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

His wife is under great distress -- a gloom of dejection sits upon her soul; she prays much, and the
enemy takes advantage of her low state. Shortly afterward she obtained the comfort she was seeking;
and it was not long before Mr. Bassett submitted to the reign of Christ. The following is, in
substance, his own account of his conversion to God. At the time of the conversion of his wife and
her sisters, as he was moving in a fashionable circle, he was somewhat perplexed in his mind, on
account of the noisy Methodists. In this state he resolved that as soon as he got through with a cause
that he had to manage in the court at Lewistown, to sell his property, and move to some distant part
of the country to get clear of them. One night while he was at Lewistown, he dreamed that two devils
in black came to his bedside to take him away. He began to tremble and pray. The devils vanished,
and two beautiful angels, clad in white, stood by his bedside. Casting his eyes towards the corner of
the room, he saw an aged, grave looking man, sitting in an armed chair, frowning upon him. A
beautiful child advanced to the aged man, who continued to frown, and fondled around him. On this
his sins were brought to his recollection. It appeared to him that the aged man represented the Father,
justly displeased with his sins. That the little child fondling, represented Christ in intercession. The
angels might represent the Holy Spirit, directing the ministers of the gospel, or his sisters, who were
presenting him in prayer. He awoke, in raptures, and dedicated himself to God. Mrs. Bassett, who
had been earnestly praying for him, dreamed the same night that God had taken her husband into his
favor. When he came home, he joyfully related what the Lord had done for him. She replied: 'I knew
it; for the blessed Lord made it known to me.' "
Mrs. Bassett did not live many years; but while she lived she was a bright example of holiness,
and left the world praising God. Mr. Bassett's second wife, it appears, was a Garnet, a Talbot county
lady; and an ardent Christian. Wesley Chapel, in Dover, was erected in 1784, principally by Mr.
Bassett's means, at which time he had not joined the Methodists; he was united to them soon after
the organization of the Church. It was the expectation of Mr. Asbury that the Lord would make a
preacher of him; and often did he preach many things to the people in his exhortations. He has been
heard in St. George's. Mr. John Wilmer, son of Lambert Wilmer, one of the original Methodists of
Philadelphia, remembers to have seen Mr. Bassett in St. George's, and heard him sing: he says "he
was an excellent singer."
In an exhortation in the old log Bethesda Chapel, on the Manor, where his family worshipped, in
meeting the skeptic's position of doubting and disbelieving whatever he cannot test by his senses,
he wished to know "How a man could believe, by this rule, that he had a back, as he could not see
it, unless he had a neck like a crane or a goose." Quaint as this language was, it was better suited to
the populace than if it had smacked more of metaphysics. Estimating him according to his standing,
influence, and usefulness in the community, we may present him, as important a member as has
belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church.
About the year 1795, he was settled on his large estate on Bohemia Manor. As he was both
wealthy and liberal, his house was a principal resort for Methodist preachers; it was to them, on the
Peninsula, what Mr. Gough's was on the Western Shore of Maryland; he was seldom without some
one of them, and often had a number of them together. When the Rev. Joseph Jewel became
supernumerary, he lived with him as the steward of his house.