Part 13 (1/2)
”And have you such a faith as you describe?”
”Oh, ma.s.sa! 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 oder tings; when me want to love him, my heart soon quite cold; when me want to believe all to be true what he says to sinners, me den tink it is not true for me; when me want to pray, de devil put bat, very bat thoughts into me; and me never tank Christ enough. Now all dis make me sometimes afraid I have no faith.”
I observed a very earnest glow of attention and fellow-feeling in some countenances present, as he spoke these words I then said--
”I think, William, I can prove that you have faith, notwithstanding your fears to the contrary. Answer me a few more questions.
”Did you begin to think yourself a great sinner, and to feel the want of a 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 about it.”
”Who sent the good minister in America to awaken your soul by his preaching?”
”G.o.d, very certainly.”
”Who then began the work of serious thought in your mind?”
”De goot G.o.d; me could not do it of myself, me sure of dat.”
”Do you not think that Jesus Christ and his salvation are the one thing most 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 he will in no wise cast out any dat come to him.”
”Do you wish, and desire, and strive to keep his commandments?”
”Yes, ma.s.sa, because me love him, and dat make me want to do as he say.”
”Are you willing to suffer for his sake, if G.o.d should call you to do so?”
”Me do tink me could die for de love of him: he not tink it too much to die for wicked sinner; why should wicked sinner tink it much to die for so goot and righteous a Saviour?”
”I think and hope I may say to you, William, 'Thy faith hath made thee whole.'”
Thus ended my examination for the present. The other friends who were in the house listened with the most affectionate anxiety to all that pa.s.sed.
One of them observed, not without evident emotion--
”I see, sir, that though some men are white and some are black, true Christianity is all of one colour. My own heart has gone with this good man, every word he has spoken.”