The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-27
BETHESDA'S OAKS.

that the good that George Whitefield
did. lives, and this evidence has been
accommodating ever since his death.
The record is not at hand, but it is
estimated that this institution. and
the Union Society have cared for at
least 5000 boys They represent
generations of men and women scatter
ed over a large part of the world. But
few of them may have become known
10 fame. but from what we know of
those of later years we do not hesitate
&c say that the greater majority OF
them played their part well in life's
drama. From one act of Whitetield'
the founding of this institution, has re-
suited a great amount of good. White
fields life was full of good deeds, and
vast indeed must have been the volume
of good that lived after him, and still
lives.
IT was on Dec. p. 1877, that liz
cense was issued to Whitefield in Lon
don by the trustees of the colony 10
perform ecclesiastical duties in Geor-
gia, as a deacon of the Church of Eng
land. and it was on May 80, 1879, that
the land on which we stand was
granted to him in trust for the or
phans of Georgia Thereafter, though
far away ia other colonies, or in dis
tant England. the heart of this man
of God, one of the greatest of His
servants, was always here at Bethesda
1t was his preaching and that OF
the Wesleys, that gave new life to
English Professionalism, and though the
hard worked preacher of to-day may
be at times discouraged by the re-
suits of his work the mighty religious
movement Whitefeld and the Wesleys
set in motion. is growing in volume and
strength. and men and women in all
parts of the world are becoming better
in consequence of il. The world is bet
ter to-day than it was yesterday, and
will be better tomorrow than il is to-
day: that this is true is shown by this
institution. 1t is growing steadily
and is being carried on as Whitefeld
planned. The means to support it are
Forthcoming, Notwithstanding the fact
that the amount of money necessary
for that purpose is all the time in
creasing. If the world were not
growing better this institution would
have been abandoned long ago.
although il was Whitefield, who
founded Bethesda, and although II is
his name that will always be asso-
ciated with it, we have his authority
for the statement that II was Charles
Wesley who suggested the orphan
house Whitefield and the Wesleys
differed on some theological questions,
but they were in harmony in their et-
forts to make mankind better.
1T would give me pleasure to say
much more in honor and praise of the
founder of Bethesda. but that will be
done much more satisfactorily ana
by the one chosen to ad-
dress you on this occasion. l have the
pleasure and honor TO introduce to you
the Rev DR.. w. W. Pinson of Column
bus, Ga.
Wesley and WhitefeId.
DR.. w. w. Pinson came forward and
began his address by telling that he
was a substitute, and therefore a great
iea1 should not be expected of him.
His address was replete with excellent
thought and carried a lesson that
found place in the hearts of all of his
hearers.
Thoughts similar to those suggested
when standing near the Alamo, in San
Antonio, the speaker said, came when
upon the splendid monument to
the work of ,Whitefield at Bethesda.
When God had a particularly choice
gift for man He selected a man sucn
as Whitefield through whom to send
it.
Having been asked. in the absence
of Bishop Goodsell to speak at Be
thesda on the relations of Wesley and
DR.. Pinson briefly compared
the men, one the ecclesiastical states
man. the other the great and eloquent
preacher. From history it was shown
that the men were widely different in
habits, in the college life and work and
studies. And yet they were the great
est friends and the largest help to each
other.
They were both evangelists and had
the same ideas of the fundamental doc
trines of salvation. These men were
not reformers. They did more than try
to reform men, they wanted to save
them. The theology of Whitefield and
Wesley were different, but they had
many points in common and did much
for each other. They both believed that
the Gospel was for the poor as well as
the RICH and they nobly worked for the
uplifting of the humble. Wesley and
Whitefield each considered the orphans
and founded orphanages.
The idea of starting an orphanage
came to Whitefeld after seeing the
who were left fatherless and
helpless in Savannah, perhaps by the
death of a parent at the hands of the
Indians. He became enthused with the
idea and went to England, returning
with money enough to build the or
phan house. 1T was aptly called Be
IneSCd, as wesley SAID.
Bethesda was the one monument
that remained to tell of Whitefields
work. for while he had converted thou
sands in his meetings, he left the con-
gregations that were formed and they
went back into their sins. Discipline
is necessary in such organization, ana
without their leader and left to them
selves, they drifted away from the
truth and from their former head.
DR.. Pinson alluded to the practice Of
building monuments to heroes of tented
fields and of pioneers in industry and
Il ade, ard said that it was a good
the man who breaches 10
the multitudes and impresses upon the
minds of men the principles that lead
him to heroism-he who teaches them
why the life is worth the living and
how to die, is as deserving of a mon
ument as the soldier, or statesman, or
financier.
Talking with a little child on the
streets of Savannah" said the speaker,
Il asked her about one of the beauti-
ful monuments on the squares They
were memorials to men who had fought
the enemies of the country. And about
the Wesley Monumental Church, said.
who did Wesley fight?' The little girl
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