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

laid hold by faith, and was delivered from doubt and uncertainty as to her religious state. She
followed him next day to his fourteenth appointment, which was at Goodluck, where he preached
with great liberty; and great power attended the word. He was now in Monmouth County.
He next went, through a hailstorm, to Justice Aiken's, on Tom's river, where he gave an
exhortation to the few that were present, and tarried all night. Next day he went to his sixteenth
appointment, where he had an attentive congregation and a powerful meeting: a Frenchman fell to
the floor, and never rose from it until the Lord converted his soul. It was a happy meeting to nearly
all that were present.
His seventeenth appointment was at the house of a Baptist, who objected to his preaching in his
house on account of a piece published by one of the Methodist preachers on baptism. His friend
James Sterling had met him here, and reasoned with the man of the house until he consented for Mr.
Abbott to preach. Great power attended the word: the people, all through the house, were weeping;
and the man of the house trembled like Belshazzar, and desired him to preach there again that
evening, which he did.
His eighteenth appointment was at Mr. W.'s. Having retired into secret, the power of God came
on him so remarkably that he lost his bodily power, and the awful cry which he made alarmed the
people, who came to him in amazement, having never witnessed the like before. As soon as he
recovered he preached to them, and the meeting was very profitable.
He next started for quarterly meeting, stopping to get his horse's shoes fixed. While this was being
done, he went to a house near by, where he found an elderly woman spinning, and asked her to give
him a drink of water, which she did. He then, in return for the water that is followed by thirst, offered
her the water of life, whereof one may drink and not thirst; and left her after he had prayed for her.
Three years after this, as he was going to a quarterly meeting, he fell in with some twenty on their
way to the same meeting. One of the company, a woman, ran to him and saluted him as her father,
reminding him of the time when he asked her for the water, and set the plan of salvation before her,
and prayed for her salvation. At that time God made his counsel a "nail in a sure place." Feeling
herself to be a lost sinner, she cried unceasingly to God for his mercy until he set her soul at liberty.
Sow thy seed in the morning, and in the evening withhold not thine hand, for thou knowest not
whether shall prosper.
"At quarterly meeting we opened our love feast with prayer, and the Lord made bare his arm;
some fell to the floor and others ran away. Such a time they never had seen before. (They never had
Mr. Abbott with them before.) I. W. exhorted the mourners very powerfully, having been himself
converted only the night before. The old lady, his mother, was very happy. When I was about to go
she put two dollars into my hand. This was the first money I had ever received because I was a
preacher. But He that is mindful of the young ravens was mindful of me. When I received this I had
but fifteen pence in my pocket; and was above two hundred miles (if not in a straight direction, yet
in the circuit he had traveled) from home."
The twentieth place that he visited and preached at was in a Baptist settlement. Two fell, and
never ceased crying to God for mercy until he set their souls at liberty; many were deeply affected,