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 9
In April, 1770, Mr. Boardman, having spent five months in New York, left it, and came to
Philadelphia to labor. He had preached once in it when he first landed in America. In the "Old
Book," there is the following entry, showing the time of his coming to Philadelphia.
"1770, April 10. -- To cash paid Mr. Boardman, to pay his expenses to Philadelphia, £1. 4s. 0d."
("Lost Chapters, by Rev. J. B. Wakeley," p. 202.)
At the same time Mr. Pilmoor went to New York, which to him was a new place, and a new field
of labor. Under date of May 5, 1770, Mr. Pilmoor wrote from New York to Mr. Wesley, one of his
glowing letters, showing the great success and encouragement they had in these two leading cities
of the nation.
From the "Old Book," it appears that Robert Williams was laboring in and about New York.
Under dates of March, April, June, and July, 1770, money was paid to his use for preaching, keeping
his horse, doctor's bill, flannel, taking off the beard, and letter postage. ("See Lost Chapters," p. 193.)
This is the first account we meet with of a well-equipped itinerant Methodist preacher in America.
Robert Williams now had a horse; he was an equestrian! Ah! and his beard was razored; the time for
whiskers and mustache, for Methodist preachers, was not yet.
By this time, John King had gone into Maryland, and was operating with Mr. Strawbridge. He
seems to have been the first of the four preachers who came over in 1769, who entered into the
Maryland field, then the most fruitful field cultivated by the Methodists. On his first visit to Harford
county this year, Henry Bowman came to hear him, full of prejudice against the Methodists. King
appeared in the midst of a large congregation. Before he began the service, he put his hands over his
face while he engaged in silent prayer. This apparently small circumstance was the cause of bringing
conviction to Bowman's mind before the preaching began; he was thus prepared to receive the truth
in the love thereof; he was soon after converted under King's ministry, and lived and died a happy
Methodist. On Mr. King's first visit to the Forks of Gunpowder, in Baltimore county, in 1770, Mr.
James J. Baker was awakened under his powerful preaching, and three days after was converted.
With his tongue he made confession of the fact to his neighbors, and it was not long before many
of them were converted. He at once united with the Methodists -- received the preachers into his
house -- a respectable class was raised up which met in his house, and of which he was leader -- the
preaching was also under his roof; until a house of worship was built on his own land, in 1773,
which was the third Methodist chapel founded in Maryland. This saint ended his days in Baltimore,
in 1835, at the age of ninety-one years, having adorned Methodism for sixty-four years.