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

to the cook; she loves to hear the Bible read!" Her father rejoined, "Rhoda, I fear that you will ruin
my servants and humble your family, and bring yourself to nothing." She replied, "Father, if I had
danced I should have sinned against God and my conscience. I want to go to heaven when I die, and
I cannot go there in my sins." Her father's countenance fell -- he rested his head on his hand,
supported by his elbow, while the tear rolled down his cheek. The next preaching day, according to
her custom, she asked permission to attend, to which he assented, and also went with her. Mr.
Garrettson preached, whereupon Mr. Laws offered the use of his house, which was large, provided
the Methodists would preach in it on Sundays at an hour that would not conflict with service in his
church, to which Mr. Garrettson assented; and Mr. Laws' became a Sabbath appointment on
Somerset Circuit. Soon the father and mother became Methodists; and her brother Elijah, who was
panic-struck when he heard of what he supposed was her ruin, if not the ruin of the whole family,
was "also among the prophets;" and was made class leader over his father, mother, and his sister
Rhoda.
The above account we had not from Rhoda, the young convert of twelve years old; but from
Rhoda, the Christian of sixty-eight years experience in the service of her Redeemer, in the M. E.
Church. In 1850 she triumphed over death, in her eightieth year; and while her soul was carried by
angels to Abraham's bosom, her body was borne to its resting place in Southwark.
Rhoda Laws was first married to a Brother Vincent, of the Line Chapel. They lived near Laurel,
in Delaware, and entertained the preachers for many years in their house. Her daughter, by this
marriage, was the wife of the Rev. Jeremiah Jeffries, of the Philadelphia Conference. Her second
husband was a Mr. Beckworth, near Milford, Del.; and her third husband was a Mr. Evans, of
Delaware.
Mr. Garrettson, while laboring on Somerset Circuit, preached at the funeral of Prudence Hudson
who was awakened and converted under his ministry in 1779. "She followed the preaching day and
night. Go where I would, if within eight or ten miles, she was there; and she generally walked. I
frequently met her in class, where she expressed a desire of loving God supremely. She lived so as
not to grieve her brethren, or wound the cause of God. She married a pious young man after which
she soon died. She seemed to have a presentiment of her approaching end; desiring her husband to
pray for her that she might be cleansed from all sin. Shortly after the Lord so filled her soul with his
love that she cried out, 'Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly, and take my raptured soul away.' To her
weeping friends she declared that God, had sanctified her wholly, and made her meet for heaven. She
bid them dry their tears, for she was going to glory. She embraced her parents, thanking them for
their kindness; and exhorted her classmates to faithfulness: she said, 'Many a time have we walked
together to our meetings, and now I am going to receive my reward!" She warned her husband
against keeping slaves. So enraptured was she with the prospect of glory that she frequently
exclaimed, O, death, where is thy sting! O, grave, where is thy victory! Thus she continued for
several days exulting, and exhorting all around her, and thus fell asleep in the arms of Jesus." It
appears that she lived in the lower end of Sussex, or in Somerset county.
Of those who first embraced Methodism in Somerset county, Md., and became pillars among
them, we have already named Mr. And Mrs. Ryder and Mr. Nellum. To these we may add Dr.
Robinson, Messrs. Curtiss, Myles, Phoebus, Farley, and Captain Conoway at Wycomoco river. The