Letter to a Divine in Boston with Account of Visit to Bermuda
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N05002.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
LETTER From the REVEREND Mr. WHITEFIELD , TO A Reverend DIVINE in BOSTON ; Giving a Short Account of his late Visit to BERMUDA.
PHILADELPHIA: Printed by B. FRANKLIN and D. HALL. MDCCXLVIII.
A LETTER From the REVEREND Mr. WHITEFIELD , TO A Reverend DIVINE in BOSTON .
Bermuda , May 17. 1748.
Reverend Sir,
NINE Weeks ago I arrived here from from Charles-Town , and ere now I thought to have had the Pleasure of seeing you and my other dear Friends in New-England . This was the Reason why you have not heard from me before: But as Providence seems to point out to me another Course▪ I cannot omit this Opportunity of sending you a short Account of my late Excursion to Bermuda . I suppose you have heard of our safe and pleasant Passage: We were but nine Days I think on board, and I do not remember that I heard one single Oath from Land to Land. As we went round the West Part of the Island, in order to come into the Harbor, I was very much struck with the Variety of agreeable Prospects of Landskips it afforded. The Scene was quite new, and quite different from any I had ever beheld before; and though' I have been here so long, yet it appears very delightful to me still. Immediately upon my Arrival several received me in a plain, artless, free Manner, and desired me to expound the very first Evening. I readily complied, and continued so doing for several Days; and was so pleased with the Heartiness and Attention of the People, and Pleasantness of the Island, that I could not help thinking I was got among my Friends in some Part of South-Wales , or the Clothiers Country in Gloucestershire in England .—One Mr. Holyday , a Clergyman of the Church of England , received me with open Heart and Arms. The first Lord's Day after my Arrival, I read Prayers, and preached in two of his Parish Churches, and the longer I staid, the more kindly he behaved to me. The two other Church-Clergy chose to keep at a Distance: But one Mr. Paul , an aged Presbyterian Minister, was very free to let me have the Use of his Meeting-house, which being pretty large, and lying in a central Part of the Island, I preached in it to very large Auditories for eight Sundays successively. His Excellency the Governor was pleased to come and hear me when I preached in Town, and though' he thought proper (I suppose for fear of disobliging at Home) to prohibit my preaching anymore in the Churches; yet, with most of the Council, and principal Gentlemen of the Island, he treated me with great Respect, and invited me more than once to dine with him. I have now preached near seventy times in all. On the Week Days chiefly at private Houses up and down, in different Parts of the Island, sometimes within, sometimes without Doors, to larger Assemblies (as they tell me) than were ever seen upon any Occasion on this Island before. The longer I continued here, the larger the Auditories grew. The Word was frequently attended with a divine Power, and many have been brought under promsing Convictions, which I trust will issue in sound and saving Conversions. When I preached my Farewell Sermon last Lord's Day in the Meeting-House, we had a most solemn Season. It much resembled the Appearances that we had sometimes at Mr. Webb 's, and the other Meeting-houses, seven or eight Years ago at Boston . Tho I have been used to such frequent Partings, yet the People's Weeping almost unmann'd me. Since then I have received many Tokens of their Love, and am furnished with a Variety of Stock for my Sea Store. God willing, I have promised to visit them once more. For indeed Bermuda 's People are dear to me. I have spent nine happy Weeks among them, and was never so little opposed during so long a Stay in any one fresh Place where I have been since my first coming out into the World. Indeed many I hear were prejudiced against me before I came. But what cannot God do? He has the Hearts of all in his Hands, and when our Ways please Him, can make our Enemies be at Peace with us. My being at Bermuda hath been also blessed in some Measure to the restoring my bodily Health. The Air, particularly to a Stranger, is quite salubrious, at least I have found it to be so. You know in what a weak State I was when I left Boston . Blessed be God I can preach daily; and though' I think when I lay my Hand upon my Stomach, I can say, Hic haeret lethalis arundo ; yet I am as well as a worn-out Pilgrim can expect to be on this Side Eternity. In a few Days I hope to embark in the Brigantine Betsy, Captain Esteen , bound for England. Letters from thence inform me of the Spread of the Gospel. Thither I think the Providence of God calls me, though' I hope to return in a short Season to my beloved America again. Till then Farewell, dear Bermuda ; Farewell all my dear Friends on the different Parts of the Continent! Follow me, Oh follow me with your Prayers. Hold up your Hands in my Behalf, and by the Grace of God I will go on fighting. Oh that I may die in the Field! At present this is the Language of my heart;
You, Rev. Sir, I am persuaded, will not be unmindful of me. As the Lord enables, you, and all my dear Friends, shall ever be remembered by,
Reverend and dear Sir,
Your most affectionate, though' unworthy younger Brother, and Fellow Labourer, in our common Lord , G. WHITEFIELD.