File 1: Hassall family, correspondence, volume 3, pp. 1-668, 1793-1821

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[indecipherable] July 1821

My dear friend-

Your letter dated June 20th afforded sincere pleasure I should have acquiesced in your wish and answered it sooner but my dear mother has been very unwell at Berry Hill and as Betsey and I were appointed Housekeepers during her absence I really have had no time to write though I have often wished it she is now thank the Almighty Disposer of all good very much better and able to return home is not this a fresh instance of the goodness of God I at this moment might have been motherless had it not been for his mercy let my language be "Praise the Lord Oh my soul and forget not all his benefits" He remembers that we are but dust how kindly he has dealt with us as a family in having our greatest earthly comforts so long but when they are removed may I know what it [is] to have a friend that she hath closer than a Brother a friend that loveth at all times a friendship far exceeding the strongest earthly attachment Oh may I be employed in searching into the fulness the sufficiency of Jesus He is altogether lovely and the chiefest

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amongst ten thousand in him we can never be confounded let us turn to him as prisioners of hope turn from all worldly objects to this one place of refuge safety and rest in him we may hide our selves and be secure the wounded side of Jesus is the hiding place for our guilty wretched and miserable souls tho tempests howl around and the great enemy of our peace may attack us but if we have an interest in Jesus all will be vain for nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus a love founded upon the immutability of the eternal three - I was glad to learn you had passed your 2nd ordeal of examination it calls indeed for thankfulness Oh what a glorious work you have undertaken the salvation of souls our dear George has now been at home three weeks he is much grown he desires me to give his most affectionate love to you and says he hopes you will not forget to write to him soon as you are a letter in his debt I am now reading Memoirs of the Revd Henry Martyn and am quite delighted with it what a good man he was and yet what a humble opinion he had of himself if you have not read it do on my recommendation give it a perusal I am sure you will be pleased with it what would I not give to be possessed of a portion of his spirit Betsey sent

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Revd Thomas Hassall 411) Oxford Street London

fm Miss D Griffith 12/7-21

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Kissing Point New South Wales - July 10, 1819

My Dear Friend

As a most favourable opportunity of conveying a Letter to you is now obvious - I should be very unkind and worthy of blame were I not to embrace it- I will begin by giving you an account of my proceedings here since the time of your departure from this Colony.

You remember no doubt of your advice to me concerning the keeping of a Sabath Day School at Kissing Point - According to your wishes and advice I commenced it immediately, and I must tell you that I had some very sanguine expectations of my little School: I think that at first commencement of it I had Seventeen pupils, this you may be sure was exceedingly pleasing to me My Scholars attended very well for the space of twelve months after which I perceived a great decline, this however did not discourage me for being anxious for the welfare and Spiritual instruction of the Children I used all the means in my power to stimulate the Inhabitants to attend to the institution of their Children These proceeding of mine did not alltogether fail of producing the desired effect which I shall mention by and by - The Inhabitants expressed their gratitude for my kind attention to their Children and promised me that their Children should be sent to the Sabath Day School;- which they attended to for a short period. However, they soon forgot their promise and gave me occasion frequently, to go and remind them of their promises. Thus I went on from Week to Week on Sabath days instructing the Children who did attend and thus opportunities which were most convenient - I spent in going round and conversing with the Parents who neglected to send their Children to Scholl.

About last Christmass a very great degree of carelessness was manifested by most of the Parents so much as that I had to go several times to them before they would put their promises into effect indeed some of them gave me very plain hints that it was not their intention to send their Children again others observed that they had received a good share of learning and therefore had no - occasion to send their Children to the Sabath day School to be taught- However, being unwilling that the Children should suffer on account of the Wickedness and ignorance of their parents I ceased not for some considerable time to intreat that the Children might be allowed to attend the Schools hoping that they might receive benefit therefrom - but Alas- I found by experience that all my endeavours were in vain the Inhabitants were determined to act according to the bent of their own inclinations and so obviated their Children from coming to the School; - which is doubtless a discredit to themselves a material lost to their Children and a grief to their wellwishers

Thus did my little School decline til none was left save Mr Dowdles three Children; they could not evade attending while at Home for the School was kept in Captain Kents Barn which you know is contiguous to the House in which Dowdle lives - But observe the wickedness of Mrs Dowdle She finding that I continued to attend after all had forsaken her but her Family sent hers away also on purpose as I suppose to give me to understand that She did not desire my company - This being done repeatedly I concluded that it was proper that I should give up the thought of keeping School in this place - But here an objection may arise in your mind - Perhaps you will say that the opposition that I met with from the Inhabitants of this district was only a trial in order to manifest my zeal and Ardour in the work in which I was engaged - I answer - Zeal is indispensibly necessary but zeal without knowledge is, or would be to no purpose or no good purpose we find instances of such zeal in the Sacred Scriptures - The Disciples of our Lord once said "shall we command fire to come down from Heaven and consume them"- Our Lord replied "ye know not of what manner of spirits ye are of" Again you find the children of Israel had come to the land of Canaan in consequence of their rebellion against God they were commanded to return again into the Wilderness but some of them said - We will go up and possess the land, but what was the consequence - they were Slain by the Canaanites and Ammalackites - This Sir was a clear manifestation of Zeal without knowledge - I think I shall do best to abide by the example of the Apostle - "seeing (saieth he) that ye put these things from you and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life so we turn unto the Gentiles." Our Lord giveth us instruction to the same effect - We should in all matter of importance act according to Gods word and providence by so doing we shall please him - You know that the Scripture saith go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every Creature now should a number of warm Zealots come forward and say we will go out and Preach to all nations- not considering wether providence hath opened a way surely they would manifest a great Zeal without the least degree of knowledge I might mention a multiplicity of circumstances to the same effect but let these suffice

I was most willing to devote my time and talents to such an employ as the instruction of Children but I have been hindered I think I may pertinently adopt the language of the great Apostle - I have no more place in this part but my love unto Souls is not abated I could willingly spend and be open in the name of the Redeemer - I stand in the Market - O that I were called out into the Vineyard but the Lords time is mine he alone is able to qualify his servants for his own work and therefore it is my duty to be resigned to the dispensations of his providence knowing that he will order all things as as they shall eventually turn to his own glory and his peoples good

Having given you a concise account of my proceeding together with the difficulties which I have met with and the oppositions which have been made by some of the Inhabitants here - I think it now time that I should observe in a concise way that some advantages have been derived from the Sabath School or through it as the means - The first thing which I shall mention is this - Several Children who before the School commenced knew not their Letters- but now can read in the Bible. I would not say that this is altogether owing to the instruction which they have received from me at the Sabath day School but I think I may venture to say that had I not used means to stimulate the Parents to send their Children to the Day School they would have remained as ignorant as they were when the Sabath School first commenced- One Man told me that his Children had had no further instruction than I had given them two of whome could read and spell tolerably well But I may observe in the second place that Mr Cooper seems to have been stimulated to his duty by the exertions which have been made in aid of the Sabath day School - Before the School commenced Mr Cooper instructed his pupils in Reading Writing and Arithmetic but now He attends to their spiritual instruction He requires them to repeat Answers out of the Assembly Catechism and portions of the Scripures thus you may perceive that the end of Sabath day School instruction is likely to be incurred by Mr Cooper - These are pleasing things- may the Lord bless all who are desirous of the Salvation of precious Souls - may he crown their labours with abundant success and ear [ere] long receive them into his Glorious presence with well done good and faithful Servants enter [indecipherable] into the Joy of your Lord - Thus shall all our Male and Female Teach [Teachers] receive the reward of their labour of Love - But perhaps it will not be improper to inquire in this place who they are that teach others out of a mere principal of Love and the rather because we know that our lord will say to many at the great Day (who have been teachers) I know you not Depart from me ye workers of iniquity - It may be answered that those only are true Servants of Jesus who have been taught of God - And if they be sufficiently quallified for to be teachers of others they must have a knowledge of these four things - First, a knowledge of God which is as necessary to the Salvation of others as it is to our own and this is necessary to our own for as the Scriptures affirm this is life eternal to know this the only true god and Jesus Christ whome thou hast sent - But Secondly a knowledge of ourselves is indispensibly necessary - Thirdly a knowledge of Mankind in general is necessary and Fourthly by a knowledge of Satans devices and the oppositions which are made against the work of God in the Soul - Under these four general Heads I think all is comprised that is necessary for a Teacher to know in order to his becoming useful in the Church of God for the propagation of the Gospel of Christ and I think that whomever hath not a degree of this knowledge should not take upon him the important concern of teaching others