A History Of The Rise Of Methodism In America - Media Sabda Org

holds the name of Joseph Everett in veneration. The Rev. John Beard, whose name appeared in the
Minutes of Conference in the last century, was the son of the above named Thomas Beard.
Captain Lewis, also, imparted an item of information to us which was new, concerning Captain
Stanley's defending Mr. Garrettson against the mob in Cambridge.
We may add a short paragraph to the account of the Rev. Joseph Wyatt, which concludes on page
327 [Chapter 50, paragraph 18, beginning: "Mr. Joseph Wyatt..." -- DVM]. Mr. Wyatt had a daughter
married to a Mr. Craig, who lived on Bohemia Manor, in Cecil county, Maryland. It was here, with
his son-in-law, that Mr. Wyatt spent his last days, here he died, and was interred at the Protestant
Episcopal Church, St. Augustine, on the Manor. Some of his descendants by the name of Craig, were
on the Manor not many years since; but none of them were Methodists.
On page 239 [Chapter 35, paragraph 15, beginning: "It was about this time that Mr. James
Sterling..." -- DVM], we haven given some account of Mr. James Sterling: we add the following,
which we received from his son, Budd Sterling. James Sterling had been a merchant in Burlington,
and had accumulated property before the war of 1776 broke out. As he sided with the Colonists, the
English army nearly broke him up. He then bought a farm near Salem, N. J., on which he lived. Here
he raised a militia company in defense of America. It was while he lived here that he first heard Mr.
Abbott preach in Mannington. Mr. Abbott adds, "soon after he was thoroughly awakened and
converted to God." This was, as nearly as we can ascertain, about 1779. Subsequently he returned
to Burlington, where he died. He married a Miss Rebecca Budd, of Burlington county, New Jersey.
On page 371 [Chapter 56, paragraph 8 beginning: "More recently, one of the Methodists in or near
Salem, a brother by the name of Charles Johnson..." -- DVM], there is an account of Charles
Johnson's experience, or as he calls it, "his conversion." The account, as he gave it to us, runs as
follows: -- "He, with several other young men, went to a watch meeting, held by the Methodists, for
purposes of mischief. Under the sermon preached they were all awakened. All, but himself,
continued to attend Methodist preaching, and became religious. He (Johnson) refused, though deeply
convicted, to attend religious meetings. His distress continued to increase until be was nearly sunk
in gloom. One night he seemed to leave this world, which he could still see, looking like a dark spot
full of confusion. In his apparently remote position, from which he could still see his body upon
earth, he found himself, at what he supposed to be the mouth of perdition, which showed much
smoke and sorrow. While here, he saw a woman pass into this dreaded place. It appeared to him that
he was carried soon after to the gate of glory, which was guarded by a most august being: it looked
like a street, widening in the distance, resplendent with light; into which he wished to enter, but was
answered by the guard, not yet. While here, he saw a young man, whom he knew, by the name of
Thomas Shinn, pass into the realm of light. Soon after he seemed to return to earth, and to his body,
when he spoke and said, There will soon be a knock at the door. Soon a rap was heard, when the
messenger requested some of them to go to a neighbors house and assist in laying out Thomas Shinn,
who had just died.
Soon as young Johnson came fully to himself, he looked upon this manifestation to him as his
conversion to God. It became, also, a neighborhood talk. He went to Methodist meeting in Penn's
Neck, and gave his name for membership among the Methodists; after which Mr. Jaquette, came to