JOHN T. JOHNSON.

      John T. Johnson was born November 5, 1788, at the Great Crossings, in Scott county, Kentucky. He was the son of Robert Johnson and Jemima Suggett. His parents were born in Virginia and of Welch descent. His father was a man of high character, intelligent and patriotic, and was often engaged in the fierce conflicts waged by the Indians against the early settlers of the State. He was frequently honored with the highest positions in the government. He was a member of the Baptist church, a zealous Christian, and commanded much influence. The principles of honor, virtue and patriotism of the father were inculcated in the minds of his children, as was afterward shown in their lives.

      John T. Johnson, reared amidst the dangers and privations incident to pioneer life, had much influence in molding the character--the man of high courage, firm in conviction. He received the best education the country afforded. He spent two years at Transylvania University, where he received the highest commendation from the heads of departments as a faithful, upright and efficient student. He studied law with his brother, R. M. Johnson, who was prominent and distinguished as a politician and lawyer. He obtained his license from the Court of Appeals, which was presided over by Edwards, Grundy and Rowan.

      At the age of twenty-three he married Sophia Lewis, the daughter of Judge Lewis, a prominent citizen of Lexington. After his marriage he settled on a farm of one hundred and fifty acres on South Elkhorn, where, with his brother Joel, he engaged in the milling business for several years, with much success. In 1813 he was honored with a place of volunteer aide on the staff of Gen'l. W. W. Wainson, at Fort Meigs. There he met active service and was engaged in a sanguinary battle with Canadians and Indians; his horse was killed under him and he was badly wounded.

      Owing to ill health he returned home after an absence of nine months. In 1814 he began the practice of law, and was directly chosen to represent his county (Kentucky being then only a county of Virginia). He was re-elected for several terms. For six years he pursued a most prosperous and successful business career, increasing his small estate of one hundred and fifty acres to five hundred. The [428] sun of prosperity was not to continue to shine upon him.

      In 1818, at the return of peace and restoration of specie payment, there was a great decline in the nominal value of commodities, followed by a general bankruptcy. In Kentucky the disaster was overwhelming. Unwise and inexperienced legislation had chartered forty independent banks, causing reckless speculation and financial ruin. In this terrible crisis he lost his handsome fortune of fifty thousand dollars in paying the debts of his friends for whom he had become surety. In this he realized the truth of the saying of the wise man, "He that is surety for his friend shall smart."

      In his own language he says: "In the great convulsion of 1818 and 1819 I became security for my friends and voluntarily gave up all I had to relieve me of these debts, but I never felt happier than when the burden was lifted, although it cost me fifty thousand dollars of fine real estate." With a courage born of early struggles--never disheartened--he cheerfully resumed his business career, and the following year, 1820, was elected to Congress and re-elected in 1822. During his Congressional terms important questions involving the highest interests of the Commonwealth were before the people, in which were engaged the first lawyers of the land, John Rowan, W. T. Barry, S. P. Sharp, J. T. Bibb and John T. Johnson. About this time the old Court of Appeals was abolished and a new one organized, and he was appointed one of the Judges and served one year on the bench. At the height of a successful business career, much to the regret of his friends, he retired to private life. He says: "A sacred regard for domestic life moved me to take this course I had so long desired." It seemed God's invisible hand was gradually leading him to a different field of labor.

      His early training was such as to render him susceptible to religious impressions. At an early age, during a noted revival among the Baptists, he was much impressed with the importance of becoming a Christian. Having imbibed the traditional belief that God's special agency must do the work of conversion, the good impression was lost, and he became indifferent, and not until the age of thirty-three was he again impressed with a desire to become a Christian, when he united with the Baptist church at the Great Crossings, where his fathers had worshiped. This occurred before he was elected to Congress. He says: "Oh! it was a glorious thing for me, that I had become a Christian; it preserved me from temptation and kept me pure. My wife and children were all in all to me."

      In 1823 the Restoration began to develop through the Christian Baptist. He says: "At this time I was too much engaged in politics to give it any consideration. Six years later the public mind was much excited over what was, by way of contempt, called Campbellism. I commanded the time and determined to examine it in the light of the Bible. I was convinced, won over and contended with all my might in the private circle. My eyes were opened and a new interest awakened in Christianity. I felt I owed to that man of God, A. Campbell, a debt of gratitude no language can express."

      About this time he began to preach the gospel. The church at the Great Crossings, of which he was a member, was composed of his relatives, a large family connection and his intimate friends. He believed this was the proper place to begin to instruct, enlighten and reform the church. When he had expounded the principles of the Restoration, and had put the church to the test--to receive members simply on the good confession and immersion--he was treated with scorn. This was a crisis in his life. He was about to cut himself off from the fathers of the church, whom he had reverenced, and from most of his relations. He was then in the prime of his manhood--forty-two years of age. His person was erect and firmly formed, and there was a peculiar dignity and stateliness in his mein. He was a man of indomitable courage, cool and collected under the most trying circumstances. An eye-witness on this occasion said: "On the day he walked out of the church he moved with a more than usually firm, elastic and stately step. His image is indelibly impressed upon my soul."

      In a short time (February, 1831,) he says: "With B. S. Chambers, W. Johnson and myself formed a congregation of God at the Great Crossings. I resolved to build on the Bible alone as containing the infallible rule of faith and practice, and from this time onward I endeavored to redeem the time and the solemn pledges I had made in behalf of the good cause." His devotion, zeal and self-sacrifice show how faithfully these pledges were redeemed. His eye single for the glory of God [429] and the redemption of the world through Christ, marks a ministerial career almost unparalleled.

      He belonged to a family of high social position and famous in the country's annals. He was in the midst of a successful professional and political career, but his soul had been fired with an ardent love and zeal for the glory of God, and all earthly honors paled before the plaudits of "well done good and faithful servant." Living in the same county with Barton W. Stone, who was then editing the Christian Messenger, he became co-editor, and retained this position three years, when Elder Stone moved to Illinois.

      The year 1833 was an eventful period in the history of the Restoration. It was the union of the followers of Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone. Elder Johnson says: "I was among the first, in co-operation with B. W. Stone, to suggest and bring about a union between the Church of Christ and that large body of Baptists which had renounced all humanisms in religion." The principles of the Restoration had so forcibly impressed him, he believed, when proclaimed and understood by the Christian world, creeds would be abolished and the union of Christians accomplished.

      His interest in the Baptist church (his first love), lay nearest his heart, and it was his cherished wish to see them declare for a union of Christians. The union of Christians was the theme ever paramount with him. He reasoned well, that he who does most to unite the followers of Jesus does most for the conversion of the world. From the time he entered into the union of the Christian churches and the evangelical field, his subsequent life was one of incessant labor with tongue and pen. He was in every good work to advance the cause. He was one of the founders of Bacon College, and gave his time and money; was one of its curators and its most efficient financial agent; was its faithful friend from its beginning to the close of his life. He was the moving spirit in originating and raising funds for the education of young men for the ministry. He was a most devoted friend and worker for the Midway Orphan School, and gave his influence and aid in behalf of the financial interest of Bethany College. There was no educational or benevolent enterprise he did not lead.

      In 1849 he lost his devoted wife. Their union of thirty-nine years had been one of uninterrupted happiness. A woman of fine sense, a devoted Christian, she was his counselor and guide in every venture. This bereavement weighed heavily upon him. He says: "She had made a heaven on earth for me." Six children were born to them, four daughters and two sons. He was singularly devoted to them, most tender and careful of their well-being.

      He was a man of the most sublime faith. If his labors bore no immediate visible results he was never discouraged. He believed the good seed had been sown and would bear fruit, and he often said he left the truth tingling in their ears and it would prevail. It is not invidious to say that of all the pioneers of the Restoration, that John T. Johnson was the most devoted, zealous, self-sacrificing of all, and he could well say, like Paul, to his fellow apostles, that he had labored more abundantly than they all. There were few states in the Union in which he did not plant the principles of the Restoration, and many of the most flourishing Churches of Christ in the large cities to-day are the fruits of his labors. The life and letters of John T. Johnson is an inspiration to every Christian.

      Elder John T. Johnson was a man of marked individuality. He was apparently a delicate man, slight in form. His bearing was gentle, refined and dignified. His address was pleasing, his enunciation clear and distinct, and he spoke rapidly. He was calm, self-possessed, and his deep, earnest manner of tone, gesture and expression of countenance aroused the human soul to action, and the audience was ever en rapport with the speaker.

      During a most eventful ministry of seventeen years, he had seen the most triumphant success and marvelous growth of the Church of Christ--he had seen the fruition of his labors, and realized his most sanguine hopes.

      His co-laborers were men distinguished for zeal, piety and talents. They were Walter Scott, John Smith, Samuel and John Rogers, John A. Gano, R. C. Rice, Benjamin Franklin, James Challen and L. L. Pinkerton, and others equally worthy.

      Preceding his departure for Missouri in 1857, his last fatal visit, his last meeting in Kentucky, was held in the city of Covington. I had known him from boyhood, as he was often my father's guest, as he was my guest during this meeting. It was a short time after I had entered the ministry, and if I had been troubled with doubts as to my future ministry, his presence, his conversations and his preaching were such as to dispel all doubts, and inspired me with his own heroic spirit. He was then sixty-nine years of age. His preaching was never more effective than on this farewell visit. At the close of one of his sermons a member approached him and said: "Bro. Johnson, you have made me feel it is a great honor to be a Christian." This was a universal effect of his preaching. Two months later a great sorrow overshadowed us in the death of this godly man.

[COC 428-430]