In South Caeolina. 271 



well-nigh finishing in love the work which the day 

 before he began in wrath. He exchanged a noble 

 horse with Richardson, and taking another, went with 

 him to eight of his appointments before returning 

 home. 



The moral and religious condition of the country, 

 implied in these anecdotes of Mr. Richardson, is 

 described by Bishop Asbury a few years afterward. 

 Having crossed the Pacolet River, which was then 

 (1795) the south-western boundary of the Lincoln Cir- 

 cuit, he says: "My body is weak, and so is my faith 

 for this part of the vineyard. God is my portion, saith 

 my soul. This country improves in cultivation, wick- 

 edness, mills and stills; a prophet of strong drink 

 would be acceptable to many of these people. I be- 

 lieve the Methodist preachers keep clear both by 

 precept and example; would to God the members did 

 so too! Lord, have jnty on weeping, bleeding Zion! " 



The first Methodist church in North Carolina west 

 of the Catawba River was built in Lincoln county in 

 1791, in the neighborhood in which Daniel Asbury 

 settled wdien he located, and was called Rehoboth. 

 Before the erection of this church, the congregation 

 were accustomed to worship in the grove in the midst 

 of which it was built, and these meetings in the forest 

 resulted in great good, and were often continued 

 throughout the day and night. In 1794 the leading 

 male members of the Church consulted together and 

 agreed to hold a camp-meeting in this forest for a 

 number of days and nights. The meeting was ac- 

 cordingly appointed, and was conducted by Daniel 

 Asbury, William McKendree (afterward made bishop), 

 Nicholas Watters, and William Fulwood, who were 

 efficiently aided by Dr. James Hall, a celebrated 



