CHESAPEAKE DISTRICT—TOURS WITH BISHOPS GEORGE AND M’KENDREE.
At the conference held in Philadelphia in April, 1817, I was appointed
presiding elder of Chesapeake District.
It was my privilege to take short tours with other bishops besides
Asbury. Bishop M’Kendree was always a great friend of mine, and at his
request I went with him several times to visit the Churches.
On the 30th of June we went to Wilmington, Delaware; from that to
Chestertown, where he preached on Sunday from Jer. v, 25. At Centerville
he preached from Isaiah lxvi, 3-5, “He that killeth an ox is as if he
slew a man,” etc. It was a most singular text, but he showed himself
a workman in its exposition. He dwelt upon man’s agency and his
responsibility, thus clearing the eternal throne and justifying the ways
of God to man. Both Asbury and M’Kendree frequently took long texts.
Their preaching was generally of the expository kind; they never took
a text for a motto. From thence we went to Baltimore, and visited the
Churches, and I heard him preach in Light-street, Oldtown, and Eutaw.
After spending fifteen days with the bishop, I returned to my district
and held several camp-meetings. The first was in Camden, in July. The
converts were numerous, and at the close of the meeting I baptized one
hundred. In those days we not only cut down the grain, but we shocked up
immediately. Three meetings at other places followed in quick succession,
so that we held four camp-meetings in less than a month.
In October, at the request of Bishop George, I took a ministerial tour
with him. He preached on Thursday at Salem from Isaiah xl, 31, on waiting
on the Lord and its advantages; a theme that well suited him. On Friday
he preached at Asbury Chapel, and on Saturday at Union, from Psalm xxxiv,
19, on the afflictions of the righteous and their deliverance. It was a
sermon full of consolation. On Sunday he preached from Matt. xxv, 29, on
the measure of man’s responsibility, and the next day on watching, from
Luke xxi, 36; on Tuesday in Wesley Chapel, Dover, from John ii, 17; on
Wednesday at Barratt’s Chapel, from 1 Peter i, 5; on Thursday at Milford,
from 1 Peter iii, 15; on Sunday at Johnstown, from 1 Cor. vi, 19, 20; on
Monday at Concord, from John xii, 26; and on Tuesday at the Line Chapel,
from 2 Cor. vi, 2.
Then we went to Snow Hill and were the guests of Samuel Porter, father
of John S. Porter, D.D. Bishop George preached here on Sunday from Eph.
iii, 20, 21, “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly,”
etc. This glorious doxology he expounded in a manner delightfully sweet.
Thence we went to Potato Neck and put up with Francis Waters, father
of Dr. Waters, and Mrs. Freeborn Garrettson, of Rhinebeck. At Princess
Anne the bishop preached on “patient continuance in well doing;” and
on Sunday, at Salisbury, from 1 John v, 4, on Faith and its victories.
Thence we went to Cambridge, where we both preached, and were kindly
entertained by Dr. Edward White. At Easton, the bishop preached on
“the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” and next day, at
the Trappe, from 1 Thess. v, 6, “Therefore let us not sleep,” etc. On
Saturday and Sunday we held a quarterly meeting at St. Michael’s. We had
a charming love-feast, after which the bishop preached from John v, 6,
“Wilt thou be made whole?” On Tuesday he preached at Centreville from
John v, 36.
Next Saturday we held a quarterly meeting at Hynson’s Chapel. There was
a serious difficulty between some of the official men and the society
about temporal matters. There had been a trial before a committee, which
resulted very unsatisfactorily, and they had appealed to the Quarterly
Conference, and if its decision did not please them they threatened to go
to law. The bishop, who was a great peacemaker, got the parties together
and reasoned with them. He wept, and so did they. There were mutual
confessions, and they asked forgiveness of each other. The difficulty
from which we had so much to fear was settled honorably and forever. His
visit to that part of the Peninsula was made a great blessing, for “Zion
became a quiet habitation.” On Sunday morning we had a love-feast indeed,
after which the bishop preached from Hosea xiv, 9, “Who is wise, and he
shall understand these things,” etc.
Reluctantly I parted with the much-loved superintendent after spending
six weeks with him, enjoying his society every day and listening to
twenty sermons from him, besides exhortations and lectures in societies
and families. I traveled with him through the heart of the Peninsula, and
was with him from the 25th of October till the 5th of December. It was
his first tour through the Peninsula, and everywhere he was hailed with
joy as a worthy successor of the apostolic Asbury.
Bishop George was a short, stout man. His chest was large, and this
enabled him to speak so easily. His face was bronzed, owing to exposure;
but it was intelligent, and expressive of benignity. His dress was
plain and careless, and his hair was coarse and thick and parted in the
middle. He had quite a patriarchal appearance. His voice was peculiar for
strength and melody. As a preacher, he was surpassingly eloquent. He had
unusual power over his audience, and he took them captive at his will.
At times he was perfectly irresistible. He was well acquainted with the
springs of the human heart, and knew how to touch them. I must have heard
him preach fifty times. It is probable there is not a man living who has
heard him as often as myself.
As a presiding officer he did not excel. He had not the administrative
talents of Asbury, M’Kendree, or Roberts. He was a good companion where
he was well acquainted, full of anecdotes; but he was diffident and
avoided company, and had a perfect abhorrence of being questioned. He
was very powerful in prayer. He would rise in the night, and putting his
cloak around him, spend whole hours on his knees wrestling with the angel
of the covenant.
He would never permit any to take his likeness; he said “he did not like
to have his image sold for three cents when he was dead and gone.” He
died suddenly at Staunton, Virginia, August 23, 1828. It is as true of
him as of the patriarch, whose name he bore, he “walked with God, and was
not, for God took him.”
This year, 1818, was in many respects the most memorable year of my life.
Not believing in the celibacy of the clergy, on the 15th of January I was
married to Sarah Hill, the step-daughter of Thomas Dodson. He resided
in Kent County, Maryland, below Chestertown. He had been a traveling
preacher for some years, but had located. She was a most estimable
woman, and I found her a helpmeet indeed. We had four children, who are
all living. My wife died in holy triumph the 26th of August, 1853, and
was buried in the church-yard at Woodrow, Staten Island, where I expect
soon to sleep myself. Her memoir was written by the Rev. Joseph Holdich,
who had been well acquainted with her from the time he entered the
traveling connection in 1822 to the close of her pilgrimage.
On the 22d of April, 1818, our conference was held in Philadelphia.
Bishops George and Roberts were both present. I was reappointed to the
Chesapeake District. It was a year of great prosperity. I have a record
of every day. We had powerful camp and quarterly meetings, which were
greatly honored of God, and multitudes were converted. I traveled this
year two thousand six hundred miles to preach the glorious Gospel of the
blessed God.