[¹] The accounts of particular receipts and disbursements are omitted, by reason of their vast length; and likewise, as the public have already examined them, and received full satisfaction.
As for the aspersions that have been cast upon me, as though I collected money to enrich myself, it gives me little or no concern; the apostle Paul was branded as one that made a gain of people; but God knows the heart: at the day of judgment I will prove those persons liars. Professor Franck met with unspeakably more contempt and calumny, whilst he was building the Orphan-house in Germany: he began very low, and left behind him an Orphan-house which contains now, if I mistake not, two or three thousand students, notwithstanding the erecting it, was attended with as many improbabilities as this in Georgia: he has been dead about fourteen or sixteen years. His son now succeeds him in the care of the Orphan-house: I have had the pleasure of corresponding with him. An account of this Orphan-house was printed in his life-time, and it has been very strengthening and beneficial to my soul.
If any, by reading this, shall be inclined to contribute any thing, either in money or goods, I trust God will give me grace to apply it faithfully.
I am not ashamed to beg for God on this occasion; because my going to Georgia, and erecting the Orphan-house, was one great means in his hand, of bringing me out to preach the everlasting gospel in so many places, and to many thousands of poor perishing souls, who I doubt not (be it spoken with all humility) will evidence my commission thereto, by being my joy and crown of rejoicing in the last day. Blessed be his holy name, he has not left himself, nor me his servant, without witnesses of this sort in Scotland! Many, I trust, since this time twelvemonth, have been made to taste that the Lord is gracious, and have in an effectual manner felt the powers of the world to come: such in particular, I trust, will lift up holy hands in prayer for me, and for the prosperity of the Orphan-house, that the enemies of our holy religion may never have cause to triumph over its ruins, saying, There, there, so would we have it. I look upon the Orphan-house as a great part of my charge; a family given me by God, to be supported and taken care of, for himself. Its very beginnings are not small; its latter end, I believe, will greatly increase. He that believeth, should not make haste to contemn the undertaking, or my conduct in carrying it on, seeing it has already evidently appeared to be of God, by the countenance and success he has given to both. And since the Lord, by his providence, has connected the care of this family with my preaching the gospel, by making it a means of first bringing me out, and ever since has been pleased to continue the care of it upon me; I think myself bound in duty, to recommend it in the strongest manner to all people amongst whom I am called to preach the kingdom of God. Neither do I think myself justly blameable for running so much in arrears on its account, since the Lord, in all places where he has been pleased to send me, has inclined the hearts of people to be ready to distribute, and willing to communicate on this occasion: and, I doubt not, will yet dispose the hearts of his people here and elsewhere, to be my farther assistants by their charitable contributions, seeing I am so necessarily engaged in the affair. He that giveth to these poor orphans, lendeth to the Lord; and look, Whatsoever he layeth out, it shall be repaid him again.
Those who, notwithstanding what has been said, still continue in suspense, I would entreat them at least to pray for me, that in this, and all my undertakings for the church of Christ, I may go on with an even, humble, resigned, chearful mind, and single eye to God’s glory; and then, I doubt not but they will see a happy issue of this work, and future ages have reason to bless God, for ever putting it into my heart to build an Orphan-house in Georgia.
September 22, 1742.
Since the writing of this, I have heard of the Spaniards making a descent upon Georgia. I cannot say the news of it damped me at all; because, I humbly hope, the Lord will not give that colony over as a prey into the enemy’s hand. The place where they landed, is about one hundred miles to the southward of the Orphan-house: and, supposing it should be taken, I do not repent the erecting it, because the [♦]advantages that have flowed already from it, as appears from my accounts, have abundantly answered the pains and expence it has cost. What is due upon arrears, as it has been already laid out, and is a debt contracted for God, I doubt not but he will incline the hearts of his servants to help me by their contributions to discharge it. At the same time, I am not without expectations, that this very attack of the Spaniards will be over-ruled for the good of the Orphan-house, and be made a means of freeing the colony from their future insults: for as Georgia is a frontier colony, and stands as a barrier to all the other English provinces, it is reasonable to believe, they will all unite in its defence and protection. But my trust is in the Lord; and, through the mercies of the Most High, I humbly hope this undertaking will not sink, but become more and more beneficial to Georgia and the neighbouring provinces day by day. Let all that love the Lord Jesus say, Amen!
[♦] “advanvantages” replaced with “advantages”
September 27, 1742.
Since the foregoing papers have been in the press, I have received a letter from Mr. Habersham, superintendant of the Orphan-house affairs, in which he writes as follows: