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

In the latter end of July, 1772, Mr. Asbury left Burlington for New York. His friend Sause, it
seems, accompanied him. After spending a Sabbath with his friends on Staten Island, he came to the
city. He also paid several preaching visits to New Rochelle, Kingsbridge, and other places in that
region.
He, also, took in New Town, on Long Island, where Captain Webb had successfully preached in
1767. The state of things in New York, at this time, was not the most pleasant. He says, "I found
broken classes, and a disordered society, so that my heart was sunk within me." He was charged with
using Mr. Newton, one of the official members, ill; and Mr. Lupton told him that he had preached
the people away, and intimated that the whole work would be destroyed by him. It seems, that Mr.
Asbury's strict attention to discipline, was the ground of dissatisfaction but, while this displeased
some of the New York Methodists, it gave great satisfaction to Mr. Wesley, who, just at this time,
appointed him his assistant, in the place of Mr. Boardman, as Mr. Wesley desired Messrs. Boardman
and Pilmoor to return to England. As some of the stewards of the society had not given satisfaction
to the society, of all the collections, Mr. Asbury appointed Mr. Chase or Chave, to take an account
of the weekly and quarterly collections, this was displeasing to some. Such was the state of things,
that he thought it necessary to read Mr. Wesley's sermon on evil speaking, to the society.
Mr. Asbury was in New York at this time, about three months. It seems he had not much success;
and does not record any special religious prosperity. He was, however, discharging his duty as a
pastor. It was his custom to attend the ministry of others, when he had opportunity. While in New
York, he heard Dr. Ogilvie, and the Rev. Mr. Ingles, with considerable pleasure.
While Mr. Asbury was using discipline in New York, the then successful, but afterwards
unfortunate, Abraham Whitworth, was doing a good work in Jersey. Under his ministry, that
remarkable man, Mr. Benjamin Abbott, was awakened, in September; and a few weeks afterwards,
was powerfully blessed on Monday morning, October 12, 1772. In him, as the sequel of his
subsequent life showed, Methodism had found a mystic Samson.
Mr. Boardman, it seems, succeeded Mr. Asbury in New York; Mr. Wright was assigned to
Philadelphia, and Mr. Asbury to Maryland, where John King, Strawbridge, and others, were laboring.
Messrs. Pilmoor, Williams, and Watters were in Virginia.
In the last of October, Mr. Asbury, in company with Mr. Sause, set out for Maryland. Passing
through Philadelphia, Chester, and New Castle -- where he found a few Methodists -- he came to
Bohemia Manor, and preached at Mr. Hersey's, and at another place. He also visited Messrs.
Ephraim and Robert Thompson; these were already friends; and the latter became a Methodist, and
was long the host of Mr. Asbury and other preachers; and may be regarded as the germ of Methodism
at Bethel, on Back Creek. At this time, their father was living, a hundred years old, as he informed
Mr. Asbury; and that his father attained to the age of one hundred and nine, and never needed the
use of spectacles. Brother Samuel Thompson, a relative of theirs, is still living in the same place.
Crossing the Susquehanna, Mr. Asbury found comfortable quarters at friend Nathaniel Giles;
where they had a family meeting, at which Richard Webster gave a moving exhortation. Mr. Asbury
preached his first sermon on the Western Shore of Maryland, at Rock Run. From here he went, in