Rev A Brandram No.5
Malaga, 3rd November 1847
My Dear Friend,
Agreeably to the notice given in the postscript of my last letter, I left Madrid on the 13th ultimo. This evening at seven o'clock, I leave Malaga for Gibraltar, which I expect to be tomorrow morning. This is all the account of my journey I intend to give it present, purpose think to get you a due account of all when God shall have carried me back again to Madrid. I just say however in anticipation, that I am officially glad, (and personally not otherwise,) that I have been led to undertake this tour.
The object of the present letter is special, and bearing on one particular part of my pretty extensive commission. This country needs in a variety of ways, Bible, Gospel, and British help and it is a great and difficult undertaking which God and you have sent me on to this dark and far behind country. You know we are allowed of God to plead his own promises, as Bills to be duly honoured by him. One of these which I plead, and draw upon, frequently, is, "Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges?" My warfare here is difficult, and extensive means in various shapes are required. But God, I trust, will furnish all, and his work, I believe, will prosper in this place, though it may be necessary to keep fully in mind that we, like the husbandman, will need perhaps to have long patience for the fruit, and to wait, not for the early rain only, but also for the latter.
In looking to God, and pleading his promises, I look also to you, for means of warfare, and would beg to remind you of the ample commission you gave me, if not officially, otherwise. That range is contained in Mr. Hall's letter, and by which, I think I am somehow authorised to do good to Spain as I may have opportunity.
A favourable opening now presents itself, and in this city, of doing great and extensive good to Spain, and of both directly and in directly forwarding your cause. Your committee may, I think, officially, and more so individually, or through their friends, help onward the object in view.
Since I came to this country, and seeing things a little, I became convinced and great good could be done to Spain by the publication of a Weekly Journal, which while it kept clear of political parties, should advocate general knowledge, virtues, improvements, and reforms, and not least the Reading of the Bible, and books of general utility which would be pointed out. Where to get a person to conduct such a work was difficult to say, and it seemed rather a hopeless thing to expect it. God, however, is our precursor here, as he is our trust in all his work, and he has provided such an individual, and whom he has had, I may say, in long training for it. The person referred to is a gentleman of the city, and is most strongly recommended to me by the whole family of Mr. Mark our Consul here, to whom he has long been very intimately known. This individual is anxious of his own accord, and on his own account, to establish such a Journal as I have indicated. I conceive he could, and would, by it render us a service which in kind and amount could not otherwise be obtained. I may mention, that he is a Roman Catholic, as well as a native of this country, and I may add further, that both these qualifications (as I may call them) are necessary, and essentially so, for advocating and carrying forward the objects in question, for no foreigner and Protestant would be heard, and he would "speak into the air" as the Apostle says, but the Spaniard and the Catholic would get a hearing. Should you give fifty or one hundred pounds towards this object, I think, you would make a good bargain, and the quid you would get would be better than the quo you would give. Four or five hundred pounds are required in all, besides means he has at command, and he wants this as a loan for two or three years, on good security and judged such by our Consul. The interest is six or seven per cent.
Now if the Committee will give us something officially, and more individually, or through friends, in loan, we shall, and all Spain, be most thankful. If you cannot give and lend us all this, please let us have a part of it, and I shall seek the rest elsewhere. I hope you will not lose this opportunity of ingratiating yourselves more ways than one in this country. Be so good as let me hear from you early and favourably, and to Madrid.
I remain, My Dear Friend,
Yours Very Truly,
James Thomson.