CHAPTER X.

August, 1744, to July, 1748.

FIFTH VOYAGE-ADVENTURES AND CONTROVERSIES-WANDERINGS IN AMERICA-INVALIDED IN BERMUDAS-SIXTH VOYAGE.

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THE fifth voyage was diversified with nautical adventures and theological discussions. The usual dangers of ocean travelling were at this time, August 1744, increased by the men-of-war which were cruising for spoil. France and England were at their old folly of treating each other as natural enemies. The fleet of one hundred and fifty ships which sailed out of Plymouth Sound was therefore attended by several convoys; and a good deal of nervousness was evidently abroad. One day an ominous fleet was sighted, but it turned out to be only a friendly Dutch one. Another alarm arose from the sail of Admiral Balchen, who rode by receiving the obeisance of the surrounding ships, as though he was lord of the whole ocean.' Whitefield was in poor health, suffering from a violent pain in his side, and the tedious voyage increased his trouble. Fully six weeks were consumed between Plymouth and the Western Isles, and off the islands they lay floating in a calm for days; then, as the wind sprung up a little, there came a mishap which might have sent a vessel to the bottom. Orders were given to tack about, to take advantage of the breeze, and one of the ships, missing her stays in turning, ran directly against the Wilmington,' on the deck of which sat Whitefield, with his wife and friends around him, singing a hymn. The 'Wilmington,' being the larger vessel, suffered

no damage, while the other was so broken that the cries and groans of her apprehensive crew were awful. Presently they came up with the convoy, and when Whitefield's captain informed them of what had happened, they answered, This is your praying, and be d to ye.' Shocked by the profanity, the praying men got together, and Whitefield, expressing their feelings, cried out, ‘God of the sea and God of the dry land, this is a night of rebuke and blasphemy; show Thyself, O God, and take us under Thy own immediate protection; be Thou our convoy, and make a difference between those that fear Thee and those that fear Thee not.' The next day violent gale parted the Wilmington' from the convoy, which was seen no more during the rest of the voyagea circumstance which, with one day's exception, proved rather agreeable than otherwise to Whitefield. Until the adventure of that day comes in its proper order, we may go into Whitefield's cabin, and consider the thoughts which he is planning for the benefit of the Bishop of London, and the bishop's brethren, who wrote the anonymous pamphlet once before mentioned, or, at any rate, gave authoritative countenance to it.

The pamphlet complained of the irregular practices of the Methodists, and then proceeded to enquire whether the doctrines they taught, or the lengths they ran beyond what was practised among the religious societies, or in other Christian churches, would be a service or a disservice to religion. The startling effects of Whitefield's preaching, the crying and fainting and convulsions, such as appeared at Cambuslang, were laid upon him as a reproach; and it is well to know what he himself thought of them. Referring to a question in the pamphlet on the subject, he says, 'Would not one imagine by this query that these itinerants laid down such things as screamings, tremblings, &c., as essential marks of the co-operation of the Holy Spirit? But can any such thing be proved?

EXTRAORDINARY EFFECTS OF PREACHING.

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Are they not looked upon by these itinerants themselves as extraordinary things, proceeding generally from soul distress, and sometimes, it may be, from the agency of the evil spirit, who labours to drive poor souls into despair? Does not this appear from the relation given of them in one of the journals referred to? Are there not many relations of the co-operation of the Spirit in the same journal, where no such bodily effects are so much as hinted at? And does not this give ground to suspect, that the "due and regular attendance on the public offices of religion, paid by (what our author calls) good men, in a serious and composed way," is little better than a dead formal attendance on outward ordinances, which a man may continue in all his lifetime, and be all the while far from the kingdom of God? Did ever anyone before hear this urged as an evidence of co-operation of the Spirit? Or would anyone think that the author of the observations ever read the relations that are given of the conversion of several in the Holy Scriptures? For, may we not suppose, my lords, that many were cast into sudden agonies and screamings-Acts ii. 37-when "they were pricked to the heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved?" Or what would this author think of the conversion of the jailor-Acts x. 29, 30—“ Who sprang in, and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas; and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Or what would he think of Paul, who, trembling and astonished-Acts ix. 6—said, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" and was afterwards three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink? Is it not to be feared that if this author had been seated upon the bench, and heard this apostle give an account of his own conversion, he would have joined with Festus in crying out with a loud voice, "Paul, much learning doth make thee mad?" And are not all

these things, and whatever else is recorded in the Book of God, written for our learning? Is not God the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever? And may He not now, as well as formerly, reveal His arm and display His power in bringing sinners home to Himself as suddenly and instantaneously as in the first planting of the gospel church? '

With this important deduction from the instances quoted by Whitefield of persons undergoing great agony of mind at the time that they were turned from their own way of living to the way appointed by our Lordthat there was miracle to alarm them-his explanation may be accepted. Cloven tongues like as of fire glowed on the heads of the apostles at Pentecost; and the sight of them doubtless added to the concern with which Peter's words filled many hearts. A great earthquake shook the foundations of the prison at Philippi, opened all doors, and unloosed all bonds; and the jailor must have trembled in the throe, even had guilt not terrified his soul. It was the surprise of seeing at midday a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about them, that dashed Saul and his company to the ground; although it is evident that conscience and the Spirit of God also wrought in his trembling and astonishment. 'Soul distress,' as Whitefield calls the feeling of his hearers, is potent enough to make any knees shake, and any lips cry out. When the detection of guilt by fellow-mortals can make the sweat stand on the brows of hardy villains, there need be no questioning of the power of conscience to shake any soul with terror. And when the prospect of social disgrace or of corporal punishment can daunt the wicked, there need be no doubting that the consciousness of divine anger hanging over the head can produce sudden agony. If anyone should feel in all its awful significance the meaning of this, or of many similar passages of Holy Writ-He that believeth on the

JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH.

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Son hath everlasting life; but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him '-and also know that he believes not, there is no need to go to the ends of the earth to explain his restlessness, the fire in his bones, the roaring of his heart, and the manifestations of his inner feelings.

The pamphlet further complained of Whitefield's notions of justification, and of the height to which he carried them. The gravamen of the charge is directly against the supposed immoral tendency of justification bestowed solely on the ground of another's merit, and has been already dealt with; but all the conceptions, which in Whitefield's mind stood related to the conception of justification, may now have our consideration. His system was severely logical. The atonement was so much suffering endured on the part of our Lord at the hands of His angry Father, on behalf of so many sinners; he says, "When Christ's righteousness is spoken of, we are to understand Christ's obedience and death-all that Christ has done, and all that Christ has suffered for an elect world, for all that will believe on Him.' The position. of our Lord was purely that of a substitute. The sins of the elect were laid on Him in the most literal sense; He was then as a sinner in the Father's sight, and before the Father's law; and upon the head of such an One it was only meet that the fiery indignation should be poured. The active obedience of our Saviour constituted the extra righteousness in the moral world, which, not being required for Himself, since He was always pure and sinless, might be imputed to any who would believe on Him. Whitefield's words are, 'In that nature '—i.e. our human nature-He obeyed, and thereby fulfilled the whole moral law in our stead; and also died a painful death upon the cross, and thereby became a curse for, or instead of, those whom the Father had given to Him. As God He satisfied, at the same time that He obeyed