord’s battle, directing the wounded to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world. Day and night he was upon the watchtower, and in the class and praying circles his place was never empty — leading the blind by the right way, carrying the lambs in his bosom, urging on the laggard professor, and warning the sinner in tones of thunder to flee the wrath to come. While he was in the relation of a worn-out preacher he never had a dumb Sabbath, always having his appointments ahead, except when quarterly or campmeetings would intervene. He was always on hand at these, and would preach and labor with all his remaining strength. Great success attended his labors, and he was universally accepted and beloved as a minister of Jesus.
We knew him well, and loved him as a father in the Gospel with a pure heart fervently. His visits to our family, once a year, were looked for with great solicitude, and he was made a blessing to all the children. Father Lakin did not suffer his calm, benignant features, in his last days, to be wrinkled with a sour godliness. There was no howling or whining about every thing going wrong in the Church and among the preachers. He had a contempt for Quakers, and would look up and, thank God for a good conservative progress in all the departments or Methodism. Quiet, and peaceful, and glorious, as when the descending sun throws his last rays on a receding world, tinging the trees and mountains with his mellow light, did this venerable servant of the cross pass down to the grave. He preached his last sermon in McKendree Chapel, Brown county, Ohio, on the 28th day of January, 1848. On Tuesday he returned home to Point Pleasant. The next two days he complained some of indisposition, but on Friday he started on horseback his usual mode of traveling to quarterly meeting, at Felicity, O. After riding six miles he reached the house of sister Richards, in usual health, and enjoying a very happy frame of mind. He conversed freely and cheerfully with the family till about seven o’clock, when looking at his watch he stepped out of the room door and fell. The family, supposing he had fainted, used all the means in their power to revive him; but his work was done, and his happy Spirit had fled to the mansions above. Thus, in the eighty-second year of his age, and the fifty-fourth of his ministry, this devoted, self sacrificing preacher of the Gospel "Ceased at once to work and live."