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

eally stand at the head of it. The great end of speaking is to produce a conviction of the truth of the
subject presented, in the souls of the hearers; and as few preachers succeeded better in reaching this
end than Mr. Abbott, we, therefore, regard him as having been a good speaker, if he did violate some
rules of grammar, and was the effective in orthoepy -- good, because the great end of speaking was
attained. Those who heard him could not readily forget either his matter or manner. When Mr.
Asbury first heard him, he observed, "he is a man of uncommon zeal, and of good utterance -- his
words came with great power." In speaking, he allowed himself time to inspire; and when he expired
[spoke], it was like the rushing of a mighty wind; and not infrequently, the Holy Ghost was in it, and
the people sunk down helpless, stiff, and motionless.
Mr. Abbott was among the first of the converts to the Saviour, in New Jersey, that preached. If
there was one among them that began to proclaim the gospel before him, we have no knowledge of
it. His preaching caused the thoughts of many hearts to be revealed. Under one of his earliest
discourses, the strange occurrence recorded on the 34th page of his Life was acted.
"While he was exclaiming against wickedness, he cried out, 'For aught I know, there may be a
murderer in this congregation!' Immediately a lusty man attempted to go out; but when he got to the
door, he bawled out, stretching out both of his arms, and retreated, endeavoring to defend himself
as though some one was pressing upon him to take his life, until he fell against the wall and lodged
on a chest, when, with a bitter cry, he said, I am the murderer! I killed a man fifteen years ago; and
[explaining what had just appeared to him] two men met me at the door, with swords to stab me, and
pursued me across the room.' As soon as the man recovered, he went away, and was not seen or
heard of any more by Mr. Abbott."
As Mr. Abbott was the first in his neighborhood that obtained experimental religion, he had no
congenial society until he had been instrumental in raising it up. During the first three years of his
ministry as local preacher, he did not go more than fifteen miles from home, as all the ground around
him needed moral cultivation. Woodstown and Mannington, near Salem, were the extreme points
of the field of his labor. To most of the people within the bounds of this field, he was the first
Methodist preacher they ever heard. In a neighborhood where wickedness had so abounded, that it
was called Hell Neck, a great reformation took place under his preaching; also, in Mannington,
where he preached at Mr. Harvey's, and at other places. Thus was he a Methodist pioneer in Salem
county, opening up several new appointments for the circuit riders. From Mannington, Methodist
preaching was introduced into the town of Salem; and it is probable that Mr. Abbott was the first
preacher of his order that preached in this town.