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

A HISTORY
OF THE
RISE OF METHODISM IN AMERICA
by
John Lednum
CHAPTER 52
The Conference of 1782 began at Ellis' Chapel, in Sussex county, Va., attended by about thirty
preachers. It appears that this was the first Conference that the Rev. Jesse Lee ever attended, who
thus describes the spirit that prevailed among the preachers at it: --
"The union and brotherly love which I saw among the preachers, exceeded everything I had ever
seen before; and caused me to wish that I were worthy to have a place among them. When they took
leave of each other, they embraced each other in their arms, and wept as though they never expected
to meet again. Had the heathen been there, they might have well said, 'See how these Christians love
one another.' At the close of the Conference, Mr. Asbury came to me and asked me, if I was willing
to take a circuit. I told him that I could not well do it; that I was afraid of hurting the cause. Mr.
Asbury called to some preachers that were standing in the yard, saying, 'I am going to enlist Brother
Lee.' One of them asked, 'What bounty do you give?' he answered, 'Grace here, and glory hereafter
will be given, if he is faithful'." Mr. Lee commenced his itinerating career of great interest and
usefulness in the following November, in company with the Rev. Edward Drumgole.
This Conference, which began at Ellis' Chapel in April, adjourned to Baltimore -- where it
finished the Conference business for this year, in the latter end of May.
The following new circuits appear in the Minutes this year: Yadkin, in North Carolina; South
Branch, in Virginia; Lancaster, in Pennsylvania; and Sussex, in Delaware. There were 26 circuits,
supplied by 59 preachers, exclusive of Mr. Asbury.
The effect of the war had caused some decrease in the number of Methodists in North Carolina
and Virginia; but in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, there was a fair increase.
The greatest prosperity had been in Dorchester, Md., where the increase was 500. Here, persecution
was most violent, and here the Lord wrought most powerfully; the hosts of Satan fought hard, but
the Lord's hosts conquered. The increase in the connection was 1246; the whole number of
Methodists was 11,785.
After the Conference ended in Baltimore, Mr. Asbury went as far west as Colonel Barratt's, at the
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Allegheny Mountain. In this journey, he found hard fare. He says, "My poor horse was so weak,
for want of proper food, that he fell down with me twice. This hurt my feelings more than anything
I met with in my journey. The merciful man considereth the life of his beast." He returned through
Maryland and Pennsylvania, into Jersey, where John Tunnell and Joseph Everett were laboring:
while in this state, he went as far as Monmouth county, where Methodism was but two years old,
visiting Upper and Lower Freehold, where that good man, William Tennant, had exercised his
ministry. From here he passed to the Peninsula, and, for the first time, officiated in White's new