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

Mr. Whitefield had often felt his soul so much comforted in preaching in the Presbyterian
meeting-house, in Newburyport, that he told his friends long before his death, that if he died in that
part of the world, he wished to be buried under the pulpit of that house. The people who remembered
his former request, had it now in their power to grant it; and they prepared a vault in the ground,
under the pulpit, where they laid his body. I myself went into the vault to see the body after it had
lain there twenty years; and was much surprised to find the greater part of it firm, and hard: a small
part of it only had putrefied.
Mr. Whitefield had separated from the Wesleys in 1741, but always retained a particular love for
them, and requested that John Wesley should preach his funeral sermon. As soon as Mr. Wesley
received the news of Mr. Whitefield's death, being desired by Mr. Whitefield's executors, he
performed that labor of love, on Sunday Nov. 18, at the Tabernacle: his text was Numb. 23, 10. "Let
me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his."
Mr. Whitefield died in the fifty-sixth year of his age. He had crossed the Atlantic 13 times in order
to preach the gospel which was more than any other minister had done before him.
Mr. Whitefield's labors as an Itinerant preacher had been greatly blessed to the people in America;
and thereby the way was opened for our preachers to travel and preach the gospel in different parts
of the country. And in most places where the people were lively in religion, they were fond of having
Itinerant preachers to visit them.
1771. -- Mr. Francis Asbury, and Mr. Richard Wright, were sent by Mr. Wesley, to America and
they landed at Philadelphia on the 27th day of October, after a passage of fifty-five days. Mr. Asbury
had been a traveling preacher four years, and Mr. Wright one year, previous to their coming over.
They soon began to extend their labors farther into the country, and did not spend their time in
the cities as the other preachers had done. Mr. Asbury spent most of his time among the people in
the country, and formed societies in different places. He preached his first sermon in New York Nov.
13. He then went into the country, and on the 24th day of the same month he went for the first time
to West Chester and preached, then at West Farmes, East Chester, New Rochelle, Rye and Mairnock.
He soon found that their labors were more visibly owned of God in the country, than in the cities.
In the latter part of this year, some of the preachers visited Delaware and Maryland states, and
preached sometimes on the Western shore, and sometimes on the Eastern shore of Maryland.
The first Methodists that came to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, were two private Christian men
belonging to Mr. Strawbridge's society, who came over to John Randal's in Kent county, and talked
to the family, and prayed with them: by which means there were some religious impressions made
on the minds of some of the family. From that time the preachers were desired to come over and help
them. Mr. Strawbridge came himself, and preached with them: sometime afterwards, old Robert
Williams made them a visit, and preached among them a few times, and in Dec. following, which
was on the 12th day, in 1772, Mr. Asbury preached in Kent county for the first time. From that time
those people have been much favored with preaching by the Methodists; and that county has ever
since been famous for a number of solid, steady Methodists.