Life on the CongoBentley, W. Holman (William Holman)
History
Life on the Congo
Bentley, W. Holman (William Holman)
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Congo River -- Description and travel; Missions -- Africa, Central
We can use their phraseology to explain how we may be brought under
a higher, holier, and more blessed influence. They can the better
understand how our Heavenly Father will give us His Holy Spirit, who
will dwell within us to be our Guard and Guide, to warn us against
wrong-doing, to protect us from our spiritual foes, and to purify our
hearts. That woman’s dream gave us words to express most graphically
and intelligibly the great truths of which they in their darkness still
had a shadow.
Another custom helps us. When a slave has a bad master, who ill-treats
him, and who may, perhaps, intend to sell him on the coast, the slave
will run away to a chief who has a good name in the country, and tell
him that he has come to be his slave. If the chief is willing, he
orders a goat to be killed; the chief and the slave eat goat together;
the covenant is made, and the new slave is called a ‘goat.’ His old
master hears that his slave is with the other chief, and comes with
bluster to demand him back. The new master refuses to give him up in
spite of all threats, and finally the old master is obliged to accept
a fair price. Slaves thus obtained are much esteemed, for they are
generally faithful, and having thus made their choice, are not likely
to run away again. Sometimes free people in trouble will thus become
slaves for protection.
So, borrowing their terms, we can urge the dear lads of our schools
to take refuge with the Saviour, who will redeem them from a more
terrible bondage, and deliver them from the power of the evil one; a
Saviour who will be their protector, and who will take them to live
with Him, a Master in whose service is truest freedom. We have reason
to believe that some of our lads have taken the Saviour thus to be
their Lord and Master, and trusting in Him for pardon, rejoice to
consider themselves His ‘goats.’
Our couriers came in one day and told us that they had seen a man
killed on Mbimbi market. A chief had caught a man for debt on
market-day; and as there is a stringent law to provide perfect security
on market-day, the chiefs sentenced the offender to death. He was
allowed to find a substitute, and bought a slave in a neighbouring
district. This poor innocent man was beaten to death on the market
in the place of the chief. We have thus words and ideas to aid us in
telling the story of the loving Saviour, through whose blood we have
redemption, pardon, and reconciliation.
Trade and commerce appear only to increase the wickedness and cruelty,
for while their influence quickens the intelligence, activity, and
industry of the people, it can have no moral and spiritual effect. It
is best that there should be both legitimate traders and missionaries,
each working in their own sphere. Trade will but elevate to a certain
point. The gospel only will work the radical cure.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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