Alexandria Gazette, Commercial And Political

The substance of a letter from the Rev. John W. Band, to the Rev. Bishop M-Kendree, giving a particular account of the death of the Rev. Francis Asbury, Senior Bishop of the Meth. Episcopal Church in the United States of America.

Spottsylvania, Va. April 1, 1816.

Rev. and Dear Sir.

Probably before this will reach you; you will have heard its solemn contents from an other source ; but still I feel it my duty to send you a particular account of what has taken place;-

Yesterday the Lord visited us with a most solemn and afflicting Providence: He has taken our venerable Father from us, Yes! Bishop Asbury is dead !

We reached the house of his old friend John Potts, in Manchester, on Saturday the 16th day of March.-On Sabbath he insisted on speaking to a congregation. to be convened at four o'clock in brother Potts' house. Though it was with difficulty he could be heard, yet he spoke for more than an hour; and, when done. did not appear so much exhausted as I expected.

On Monday. though the weather was unfavourable, we crossed over to Richmond, and put up with Brother Raymond. On Thursday we moved to Brother A. Foster s.

On Sunday, 24th, he persisted in a resolution to speak to the congregation at three o'clock in the afternoon. I feared the consequence, & urged every thing I could, with prudence, o dissuade him from it: but he said God had given him a work to do there, and he must deliver his testimony. At the time appointed he was carried into the Meeting house, and sat in the pulpit, on a table. when he preached his last sermon, from Rom. IX. chap.and 28th ver For he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness ; because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. He spoke near an hour, and when done was almost spent.

We, however sat out on Tuesday and travelled twenty-two miles. Brother Foster accompanied us to our old friend, Thomas Crenshaws.- being much fatigued, and very unwell. he tarried here on Wednesday, and requested that an appointment should be made, and word sent out that there would be preaching at four o'clock in the afternoon, saying " He wished those that were with him to do something, if he could not." A small congregation collected, to whom I preached, but our venerable Father was too unwell to come in. to the congregation.

On Thursday we again set out, and travelled twenty miles, and put up with our good friend and Brother, Edward Rouzee--here he was exceedingly feeble, though cheerful. We set out again on Friday: Brother Rouzee came several miles with us. and then took leave as one who was giving up his father to die. We dined at Brother Hancock's, and then proceeded to our old friend George Arnold's. travelling, in all this day about twelve miles; but I never saw him so much exhausted in travelling before.

He said to me, on Saturday morning, , " If this should be as good a day as yesterday, we can hardly help travelling some." It, however, rained, and I was not sorry to see it, wishing him to rest. It being proposed that we should have a meeting on Sabbath, I spake of sending - a note to a family about five miles off, who, would be much gratified to know it. The Bishop hearing it, replied. -" You need not be in a hurry:" which was so unusual a thing for him to say respecting meeting, especially on the Lord's day, that I concluded he apprehended that he would be too weak to bear the noise of a meeting in the house.

He spent a very restless night. and in the morning appeared more than usually - unwell. I proposed sending for a physician, the family saying, that there was a Dr. Lewis, a practitioner of eminence, about ten or twelve miles off. He objected, saying, - I shall not be able to tell him what is the matter with me, and the man will not know what to do." On my urging it again, he said, "He could only pronounce me dead." I said, " Probably he could give you something that would relieve you " He replied, " My breath will be gone before he can get here." I said, " I hope you have no apprehension of any thing serious taking place, have you ?" He answered " Yes."

After a while I asked him, " Whether if any thing serious should take place he had any word to leave with me. He , said. He had spoken, and written so fully, that it was unnecessary. I told him " that I had heard him speak so frequently on the affairs of the church :that I believed I understood his sentiments fully." He replied,-" Yes."

After a while, asking the hour of the day, and being told it was near eleven, he asked if it was not " time for meeting," being told that there were none present but the family, he replied,- call them together, I want to have meeting," They being collected, I read what was our Lesson for the day, the 21st. Chapter of the book of Revelation ; it being remarkable that the last chapter in the Revelation, which in course would have been read in the evening, should be the Lesson which should close the day on which he closed his labours.

During the whole of the meeting his soul seemed much engaged, and as it was truly an affecting time. he appeared much elevated and raised his hands frequently in token of triumph. When meeting was over, he called on me to " read the mite subscription." But being told that there were none present but the family he said no more. His calling for this to be read shews that even the pangs of death were not able to wrest from him the interest of the missions which lay with so much weight on his mind.

After this his voice failed, but still he gave evidence that he possessed his reason to the last. A little before he died. finding that I was affected at his not being able to take a little barley water which I offered to him. in a tea-spoon, he lifted up his hand towards Heaven in token that he should soon be there. 'I then asked him if he found that Jesus was present ? when he raised both his hands toward Heaven with an expression which I shall never forget. He then without a groan or complaint, fell asleep in the arms of his Saviour, at four o'clock on Sunday the 31st of March, eighteen hundred and sixteen.

Yours, with respect, . JOHN W. BOND.

Rev. Bishop M'Kendree.