George-Whitefield-Field-Preacher

which was promised them ;
LETTER-} VRITING 1 1
but, as soon as they put off for the
sandbank the vessel made sail and left them Thirty days
more were spent in their confinement ; then they built a boat,
into which he and five others stepped, with the determination
to make their escape or perish ; the rest were fearful of such a
frail craft and stayed behind. Boat and crew came safe to
Tybee Island, ten miles off Savannah, whither Gladman was
brought, and where Whitefield invited him to breakfast. A
deliverance so great prepared him to receive the kindly
counsels which were given him over the breakfast-table, and as
host and guest soon afterwards returned to England in the
same vessel, Gladman became, through further instruction, a
Christian of deep conviction and firm faith. Nothing would
satisfy him but to return with Whitefield on his second voyage
to Georgia.
The versatile preacher, who was well gifted with ability to
become all things to all men, and to make himself contented
in all places, had been on board ship but two days when he
felt almost as forgetful of what he had passed through as if he
had never been out in the world. Present duty was the only
thing that ever pressed hard upon him ; past bitterness he
quickly forgot ; future troubles he left with God. He lived one
, day at a time, and lived it thoroughly. He framed refutations
for his 'family,' instituted public prayer morning and evening,
. took to letter-writing and the reading of some very strongly
flavoured divinity ; and at the same time indulged his favourite
gift and passion of exhorting every one around him to follow his.
Lord and Master. In this last-mentioned work he had the
occasional help of a Quaker, to whom he would now and
again lend his cabin. The only grief was that the Quaker was
|
not explicit enough upon justification by faith and upon the
objective work of the Saviour.
Letter-writing was a great pastime of the Methodists, yet
9