If you pray, the Lord Himself will teach you."
Thus they parted--he starting on his life's journey with her earnest
pleadings ringing in his ears.
Travelling in those days (1813) was so slow that it took him a full
month to get to High Leigh in Cheshire; and on the way he narrowly
escaped being captured by the pressgang and made to serve on a British
man-of-war, which was short of hands. The vessel in which he was going
south was indeed boarded, and one man seized; but Robert says, "I
happened to be in bed, and keep it there as long as they were on
deck".
He kept manfully the promise he had made his mother. Notwithstanding
the difficulty he experienced in his busy life of setting aside the
necessary time for reading two chapters a day from his Bible, he
nevertheless faithfully did it.
At first this practice seemed to bring him trouble. It made him feel
that he was a sinner, but how to get grace he knew not.
Ere long, however, his fears rolled away. He perceived that being
justified by faith he had peace with Christ, and rejoiced in the grace
and power of the Lord.
Some good Wesleyans took an interest in the young gardener, and he
attended their meetings, which he found very helpful.
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