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

enewed in love, and many backsliders were reclaimed. It was quite common to hear of ten or twenty
souls being converted at a common meeting, where the people met to hear a sermon, or to hold a
prayer meeting. And it was quite common to hear of fifty or a hundred souls being converted at a
quarterly-meeting or a camp-meeting. While sinners were coming home to God, Christians were
advancing in the divine life, and the preachers were greatly animated and blessed in their souls and
in their labours. And many young preachers were raised up to the help of the Lord against the
mighty.
This revival of religion was not confined to the Methodists alone, but other denominations were
highly favoured of the Lord. However, my business is to speak particularly of the Methodists, and
to point out some of the many things which the Lord hath done for them.
In 1806 our conferences were as follows:
The 198th conference was held in Scott county, Kentucky, on the 2d of October 1805.
The 199th, in Camden, on the 30th of December 1805.
The 200th, in Norfolk, on the 14th of February 1806.
The 201st, in Baltimore, on the 14th of March.
The 202d, in Philadelphia, on the 14th of April.
The 203d, in New York, on the 16th of May.
The 204th, at Canaan, in New Hampshire state, on the 12th of June.
This year we took in the following circuits: At the Natchees, and in the Louisiana country, we
took in Wilkinson, Claiborne and Appelousa; in South Carolina conference, Montgomery and
Milledgeville; the latter place is the metropolis of Georgia. In Baltimore conference, Fell's-point
circuit, Monongahela, Lycoming, and Staunton; in Philadelphia conference, Lyonstown; in New
England conference, New Bedford, Northfield, and Centreharbour; and in the Province of Maine,
Durham and Vasselborough; and Penobscott being divided, one part was called Orrington, and the
other Hampden. We also took in St. Lawrence, in Canada.
At these conferences we admitted upon trial upwards of 80 young preachers; and lost out of the
traveling connection 52 old preachers: 48 of them located, 1 died, 2 withdrew from our connection,
and one was expelled.
Benjamin Iliff died. He was a native of Bucks county, Pennsylvania. He began to travel in 1801,
and died on the 29th of May, 1805. He was ordained an elder at the conference held in Chester town,
in 1805, and his family being sick, he obtained liberty to leave the conference before it rose. On his
way home he was taken ill, and in a few days after he came home he died. He was considered as an
uniform good man, and an acceptable preacher. He was happy in his last sickness, and had a desire