September 27, 1801 — to George Roberts

The bishop is in worse shape than usual. He reports in detail the state of his health. In spite of his troubles he has reason to “boast a little.”

MAINE HOLSTON, TENNESSEE¹

September 27, 1801

[TO GEORGE ROBERTS]²

My dearly beloved in the Lord:

May grace mercy and peace attend thee and the flock of Christ at Baltimore. To you I can boast a little, and I hope my boasting will be found a truth. I have now struggled along about 700 miles from the city of strife, unmeaningly or ironically called Philadelphia.³ We have had heat, hunger and hard labour, and have generally had meetings three and 4 times a week, and excessive riding, over mountains, hills, ridges, rocks, vales, rivers, and creeks. I generally bear my testimony after Nicholas Snethen.⁴ He is like David with his harp, when I am weary and dejected and wrapt in melancholy gloom, but the Spirit comes upon me and I bow like old Sampson, but I fear few of the Philistines are slain. Yet three days and 35 miles and I hope to meet our Western Conference.

Now for some of my little sorrows. My bowels are ill disposed, my mare’s back [is] swelled up; my foot is worse when I am low spirited, then I think I shall be lame for life. But the scab is scaled off and there is a little more strength in it, but there is some hard substance upon it, but I get along, my little fear is I am obliged to ride down the high mountains, because I cannot walk, and Jane⁵ does not know how to crook her joints down these precipices; and sometimes I am so pained in the hip on the lame side in riding; then again all is well. But I shall be as impatient as a Christian ought to be, to hear of you and many families in the city, to know how you stood the heat and to hear of you it did not generate the fever among you. I count nothing of my labours or sufferings, but this country will populate swiftly. We cannot go into a house without hearing of six and nine children in general whose families are of standing and our brethren are among the oldest settlers. They are poor as they say, and can hold from one, to three, or five thousand acres of most valuable limestone land rich to the top of the mountains. A chief hope is my coming will help in the arrangement of preachers. Snethen⁶ and me fit to a pee.

If you should have an opportunity you may send a line or two to Betsy Dickins⁷ and let her know matters are well with me, and my foot, all things considered. You will present me to all, tho to plead I was not present concerning appointments I take knowledge. Some know how matters are managed in the great Kingdom, about stationing the preachers. But as sure as our Episcopacy moves our preachers well, unless that awful society is devoted to destroy itself; more than one, that is Francis, think George by the Grace of God is the man. Do mind market⁸ preaching as long as possible, yea if possible till the snow comes over city, years are desperate. God will save the tombs of Judah first.

I am as ever thine

F. ASBURY

Methodist Historical Society of the Baltimore Conference

(Lovely Lane Museum)