Joshua Morse
Ten Shillings or Ten Lashes

Scripture: Psalm 91

      Joshua Morse’s father was not a professing believer, but his grandfather, who came from the west of England to Rhode Island in the early days of the settlement of that colony, was a Baptist. The grandfather served as a chaplain in the first war between the English colonies and the French.

      Young Joshua at the age of sixteen was attracted by the “New Light Stir,” and motivated by curiosity and a desire to mock and reproach those who were involved, he attended their meetings. He did not hesitate to conclude that they all were deluded, but he came away from the first meeting under fearful apprehensions of being made miserable forever. It was not long until he surrendered to God’s truth and became a zealous exhorter.

      When Morse was eighteen, he began his ministerial labors at a time when every man who opened his door for a dissenter to preach was fined five pounds, the preacher ten shillings, and the hearer five shillings. The very first time that Morse preached at Stoningham, he was apprehended, and the magistrate sentenced him to be fined ten shillings or to receive ten lashes at the whipping post. The fine he could not pay, and the lashes he was prepared to receive.

      It is recorded in the Biographical Sketches of the Standard Baptist Works that,

he was taken to the post by the order of the magistrate, but the constable instead of inflicting the lashes, pled the cause of the innocent sufferer, remonstrated against the wickedness of the law, the cruelty of the court, and utterly refused performing the barbarous duty which had been assigned him. After spending sometime in this awkward position, the constable rendered the magistrate from his own pocket the fine which had been exacted. The magistrate probably ashamed of his conduct, offered it to Mr. Morse, and bid him receive it and peaceably go on his way. But as he would pay no money, so he would receive none, and his persecutors finding him rather unmanageable, went off and left him to take his own course. For a number of years after this he was often opposed, sometimes by law, but more frequently by mobs.

      Morse was knocked down often by blows while praying and preaching as well as being dragged around by the hair of his head. He carried some of his scars on his head and face to his grave. On one occasion a man struck Morse in his temple with such violence that it brought him to the floor from which he arose with emotion and pity and said, “If you die a natural death, the Lord hath not spoken by me.” This man, not long after went to sea, fell from the ship, and was drowned.

      In the midst of all these persecutions, Morse’s labors were attended with great success. Many were quickened to salvation under his preaching, and churches were planted through his efforts. He was early acquainted with George Whitefield and caught much of his zeal.

      Having been born April 10, 1726, Morse’s life spanned many eventful years during the establishment of our nation. About a month before his death in July of 1795, after a long ministry, he called his church together and gave them his last advice and benediction. He had composed a hymn to be sung at his funeral and chose a passage to be preached from, which was “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”

      May we, who have been fellow-partakers of God’s grace, acknowledge that we also are the chief of sinners saved by a wonderful Savior.

EWT

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[From E. Wayne Thompson and David L Cummins, This Day in Baptist History, pp. 146-47. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]

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