Page images
PDF
EPUB

"and been examined in some part of it, I endeavour to "explain it at large, and to enforce that part, both on them "and the congregation.

"Some time after the evening service, as many of my "parishioners as desire it, meet at my house, as they do " also on Wednesday evenings, and spend about an hour "in prayer, singing and mutual exhortation. A smaller "number (mostly those who design to communicate the "next day) meet here on Saturday evenings; and a few of "these come to me on the other evenings, and pass half an "hour in the same employment."

Friday, March 4, I wrote the Trustees for Georgia an account of the last year's expence, from March 1, 1736, to March 1, 1737, which, deducting extraordinary expences, such as repairing the parsonage house, and journeys to Frederica, amounted for Mr. Delamotte and me to 441. 4s. 4d.

From the directions I received from God this day, touching an affair of the greatest importance, I could not but observe, as I had done many times before, the entire mistake of those, who assert, "God will not answer your prayer, unless your heart be wholly resigned to his will." My heart was not wholly resigned to his will. Therefore, not daring to depend on my own judgment, I cried the more earnestly to him, To supply what was wanting in me. And I know and am assured, He heard my voice, and did send forth his light and his truth.

Thursday 24, A fire broke out in the house of Robert Hows, and in an hour burnt it to the ground. A collection was made for him the next day; and the generality of the people shewed a surprising willingness, to give a little out of their little, for the relief of a necessity greater than their own.

About this time Mr. Lacy of Thunderbolt called upon me; when observing him to be in a deep sadness, I asked, What was the reason of it? And a terrible one indeed he gave in the relation following:

In 1733, David Jones, a saddler, a middle aged man,

who had for some time before lived at Nottingham, being at Bristol, met a person there; who after giving him some account of Georgia, asked, Whether he would go thither? Adding, his trade (that of a saddler) was an exceeding good trade there, upon which he might live, creditably and comfortably. He objected his want of money to pay his. passage, and buy some tools which he should have need of. The gentleman told him, He would supply him with that, and hire him a shop when he came to Georgia, wherein he might follow his business, and so repay him, as it suited his convenience. Accordingly to Georgia they went; where, soon after his arrival, his master, as he now styled himself, sold him to Mr. Lacy, who set him to work with the rest of his servants in clearing land. He commonly appeared much more thoughtful than the rest, often stealing into the woods alone. He was now sent to do some work on an island three or four miles from Mr. Lacy's great plantation. Thence he desired the other servants to return without him, saying, he would stay and kill a deer. This was on Saturday. On Monday they found him on the shore with his gun by him, and the fore part of his head shot to pieces. In his pocket was a paper book, all the, leaves thereof were fair, except one, on which ten or twelve verses were written; two of which were these, which I transcribed thence from his own hand-writing :

"Death could not a more sad retinue find;

Sickness and pain before, and darkness all behind I"

Sunday, April 3, and every day in this great and holy week, we had a sermon and the holy communion.

Monday 4, I began learning Spanish, in order to converse" with my Jewish parishioners; some of whom seem nearer the mind that was in Christ, than many of those who call him Lord.

Tuesday 12, Being determined, if possible, to put a stop to the proceedings of one in Carolina, who had married several of my parishioners without either banns or licence, and declared, "He would do so still;" I set out in a sloop for Charles-Town. I landed there on Thursday, and related

the case to Mr. Garden, the Bishop of London's Commissary, who assured me, he would take care no such irregularity should be committed for the future.

Sunday 17, Mr. Garden, to whom I must ever acknowledge myself indebted for many kind and generous offices, desiring me to preach, I did so, on those words of the epistle for the day, Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. To that plain account of the Christian state which these words naturally led me to give, a man of education and character seriously objected, what is indeed a great truth, "Why if this be Christianity, a Christian must have more courage than Alexander the Great."

Tuesday 19, We left Charles-Town; but meeting with stormy and contrary winds, after losing our anchor, and beating out at sea all night, on Thursday 21, we with some difficulty got back into Charles-Town harbour.

Friday 22, It being the time of their annual visitation, I had the pleasure of meeting with the clergy of South Carolina; among whom in the afternoon there was such a conversation for several hours, on Christ our Righteousness, as I had not heard at any visitation in England, or hardly on any other Occasion.

Saturday 23, Mentioning to Mr. Thompson, Minister of St. Bartholomew's, near Ponpon, my being disappointed of a passage home by water, he offered me one of his horses if I would go by land, which I gladly accepted of. He went with me twenty miles, and sent his servant to guide me the other twenty to his house. Finding a young Negroe there, who seemed more sensible than the rest, I asked her, how long she had been in Carolina? she said, two or three years; but that she was born in Barbadoes, and had lived there in a minister's family from a child. I asked whether she went to church there? she said, "Yes, every sunday, to carry my mistress's children." I asked what she had learned at church? she said, "Nothing; I heard a deal, but did not understand it." "But what did your master teach you at home?" "Nothing." "Nor your mistress?" "No." I asked, "But don't you know that your hands and feet,

and this you call your body, will turn to dust in a little time?" she answered, "Yes." "But there is something in you that will not turn to dust, and this is what they call your soul. Indeed you cannot see your soul, though it is within you; as you cannot see the wind, though it is all about you. But if you had not a soul in you, you could no more see, or hear, or feel, than this table can. What do you think will become of your soul, when your body turns to dust ?" "I don't know." "Why, it will go out of your body, and go up there, above the sky, and live always. God lives there. Do you know who God is?" "No." "You cannot see him, any more than you can see your own soul; it is He that made you and me, and all men and women, and all beasts and birds, and all the world. It is He that makes the sun shine, and rain fall, and corn and fruits to grow out of the ground. He makes all these for us. But why, do you think, He made us? What did He make you and me for ?" "I cannot tell." "He made you to live with himself above the sky; and so you will in a little time,—if you are good. If you are good, when your body dies your soul will go up, and want nothing; and have whatever you can desire. No one will beat or hurt you there. You will never be sick. You will never be sorry any more, nor afraid of any thing. I can't tell you, I do not know how happy you will be; for you will be with God."

The attention with which this poor creature listened to instruction is inexpressible. The next day she remembered all, readily answered every question; and said, she would ask him that made her, to show her how to be good.

Sunday 24, I preached twice at Ponpon chapel, on the 13th chapter of the 1st Epistle to the Corinthians. O how will even these men of Carolina, who come eight, ten, or twelve miles to hear the gospel, rise in judgment against those who hear it not, when it is preached at their own doors!

Wednesday 27, I came to Mr. Belinger's plantation at Chulifinny, where the rain kept me till Friday. Here I

met with an half Indian (one that had an Indian mother and a Spanish father), and several Negroes, who were very desirous of instruction. One of them said, "When I was at Ashley-ferry, I went to church every Sunday. But here we are buried in the woods. Though if there were any church within five or six miles, I am so lame I cannot walk, but I would crawl thither."

Mr. Belinger sent a Negro-lad with me to Purrysburg, or rather to the poor remains of it. O how hath God stretched over this place the lines of confusion, and the stones of emptiness! Alas for those whose lives were here vilely cast away, through oppression, through divers plagues and (roubles! O earth! How long wilt thou hide their blood! How long wilt thou cover thy slain !

This lad too I found both very desirous and very capable of instruction. And perhaps one of the easiest and shortest ways to instruct the American Negroes in Christianity, would be first to inquire after and find out some of the most serious of the planters. Then having inquired of them which of their slaves were best inclined and understood English, to go to them from plantation to plantation, staying as long as appeared necessary at each. Three or four gentlemen in Carolina I have been with that would be sincerely glad of such an assistant; who might pursue his work with no more hinderance than must every where attend the preaching of the gospel.

Saturday 30, I came to Savannah, and found my little' flock in a better state than I could have expected; God having been pleased greatly to bless the endeavours of my fellew-labourer, while I was absent from them.

Wednesday, May 18, I discovered the first convert to Deism that, I believe, has been made here. He was one that for some time had been zealously and exemplarily religious; but indulging himself in what is called harmless company, he first made shipwreck of his zeal, and then of his faith. I have since found several others that have been attacked; they have as yet maintained their ground. But

« PreviousContinue »