Unknown County GaArchives Biographies.....Milner, John 1775 - 1841
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 February 3, 2005, 10:41 am

Author: J. H. Campbell

JOHN MILNER, JR.

  To write the biography of one who was more highly valued in all the relations
of life by those who knew him best, or whose death was more lamented by a
numerous circle of friends and acquaintances, rarely falls to the lot of man.
The writer exceedingly regrets that this worthy man has left so few materials in
writing to aid in making out this sketch of his life and labors.

  He was born October 17th, 1775. His father was a licensed preacher of the
Baptist denomination, his mother a member of the same church, and a most godly
woman. Old Mr. Milner, who was a staunch whig in the revolution, suffered much
from his tory neighbors. On one occasion, while his wife was absent in the
neighborhood, two of them came into his field, took two of his best horses from
the plough, gathered together all his negroes and drove them off before his
face, threatening to shoot him down if he spoke a word. They had not proceeded
far when they met Mrs. Milner returning home. The negroes cried out in great
distress, "Oh, mistress, de tories takin' us all off. Oh, mistress, what shall
we do?" She answered, "Why, go back, every one of you. You shall not go off a
step. Go right back home." "Oh, mistress, dey'll kill us." "No, they shan't kill
you. Go back." The tories hung down their heads, while the negroes turned back
with their mistress. His sons, John and Pitt, once set off to market with a
loaded wagon, very early one morning, without having waited for family prayer.
They had not gone far before their well trained team stalled, and they had to
return home for help. The father used the circumstance to impress their minds
with the importance of punctuality to our religious duties, especially family
prayer. And he was so successful that they seemed never to have forgotten it.
The subject of this notice took up the cross and prayed in his family long
before he joined the church.

  His education was limited to the ordinary branches of English. He was not one
who could boast that he had finished his education. He believed, on the
contrary, that a minister of the gospel should never feel that his education is
completed, but should continue through life to "study to show himself approved
unto God." Woe to that minister, and to the people of his charge, who feels that
he has no longer any occasion for improvement!

  On the 24th of December, 1795, he was married to Miss Eunice Callaway. Some
years after their marriage, his wife became anxiously concerned about the state
of her soul. Though he made no pretentions to religion at that time, yet he
kindly invited Rev. Jesse Mercer to visit and converse with his wife. Mr. Mercer
complied, and soon after he had the happiness to baptize Mrs. Callaway upon a
profession of her faith in Christ. Several years intervened before Mr. Milner
himself became interested about the great salvation. In a distressed state of
mind, he went some distance to hear Mr. Mercer preach. Under the sermon he found
no relief. His trouble was greatly increased. He followed the preacher to his
horse, filled with awful sensations. In deep agony he grasped Mr. Mercer's hand,
saying, "What shall I do? I am lost! I am lost! "Mr. Mercer calmly replied, " I
was once at the house of a man, (alluding to his visit to Mrs. Milner,) whose
wife was in awful distress, and when I tried to comfort her, her husband
remarked, if he were in her place, he would believe in Christ. Now, I reckon the
best way will be to go and believe in Christ." And so he left the poor man in
deep waters. After a sore conflict, God was pleased to reveal his Son in him,
while reading the following lines of Dr. Young:

    "The ransom was paid down; the fund of heaven,
     Heaven's inexaustible, exhausted fund,
     Amazing and amazed, poured forth the price,
     All price beyond—
     And was the ransom paid? It was, and paid
    (What can exalt the bounty more?) for you!

  He was baptized by Mr. Mercer at Sardis church, Wilkes county, February 22d,
1812. He was first appointed clerk of the church, then deacon, then exhorter. In
these capacities did he serve several years before his ordination, which took
place after his removal to Jones county, say in 1825. The presbytery consisted
of Malachi Reeves, Benjamin Milner and Iveson L. Brookes. His labors were not
confined to his own immediate vicinity, but were extended into remote regions.
His preaching was well received wherever he went. On one of his preaching tours
he fell in with a gentleman (as he believed, providentially,) from whom he
purchased the tract of land upon which Barnesville, in Pike county, now stands.
His oldest son made a settlement upon it, in visiting whom, from time to time,
Mr. Milner found a few sheep scattered about in the wilderness, the country
being then quite new. These he gathered into the church now known as Sardis, at
Barnesville. This little band at first consisted of less than a dozen members.
At the period of Mr. Milner's death, 1841, it had increased to near one hundred
and twenty members. It was in 1827 that he left Jones county and settled near
this church. Here again his zeal impelled him to press into the surrounding
neighborhood, holding forth the lamp of life. Other churches were soon gathered,
to which he ministered. As his bodily strength declined, his sphere of
usefulness continued to enlarge. And as his end drew near his way was "as the
path of the just, which shineth more and move unto the perfect day." No service
was too arduous, no sacrifice too great, "so that he might finish his course
with joy, and the ministry he had received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the
gospel of the grace of God." If such examples do not rouse us preachers of these
days to a full sense of our responsibilities, it is feared we may be given over
to blindness of mind and obduracy of heart. Oh, let us be followers of those
who, through faith and patience, have inherited the promises.

  While Mr. Milner exerted a good influence in public, his social and private
influence was still better. He was often heard to affirm, but not boastingly but
with gratitude to God, that he had never sworn a profane oath, nor gambled to
any amount, nor purchased a half pint of spirituous liquors. Such high toned
morality is believed to be rarely found in the youth of this age of boasted
improvement. He obeyed the injunction, "Husbands, love your wives." A more
affectionate and attentive husband perhaps never lived. As a father, his
examples, his counsels, and his prayers seem to have had a most happy effect
upon his children, most of them being pious, and all of them persons of moral
worth.

  Mr. Milner lived to a good old age, having died in his sixty-sixth year,
January 21, 1841. For twenty years he had been a faithful laborer in his
Master's vineyard. On the Sabbath preceding his decease he attended divine
service at Sardis church and preached from Acts xiii. 38, 89. He had a slight
attack (an affection of the heart,) on that day. On Monday evening it was
renewed with such violence as to baffle all medical skill, and continued till
Wednesday evening following, when death came to his relief. To a daughter he
said, "I shall die, but I am not afraid of death." To his children he said, "Oh,
my children, I have taught you in the way. I have kept the faith of the gospel."

  His burial was attended by a large and weeping assembly, and the church
convened and expressed by resolution the estimation in which they held their
late pastor. The limits of this work prevent us from enlarging this notice.


Additional Comments:
From:

GEORGIA BAPTISTS: HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL
BY
J. H. CAMPBELL,
PERRY, GEORGIA.


MACON, GA.: J. W. BURKE & COMPANY. 1874.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by
J. H. CAMPBELL,
In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.


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