March 22, 1810 — to Nelson Reed
BETHEL, MARYLAND
ASB_VOL3.PDF, PDF page 534
Two main concerns disturb Asbury’s mind, his Journal and the Baltimore Road prisoners. For some time he had been trying to get his Journal into print. He wanted to leave something for posterity. BETHEL, MARYLAND
March 22, 1810
[TO NELSON REED]1
My dear Nelson:
Great grace support thee. Die! Die! my brother in the field, in the harness! Our conference was not as bad as I feared, nor as good as I hoped, believed, desired and prayed. It is reappointed, I am content. I have not done it. I wish to do all for the best. Some circumstances; his family; and visiting Virginia,2 extensively, will prevent Bishop McKendree from visiting the west of Maryland next year, as I wished. I purpose not to be at Georgetown near the first of March. You will lay out in your wisdom a plan of 10 or 12 days through Prince George’s, St. Marys and Calvert, so as to come in the day before the eve of conference. I have this in view; not to go by Baltimore again, but from the Federal City.3 I wish to spend 5 or 6 days at Foxalls,4 in reading about 1000 pages of my journal5 in the 3rd copy now taking by John Dickins, and Dr. Wilkins,6 in order to correct some names of places, and some other matters, and leave as perfect a copy behind me as I can. Every thing personal, geographical, and prolix will go out, the most spiritual, and historical parts will be reserved. My reason for stopping at Georgetown will be to take my appointments right; I shall be welcome; I shall be retired. You will write me fully to Lancaster by the last of July, you will scan a plan, and prepare to travel with me. Be assured my dear son I have no jealousy of your administration, no want of confidence in you. You have, you will labour for souls, you and myself at this time of life might seek our ease, but we dare not, least [lest] we should be damned. My dear I feel! I feel! for the Baltimore Road prisoners. Oh that some local brother would consent to preach to them every Sabbath, one that could gain their confidence, they are degraded far below domestick slavery, but their rights as they respect the Gospel, they ought not, no State should dare to rob them of this. Oh help those outcastes, those dregs of human nature, precious, perishing souls. Like going from Jerusalem to Jericho, they have fallen among thieves, they have stript them by leading them into sin, wounded them, leaving them half dead, politically dead by the law, sunk into heathenism, but oh let them have the Gospel, do, do my dear do something for them if possible, save these from utter destruction and sweeten the bitters of their affliction, I advise not any other persons but the preacher and his prisoners, be [?] his congregation, perhaps two could attend, one to preach and one to exhort. Your last letter came back to Baltimore. I am thine,
F. AY.
Drew University Library
Notes (6)
- Presiding elder, Baltimore District. ↩
- McKendree was born in King William County, Virginia. However, he became identified with what was then the West. His grave is on the Vanderbilt University Campus, Nashville, Tennessee. ↩
- Federal City. “The first communication on record, in arrangements for laying out this city, is from the pen of Gen. Washington dated on the 11th March, 1791: which in a subsequent letter of the 30th of April 1791, he calls the Federal City. The name which it now (1830) bears, City of Washington” was adopted about four months afterward, probably without the knowledge of General Washington. In a letter addressed to Major L’Enfant by the first commissioners as follows, dated “Georgetown, Sept. 9, 1791.” (The letter follows.) “Historical sketches of the Ten Mile Square forming the District of Columbia with a picture of Washington, 1830,” by Jonathan Elliot, 95, 96. (Jacob S. Payton.) ↩
- Henry Foxall, an Englishman, who knew Asbury’s mother, was converted in Ireland. He came to America and had foundries in Philadelphia and Georgetown. He was a wealthy man and gave the site and provided the funds for the new church, the Foundry in Washington. He died in England in 1823. (See Boehm, Reminiscences, 412-13.) ↩
- Several persons worked on the Journal—Dickins, Wilkins, Haskins, Hollingsworth. ↩
- See note on Wilkins, Preface to Wesley’s Physic, — 1814, note 4. ↩