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TIlE PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN. 51


'.


Hol y gUl'llIentswer e uot matl e for men 10


sleep ill, or to strut in, but to do senJice in j­and


thellthey ar c indeed for glory, anel heuu - .


ty. ' The Son of man r. ame not to be m'illister­eJ


u~ tQ but to r:: illisler.'- .' Il att. Henry.


Reader, let lis . Yulue 1II0re aIIII more the


treasure we possess in God's revealed Wo~ d.


. May it prove a ' lamp to our feet'- our guide


to glory. G. w. s,


" I sail ed from London in a S cotch ' vessel,


from the West Indies, second mate, the most '


abandon ed wret ch that ever sailed on suit


water , particularty for profane sw earing. Our


ca ptain, th on gh a good seamnn, and kind til


his ship's cOlnpllll)', cared neither ( i". his . soul;


or th ose of his s hip's cr ew. We hat! been ut


sell ab ont sixtee n clays. , It cnill e 011 night.


It was my wat ch on deck. The night was


clark lU1I1 low er ing , a nd hill litt le win, v ttl lh e


tim e, \ V e hnd 1Il0st of 0111' lower sa ils set. 1


was wnlking 1IJ1 ancl tlown on th e ' leeward side


of th e ship. wh en a sud, len puff' Ilf willd


cll\ Ise~ th e vessel to. gi\' e n heavy Inn~ h. Not


pr eparecl to met, t it, I fell against on e of Ihe


stunc heolls. F eeling lIIueh hurt J gav e vcnt


to Illy an gel' hy II tlreadlid oath, cUl'sing the


wind, Mhip, ' anll sell, amI ( awft" to meilli on )


the Being who millIe them .- Scarce had thi s


hori" ill oath e~ ell lJed Illy lip s, wh en it IIppcared


to roll ba~ l, on Illy mincl wi th so ( i'ightflll lin


ima; e, that frlr a llIom ~ lt or two I tho light I


suw the sea purting, lind the vessel going down.


I took th e helm ' froIII th e man who WitS lit it,


Imfl. p ut the ship'.. hClld d,,~ e to th e win,!.


All that lIight n~)' awftll oatl. WIIS helore Illy


eyes, amI its con sequ ence nppf' ar cll to he Illy


certa in ellllllnati on. F or se\ ' ernl lIuys 1 wus


miseraLle. Ash llmecl to lick nowledge ' th e


cause, I IIsked on e of th e llIen if he Inlll any


book to Icnd me , to r ead ~ He . offerellme a


French nOI'e\. I asked ' if he had a Bible 0' 1' II


T estamen t. He nnsw erecl by asking if I wa s


going io die ; for his pllrt, he sai, l, he IW\' CI"


trouhl ell his hClld IIbollt th e Bible 0;' P rnye r


Book, he left nil, th ese mlltter s ( 0 th e Iwies/ s , to


wholll he left pal'! of his pay to pruy fiJI' him ;


if I had Iioue so I s ho uld not he so squeamish.


The eupta in I kn ew hall a Bible, um I was


, unwi ll ing to Iisk th e 10lln 01 it.


Se\'~ rnl dny s I'ussed ' in th e gr eatest torment;


thi s oath \ yus ulways befiJre me . I could not _


I'nty j itllleed I tllOught it, of no use. 011 the


filih day I was tuming over some thiugs in lily


c hes t, wh en 1 tound some trifl es 1 had pllI' ­ch


ased for se a stock, wrapped in paper , ( pllt­tiug


his hutll) illto his j acket, and Irolll u small


red . ca se pulling outJhe paper , which was n


le; lf of the Bihl e, conta ining nearly the whole


of th e lirst chapter of Isaiah, ) 0 how my


heart throbbed , wh en I found it a pi ece of the


Bihle ! At thut moment tears fell ( i'om his


I


e yes , and he pre ssed the leaf to bis bosom.-


'; But sir;" continlled he, " ' conce ive what I felt


wh ell 1read the se words ," " Though your sins


be as sl'al'let they sll8ll be liS \ vhite as \\' 001." ­H


ere he paused to wipe the tears a · way. " Sir',"


he added, " like a drowning man I clung to


this life huoy: on this 1 laid my soul. 1 then


prayed, alltl the Lord was grciously plllased to


remove in Slime measure the great guilt ( i'om


my cou science, thOligh I cominued mournful


and bowed down; until last evening, on board


the Mayfl ow er, I stow ed 8WUY with the Belhel


compuny. I felt mu ch comtorted in the ser­vice.


It deeply uffecled me; lIucI I have now


reason to bel ieve the Lordhus fO/' given my


gr eat sin. I 11m now going to , my friends to


te ll th em whllt gnmt things God halh done for


iuc."


POWER OF TilE BIBLE.


The following simple narrative of a youth ,


about sev enteen or eighteen years old, lllus­trates


th e pow er of God's word upon the heart.


1' he as~ u rall ce and j oy which this young man


felt in reading the language of the Prophet in


the first Chapter of Isaiah, has been the like


happy portion of / lIuny a penitent heart. \ Vho


will attempt to estima te the value ofthe Bible ?


It is a legacy beyond price.


" Nay, were the earth one chrysolite,


Th e sea one golden ball,


" And diamonds all the stars by night ,


Th is Book were worth them all."


. If ye be dumb, the stones beneat~ your feet


Shall have a voice! Earth cannot be thus dumb!


Earth which hath drunk the blood of iaaoc, ence, ­Shall


call to Heaven for ve~ geanc, e !"


at th e - sacrifice of her own ! She watched over


it through th e long, weary night with sleep.


less care, holding it in such a position th at the


jolting of the coach should 1I0t injure it while


awake, 1101' disturb it while it slept. It was a


good babe. and repaid its mother's watchfulness


by bright e, y. es and laugh iug lips on th e next


mornlng. wheu it lifted its inocent head from the


guurdian lap where it had rested, and, s tre tc h-ed


out its tiny hand s, c rowed in th e exultation


of happy babyhood. I was much int er ested


ill the mother and child; but it is strange tha


lily thoughts went fur away from that ' heauti­ful


picture of maternal love and infunt glee,' to


the plantatlous of Ihe' South, where mother s


bleed und er the lush, and infants are sold hy


the pound? Half'sleepiug and hulf waking, I


fell into a reverie, lind the leaky coach th e ,


muddy ; oud, ' und the swearing driver, fad ed II


from my., rec · ollection . The' scenes of th e


sout hern pri son - bouse wer e before my eyes. ­Here


bent to her unrequited toil of a hapless


female, with her wailing infant bound npc; n


her huck. The eye of th e brutal overseer was


up on her, and his losh was already red with


her blood. It WIIS for free mothers to fondl e


th eir illfillll~ ill th eir bosoms, or sit hy th e side


of th eir little bed , lind sing their crudle- hymu.


An oth er lot was her's. The j oys ofmutern ity


mu st give wuy to her dread of th e d ri ver's .


whip. I n II fcw da ys the tender flesh of hcr


lilli e onc m~ ht he tonI by that whip, liS her's


was now. Her child \\' IIS not he r own. ­True,


God had g ivcn it to h~/', b ~ 1t a llo t l ll~ r


c la imell. i t as his property. On th e sid e of th e


oppressor tll er e wus power, hut for tllllt hCllrt


I'r ok ell slave mother npp eared no helper.


The sccl ; e changed. , A crowli of lIlen, with


engc r expecllitio ll in th eil'. l ooks, wer e ' l iefor e


Illy ey e. A hlood · red flag was over IllY hllad.


Vpon it, painiecl in IUI'!! e cllpitals, \. vas th e an;


lIunciation, " Slaves , hors es and oth er cattle, to


be sold here." Thc hUl1l1ll0r of th e / luctioneer


fell frequently with its care less stroke and hu­lIIan


ties were rivell lit e very blow. Here the


purent was sold frolll the child; th ere th e hus­bU1lI1


from his wile; and tears aIHI laillenta ·


tion s, all~ . sJll'i eJ, s and groa ns, went upwnrd


continually" wllil e uhov e them all rose th e,


shrill ton es of th e un ctioneer, lIlId the lond


,,\' lick of the tlriver's whip. l'reselllly the


mother anll her bube \~ ere hrought upon the


stand . As th e auction eer rud ely se ize d her,


per son most lilithfully to th e gnze of th e sur­roulldillg


crilwd, sh e clusl' ed her infilnt to her


bl'east, as if resolved tllllt nothing hnt dcath


shoull~ ver part th elll. And )' et sh e kn ew


" lIow woal, her urlll to save from worse than


death,


From beastly men who norse for infamy


And cherish for pollutil) II~"


"\ VI~~ bid s!" c rieel the anctioneer. " A


lIIother and her ch iltl.!- sel'lIrn te or to gether,


to suit th e Jlllrchll ~ er , !" lind hi s hUlIJmer kl'pt


tim e with his ton gu e, as in jockey sty Ie he


en umemted her good " points ." She WHSsold,


lind hel' , ch! lrl wus 10 1' 11 Ihull her anus, IIl1d


so ld hy weight to a no ther purcbaser. Crns h­ing


down hel' feelings, she hlld looked l~ all/ lly


on until th e seal ofthei i' final separation wus


se t, ulHl th en th ey eonld not he suppressed. ­S


he shrieke d, sh e su pplicated - in vain. 1' he


gra ve is not more remorsel ess than wer e th ose


fleslllllongers. They tore her away ( i' 01ll th e


unconscious Imhy, who stretched out it~ littl e


hnnds implol'ingly to th e mother it WIIS lIever


to see agllin. The cleed was done. Once


more the scelle c ha n ge d~ Before me se ated


on the gronnd, beneath the stars , of midnight,


that seemed to look down IIpon her with pity­ing


eyes, sat that d esohite · heai, ted mother. A


low wail was in my ear, as the voice of one


who moul'lls the tle. lIh of hel" first : horn- yet


sadder, 1I10re hopele'ss e ven, than that. The


s lllve' lIlother poured on the lInunswering IIiI'


her lamelllation for her child, aud th e burden


of her 1l1eluncliolly s ong was this.-


"\ Vo, for thy lot, thQU doomed one ! wo~


, . f. se~ 1 is on thy fate!


And shame, ane! toil, lIad wretchedness,


On all thy steps await!"


My re veri c was over ; bill th o reality olJ; nf ·


fi~ r i llg whi ch ~ l il\' e ry enta ils u Jlon its miserublc


victims yet rem ains. Oh! tha t nny \\ ho pro­fess


to hav e kn own the h;' I/ Jlistll of Ihe S pi rit


of God s hould be indiffereut to its ex isteuce!


I


That IIny shonlel justi( y the wrong, and pl ead


to r its co nt inllance!


.' . .' " Cr)'.!-,- for the g~ od man faileth! Call .. loud :


GRAPIIIC SKETCH.


lJ. lJ William H. B urleigh.


The journey over: l rOllgh roacl, and thro ug h


th e mud UNd wet, durin g th e enSiling night,


wus sufficient ly wearisome a nd trying tel the


putience of the sl,: epy pllssengers. Among


our lIumher was a lady with an infant chilel. ­How


assiduously she provided for its cOlllfort


The most graphic pen C/ III hut failltly pic -,


llIre the woes of th e s lll v~. \ Ve lIIay ' feel for


and sympathize with th e poor l'aptive in hond s


bllt fully to appreciute his long catalogue of,


suffer ings , we Ca llnot. () h, to weill' th e )' oke


ap, l ehuins / i, r orie hour, would crush OUI' hu­manity.


How long, ' ehee l'less and painfnl,


mnst life be, spe n t in the dark prison of 1I0nd­ag


o! III th e ' S ke le h" he low, we hav e painted


with a lIJ ~ ster touch, e noug h of th e workings


of opp ression to urouse oU;' manliood, allli ~ a ll


forth our aid for the s uffer ing bondman. ­Brethren,


let li S eery nlond and ~ p" re not,' till


every yoke is brol< ell, unll cvery chnin sllnde r ·


ed. G. w , S.


'- - '


10 good for his race. , \ Ve may I'ong ra lll la te


barselves that the days of the ' Inquisition' are


umbered , and 011 I' heads are sa fe, Hut be­oud


til is we may no t rej~ ice. Tile spirit of


ersecution is neither dead nor asleep- nay,


erily, it is curried to the very verge of pres ·


eu power. The demand of tile dominant, and


! would . he Popes, is, how to our - hlols- c- pro­IlIonnce


our Shihboleth, or )' OU shall receive


110 tavors, and he branded as u pertinacious


leretic. To carryon th is work of persecution


11011 mischief is the labor of the deceived mul­titude


, lind ull forso oth und er the plea of doing


God service. . Oh miserable delusion! when


will darkness reced~ before the light of divin e


truth? When will th e reign of mental slave­ry


e nd , aru] - th a t liherty ' wher ewith Christ


mnketh his people free,' be es tablished ?


III ' the languuge of an oth cr-' It cnn ea sily


be shown thut those doctrines that di stinguish


' sects ar e d estitu te of pra cti cal value. \ V e


cull 011 th eir supporler 8 and nd vocntes 10 point


out in th e world's history , wh en and w here


they hav e done allY geJOd ? Have they done


lilly thin g to ad vanc e, free und e le"\' ate our


mee ? Have they hro ken a sillgle ch ain , op en ­ed


a prison door, 1i, d tile hun gry, or ' ~ i si te( 1


with comfort the orphun and widow? What


desert s hnve th ey caused to hloom , or wh at


wild erness have th ey filled wi th sweet melody ?


Wil en have th ey hroken sceptres of iroll, or


clluSI, d t)' l'IInts to tremhle 011 th eir hlood . drip­Ilillg


thron es? \ Vher e nre th e ha ttles th " y


ha ve WOII filr hUlll, ill rig- ht a nd \ i: ell ilre, th e,


Illtstil es th ey hav e lev elled with rile dnst, 01'


tlHi gond of an y SOl t th ey 1111\' 0. wresl e ~ 1 fhlln


the devi l, or conqller ed fro, u th e empire of


evil ?'


Br ell/ re/!, let us nri se and se ver di e last par.'


ty cha ill. God creutt: tl us to h" as free ns th e


nil' we hmaill e. Let liS lint he aiain ellla ll­:


rlell wilh the yok e of sectllrian bondage. Let


the world lIecollle IIln' liel ll of lahO!", and all


1I11111killli Olll" hretlll'en, tllen sll all we I'l" OlIIote


the comiug o f that kingdom which is to ovcr­come


tile e vils oftlli" corrupt world.


, L


G. W . S .


- h e has been heard rebuking them , lind plead­ing


, e loq nent ly for th e oppressed ? Whel~


th ere is no on e else 10 crY , aloud ag ainst sin,


shull not she ?- and when there arc others,


s ha ll she not jo in th em ? L et no one say nay,


IC5t he be found arrnying himself against the


Omnipotent. A soul is a soul, ' whether it he


in the body ora mnn 01' ot a woman, mid in


e very true soul Godi8- alld when suc h asoul


utters itself, let all keel' sil ence, and listen with


resp ect, and a desire to know what truth is


lind duty. But I IIIUSt not dwelL Be fhith­ftll,\


voillun- he faithful to th e light within thee


- and let 1I0 man attempt to turn it to dark­ness.


Auother goo d, which is the result of the en­terprize


whi ch we are considering, is this ­not


a few laymen in th e c hurc hes are begin­ning


' to feel that th ey ha ve a mission, ns well


as tho se who have long ministered a t th e sa­cr


ed altar. ' 1' 00 frequ ently ' have th e latt er


e luss heen considered as th e ouly medium of


commuuication between God and man. It


IIlI S heeu ge nera lly thought presumptions, for


th e ' cullllllon peopl e' to think of ku owing so


much abou t th e divin e kingdom as ' th e mini s­ter-


Ill' think of. IJaviug all opinion of th eir


own ; and huuce /\ I,; ltitudes have left what


tluy oug h t to huve done, for him to do ;' lind it


is therefore seklnm th at mor e th an a luuulfu I


cnu he found in ully one o f the sect s, wh o


tlec lII it Il, eir ' lluty 10 vi~ it th e sick, to COIIJ (() J" t


th e lIIourner, to ellcollrnge the pCllitent, to


confirllllhe npright, to enlil; hlell th e ignorant,


to preach thegospel, by eXllmple and by pre ·


ce pt. The~ e works hav e heen left 101' the ' pro .


fessi ou.' But II hett el' duy is da'wning npon


us. Where lIIinist el's have been unfaithful,


th e friends of th e ShlVl) IHl\' e call ed upon oth=


ers to tuk e hold of th eir call1! c, .' nlllnot ItlwllYs


hal' e th ey ca" lIcd in vain. S ome ha\' e risen


up, and have oIolle good se n ' ic e. } n many


I'luces th ey havl) gone forward in the wul'l"


aud succ eede d, not only withont the aid of


th eir lIIinist er, bllt with all his illfluences op el"


ming against th em eontinulllly. And in ilia ·


ny pluces, yuu will find lh at tbe true SCl'l'lItits


of J esu s Christ 1II'Clluulllg ,. the , con gr egatiun ;


ANTt · SLAVERY. and thaliu the pnlpit '; I'C th ose who ar e how":


, ( Colltinued.) iug th e 1{; lee to lh e tlemon of Intemperance,


Thc Allti . Slavel'Y entel'prize is looked nJlon und SI'\\' ery, lind Wur, IIIld i\! ulllmon ;- SOlll e ·


hy Illlmy as baving wrought out littl e or 110 tim es it 1II11y he, inclced, in ignorant sincel'ity.


good :- h)' sOllie us having wrought nothing We wonld hav e ~ harit y. llut may th e go ocl


hut evil. SUl? h, howevel',' have tlll, en only u ca lise ofFl'eedollJ, raise nJl more and llIor e la ·


~ u l'e rfic i a l view of the · s uhj eet. In our own h;, r ers frolll ullliLlst the ptople!- and let all


New England, how much has it Ilone! And rinc h go fo; wanl withont tl lCil: lIIinister, if he,


wbat ?- what has it done? , some llIay inquil'e. I'efn se to co · ope ra te with th elll. Though dc ­In


i he first place it has I~ alled fOl'th much lutent simble, his ni, l is hy no lIIellnS indispen sibl e. ­talellt-


lIIuch talent \ vhi ch was hefore of littl e The God uf IIl; aven will gi; ' e strengtl; to all


~ ervi c e to its possessors, 01' til tl, e worill. ' A s who enlist ill his ca lise- a nd Jesu s says to th e


iron shal'peneth il'on, unci us man the COllllte- lIIost Imlnble-' Lo, I / 1111 with yOIl alwlI)' s,


IIl1nce of his friend,' sa have II few leuding eve n IIl1to the e llcl of the world.' Have cour ·


lIIillds acted I, IPOII other minds- and upon age, therefilre, br oth ers- have COli rag e, : llId


lIIinds which, hut for this Cllllse , might huv e do fot' th e s la ve whu!" ver ' )' ollr hllnd s lind to


Illin dormallt to the end of life. l\ len there are 110. \ Vo, rk ill Love, hilt work faithfully. R e ·


who wOllld not yet havc been meu- tme lIIen, Illll," bIH" th e early dj,' cil'les of th e gr ellt Re-had


th ey lint been IOl'ced to eon sid er what fOl" lller- the enrly disciples of th e Savior, alld


Hllmallity is, lind whllt rights belo'ng to it.- ill zeal alld devotion to God and I- lII II 11111 ity,


Tioey n eed,~ d sOllie gl'ent suhject to excite th e/~ be like th em. Thollgh few iu nUlllher, and ill


- alld by exel'eisiug th eir intelle, · tual anll llIor- earthly resources fcehl c, : idnt not, nor he wea -


nl powers, th ey hav e become ' living s~ uls.'- ry. The IIl1iv ersal aCI: lall; atiou shall yet go


They now speak to otb er so uls, nnd sp eak in up on high-' JellOvab has triulllphed, ulld hi s


a voice " tlmt is hellrd- llt lellst hy some,- and people are li'ee'- lInd th en shall .! j0ur joy be


they thut hear leav e their jl'raves, and live also. full. W. ' II . F".


And wh en dead, 110t a fe\~' of these men will i ( To be Continued.)


still con tinue to sp eak-- for theil' hurning tho'ts


- their divine thoughts, ar e alrendy on recor, l :


amI ' there is no sp eech nor langllage' wh ere


th ey \ vill not be relld . ' Their light hilS gone


Ollt through all the earth, and their words to


th e ellli of the worlrl.' From the \~ ritten pnge


th e spirit ' of ChrLitian freedom , shall yet be


brellthed into the IIntlllorcd son ofthe for est,


and into the uative of the most lonely isle of


the ocean. This result alone is worth nil ' the


e ffort that has be en made in th e slnve's behalf.


Every man that is mi seel lip hy nny Clluse, to


be a tl" lle reformer, i ~ a sta nding evid en ce of


the good elle cts of tha t cause. Anil, read er s,


colored men muy be fonnd , W! IO sh ine as light !'


ln1he world ; and some of th em , 8t leust, have


been ' made what th ey arc hy the AlIti · Slavery


calise. For ' tllis, God ' be praised. ' And fill',


what it hilS done fur WOlllan, we sa y the same.


' Her it has brought forward to speak Ollt till'


Humanity, and h cr lauors willllot be ill \' ain'


, And wbat lov er ofbis ra ce, cannot rejoice timt


in places where the c lergy hav e beeu dUlllh­where


they ba\ ' e beell faloe to th cir . high ollicc,


'-

Page 51 of Volume 1 from The Practical Christian 1840-1841

Ballou, Adin

1840