The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-05
WHITEFIELD'S DIARY.
Ye Saint in Savannah-Town $50 Years
Ago.

mlnuet" with hair be-Dowdered and face
be-patched like the beautiful sinners Of the
time of Louis Qlinzs,n it may not be
undressing to catch a glimpse Of an old
fashioned saint of that time
As the reward OF rainy-day rummage
IN an old library, we found a little brown
leather book entitled journal of Voyage
TO Georgia" by George Whitefield, A. B.,
containing many curious observations and
edlIylng reflections on the several occur
rences that ha?psned during the voyage,
printed and sold by b. Franklin in Market
street, 1888.
Many have doubtless read the biography
OF TINS great and good man, but the truest
sketch, though slight, must be the one
drawn With his own hand in this little jour
nal While it is pervaded with an uncon-
sclous dignity and fervent piety, he often
wrote down things in sober earnest that to
the irreverent young America of to-day
seem but quaint absurdities, e. g., chad
most blessed conversation with my friends
today concerning their interiOrn
W ent on board of the Amy, read pray
ers, and preached to above 200 hearers.
ana marryd a couple which did rot behave
SO well as l could wish. The bridegroom
laughed several times in the midst of the
solemnity, on which l shut up the book,
nut he showing his repentance BY weeping,
l then preceded, and gave to him and the
bride Bible as the best present l could
make them"
HAD good instance of breaking chill
dren's wills betlmes. Last night as | was
gong between decks l asked one of the
women to bid her little boy that stood
by her to say his prayers. She an
swered his elder sister would, but
she could not make him. Upon this
l bid the child kneel down
before me, but he would not till took him
by the feet and forced him down, | then
BID him say the Lords PRAYER, being in
formed by his mother he could say it if he
would, but he obstinately refused, till at
last, when l had given him several blows,
he said his prayers as well as l could expect.
gave him some figs as a reward, and 10!
this same child, though not above years
of age, came tonight upon the deck when
the other children came to say their pray
ers, and would not 60 away till he had said
his too"
Once little boy behaved very badly in
church and his parents asked MIR. White
fields advice as to which way he should be
punished for SO heinous a crime He ad-
vised that he should first be chastised and
then tyed until he could repeat the nine
teenth Psalm"
"Old-time severity" you sayl And yet
he was one of the most progressive men of
his day. and especially fond of children.
Doesn't the orphan house stand to-day as a
monument to his love for thema
lie was looked upon with distrust or posi-
tive hatred by the clergy of that time, who
refused to lend him their pulpits and
preached diatribes against him. They
never accused him of false doctrine. but
said he was out of order and drew the
people away from their proper shepherds.
Once the chancellor of Bristol sent for him
to expostulate with him about the horrible
habit he had of preaching at inns,
bowling greens, fairs, etc. Here is his ac-
count of the term ination of the interview:
The chancellor then said, 4 am resolved,
sir, II you preach or expound anywhere in
this diocese without a license | will first
suspend, and then excommunicate you |
then took my leave. He waited on me
very clvllly to the door and told what no
had done was in the name of the clergy,
and laity of Bristol And so we parted
Went home and Joined in prayer for the
chancellor, then went Immediately to New
gate and expouDded to the prisoners as
usual
He was two and half months making
the voyage from Gibraltar to Savannah,
although they fled as it were on the wings
of the wind, going sometimes 10, some
times us miles in the twenty four hours -
On the 9TH of May, 1877, he "arrived at
Savannah town, about seven in the evening"
and Joined in prayer and a psalm of
thanksgiving with Mr.. Delamotte and some
pious souls who were rejoiced at my
arrival
May S.-"Begun to read and ex-
pound the second lesson at 5 O'clock in
the morning to seventeen adults and twenty
five children. In the afternooi Mr. Can
ston sent word that he and the magistrates
would wait upon me- | was treated with
great civility and it was resolved that
should have house and tabernacle built at
Frederick and serve at Savannah when and
as long as ! pleased
May lev to see 'Tomo Cachi' ian
INDIAN, who l heard was near expiring at
q neighbours house. He lay on a blanket.
thin and meager, and little else but skin
and bones 'Sewankl' sat by tanning him
with some Indian feathers. There was
nobody that could talk English SO | could
only shake hands and leave him.
May 81 went this morning to two
little villages, Hampstead and Highgate,
about five miles off Savannah; the former
consists of three families, making in all
eleven sou s-one man a Jew, two men, one
woman aud seven children, SlUiSSerS
was much delighted with seeing the i'm
provements a few pair of hands had made
III their respective plantations. Surely
they speak not the truth who say that the
Georgia people have been idle, for never
saw more labo Tious people dhan are in these
villages. | was at a loss, because / could
not talk French, but | resolved t. visit
them once a week and read prayers to as
many as could understand me- | also in
quired into the state of their children and
found that there were many who might
prove useful members of the colony if there
was proper place provided for their main
tenence and education. Nothing can effect
this but an orphan house, which might be
rich in this worlds goods contribu o toward
it.
Mdy 20.-"Went once more to see
'Tomo Cachi,' hearing his nephew, Too
anoowee,' who was there could talk En-
glish. | desired of him to inquire of his
uncle if he thought he should die, who an
swered he could not tell. l then asked
where he thought he should go after death?
He replied-to heaven. But, alas How can
a drunkard enter there. | then exhorted
Tooauoowee (who is tail, proper youth
MOTTO get drunk, telling him he could talk
English and, therefore, would be punished
more if he did not live better. | then asked
him if he believed in heaven? He answered
yes | then asked him il he believed in
hell, and described it by pointing to the
fire. He replied No. From whence we may
easily gather how natural it is for all man
kind to believe there is a place of happi-
ness because they wish it to be so, and on
the contrary they are averse to believe
place of torment because they wish it may
not be SO. But God is true and just, and
just as surely as the good shall go into ever