Smyrna times., 1880-04-21
For the Smyrna Times
Methodist History on the Peninsula.
FRANCIS ASBURY.


On April Goth, 1915, the Conference to
which this Peninsula belonged, met in
Philadelphia. On account of i'll health
and extreme feebleness Bishop Asbury at
tended its sessions only once. This Con-
ference is the oldest we have in America,
and he presided at its first meeting in l773,
when there were but ten travelling preach
0rs on the Continent.
"In March oath, 1916, he preached his
last sermon in Richmond Virginia. He was
taken from his carriage (fer he was unable
either to walk or stand) to the pulpit, and
seated on a table, where he spoke for
nearly an hour from Romans 9th chapter,
and 2Sth verse: For he will finish the
work and cut it short in righteousness"
This closed his public labors on the earth.
The audience was much affected. After
he finished his discourse he was carried
from the pulpit to his carriage, and rode
to his lodgings. For three consecutive
days he continued to travel, until he
| reached the house of his old friend Mr.
George Arnold in Spottsylvania. Being
unable to continue his Journey, and his
speech failing, Mr. Bond his travelling COM
panion asked him if he felt the Lord Jesus
to be precious? lie in token of complete
victory raised both his hands. few
minutes after, without struggle, he breathed
his last on Sabbath of the lst day March,
! 1876 in the seventy-tirst year Of his age.
| His body was inferred in the family burying
ground of his friend Mr.. Arnold. His re-
mains were, 10y order of the General Con-
ference, and at the request of the McthO-
dists of Baltimore, taken up and brought
to that city, and deposited in vault pre-.
| pared for that purpose, under the recess OF
the pulpit of the Methodist Church in Eu-
taw street.
"The corpse was carried from the General
Conference room in Light street, followed
by large concOurse Of citizens to the place
prepared for its reception. The procession
was led 10y Bishop McKendree as the
officiating minister, and Rev. Mr. Black a
representative from the British to the
American Conference and followed by the
members of the General Conference, a.
chief mourntrs. The funeral Grafton wa.
delivered by the Rev. VIVA. McKentlree
the only surviving Bishop Of the N. L
Church"
Francis Asbury was destined to he the
most historical, the representative charac
ter, of American Methodism. His was one
Of those minds which can find rest onl,
in labor; designed for great work, anC
therefore endowed with restless instinc
for it. His mind had emnently "a militar,
cast. H. never lost his self possession, ant
could therefore seldom be surprised. II
seemed not to know fear, and never yirlde,
) to Encouragement in a course sanctioned
by his faith or conscience. His appear
ance was in his favor. In his portrait b.
has the war-wOrn aspect of militar
!, veteran"
His labors in the Now World were pcr
=, haps as great as those of Wesley in til
Old; he travelled more miles a year an,
preached as often. On becoming bsho
F, of the Church, lie seemed to becom
) ubiquitous throughout the republic. Tn
history of Christianity, since the apostoli
age, affords not more perfect example G
, ministerial aud episcopal devotion than wa
presented in this great mans life"
lie preached almost daily for more tina
. half century. He was ordained bisho
Of the NJ. +. Church when thirty-nin
years old, when it comprised less tina
E fifteen thousand members, and but abou
: eighty preachers; and he fell in 1916. i
his seventy first year, at the head of a
:. army Of more than two hundred and eleve
\ thousand members, and more than seve
= hundred itinerant preachers. It has bee
;, estimated that in the forty five years of h
- American ministry he preached abo,
I sixteen thousand five hundred sermons,
e at least one a day, ard travelled about tw
. hundred and seventy thousand miles,
a a six thousand year; that he presided in L
= less than two hundred and twenty.fol
% annual conferences, and ordained mo-
- - than four thousand preachers"
" His administrative talents would hav
= placed him in civil government or in wa
by the side of Rohelieu or Cesar, and b
70 success placed him unquestionably amor
= the first Of the leading characters of Anne
- ican Ecclesiastical history. No one h
y, done more fer Christianity in the Westel
10 hemisphere. With Wesley, Whitefel
a. ~ and Coke, he ranks as one Of the fo
o. greatest representative men of the Meth
Q distic movement" S.P. NJ.
=, SMYRNA, April 1Ith, 1880.