Continuation of Journal from Savannah to Arrival at Rhode Island, Journal · Entry 1 – Entry 7
A CONTINUATION Of the Reverend Mr. Whitefield's JOURNAL
From Savannah, June 25. 1740. to his Arrival at Rhode-Iſland, his Travels in the other Governments of New-England, to his Departure from Stanford for New-York.
BOSTON, Printed by D. FOWLE, for S. KNEELAND and T. GREEN over-againſt the Priſon in Queen-ſtreet. 1741.
A CONTINUATION OF Mr. WHITEFIELD's JOURNAL, &c.
Ebenezer.
WEdneſday, June 25. Went on Monday, and returned 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 did I walk 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 Weak help the Strong, and all ſeem hearty for the common Good. In a few Years the Saltzburghers I believe will be a flouriſhing People. Their Land is tollerable good, and lies very near the River. They already provide Food, and e're long will be capable of providing Raiment for themſelves. I ſhall ſend 'em up Cotton, and 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, or 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 received me into their little, but cleanly Huts, and ſeemed proud when I would accept any Thing from their Hands. Bleſſed be God, certainly ſome Bleſſings are in Store 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 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 pleaſed ſince my Return to make himſelf known in our Sanctuary, and cauſed a mighty Power to attend the Word preached both in publick and private. I have 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 lately 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 quickn'd, having been wrought upon by God ſome time laſt Winter; ſhe was a great Admirer of Archbiſhop Tillotſon, but having her Eyes now opened to diſcern ſpiritual Things, can no longer take up with ſuch Huſks, fit only for carnal, unawakened, 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, 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 lye down and ſleep in Peace and Safety. Bleſſed, forever bleſſed be the Keeper of Iſrael, who neither ſlumbreth 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 'twas Light to a Relation's of our Fellow-Travellers, and afterwards had ſome cloſe Converſation with Mr. Jones the Miniſter of the Pariſh, about the great Doctrines of the Goſpel; he received 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 Pariſhoners) 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 then moſt of his other Brethren, he was candid and courteous, and notwithſtanding he was in Danger of incurring the Diſpleaſure of the Commiſſary thereby, 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 returned 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 Relations Houſe. May God convert every one related to 'em, and make 'em all Members of the Houſhold of Faith! Even ſo Lord Jeſus. Amen
Charles-Town.
Thurſday, July 3. Set out Yeſterday Morning about One o'Clock, and reach'd Mr. Bryan's Plantation about 10, ſtay'd 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. Bees at Ponpon, pray'd, talk'd of the Things of God, and was enabled to hold out notwithſtanding the Weather was exceeding hot, 'till I came to Charles-Town, about 80 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 invited by many dear Friends of the Town, who were rejoiced to ſee me. Receiv'd a Letter from the Commiſſary, which I immediately anſwered; wrote ſeveral Letters to Savannah; diſpatch'd ſome Affairs for the Orphan-Houſe, and preach'd in the Evening in the Independents Meeting-Houſe to as large and attentive a Congregation as uſual. Bleſſed be God for giving the People a hearing Ear; Lord give 'em 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 … 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 ſeemed 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 Biſhop Gardner in Queen Mary's Days. After 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 Lodging, 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 opened, and went to the Houſe of one Mr. Chanler, a gracious Baptiſt Miniſter, who lives about 14 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. Peter's about 5 Miles from the Meeting-Houſe, but was obliged to lay down (as I now am generally every Day) by reaſon of the violent Heat of the Weather, and great Expence of Sweat.—However God ſtrengthened me much at Night, and ſo aſſiſted me in giving an Exhortation to the Company that came with me; that all ſeemed to be put under great Concern; and three, or four, in particular came out, telling 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 8 this Morning, and haſted to Dorcheſter, where I preached twice with much of the Divine Preſence, and to a large Audience in Mr. Oſgood's Meeting-Houſe, a young independent Miniſter. About 4 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 at 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 Chair.
Inceſſant ſing, and never thee.
Aſhley-Ferry and Charles-Town.
Wedneſday, July 9. Found myſelf ſtill weaker than before, but was ſtrengthned to preach under a Tree near Mr. Chanler's Meeting-Houſe about 10 in the Morning. The Houſe being now too ſmall to contain the Congregation, People ſeemed 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 haſtened away for Charles-Town, but my Body was ſo exceeding weak and the Sun ſhone ſo intenſely hot, that five Miles before I reached Town, I call'd 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 ſtrengthned 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, then could any Ways be expected, conſidering the great Weakneſs of my Body: I can do all Things, thro' Chriſt 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 daily be taught thereby not in the leaſt to truſt in my ſelf, but wholly in thee the everla…ing God!