To the Bible Societies in British North America
Jamaica, 12th September 1838
Dear Friends,
It has pleased God, who does all things according to his own will, to turn my face very unexpectedly from the South to the North – from Mexico to British America, in which latter your lot is cast. You are already apprised of this, I understand, by a circular from the Bible Society House in London. It was my intention to address a few lines to you, immediately after I had written to the Society signifying my willingness to go whither they desired me; but afterwards I thought it better that you should hear of this arrangement first from head quarters rather than from me; and now learning that you have been written to on the subject, I follow after with my secondary communication.
I am not yet able to state on what they I shall leave this Island for your quarter; but I expect to reach you within the month of October ensuing. Neither can I yet say to what Province I shall first direct my steps, as that will partly depend on the Port I may first arrive at on your continent. On my arrival however on your territory, or their neighbourhood, I shall endeavour to communicate early with you, in order to our coming to a clear understanding of the best times and seasons of my visiting the several places; and also as to what plans we had best adopt in common for the attainment of the great end we mutually have in view, namely, the circulation of the Blessed Volume of Inspiration throughout your extensive and interesting country.
My attention, as already indicated, having been turned from the South to the North, has been a matter of much thought with me, and has led me frequently to consider the two quarters referred to in a sort of juxta-position and comparison. To Mexico I would have returned under strong impressions of the great lack in need of the Bible there, in combination with the many difficulties in the way of circulating the Sacred Volume, partly from ecclesiastical prohibitions, and partly from that awful religious apathy which prevails over that extensive and populous country. To you however I look with more encouraging feelings. You have been made aware of the value of the Bible, there are no prohibitions of this blessed book with you, and that is less general apathy as to the receiving of it. My intercourse therefore and labours with you will be more cheering than they would have been in Mexico. I think it is a fine field that God has called me to traverse in your Provinces, and I anticipate much pleasure in my intercommunion and labours with you. I trust God will visibly direct us in our arrangements and operations, and that we shall see holy and blessed fruits arise all around from the direct and indirect influence of an extensive circulation of the Bible, through which God may be honoured, and we comforted.
The Bible directs us all to God himself through our Lord Jesus Christ, commanding and inducing us to seek after a similitude to God in our knowledge and practice. By our all pursuing this object and track we shall necessarily converge more and more to each other in holy unity and fellowship. The Bible is indeed a unity book, and all who join in circulating it ought to endeavour as much as possible to be of one heart and soul. Unfortunately the Christian world is at the present time separated into various flocks; but as we all anticipate a unity in the future and glorious days of the Church on earth, we ought to tend towards unity now, as much as in us lies; and as, moreover, we fully and confidently anticipate a grand reunion of all true Christians in heaven, let us as far as we possibly and conscientiously can, assimilate to one another here below: and thus, as in all other respects also, let us grow in a meetness for the inheritance and fellowship with the saints in light.
There is a further comparison, besides the one noticed above, which I am led to make in turning my face towards you at this time. I have been now about seven years labouring in these West India islands. All this time I have been among Ham's degraded race, and have seen in their slavery the fulfillment of the Bible declaration, in that they should be servants of servants to their brethren. I have seen, however, likewise the dawn of the deliverance both in a civil and in a religious point of view. Their chains have now been broken, and cast into the depths of the sea; they have received the Gospel preached to them; and many are now perusing the Sacred Pages with great delight and advantage; and many again poring over the Alphabet and their spelling book to qualify themselves to enter on the study of God's own volume. I have, on hundreds of occasions I may say, addressed large assemblies of these people congregated together in order to hear about the Bible and of Christ. The attention paid by these rude untutored people, and the impressions made on their minds and conduct by what was brought before them, was striking and delightful, and was an evident sign of what God is now beginning to do in favour of the outcasts, and of our degraded race all over the earth. These sons and daughters of Africa have sought for and procured the Holy Scriptures to an extent far beyond what could at all have been anticipated; and this desire goes on and increases.
Turning then my face from these people to you, and in the prospect of seeing you before long, I am led to expect great things in your quarter, considering on the one hand the people here in their low condition and their anxiety for the Scriptures, and considering on the other hand your great superiorities through the favour of God in many ways, I am led, I say, to hope that great things will be done among you in the way of a lively and high Bible interest which will powerfully unite all classes and names, civil and religious, in the holy work of effecting a general and useful circulation of the Holy Bible throughout all your population, and also that you will use great and benevolent exertions to send forth this Blessed Book into every nation and house over all the earth.
From what I witnessed during my short visit to two of your Provinces in the year 1830, I am confirmed in my hopes and prospects of what the Lord will be pleased to do among you in his great Bible work. I shall set out therefore for your field with these cheering expectations, and I doubt not but your desires and hopes run in the same line. Let us then in the meantime, and continuedly, pray to the God and giver of the Bible, that we may all possess the spirit of the lively oracles, and that God would honour us greatly in his own sacred and dignified work of revealing his will to mankind. ―Pray for me, my dear brethren, that I may reach you safely in due time, and that I may arrive among you "in the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ." ―May God direct you in all things in his Kingdom, and bless you with all the blessings of this kingdom below, and at length with all its glories above, world without end, Amen.
I remain, Dear Friends,
Truly and Faithfully Yours,
James Thomson.
Tag. . Ham's race, liberation