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

young woman came to, she declared that God had sanctified her soul. I saw her many years after, and
her life and conversation adorned the gospel. Prayer was kept up without intermission for the space
of three hours; eight souls professed sanctification, and three Indian women justification, at this
meeting: the slain lay all through the house like dead men." This society prayer meeting, held early
in the morning, was the corollary of the quarterly meeting.
"My next appointment was at Jesse Chew's, on Mantua Creek, about forty miles distance, and it
was eleven of the clock before we could leave Brother H.'s. We stopped at Moorestown and
refreshed ourselves, and then pushed on to reach the appointment at early candlelighting. Being
rather late, they had begun to sing before we arrived. I preached, and we had a melting time. After
meeting in family worship, two or three went to prayer. The mighty power of God struck a young
woman to the floor, where she screamed and rolled as one in torment. Her mother ran to take her
away. I desired her father not to suffer her to be removed. It appears that she was Brother Chew's
daughter.) Prayer was kept up all night without intermission. She continued her cries until the sun
was an hour high next morning, by which time the house was filled with the neighbors, and the Lord
spoke peace to her soul. A young man came in, and Brother F. S. (most likely this was Francis Spry,
who was preaching in Jersey in 1783) took him by the hand and said 'Brother C. had a daughter
converted this morning, and she wants to speak with you;' he led him to her; she took him by the
hand, and exhorted him with tears; he began to tremble and cry in an awful manner, and in a few
days he found peace with God. There came in also an elderly man, and Brother F. S. took him, in like
manner, to her, and she began to warn and exhort him, while he trembled, and his tears flowed in
abundance. She then said that God had called her to go from house to house, to warn her neighbors
to flee from the wrath to come. Several of our friends tarried and went with her for three days
through the neighborhood."
In this tour of six weeks, Mr. Abbott had passed through Cumberland, Cape May, Gloucester,
Monmouth, Mercer, and Burlington counties; and returned home through the west end of Gloucester
to Penn's Neck, in Salem county, where he lived. He had traveled about four hundred miles. He had
preached at most of the appointments that the Methodists then had in West Jersey. He records some
twenty-six meetings that he was at; and we do not suppose that he has named them all. He was at two
quarterly meetings. He heard about a score declare that God had cleansed them from all
unrighteousness, and almost double that number had professed to receive the pardon of their sins.
The following description of the power of Mr. Abbott's faith, from an eye witness, is highly
interesting: "At one time, when the meeting was held in the woods, after F. Garrettson had preached,
Mr. Abbott got up; and, looking round on the congregation very significantly, said, 'Lord, begin the
work; Lord, begin the work now; Lord, begin the work just there: at the same time pointing his finger
to a man that stood beside a tree; and the man fell immediately as if he had been shot, and cried
aloud for mercy." This account is taken from an account of the death of Job Throckmorton, of
Freehold, N.J., who was awakened under Richard Garrettson in 1780.