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John Haggin, three miles east of Harrodsburgh. Here Mr. Rice preached regularly until he moved to Green. In 1801 the congregation of Cane Run united with NewProvidence congregation in obtaining the ministerial services of Rev. Samuel B. Robertson. This connexion continued with some success and harmony until the 10th of April, 1811, when Mr. Robertson's pastoral connexion with them was dissolved by mutual consent, and he removed to Columbia, Adair county.

In April, 1813, the Rev. Thomas Cleland, from Washington county, commenced his ministerial labours in these united congregations, and was installed their regular pastor the Oct. following. He found them in a languishing condition. The New Light doctrines and schism had injured them much. The house at Cane Run was much decayed, and needed considerable repairs, or a new one to be built. It was moreover surrounded by farms, and somewhat difficult of access, and no title had been obtained for the site, nor would the proprietor consent to give any. It was also out of the centre of the bulk of the people who usually attended. These and similar reasons suggested the propriety of making Harrodsburgh, the county town, the place of meeting, and changing also the name of the congregation.

The first house which they occupied in Harrods burgh was built by them and others upon the Republi can plan, and was to serve the double purpose of a meeting house and a seminary. Many inconveniences were soon found to be inseparably connected with all the arrangements.

They were, however, all removed

at the end of twelve or eighteen months, when the building was levelled with the ground by a hurricane. The congregation then made a bold and rapid attempt to build a house of worship exclusively for their own use. This they accomplished in 1819 or 20, and they have now a handsome and convenient brick building 70 by 45 feet.

The body of both congregations 'can attend pretty regularly at either house of worship. The ministry is supported by an assessment on the pews. The communicants in the two churches are something more than 200, and have doubled during the last ten years. Their present pastor lives in great harmony with his people

hopes that he is useful in promoting their edification in faith and love, and believes that he shares largely of their confidence and esteem. May they long continue to be blessings to one another, and blessings in the midst of the land. And when they shall be individually called hence, may their children and their children's children rise up and fill their place, so that when our Lord shall come, and all his saints with him, he may find the church of New-Providence not only existing, but flourishing, and the members of it ready to join their fathers and their fathers' fathers, when their sleeping dust shall be awakened-and the whole of the godly of Salt river, of Mercer county, and o New Providence, by whatever name they may have been called, shall be caught up to meet their Lord in the air.

And if there are any of our readers disposed to consider some of the details in the above article as not of much importance, we would require such to review them

again, in view of this last and important event. The building of houses of worship, and the having comfortable houses of worship, are intimately connected with the eternal salvation of many an immortal. And he who builds, or who contributes to the building, of a house of worship, may, when our Lord and Judge shall make his appearance, be found to have performed a more important service to his fellow men, than he who built and adorned Babylon or Ninevah did.

No. 6,

SKETCH OF THE ORIGIN, PROGRESS, AND PRESENT STATE OF THE CHURCHES IN LEXINGTON.

ABOUT the 1st of April, 1779, a block house was built by Colonel Robert Paterson, and a few others, where Lexington now stands. In the autumn of that year, Major John Morrison moved his family from Harrodsburgh. Mrs. Morrison was the first white woman that was in Lexington, and her son, who was afterwards killed at Dudley's defeat in 18 was the first white child that was born there.

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In Nov. 1780, the county of Kentucky was made a district, and divided into three counties,-all north of the Kentucky river being one county, of which Lexing

ton became the county town. In 1782, an Indian was killed not many steps from the spot where one of the churches now stands. A white man was killed by the Indians about the same time in an opposite part of the town. And these were the last deeds of the kind which were done on that soil. The head of the Indian continued on a pole for at least one year after.

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A regular Presbyterian Church was organized at Lexington, under Rev. Adam Rankin, sometime in 1784 or 5. On Mr. Rankin's leaving the Presbyterian body in 17 the house which had been erected for a meeting house, with the lot upon which it stood, being an out lot, were claimed and held by him and his adheHe appears also to have taken along with him the majority of the members of the Church.

rents.

A lot adjoining the public square having, however, been purchased by Colonel Patterson and a few others in behalf of the Presbyterian Church, a frame building was erected upon it, perhaps in 1795. The lower floor of this house was laid, and a pulpit built in it, sometime in 1796; and in 1799 the gallery floor was laid, a cupola raised, and a bell hung.

In 1805 and 6 this lot was sold or leased for the benefit of the society, and contracts entered into for building the present house occupied by the First Presbyterian Congregation. This house was opened and the pews let for the first time in the summer of 1808.

The first regular pastor of the First Church was the Rev. James Welch. He appears to have officiated from sometime in 1795, till Oct. 1804, being a period of nine years. He preached only a part of his time in town,

and was obliged to attend first to teaching, and then to the practice of medicine, for the support of himself and family.

The Rev. Robert M. Cunningham, from Georgia, was their second pastor. He commenced his ministerial labours among them in April or May 1808. He laboured among them faithfully and affectionately, in public and in private, during fourteen years, and had his pastoral connexion with them dissolved by mutual consent, Oct. 11th, 1822. The communicants in 1808 were something under forty; at the time of Mr. Cunningham's removal they were upwards of one hundred. Their present pastor is Rev. Nathan H. Hall, a native Kentuckian,

The first Presbyterian congregation in Lexington was likely the first congregation in Kentucky which made arrangements to secure regular public worship every Sabbath. Mr. Cunningham, during the whole of his ministrations, preached every third Sabbath to a congregation in the country-but the Rev. James Blythe, who had also a country charge, filled that vacant Sabbath as a stated supply. For four years previous to this arrangement, the only regular stated preaching in town was by Mr. Rankin; and he having also a country congregation, and having many calls and engagements to visit vacancies, and being moreover confined to his house generally through the winter, did not preach in town in the course of the year more than every 3d Sabbath. Nor was there any place of worship of any kind nearer than three or four miles. Yet the population of the town was in 1808-white persons, 2100-free blacks, 47-slaves, 986-total, 3133.

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