EVERYTHING was in preparation for the gospel one Lord's Day evening, on board H.M.S.—, and many invitations had been given to our shipmates to come and hear the good news.
After waiting a little time a goodly number assembled, and while the service was going on they still were coming, until the sides of the upper deck and gun ports were full.
The glad tidings then rang out from Heb. 2:33How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:3)—"How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?" And many an earnest appeal was made to our dear shipmates to' embrace God's great salvation, for there was no escape if they neglected it.
Again and again they were invited to come to Jesus, and personally spoken to as to the welfare of their souls. One, at least, that night came to the brethren on the forecastle, and inquired the way to heaven.
The following evening two of our unsaved shipmates came to the meeting, and, praise the Lord, went away rejoicing. Both had been listeners on board the previous evening, and one not in the meeting, but on the bridge—a long way off. Yet, so marvelous are God's ways, that the gospel gun fired a shot far enough to reach William Henry—, and without saying a word to any, he willingly went up (in his own language) "to get saved.”
In his testimony he stated that the Lord, many times, had been drawing him to Himself, and often when he had seen the brethren assembled on the forecastle, he came near and listened, and would have liked to join us, but the fear of what his messmates would say, and the misgivings of his own heart, kept him back. But, thank God, He made him bold enough at last unreservedly to surrender to the Lord Jesus.