July 23, 1814 — to Christopher Frye

America was in the throes of war. The church had suffered losses, preachers had died, and Asbury had been ailing more than usual. He was in very poor health and describes himself as a walking skeleton. As usual he is reporting statistics and urging the preachers to watch and pray.

PITTSBURGH, PA.

July 23, 1814

[TO CHRISTOPHER FRYE]¹

My Son:

Great, great grace attend us in these evil exile days [a line marked out], Oh may churches, pastors, people escape the dreadful slumber and be all awake! I hope you are pleased and diligent and useful in your new station. No more the glorious increase of 8, 10 or 18 or 20,000 added to the church; thro wasting sickness! and the thousands called to expeditions! The never to be forgotten Otterbein² said to me many years ago that war was the greatest judgment of God, and unproductive of any good because we would always be looking to men, means, and measures, and naturally forget God! Who should set every man against his brother? Last year Wm. Mills,³ hale, healthy, was found dead in his room or bed! This year Peter Moriarty⁴ was found dead in his bed! and formed [?] for his coffin, carried next day to one of his quarter meetings; one of the healthiest men in the New York Conference. At Philadelphia Conference Bishop McKendree and myself parted, some thought never to meet in times. Six weeks confinement, almost, given up by my doctors and friends, if the gates of death were near, they were gates of glory to me! Reduced beyond measure, total loss of appetite, 16 times blistered, 6 glistered,⁵ 3 times bled—heaven glory all in sight! the work of God plain to view the rectitude of my intention in all my labours, my martyr’s life and readiness for a martyr’s death! If God did hear the prayer, incessant prayers of the church in Philadelphia and New York, I can say, but my desire was certainly a touch of the prevailing epidemic. The head, the whole organical powers, the chest, the vital powers all prostrate! 3 hours rest only in a night, incessant cough! powerful expectoration! I am now a walking skeleton. I go in the way of duty. The greatest soul to preach and do duty, but bodily and mental powers weak!

Oh brother attend to all parts of your important duty in health next to the atonement and assurance of the justifying and underlying practical righteousness of Christ. It comforts me that I began so soon, and made such haste and to think on the souls sent to glory! Oh if the Methodists will walk by the same rules; in 50 years more British and Spanish America will be peopled with the gospel, and saints if it is 6 or 10,000 miles in length! Oh the Bible societies in Europe and America, spreading truth over all the world! Oh Africa! Oh Asia! The Isles of the sea! Come home the seed of Abraham! I hear of nothing special in the work of God. I write very few letters. I am sorry I shall not see you but I must weep over our eastern brethren. The New England Conference insolvent, in almost starvation. We have been longing for our Western Conference. I guess we do not fill up our loss by wastage expulsion and death this year. We shall come short in numeration, with lost 1,000 and so I fear every year as long as the war lasts. And no marvel we have not subjects by hundreds and thousands to attend our meetings, they being called out by thousands east, west, north and south.

You will write, on to Milledgeville, Georgia in November, if you please. Bishop McKendree his horse, his money fails, 200 miles to New England, his benevolence would not let him take his dividend. Possibly we receive this year only 140 dollars. I ride in state but what is to support me, a horse, 5 dollars in change, 20 dollars from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, from Jan. 16th to July 23rd, still on road we go in the strength of our God in the line of duty. I suppose Bishop McKendree will pass in about the 5th or 6th of August, but we must creep along as well as we can. If you have an opportunity of writing to Cincinnati, send on my love to all the fathers and mothers in travel, brethren and sisters. Tell them pray on, pray on, watch on, fight on, to the end. I remember the little children. God be gracious to us all as I am if possible more than ever yours with all the church of God, father, friend and brother,

F. ASBURY

Methodist Historical Society of the Baltimore Conference

(Lovely Lane Museum)