“I always looked upon the jerks as a judgment sent from God, first, to bring sinners to repentance, and, secondly, that God could work with or without means, and that he could work over and above means and do whatsoever seemeth him good to the glory of his grace and the salvation of the world.  There is no doubt in my mind that, with weak-minded, ignorant, and superstitious persons, there was a great deal of sympathetic feeling with many that claimed to be under the influence of this jerking exercise, and yet with many it was perfectly involuntary.  It was on all occasions my practice to recommend fervent prayer as a remedy, and it almost universally proved an effectual antidote.”

The excitement of the religious revivals plunged many of the people into excesses.  They prophesied, dreamed dreams, and saw visions, and troubled the young preacher exceedingly, but he set his face sternly against all such disorders, and pronounced their visions and messages to be from the devil.  One of these dreamers came to him one day and told him he had a message from heaven for him.

“Well,” said Cartwright, “what is it?”

“It has been revealed to me,” said the fellow, “that you are never to die, but are to live forever.”

“Who revealed that to you?”

“An angel.”

“Did you see him?” asked Cartwright, dryly.

“O, yes; he was a beautiful, white, shining being.”

“Did you smell him?” asked Peter, bluntly.

The man looked at him in amazement, and the preacher continued, sternly, “Well, did the angel you saw smell of brimstone?  He must have smelled of brimstone, for he was from a region that burns with fire and brimstone, and consequently from hell, for he revealed a great lie to you if he told you I was to live forever.”

The dreamer turned off abruptly, and disappeared amidst the jeers of the crowd that had listened to the conversation.

On the 16th of September, 1806, Mr. Cartwright was ordained a deacon in the Methodist Episcopal Church by Bishop Asbury, and on the 4th of October, 1808, Bishop McKendree ordained him an elder.  Upon receiving deacon’s orders he was assigned to the Marietta Circuit.  His appointment dismayed him.  Says he:  “It was a poor, hard circuit at that time.  Marietta and the country round were settled at an early day by a colony of Yankees.  At the time of my appointment I had never seen a Yankee, and I had heard dismal stories about them.  It was said they lived almost entirely on pumpkins, molasses, fat meat, and bohea tea; moreover, that they could not bear loud and zealous sermons, and they had brought on their learned preachers with them, and they read their sermons and were always criticising us poor backwoods preachers.  When my appointment was read out it distressed me greatly.  I went to Bishop Asbury and begged him to supply my place and let me go home.  The old father took me in his arms and said:  ’O, no, my son; go in the name of the Lord.  It will make a man of you.’