Godly Influence

In his commentary on Malachi, John Benton tells the following story of George Whitfield:

George Whitefield, the eighteenth-century evangelist, was only a young man of twenty-three when he first decided to cross the Atlantic. He was to be the military chaplain on the voyage aboard the ship the Whitaker, sailing with two other ships to Georgia. Captain Whiting was in charge of the ship and, besides the crew, there were about a hundred soldiers (under a Captain Mackay), twenty or so women and a few children aboard, all bound for the colony in the New World.

Whitefield began to hold public prayers at the commencement of the voyage and declared that he intended "to know nothing among them save Jesus Christ and him crucified." The moral tone of the ship was low and his announcement met with nothing but derision and scorn. The officers and crew told him that they believed that his religion was phoney and they would treat him as an impostor. On the first Sunday there was nothing to be seen but gambling and little to be heard except cursing and swearing and the sound of an oboe player entertaining everyone. "I could do no more," writes Whitefield, "than while I was writing, now and then turn my head by way of reproof to a lieutenant who swore as though he was born with a swearing constitution. Now and then he would take the hint, return my nod with a 'Doctor, I ask your pardon' then to his swearing and cards again."

Yet Whitefield began to exert an influence for Christ. He visited the sick and shared his provisions with them. He prayed privately for the people. Each morning and evening, undeterred he continued to read public prayers on the open deck. He took up every opportunity for legitimate socializing and witnessed for Christ whenever he could. Some of his entries in his diary read as follows: "Had some religious talk with the surgeon, who seems very well disposed"; "Gained an opportunity, by walking at night on the deck, to talk closely to the chief mate and one of the sergeants, and hope my words were not spoken in vain"; "About eleven at night, I went and sat down with the sailors in the steerage, and reasoned with them about righteousness, temperance and a judgement to come."

Gradually, by his evident godliness and courteous but plain speaking, things began to change on the ships. As the journey continued the time came when the captains would come and stand on each side of Whitefield as he preached every morning. Captain Mackay ordered a drum-beat calling the soldiers to these daily services. Often when the weather allowed it all three ships would draw near together and everyone joined in the worship of God!