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

since abandoned this apostolic plan; they have doubtless deemed it more than could be expected of
them, therein to copy the apostolic example.
"When Asbury pressed me to become an itinerant, I said, God has called me to preach, and woe
unto me if I preach not; but I had no conviction that he had called me to itinerate. 'No conviction,
my son, said he to me, sternly, that ye should follow the direction of him who commissioned you to
preach? has the charge given to the disciples -- "Go and evangelize the world," been revoked? Is the
world evangelized?' He said no more. I looked at the world; it was not evangelized. I looked at the
clergy, and thought of the rebut received from some of them who were thought the most pious, when
smitten with penitential grief, and ardently desirous to know what I must do to be saved, and thought
who hath said, 'The hireling careth not for the sheep, because lie is a hireling.'
"The world must be evangelized; it should long since have been so, and would have been so, had
all who professed to be ministers of Christ been such as were the first gospel preachers and
professors; for who can contend with Him who is Lord of lords and King of kings, when they that
are with him in the character of ministers and members are called, and chosen, and faithful? Here,
the drama ends not; but the time, we think, is near -- even at the door. Nothing can kill the itinerant
spirit which Wesley has inspired. It has lived through the Revolutionary war, and will live through
all future time. Christendom will become more enlightened -- will feel a divine impulse, and a way
will be cast up, on which itinerants may swiftly move, and in sufficient numbers to teach all nations
the commands of God."
It would seem that Mr. Pedicord looked up the vista of the future with the eye of a prophet, when
he spoke of "A way cast up, on which itinerants might swiftly move," and saw in the dim distance,
the great facilities of travel that have since been realized by the power of steam, as exemplified on
land and sea. Who, at this day, can write a better letter than Mr. Pedicord?
The winter of 1783 and 1784 was passed away by Mr. Asbury in the South. He traveled through
the circuit that Messrs. Drumgole and Lee had formed a ear previously. In passing through Tar River
Circuit he had large and lively meetings. The people of this region felt the influence of that mighty
man of God, John Easter, who had been among them. During this year the Methodists had their
greatest success in North Carolina, where the increase was a thousand or more; nearly all the increase
in the connection this year, was in this state. In most of the other states, there was a small decrease.
In the Minutes of this year, we find twenty-four Methodists returned for Long Island, exactly the
number that Captain Webb had converted on this island in 1767, sixteen years before. At this time,
Maryland had the greatest number of Methodists in it. North Carolina was the next in point of
numbers. Virginia was the third. Delaware was the fourth. New Jersey was the fifth. Pennsylvania
sixth, and New York had the smallest number. The increase throughout the work, was reported to
be 1240; and the whole number, 14,988. Of this number, there was 13,381 south of the southern line
of Pennsylvania, and 1607 north of said line.
In 1783, Mr. Pedicord was stationed on Mecklenburg Circuit, which lay in Virginia and North
Carolina.