Bates Gets Religion

February 1  Bates Gets Religion

 

I sought the Lord, andhe heard me. Ps. 34:4.

Bates' father had been a religious man and attempted without much luck to raise his son to be spritual. In 1807, however, one of the revivalistic waves of the Second Great Awakening deeply stirred young Joseph. But the interest was short-lived after a career at sea diverted his life.

But the sea has a way of turning a sailor's eyes to God, especially when they rode in small wooden ships. As Bates later put it, there was nothing in the stormy seas but "the thickness of a plank separating us from Eternity." It was in the face of losing such a plank that Bates dates his earliest religious stirrings. In the midst of a furious four-day hurricane that sent waves as high as the mast heads the young captain in desperation did two things-threw 40 tons of iron into the sea and took the unprecedented step of asking his cook to pray.

The cook wasn't the only one praying. So was Bates' wife, Prudy. Beyond that, believeing that her husband packed too many novels and romances for his trips, Prudy stowed a New Testament and other Christian publications in his luggage. Through them the Holy Spirit did its proper work. Soon Bates had lost interest in reading just for entertainment and began devouring such books as Philip Doddridge's Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul. The 32-year-old captain was getting religious, but feared that his officers and men might discover it and make fun.

The turing point came at the death of a sailor by the name of Christopher. As captian, it was Bates' duty to oversee the burial. Yet he felt so unworthy.

Having done his best, four days after the burial he gave his life to God and "promised the Lord that I would serve him the remainder of my life."

The meaning of Christopher's burial not only affected Bates-he used the event to stir up his crew, the next Sunday preaching a sermon on everlasting life.

Bates looked back on his conversion as finding "the Pearl of great price which was worth more richers than my vessel could contain." His only wish, he noted, "is that I could teach [others] the way of life and salvation."

And teach he would. That mission dominated the rest of the life.

We serve a powerful God, who can change the lives of our sons and daughters, and us also.

God is our Father, who loves and cares for us as His children; He is also the great King of the universe. The interests of His kingdom are our interests, and we are to work for its upbuilding(TFMB 107).

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