many of the places where he has labored. Probably there are but few if any ministers in the land, who have baptized more converts; that is, ministers of his age, for he is not the oldest man in the world yet. A half century

has not passed over his head.

CHAPTER XVI.

EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY OF REV. BARZIL. LAI BARMLEY.

Jan. 13.

Preached this afternoon upon the duty and privilege of family prayer, as I have discovered that several of our brethren neglect it. One man says "he cannot find time to pray in his family, because his business is so urgent." Another one says "he has no gift for prayer;" and another, "that he has neglected it so long, that he is now ashamed to commence it."

Jan. 16.

Preached this noon at the poorhouse. Many of the poor creatures were very attentive, and some seemed much affected.

Jan. 22. Am very sorry to hear from our superintendent that the teachers' meetings lately have not been well attended. I must attend them myself after this, and see if I cannot get the teachers more interested in them. Feb. 9. Had a long talk with br. M,

to induce him to speak and pray in the confer ence meeting. He says "he can't do it, because he has no gift." He acknowledges that he often in political caucusses speaks an hour; but poor man, he can find no tongue to pray, or to give the word of exhortation in a religious

meeting.

March. 4.

Attended the funeral of Mr. L.
No doubt he has gone

A truly pious man.

home to glory.

March 12.

school-house.

Preached this evening in

Universalist interrupted the

Two inquirers.

exercises.

April 3.

Had some conversation with br.

D. He is much worked up, but I trust a little reflection will cool him.

April 11.

Married two couples.

Re

ceived $3 and $5. These $8 will more than pay for that wood Mr. N. brought me yesterday.

May 8. Br. B. called to lecture me about my long sermons. He seemed unnecessarily excited. After he was gone, I

thought over the different complaints my people make. They are many. Have now been here nearly five years, and the following are

those which I now remember, and I mean to put down all I hear hereafter, so that when I leave here, be it sooner or later, I may know the sum total of complaints. I put down the complaints in the words of the complainers. 1. You don't visit enough.

2.

You do not study as much as you should. 3. You are confined to your books more than you ought to be.

4. You preach too much about election. 5. You hammer too much on practical duties.

6. You preach too many doctrinal ser

mons.

7. You appear haughty and proud.

8. You are too reserved for our people, and ought to be more sociable.

9. You are too free and chatty for a minister.

10.

11.

You are too particular about your dress.
You are sometimes very careless about

your dress.

12.

13.

Your sermons are too learned.

Some of your discourses are more

low and vulgar than our people like.

14. You preach more than is profitable to Christians.

15. Too many of

your sermons are ad

dressed to the impenitent.

16. You ought not to say so much about baptism.

17. You don't preach enough on baptism. 18. You have too much of hell-fire and brimstone and awful things in your sermons. 19. You preach too often about tempe

rance.

20. You show too little interest in the temperance cause.

21. You hadn't ought to bring slavery into the pulpit.

22. It is wrong for you not to preach more against slavery.

23.

Your sermons are too long.

24. You preach too short.

25. You don't take interest enough in the Sabbath school.

26. You do very wrong in voting; a minister has no business to meddle with politics. 27. I am tired of hearing your written ser

mons.

28. You ought not to preach so much extempore.

29. You have too much action in the pulpit.