believer, nor assert the doctrine of equality in Christ as a ground for
undue familiarity, or disobedience, is repudiated by the vengeful spirit
of the abolitionist. How well the Apostle understood him! "If any man
teach otherwise," that is, contrary to these injunctions as to the duty
of slaves who have believing masters, "he is proud, (that is the leading
feature of his error) he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about
questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings,
evil surmisings." What an anomaly it would be to have an abolition
convention opened with reading a collect of Paul's inspired directions
to masters and slaves.
But we never hear anything quoted from the Bible on the subject but
"break every yoke!" "let the oppressed go free!" "undo the heavy
burdens!" I was telling a slave-holder of the frequency with which we
hear these expressions in public prayer. "I could join in every one of
them," said he; "I am for breaking every yoke, South and North,
unbinding every heavy burden, and destroying every form of oppression.
But they must be actual, not theoretical, nor imaginary."
This gentle slave in the cars, we will suppose, refuses opportunities to
escape, but complies with the exhortations of the New Testament,
"enduring grief, suffering wrongfully." His master is at last touched by
his meekness, his "not answering again." I should relate only that which
I know to have happened, should I say, that one day this master is
filled with distress on account of sin. He goes out into the
cotton-field and finds Jacob.
"Jacob," he says, "I am a great sinner. Jacob, I feel that I am sinking
into hell. Jacob, pray for me. I mean to turn about, if I live."
"Dats jest what I've sought de Lord for, massa, dis six months coming
New Year. Let's go up into de loft; it's whar I've wrastled for you in
prayer."
He leads the way. The floor of the loft is covered with cotton-seed. A
wheelbarrow is in the middle of the floor. Jacob takes off his jacket,
and with it brushes the cotton-seed away from one side of the
wheelbarrow, lays the jacket down for his master to kneel upon, and goes
to the other side. Like Jacob at Peniel, he has power over the angel,
and prevails; he weeps and makes supplication unto him. The master
breaks out in prayer. He rises and says,--
"Jacob, forgive me if I've been unkind to you; I've seen that you are a
Christian; now if you want to leave me for anybody else, say so."
"Thank you, massa; only sarve de Lord with gladness for all de good
things he has done for you, and I'll sarve you de same. Please go home
and tell missis; she told me to pray for you; 'twill finish up her joy."
This is better than running away and going to Canada. Those Christians
who send the Gospel to the South by missionaries and religious tracts,
to promote such scenes as this, do a better work than though they
withheld missionaries and tracts from one half of the nation, and called
it "Standing up for Jesus."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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