Rev A Brandram. - No 53
Montego Bay, Jamaica, 12th June 1836
My Dear Friend,
Since finishing the enclosed letter, I have been favoured with the communication from our worthy coadjutor the Rev. Mr. Blyth, which I beg leave to transcribe for you, leaving it to speak for itself. –
"To the Rev. James Thomson: – Hampden Manse, 11th June 1836: – My Dear Sir, – In compliance with your official notice, I subjoin a statement of the number of New Testaments and Psalters which I have distributed among my people, from the generous grant of the Bible Society to the Apprentices. – Number of these of the large size was 176: of a small size 226: total 402. – It may be proper to inform you, that I have given only four or five large Testaments to the parents of children who were learning to read, but not so far advanced as to be entitled to copies for themselves. Had I taken advantage of the Society's permission and given to all who had children beginning to read, I would have distributed at least 200 more. I thought it better to encourage the children to persevere by the hope of obtaining a Testament for themselves; and the heads of families have now an opportunity of purchasing Bibles from the Society. I have not a single copy of the small size left, and only a few of the large ones. I am happy to learn that there is a prospect of the grant being continued for some time longer to the Apprentices as they make sufficient proficiency in reading.
Although a few may have abused the generosity of their British friends by neither valuing the precious gift, nor taking care of it, yet as a whole the grant of Testaments and Psalters has been productive of excellent practical effects upon the minds of the Apprentices. The very announcement of it convinced them that they had many friends in Britain accordingly congratulated them on their change of situation, and who would continue to feel interested in their future conduct in welfare: and that this conviction produced a favourable impression on their minds has been evinced by the general good conduct as Apprentices. A great many were also induced thereby to learn to read, by the hope of obtaining Testaments gratis, – excited probably by the honour more than the value of the book. As an illustration of this, I may inform you that at first I only found 250 in my congregation entitled to Testaments; but such has been the stimulus given to reading principally by the donation of the Society, that, as you will perceive from the number distributed, 150 more have since learned, besides many more will have commenced. There are at present in our Testament classes a considerable number who could not read a word at the commencement of the Apprenticeship. A large proportion of those who got Testaments are subscribers for Bibles.
Your visit as agent of the Bible Society created a considerable sensation in my congregation, and I trust your address tended to deepen their sense of value of the word of life. Indeed the circumstances that 400 names were immediately enrolled as subscribers, and that seventy pounds [currency] have been paid for Bibles during the six months of our Association's existence prove beyond doubt that your exertions among us were not in vain.
I cannot conclude without remarking, that if a single congregation after being supplied with 400 Testaments, besides 150 copies of the Scriptures which I formerly procured for them, still requires 300 or 400 Bibles, the demand for copies of the word of God must be immense throughout the West Indies. Even to supply every family in Jamaica alone with a copy of the Bible would be an important item in the sum of benevolence expended by the Society. May it continue to prosper in its course of well doing, and be the instrument of dispensing the treasures of Divine knowledge to many more of the benighted inhabitants of the world."
What is here and thus brought before you in the letter which I have now copied, will, I am sure lead you, and those with you, to say, – "Glory be to God for what he has wrought through our inefficient hands, and be his holy name glorified in us forever, through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Believe me, Truly and Sincerely Yours,
James Thomson.