Annals of the Poor

by John Kendrick Bangs

  PART III.

  The interesting and affecting conversation which I had with the Negroservant produced a sensation not easy to be expressed. As I returnedhome, I was led into meditation on the singular clearness and beauty ofthose evidences of faith and conversion of heart to God, which I had justseen and heard. How plainly, I thought, it appears that salvation isfreely "by grace through faith; and that not of ourselves; it is the giftof God; not of works, lest any man should boast." What but the HolySpirit, who is the author and giver of the life of grace, could havewrought such a change from the once dark, perverse, and ignorant heathen,to this now convinced, enlightened, humble, and believing Christian! Howmanifestly is the uncontrolled sovereignty of the Divine will exercisedin the calling and translating of sinners from darkness to light! What alesson may the nominal Christian of a civilized country sometimes learnfrom the simple, sincere religion of a converted heathen!

  I afterwards made particular inquiry into this young man's domestic andgeneral deportment. Everything I heard was satisfactory, nor could Ientertain a doubt respecting the consistency of his conduct andcharacter. I had some further conversations with him, in the course ofwhich I pursued such a plan of scriptural instruction and examination asI conceived to be the most suitable to his progressive state of mind. Heimproved much in reading, carried his Bible constantly with him, and tookevery opportunity which his duty to his master's service would allow forperusing it. I have frequently had occasion to observe that amongst thetruly religious poor, who have not had the advantage of being taught toread in early youth, a concern about the soul and a desire to know theword of God, have proved effectual motives for their learning to readwith great ease and advantage to themselves and others. It wasstrikingly so in the present case.

  I had, for a considerable time, been accustomed to meet some seriouspersons once a week, in a cottage at no great distance from the housewhere he lived, for the purpose of religious conversation, instruction,and prayer. Having found these occasions remarkably useful andinteresting, I thought it would be very desirable to take the Negrothere, in order that there might be other witnesses to the simplicity andsincerity of real Christianity, as exhibited in the character of thispromising young convert. I hoped it might prove an eminent mean of graceto excite and quicken the spirit of prayer and praise amongst some of myparishioners, over whose spiritual progress I was anxiously watching.

  I accordingly obtained his master's leave that he should attend me to oneof my cottage assemblies. His master, who was thoroughly convinced ofthe extraordinary change, in conduct and disposition, which religion hadproduced in his servant, was pleased with my attention to him, and alwaysspoke well of his behaviour.

  I set out on the day appointed for the interview. The cottage at whichwe usually assembled was nearly four miles distant from my own residence.My road lay along the foot of the hill mentioned in my last account ofthe Negro, from the summit of which so luxuriant a prospect was seen. Onmy right hand the steep acclivity of the hill intercepted all prospect,except that of numerous sheep feeding on its rich and plentiful produce.Here and there the nearly perpendicular side of a chalk-pit varied thesurface of the hill, contrasting a dazzling white to the sober green ofthe surrounding bank.

  On the left hand, at the distance of nearly half a mile, the tide flowedfrom the sea into a lake or haven of a considerable length and breadth.At one end of it, fishing and pilot vessels lay at anchor; at the otherappeared the parish church, amongst the adjoining woods and fields. Thebells were ringing; a gently swelling sound was brought along the surfaceof the water, and an echo returned from a prominent part of the hillbeneath which I was riding. The whole scene was delightful.

  I passed some rural and beautifully situated cottages, which seemed to beformed as fit residences for peace and tranquillity; each was surroundedby a garden, and each had a little orchard or field adjacent, where thehusbandman's cow enjoyed her own pasture, and at the same time preparedrich provision for her owner's family. Such was the wise and considerateallotment which the landlords and the farmers had _here_ made for thelabouring poor. The wholesome vegetable, the medicinal herb, and thesweet-scented flower, intermingled as they grew around these littledwellings, and reminded me, as I looked upon them, how comfortable is thelot of the industrious poor, whose hearts have learned the lesson ofgratitude in the school of heavenly wisdom. For them as mercifully asfor their richest neighbour, the sun shines, the rain descends, the earthbrings forth her increase, the flower blossoms, the bird sings. Theirwants are few, and contentment makes them less. How great the blessingof being poor in this world, but rich in faith and a chosen inheritancein a better!

  I knew that this was the character of some whose humble but neat andcleanly cottages I passed. A few such features in the prospect renderedit most lovely. Peace be to their memory, both as pilgrims and strangershere, and as ransomed souls whom I hope to meet in glory hereafter!

  The house to which I was travelling was situated at the corner of an oakwood, which screened it both from the burning heat of summer suns and theheavy blasts of winter south-west storms. As I approached it, I saw myfriend the Negro sitting under a tree, and waiting my arrival. He heldin his hand a little tract which I had given him; his Bible lay on theground. He rose with much cheerfulness, saying--

  "Ah, massa, me very glad to see you; me tink you long time coming."

  "William, I hope you are well. I am going to take you with me to a fewof my friends, who, I trust, are truly sincere in their religiouspursuits. We meet every Wednesday evening for conversation about thethings that belong to our everlasting peace, and I am sure you will be awelcome visitor."

  "Massa, me not goot enough to be with such goot people. Me great sinner;dey be goot Christian."

  "If you were to ask them, William, they would each tell you they wereworse than others. Many of them were once, and that not very long ago,living in an openly sinful manner, ignorant of God, and the enemies ofJesus Christ by thought and deed. But divine grace stopped them in theirwicked course, and subdued their hearts to the love and obedience of himand his gospel. You will only meet a company of poor fellow-sinners, wholove to speak and sing the praises of redeeming love; and I am sure,William, that is a song in which you will be willing to join them."

  "O yes, sir! dat song just do for poor Negro."

  By this time we had arrived at the cottage garden gate. Several well-known faces appeared in and near the house, and the smile of affectionwelcomed us as we entered. It was known that the Negro was to visit thelittle society this evening, and satisfaction beamed on everycountenance, as I took him by the hand and introduced him among them,saying, "I have brought a brother from Africa to see you, my friends. Bidhim welcome in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

  "Sir," said an humble and pious labourer, whose heart and tongue alwaysoverflowed with Christian kindness, "we are at all times glad to see ourdear minister, but especially so to-day in such company as you havebrought with you. We have heard how merciful the Lord has been to him.Give me your hand, good friend (turning to the Negro). God be with you,here and everywhere; and blessed be his holy name for calling sinners, asI hope he has done you and me, to love and serve him for his mercy'ssake."

  Each one greeted him as he came into the house, and some addressed him invery kind and impressive language.

  "Massa," said he, "me not know what to say to all dese goot friends; metink dis look a little like heaven upon earth."

  He then, with tears in his eyes--which, almost before he spoke, broughtresponsive drops into those of many present--said, "Goot friends andbredren in Christ Jesus, God bless you all, and bring you to heaven at delast."

  It was my stated custom, when I met to converse with these cottagers, tobegin with prayer and reading a portion of the Scriptures.

  When this was ended, I told the people present that the providence of Godhad placed this young man for a time under my ministry; and that, findinghim seriously disposed, and bel
ieving him to be very sincere in hisreligious profession, I had resolved on baptizing him, agreeably to hisown wishes. I added, that I had now brought him with me to join inChristian conversation with us; for, as in olden times they that fearedthe Lord spake often one to another, in testimony that they thought uponhis name (Mal. iii. 16), so I hoped we were fulfilling a Christian andbrotherly duty in thus assembling for mutual edification.

  Addressing myself to the Negro, I said, "William, tell me who made you."

  "God, de goot Fader."

  "Who redeemed you?"

  "Jesus, his dear Son, who died for me."

  "Who sanctified you?"

  "The Holy Ghost, who teach me to know de goot Fader, and his dear SonJesus."

  "What was your state by nature?"

  "Me wicked sinner; me know noting but sin, me do noting but sin; my soulmore black dan my body."

  "Has any change taken place in you since then?"

  "Me hope so, massa; but me sometime afraid no."

  "If you are changed, who changed you?"

  "God de goot Fader, Jesus his dear Son, and God de Holy Spirit."

  "How was any change brought about in you?"

  "God make me a slave when me was young little boy."

  "How, William? would you say God made you a slave?"

  "No, massa, no: me mean, God let me be made slave by white men, to do megoot."

  "How to do you good?"

  "He take me from de land of darkness, and bring me to de land of light."

  "Which do you call the land of light? the West India Islands?"

  "No, massa; dey be de land of Providence, but America be de land of lightto me; for dere me first hear goot minister preach. And now dis placewhere I am now is de land of more light; for here you teach me more andmore how goot Jesus is to sinners."

  "What does the blood of Christ do?"

  "It cleanse from all sin; and so me hope from my sin."

  "Are then all men cleansed from sin by his blood?"

  "O no, massa."

  "Who are cleansed and saved?"

  "Dose dat have faith in him."

  "Can you prove that out of the Bible?"

  "Yes, sir: 'He dat believeth on de Son hath everlasting life; and he datbelieveth not de Son shall not see life, but de wrath of God abideth onhim'" (John iii. 36).

  "What is it to have faith?"

  "Me suppose dat it is to tink much about Jesus Christ, to love him much,to believe all he says to be true, to pray to him very much; and when mefeel very weak and very sinful, to tink dat he is very strong and verygoot, and all dat for my sake."

  "And have you such a faith as you describe?"

  "Oh, massa! me tink sometimes me have no faith at all."

  "Why so, William?"

  "When me want to tink about Jesus Christ, my mind run about after odertings; when me want to love him, my heart soon quite cold; when me wantto believe all to be true what he says to sinners, me den tink it is nottrue for me; when me want to pray, de devil put bat, very bat thoughtsinto me; and me never tank Christ enough. Now all dis make me sometimesafraid I have no faith."

  I observed a very earnest glow of attention and fellow-feeling in somecountenances present, as he spoke these words I then said--

  "I think, William, I can prove that you have faith, notwithstanding yourfears to the contrary. Answer me a few more questions.

  "Did you begin to think yourself a great sinner, and to feel the want ofa Saviour, of your own self, and by your own thoughts and doings?"

  "O no; it came to me when me tink noting about it, and seek noting aboutit."

  "Who sent the good minister in America to awaken your soul by hispreaching?"

  "God, very certainly."

  "Who then began the work of serious thought in your mind?"

  "De goot God; me could not do it of myself, me sure of dat."

  "Do you not think that Jesus Christ and his salvation are the one thingmost needful and most desirable?"

  "Oh yes, me quite sure of dat."

  "Do you not believe that he is able to save you?"

  "Yes, he is able to save to de uttermost."

  "Do you think he is not willing to save you?"

  "Me dare not say dat. He is so goot, so merciful, so kind, to say hewill in no wise cast out any dat come to him."

  "Do you wish, and desire, and strive to keep his commandments?"

  "Yes, massa, because me love him, and dat make me want to do as he say."

  "Are you willing to suffer for his sake, if God should call you to doso?"

  "Me do tink me could die for de love of him: he not tink it too much todie for wicked sinner; why should wicked sinner tink it much to die forso goot and righteous a Saviour?"

  "I think and hope I may say to you, William, 'Thy faith hath made theewhole.'"

  Thus ended my examination for the present. The other friends who were inthe house listened with the most affectionate anxiety to all that passed.One of them observed, not without evident emotion--

  "I see, sir, that though some men are white and some are black, trueChristianity is all of one colour. My own heart has gone with this goodman, every word he has spoken."

  "And so has mine," gently re-echoed from every part of the room.

  After some time passed in more general conversation on the subject of theNegro's history, I said, "Let us now praise God for the rich andunspeakable gift of his grace, and sing the hymn of redeeming love--

  'Now begin the heavenly theme, Sing aloud in Jesus' name,'" &c.

  Which was accordingly done. Whatever might be the merit of the naturalvoices, it was evident there was spiritual melody in all their hearts.

  The Negro was not much used to our way of singing, yet joined with greatearnestness and affection, that showed how truly he felt what he uttered.When the fifth verse was ended--

  "Nothing brought him from above, Nothing but redeeming love"--

  he repeated the words, almost unconscious where he was--

  "No, noting, noting but redeeming love, bring him down to poor William;noting but redeeming love."

  The following verses were added and sung by way of conclusion:--

  See, a stranger comes to view, Though he's black, {121} he's comely too Comes to join the choirs above, Singing of redeeming love.

  Welcome, Negro, welcome here, Banish doubt and banish fear; You, who Christ's salvation prove, Praise and bless redeeming love.

  I concluded with some remarks on the nature of salvation by grace,exhorting all present to press forward in the heavenly journey. It wasan evening the circumstances of which, had they never been recorded onearth, were yet, doubtless, registered in the book of remembrance above.

  I then fixed the day for the baptism of the Negro, and so took leave ofmy little affectionate circle.

  The moon shone bright as I returned home, and was beautifully reflectedfrom the waters of the lake; harmony and repose characterized the scene.I had just been uniting in the praises of the God of grace andprovidence; and now the God of nature demanded a fresh tribute ofthanksgiving for the beauties and comforts of creation; as David sang,"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and thestars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful ofhim? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?"

  In a few days the Negro was baptized, and not long after went on a voyagewith his master.

  Since that time I have not been able to hear any tidings of him. Whetherhe yet wanders as a pilgrim in this lower world, or whether he has joinedthe heavenly choir in the song of "redeeming love" in glory, I know not.This I do know, he was a monument to the Lord's praise. He bore theimpression of the Saviour's image on his heart, and exhibited the marksof divine grace in his life and conversation, with singular simplicityand unfeigned sincerity.

  Give to God the glory.