July 29, 1796 — to His Parents

The parents of Asbury were continuously on his mind. He wished to provide for them and regularly looked after their wants. What with his travel, the great distance from England, and the lack of mail facilities, he had many difficulties in getting money to them. PHILADELPHIA, PA.

July 29, 1796

[TO HIS PARENTS]

My very dear and never to be forgotten Parents:

I came providentially to this city, and had hardly time to breathe, after reading several momentous letters, from various parts of our continent, when I was told Mr. Suckley¹ was going to England. I hope to embrace this opportunity of sending you what little I have saved since my last remembrance of you. I wrote you from Charleston. Perhaps I was constrained, from the high sense of filial duty I had, to invite you here. I feared the nation [England] would be in blood. I now think you are much better where you are. And I sincerely wish I could come to you, but I see no way without sinning against God, and the Church. Since I wrote from Charleston, I have travelled nearly two thousand five hundred miles, through Georgia, South and North Carolina, and Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. Hard wear, and hard fare. But I am healthy and lean, gray-headed and dim-sighted. But I hope I enjoy as much of religion, or more than ever, preaching, living and feeling.

I wrote to Dr. Coke to let you have ten guineas, and I would repay him when he comes to the continent. I must watch every opportunity to send you small sums. As my life is an uncertainty, I have employed a person² to transcribe my journals for the press; either here, or in England. You know how long I served the church for nothing. I might if I would, have money; but I am set for the defense of the Gospel. When men will labour as hard for God, as for man, and take no more than poor men ought to have, God will own them. O my dear father and mother, be wholly for God! Make haste to get ready for glory! I have great cause to mourn over my dear America! The people are growing wealthy and wicked. It is not with our society as we could wish. I wish you to take some care to write to me as often as you can. I am not sure what I shall remit. Mr. Suckley is my very great and kind friend, and yours also. Whatever I send; he will faithfully apply it to your service. I am now returning from a journey of about three thousand five hundred miles, since the beginning of November 1795, to this date. I now commend you to God.

As ever, your dear and only son,

FRANCIS ASBURY

P.S. I am now, in the heat of our season, going to New-England, which is Old England continued. I shall pass through New-Jersey, the state of New- York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts; performing perhaps, a tour of near one thousand five hundred miles, before I come back to Baltimore which is like my centre and home. It may be happy for me, let the climate be healthy or unhealthy, to soul or body, hard or easy: I soon change. You will excuse my manner of writing. I have been called off several times since I began this epistle.

F.A.

On envelope

Joseph Asbury at Hampstead near Birmingham Staffordshire Drew University Library