Extract of a Letter from Georgia.

Bethesda, December 12, 1741.

         I have heard something of the surprising Progress of the Gospel in Scotland and New-England. – Surely the Lord is with you of a Truth. – In reading the Prayer of Jacob this Morning, Gen. 32. I was led to apply these Words to you: With my Staff have I passed over this Jordan, and now I am become two Bands: And I don’t doubt when under a Sense of God’s distinguishing Mercy to and for you, you will say with good Jacob in the preceeding Words – I am not worthy of the least of all thy Mercies, and all the Truth which thou hast shewed unto thy Servant. – It’s remarkable of all the Saints in the Book of God, the more condescending Favours they receiv’ed from God, the more they were abased in themselves. Thus it was with David; Who am I, Lord God! – O my Brother, my Friend! What is God doing for and by you! The Lord sustain and strengthen you. – Sure I am you need a Thorn in the Flesh: whether it will be by inward or outward Trials, God knows. However, come what will, I am perswaded all shall work together for good. – Go on, my dear Brother, fight the Lord’s Battles! Still give the Saints more Reason to bless God for the Grace that is in you, remembring him that hath said, Lo, I am with you alway!

         Mr. J. B. gives a sweet Account of eight or nine Negroes that have lately received Jesus! and many more seem to be under Soul-concern. We have many great and precious Promises made by the God of Truth and Mercy, that his Glory shall cover the Earth. The Council of the Lord shall stand; and who knows how near its Accomplishment may be! We have sufficient Ground to support the greatest Expectation: And to hope [no. 72, p. 1] that the Negroes lately converted, are the First-fruits of a glorious Harvest among that poor ignorant People. A Person told me, he believ’d when our God would call the Indians and Negroes, it would be by the plain simple Preaching of the Gospel, and not, as some have imagined, by teaching them Reading, &c. though he added, he would not dissuade any one from making use of the Means. And indeed the Conversio of these Negroes gives some Ground to this Supposition. – They were, except two or three of them, to a Degree ignorant; as you know they generally are in South America, and now no more of Literature, than their Fellow-Men in Africa, who are hardly civiliz’d. God made use of a young Man, named Gilbert, awakened under your Ministry at Bethesda last Christmas, to convince some of them of their fallen State, and their Need of Christ: God arrested them with such Power, that they seem’d to lose the Use of their bodily Senses; and from great Agonies of Mind, some were made to joy in God in one Hour, some in a Day, some in two or three Days. Mr. B. observed, God seem’d to deal with them according to their Light and Knowledge; the most ignorant were soon eased; others that were more knowing, and consequently had more carnal Reasoning, were longest under Trouble. And he added, with a particular Emphasis of Faith, that he believed God was about to convert most, if not all the Negroes roudn about them. I asked Mr. B—n if they made worse Servants for embracing Christ – No! says he; poor Creatures! they are so filled with Love to all the white People for Christ’s Sake, that they know not how to do enough for them. – Indeed, says he, such Christianity that some have been taught amongst us, has puffed up their Minds, and made them worse instead of better; but true. Chrisitanity always makes People humble and obedient. Blessed be God for this Day of small Things. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!

         We all enjoy a great Share of Health but your unworthy Friend. I am continually ailing in the outward, tho’ I trust God thereby sanctifies the inward Man. – It’s Matter of Wonder and Thankfulness, that not one Person [p. 2] in the Family, nor any that have been employ’d about it (though sometimes with the Workmen and Labourers, no less than 130) have died since we came to live at Bethesda. Blessed be God, our Settlement, as to outward Things, becomes more comfortable every Day.

Text: The Weekly History, Saturday, 14 August 1742, no. 71, p. 4, and Saturday, 21 August 1742, no. 72, pp. 1-2.  A likely candidate for the authorship of the above letter is James Habersham, who was an early leader of the Bethesda Orphanage and correspondent of George Whitefield.