own blood. As the dew upon Mount Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion, so may the Lord command his blessing upon his people, even life for evermore."

Though Kobler was possessed of a constitution naturally of more than ordinary strength, the privation and toil, accompanied with the necessary exposure of a Methodist missionary at that early day in the history of our country and the Church, gave to that constitution a shock from which it never recovered. Endowed with abilities, as a preacher, above mediocrity, and fired with a zeal worthy his high vocation, for a period of eighteen years he labored with great success in the itinerant field, and many souls were converted through his instrumentality. Being completely prostrated by disease, in the year 1809 he was induced to locate, and settled in the neighborhood in which he was born.

Unsought by himself, in the year 1836 the Baltimore annual conference placed his name on the list of its superannuated ministers. Fond of meeting with the redeemed of the Lord, as age grew upon him, and as he was unable to visit distant circuit appointments, he sought for a residence in a place where he could assemble with the people of God, and be useful; and hence he removed to Fredericksburg, Virginia. In that place his saint-like spirit, exhibited in Christian conversation, his dignified ministerial bearing, and his untiring labors in preaching, exhorting, praying, visiting the sick and imprisoned, did more, under God, to give character and permanency to Methodism in that place than any other human agency. The Church in Fredericksburg was small and poor, and the house in which the members worshiped was dilapidated and situated in an out-of-the-way place. The membership resolved to better their condition, and thereby increase their facilities for doing good by building a new

church. To aid them in this undertaking, father Kobler was not only one of the most liberal subscribers, but he started out, in the seventy-fourth year of his age, on an excursion, appealing to the Churches of the west, the early field of his itinerant toil, for assistance. During this tour he visited the Ohio conference, and met with success in his undertaking. He seemed, like good old Simeon, to wait for the completion and dedication of this house of the Lord; and, when the day at length arrived, and the Lord was invoked to take possession of the. newly-erected temple, while all the lovers of Methodism were joyful, the old patriarch was transported. The object for which he had ardently prayed and labored was accomplished, and he was ready to say, "Now, Lord, lettest thou thy servant depart in peace; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." His days, however, were lengthened, and he was permitted to witness one of the most interesting and powerful revivals in that church. The glorious work had hardly abated ere disease laid its destroying hand upon him. During his affliction he was perfectly happy, and the light of heaven beamed on his happy countenance. Without a murmur he suffered the will of his Master. Often was he heard to say, "Living or dying, I am the Lord's." On his friends asking him if he had any thing he desired them to pray for, he replied, "Pray for the Church, that God would abundantly pour out his Spirit upon it, and take it into close keeping with himself." On one occasion he said, "I have dug deep, and brought all the evidence to bear, and I find I have a strong confidence, which nothing can shake; but all is through the infinite merits of my Lord and Savior. I wish it to be known to all, that the principles which I have believed, and taught, and practiced in life, I cling to in death, and find they sustain me. I have tried all my life to make my ministry and life con

sistent." About half an hour before he died he was asked, "Is Jesus precious?" "O, yes, very precious!" and then he uttered, as his last words on earth, "Come, Lord Jesus; come in power, come quickly!" In a few minutes he was no more; the spirit had gone to heaven. Having left the tabernacle which it had occupied for three quarters of a century, it went to its building of God above.

CHAPTER X.

BENJAMIN LAKIN.

THIS western pioneer was born in the state of 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 usthat 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