Rev A Brandram - No 67
Lucea, Jamaica, 8th February 1838
My Dear Friend,
Since my last I have received your letter of 29th November, with Mr. Hitchin's of the 27th and the Resolution of the Committee of the 24th all on the same sheet.
My two last letters informed you of our Bible Society proceedings here, in the parishes of St. Ann's and Trelawney. My present communication will contain the notice of our proceedings for the parishes of St. James and Hanover.
After finishing our business in Falmouth, as noticed in my last, I came into St. James's. There I visited some ministers and congregations in the country parts, and our friends in Montego Bay, and endeavoured to make arrangements for a public meeting in the shape of the anniversary, for the annual meeting had not been held at the proper time. We were obliged to fix this meeting some three weeks later than could have been wished, owing to the absence of most of the ministers who were about to leave the parish to hold their respective annual meetings in distant parts of the Island. The 2nd February was the earliest date we could fix on in the hope of having the ministers of the different bodies with us. This being arranged I came into the parish of Hanover, and then endeavoured to make some little arrangements for holding a public meeting in Lucea. For the reasons above noticed the day fixed on was some weeks onward, and fell for the 7th February. The interval thus left was employed in preaching in the different places of worship in Lucea in the absence of the ministers; and in which service I made it a point to draw the attention of my different audiences to the Bible, to Bible Societies generally, and to the Bible Society of the place in particular. I thus helped the ministers in their absence, laying them under little obligations to help me and return, whilst at the same time I was pleading your immediate cause and my individual mission.
Some days before the time appointed for our meeting and Montego Bay, I returned to that place. Our meeting was held; and I wish I could say all of it that I said about our meetings at St. Ann's Bay and Falmouth. But I cannot do this, and tell the truth, for our meeting on this occasion proved a kind of failure. Various accidental circumstances contributed to this. First, the notice of it was not so full as it should have been, and secondly the rain poured down on the appointed evening, so that nobody came or could well come. We forthwith announced for the evening of the following day, but that notice could not be made to reach the many, as the time and means were very limited. On this second evening our meeting did take place, but it was, as I have said, rather a failure than a good meeting, and that both as respected the audience and the persons who should have been with us as pleaders of our cause, as all ministers of the gospel at least should be. ―This Society is in a low estate, but its friends say that something must be done to raise it, and make it move with life, vigour, and perseverance. I hope they will act accordingly, and that the effects noticed may follow. Some arrangements have been made which appear likely to contribute to the desired object. I trust therefore and pray that the next accounts you may receive of the St. James's Bible Society may be better than those contained in the present communication.
Having finished my business in Montego Bay I proceeded to Lucea, and on the evening of the 7th February, that is, last night, the public meeting of the Hanover Bible Society was held in the Court House. It was a good meeting, and all went on and passed off pleasantly. This Society has also been in a languishing state during the past year; but the present aspect of it is good and encouraging. Before this reaches you you will have received £50 from it, and I anticipate a good and prosperous state of things during the present year. ―May God himself work powerfully on the minds of all concerned in these Societies, and on all who should be actively concerned in them, and may they all be led in holy accord to advance the kingdom of God in the blessed combination formed to promote the circulation of the Scriptures under the denomination of ― Bible Societies.
Before I leave this North side of our Island and pass over to the South side I would notice two circumstances. The first is, that in Montego Bay your agent receive all hospitality and generous treatment from John Roby Esq. the Collector of Her Majesty's Customs of that port. I feel greatly obliged by the whole conduct of this gentleman towards me, not only on this occasion but on former occasions also; and it would be a breach on gratitude not here, and thus formally, to state the same. We have now parted, and I suppose for ever in this world. We leave each other in mutual affection and friendship; and my prayer to God is, that the blessed truths of the Gospel may be so attended to by us all, that he and his family, and your agent and his may meet in joy and glory at the right hand of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming.
The other circumstance I would notice is in regard to the Spaniard of the name of Martin whom I met with formerly and mentioned to you. This individual, who lives about midway between Montego Bay and Lucea, I gave some two years ago Spanish Bible. Last time I visited him I found he had begun to read his Bible, and had got as far as the 22nd chapter of Deuteronomy, and where accordingly I found his mark in the book itself as he showed me. The other day when I saw him he gave me an account of his further readings of the sacred volume which is his daily companion. He told me he had read his Bible through, and four times over. When I was last in this quarter I sent him a few Spanish tracts. These I found with him, and was delighted to hear him say that he read them often, and that he relished the doctrines of the Gospel contained in them. I conversed with him and with his wife on the subject of salvation as contained in the Scriptures, and was glad to perceive the understanding they had upon these great points. They are or were Roman Catholics. On the errors of that communion I touched and dwelt in my several communications with them, and I trust they see the light of the truth. May God unfold it to them more fully, and bless them with everlasting salvation. ―On the present visit I found with these two a third person, who I understand lives in the immediate neighbourhood, and is a native of the Havannah. This person cannot read, or reads but badly; but Martin reads to him the Bible and the tracts; and he listens to these readings, as they told me, gladly. May he also receive all the knowledge and all the blessings of the Gospel of Christ. Martin and his wife would press upon me a little present of such things as they had, and the same was given I believe under the best feelings. A cup of cold water rightly given will be amply recompensed, and so I trust will be honoured the token of attention bestowed on the present occasion.
The preceding paragraph makes an easy transition from the affairs of Jamaica and to those of Cuba, to which I now turn. My last communication to you regarding that island and your concerns there showed me the darkness of night. But now I am happy to say, that the night seems far spent, and further that the day begins to dawn. I stated to you that I had made application for the Bibles seized at the port of Santa Cruz through our Governor here to the Governor General of Cuba. A few days ago I received the following letter on the subject from our Governor's secretary: – "The Governor desires me to acquaint you that Mr. Tolme, British Consul of the Havannah writes under date 26th December last that he has urged the Captain General of Cuba to order the restoration of the books belonging to the British Bible Society which were seized from you at Santa Cruz, and that he has reason to think the Governor will do so, as similar books likewise the property of the Bible Society were entered there the week before with the express sanction of Ecclesiastical Authority." ―There are two points to encourage much here. One is the actual entrance of the 200 Bibles you sent under due and full sanction; and the other is a prospect of the liberation of these seized, and this prospect may be considered next to a certainty from the other circumstance mentioned. From these pleasing notices we may consider that the grand impediment to free circulation of the Scriptures in Cuba is now removed. Thus the emblem of Cuba and you seems likely to be realized. Glory be to God for these prospects, and may God himself realize them all, and speedily.
I remain, My Dear Friend, Very Truly Yours,
James Thomson.
P.S. Please desire Mr. Hitchin to send on receipt of this to "Mr. Andrew Ker, 12 Greenside Place, Edinburgh" the sum of Fifteen Pounds, and to place the same to my private account. JT.