THE KING’ S BUSINESS
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time-redemption, and self-mortification, which he carried with him to the day of his death. God has his own way o f tem pering and preparing instruments for his work, and, whatever we may think, we may be sure his way is best. COMES TO AMER ICA Ip the year 1734 John Wesley’s father died, and the family home was broken up. Just at this tirpe the providence o f God opened up to him a new sphere o f duty, the acceptance o f which had a most important effect on his. whole spiritual history. This sphere was the colony o f Georgia, in North America. The trustees o f that infant settlement were greatly in want of proper clergymen to send out, . both to preach the gospel to the Indians and to provide means o f grace for' the colonists. At this .juncture John Wesley and his friends were suggested to their notice, as the most suitable persons they could find, on account o f their high character for reg ular,behaviour, attention to religious duties, and readiness to endure hardships. The upshot o f the matter was, that an offer was made to John Wesley, and, after conferring with Mr. Law, his mother, his elder brother, and other friends, he accepted the proposal o f the trustees, and, in company with his brother Charles and their common friend Mr. Ingham, set sail for Georgia. Wesley landed in Georgia on the 6th of February, 1736, after a long stormy voyage o f four months, and remained in the col ony two years. I shall not take up the reader’s time by any detailed account of his proceedings there. It may suffice to say. that, for any good he seems to have
done, his mission was almost useless. Partly from the inherent difficulties o f an Eng lish clergyman’s position in a colony—partly from the confused and disorderly condi tion o f the infant settlement where he was stationed—partly from a singular want of tact and discretion in dealing with men and things—partly, above all, from his own very imperfect views o f the Gospel, Wes ley’s expedition to Georgia appears to have been a great failure, and he was evidently glad to get away. The ways o f God, however, are not as man’ s ways. There was a “need be” for the two year’s absence in America, just as there was for Philip’s journey down the desert road to Gazaj and Paul’s sojourn in prison at Caesarea. . If Wesley did nothing in Georgia, he certainly gained a great deal. If he taught little to others, he undoubtedly learned much. On the outward voyage he became acquainted with some Moravians on board, and was deeply struck by their deliverance from the “ fear of death” in a storm. After landing in Georgia he con tinued his intercourse with them, and dis covered to his astonishment that'there was such a thing as personal assurance o f for giveness. These things, combined with the peculiar trials, difficulties, and disappoint ments o f his colonial ministry, worked mightily on his mind, and showed him more o f himself and the gospel than he had ever learned before. The result was that he landed at Deal on the 1st o f February, 1738, a very much humbler, but a much wiser man than he had ever been before. In plain words, he. had become the subject o f a real inward work o f the Holy Ghost.
(T o be continued.)
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