The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1916-04-01

the left. One OF his MODEST cnarac-
teriSticS was the quiet strength that
enabled him to adhere to his matur-
ed plans and purposes through all
difficulties and all oppositions. In
the end he won out completely. Ions
before he died, his defamers had
been shamed into silence. So COM
pIetely has later history vlndlcated
the sincerity of his motives and the
wisdom of his conduct that the ma
jority of MethodiSts in the present
Iday are not even aware of his having
ever been inadvertently ridiculed and
assaulted. In every generation there
is more or less of stoning for the true
prophets. The less they deserve it
the more likely they are to get it.
The ringing praises and the tomb
building come later.
Though in the course of his life
Asbury was providentially required
to do many kinds of work, it was
chiefly as preacher that he left his
impress upon the world. While still
an immature youth. he was an eager
sermonlistener, going from one
church to another that he might hear
| the ablest and most noted eXpound-
ers of the gospel that came within
| his range. Though not always quite
able in those days to make out just
what they meant, he was, neverthe-
less, always deeply interested in their
tutterances. His own pulpit deliver
ances must have been in the outset
somewhat wanting in their range of
| thought. But they never lacked the
note of earnestness. He knew that
the supreme end of preaching is to
call men to repentance and faith, and
that any lower end than this is I'M
worthy of the chosen servant of God.
He possessed in large measure the
gift of exhortation, a gift which cor
responds pretty closely to the pro-
phesying of the Primitive Church,
and which, I am sorry to say, has
been largely lost among the modern
tMethodists.
| 1t was not strange that Asbury set
so much store by preaching; for, in
that respect, as in others also, he
was but following and initiating the
Example of John Wesley, and, for
the matter of that, of the apostle
Paul. He had been well broken into
the work, and had acquired a perfect
passion for it before leaving Eng
land. In crossing the sea, he missed
no opportunity that came to him.
Though he had no bed except such
a one as he could make out of some
boards and two blankets, his zeal
never tagged Nothing is more in
lteresting in his Journal than the
record of his sermons. Sailing on
september 4, he was too seasick to
do anything except lie-by the first
Sunday. September 8; but on Sep
TENDER 14th, says: Il preached on
Acts IT, 33. But God now COM
mandeth all men everywhere to re-
pent.' The sailors behaved with de-
cency" On September % he makes
a like entry: Il preached to the
ships company on John 8, 23; but,
alas, they were insensible creatures"
On September 20 he adds: 81 prea-
ched to the ships company again on
those words: To you is the word of
this salvation sent felt some draw
ings of soul to them, but saw no
fruit" The entry for October 6 is:
Though it was very rough, l
preached on deck to all our ships
company, from Heb. 2, 3. How shall
we escape, if we neglect so great sal
vation?' The Lord enabled me to
speak plainly, and l had some hopes
that the interesting truths of the
gospel did enter their minds" RAJ
Their fuller is the entry for October,
l13: Though it was very windy,
fixed my back against the mizzen-
mast, and preached freely on those
well known words, 2 Cor. 5. 20:
J Now then we are ambassadors for
Christ, as though God did beseech
you by us; we pray you in Christ's
stead, be We reconciled to God
felt the power of truth ON my own
Isoul, but still, alas. saw no visible
fruit" 1t is worthy of notice that
he did not repeat himself on the
whole voyage. And to the end of his
life he was constantly trying new
texts.
Landing in Philadelphia October
I27, he opened his commission at
once in old Saint Georges Church,
and kept himself very busy till No
vember 6. Being appointed to New
York, he preached on the way at
Burlington in the courthouse "to a
large and serious congregation" Not
waiting for opportunities, he made
them for himself. Between Bruins
wick and New York he met with P
Van Pelt, who had heard him in
Philadelphia, and says: after some
conversation, he invited me to his
house on Staten Island, and as 1 was
not engaged to be at New York on
any particular day, went with him
land preached" The next day he
preached again morning and after
noon to large congregations in the
same house, and at night, by special
request, in the house of neighbour.
Mr.. Justice Wight.
| Reaching New York on November
II, he preached on the 18th, 14th
and 18th, and found much to approve
in his audiences. 1t did not please
him, however, to learn that he and
his colleague, Richard Boardman,
were likely to be shut up in the city
all winter. That was not his con-
ception Of the itinerancy. What he
wanted was "a circulation of the
preachers" With no wife nor do
nestle ties to limit mis- movements,
he was free to go at his own pleas
ure. MY brethren seem unwilling
to leave the Cities" he says, but I
think l shall show them the way"
and so he did. Toward the end of
November he was off for Westches-
ter, some twenty miles away, under
the escort of two lay brethren, and
between the 25th and the 9th he
preached there and in the neighbor-
hood five times. Between that time
and the end of the year he also visit
ed New Rochelle, the home of the
Huguenots, where he was received
with great kindness, and found a
great opening; and then went once
more to Staten Island, to be the guest
again of the Van Pelts and Wight,
and to hold forth the word of life to