Continuation of Journal from Arrival at Savannah to Leaving Stanford, Journal · Journal entry 1 – Journal entry 7
A CONTINUATION Of the Reverend Mr. Whitefield's JOURNAL, FROM A few Days after his Arrival at Savannah, June the Fourth, TO His leaving Stanford, the laſt Town in New-England, October 29. 1740.
PHILADELPHIA: Printed and Sold by B. FRANKLIN, M, DCC, XLI.
A CONTINUATION OF Mr. WHITEFIELD'S JOURNAL.
EBENEZER in GEORGIA. Wedneſday, June 25. 1740.
WENT on Monday and return'd this Evening from Ebenezer, which I have ſeen with no ſmall Satisfaction. Surely there is a Difference, even in this Life, between thoſe that ſerve the LORD and thoſe that ſerve him not.— All other Places of the Colony ſeem to be like Egypt, where was Darkneſs; but Ebenezer, like the Land of Goſhen, wherein was great Light. For near Four Miles I walk'd in almoſt one continued Field, with a moſt plentiful Crop of Corn, Peaſe, Potatoes, &c. growing upon it, all the Produce of a few Months Labour. But GOD gives the Labourers a peculiar Bleſſing. They are unanimous, the Strong help the Weak, and all ſeem hearty for the common Good. In a few Years the Saltzburghers, I believe, will be a flouriſhing People. Their Land is tolerably good and lies very near the River. They already provide Food, and, ere long, will be capable of providing Raiment for themſelves. I ſhall ſend them up Cotton, Spinning-Wheels and a Loom, to begin a Manufactory; and next Year, I hope, their own Land will produce enough Flax, Cotton, &c. to carry it on. I had ſweet Communion with their Miniſters. Our Siſter Orphan-Houſe there is bleſſed by their Means; and Yeſterday was ſet apart as a Day of Thankſgiving, for ſome Aſſiſtances lately ſent the dear Lambs from Germany and Savannah. The People ſeem very grateful. They willingly receiv'd me into their little but cleanly Huts, and ſeem'd proud when I would accept any Thing from their Hands. Bleſſed be GOD! Certainly ſome Bleſſings are in Reſerve for Georgia. As I ſaid formerly, ſo I ſay again. They who help the Saltzburghers will do a good Work. They want Aſſiſtance. LORD, raiſe them up Benefactors, for thy infinite Mercies Sake.
SAVANNAH.
Friday, June 27. With great Comfort receiv'd Capt. Grant, who has been at Cape-Fear to fetch a Load of Boards, and return'd with the Sloop in Fourteen Days. He was receiv'd very courteouſly by the Head of the Inhabitants, and many, he tells me, were in Expectation of ſeeing me in North-Carolina. LORD ſend me whitherſoever and whenſoever it ſhall ſeem Good to thy divine Majeſty. Amen and Amen.
Monday, June 30. For theſe Ten Days laſt paſt have had frequent Communications from above, both by Way of Humiliation and Exaltation. GOD has often been pleas'd, ſince my Return, …o make himſelf known in our Sanctuary▪ and cauſed a mighty Power to attend the Word preach'd both in publick and private. I hav… been much refreſh'd with a Packet of Letters from Engliſh Friends. Providence ſeems to ſmile upon the Orphan-Houſe, and to proſper every Thing that I take in Hand. A wealthy, moral, civilized Planter of South-Carolina came …ately to ſee us, and GOD, I believe, has been pleaſed to give him a true Knowledge of himſelf, and a true Faith in his dear Son JESUS CHRIST. His Wife alſo was much quicken'd, having been wrought upon, by GOD, ſome Time laſt Winter. She was a great Admirer of Archbiſhop Tillotſon; but having her Eyes now open'd to diſcern ſpiritual Things, can no longer take up with ſuch Huſks, fit only for carnal, unawaken'd, unbelieving Reaſoners to eat. With this happy Pair (hearing both by Letters and otherwiſe, that Charles-Town People were in great Expectation of ſeeing me before I went to the Northward, and that GOD had been pleaſed to work by my late Miniſtry among them) I and a dear Friend left Savannah this Morning in a large Boat, built up one another in the Way, and arrived at Beaufort in Port-Royal about Midnight. Our Friend and his Wife went to a Relation's Houſe; but my Companion and I choſe to continue in the Boat, where our LORD was pleaſed to cauſe us to lie down and ſleep in Peace and Safety. Bleſſed, forever bleſſed be the Keeper of Iſrael, who neither ſlum…ereth nor ſleepeth!
BEAUFORT in PORT-ROYAL.
Tueſday, July 1. Felt a moſt ſweet and humbling Senſe of the divine Preſence in my Soul this Morning. Went▪ as ſoon as it was Light, to a Relation's of our Fellow Traveller, and afterwards had ſome cloſe Converſation with Mr. Jones, the Miniſter of the Pariſh, about the great Doctrines of the Goſpel. He receiv'd me with much Tenderneſs and Reſpect, but thought I went too far in condemning Archbiſhop Tillotſon. I think the Arguments I brought were concluſive; and the Account which my new Convert (being one of his Pariſhioners) gave of GOD's Dealing with his Soul was rational, and, as he confeſſed, ſatisfactory: But he could not ſee clearly into the Doctrine of Free Juſtification, without Regard to any Thing foreſeen in the Creature. However, being more noble than moſt of his other Brethren, he was candid and courteous; and, notwitſtanding he was in Danger of incurring the Diſpleaſure of the Commiſſary there…; yet he read Prayers, and requeſted me to preach in the Evening at his Church. I did, tho' to a ſmall Auditory, there being but little Notice given of my Preaching. After Sermon Mr. Jones return'd me Thanks; and having promiſed to preach again, GOD willing, in my Return to Savannah, I took my Leave, and ſpent the Evening with my Fellow-Travellers at their Relation's Houſe. May GOD convert every one related to them, and make them all Members of the Houſhold of Faith! Even ſo, LORD JESUS! Amen.
CHARLES-TOWN.
Thurſday, July 3. Set out Yeſterday Morning about One a Clock, and reached Mr. Bryan's Plantation about Ten. Stayed and dined comfortably together; wrote a few Letters; rode thro' extream Heat, put in and lay at a Planter's Houſe by Reaſon of the Thunder, Lightning and Rain. Breakfaſted this Morning at Mr. Bee's at Pon-pon; prayed; talked of the Things of GOD, and was enabled to hold out, notwithſtanding the Weather was exceeding hot, till I came to Charles-Town, about Eighty Miles from Beaufort. Here again my Spirits were much raiſed, and my Heart comforted by a Packet of Letters from the Northward, giving me Account how the Word of the LORD run and was glorified in Philadelphia and other adjacent Places: The LORD's Name be praiſed from the Riſing up of the Sun to the going down of the ſame.
Friday, July 4. Lay at a Gentlewoman's Houſe who came laſt Night to give me the Offer of her Houſe. Was viſited by many dear Friends of the Town, who were rejoiced to ſee me. Received a Letter from the Commiſſary, which I immediately anſwered. Wrote ſeveral Letters to Savannah. Diſpatch'd ſome Affairs for the Orphan-Houſe, and preached in the Evening, in the Independent Meeting-Houſe, to as large and attentive a Congregation as uſual. Bleſſed be GOD for giving the People a hearing Ear. — LORD give them alſo an obedient Heart, for thy dear Son's Sake! Amen.
Sunday, July 6. Preach'd twice Yeſterday and twice to Day, and had great Reaſon to believe our LORD got himſelf the Victory in many Hearts: For the Word was attended with Power. Went to Church Morning and Evening, and heard the Commiſſary preach as virulent and unorthodox, inconſiſtent Diſcourſe as ever I heard in my Life. His Heart ſeem'd full of Choler and Reſentment. Out of the Abundance thereof, he poured forth ſo many bitter Words againſt the Methodiſts (as he called them) in general, and me in particular, that ſeveral who intended to receive the Sacrament at his Hands withdrew. Never, I believe, was ſuch a Preparation Sermon preach'd before. I could not help thinking the Preacher was of the ſame Spirit with the Biſhop Gardner, in Queen Mary's Days, Afer Sermon he ſent his Clerk to desire me not to come to the Sacrament till he had ſpoke with me. I immediately retired to my Lodgings, rejoicing that I was accounted worthy to ſuffer this further Degree of Contempt for my dear LORD's Sake. Bleſſed JESUS, lay it not to the Commiſſary's Charge! Amen and Amen.
ASHLEY-FERRY.
Monday, July 7. Set out this Morning early, in Company with ſeveral, whoſe Hearts the LORD has lately open'd, and went to the Houſe of one Mr. Chanler, a gracious Baptiſt Miniſter, who lives about Fourteen Miles from Charles-Town. After Dinner, according to Appointment, I preach'd at his Meeting-Houſe, to the Conviction of ſome and Comfort of others, who came to me rejoicing, that the exploded Doctrines of the Goſpel were ſo publickly and ſucceſsfully ſpread abroad. Sermon being ended and much Importunity uſed, I went with ſome Charles-Town Friends to the Houſe of Mrs. Peters, about Five Miles from the Meeting-Houſe; but was obliged to lie down (as I now am generally every Day) by Reaſon of the violent Heat of the Weather, and great Expence of Sweat. However, GOD ſtrengthen'd me much at Night, and ſo aſſiſted me in giving an Exhortation to the Company that came with me, that all ſeem'd to be put under great Concern, and three or four in particular came out, tel…g me how powerfully GOD was working upon their Souls. Father, ſhew that it is thy eſpecial Work, by carrying it on and perfecting it till the Day of our LORD JESUS!
Dorcheſter and Aſhley-Ferry.
Tueſday, July 8. Left my Lodging about Eight this Morning, and haſted to Dorcheſter, where I preach'd twice with much of the divine Preſence, and to a large Audience, in Mr. Oſgood's Meeting-Houſe, a young Independent Miniſter. About Four in the Afternoon we ſet out again, took a little Refreſhment at a Gentleman's Houſe in the Way, and lay at Mr. Chanler's all Night. Here my bodily Strength much failed me again, and therefore, being very weak, retired to Bed as ſoon as poſſible, but ſlept very little. LORD haſten that bleſſed Time, when I ſhall ſleep no more.
Oh when ſhall I in endleſs Day,
Forever chaſe dark Sleep away:
And Hymns, with the ſupernal Choir,
Inceſſant ſing, and never tire!
Aſhley-Ferry and Charles-Town.
Wedneſday, July 9. Found myſelf ſtill weaker than before; but was ſtrengthen'd to preach under a Tree near Mr. Chanler's Meeting-Houſe about Ten in the Morning; The Houſe being now too ſmall to contain the Congregation. People ſeem'd to come from all Parts, and the Word (as I was told) came with a convincing Power. Having changed my Linnen, which I am obliged to do after every Sermon, by Reaſon of my prodigious ſweating, I haſten'd away for Charles-Town: But my Body was ſo exceeding weak, and the Sun ſhone ſo intenſly hot, that Five Miles before I reach'd Town, I called in at a publick Houſe, and lay for a conſiderable Time almoſt breathleſs and dead. But GOD poured ineffable Comforts into my Soul; and being thereby ſtrengthen'd in the inner Man, I once more ſet forward with my dear Fellow-Travellers, reach'd Town about Four, and preach'd about Six at the uſual Place and with much more Freedom and Power than could any Way be expected, conſidering the great Weakneſs of my Body. But I can do all Things thro' CHRIST'S ſtrengthening me. I thank thee holy Father, LORD of Heaven and Earth, that I have ſo often the Sentence of Death within myſelf! — Oh let me be daily taught thereby not in the leaſt to truſt in myſelf, but wholly in thee the everlaſting GOD!