August 9, 1810 — to Zachary Myles

Zachary Myles was one of Asbury’s close lay friends who kept him in touch with England. Here Asbury reports of the work, as he frequently did to the preachers.

SHIPPINSBURG, PA.

August 9, 1810

[TO ZACHARY MYLES]¹

My dear Brother:²

The God of all grace and consolation be with, and bless you and yours. Our Minutes were sent late to the press, and are not yet in circulation. We have stationed at the Western Conference 82 preachers; at the Southern 72; at that of Virginia, 75; Baltimore, 85; Genesee, 63; New York, 84; New England, 85; and Philadelphia, 73; in all, 619 preachers. The annual duty of our superintendents is great. They have to visit eight conferences; and make arrangements for near 620 preachers. They have to ride near 6000 miles in eight months through wildernesses and devious lonely wilds: sometimes are water-bound, but never weather-bound. We added 99 preachers this year, 51 have located. I do not doubt but some of our preachers labour and suffer as much as ever, but I fear others of us are growing slothful. I rejoice that we hold the truth of the Gospel. I know not a man in the ministry among us that holds the unconditional infallible perseverance³ of the saints. Sabbath-meetings, quarter-meetings, and camp-meetings are very numerous, and of building preaching-houses there is no end. Other denominations are imitating us in watch night-meetings, society-meetings, and women’s prayer-meetings. I expect this fall will be a time of great ingathering. I must smile at the strictures of men of small and sour minds upon our administration. What was America 200 years ago? What was Methodism 40 years ago? There was everything to be done, things were not made ready for our hands. Could the preachers come from Cumberland and Kentucky to Baltimore Conference? Or from Georgia and South Carolina to old Virginia? Or from Boston and the District of Maine to New York? Or from Upper Canada to New York? Or from Lake Ontario to Philadelphia or the Eastern Shore? These questions must be answered in the negative. It was no small task for young men to go among the Indian depredators; and from fort to fort, as Wilson Lee did, with his life in his hand, to preach the Gospel.

I thank you for your European information. Present me to your Brother.⁴ Write to me whenever you please, as most of the letters fall into my hands. I have no retreat. I cannot do what I wish, i.e. answer all the letters sent me by preachers. But I do not write, save on special occasions, to any but those that write to me. Bishop M’Kendree is not in good health. He had taken the North-West-Route, intending to go to the banks of the Missouri, from whence he was called by his Episcopal office. We hope to meet at the Western Conference. I commend you to God, and the word of his grace. Yours in Jesus,

FRANCIS ASBURY

The Methodist Magazine, 1810, 483. Transcribed by Frank Baker