Part 11 (1/2)

”I was coming to your master's house to see you, and rode round by this way for the sake of the prospect. I often come here in fine weather, to look at the sea and s.h.i.+pping. Is that your Bible?”

”Yes, sir; {105} dis my dear goot Bible.”

”I am glad,” said I, ”to see you so well employed. It is a good sign, William.”

”Yes, ma.s.sa, a sign that G.o.d is goot to me; but me never goot to G.o.d.”

”How so?”

”Me never tank him enough; me never pray to him enough: me never remember enough who give me all dese goot tings. Ma.s.sa, me afraid my heart is very bat. Me wish me was like you.”

”Like me, William? Why, you are like me, a poor helpless sinner, that must, as well as yourself, perish in his sins, unless G.o.d, of his infinite mercy and grace, pluck him as a brand from the burning, and make him an instance of distinguis.h.i.+ng love and favour. There is no difference; we have both come short of the glory of G.o.d: all have sinned.”

”No, me not like you, ma.s.sa; me tink n.o.body like me,--n.o.body feel such a heart as me.”

”Yes, William, your feelings, I am persuaded, are like those of every truly convinced soul, who sees the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the greatness of the price which Christ Jesus paid for the sinner's ransom.

You can say, in the words of the hymn,--

'I the chief of sinners am, But Jesus died for me.'”

”O yes, sir, me believe that Jesus died for poor Negro. What would become of poor wicked Negro, if Christ no die for him? But he die for de chief of sinners, and dat make my heart sometimes quite glad.”

”What part of the Bible were you reading, William?”

”Me read how de man upon de cross spoke to Christ, and Christ spoke to him. Now dat man's prayer just do for me; 'Lord, remember me.' Lord, remember poor Negro sinner: dis is my prayer every morning, and sometimes at night too; when me cannot tink of many words, den me say de same again; Lord, remember poor Negro sinner.”

”And be sure, William, the Lord hears that prayer. He pardoned and accepted the thief upon the cross, and he will not reject you; he will in no wise cast out any that come to him.”

”No, sir, I believe it; but dere is so much sin in my heart, it makes me afraid and sorry. Ma.s.sa, do you see dese limpets, {107} how fast dey stick to de rocks here? Just so, sin sticks fast to my heart.”

”It may be so, William; but take another comparison: do you cleave to Jesus Christ, by faith in his death and righteousness, as those limpets cleave to the rock, and neither seas nor storms shall separate you from his love.”

”Dat is just what me want.”

”Tell me, William, is not that very sin which you speak of a burden to you? You do not love it; you would be glad to obtain strength against it, and to be freed from it; would you not?”

”O yes; me give all dis world, if me had it, to be without sin!”

”Come then, and welcome, to Jesus Christ, my brother; his blood cleanseth from all sin. He gave himself as a ransom for sinners. He hath borne our grief, and carried our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastis.e.m.e.nt of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Come, freely come to Jesus, the Saviour of sinners.”

”Yes, ma.s.sa,” said the poor fellow, weeping, ”me will come: but me come very slow; very slow, ma.s.sa: me want to run, me want to fly. Jesus is very goot to poor Negro, to send you to tell him all dis.”

”But this is not the first time you have heard these truths!”

”No, sir; dey have been comfort to my soul many times, since me hear goot minister preach in America, as me tell you last week at your house.”

”Well, now I hope, William, that since G.o.d has been so graciously pleased to open your eyes, and affect your mind with such a great sense of his goodness in giving his Son to die for your sake; I hope that you do your endeavour to keep his commandments: I hope you strive to behave well to your master and mistress, and fellow-servants. He that is a Christian inwardly will be a Christian outwardly; he that truly and savingly believes in Christ, will show his faith by his works, as the apostle says. Is it not so, William?”

”Yes, sir; me want to do so. Me want to be faithful. Me sorry to tink how bat servant me was before de goot tings of Jesus Christ come to my heart. Me wish to do well to my ma.s.sa, when he see me and when he not see; for me know G.o.d always see me. Me know dat if me sin against mine own ma.s.sa, me sin against G.o.d, and G.o.d be very angry with me. Beside, how can me love Christ if me do not what Christ tell me? Me love my fellow-servants, dough, as I tell you before, dey do not much love me; and I pray G.o.d to bless dem. And when dey say bat tings, and try to make me angry, den me tink, if Jesus Christ were in poor Negro's place, he would not revile and answer again with bat words and temper, but he say little and pray much. And so den me say noting at all, but pray to G.o.d to forgive dem.”