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

as a circuit, or a stationed preacher, or as a presiding elder, he was generally approved of, and was
rendered a blessing to the people to whom he preached. A few months before he died, when he was
so low that he could not speak louder than his breath, he said to me with great solemnity. "I have
given up the world; I have given up the church; I have given up all." He had frequently discharged
blood from his lungs; and he closed his life while the blood was pouring out of his mouth. "Mark
the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace." In the death of Wilson Lee
the church has lost a faithful friend, and the preachers have lost a pattern of piety.
5. John Durbin was born in Frederick county, in Maryland, 1778. He began to travel in 1803, and
died on the 25th of February 1805. He was only remaining on trial when he died, and was never
admitted into full connection; yet he had his character given in the annual minutes.
6. Daniel Ryan was a native of Philadelphia, born in 1774. He was admitted on trial in 1800, and
died on the 3d of February 1805, having traveled almost five years. He was much respected where
he traveled, and was looked upon as a good man, and a useful preacher. He appeared to be quite
happy and resigned in his last illness.
This year we added 6811 members to our society, and the work of the Lord greatly prospered in
most parts of our connection.
When we took the number of our traveling elders this year, we found that we had, according to
the minutes, 212; the youngest of them had traveled four years, and several of them had traveled
above twenty.
The Methodists have increased more of late years in the United States, than formerly. We have
more preachers, more circuits, more members, and (I may say) more religion, than we ever had at
any one time before.
The first CAMP-MEETING that was ever held on the Eastern Shore, began on the 25th of July
this year, in a beautiful place in the woods about three miles south of Duck-Creek Cross-Roads, in
Delaware state, which continued the four following days. Thousands of people attended that meeting,
and I suppose two hundred persons were converted among the white people, and many of the blacks
became the subjects of the same work. I think it exceeded anything that I ever saw, for the
conversion of souls and for the quickening influence of the Holy Ghost upon the hearts of believers.
I took an account of sixty-eight Methodist preachers who were at that meeting. While some preached
and others exhorted, the rest had their work to do in praying and in talking to the people. The work
went on beautifully and powerfully. It was said, that the noise occasioned by the cries of the
distressed and the shouts of the saints, was heard at the distance of three miles. Surely the Lord was
in that place. From that meeting the work of the Lord spread greatly on the Eastern Shore, both in
Maryland and Delaware states; and hundreds were converted and added to the society in the course
of a few months after that meeting.
The work of the Lord was very great in many places in the latter part of the summer, and religion
prospered greatly. Our camp-meetings and quarterly meetings in different places, were greatly
honoured with the presence of God, in the justification of precious souls. Many old christians were