This article looks back to the life of Benjamin Randal, as told by Elder John Buzzell of North Road in Parsonsfield, Maine. Benjamin Randal is the subject of his book entitled “Life of Randal” and therefore writes a quite a detailed history of Randal. Randal the founder of the Free Will Baptist Connection in New England became a powerhouse for God as after his conversion he became enlivened by the Holy Spirit to evangelize the regions round about New Durham, New Hampshire and in ever widening circuits as he traveled northward and southward spreading the gospel of Christ and settling churches throughout New England and the Maritimes.

“Benjamin Randal was born in New Castle in the county of Rockingham, state of New Hampshire, February 7, 1749.” As a young child he was ever drawn to the Lord though those early leanings to believe in God were only promptings and not the full faith that he would later profess as a young man. At the age of eighteen he subscribed to help his father in the trade of sail making, and became an apprentice with a man in Portsmouth, N.H., he continued in this employ until he was about twenty one years of age.

Throughout this period of time Randal continued to be very sensitive to the promptings of God and looked to certain religious exercises that he felt would be an improvement upon his life and godliness. He enjoyed many of the things in his youth that were a part of the recreation of other young men in his day, things that after his conversion to Christ he would look back on and say that they were vain and empty not fulfilling the real longing of his heart to know God and have peace with him concerning eternal things.

Buzzell, in his book says: “It, however, appears by his remarks, that in the course of his juvenile years, he was several times under pungent conviction, and had fearful apprehensions concerning the state of his soul.” Randal exclaimed at one point in his life as he thought about his condition and how he felt so much as ease, yet was in danger all the while concerning his soul said: “O my God, how ignorant I have been! O, what a stranger to the way of life and salvation by Jesus Christ.”

Randal later states, concerning his conversion, that God sent a “flaming preacher” my way, George Whitefield. In 1770 when Randal was 21 years of age he fell under the power of the Word of God and was greatly moved as he came under the proclamation of the gospel. Whitefield arrived in Portsmouth, N.H. on the 23^rd. of September and settled into preaching as was his custom, yet Randal hated the very idea of such an exercise, for he thought: surely this fellow is too lazy to earn a living and must cause a “delusion and enthusiasm” to make his way.

Randal would later relate that, “I heard him for the first time 24^th of September; he spoke from Revelation 2:4-5. The power with which he spoke was a torment to me. When he began to be engaged, and his blessed soul to be inflamed with love, and heart with grief and pity to the poor sinners, and began to expand his arms, and the tears began to roll down from his eyes, it immediately raised and evil spirit within me. Ah, thought I, you a worthless, noisy fellow; all you want is to make the people cry out; my good old minister does not do so, and he is as good a man as you, and much better”

Randal would hear Whitefield on two other occasions before his death, and then on September 30^th, 1770, while Randal was on his travels stopped to see an acquaintance at “Packers Corner; a man came riding along, and as he rode he shouted, Mr. Whitefield is dead. He died this morning at Newbury, New Hampshire, at about six o’clock.” The news of Whitefield’s death so greatly affected Randal that he could not imagine that his tormentor was dead. The message he preached tormented him and drew him at the sometime. Randal commented; that the words of this preacher would echo in his head, “As soon as his voice reached my ears, an arrow from the quiver of the Almighty struck through my heart; and a mental voice sounded through my soul, louder than ever thunder sounded through my ears.” Such effects of the gospel were felt by Randal and moved him with great passion of remorse and grief at the death of Whitefield. Randal was so greatly moved by these events that he felt that he was damned. When he returned to his place of residence he took to his room and was in great distress, but did not share these things with anyone. Randal continued in the anguish of his soul for more than two weeks, for he despaired of life and now that Whitefield was dead where would he find relief for his soul. His one prayer that kept coming stronger and stronger to his mind and heart was: “O God of mercy, hear my call, my load of guilt remove, break down this separating wall which bars me from thy love.” Along with this thought came the verse of Hebrews 9:26 “But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” These words echoing in his mind gave Randal a calming peace that caused his heart to rest in Jesus as his Savior, and with that assurance of faith in Christ, the joy of his salvation.