תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

Chap. vi, ver. 17.-But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine. which was delivered you.

A person who had expressed doubts, whether the negroes received any real advantage by bearing the Gospel, was asked, whether he did not think one named Jack was better for the preaching? He replied, "Why, I must confess that he was a drunkard, a liar, and a thief, but, certainly, he is now a sober boy, and I can trust him with any thing; and since he has talked about religion, I have tried to make him drunk, but failed in the attempt."

Chap. vii, ver. 9.-For I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

66

The following remarks of one of the Christian negroes, may be considered as illustrative of the above passage: Yesterday morning," said he," when you preach, you show me that the law be our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. You talk about the ten commandments. You begin at the first, and me say to myself, Me guilty!' the second; Me guilty!' the third; Me guilty!' the fourth; Me guilty!' the fifth; Me guilty!' Then you say the sixth, I suppose plenty people live here, who say,- Me no guilty of that! Me say again in my heart, Ah! me no guilty? Did you never hate any person? Did you never wish that such a person, such a man or such a woman, was dead?' 'Massa, you talk plenty about that; and what I feel that time I can't tell you. I talk in my heart, and say, Me the same person. My heart begin to beat-me want to cry-my heart heave so much, me don't know what to do. Massa, me think me kill ten people before breakfast? I never think I so bad. Afterward, you talk about the Lord Jesus Christ, how he take all our sins. I think I stand the same like a person that have a big stone

upon him head, and can't walk-want to fall down. Oh Massa! I have trouble too much-I no sleep all night, and wept much. I hope the Lord Jesus Christ will take my sins from me! Suppose he no save me. I shall go to hell for ever.""

Chap. vii, ver. 22, 23.-For I delight in the law of God after the inward man. But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

[ocr errors]

The Rev. William Johnson, missionary in Africa, gives the following account. "One woman was much distressed, and wept, and said that she had two hearts which troubled her so much, that she did not know what to do. One was the new heart, that told her all things that she had ever been doing. The same beart told her that she must go to Jesus Christ, and tell him all her sins, as she had heard at church; but her old heart told her, Never mind, God no save black man, but white man. How know he died for black man?' Her new beart said, Go, cry to him, and ask.' Old heart tell me, do my work first, fetch water, make fire, wash, and then go pray. When work done, then me forget to pray. I don't know what I do.' I read to her the seventh chapter to the Romans, and showed that the Apostle Paul felt the same things, and spoke of two principles in man. When I came to the verse, Oh wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? she said, Ah, Massa, that me-me no know what to do.' I added the words of St. Paul-I thank God, through Jesus Christ; and explained to her the love of Christ, how he died for sinners like her: she burst into tears; and has continued ever since, so far as I know, to follow her Saviour."

[ocr errors]

Chap. viii, ver. 26.-Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not

what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Mr. C, a pious gentleman lately deceased, was on a visit to an intimate friend, whose sister, a pious lady, was lying on her death-bed. Religion, together with the means of promoting its growth in the heart, formed the subject of conversation. Mr. Chaving taken occasion to recommend the duty of family worship, his friend remarked, that he was sensible of the importance of the duty; but having hitherto been a stranger to the practice of it, he felt a difficulty in commencing it; that, however, if Mr. C- would assist him in getting over that difficulty by giving the duty a beginning, he would afterwards endeavor to continue the practice of it. To such a mind as Mr. C.'s this proposal was embarrassing. If he complied with it, he knew he had no resource but to undertake the duty without the customary help of a prayer-book; and from this his modesty revolted. If he declined it, he had reason to apprehend that his declining it might operate unfavorably on his friend's establishment and growth in grace. The possibility

of such a result he could not suffer to be hazarded. In the option of difficulties, the benevolent desire of usefulness prevailed. The family was convened at the hour of prayer; and their guest presided in their family worship. At first he was somewhat agitated, and his voice began to faulter. But his mind soon recovered its tone, and the solemn duty was performed with ease and with propriety. The success which attended this first attempt, encouraged him to lay his formulary aside; and experience soon taught him, that when the spirit of devotion in truth prevails, there is rarely any difficulty in giving expression to the feelings which it excites.

Chap. viii, ver. 28.-And we know that all things work together for good to them that

love God, to them who are the called accord

ing to his purpose.

When the Rev. Bernard Gilpin was on his way to London, to be tried before the Popish party, he broke his leg by a fall, which put a stop for some time to his journey. The person in whose custody he was, took occasion from this circumstance to retort upon him an observation he used frequently to make, "that nothing happens to us but what is intended for our good:" asking him, "Whether he thought his broken leg was so?" He answered meekly, "He made no question but it was." And, indeed, so it proved; for before he was able to travel, Queen Mary died. Being thus providentially rescued, he returned to Houghton through crowds of people, expressing the utmost joy, and blessing God for his deliverance.

Chap. ix, ver. 14.-What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

A pious gentleman was once called up in providence to visit an unhappy old man, who lay at the point of death. For several years he had been an avowed infidel. He had been accustomed to scoff at Scripture; but he principally exercised his profane wit in ridiculing the justice of God, and the future punishment of the wicked. He died convinced, but not converted. His death was truly awful. With his last quivering breath, be exclaimed, “ Now I know there is a hell, for I feel it!" and expired. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Chap. ix, ver. 22, 23.-What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction; and that he might make known the riches of his

glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.

A certain minister having changed his views of some parts of divine truth, was waited upon by an old acquaintance, who wished to reclaim him to his former creed; finding he could not succeed in his object, he became warm, and told his friend in plain terms that God had given him "up to strong delusions," and that he was "a vessel of wrath fitted to destruction." "I think, brother," replied the one who was charged with a departure from the faith, with great calmness, "I think, brother, that you have mistaken the sense of the passage you last referred to. Vessels are denominated according to their contents. A chemist, in conducting a stranger through his laboratory, would say, This is a vessel of turpentine, that of vitriol,' &c, always giving to the vessel the name of the article it contains. Now, when I see a man full of the holy and lovely spirit of Christ, devoted to his service, and imitating his example, I say that man is a vessel of mercy, whom God hath afore prepared unto glory; but when I see a man full of every thing but the spirit of the Bible-opposed to the moral government of God,-seeking his own things rather than those which are Christ's,-and filled with malice, wrath, and all uncharitableness, I am compelled to consider him a vessel of wrath, fitted to destruction.'"

[ocr errors]

Chap. x, ver. 10.-For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

There was one Victorinus, famous in Rome for teaching rhetoric to the senators: this man in his old age was converted to Christianity, and came to Simplicianus, who was an eminent man, whispering softly in his ears these words; a Christian;" but this holy man answered, "I will not believe it, nor count thee so, till I see thee among the Christians in

I am

« הקודםהמשך »