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The whole number of Baptist ministers who have deceased within the last thirteen years, and whose names have found a place in the table of the Review, is 678, being 52 2-13 every year. The average is, however, somewhat greater, because the calculation does not embrace the whole number reported in the last quarter of the present year; we include only those which have come to our knowledge up to the present moment (October 18th). Of the whole number reported, 45 belonged to the state of Maine, to New Hampshire 11, Vermont 15, Massachusetts 45, Rhode Island 6, Connecticut 16, New York 201, New Jersey 10, Pennsylvania 23, Maryland 3, Virginia 53, North Carolina 3, South Carolina 15, Georgia 24, Alabama 19, Mississippi S, Louisiana 4, Tennessee 15, Kentucky 28, Ohio 42, Indiana 11, Illinois 30, Missouri 17, Michigan 9, Texas 3, lowa 3, District of Columbia 1, Mexico 1. Ten were missionaries, 5 residents of Britain, and 3 not stated. The number of those whose age is stated is only 388; and the month of their decease, only in the case of 529.

In this enumeration, some states and territories are entirely omitted; in others, the numbers stated are very small, and in others, as in New York, very large. A mere glance at the above paragraph is sufficient to show that the statements are defective. In the Eastern and Middle States, Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio and Illinois, probably the accounts may not be far from correct. In the other states they are doubtless more imperfect. But from the items furnished, we are unable to eliminate a probable average with any reliable accuracy. Many of those states are at remote points. The population of some of them is comparatively sparse, and the number of ministers fewer in proportion to the population than in the Eastern and Middle States, and in Ohio. The deaths of ministers reported in the Eastern and Middle States is 371,-more than one half of the whole number,-which is obviously too large a proportion. It were greatly to be desired that a series of accurate tables could be forined, embracing the complete statistics of every part of the country. Such information would be valuable to us in various respects. From exact and complete statistical views we might infer the operation of the different modes of ministerial life on longevity, the comparative influence

of a fixed location or of an itinerant service, of an exclusive devotion to the ministry or of the union with it of some manual occupation, of the studious habits demanded by constant labors with a single church, or the more miscellaneous career incident to a clergyman who supplies three or four in connection, and of the effects on ministerial life of protracted religious services which frequently occur in some of the states, as compared with the ordinary Sabbath ministrations, and perhaps a stated lecture or prayer meeting only superadded, such as we find in

others.

From the statements given of the ages of the ministers deceased in the several states, we are able to elicit the following information.

In Maine, of forty-one ministers, one had attained the age of 89, two 88, three 87, two 86, one 84, two 83, one 79, one 78, one 77, two 76, three 74, one 73, one 72, one 71, one 70, one 69, one 58, one 56, one 55, and only 13 were under 50. Their united ages were 2579, giving an

average of 62 37-41 years to each.

In New Hampshire, of nine ministers, only three were under the under the age of 50. Five had exceeded 60; one had reached 77, one 78, and one 80. Their united ages were 507, giving an average to each of 56 1-3 years.

Of twelve in Vermont, only three were under 40, nine had exceeded 50, and one had reached 72, one 76, one 77, and one 84. Their united ages were 700, showing an average of 58 1-3 years to each.

Of thirty-eight in Massachusetts, two were 92 years of age, one 87, one 86, two 81, two 79, one 76, two 75, one 73, one 71, one 70. Five were between 60 and 70, three between 50 and 60. Sixteen were under 50, twelve were under 40, and seven were less than 30. Their united ages were 2123, and the average of each 55 33-38.

In Rhode Island, not one is reported less than 45; one 55; one 67; one 73, and one 80. The average is 64.

In Connecticut, one was 84, one 82, and one 80. Three others had exceeded 70; six were less than 40; four were between 20 and 30. Their united ages were 775, and the average of each 51 2-3.

In New York, two were upwards of 100, three 90 or upwards, ten 80 or upwards, 14 upwards of 70, nine upwards of 60, six upwards of 50. Seventeen were between

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40 and 50, eleven between 30 and 40, ten between 20 and 30. The average age of each was 56 63-82.

In New Jersey, out of seven, one died at the age of 80, one 78, and one 70. One was 41, one 36, one 32, and one 28. Their united ages were 365, and the average 52 1-7 years.

In Pennsylvania, one died at 94, two between 70 and 80, three between 60 and 70, two between 50 and 60, two between 40 and 50, three between 30 and 40, one at 26, and one at 27. The average age of each was 54 4-14 years.

Of thirty-two who died in Virginia, only six were under 40, four between 40 and 50, seven between 50 and 60, four between 60 and 70, six between 70 and 80, two between 80 and 90, one was 90, and one 92. Of those who died under forty, one was 22, one 27, one 28, and two 30. The average age was 57 3-16 years.

Of three who died in North Carolina, all were upwards of 50. Of five in South Carolina, all were fifty or upwards; one had attained the age of 90. The average was, in North Carolina, 57 2-3, and in South Carolina, 67 3-5.

In Georgia, out of fifteen, only two were under forty: five were between 50 and 60, three between 60 and 70, two between 70 and 80, one 83 and one S5. The united ages of all was 889; showing an average of 52 3-5 years to each.

In Alabama, of ten persons who died, not one had reached the age of 70, only two barely exceeded 60; two were just beyond 50; three were 40 or upwards, one 31, one 27, and one 26. Their united ages amounted to 432; giving an average of 43 1-5 years.

In Tennessee, of twelve whose ages were ascertained, the youngest was 36, and the oldest 80. Three were between 40 and 50, two between 50 and 60, three between 60 and 70; two between 70 and 80. The average age was 58 1-2.

In Kentucky, out of thirteen, one was 102, three 80, one 70. Three were under 30, one between 40 and 50, one between 50 and 60, three between 60 and 70. The average was exactly 61.

In Ohio, out of twenty-eight, one was 94, one S8, one 84; five were between 70 and 80, six between 60 and 70,

two between 50 and 60, six between 40 and 50, four between 30 and 40, and one between 20 and 30; average 56 11-14.

In Illinois, out of eighteen, one exceeded 80, two exceeded 70. Of the rest, five were between 60 and 70, two between 50 and 60, three between 40 and 50, four between 30 and 40, and one between 20 and 30. The average age was 53 1-18.

In Indiana, only four ages were given,-82, 73, 68, and 45; giving the high average of 67. The omissions, however, must be so very large that no estimates founded on such an average could be of any value.

Of seven who died in Missouri, two only were under 50, two had exceeded 60, and one was 83. The average was 54 3-7.

Of the five missionaries whose ages are recorded, the oldest, an English missionary, was 69. Of the American missionaries, not one exceeded 34. Their average age is 38;-called at the noontide of life to rest from their labors, and to enter into the joy of their Lord.

The following table exhibits at a glance the number of those who have deceased at different ages.

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Of the whole number of ministers whose ages were stated, 11 died at the ages of 28 and 84 respectively,― the fourth and the twelfth climacterics; 10 at 30, 52, 70, 80 each; 9 at 60, 69 each; 8 at 27, 33, 45, 50, 68,

71, 77 each; 7 at 29, 40, 42, 53, 54, 56, 74, 76, 78 each; 6 at 32, 41, 43, 65, 73, 79, 87 each; 5 at 22, 26, 36, 39, 44, 47, 55, 63, 67, 72, 75, 81, 83 each; 4 at 34, 48, 49, 61, 64, 66, 86, 88, 90 each; 3 at 25, 31, 35, 37, 38, 51, 57, 58, 62, 92 each; 2 at 24, 46, 82, 94 each; and one at 21, 23, 85, 89, 91, 101, 102, 111 each. In the latter number, one appears from each extreme of life,—youth and age,-21 and 111;-an interval of 90 years. The number of those whose ages are stated, who have died within the compass of each period of ten years, is, with the exception of the two last, remarkably similar. They are as follows: between 20 and 30, 43; 30-40, 50; 40-50, 54; 50-60, 53; 60-70, 57; 70-80, 69; 80-90, 49; 90-100, 10; 100-111, 3. Thus the largest number is between 70 and 80,-the period when the vigor of life is cooled, and its strength diminished; when the sheaves of the reaper may be presumed to be gathered, and the toil of life to be nearly ended. Fewer were taken away in the more laborious seasons; in the first, from 20 to 30, the number was less by 26. In the last, 90-111, few were left for death to glean.

The number of those who died at the period of any of the climacterics is 68; viz. 1 at the third; 11 at the fourth; 3 at the fifth; 7 at the sixth; 4 at the seventh; 7 at the eighth; 5 at the ninth; 10 at the tenth; 8 at the eleventh; 11 at the twelfth ; and 1 at the thirteenth. The number of those who died within one year of any of the climacterics is 108; viz. 51 one year before a climacteric, and 57 one year after, as follows: 8 before the fourth; 4 before the fifth; 6 before the sixth; 4 before the seventh ; 5 before the eighth; 3 before the ninth; 9 before the tenth; 7 before the eleventh; 5 before the twelfth; 4 before the thirteenth -5 died one year after the third; 7 after the fourth; 5 after the fifth; 6 after the sixth; 8 after the seventh; 3 after the eighth; 4 after the ninth; 8 after the tenth 7 after the eleventh; 1 after the twelfth; 3 after the thirteenth. Though there were 57 deaths between the ages of 60 and 70,-the period which includes the grand climacteric so called,-and 110 between 50 and 70, yet only 12 died exactly at the critical period, or within one year before or after it.

The month which has proved most fatal is August, and December the least so. The deaths have taken place, so

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