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

appears that it did as to the time of the conversion of General Russell and his lady, which he states
took place in 1788 -- but which Bishops Asbury and Whatcoat, who kept journals, say took place
in 1790 -- and take 1781 as the true date, every circumstance will corroborate; for in the Minutes,
C. B. Pedicord and J. Cromwell stand for West Jersey; and Mr. Mair has no work assigned him in
the Minutes for this year, and was at liberty to "volunteer as a missionary for East Jersey," as Mr.
Ware says he did. Nor was it customary at that day, to let a young man of as much promise as Mr.
Ware was, remain at home three years before he was put in the itinerant harness. Mr. Rodda began
to break Mr. Garrettson into the itinerancy, as soon as he was converted. We, therefore, suppose that
1781 is the correct date of Mr. Ware's conversion, and the time of Mr. Mair's labors in East Jersey,
and the love feast. We have seen many accounts of love feasts; but never met with one that read so
well when transferred to paper, as the one which follows. (See "Life of Thomas Ware," pp. 62-69.)
"Mr. Mair closed his labors among his spiritual children with a quarterly meeting. Great power
attended the word on Saturday; many wept aloud -- some for joy, and some for grief; many, filled
with amazement, fled -- and thus room was made for the preachers to go among the mourners, to
pray with, and exhort them to believe on the Lord Jesus. Early on Sabbath morning, believers and
seekers met in a barn for a love feast. To most of them, this was the first love feast they had been in.
Its nature was explained to them by Mr. Mair; and Mr. James Sterling, of Burlington, led off in
speaking his experience. After him, Mr. Egbert, one of the new converts, arose and said: 'I was
standing in my door, and saw a man well mounted on horseback, and as he drew near I had thoughts
of hailing him to inquire the news; but he forestalled me by turning into my yard and saying to me
-- "Pray, sir, can you tell me the way to heaven?" "The way to heaven, sir! we all hope to get to
heaven, and there are many ways that men take." "Ah! but," said the stranger, "I want to know the
best way." "Alight, sir, if you please; I should like to hear you talk about the way you deem the best.
When I was a boy I used to hear my mother talk about the way to heaven, and I am impressed that
you must know the way." He did alight, and I was soon convinced that the judgment I had formed
of the stranger was correct. My doors were opened, and my neighbors were invited to come and see
and hear a man who could and would tell us the best way to heaven. And, it was not long before
myself, my wife, and several of my family, together with many of my neighbors, were well assured
we were in the way; for we had peace with God, with one another, and did frequently pray for the
peace and salvation of all men. Tell me, friends, is not this the way to heaven? It is true, many of us
were for a time greatly alarmed and troubled. We communed together, and said, It is a doubtful case
if God will have mercy on us, and forgive us our sins; and if He does, it must be after we have passed
through long and deep repentance. But our missionary, to whom we jointly made known our
unbelieving fears, said to us, "Cheer up, my friends, ye are not far from the kingdom of God. Can
any of you be a greater sinner than Saul of Tarsus? and how long did it take him to repent? Three
days were all. The Philippian jailor, too, in the same hour in which he was convicted, was baptized,
rejoicing in God, with all his house. Come, let us have faith in God; come, let us go down upon our
knees, and claim the merit of Christ's death for the remission of our sins, and God will forgive. Look
to yourselves, God is here!" Instantly, one who was I thought the greatest sinner in the house, except
myself, fell to the floor as one dead -- and we thought he was dead; but he was not literally dead, for
there he sits with as significant a smile as any one present. Here, the youth of whom he spoke,
uttered the word glory, with a look, and tone of voice that ran through the audience like an electric
shock, and for a time interrupted the speaker; but he resumed by saying, "The preacher bid us not
be alarmed -- we must all die to live." Instantly I caught him in my arms, and exclaimed, The guilt