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

His next appointment was at Howard's. This was in Still Pond. The congregation was large; and
the word reached many hearts. "I met class, and had a precious time. One woman fell to the floor,
and after a struggle lay still. When she came to, she related that she had dreamed the night before that
she saw 'a plain old man who gave me a clean piece of paper; and I believe it represented a clean
heart; and now I know that God has sanctified me.'
"Next day, at Brother H.'s, I had a crowded house. The Lord attended the word with great power.
The people fell, screamed, and cried aloud for mercy. Here I was as happy as I could live in the body.
Many were awakened; and one big man, who was a sinner, stood amazed; wondering at what his
eyes beheld. In class there was a powerful time: some lost the power of their bodies; and we had a
shout in the Lord's camp.
"Next day I went to my appointment. The rumor of the work caused many to attend. Looking
round, I saw the big man again, he being of an uncommon size. In my application, the Lord opened
the windows of heaven and rained down righteousness. The power of God came in such a manner
that it prevented the meeting of the class. Many shouted praises to God; others cried aloud for mercy;
some were all bathed in tears; while others lay on the floor as dead men. The people shouted with
a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off. Thus the meeting continued for three hours; and the
big man was on his knees praying.
"Next day I preached to a small congregation of hardhearted, stiffnecked, uncircumcised sinners;
and felt but little freedom among them. I met the little class, and impressed holiness on them; but
found them rather dead in religion." Of the three last appointments, one was in Werton, and the other
two may have been in Chestertown and Quaker Neck.
"At my next appointment, I found many hundreds collected on the occasion of a funeral. The
Church minister went through the ceremonies, and then preached a short, easy, smooth, soft sermon,
which amounted to almost nothing. By this time a gust was rising, and the firmament was covered
with blackness; two clouds appeared to come from different quarters and meet over the house, which
caused the people to crowd into the house, upstairs and down, to screen themselves from the storm.
When the minister was done, he asked me if I would say something to the people. I arose, and with
some difficulty got on one of the benches, the house was so crowded; and, almost as soon as I began,
the Lord of heaven began also. The tremendous claps of thunder exceeded anything I had ever heard,
and the streams of lightning flashed through the house; the house shook, and the windows jarred with
the violence thereof. I lost no time, but set before them the coming of Christ in all His awful
splendor, with all the armies of heaven, to judge the world, and to take vengeance on the ungodly.
It may be, cried I, that he will descend in the next clap of thunder! The lightning, thunder, and rain
continued for about one hour, in the most awful manner ever known in that country; during which
time I continued to set before the people the coming of Christ to judge the world, warning and
inviting sinners to flee to Christ. The people screamed, screeched, and fell all through the house,"
while Mr. Abbott continued to exclaim: "My Lord! while you thunder without to the ear, help me
to thunder to the hearts of sinners." "One old sinner made an attempt to go, but soon fell. Some of
the people put him in a carriage, and took him where, as I was informed, he neither ate nor drank for
three days and nights. When the storm was over the meeting ended; many were that day convinced,
and many were converted." In 1795, when Mr. Abbott was spending his last labors on Kent Circuit,