USA > Delaware > New Castle County > Wilmington > Centennial services of Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church, Wilmington, Delaware, October 13-20, 1889 > Part 12
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The Saviour left the city next day, and as He looked upon it from the crest of some neighboring hill, it was a sweet satisfaction to Him to know that there was one sinner less in Jericho than when He entered its gates.
He who came to save men could only be supremely happy on earth in saving men.
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When does a Christian strike his highest note of joy ? Some one says it is when kneeling before the mercy seat, guilty and undone, in darkness and sorrow and despair, he receives the evidence of his pardon in the whisper of the Spirit, "Thy sins which are many are all for- given thee." The rapture of that hour few, if any, have ever been able to describe. But it is not then. Another one replies it is in that moment when dissolving nature releases the immortal spirit from this house of clay, when the world recedes and heaven rises into view, then, victorious over death and the grave, the soul attains its highest joy. The dying hours of Christian people have been so glorious as to. astonish beyond all expression the watchers who have seen their departure. But it is not then. But still another says it must be when the ransomed soul has passed through the gates of pearl, and realizes. for the first time that heaven is secured. The battle of life is over. The journey ended. Temptation, sin, care, pain, sorrow, disappoint- ment, disease and death, are no more. We have no language that can fully set forth the ecstacy of the first moment in heaven. But it is not then. Then it must be when the saint of God appears before the King eternal, arrayed in garments that reflect the lustre of the. great white throne, then as he receives a harp of gold, a palm of victory and a crown of glory, honor and eternal life, it must be then. As he joins the choirs of heaven in celebrating the praise of the Redeemer, it must be then that he touches the highest note of finite joy. But it is not then.
Bear with me until I answer the question. A friend of mine, in passing down the road that skirted the bay, heard the cry of a man for help, and plunging through the foliage, he saw an upturned skiff and a man struggling for life. Looking up the beach he saw a boat; running to it, he found it loose and two oars in it. Pushing the boat into the stream and thrusting the oars into the water, he pulled for the drowning man. As he drew near to him he heard once more the gurgling cry of the man for help, and knew that he was sinking for the last time. Bearing with all his power upon the oars he drew them into the boat, ran quickly to the bow, but the man was gone. Thrusting his hand down among the bubbles he seized him, and succeeded in getting his helpless body into the boat. The form of the man was. limp, his eyes set, and his lips livid. Hastily conveying him to the shore, he applied proper restoratives and was soon gladdened by signs of life. The eyelids dropped, the color of the lips began to change, and the man began to breath, but with great agony. After laboring with him for an hour the man opened his eyes, and with unspeakable gratitude slowly articulated these words: "You saved me." "At that.
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moment," he said, "there came to me a feeling to which I had been an utter stranger. I had saved a man. It was a new joy and one that I cannot describe." Do you yet ask me when does a Christian strike his highest note of joy? I answer, it is when he finds a human soul sinking in sin and misery and he brings him to the foot of the Cross. When such a one with joy unspeakable and full of glory says, "By the blessing of God you were the instrument of my salvation, " then the Christian reaches his higliest note of joy. That was the joy set before Jesus, and the apostle Paul said of those brought to Christ saved under his ministry, "Ye are the crown of my rejoicing in the day of His coming."
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Letter from the Rev. Joseph C. Mason.
OCEAN GROVE, N. J., October 30th, 1889. REV. JOHN D. C. HANNA.
Rev. and Dear Sir :- Please accept my thanks for your kind remembrances, in regard to your late Centennial Services in Old Asbury. It would have given me great pleasure to have been with you and participated in the services, but my own precarious health and sickness in my family prevented. I am happy to learn that you had a good time, and that you intend to embody the proceedings in a volume which will, no doubt, be of great interest to the coming as well as the present generation. It is a very happy thought, and I wish you great success in the enterprise. I can hardly imagine that any- thing I can say will add to its interest.
Permit me, however, to say, that I have always had a particular attachment to Old Asbury, indeed, to Wilmington Methodism. It was there, in 1838, that I was admitted into the traveling connection, having traveled Dover Circuit the whole of the preceding Conference year, under the direction of the Rev. David Dailey, Presiding Elder. Of . the grand men who formed the Conference at that time but few remain, :nearly all of them have been transferred to the church above.
At the Conference held in Asbury, 1842, I was ordained Elder by Bishop Waugh.
At the Conference of 1854 I was appointed to St. Paul's, Wil- mington; at the succeeding Conference, 1855, I was appointed pastor of Old Asbury, succeeding that grand man Rev. Robert Gerry, who at that Conference, owing to failing health, was compelled to retire from the effective rank. He soon after passed to his heavenly home; his remains, with multitudes of God's saints, sleep in the graveyard con- nected with the church. Time would fail me to name the glorious men and women who then rallied around the altars of Old Asbury and made her walls rings with their shouts and songs of praise, the great amajority of whom have been called from labor to reward.
REV. JOSEPH MASON,
Pastor of Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church, 1855 57.
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At the Conference of 1861, after an absence of four years, I was appointed by Bishop Janes as Presiding Elder of Wilmington Dis- trict. During most of the term of my Presiding Eldership I resided in the vicinity of old Asbury, thus renewing the pleasant associations of the past.
Suffice it to say, that as Pastor and as Presiding Elder, my rela- tions with old Asbury, indeed, with Wilmington Methodism, were always of the most pleasant character. Among the pleasant reminis- cences of those days was my acquaintance, indeed, I may say, intimacy and fellowship, with Bishop Scott, who then resided in Wilmington, one of the purest and best men who ever graced the Episcopacy of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
A hundred years of church activity, who can tell its results ? What a beacon light Old Asbury has been! What thousands have been saved through her instrumentality! May her future be even more glorious than her past! Very truly yours,
JOSEPH MASON
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Letter from the Rev. G. Oram.
2124 NORTH THIRTEENTH STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PA., November 13th, 1889.
Dear Brother :- Hope you will excuse my tardiness in replying to your kind letter. My health at present will not permit me to go out any distance, consequently, I am unable to have a picture taken, and enclose one taken several years ago, and considered a good likeness. I feel great pleasure in the success of your Centennial celebration, and pray that the future of Asbury may be still more glorious than the past. Memory often calls to mind the pleasant days I spent at Asbury, the kind friends, many of whoni have long since passed to their home in heaven.
As to myself, I can only say I am waiting the will of the Master for my dismissal to my eternal rest. But I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded He is able to keep that I have committed to His charge against that day. Remember me kindly to enquiring friends.
Sincerely yours,
G. ORAM.
REV. GASSAWAY ORAM, Pastor of Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church, 1857-'59.
HISTORICAL PAPERS.
REV. W. L. S. MURRAY, PH. D.,
Presiding Elder of the Wilmington District, Pastor ot Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church, 1883-'86.
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"Then-Now."
BY THE REV. WILLIAM L. S. MURRAY, PH. D., PRESIDING ELDER OF THE WILMINGTON DISTRICT.
Perhaps I cannot better bring before you the condition of society, the influence and teachings of existing churches, the difficulties under which Methodism was introduced, the doctrines it taught, the opposi- tion it met, and the profound impression it made one hundred years ago and more, than by giving you a few extracts from the life of Benjamin Abbatt, who, in 1779, ten years prior to the building of Asbury Church, resolved to visit the four weeks' circuit embracing Wilmington, Del.
On this circuit, as nearly as I can find out, there were at least twenty-eight preaching places, and it took twenty-eight days to reach all the appointments, preaching once or more every day.
Said Abbatt: "Having been pressed in spirit for some time to visit Pennsylvania, and in the love and fear of God, with my life in my hand, it being a time when war was raging, I left my home in New Jersey. I crossed the Delaware at New Castle, and that night at early candle light preached at R. F.'s to a pack of ruffians assembled in order to mob me. One stood with a bottle of rum in his hand swear- ing that he would throw it at my head; but Mr. F. stood in the door and prevented it. If ever I preached the terrors of the law, I did it then."
"Two days after, " he says, "I went to J. H. 's, where I preached chiefly to Baptists. There were two or three sheep here, but they were afraid to hold up their heads. As soon as I was through, I was attacked by several of the Baptists. I told them if God had fore- ordained such a certain number for salvation, and pre-ordained the remainder to damnation, it was vain for them to try to persuade me to renounce my principles, for let me do what I would, I was certainly as well off as they were, and laid before them the absurdity of such anti- scriptural doctrines."
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On his way to another appointment, being a stranger, he stopped to inquire the way. The man of the house told him he was going to that place, for there was to be a Methodist preacher there that day; "and our preacher," said he, "is to be there to trap him in his discourse " "A constable coming up, we set off and soon fell into conversation about the preacher, having no idea of my being the man, as I never wore black. The constable, being a very profane man, swore by all the gods he had, good and bad, that he would lose his right arm from his body if the Methodist preacher did not go to jail that day. My mind was greatly agitated. The more so because I was a stranger in a strange place where I knew no one. When we arrived at the place appointed, I saw about two hundred horses hitched. I also hitched mine and retired to the woods where I prayed and covenanted with God on my knees: if he would stand by me in this emergency, I would be more for Him, through grace, than I had ever been. I arose with a perfect resignation to the will of God, whether to death or to jail.
"When I entered the house, the man took me into a private room, and desired me to preach up war as I was in a Presbyterian settlement. I replied I should preach as God should direct. He was very uneasy and before the sermon renewed his request, but I replied as before. I followed him out and he said: 'Gentlemen, this house is my own and no gentleman shall be interrupted in my house in time of his discourse but after he is done you may do as you please.' I took my stand. The house was so crowed that no one could sit down. Hundreds stood about the door. The constable was only two or three feet from me who had sworn so bitterly. When he saw I was the man he had so abused on the way, his countenance fell and he turned pale. I gave out a hymn but no one offered to sing. I sung four lines and kneeled down and prayed. I arose and felt such power come over me that I was above the fear of either men or devils, not regarding whether death or jail should be my lot. I preached with great liberty. I gave them my authority for coming to them by telling them of my conviction and conversion; the place of my nativity and place of residence, also my call to the ministry. I told them I spent my own money and found and wore iny own clothes, and that it was the love I had for their precious souls, for whom Christ died, that had induced me to come among them at the risk of my life, and then I exhorted thein to fly to Jesus. No one offered mie any violence, but they committed the next preacher that day two weeks to the common jail.
"At Father Boehm's meeting house the Lord wrought wonders, divers fell to the floor and several found peace. In family prayer the power of God came upon me so wonderfully that I lost both the power
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of my body and the use of my speech, and I cried in a strange manner. The people also cried aloud. Here I thought I should frighten them, being among a strange people of a strange language; but it turned out to the contrary. At my next appointment I found a large congregation. When I came to my application, the power of the Lord came in such a manner, that the people fell all about the house and the cries might be heard afar off. This alarmed the wicked who sprung for the doors in such haste that they fell one over another in heaps. The cry of 1110urners was so great I thought to give out a hymn to drown the noise, and desired one of our English friends to raise it, but as soon as lie began to sing the power of the Lord struck him and he pitched under the table and there lay like a dead man. I gave it out again and , sked another to raise it; as soon as he attempted it he fell also. I then made the third attempt and the power of God came upon me in such a manner that I cried out and was amazed. Father Bohem said! I never saw God in this way before.' At a late hour we went to get some dinner. About five o'clock a messenger came from the preaching house request- ing that I would go there immediately for there was a person dying. We went without delay. People lay all over the house, up stairs and down. I went to the person said to be dying; she lay gasping. I kneeled down and prayed and immediately she was converted, arose and praised God. My next appointment was in a large store house, but the most dirty place I had ever been in. I had no stomach to eat, they were so monstrous filthy, and when in bed I was ready to be devoured with fleas and bugs. Here there seemed but little good done.
"After preaching at my next appointment, where the Lord laid to His helping hand, divers fell to the floor and some cried aloud for mercy, an old Presbyterian gentlemen attacked me and told me that it was"all the work of the devil; that God was a God of order, and this was a perfect confusion. 'Well,' said I, 'if this be the work of the devil, these people, many of whom then lay on the floor as dead men, when they come to, will curse and swear and rage like devils; but if it be of God their notes will be changed.' Soon after one came to and began to praise God. I said to my old opponent, 'Brother, do you hear them? This is not the language of hell but the language of Canaan.' My Presbyterian opponent followed me for several days, until one day I was so exhausted from constant service and there was still a great opportunity to speak for God, that I said for God's sake if any one can speak for God, say on for I can say no more. My old Presbyterian op- ponent arose and began by informing them that he was not one of this sect, that he had never seen the power of God in this way before, and gave a warmı exhortation for about three-quarters-of an hour.
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"A young man was converted in one of our meetings. I turned to his mother and said, 'Thank God that you have this day a son born again.' His mother immediately cried out: 'Away with you; I want no more of you here. Whitefield was here, like you, turning the world upside down ; I want no more of your being born again.' 'Mammy,' said I, 'were you ever born again ?' 'Yes,' said she. When ?' said I. 'When ?' replied she, 'why when I was christened, and besides, I took the sacrament when I was fourteen years of age and was made a member of Christ's mystical body.' 'My dear mother,' said I, you were born blind and are so to this present moment. '
"The Quakers also took a great interest in my meetings, often marveled and wept under the power of God. They invited me also to speak in their school-houses. I was sometimes called an enchanter. At one of my meetings the power of the Lord struck a woman who owned the house in which we were worshipping. She cried to the Lord for mercy, but she was soon tempted that it was witchcraft and that she was bewitched, and must now leave her husband and children and follow me through the world. This she did for a few days, attending the meetings. At last the power of God came upon her. She fell to the floor and cried out: 'Lord, I have called Thy servant an enchanter; now I know it is of the Lord.' She arose and said: . Now I can go home in peace ;' and departed.
On his return after twenty-eight days' labor, he says: "I set off or home and went to Wilmington and preached in an old store house on the wharf. Some people went through the town and said there was an old sailor cursing and swearing at a terrible rate. This brought the people together from every quarter, and the house and wharf were crowded. Some wept, some laughed, and others mocked; some were awakened and came to me and inquired what they should do to be saved. "During this round on the circuit twenty-four professed sanctifica- tion and how many more were justified I know not, but at Father Boehin's they informed me there were twelve. I left Wilmington and went to New Castle, crossed the Delaware, and returned home so inuch broken down that my friends thought I would never be able to preach again." But in the year 1789, the year Asbury dedicated the first Methodist church in Wilmington, Benj. Abbatt entered the itinerancy and continued therein until 1795, when he retired from the active work.
The foregoing extracts which I have read in your hearing from the life of Abbatt show,
First. That great wickedness prevailed in Wilmington, Del., when Methodism was introduced; that run, rowdyism, profanity and evils of every kind were rampant.
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Second. That Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Baptists and Quakers were leading denominations in the field. None of these, however, be- lieved or taught the doctrine of the new birth, and all except a few Quakers bitterly opposed thie doctrine of the witness of the Spirit and called it the heresy of Methodists.
Third. That Methodist ministers were opposed by both clergy and layity as well as by the civil authorities.
Fourth. That Methodism was hard to plant in Wilmington, and with this Bishop Asbury's statement at the dedication of Asbury Church agrecs for he said, "Thus far have we come after twenty years' labor."
What hath God wrought? The little one has become a thousand. The leaven hidden in the meal has leavened the whole lump. "The seed truth which was shaken from invisible wings a century ago lodged in human consciousness and has become a bread-bearing tree for the nations." Then in the United States Methodism stood among the exist- ing denominations number eight, but through the blessing of God it has advanced to the first place in this country, and far exceeds in numbers any denomination in this city. In the beginning Methodism was suspected, criticised, and opposed, but it has shown itself such a blessing to humanity that it is respected, honored and commended.
Then the diary of Ezekiel Cooper, June 13, 1786, states that a pro- fane man claimed that it was not so much harm to swear as it was to take the Methodists' part. . He also states that two Calvinist ministers appointed a day for fasting and prayer that God might remove false- hood and error from among them, looking upon the Methodists as guilty of both. Now many of the opinions published by sister denominations are flattering and complimentary. Chalmers said of us: "Methodism is Christianity in earnest," which has been translated, "Christianity with its sleeves rolled up." Another has said: "The Methodist Church, more nearly than any other, is representative of the nineteenth century American religion, not only by its moral earnestness, by its democratic spirit and its aggressiveness, but also by its directness and business- like methods."
Then Wilmington existed under Governor Penn's Charter. In January 31, 1809, the Legislature passed an amendment to it by which the borough boundaries were defined as follows :
"Beginning at the mouth of the Brandywine Creek, on the east side of the same, thence along the eastern and northeastern side of the same about two and a half miles to the Old Ford, above the head of tide-water; thence crossing the Brandywine westwardly and passing along the Old King's Road according to the several courses, then to the State Road leading from Wilmington to Lancaster; thence in a
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direct line southeasterly passing over the mouth of the riverlet called Stallcups Gut to the opposite side of the Christiana, west of the lower point of the mouth of the Brandywine; thence northeast to the place of beginning." Now the city contains about nine square miles. The only streets laid out were those from Water street to Mill (street,). and from Walnut to Pasture, now called Washington street. Then the inhabitants numbered about 2,335 (1790), now there are between sixty and sixty-five thousands. Then many broad and fertile acres yielded wheat, corn, and other produce which are now covered with palatial residences, fine churches and humming machinery.
In 1789 Win. Jessop, a deacon brought up from Dorchester where he had served as junior preacher, was appointed first pastor of Asbury Church. Now we have twelve regular pastors and one missionary. Then the itinerancy was pure and simple, with no time limit removing pastors either in six months or in six years; now pastors are appointed for one year at a time, with the privilege of five years if deemed wise.
Then we had in Wilmington, Del., one little church 35 feet x 35 feet. Now we have twelve churches valued at $956, 100.
Then no carpets were used, and the worshippers sat at night and heard the word of the Lord in the dim light of candles; now our churches are well furnished and lighted with oil, gas, or electricity.
Then we had no parsonage property; now we have six parsonages, five of them well furnished and valued at $17,250. During this year Mrs. Ann G. Perkins, a worthy and liberal member of Asbury Church, who had already given Scott Church a parsonage requiring only a small annuity, has also given Epworth Church a parsonage, also on the same conditions, valued at $2,000; making the total value of parsonage property now in our possession $19,250.
Then the great majority of colored people in the United States were slaves. The agency of the Methodist Episcopal Church in abolishing slavery has never been duly estimated and set forth, nor can it be in this paper; but a few extracts may be given to show how early she sought the liberty of the colored race.
In 1780 the Conference Minutes, under the form of questions and answers, presents the following: Question, Ought not this Conference to require those traveling preachers who hold slaves to give promises to set them free? Answer, Yes.
Question, Does this Conference acknowledge that slavery is con- trary to the laws of God, man and nature and hurtful to society, contrary to the dictates of conscience and pure religion, and doing that which we
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would not others should do to us and ours ? Do we pass our disappro- bation on all our friends who keep slaves, and advise them? Answer, Yes.
In 1783 appears the following: Question, What shall be done with our local preachers who hold slaves contrary to the laws which authorize their freedom in any of the United States?
Answer, We will try them another year; in the meantime let every assistant deal faithfully and plainly with every one, and report to the next Conference. It may then be necessary to suspend theni.
In 1784 the following questions and answers are given:
Question, What shall we do with our friends that will buy and sell slaves ?
Answer, If they buy with no other design than to hold them as slaves, and have been previously warned, they shall be expelled, and permitted to sell on no consideration.
Question, What shall be done with our traveling preachers that now are or hereafter shall be possessed of slaves and refuse to mianumit them where the law permits ?
Answer, Employ them no more.
At the organization of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1884 the following was enacted:
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