PART I.
If a map of the world, instead of being coloured, as is usual, with many gay and brilliant tints, in order to distinguish its various continents, kingdoms, and islands from each other, were to be painted with darker or brighter hues corresponding with the spiritual character of the inhabitants, what a gloomy aspect would be presented, to the eye of the Christian geographer, by the greater portion of the habitable globe! How dark would be the shade thus cast over the larger districts of the vast continents of Asia and America! and what a mass of gloom would characterize the African quarter of the world!
Here and there a bright spot would mark the residence of a few missionary labourers, devoting themselves to God, and scattering the rays of Christian light among the surrounding heathen; but over the greater part “the blackness of darkness” would emblematically describe the iron reign of Mohammedan superstition and Pagan idolatry.
The Christian prays that God would have “respect unto
the covenant; for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.” He hopes to see the nations “open their eyes, and turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith.”
The curse originally pronounced on the descendants of Ham has, in a variety of respects, both temporal and spiritual, been awfully fulfilled—“A servant of servants shall he be.” Slavery, as well of mind as body, has been continued amongst the Africans through their generations in a manner which at once proves the truth of the Divine prediction, and yet calls aloud for the ardent prayers and active exertions of Christians in their behalf. The time will come when the heathen shall be proved to have been given to Christ “for an inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession.” The degraded Hottentot, and the poor benighted Negro, will look from the ends of the earth unto Jesus, and be saved. “Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” The Redeemer “shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied,” in beholding the gathering together, not only of the outcasts of Israel that are ready to perish, but of churches and people from all the tongues, and kindreds, and nations of the earth. In the day of his appearing, the sons of Africa will vie with their brethren of the north, and the west, and the east, in resounding the praises of God their Saviour from one end of the earth to the other.
In the meantime, we rejoice in every occasional instance of the love and power of God in effecting the conversion of some, who appear as the first-fruits of that harvest which
shall hereafter so fruitfully grow up, to the honour of Christ and the blessedness of his redeemed people.
The following narrative of real facts may, perhaps, illustrate the importance of the foregoing remarks.
During a residence of some years’ continuance in the neighbourhood of the sea, an officer of the navy called upon me, and stated that he had just taken a lodging in the parish for his wife and children; and had a Negro, who had been three years in his service. “The lad is a deserving fellow,” said the officer, “and he has a great desire to be baptized. I have promised him to ask you to do it, if you have not any objections.”
“Does he know anything,” replied I, “of the principles of the Christian religion?”
“Oh, yes, I am sure he does,” answered the captain; “for he talks a great deal about it in the kitchen, and often gets laughed at for his pains; but he takes it all very patiently.”
“Does he behave well as your servant?”
“Yes, that he does; he is as honest and civil a fellow as ever came on board ship, or lived in a house.”
“Was he always so well behaved?”
“No,” said the officer; “when I first had him he was often very unruly and deceitful; but for the last two years he has been quite like another creature.”
“Well, sir, I shall be very glad to see him, and think it probable I shall wish to go through a course of instruction and examination; during which I shall be able to form a judgment how far it will be right to admit him to the sacrament of baptism. Can he read?”
“Yes,” replied his master; “he has been taking great
pains to learn to read for some time past, and can make out a chapter in the Bible pretty well, as my maid-servant informs me. He speaks English better than many of his countrymen, but you will find it a little broken. When will it be convenient that I should send him over to you?”
“To-morrow afternoon, sir, if you please.”
“He shall come to you about four o’clock, and you shall see what you can make of him.”
With this promise he took his leave. I felt glad of an opportunity of instructing a native of that land whose wrongs and injuries had often caused me to sigh and mourn; the more so, when I reflected who had been the aggressors.
At the appointed hour my Negro disciple arrived. He was a very young-looking man, with a sensible, lively, and pleasing countenance.
I desired him to sit down, and said, “Your master informs me that you wish to have some conversation with me respecting Christian baptism.”
“Yes, sir; me very much wish to be a Christian,” said he.
“Why do you wish so?”
“Because me know that Christian go to heaven when he die.”
“How long have you had that wish?” I said.
“Ever since me heard one goot minister preach in America, two years ago.”
“Where were you born?”
“In Africa. Me was very little boy when me was made slave by the white men.”
“How was that?”
“Me left father and mother one day at home to go get shells by de sea-shore, and as me was stooping down to gather them up, some white sailors came out of a boat and took me away. Me never see father nor mother again.”
“And what became of you then?”
“Me was put into ship, and brought to Jamaica and sold to a master, who kept me in his house to serve him some years; when, about three years ago, Captain W---, my master, dat spoke to you, bought me to be his servant on board his ship. And he be goot master; he gave me my liberty, and made me free, and me live with him ever since.”
“And what thoughts had you about your soul all that time before you went to America?” I asked him.
“Me no care for my soul at all before den. No man teach me one word about my soul.”
“Well, now tell me further about what happened to you in America. How came you there?”
“My master take me dere in his ship, and he stop dere one month, and den me hear de goot minister.”
“And what did the minister say?”
“He said me was a great sinner.”
“What! did he speak to you in particular?”
“Yes, me tink so; for dere was great many to hear him, but he tell dem all about me.”
“What did he say?”
“He say about all de tings dat were in my heart.”
“What things?”
“My sin, my ignorance, my know noting, my believe noting. De goot minister make me see dat me tink noting goot, me do noting goot.”
“And what else did he tell you?”
“He sometime look me in de face, and say dat Jesus Christ came to die for sinners, poor black sinners as well as white sinners. Me tought dis was very goot, very goot, indeed, to do so for a wicked sinner.”
“And what made you think this was all spoken to you in particular?”
“Because me sure no such wicked sinner as me in all de place. De goot minister must know me was dere.”
“And what did you think of yourself while he preached about Jesus Christ?”
“Sir, me was very much afraid, when he said the wicked must be turned into hell-fire. For me felt dat me was very wicked sinner, and dat make me cry. And he talk much about de love of Christ to sinners, and dat make me cry more. And me tought me must love Jesus Christ; but me not know how, and dat make me cry again.”
“Did you hear more sermons than one during that month?”
“Yes, sir; master gave me leave to go tree times, and all de times me wanted to love Jesus more, and do what Jesus said; but my heart seem sometime hard, like a stone.”
“Have you ever heard any preaching since that time?”
“Never, till me hear sermon at dis church last Sunday, and den me long to be baptized in Jesus’ name; for me had no Christian friends to baptize me when little child.”
“And what have been your thoughts all the time since you first heard these sermons in America? Did you tell anybody what you then felt?”
“No, me speak to nobody but to God den. De goot minister say dat God hear de cry of de poor; so me cry to
God, and he hear me. And me often tink about Jesus Christ, and wish to be like him.”
“Can you read?”
“A little.”
“Who taught you to read?”
“God teach me to read.”
“What do you mean by saying so?”
“God give me desire to read, and dat make reading easy. Master give me Bible, and one sailor show me de letters: and so me learned to read by myself, with God’s good help.”
“And what do you read in the Bible?”
“Oh, me read all about Jesus Christ, and how he loved sinners; and wicked men killed him, and he died, and came again from de grave; and all dis for poor Negro. And it sometime make me cry, to tink that Christ love so poor Negro.”
“And what do the people say about your reading, and praying, and attention to the things of God?”
“Some wicked people, dat do not love Jesus Christ, call me great fool, and Negro dog, and black hypocrite. And dat make me sometimes feel angry; but den me remember Christian must not be angry, for Jesus Christ was called ugly black names, and he was quiet as a lamb; and so den me remember Jesus Christ; and me say nothing again to dem.”
I was much delighted with the simplicity and apparent sincerity of this poor Negro, and wished to ascertain what measure of light and feeling he possessed on a few leading points. St. Paul’s summary of religion [97] occuring to me,
I said, “Tell me what is faith? What is your faith? What do you believe about Jesus Christ, and your own soul?”
“Me believe,” said he, “dat Jesus Christ came into de world to save sinners; and dough me be chief of sinners, yet Jesus will save me, dough me be only poor black Negro.”
“What is your hope? What do you hope for, both as to this life and that which is to come?”
“Me hope Jesus Christ will take good care of me, and keep me from sin and harm, while me live here; and me hope, when me come to die, to go and live with him always, and never die again.”
“What are your thoughts about Christian love or charity,—I mean, whom and what do you most love?”
“Me love God de Father, because he was so goot to send his Son. Me love Jesus Christ, because he love men. Me love all men, black men and white men too; for God made dem all. Me love goot Christian people, because Jesus love dem, and dey love Jesus.”
Such was my first conversation with this young disciple. I rejoiced in the prospect of receiving him into the Church agreeably to his desire. I wished, however, to converse somewhat further, and inquire more minutely into his conduct; and promised to ride over and see him in a few days at his master’s lodgings.
When he was gone, I thought within myself, God has indeed redeemed souls by the blood of his Son, “out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” If many of them for a season are devoted to earthly slavery, [98] through the cruel avarice of man, yet, blessed be God, some
amongst them are, through divine grace, called to the glorious liberty of the children of God; and so are redeemed from the slavery of him who takes so many captive at his will. It is a happy thought, that “Ethiopia shall soon stretch forth her hands unto God. Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth. Oh, sing praises unto the Lord.”