(Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We h...)
Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.
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Robert was born in April 1784 in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. He was the son of William Donnell and Mary Bell, Scotch-Irish Presbyterians.
In his childhood his parents moved to Tennessee, where his father died when Robert was fourteen.
The boy’s education wrent little beyond reading the Bible and religious books under his mother’s teaching.
Donnell was a popular youth, known for height and strength, feats of hunting and rail-splitting, and expertness with tools.
At a camp-meeting in the Cumberland revival his religious life was deepened, and in 1801 he determined to preach.
Unable to leave farming for the sake of education, he began to hold prayer-meetings and to “exhort. ”
Under the direction of the “Council” formed in 1805 by the workers in the revival, he rode in circuit over a large territory between the Ohio and the Cumberland rivers, and later did pioneer preaching in northern Alabama.
From the independent Cumberland Presbytery, organized in 1810 in succession to the Council, he received ordination in 1813.
Meanwhile he was always traveling and preaching, much sought after and greatly influential ; and also ahvays studying.
Moving to Alabama, he soon had a cotton-farm near Athens, his home for most of his life.
From his home Donnell constantly Tent out to preach, sometimes being absent for months, working in Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
During nearly fifty years he attended, on an average, a campmeeting every month, and at each preached once or twice a day, in many cases oftener.
He planted many churches, especially in northern Alabama. He gave particular attention to the establishment of congregations and the erection of buildings in towns, among them Nashville and Memphis.
Contemporary testimony as to the extraordinary power of his preaching, from all sorts of people, is convincing.
He had an imposing presence and a great, expressive voice. By vivid imagery, emotional appeal, and singing added to speech, he often produced tears and shouting. Yet he did much expounding of the Cumberland theology, and was specially remembered for persuasive reasoning. He left always a deep impression of religious reality.
The last six years of his life he spent in Athens, Alabama.
(Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We h...)
In 1818 Donnell married Ann, daughter of Colonel James W. Smith, who brought him considerable property.
In 1832 he was married a second time, to Clarissa, daughter of Reverend Jacob Lindley.
