Retires to the Back Settlements in S. Carolina.--Teaches a School. --Self-righteousness.--His Experience for Twelve Months.-- Despondency.--Reads Russell’s Seven Sermons.--Conversion and firm Hope.--Removes to Georgia and Becomes a Teacher there.-- First Methodist Preachers in that Quarter.--Mr. Clark joins the Society. It was early in the month of March, 1785, that Mr. Clark, after much struggling of mind and conscience, came to the determination to quit the seas and become a religious man. The captain and hands were anxious he should remain, and make the voyage with them to London. The only defect they perceived in his character as a sailor and officer, was, his desponding temper, and singular habit of being much alone. None of his friends knew the nature of his troubles; none could sympathize with him; and had he known himself and the true nature of the Christian religion, he might have exclaimed with the ancient patriarch, “Miserable comforters are ye all.”[13] But he then had no clear views of gospel truth, nor how a holy and righteous God could justify and save a sinner consistent with his law which saith--“The soul that sinneth, it shall die.”[14] But he can best describe his own case in the language he left in the sketch before us. “I have already mentioned being afflicted with that tormenting fear that precedes repentance, and which is unspeakably great. Had I then known as much of the gospel as I now do, I need not have made such mistakes as I did, nor suffered the hundredth part I was made to suffer. For I firmly believe that when an awakened sinner can say with all his heart, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner,’ like the publican,[15]; or with Saul of Tarsus, ‘Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?’[16]; or in the language of one of our sweetest hymns, ‘Here, Lord, I give myself away; ’Tis all that I can do;[17]’ he is then in a state of salvation, though he may not have received the spirit of adoption.[18]