A Short History Of The Methodists... - Media Sabda Org

well received, and much approved of by the people. After about seven days illness, he slept in peace
on the 27th of April, 1794.
At the close of the Annual Minutes, there was published, a recommendation for a Fast-day, to be
held on the last Friday in February, 1795, by all our united societies.
It was also recommended, that a day of Thanksgiving should be held on the last Thursday in
October, 1795. It was requested, that all worldly concerns should be laid aside on those days, that
they might be kept with all the solemnity of a Sabbath.
This was a year of great trouble and distress among the Methodists in the southern states, partly
owing to the divisions that had taken place, as mentioned in the foregoing chapter, and partly to an
uneasy and restless that prevailed in many places, both among our local preachers and private
members. Some of them contended that the local preachers ought to have a seat and a vote in all our
conferences; and others said, there ought to be a delegation of lay members.
We supposed, that where there was a taxation, there ought to be representation; but we did not
tax any one. We only regulated our own business, and fixed on certain plans for governing the
church, and for taking care of those persons who had put themselves under our care, and were still
willing to be governed by us.
Notwithstanding the difficulties and troubles that our society met with in many of the old circuits,
where there was a declension among them, we were greatly favoured of the Lord in different parts
of the New England states; and many souls were awakened and brought to God by our ministry. The
way was also opened for us to preach in many places where we had not been before.
The two new circuits which we took in above Boston this year, called Orange and Fitchburg, were
places where there was very little stir of religion among any denomination. The people were willing
to hear us, and in general we had large congregations. After we had been preaching among them a
few months, we began to see some fruit of our labours, and souls were happily converted to God.
It will be necessary here to take notice of the introduction of Methodism into the Province of
Maine, and of our success in that unimproved part of the country: for our greatest success at first was
in places where the people were but thinly settled, and could but seldom hear a sermon of any kind.
Where there were ministers regularly settled, the people were not so fond of hearing us as they were
in other places; but at that time there were very few settled ministers in the Province of Maine,
except in the old settled parts of the country near the sea-shore.
At the conference in Lynn, which was held on the first of August, 1793, I was myself appointed
to the Province of Maine, to travel through that country, or form a circuit where I thought best. As
there had never been any Methodist preaching there, we had no one to give us a particular account
of the place or people; but it was commonly understood that they were in want of preaching, and that
our manner of traveling and preaching would be very suitable for that part of the country.