Page:Life of the honourable Col. James Gardiner (1).pdf/9

 and brought them into such extremity, that the captain of the vessel urged him to go to prayers immediately, if he ever intended to do it at all for he concluded they would in a few minutes be at the bottom of the sea. In these circumstances, he did pray, and that very fervently too; and it was remarkable, that while he was crying to god for deliverance, the wind fell and quickly after, they arrived at Calais. But the Major was so little affected with what had befallen him, that when some of his gay friends, on hearing the story, rallied him upon the efficacy of his prayers he excused himself from the scandal of being thought much in earnest, by saying, “it was at midnight, an hour when his good mother and aunt were asleep; or else he should have left that part of the business to them.”

We now come to the account of his conversion. This memorable event happened towards the middle of July 1719, the Major had spent the evening (which was Sabbath,) in some gay company, and had an unhappy assignation with a married lady, whom he was to attend exactly at twelve. The company broke up about eleven; and he went into his chamber to kill the tedious hour. It happened that he took up a religious book, (which his good mother or aunt had, without his knowledge, slipped into his portmanteau,) called, “The Christian Soldier or Heaven taken by storm:" written by Mr. Thomas Watson. Guessing by the title, that he should find some phrases of his own profession spiritualized, in a manner which might afford him some diversion, he resolved to dip into it: but took no serious notice of any thing he read: and yet, while this book was in his hand, an impression was made upon his mind, (perhaps God only knows how,) which drew after it a train of the most important and happy consequences.

Suddenly he thought he saw an unusual blaze of light fall on the book while he was reading, which he at first imagined might have happened by some accident in the candle. But lifting up his eyes he apprehended, to