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

planted Methodism in that far-off country, put it to going, and when in after years he returned for a
season he saw the fruits of his labor. We must pass over many events in the life of Mr. Lee, and
come to deal with him in a new and entirely different relation.
On September 12, 1797, Bishop Asbury, who was then a very sick man, wrote him to hold the
Annual Conference that was to meet at Wilbraham and to make the appointments. "The burden lieth
on thee," wrote the bishop. "Act with a wise and tender hand; specially on the stations. I hope it will
force the connection [his poor health] to do something and turn their attention for one to assist or
substitute me. I cannot express the distress I have had in all my afflictions for the state of the
connection. We say the Lord will provide. True, but we must look out for men and means. The Lord
could have provided without such a poor, worthless creature as I am crossing the Atlantic. You and
every man that thinks properly, will find it will never do to divide the North from the South.
Methodism is Union all over; Union in exchange of preachers; Union and exchange of sentiment;
Union and exchange of interests; we must draw resources from center to circumference."
There must have been at this time, growing out of the O'Kelly schism, some talk of dividing the
Church on sectional lines. The bishop was, as indicated in the letter, in great distress, both in mind
and body. Again, in the same letter, he says to Mr. Lee "Your brethren in Virginia wish you to come
forth. I think the most general and impartial election may take place in the yearly Conferences; every
one may vote; and in General Conference, perhaps, one-fifth or one-sixth part would be absent. I
wish you to come, and keep as close to me and my direction as you can. I wish you to go, after the
Conference soon to meet in New York, to Georgia, Holston, and Kentucky, and perhaps come to
Baltimore in June, if the ordination should take place, and so come on to Eastern Conference."
Bishop Asbury expected the Annual Conferences to elect as many as three men to assist him, and
he named them-Richard Whatcoat, Francis Poythress, and Jesse Lee -- but the Conferences did not
think it in keeping with the provisions of the discipline and rejected the proposal.
Mr. Lee carried out the instructions of the bishop, held the Conference at Wilbraham, and went
on to meet Mr. Asbury, which he did at New Rochelle. He found the bishop improved in health, and
they together went on through New York to Duck Creek Cross Roads, where the Conference began
on October 10. At this Conference "the Lord owned the work of his servants, and made his work the
instrument of effecting the work of conviction, conversion, and sanctification." It was unanimously
agreed at this Conference that Mr. Lee should travel with Bishop Asbury. The state of the work and
the health of the bishop made this necessary. From Duck Creek they hastened on to Baltimore for
Conference on the 21st, and from thence to Virginia, passing Dr. Coke on the way, riding a small
horse with a boy behind him. They passed on to Lane's Chapel, in Sussex County, where the
Conference met, leaving Dr. Coke, with his small pony and boy, to follow on. The Conference at
Lane's Chapel voted that Bishop Asbury should not preach again until April, and that Mr. Lee should
fill his appointments. Dr. Coke wished to return to England, and the Conference voted that he might
do so. The first Conference to be held by Jesse Lee, after what had taken place at Lane's Chapel, was
at Charleston, S. C., nearly five hundred miles away. He had less than thirty days to make the trip,
with twenty-five appointments to fill on the way, yet he arrived on time and was ready for the
Conference on January 1, 1798.