,library of ,congress7          ,,notice
 ,,to ,,the ,,public4   ,the object of  
the writer1 in preparing this account of
 himself1 is to  ,,raise ,,sufficient   
,,means ,,to ,,free ,,his ,,last ,,two  
,,children ,,from ,,slavery4  ,having   
already1 within twelve years past1      
purchased himself1 his wife1 and five of
 his children1 at a cost1 altogether1 of
 over four thousand dollars1 he now     
earnestly desires a humane and christian
 public to  ,,aid ,,him ,,in ,,the      
,,sale ,,of ,,this ,,book1  for the     
purpose of finishing the task in which  
he has so long and anxiously labored4   
,god has blessed him in an extraordinary
 manner1 not only by granting freedom to
 him and so large a portion of his      
family1 but by giving him the hope of   
the gospel1 and permitting him to preach
 that gospel among his own people--in   
which calling he has been engaged for   
about twenty-five years4                
,illustration3 ,,the ,,saratoga ,,street
 ,,african ,,baptist ,,chapel4   ,the   

building1 of which the above cut is an  
imperfect representation1 fronts as     
above #ajj feet on ,saratoga street1 and
 #df feet on ,calvert street4 ,the house
 is of brick1 and cost over             
#ah1jjj4--7,see page #de47    ,a        
,,narrative  ,,of  ,,the ,,life  ,,of   
,,rev4 ,,noah ,,davis1  ,a ,,colored    
,,man4  ,,written ,,by ,,himself1 ,,at  
,,the ,,age ,,of ,,fifty-,,four4        
,,printed ,,solely ,,for ,,the          
,,author',s ,,benefit4    ,baltimore3   
,,published ,,by ,,john ,f4             
,,weishampel1 ,,jr41 ,no4 #dhd ,west    
,baltimore ,st4     ,,entered according 
to the ,act of ,congress1 in the year   
#ahei1 by ,,noah ,,davis1 in the        
,clerk's office of the ,district ,court 
of ,maryland4   ,,stereotyped ,,by      
,,john ,f4 ,,weishampel1 ,,jr41         
,,bookseller ,,and ,,publisher1         
,,baltimore4     ,contents4   ,,chapter 
,i4  ,early ,life in ,virginia--,example
 of ,pious ,parents4   ,,chapter ,,ii4  
,apprenticed to the                     

,shoe-making--,learns                   
housework--,intemperance--,a negro can't
 be trusted--,learning how to write and 
cipher4   ,,chapter ,,iii4  ,religious  
,experience--,conviction and            
,conversion4   ,,chapter ,,iv4          
,marriage--,license to                  
,preach--,purchase of ,freedom--,call to
 ,baltimore4   ,,chapter ,v4            
,experience in                          
,baltimore--,education--,purchase of a  
,wife and two ,children--,great         
,distress of ,mind--,generous           
,assistance--,church ,matters4          
,,chapter ,,vi4  ,a ,new ,movement in   
,baltimore--,erection of a ,meeting     
,house for the ,african ,baptist        
,church--,heavy ,indebtedness--,account 
of the ,enterprise4   ,,chapter ,,vii4  
,account of a ,visit to the northern    
,cities--,true ,friends4   ,,chapter    
,,viii4  ,conclusion--,object of this   
,book4     ,,narrative4    ,,chapter ,i4
  ,early ,life in ,virginia--,example of
 ,pious ,parents4   ,i was born a slave1

 in ,madison county1 ,virginia1 ,march1 
#ahjd4 ,my father1 ,john ,davis1 and his
 family1 belonged to ,robert ,patten1   
,esq41 a wealthy merchant1 residing in  
,fredericksburg--who was also owner1 in 
connection with ,mr4 ,john ,thom1 of a  
large merchant mill1 located on ,crooked
 ,run1 a stream running between ,madison
 and ,culpepper counties4 ,my father was
 the head miller in that large          
establishment1 in which responsible     
station he was much respected4  ,there  
,i was born1 and remained until ,i was  
twelve years old4 ,mr4 ,patten was      
always considered one of the best of    
masters1 allowing his servants many     
privileges2 but my father enjoyed more  
than many others4 ,both he and my mother
 were pious members of a ,baptist       
church1 and from their godly example1 ,i
 formed a determination1 before ,i had  
reached my twelfth year1 that if ,i was 
spared to become a man1 ,i would try to 
be as good as my parents4 ,my father    
could read a little1 and make figures1  

but could scarcely write at all4 ,his   
custom1 on those ,sabbaths when we      
remained at home1 was to spend his time 
in instructing his children1 or the     
neighboring servants1 out of a ,new     
,testament1 sent him from               
,fredericksburg by one of his older     
sons4 ,i fancy ,i can see him now1      
sitting under his bush arbor1 reading   
that precious book to many attentive    
hearers around him4  ,such was the      
esteem ,i had for my pious father1 that 
,i have kept that blessed book ever     
since his death1 for his sake2 and it   
was the first ,new ,testament ,i read1  
after ,i felt the pardoning love of ,god
 in my soul4  ,my father died1 ,august  
#bj1 #ahbf1 aged #fj years4 ,my mother1 
,jane ,davis1 at the death of my father1
 removed from the farm1 where my father 
died1 and spent the remainder of her    
days in ,fredericksburg1 with her       
children4 ,she lived to good old age1   
and fell asleep in ,jesus1 ,dec4 #bd1   
#ahca4  ,my father had been allowed to  

keep a cow and horse1 for his own use2  
and to raise and feed his hogs and      
poultry from the mill4 ,he had the      
privilege of keeping his children with  
him1 until they were old enough to put  
out to such trades as they might choose4
 ,i had several brothers and one sister4
 ,two of my brothers1 one older1 the    
other younger than myself1 lived with   
our parents1 at this place4 ,my oldest  
brother worked in the mill1 with my     
father1 while my youngest brother and ,i
 did little else than play about home1  
and wait upon our mother4 ,i had several
 playmates1 besides my brothers1 and    
among them were the sons of ,col4 ,thom1
 and the servant boys who stayed at his 
house4 ,although many years have passed 
away since1 it gives me pleasure1 even  
now1 to recollect the happy seasons ,i  
enjoyed with the playmates of my        
childhood4  ,but this pleasant state of 
things was not to continue long4 ,the   
owners of the mill and farm concluded to
 sell out the whole concern4 ,my father 

and his family then removed to another  
farm1 belonging to our owner1 located in
 ,culpepper county1 near ,stevensburg4  
,here ,i remained nearly two years1     
working1 part of the time1 with a       
carpenter1 who was building a summer    
residence for my master2 and the rest of
 the time1 assisting my father to       
cultivate as much ground as he and his  
family could tend4 ,here ,i learned     
something of a farmer's life4 ,the      
overseer1 ,mr4 ,daniel ,brown1 had the  
reputation of being one of the best     
overseers in the county4 ,but my        
father's family was not put under him   
further than for his protection2 for    
after our owner sold the mill1 he set my
 parents free1 and allowed them to      
maintain themselves1 by cultivating as  
much ground on the farm as they needed4 
,sometimes my father would leave his    
little place in charge of my brother    
,robert and myself1 and would hire      
himself to work in some mill1 or go     
peddling poultry1 vegetables1 c41 at    

some of the market places around4       
,,chapter ,,ii4  ,apprenticed to the    
shoe-making--,learns                    
housework--,intemperance--,a negro can't
 be trusted--,learning how to write and 
cipher4   ,in ,december1 #ahah1 for the 
first time in my life1 ,i left my       
parents1 to go a distance from home2 and
 ,i was sad at the thought of parting   
with those whom ,i loved and reverenced 
more than any persons on earth4 ,but the
 expectation of seeing ,fredericksburg1 
a place which1 from all ,i had then     
learned1 ,i supposed must be the        
greatest place in the world1 reconciled 
me somewhat with the necessity of saying
 ,good-bye to the dear ones at home4 ,i 
arrived at ,fredericksburg1 after a day 
and a half's travel1 in a wagon--a      
distance of some fifty miles4 ,having   
arrived in town1 a boy green from the   
country1 ,i was astonished and delighted
 at what appeared to me the splendor and
 beauty of the place4 ,i spent a merry  
,christmas at my old master's stately   

mansion1 along with my older brother1   
and for a while forgot the home on the  
farm4  ,but soon1 another home was      
selected for me1 where ,i might learn a 
trade1 and as ,i preferred the boot and 
shoe-making1 ,i was put to ,mr4 ,thomas 
,wright1 a man of sterling integrity1   
who was considered the best workman in  
the whole town4 ,here ,i had an older   
brother living1 which was some          
inducement for my going to live with    
,mr4 ,wright4 ,i was bound1 to serve    
until ,i should be twenty-one years old4
 ,this was in ,january1 #ahai4  ,upon   
entering with ,mr4 ,wright1 ,i learned  
that the colored boys had to serve one  
year with ,mrs4 ,wright1 in the house   
and kitchen4 ,the object of this was to 
train them for future usefulness1 when  
called from the shop1 to serve as       
waiters or cooks4 ,mrs4 ,wright was a   
good manager1 and a very particular     
housekeeper4 ,i used to think she was   
too particular4 ,but ,i have learned    
better since4 ,i have often wished1 when

 ,i have been seeking homes for my      
children1 that ,i could find one like   
,mrs4 ,wright4 ,she would spare no pains
 to teach her servants how she wanted   
her work done2 and then she would spare 
no pains to make them do it4 ,i have    
often looked back1 with feelings of     
gratitude and veneration1 to that pious 
lady1 for her untiring perseverance in  
training me up in the way ,i should go4 
,but she is gone1 as ,i trust1 to       
receive the reward of righteousness1 in 
a better world4  ,after ,i had been     
under ,mrs4 ,wright's special charge the
 first year1 she could leave me to cook 
a dinner1 or clean the house1 or do     
anything she might set me at1 without   
her being present4 ,i was now considered
 fit to take my seat among the hands in 
the shop4  ,here ,i found quite a new   
state of things4 ,the shoemakers1 at    
that time1 in ,fredericksburg1 were     
considered the most intemperate of any  
class of men in the place2 and as the   
apprentice-boys had always to be very   

obliging to the journeymen1 in order to 
get along pleasantly with them1 it was  
my duty to be runner for the shop2 and  
,i was soon trained how to bring liquor 
among the men with such secresy as to   
prevent the boss1 who had forbidden it  
to come on the premises1 from knowing   
it4  ,but1 in those days1 the drinking  
of ardent spirits was a common practice1
 even among christians4 ,with such      
examples all around1 ,i soon learned the
 habit of drinking1 along with every    
other vile habit to which my companions 
were addicted4 ,it was true in my case1 
that evil communications corrupt good   
manners2 and had it not been for the    
strictness with which my boss and his   
amiable lady watched over me1 ,i should 
in all probability have become a        
confirmed drunkard1 before my time was  
out4 ,but they held the reins over me1  
and kept me in1 until ,i had served out 
my apprenticeship4  ,i can say1 however1
 that1 much as ,i was inclined to other 
vices and sins1 ,mr4 ,wright readily    

gave me a recommendation for honesty1   
truthfulness1 and goodness of character4
 ,in fact1 he had felt such confidence  
in me1 that he would often leave his    
shoe store in my care1 when he would    
have to go to the north1 for a supply of
 stock4 ,and ,i can truly say1 that ,i  
never deceived him1 when he thus trusted
 me4 ,nothing would mortify me as much1 
as to hear it said1 ,a negro can't be   
trusted4 ,this saying would always nerve
 me with a determination to be          
trustworthy4--,if ,i was trusted1 ,i    
would deserve to be trusted4 ,i wanted  
to show that principle was not confined 
to color4 ,but ,i have been led to look 
at it since1 and have thought that      
perhaps it was more pride than principle
 in me1 at that time1 for ,i was a      
wicked sinner4  ,the first idea ,i ever 
got of writing1 was from trying to      
imitate my employer1 who used to write  
the names of his customers on the lining
 of the boots and shoes1 as he gave them
 out to be made4 ,so ,i tried to make   

letters1 and soon succeeded in writing  
my name1 and then the word              
,fredericksburg1 and so on4 ,my father  
had previously taught me the alphabet1  
in the spelling book1 before ,i had left
 the mill4 ,after ,i became religious1  
,i would carry my father's ,new         
,testament to church1 and always try to 
get to meeting in time to hear the      
preacher read a chapter before sermon4  
,if he named the chapter before reading 
it1 ,i would soon find it4 ,in this way1
 ,i gathered much information in        
pronouncing many hard words in the      
,scriptures4  ,it was a long time before
 ,i learned the meaning of the numeral  
letters put in the ,bible over the      
chapters4 ,i had often seen them in the 
spelling book running alongside a column
 of figures2 but no one ever told me    
that they were put there for the same   
use as the figures4     ,,chapter ,,iii4
  ,religious                            
,experience--,conviction--,conversion4  
,just about the close of my             

apprenticeship1 and as ,i began to feel 
myself a man1 ,i commenced to visit the 
girls1 which induced me to go still more
 frequently to church4  ,at that time1  
there were four churches in             
,fredericksburg4 ,the colored people had
 apartments for worship with the white  
people1 at each of these churches4 ,they
 were ,methodist1 ,presbyterian1        
,episcopalian and ,baptist4  ,i had no  
particular preference for any one of    
these denominations1 more than another2 
but1 went wherever my favorites went4   
,one night a young lady invited me to go
 to the ,methodist church1 where a      
prayer-meeting was to be held4 ,during  
the meeting1 a venerable old gentleman  
rose to his feet1 and related an account
 of the sudden death of a young lady1   
which he had read in a newspapers4 ,when
 he related that solemn circumstance1 it
 so affected me1 that ,i felt as if ,i  
was about to die1 in a sudden manner    
also4  ,having always1 from parental    
training1 purposed in my mind to become 

religious before ,i died1 ,i thought    
that now was the time to begin to pray4 
,but ,i could not try to pray in the    
church1 for ,i was afraid that the girls
 would laugh at me4 ,yet ,i became so   
troubled1 that ,i left the house1 girls 
and all1 intending to seek some place   
where ,i might pray4 ,but to my horror  
and surprise1 when ,i got out of the    
church1 this reflection occurred to me1 
,god is in heaven1 and you are on       
earth3--how can ,he hear you8 ,o1 what  
distress of mind ,i now felt6 ,i began  
to wonder how ,god could hear my prayer2
 for1 sure enough1 ,he was in heaven1   
and ,i on the earth4 ,in my perplexity1 
,i started for home4  ,just before ,i   
reached the shop1 where ,i slept1 this  
thought struck me1 if possible with more
 force than the former reflection3 ,god 
does see you6 ,it really appeared to me 
as if ,i could see that ,god was indeed 
looking at me2 and not only so1 but ,i  
felt that ,he had been looking at me all
 my life4 ,i now said to myself1 ,it is 

of no use for me to pray4--,if ,god has 
seen all my wickedness1 as ,i feel that 
,he has1 then there is no mercy for me4 
,so ,i ran to my lodging-place1 and     
tried to hide myself in a dark room4    
,but this was useless2 for it appeared  
that ,god could see me in the dark1 as  
well as in the light4  ,i now felt      
constrained to beg for mercy1 and spent 
the time in trying to obtain pardon for 
my sins4 ,but the morning came1 and the 
hour drew near for the hands to go to   
work1 and ,i was still unhappy4  ,i felt
 so very different to what ,i had always
 felt1 that ,i tried to examine my      
impressions of the previous night1 to   
learn if it was true that ,god did see  
me or not2 for ,i thought my imagination
 might have deceived me4  ,up to this   
time1 ,i was not fully convinced that   
,god knew all about me4 ,so ,i began to 
study about the matter4 ,as ,i sat on   
the shoe-bench1 ,i picked up a bunch of 
bristles1 and selecting one of the      
smallest1 ,i began to wonder1 if ,god   

could see an object so small as that4   
,no sooner had this inquiry arose in my 
heart1 than it appeared to me1 that the 
,lord could not only see the bristle1   
but that ,he beheld me1 as plainly as ,i
 saw the little object in my hand2 and  
not only so1 but that ,god was then     
looking through me1 just as ,i would    
hold up a tumbler of clear water to the 
sun and look through it4 ,this was      
enough4 ,i felt that ,i must pray1 or   
perish2 and now ,i began to pray4  ,but 
it really seemed1 that the more ,i      
prayed the less hope there was for me4  
,still ,i could not stop praying2 for ,i
 felt that ,god was angry with me4 ,i   
had sinned against his holy laws2 and   
now1 if ,he should cut me off1 and send 
me to hell1 it was but right4 ,these    
thoughts followed me day and night1 for 
five weeks1 before ,i felt relief4 ,at  
length1 one day1 while sitting on my    
shoe bench1 ,i felt that my time had    
come when ,i must die4 ,what troubled me
 most1 was that ,i should have to appear

 before ,god1 in all my sins2--,o1 what 
horror filled my soul at the thought6   
,i began to wonder what ,i must do4 ,i  
knew ,i was not prepared for death and  
the ,judgment4 ,it is true that two of  
my shopmates1 at that time1 were members
 of the church2 but they did not seem to
 care for my soul4 ,all the rest of the 
hands were as wicked as myself4 ,what   
shall ,i do8 was in my mind1 all the    
time ,i sat at work4  ,the reflection   
occurred to me1 ,your mother is a       
christian2 it may be she can save you4  
,but this suggestion appeared to be     
offensive to ,god4 ,then came another   
thought1--,as my master was a rich man1 
could he not do something to help me8   
,but ,i found no relief in either 444   
and while ,i sat thus1 hoping and       
praying1 light broke into my mind--all  
my trouble left me in an instant4  ,i   
felt such a love and peace flowing in my
 soul1 that ,i could not sit longer2 ,i 
sprang to my feet1 and cried out1 ,glory
 to ,god6 ,it seemed to me1 that ,god1  

whom ,i had beheld1 a few seconds       
previously1 angry with me1 was now      
well-pleased4 ,i could not tell why this
 great change had taken place in me2 and
 my shopmates were surprised at my      
conduct1 saying1 that ,i must be getting
 crazy4 ,but1 just at this moment1 the  
thought came into my mind1 that ,i was  
converted2 still1 as ,i felt so very    
different from what ,i had expected to  
feel1 ,i could not see how that could   
be4 ,i concluded to run and see my      
mother1 and ask her how people felt1    
when they got converted4 ,so ,i went1   
right away1 to my mother's house1 some  
five or six squares from the shop4      
,when ,i reached the door of her house1 
it appeared to me that everything was   
new and bright4 ,i went in1 and sat     
down4 ,mother asked me how ,i was4 ,i   
told her1 ,i felt right smart4 ,this was
 a new sound from me2 for my answers to 
this question had long been--poorly4    
,but now came the trial2 to ask mother  
how people felt1 when they were         

converted4 ,i felt ashamed to ask the   
question2 so ,i went into another room2 
and seeing a hymn book lying on the     
table1 ,i took it up4 ,the first hymn   
that struck my sight began with these   
words3       ,when converts first begin 
to sing1      ,their happy souls are on 
the wing--      ,their theme is all     
redeeming love2      ,fain would they be
 with ,christ above4      ,with         
admiration they behold      ,the love of
 ,christ1 which can't be told1 c4       
,these lines expressed my feelings      
precisely1 and being encouraged from    
them1 ,i went to my mother1 and asked   
her the question--,how do people feel1  
when they get converted8 ,she replied1  
,do you think you are converted8 ,now1  
this was a severe trial2 for1 although  
,i felt that ,i was really changed1 yet 
,i wanted to hear from her1 before ,i   
could decide whether ,i was actually    
converted1 or not4 ,i replied1 ,no4     
,then she said1 ,my son1 the devil makes
 people think themselves converted1     

sometimes4 ,i arose1 and left           
immediately1 believing that the devil   
had made a fool of me4 ,i returned to my
 shop1 more determined to pray than ever
 before4  ,i arrived1 and took my seat1 
and tried to get under that same weight1
 that ,i had felt pressing me down1 but 
a short while before4 ,but it seemed to 
me that ,i could not2 and1 instead of   
feeling sad1 ,i felt joyful in my heart2
 and while trying to pray1 ,i thought   
the ,saviour appeared to me4 ,i thought 
,i saw ,god smiling upon me1 through    
,christ1 ,his ,son4 ,my soul was filled 
with love to ,god and ,jesus ,christ4   
,it appeared to me1 ,i saw a fullness in
 ,jesus ,christ1 to save every sinner   
who would come to ,him4 ,and ,i felt1   
that if ,i was only converted1 ,i would 
tell all sinners how precious the       
,saviour was4 ,but ,i could not think   
myself converted yet1 because ,i could  
not see what ,i had done1 for ,god to   
pardon my sins4 ,still ,i felt a love to
 ,him for what ,he had done for my soul4

  ,then ,i began to think upon my       
shopmates--and1 ,o what pity ran through
 my soul for them4 ,i wished to pray for
 them2 but ,i felt so unworthy1 that ,i 
could not do it4 ,at last ,i promised   
the ,lord that if ,he would convert my  
soul1 ,i would talk to them4  444 ,it   
was several months after that1 before ,i
 was made to realize this to be the work
 of ,god2 and when it was made plain1 ,o
 what joy it did bring to my poor soul6 
,i shortly became a member of the       
,baptist church1 and was baptized1 in   
company with some twenty others1 by     
,rev4 ,geo4 ,f4 ,adams1 who was then    
pastor of the ,baptist church in        
,fredericksburg--,september #ai1 #ahca4 
,this church then contained about three 
hundred colored members4     ,,chapter  
,,iv4  ,marriage--,license to           
,preach--,purchase of ,freedom--,a ,call
 to ,baltimore4   ,i had not been a     
member of the church a great while1     
before ,i formed an attachment to a     
young woman1 who ultimately became my   

wife4 ,i have ever regarded her as the  
special gift of ,god to me4 ,she        
embraced religion about the same time   
that ,i did4 ,we had been acquainted    
with each other for several years       
previous1 and although we associated    
frequently in the same social circle    
together2 yet nothing of a special      
liking had manifested itself until the  
day she was baptized4  ,but we were both
 slaves1 and of course had to get the   
consent of our owners1 before we went   
further4 ,my wife belonged to the late  
,carter ,l4 ,stephenson1 ,esq41 who was 
a brother to ,hon4 ,andrew ,stephenson1 
of ,va4 ,my wife's master was quite     
indulgent to the servants about the     
house4 ,he never restrained visitors    
from coming on his premises to visit his
 domestics4 ,it was said he had the     
likeliest set of servant girls in the   
town2 and though ,i cannot say ,i got   
the prettiest1 yet ,i think ,i got the  
best one among them4 ,we have lived     
happily together1 as husband and wife1  

for the last twenty-eight years4 ,we    
have had nine children--seven born in   
slavery1 and two since my wife's        
freedom4 ,five out of the seven in      
slavery ,i have bought--two are still in
 bondage4  ,before long1 the brethren   
chose me to fill the office of a deacon4
 ,but it never seemed to me to be the   
place that ,god designed for me2 though 
,i felt willing to do whatever lay in my
 power for ,god's glory and the good of 
,his people4 ,the impression made upon  
my mind at my conversion1 to talk to    
sinners1 increased on me1 until ,i could
 wait no longer4  ,i related my         
convictions of duty to my brethren1 and 
particularly to one who was always held 
in high esteem for his piety and        
excellent character--a colored brother1 
,armistead ,walker4 ,my case was first  
brought by him before the colored       
portion of the church2 and after a full 
hearing of my statement1 by the white   
brethren1 with regard to my call to     
preach1 c41 ,i was licensed to preach   

the gospel1 and exhort sinners to       
repentance1 as opportunity might be     
afforded4 ,i had ample opportunities at 
that time1 for doing good1 by preaching 
to my fellow men1 both in town and      
country4  ,several other colored        
brethren1 about this time1 gave evidence
 of having been called of ,god1 to the  
work of preaching the gospel4 ,among    
these was a dear brother1 named         
,alexander ,daniel4 ,he was a bright and
 shining light1 among our people1 and   
everything considered1 ,i think he was  
the best preacher of color ,i ever      
heard4 ,but alas1 he is no more6 ,he was
 esteemed as a christian minister1 and  
his friends1 both white and colored1    
united in erecting a monument over his  
grave4  ,in my attempts to preach the   
gospel to my fellow sinners1 ,i often   
felt embarrassed1 not knowing how to    
read a chapter in the ,bible correctly4 
,my desires now increased for such a    
knowledge of the sacred ,scriptures1 as 
would enable me to read a chapter       

publicly to my hearers4 ,i thought that 
if ,i had all my time at my own command1
 ,i would devote it all to divine       
things4 ,this desire ,i think1 led me   
more than anything else1 to ask         
permission of my master1 ,dr4 ,f4       
,patten1 to purchase my freedom4 ,i made
 this a subject of prayer1 both night   
and day1 that ,god would show me what he
 would have me do4 ,i felt encouraged to
 hope that ,i should find favor with my 
owner1 as he had always treated me      
kindly4 ,but how shall ,i get the       
purchase money1 provided he grants my   
request8--,this appeared a difficult    
matter1 but ,i thought if my master     
would give me a chance1 that ,i should  
be able to raise the money4  ,i went to 
him1 and stated my wishes1 informing him
 why ,i wanted to be free--that ,i had  
been led to believe the ,lord had       
converted my soul1 and had called me to 
talk to sinners4 ,he granted my request1
 without a single objection1 fixing my  
price at five hundred dollars4  ,but now

 ,i had to tell him that ,i had no      
money1 and that ,i desired him to grant 
me another request2 which was1 to let me
 travel and find friends1 who would give
 me the money4 ,after learning my wishes
 fully1 he consented1 and told me1 when 
,i got ready to start1 he would give me 
a pass1 to go where ,i pleased4  ,i     
thanked him sincerely for this          
privilege1 and after making             
arrangements1 in the way of obtaining   
suitable letters of recommendation1 ,i  
left ,fredericksburg1 in ,june1 #ahde1  
for ,philadelphia1 ,new ,york1 ,boston1 
c4  ,after spending nearly four months  
in visiting the northern cities1 ,i     
returned home1 with about one hundred   
and fifty dollars1 greatly disheartened4
  ,previous to going north1 ,i had      
raised about a hundred and fifty        
dollars1 which ,i had already paid on my
 debt4  ,the cause of my failure to     
raise all the money1 ,i believe1 was    
that ,i was unaccustomed to addressing  
large congregations of strangers2 and   

often1 when ,i was favored with an      
opportunity of presenting my case to the
 people1 ,i would feel such             
embarrassment that ,i could scarcely say
 anything4 ,and ,i met another obstacle1
 which discouraged me very much2 which  
was1 that some persons would tell me    
they sympathized with me1 in my efforts 
to get free2 but they said it was       
against their principles to give money1 
to buy slaves4 ,i confess1 this was new 
to me1 and would cut me down much in my 
spirits--still ,i found generous and    
noble-hearted friends1 who treated me   
with every mark of kindness4  ,i began  
to wonder to myself1 whether ,god was in
 this matter1 or not2 and if so1 why ,i 
had not succeeded4 ,however1 having     
returned home1 ,i went to work at my    
trade1 for the purpose of earning the   
remainder of the money4 ,having paid    
what ,i was able1 toward my debt1 and   
reserving enough to open a shop1 upon my
 own account1 my old boss1 ,mr4 ,wright1
 my true and constant friend1 became my 

protector1 so that ,i might carry on my 
business lawfully4 ,in this1 however1 ,i
 was not very successful2 but ,i had not
 been long engaged at it1 before ,i     
received a communication from my white  
,baptist friends in ,baltimore1 through 
my pastor1 ,rev4 ,sam'l ,smith1         
informing me that if ,i would come to   
,baltimore1 and accept an appointment as
 missionary to the colored people of    
that city1 they would assist me in      
raising the balance of the money then   
due upon myself4  ,this was indeed an   
unexpected1 and to me an undesired call4
 ,i began to think1 how can ,i leave my 
wife and seven small children1 to go to 
,baltimore to live1 a distance of more  
than a hundred miles from them4 ,this1  
,i thought1 could not be4 ,i thought my 
children would need my watchful care1   
more now than at any other time4 ,it is 
true1 they were all slaves1 belonging to
 a rich widow lady4 ,but she had always 
given me the entire control of my       
family4 ,now1 if ,i should leave them at

 their tender age1 mischief might befall
 them4 ,still1 as the letter from       
,baltimore was from gentlemen of the    
best standing1 it became me to give them
 an answer4 ,this ,i could not do1      
without first consulting my master4 ,i  
did so1 and after giving the matter a   
careful consideration1 he thought ,i had
 better go and see those gentlemen--he  
was perfectly willing to leave the      
matter to me4  ,the result was1 that ,i 
accepted the offer of the brethren in   
,baltimore2 and by them ,i was enabled  
to pay the debt ,i owed2 and ,i have    
never had cause to repent it--though ,i 
had misgivings sometimes1 when ,i would 
get into trouble4  ,but ,i have found   
those who were my friends at first1 are 
my friends still4 ,in a few weeks after 
,i had arrived in ,baltimore1 7#ahdg17  
the white ,baptists who were favorable  
to the mission in behalf of the colored 
people1 secured for me an appointment as
 missionary of the ,domestic ,board of  
the ,southern ,baptist ,convention1 in  

connection with the ,maryland ,baptist  
,union ,association4 ,i now felt a debt 
of gratitude to these dear friends1 that
 ,i could not show more acceptably to   
them1 than by engaging heartily in the  
work to which ,i had been thus called4  
,i went to work1 first1 by hiring a room
 in a private house1 where ,i would     
collect what few children ,i could get  
together1 in a ,sabbath school4 ,i      
continued in this place for nearly a    
year1 teaching the little children1 and 
preaching to a few grown persons1 who   
would come in at times to hear what this
 ,baptist man had to say2 and who1 after
 satisfying their curiosity1 would      
generally leave me4 ,during my stay in  
this locality1 ,i could not find half a 
dozen colored ,baptists1 who would take 
hold with me in this missionary         
enterprise4 ,there were some few        
attached to the white churches2 but only
 two of those showed any disposition to 
help me in this great and good work4 ,i 
found that everybody loved to go with   

the multitude1 and it was truly up-hill 
work with me4 ,i found some who are     
called ,anti-,mission1 or ,old ,school  
,baptists1 who1 when ,i called upon     
them1 would ask of what faith ,i        
was1--and when ,i would reply1 that ,i  
belonged to what ,i understood to be the
 ,regular ,baptists1 they would answer1 
,then you are not of our faith1 c4  ,now
 ,i felt lonely indeed1 separated far   
from home1 from family1 from dear       
brethren and friends2 thrown among      
strangers in a strange place4 ,those ,i 
came to benefit1 stood aloof from me1   
and seemed to look upon all my movements
 with distrust and suspicion1 and       
opposed to all ,i was trying to do for  
the moral and spiritual benefit of our  
degraded race4 ,but1 thanks be to ,god1 
all ,i found in ,baltimore were not of  
this stamp4 ,those of the white         
,baptists who had been the means of     
calling me to this field1 adhered to me 
like brethren1 indeed4 ,could ,i feel at
 liberty to mention names1 ,i would     

bring to notice some dear friends who   
have ever stood by me1 in all my efforts
 to do good1 and whose acts of          
disinterested benevolence have been     
rarely equaled4 ,but their labors of    
love are recorded on high1 and ,i must  
forbear4     ,,chapter ,v4  ,experience 
in ,baltimore--,education--,purchase of 
a ,wife and two ,children--,great       
,distress of ,mind--,generous           
,assistance--,church ,matters4   ,when  
,i came among the colored people of     
,baltimore1 ,i found1 to my surprise1   
that they were advanced in education1   
quite beyond what ,i had conceived of4  
,of course1 as ,i never had such        
advantages1 ,i was far behind the       
people2 and as this did not appear well 
in a preacher1 ,i felt very small1 when 
comparing my abilities with others of a 
superior stamp4 ,i found that the great 
mass of colored professors of religion  
were ,methodists1 whose piety and zeal  
seemed to carry all before them4 ,there 
were1 at that time1 some ten or eleven  

colored ,methodist churches1 one        
,episcopalian1 one ,presbyterian2 and   
one little ,baptist church1 located upon
 the outskirts of the city4 ,the most of
 the ,methodist churches were large and 
influential2 and the ,presbyterian      
church had one of the best ,sabbath     
schools for colored children in the     
city4  ,but the ,baptist colored        
membership was looked upon as the       
smallest2 and under these circumstances1
 ,i was surrounded with discouragements2
 although the ministers and brethren of 
other denominations have always treated 
me with marked christian kindness4  ,i  
had never had a day's schooling2 and    
coming to one of the first cities in the
 ,union1 where the colored people had   
the advantages of schools1 and where    
their pulpits were occupied1 ,sabbath   
after ,sabbath1 by comparatively        
intelligent colored ministers--what     
could ,i expect1 but that the people    
would turn away from one who was trying 
to preach in the room of a private      

house1 some fifteen by twenty feet8     
,yet1 there was no turning back3 ,god   
had called me to the work1 and it was   
,his cause ,i was advocating4  ,i found1
 that to preach1 like other preachers1  
,i must improve my mind1 by reading the 
,bible and other good books1 and by     
studying my own language4 ,i started    
afresh--,i got a small stock of books1  
and the white brethren loaned and gave  
me other useful volumes1 to which they  
added a word of instruction and         
encouragement1 whenever an opportunity  
offered2 and the ministers cordially    
invited me to attend their ,monday      
ministerial conference meeting1 which   
was very useful to me4  444 ,i had now  
been in ,baltimore more than a year4 ,my
 wife and seven children were still in  
,virginia4 ,i went to see them as often 
as my circumstances permitted--three or 
four times a year4 ,about this time1 my 
wife's mistress agreed to sell to me my 
wife and our two youngest children4 ,the
 price fixed1 was eight hundred dollars 

cash1 and she gave me twelve months to  
raise the money4 ,the sun rose bright in
 my sky that day2 but before the year   
was out1 my prospects were again in     
darkness4 ,now ,i had two great burdens 
upon my mind3 one to attend properly to 
my missionary duty1 the other to raise  
eight hundred dollars4 ,during this time
 we succeeded in getting a better place 
for the ,sabbath school1 and there was a
 larger attendance upon my preaching1   
which demanded reading and study1 and   
also visiting1 and increased my daily   
labors4 ,on the other hand1 the year was
 running away1 in which ,i had to raise 
eight hundred dollars4 ,so that ,i found
 myself at times in a great strait4  ,my
 plan to raise the money was1 to secure 
the amount1 first1 by pledges1 before ,i
 collected any4444 ,finally1 the year   
was more than passed away1 and ,i had   
upon my subscription list about one half
 of the money needed4 ,it was now       
considered that the children had        
increased in value one hundred dollars1 

and ,i was told that ,i could have them1
 by paying in cash six hundred dollars1 
and giving a bond1 with good security1  
for three hundred more1 payable in      
twelve months4 ,i had six weeks1 in     
which to consummate this matter4 ,i felt
 deeply1 that this was a time to pray   
the ,lord to help me1 and for this my   
wife's prayers were fervently offered   
with my own4 ,i had left my wife in     
,virginia1 and come to ,baltimore1 a    
distance of over a hundred miles2 ,i had
 been separated thus for nearly three   
years2 ,i had been trying to make       
arrangements to have her with me1 for   
over twelve months1 and as yet had      
failed4 ,we were oppressed with the most
 gloomy forebodings1 and could only     
kneel down together and pray for ,god's 
direction and help4  ,i was in          
,fredericksburg1 and had but one day    
longer to stay1 and spend with my wife4 
,what could be done1 must be done       
quickly4 ,i went to my old friend1 ,mr4 
,wright1 and stated my case to him4     

,after hearing of all ,i had done1 and  
the conditions ,i had to comply with1 he
 told me that if ,i would raise the six 
hundred dollars cash1 he would endorse  
my bond for the remaining three         
hundred4--,this promise inspired me with
 new life4 ,the next thing was1 how     
could the six hundred dollars be        
obtained in six weeks4 ,i had upon my   
subscription list and in pledges nearly 
four hundred dollars4 ,but this had to  
be collected from friends living in     
,fredericksburg1 ,washington city1      
,baltimore1 and ,philadelphia4  ,i left 
,fredericksburg1 and spent a few days in
 ,washington1 to collect what ,i could  
of the money promised to me there2 and  
met much encouragement1 several friends 
doubling their subscriptions4 ,when ,i  
arrived in ,baltimore1 and made known   
the peculiar strait ,i was in1 to my    
joyful surprise1 some of the friends who
 had pledged five dollars1 gave me ten2 
and one dear friend who had promised me 
ten dollars1 for this object1 and who   

had previously contributed largely in   
the purchase of myself1 now gave me     
fifty4 ,i began to count up1 and in two 
weeks from the time ,i commenced        
collecting1 ,i had in hand four hundred 
dollars4 ,presently1 another very dear  
friend enquired of me how ,i was getting
 along2 and when ,i told him1 he said1  
,bring your money to me4 ,i did so4 ,it 
lacked two hundred dollars to make the  
purchase4 ,this1 the best friend ,i ever
 had in the world1 made up the six      
hundred dollars1 and said1 ,go1 get your
 wife2 and you can keep on collecting1  
and repay the two hundred dollars when  
you get able4  ,i was now overcome with 
gratitude and joy1 and knew not what to 
say2 and when ,i began to speak1 he     
would not have any of my thanks4 ,i went
 to my boarding house1 and shut myself  
up in my room1 where ,i might give vent 
to the gratitude of my heart3 and1 ,o1  
what a melting time ,i had6 ,it was to  
me a day of thanksgiving4  ,having now  
in hand the six hundred dollars1 and the

 promise of ,mr4 ,wright's security for 
three hundred more1 ,i was1 by twelve   
o'clock1 next day in ,fredericksburg4   
,at first sight1 my wife was surprised  
that ,i had come back so soon2 for it   
was only two weeks since ,i had left    
her2 and when ,i informed her that ,i   
had come after her and the children1 she
 could hardly believe me4 ,in a few     
days1 having duly arranged all things   
relative to the purchase and removal1 we
 left for ,baltimore1 with feelings     
commingled with joy and sorrow--sorrow  
at parting with five of our older       
children1 and our many friends2 and     
rejoicing in the prospect of remaining  
together permanently in the missionary  
field1 where ,god had called me to      
labor4 ,i arrived in ,baltimore1 with my
 wife and two little ones1 ,november    
#eth1 #ahea1 and stopped with sister    
,hester ,ann ,hughes1 a worthy member of
 the ,m4 ,e4 ,church1 with whom ,i had  
been boarding for four years4  ,the ,md4
 ,baptist ,union ,association was now in

 session here1 and it became my duty to 
prepare my church letter and missionary 
report1 for that body4 ,the church had  
now been organized just three years2    
commencing with only four members1      
including the pastor4 ,our church       
statistics for the year1 as reported1   
were3 ,baptized1 #b2 ,received by       
letter1 #b2 ,present number of members1 
#ae4444 ,sabbath school much revived1   
under the special efforts of several    
white brethren and sisters4 ,present    
number of ,sunday scholars1 #ej4  ,this 
year was a joyful one to me--my little  
church increasing1 and the ,sabbath     
school flourishing1 under the           
superintendence of the late truly       
excellent brother ,james ,c4 ,crane1    
though he was with us but for a short   
season4 ,my wife and little ones were   
also with me1 both in the church and    
,sabbath school4 ,i was a happy man1 and
 felt more than ever inclined to give   
thanks to ,god1 and serve ,him to the   
best of my ability4  ,my salary was only

 three hundred dollars a year2 but with 
hard exertion and close economy1        
together with my wife's taking in       
washing and going out at day's work1 we 
were enabled by the first of the year1  
to pay the two hundred dollars our dear 
friend had loaned us1 in raising the six
 hundred dollars before spoken of4 ,but 
the bond for three hundred dollars was  
now due1 and how must this be met8 ,i   
studied out a plan2 which was to get    
some gentleman who might want a little  
servant girl1 to take my child1 and     
advance me three hundred dollars for the
 purpose of paying my note1 which was   
now due in ,virginia4 ,in this plan ,i  
succeeded2 and had my own life insured  
for seven years for five hundred        
dollars1 and made it over to this       
gentleman1 as security2 until ,i        
ultimately paid him the whole amount2   
though ,i was several years in paying   
it4  ,among the number that joined our  
little church1 was a young brother1     
,jos4 ,m4 ,harden1 who was baptized by  

,dr4 ,fuller1 but soon became a valuable
 member with us1 both in the church and 
,sunday school4 ,he was born in         
,baltimore1 and had been early taught to
 read1 and though he had been at ten    
years old bound out1 till he was        
twenty-one1 his love of books had made  
him far superior to colored people      
generally1 and he was very valuable to  
me4 ,things had gone on hopefully with  
me1 and my little church1 though our    
progress was very slow4 ,but we had to  
suffer a loss in brother ,harden's      
leaving us for the great missionary     
field in ,africa1 where ,i trust the    
,lord has sent him for a great and happy
 work4 ,but ,god has blessed us in the  
person of brother ,samuel ,w4 ,madden1  
whose labors as a licensed preacher for 
several years have been invaluable to   
us4     ,,chapter ,,vi4  ,a ,new        
,movement in ,baltimore--,erection of a 
,meeting ,house for the ,african        
,baptist ,church--,heavy                
,indebtedness--,account of the          

,enterprise--,personal ,troubles4   ,for
 several years previous to ,jan41 #ahee1
 our little church and ,sunday school   
had occupied a very inconvenient upper  
room on ,courtland street4 ,our         
particular friend1 ,mr4 ,william ,crane1
 with some other white persons to aid   
him1 was the devoted superintendent of  
our ,sunday school1 and the unfailing   
friend of our own little church1 as well
 as of me personally4 ,mr4 ,crane had   
felt1 with us1 the great disadvantage of
 our place of worship1 and had exerted  
himself much to obtain a more commodious
 room for us4 ,but in ,july1 #ahec2 he  
commenced an extraordinary effort in our
 behalf1 by purchasing a lot--one       
hundred feet by forty-six feet--with    
three fronts1 on ,calvert1 ,saratoga and
 ,davis streets1 on which a chapel      
building has been erected for us4  ,our 
chapel was opened for worship ,feb4 #ah1
 #ahee2 and ,rev4 ,dr4 ,fuller preached 
the opening sermon to a crowded         
audience4  ,on this occasion ,mr4 ,wm4  

,crane read a detailed report of all the
 facts relative to this building--a full
 copy of this report may be interesting 
probably to my readers1 and ,i have     
therefore obtained it1 and here present 
it1 in connection with a picture of the 
building1 which will be found opposite  
the title page4        ,,history ,,of   
,,the ,,saratoga ,,street ,,african     
,,baptist ,,chapel4  ,the questions have
 often been asked in this vicinity      
during the last six months1 ,who is     
putting up that large building called   
the ',saratoga ,street ,african ,baptist
 ,chapel8' ',what are they putting it up
 for8'--',who will own it1 when         
finished8' ',how much will it cost8 and 
who will pay for it8'  ,these questions 
have often been answered1 but it seems  
proper1 and indeed necessary1 at this   
time to answer them plainly and clearly1
 for the information of this large      
assembly4  ,first1 then1 ,i reply3 ,this
 entire building has been reared under  
my directions1 in the name of the       

,saratoga street ,african ,baptist      
,church4  ,this ,church was organized   
with only four members1 six years ago1  
with brother ,noah ,davis1 a missionary 
of the ,md4 ,baptist ,union             
,association1 as its pastor1 who has    
labored most faithfully in his work4    
,but1 although colored churches of the  
,baptist denomination in all of our     
,southern and ,western cities count     
their members by thousands1 this church 
has now only thirty members--but our    
hope and prayer is1 that established    
here in the centre of a population of   
full thirty thousand colored people1    
,god may bless the humble devoted       
efforts of ,his people1 and increase    
their numbers a hundred fold4 ,four     
years ago1 the #ast of ,january1 we     
commenced a ,sunday school in ,courtland
 street1--where this church has always  
held its regular meetings1 which        
notwithstanding its many                
discouragements--mostly from a want of  
devoted self-denying teachers--has been 

unremittingly kept up morning and       
afternoon1 till the present time1 with  
an attendance varying from thirty to    
over one hundred scholars2 and we feel  
assured that the hundreds of ,bibles and
 ,testaments1 tracts1 c41 with the      
,sunday school instructions1 and the    
preaching of brother ,davis will have   
laid the foundation for a lasting       
blessing to his people4 ,this little    
church and ,sunday school have met      
to-day for the first time in this       
building1 and in the language of the    
,psalmist ,david1 probably on an        
occasion like this1 we would exclaim1   
,send now1 we beseech thee1 ,o ,lord--,o
 ,lord1 we beseech thee1 send now       
prosperity6--7,ps4 #aah3 #be47  ,but    
what are the objects for which this     
house has been built8 ,i answer1 the    
first object was1 to furnish such a room
 as this1 for the use of this church1   
where the gospel might be preached and  
its ordinances administered1 and where  
,sunday schools and religious           

associations might be properly          
accommodated4 ,the second was1 to       
furnish rooms in the next story1 for a  
male high school at one end1 and a      
female high school at the other1 and    
where colored missionaries for ,africa  
might be educated for that most         
important field of labor2 with a large  
hall in the centre1 for a lecture room1 
or for any other religious1 moral1 or   
useful purposes4 ,the upper story has   
four separate rooms1 finished for       
renting to associations of colored      
people1 with a view to paying whatever  
debt may remain on the building1 and for
 defraying its current expenses2--and it
 is hoped that1 at some future day1 a   
reading room and a circulating library  
for colored people may also be located  
here--the whole of it combining a most  
respectable1 central1 commodious        
,colored ,people's ,home4  ,but it is   
asked1 who owns this building8 ,i admit 
that it is an unusually mixed up affair2
 but ,i will try to explain it4 ,after a

 great deal of searching and enquiring  
after a lot or building1 where this     
,church and ,sunday school could have a 
settled home1 about two years ago1 ,i   
was informed that this lot was for sale2
 and realizing instantly that my        
cherished objects could here be         
accomplished ,i bought it without       
hesitation1 for five thousand dollars2  
but the loss of two years' interest and 
the amount paid to tenants to move away1
 makes the cost of the lot now full six 
thousand dollars4 ,i obtained the deed  
of ,j4 ,h4 ,b4 ,latrobe1 ,esq41 who sold
 it1 as trustee for the estate of ,hugh 
,finley1 deceased1 under an order of    
,court4 ,after a charter of             
incorporation for the ,church had been  
made1 ,i got ,mr4 ,latrobe to draw up   
also this deed1 here presenting it which
 he says is a perfectly good one--from  
,william ,crane and wife1 to ,geo4 ,f4  
,adams1 ,j4 ,w4 ,m4 ,williams1 and ,john
 ,w4 ,ball1 as trustees for all         
concerned1 conveying to this ,church all

 my right and title forever to all of   
the proposed building on this lot above 
the first story3 leaving me the basement
 and the cellar as my own property      
forever1 with the proviso1 that the     
,church in its own name should put up   
the entire building4 ,but ,i agreed at  
the same time to subscribe five thousand
 dollars on the subscription book of the
 ,church towards erecting it4 ,so that  
,i am now sole owner of the store and   
cellar under the ,chapel--the ,church   
has no ownership there at all--but the  
,church is legal owner of this ,chapel  
and all the rooms above it4 ,the ,church
 appointed me their agent to build the  
house1 and as such ,i have made all the 
contracts1 paid out all the monies1 and 
assumed all the liabilities4 ,before    
commencing the building1 as before      
stated1 my own subscription             
was44444444444444444444444444444444444#e
1jjj  ,my brother1 ,j4 ,c4 ,crane1 from 
whom ,i expected efficient personal aid1
 gave44#a1jjj  ,bro4 ,franklin          

,wilson1444444444444444444#a1jjj  ,a4   
,fuller                                 
,crane14444444444444444444444444#ejj    
,john ,w4                               
,ball14444444444444444444444444444#bej  
,j4 ,b4                                 
,thomas14444444444444444444444444444#ajj
  ,among our colored friends1           
about444444444#bjj                      
------ ,amounting to1                   
say144444444444444444444#h1jej  ,since  
that time1 the pressure on the money    
market has prevented any general effort 
to obtain subscriptions1 but a city     
pastor has                              
subscribed444444444444444444444444444444
#aej  ,a sister of the ,first ,baptist  
,church44444#ajj  ,bro4 ,jonathan       
,batchelor1 of ,lynn1 ,mass444#ajj      
------ ,making in all1 a total          
of4444444444444#h1djj  ,the entire cost 
of the building1 notwithstanding the    
most rigid economy1 will be over        
eighteen thousand dollars1 and full half
 of this amount is yet unprovided for4  

,the bills are not all presented1 but   
some of the larger ones which have been 
settled by notes will be due in a short 
time2 while the largest one1 the lumber 
bill1 has six months to run yet1 so that
 ,i am bound to settle up and pay the   
entire balance of expenditure on this   
house1 as agent of the ,church1 within  
the coming six months4 ,and whatever    
amount of money ,i advance over and     
above the subscriptions and collections 
must1 of course1 remain as a debt due me
 by the ,church1 and be on interest     
until paid4  ,the last question1 how is 
the money obtained to pay for the       
building8 has been partly answered2 but 
a full explanation of it will depend on 
what the friends of the object will now 
contribute toward paying for it4 ,i will
 subscribe one dollar for every ten     
dollars that may be subscribed and paid 
on account of the ,church debt within   
the year #ahee4 ,in other words1 ,i will
 add ten per cent to any amount which   
may be contributed4 ,i may remark1 that 

in engaging in this project1 ,i had not 
a dollar which ,i wished to put out at  
interest4 ,i want much more than my     
capital in my mercantile business4 ,i am
 in fact borrowing1 to lend to the      
,church4 ,but it is ,god's cause1 and ,i
 have had to trust in ,him to bear me   
through it4 ,the failing health of my   
dear brother1 ,j4 ,c4 ,crane1,a and the 
want of his invaluable co-operation with
 me1 as well as the lack of hearty1     
zealous assistance on the part of many  
other brethren and friends1 has been    
painful to me4 ,but ,i hope1 now that   
the house is finished1 the friends of   
our ,redeemer's cause and of the        
,african race generally1 may not fail in
 lending their efficient aid4  ,footnote
 ,a3 ,died ,march #ca1 #aheg4 ,see      
,memoir of ,southern ,baptist           
,publication ,society4  ,i have only to 
add1 brethren1 the time is short2 we    
must all of us soon appear before the   
judgment seat of ,christ1 to render an  
account of all the talents committed to 

our charge4 ,if ,god has given me a     
talent for the acquisition of money over
 and above what my duty to my family    
requires1 ,i regard myself bound as a   
good steward to exert that talent       
entirely for ,him4 ,i am not my own1 and
 ,i feel perfectly assured that any     
individual who possesses the tact and   
ability for acquiring money is          
neccessarily 7sic47 the best qualified  
for a judicious and proper disbursement 
of it2 and ,i dare not try to leave my  
earthly acquisitions in testamentary    
charitable bequests--to the             
inexperienced and uncertain management  
of those who may come after me4  ,may   
,god help us to work for ,him1 and at   
last may we hear1 ',well done1 good and 
faithful servant2 enter thou into the   
joy of thy ,lord4'  ,this paper was read
 to the congregation1 probably a        
thousand people1 immediately after ,dr4 
,fuller had preached the opening sermon1
 ,feb4 #ah1 #ahee2 and a collection was 
taken of about one hundred dollars4     

,subsequent to this1 a venerable widow  
lady of ,baltimore contributed #ejj1 and
 other quite liberal donations were     
made4  ,on the #ast of ,july1 #ahee1    
,mr4 ,crane rendered a full account to  
the ,church and trustees1 of all the    
monies received and bills paid on the   
building2 showing that the entire cost  
of it                                   
was14444444444444444444444444444#ah1bjg1
gc  ,total am't of collections          
credited144444#i1edg1hf                 
---------- ,leaving balance over-paid by
 him1 4444 #h1fei1hg  ,the trustees then
 gave ,mr4 ,crane a bond for this       
balance1 and a lease on the building1   
until this debt1 with interest on it1   
could be paid4  ,our ,church now had    
great cause of gratitude at finding     
ourselves in a fine large ,chapel1 in   
the centre of our city--a room #ajj feet
 long1 and #ai feet high1 with a gallery
 at each end1 a baptistery1 gas lights1 
and sliding partitions1 to make two     
closed rooms under the galleries1 when  

needed for the changing of clothes on   
baptismal occasions1 as well as for our 
,church prayer and conference meetings4 
,we were in hopes that we could rent out
 the large hall1 together with the six  
other spacious rooms in the two upper   
stories1 for schools1 benevolent        
societies1 c41 so as to pay the interest
 on our debt1 if no more2 but so far1 we
 have not been able to do this4 ,my own 
trials1 with my family1 have greatly    
retarded my efforts in this matter4 ,we 
have had the largest and best week-day  
school for colored children in the      
city--a part of the time with three     
teachers and over one hundred           
scholars--but for four years1 no rent   
has been received from the school4 ,the 
prices for tuition have been so low1    
that they have hardly sustained the     
teachers2 but we trust that our people  
have derived much benefit from them     
already1 and hope they may receive much 
more good from them in the future4      
,since the dedication of our ,chapel1   

our ,church has more than doubled its   
membership1 and the congregation has    
increased four-fold2 while on our       
baptizing occasions the hall is         
generally full4 ,we have always held    
three meetings for worship every        
,sunday1 to accommodate many servants1  
who have no command of their time1 and  
also regular ,wednesday and ,friday     
evening prayer and conference meetings4 
,our ,sunday school has always had two  
sessions a day--an hour and a half in   
the morning1 and an hour in the         
afternoon4  ,i have been necessarily    
much hindered in my own labors1 from    
pecuniary embarrassments1 arising from  
the sale of my children1 who were left  
in ,virginia--two daughters and three   
sons4 ,the first of these1 who was about
 to be sold1 and taken away ,south1 was 
my oldest daughter2 and it was with     
great difficulty and the help of friends
 that ,i raised eight hundred and fifty 
dollars1 and got her on to ,baltimore4  
,but ,i was soon called upon to make a  

similar effort to save my eldest son    
from being sold far from me4 ,entirely  
unexpected1 ,i received the painful news
 that my boy was in one of the trader's 
jails in ,richmond1 and for sale4 ,the  
dealer knew me1 and was disposed to let 
me have him1 if ,i could get any one to 
purchase him4 ,i was1 of course1 deeply 
anxious to help my boy2 but ,i began to 
think that ,i had already drawn so      
heavily on the liberality of all my     
friends1 that to appeal to them again   
seemed out of the question4 ,i          
immediately wrote to the owners of my   
son1 and received an answer--that his   
price was fixed at seven hundred        
dollars4  ,the fact is1 ,god had already
 done so much more for me and my family 
than we had ever expected1 that we could
 not tell what further help ,he might   
give us1 until we had asked ,him for it2
 and we could but pray over this trying 
affair4 ,i hardly knew what else to do1 
but pray4 ,the boy was twenty years old1
 and had been accustomed to waiting in  

the house1 for the most respectable     
families4 ,it occurred to me1 that ,i   
might perhaps get him a home near me1   
where we might see him and use our      
parental influence over him4 ,i thought 
it was possible1 that ,i might find     
three hundred persons among my friends  
in ,baltimore1 who would contribute one 
dollar each to save my son1 and that ,i 
might then obtain some friend in        
,baltimore to advance four hundred      
dollars1 and let my son work it out with
 him3 and give this friend a life       
insurance policy on the boy1 as a       
security4 ,this plan seemed practicable1
 and ,i wrote to his owners1 asking for 
ten days to raise the money2 which they 
granted me4  ,i now got my case made    
known publicly to the different colored 
congregations in the city--and was very 
much surprised to find how many friends 
,i had1 and how kindly they engaged in  
helping me4 ,the result of it was1 that 
,i obtained the three hundred dollars1  
and also a kind friend to advance the   

four hundred dollars1 within the ten    
days1 and recovered my son2 who is now  
doing well1 in working out the money    
advanced on him4  ,so far1 ,i felt that 
,i had great reason to say1 ,hitherto   
the ,lord hath helped me4 ,i had        
obtained my own freedom and also that of
 my wife and four children4  ,but three 
of my children were still in bondage4   
,in #ahef1 the mistress of these        
remaining ones died2 and in settling up 
her estate1 it became necessary to sell 
all her servants at auction with her    
other property4 ,this was the decision  
of the ,court2 and commissioners were   
appointed to carry out the sale1 on the 
#ast of ,january1 #aheg4 ,i felt now1   
that ,i had gone as far as ,i could in  
getting my family free2 for ,i felt very
 certain that my daughter1 about whom ,i
 felt the greatest anxiety1 would sell  
at auction for more money than ,i could 
get any of my friends in ,baltimore to  
give for her2 and ,i saw no way to do   
any thing for the two boys4 ,i thought  

,i had no chance of raising any more    
money myself1 and ,i could only pray the
 ,lord to grant us ,his grace1 to       
reconcile us and the children1 to       
whatever might come upon us4 ,but before
 the end of the year1 when the sale was 
to take place1 the time was extended six
 months by the ,court4 ,my hopes now    
began to revive again2 ,i began to think
 that if ,i could be at the sale1 my    
daughter1 though a grown up girl might  
possibly not bring over six or seven    
hundred dollars4 ,in that case1 ,i might
 perhaps get six or twelve months time1 
and get some friend in ,baltimore to    
help me1 as had been the case with my   
son4 ,the sale was postponed for six    
months longer1 and finally occurred1    
,jan4 #a1 #aheh4  ,the money panic1 of  
#aheg1 had partially destroyed my hopes 
of doing anything to relieve my         
daughter2--,but ,i had secured the      
promise of a kind friend in ,baltimore1 
to go to ,fredericksburg with me1 and if
 he liked the appearance of the boys1 to

 buy one or both of them4 ,but in this  
,i was disappointed2 for on the day of  
sale this gentleman was confined to his 
house by sickness4 ,the sale went on4   
,my oldest son1 aged twenty-one1 sold   
for #efj2 and the younger one1 just     
turning his seventeenth year1 brought   
#egj4 ,they were bought in by their     
young master4 ,but my daughter was run  
up to #iij1 by a slave trader1 who after
 the sale agreed to let my friends have 
her1 for me1 for eleven hundred dollars4
 ,these friends were gentlemen of the   
first standing in the place1 who1 out of
 kindness to me1 whom they had well     
known for years1 gave their bond jointly
 for the amount1 and in this case again 
,i got the girl's life insured for one  
thousand dollars as a security for them4
 ,the girl was of course left in the    
hands of these gentlemen1 in whom ,i had
 the most implicit confidence4  ,i      
returned to ,baltimore1 and prepared for
 the redemption of my child4 ,i had a   
circular printed1 showing the facts as  

they were1 and scattered it among my    
friends4     ,,chapter ,,vii4  ,account 
of ,a ,visit to the northern            
,cities--,true ,friends4   ,during the  
winter and spring1 ,i used every effort 
in my power in the way of collecting    
funds1 but1 though ,i met with the most 
generous sympathy and kindness from all 
my friends--up to the #ast of ,june ,i  
had in hand only one hundred and fifty  
dollars4 ,i then applied to the ,mission
 ,board1 for permission to travel and   
solicit funds to help me out of my      
distress4 ,this was readily granted me4 
,having obtained a certificate1 relative
 to the objects of my journey1 signed by
 ,rev4 ,franklin ,wilson1 ,secretary of 
our ,state ,missionary ,board1 as well  
as by the pastors and other friends in  
,baltimore1 ,i started once more on this
 painful business of begging money1 to  
purchase my fifth child out of slavery4 
,i went to ,philadelphia1 and met with  
marked attention from the ministers of  
the ,baptist churches generally1 and    

especially from ,rev4 ,messrs4 ,mc,kean1
 ,cole1 and ,griffith1 with whom ,i had 
been acquainted in ,baltimore2 as well  
as ,revs4 ,messrs ,cuthbert and ,malcom1
 and the editors of the ,christian      
,chronicle1 ,presbyterian1 c4 ,i        
obtained in this city nearly two hundred
 dollars4  ,with a view to meet a       
particular friend in ,boston1 ,i was    
induced to visit that city next4 ,the   
many acts of kindness and sympathy ,i   
met with there can never be effaced from
 my memory4 ,i had a special            
introduction to the ,messrs4 ,gould and 
,lincoln1 book publishers4 ,to the      
latter1 ,i owe a lasting                
obligation4--,through him ,i obtained a 
hearing of my case in ,mr4 ,anderson's  
church1 ,roxbury1 where ,i obtained very
 liberal aid1 while the pastor was      
absent1 as well as in many other cases4 
,i called on ,rev4 ,dr4 ,stow1 who      
allowed my case to be presented to his  
congregation1 at an evening meeting1    
where ,i received some fifty dollars4   

,he also gave me a letter of            
commendation to the other ,baptist      
ministers1 with a request that they     
would also sign it1 which a large number
 did4 ,the article was then published   
gratuitously for me in the ,watchman and
 ,reflector and ,christian ,era4 ,rev4  
,l4 ,a4 ,grimes1 pastor of the #abth    
,baptist ,church1 7colored17 from the   
respectable position which he occupied  
in the community1 did much for me1 in   
furthering my cause1 and introducing me 
to others1 especially at the daily      
prayer meetings4  ,i had the great      
privilege and pleasure of mingling with 
the people of ,god of every name1 in    
these blessed meetings4 ,the first ,i   
went to1 was at the old ,south ,chapel4 
,here ,i felt at first greatly          
embarrassed when called on to speak or  
pray4 ,i thought that those who came to 
these meetings must be among the most   
pious and intelligent people in ,boston4
 ,the kind manner in which they treated 
me1 confirmed me in my impressions of   

them4 ,but the best meetings1 ,i think  
,i ever enjoyed on earth1 for such a    
length of time1 7nearly two months17 was
 at what was called the ,north street   
prayer meeting1 or ,father ,mason's4    
,this was in a large upper room4 ,it    
really appeared to me1 that the most of 
those who met at this place each day at 
twelve o'clock to spend an hour in      
prayer1 to tell what ,god had done for  
their souls1 had been made ready1 by the
 ,spirit of ,god before they reached    
that sacred spot4--  ,i know1 ,i shall  
fail to present a true picture of this  
heavenly place2 for such it was to me1  
and many others4 ,but1 it may be1 that  
my own peculiar circumstances may have  
rendered the meetings unusually precious
 to me4 ,but they were good to me in    
many respects4 ,i was a poor colored    
man1 in distress1 and needed christian  
sympathy4 ,i found it truly1 among the  
many white friends with whom ,i met in  
the ,north street prayer meeting4       
,there1 in that meeting1 the dear       

friends would pray with me and for me4  
,in a word1 ,i felt at times it was good
 for me to be afflicted1 for surely1 if 
it had not been for my peculiar         
circumstances1 ,i should never have been
 inside the ,old ,south ,chapel1 or     
,north street prayer meeting1 where ,i  
enjoyed so much of ,god's presence1 and 
found so many real friends1 in the midst
 of strangers4 ,i felt that ,i realized 
what the apostle ,peter meant3 ,if need 
be1 ye are in heaviness1 through        
manifold temptation1 that the trials of 
your faith1 being much more precious    
than gold that perisheth1 though it be  
tried with fire1 might be found unto    
praise and honor and glory1 at the      
appearing of ,jesus ,christ4--7#a ,peter
 #a3 #f1g47 ,also1 ,for ,i will show him
 how great things he must suffer for my 
name's sake4--7,acts #i3 #af47 ,the     
arguments ,i drew from these passages of
 ,scripture were1 to show that when ,god
 wanted to purify our faith1 and        
strengthen our confidence in ,him1 ,he  

would send trials upon us4 ,and to let  
us see how great the things we must     
suffer for ,his name's sake1 and to let 
us see too how great the grace ,he gives
 us1 to enable us to endure hardness1 as
 good soldiers of the cross4  ,suffice  
it to say1 the friends in ,boston and   
its vicinity gave me about four hundred 
dollars towards the purchase of my      
daughter4 ,i had the privilege of       
meeting the ,baptist ministers in their 
conference meeting4 ,here the ,rev4 ,mr4
 ,tilson1 pastor of the ,first ,baptist 
,church at ,hingham1 invited me to spend
 a ,sunday evening at his place1 which  
,i did1 very greatly to my own          
satisfaction and profit4 ,during my stay
 in ,boston1 ,i visited several of the  
smaller towns adjacent to it1--,lynn1   
,cambridge1 ,melrose1 ,malden1 ,chelsea1
 and others1 and ,i was kindly received 
at all of them4 ,i collected in ,lynn   
something like #ej1 the most of which   
was given to me by the members of the   
#bnd ,baptist ,church4 ,just before     

leaving ,boston1 to my great and        
agreeable surprise1 ,i met ,dr4 ,f4     
,patten1 surgeon in the ,u4 ,s4 ,navy1  
7my former owner17 in the street1 in    
that city4 ,i had not seen him for seven
 or eight years1 and had no thought of  
seeing him in ,boston4 ,he recognized me
 first1 and spoke to me before ,i knew  
he was near2 but ,i instantly knew him4 
,we greeted each other heartily1 and he 
invited me to visit him at ,chelsea4    
,this ,i did1 the same afternoon1 and   
was kindly treated4  ,while ,i sat there
 with him and his children1 and he was  
looking over my subscription book1 ,i   
was constrained to look back for fifteen
 years1 over all the way the ,lord had  
brought me1 since the day this same     
gentleman had given me privilege to     
purchase my freedom1 and handed me a    
pass1 saying1 ,i am not afraid of you   
running away1 ,noah--you may go where   
you please4 ,i reflected1 suppose ,i had
 stayed away1 when ,i was in ,boston1   
twelve years ago1 begging money to buy  

myself--how would it be with me and my  
family to-day8 ,but ,i have tried to    
acknowledge the ,lord in all my ways1   
always asking counsel of ,him1 and ,i   
now feel that ,he has kindly directed   
and kept me4  ,i also visited ,new      
,bedford1 where ,i met a large number of
 my old acquaintances from ,virginia1   
and had the privilege of presenting my  
object to several of the ,churches1 and 
,i received in all about #ej4 ,i next   
went to ,providence1 ,rhode ,island1    
where ,i spent a couple of weeks greatly
 to my advantage4 ,it was indeed        
providence to me4 ,i was permitted to   
present my case to nearly all the       
,baptist ,churches in that city4 ,five  
of these aided my cause2 but their great
 kindness deserves some particular      
notice4 ,the first one ,i visited was   
,rev4 ,mr4 ,stone's1 whose congregation1
 with himself1 greatly encouraged me4   
,at the ,first ,church ,i told my story 
before an evening meeting1 and shall    
never forget the kindness of the pastor1

 the senior deacon1 and others4 ,i      
obtained here nearly #ajj4 ,i was kindly
 assisted by ,rev4 ,mr4 ,keyser's       
,church1 as also the ,fourth ,baptist   
,church4 ,but at the ,central ,baptist  
,church1 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,fields'1 ,i found  
unbounded kindness and liberality4      
,after seeing my letters of             
recommendation1 the pastor invited me to
 his prayer meeting1 where ,i was       
favored with the privilege of telling my
 story1 freely4 ,i had been from home   
several months1 and had collected in all
 about seven hundred dollars1 but still 
lacked about four hundred to accomplish 
my object4 ,i was receiving letters     
every week from my ,church and family1  
saying that my presence at home was     
greatly needed2 but the idea of going   
home without accomplishing my great     
object1 filled me with distress4 ,while 
speaking to the meeting1 and telling how
 ,god had delivered me from time to time
 out of trials1 ,i felt such a sense of 
my condition1 that for the moment ,i    

could not restrain my feelings--my heart
 became so full1 that it stopped all    
utterance4 ,at the close of the meeting1
 the people showed their sympathy for me
 by giving me a collection of sixty one 
dollars4--,one dear brother1 7may the   
,lord bless him67 came forward1 and     
presenting me with a ten dollar bill1   
said1 ,brother ,davis1 give yourself no 
more trouble about that daughter4--,you 
say you have to stop in ,new ,york4 ,let
 me say1 that when you get home1        
whatever you lack of the four hundred   
dollars1 write to me1 and ,i will send  
you a check for the balance4 ,this was  
spoken in the presence of the whole     
meeting4 ,i felt completely at a loss   
for words of gratitude and thanksgiving2
 and merely said1 the day is broke1 and 
the ,lord has appeared for me indeed6   
,i now left ,providence1 feeling in my  
heart that the place is rightly called  
by that name1 as far as ,i am concerned4
  ,i then went to ,new ,york4 ,in that  
great city1 ,i met with considerable    

assistance4 ,i never started out1 but it
 seemed that the ,lord directed my      
steps4 ,i was allowed to address a      
prayer meeting of the ,first ,baptist   
,church1 whose pastor was the late      
excellent ,rev4 ,a4 ,k4 ,nott1 and was  
aided to the amount of over seventy     
dollars4  ,rev4 ,dr4 ,lathrop1 with much
 christian kindness1 invited me to his  
night meeting2 but a severe rain        
prevented any attendance4 ,he invited me
 again1 and then he was absent because  
of illness4 ,i was depressed with       
disappointment2 but he had sent a       
request that ,i might be heard1 7as ,i  
afterward learned17 and ,i was called on
 to state my case to the audience4 ,i   
was taken by surprise1 for the pastor's 
illness had taken all hope from me of   
accomplishing anything there4 ,still ,i 
begun1 by telling my experience4 ,i said
 that when it had pleased ,god to       
convert my soul1 ,i thought that all my 
trouble was gone1 and gone forever2 but 
,i had since learned that ,i was much   

mistaken--,i had learned that in the    
world we shall have tribulation4 ,i then
 went on to state my present trouble and
 distress--and before ,i left the       
meeting1 ,i received with heart-felt    
gratitude1 one hundred and thirty four  
dollars4 ,this reminded me of           
,providence4  ,rev4 ,drs4 ,gillette and 
,armitage treated me with much generous 
sympathy1 as also did many others4  ,i  
visited ,greenport on ,long ,island1    
where ,rev4 ,henry ,knapp kindly aided  
me4 ,elders ,swan and ,read1 and the    
brethren generally at ,new ,london1     
aided me to the amount of about fifty   
dollars4     ,,chapter ,,viii4          
,conclusion--,object of this ,book4   ,i
 now left the north1 for home1 and      
arrived there safely4 ,my friends       
greeted me cordially on my success in   
collecting money4  ,i still lacked1     
however1 one hundred and forty-two      
dollars of the needed eleven hundred4 ,i
 had used every effort in my power to   
prevent the necessity of having to call 

on my generous friend in ,providence4   
,but in spite of all my endeavors1 ,i   
had to make known to him this           
deficiency1 which he immediately and    
generously supplied1 by remitting me a  
check for the full amount4  ,i was now  
prepared to go after my daughter1 which 
,i did1 ,december #ast1 #aheh2 thus     
releasing her within one year from the  
time she was sold4 ,she is now with me1 
and doing well4  ,i received a promise  
from the young master of my two sons1 at
 the time he purchased them1 that if ,i 
should succeed in paying for my daughter
 during that year1 he would let me know 
what ,i might have my two boys for4 ,at 
the time1 my boys were about returning  
to ,richmond1 where they had been hired 
out for several years4 ,i charged them  
to let me hear a good report of their   
conduct2 and if ,i could do anything for
 them1 after ,i had got through with the
 purchase of their sister1 ,i would do  
it4 ,this pledge ,i made to the boys1 in
 the presence of their master's agent4  

,having1 through the aid of a kind      
,providence1 been enabled to pay for my 
daughter1 ,i have felt it my duty to    
turn my attention toward redeeming my   
word to my last children now in bondage4
  ,but this1 of course1 has called up   
anxious thought and prayerful           
meditation4 ,i have also considered the 
peculiar condition of my church--the    
large outlay of money in the erection of
 the building1 and the heavy debt       
hanging upon it1 which is increased     
every year by the interest4 ,i have also
 considered how long ,i have been       
supported in this field of labor by the 
,missionary ,board of the ,southern     
,baptist ,convention and the ,maryland  
,baptist ,union ,association4  ,the     
question then occurred to me1 ,could ,i 
not1 by making a book1 do something to  
relieve myself and my children1 and     
ultimately1 by the same means1 help my  
church1 under its heavy debt1 and also  
relieve the ,missionary ,board from     
helping me4 ,this idea struck me with so

 much force1 that ,i have yielded to    
it--that is1 to write a short ,narrative
 of my own life1 setting forth the      
trials and difficulties the ,lord has   
brought me through to this day1 and     
offer it for sale to my friends         
generally1 as well as to the public at  
large2 and ,i hope it may not only aid  
me1 but may serve to encourage others1  
who meet with similar difficulties1 to  
put their trust in ,god4    ,,end ,,of  
,,the ,,narrative4     ,,sermon4  ,,by  
,,rev4 ,,noah ,,davis   ,,text4--,but if
 any provide not for his own1 and       
especially for those of his own house1  
he hath denied the faith1 and is worse  
than an infidel4--#a ,tim4 #e3h4  ,in   
this chapter1 we have several christian 
duties set forth by the apostle ,paul1  
to ,timothy1 a young preacher of the    
gospel1 who was to teach other          
christians to observe them1 as evidences
 of the genuineness of their faith in   
,christ4  ,that faith which does not    
produce obedience to the commands of    

,jesus must be regarded as defective4   
,religion requires us to love ,god1 and 
all men1 and we must show our faith1 by 
a life consistent with our profession4  
,if human nature1 fallen as it is1      
prompts men of the world to labor       
zealously to supply their own temporal  
necessities and the wants of those whom 
,providence has made to depend upon     
them1 how much more will it be expected 
of those who profess to have drank of   
that pure ,fountain of love1 the ,spirit
 of our blessed ,lord and ,saviour1     
,jesus ,christ4 ,god has indeed doomed  
man to eat his bread in the sweat of his
 face2 but as if to reward him1 he has  
connected with it a pleasure in the     
labor1 and especially1 in our efforts to
 do good to others4  ,in speaking from  
these words1 let us first consider what 
is here meant by providing for his own2 
secondly1 and especially for those of   
his own house2 thirdly1 what it is to   
deny the faith2 and lastly1 draw a      
comparison between the one who hath     

denied the faith and the infidel4  #a4  
,in the first place1 we are to consider 
the duty enjoined in the text1 to       
provide for our own3 which we understand
 to mean our own temporal wants1 such as
 food and raiment and every temporal    
benefit4 ,every man is bound by the laws
 of nature to provide for himself the   
necessaries of life1 honestly in the    
sight of ,god and men1 as far as in him 
lieth4 ,this both reason and common     
sense dictate4 ,this religion inspires4 
,he that will not work1 shall not eat1  
is the teaching of the word of ,god4    
,provide things honest in the sight of  
all men1 is the instruction of the great
 apostle to the ,gentiles2 at the same  
time giving them an example1 by working 
with his own hands1 to supply his       
necessities1 and the wants of those who 
were with him4 ,i have heard it said    
that a lazy person cannot be a          
christian1 and the same idea seems to be
 supported in my text4  ,but if any     
provide not for his own4 ,religion      

benefits those who possess it1 by       
regulating their appetite for temporal  
things1 as well as giving them a relish 
for spiritual ones4 ,while we are in    
love with sin1 we labor hard to enjoy   
its pleasures4 ,how industriously do    
wicked men labor for what they can eat1 
drink and wear4 ,and shall a christian  
be less active to secure for himself the
 necessaries of life8--he would prove   
himself indeed to be worse than the     
infidel4 ,but we have other wants to be 
supplied1 beside those of the body4 ,god
 has given to all men an intellectual   
nature--a mind1 which distinguishes them
 from the brutes4 ,these minds are      
capable of improvement2 and every man is
 under obligation to make use of the    
means and opportunities which ,god has  
given him for cultivating his mind1 by  
educating himself1 that he may be useful
 to himself and those around him4 ,but  
man is a social being as well as an     
intellectual one4 ,god hath made of one 
blood1 all nations of men1 for to dwell 

on all the face of the earth4--7,acts   
#ag3 #bf47 ,much of our happiness1 and  
usefulness in this world arises from    
this quality which man possesses over   
the animal creation4 ,and just in       
proportion1 as we shall cultivate1 and  
refine our social and intellectual      
natures1 just in that proportion1 shall 
we rise above the level of the savage   
and the heathen4  ,but man has a soul1  
which must be fitted for the enjoyment  
of ,god1 here and hereafter4 ,now to    
provide for the wants of the soul1 is   
our highest duty on earth4--,sin has    
unclothed us of that innocence in which 
our ,creator first made us1 and the     
responsibility now rests upon every     
soul1 to provide a clothing which will  
stand the inspection of ,god himself4   
,this clothing1 ,christ has prepared    
through ,his sufferings1 and death1 and 
it is given to all them that believe in 
,him4 ,and surely1 if it be our duty to 
provide temporal things for ourselves1  
and for those of our own house1 how much

 more are we bound to seek and secure   
the one thing needful4  #b4 ,but we will
 consider in the second place1 what is  
meant by providing for our own          
house8--and especially for those of his 
own house8 ,house here means family4    
,first1 we will consider the duty       
devolving upon a christian parent1 in   
making suitable provision for his own   
house1 or family4 ,this embraces all we 
have urged as his duty to himself4 ,it  
is the duty of all parents1 to provide  
for their families every temporal good  
which adds to their own comfort or      
usefulness in life4 ,and it is no less  
the duty of parents to provide for the  
spiritual necessities of their own      
families4 ,and first--we shall consider 
the duty of parents1 to provide suitable
 training for their children4 ,this is a
 duty which ,god has enjoined and       
approves4 ,he said of ,abraham1 ,for ,i 
know him1 that he will command his      
children and his household after him1   
and they shall keep the way of the      

,lord1 to do justice and judgment1 that 
the ,lord may bring upon ,abraham1 that 
which ,he hath spoken of him4 ,the duty 
of parents to train their children      
religiously1 is clearly taught under the
 gospel dispensation4  ,and ye fathers1 
provoke not your children to wrath1 but 
bring them up in the nurture and        
admonition of the ,lord4 ,here1 we have 
divine authority1 for teaching our      
children1 the things1 which make for    
their good1 both in this life and that  
which is to come4 ,but it may be asked1 
to what extent are parents bound to     
comply with these high and solemn       
obligations8 ,we answer1 to the utmost  
of their ability4 ,to whom much is      
given1 of him much is required1 and to  
whom little is given1 of him little is  
required4--,but all are bound to train  
up their children in the way they should
 go1 that when they are old1 they may   
not depart from it4 ,this duty is seen  
in the judgments which ,god has visited 
upon those parents and children who have

 neglected to obey the ,lord in this    
particular4--7#a ,samuel #b3 #cd47  #c4 
,we are1 in the third place1 to enquire 
what it is to deny the faith4 ,much is  
said in the ,scriptures about faith4    
,much depends upon it4 ,we are said to  
be justified by faith1 and saved by     
faith2 we live by faith4 ,and inasmuch1 
as such as are spoken of in the text are
 said to be worse than an infidel1      
because they provide not for themselves 
and families1 thereby showing that they 
have denied the faith1 therefore let us 
try to consider what genuine faith is1  
and what it is to deny it4 ,this is the 
most important point in the subject now 
before us4 ,without faith it is         
impossible to please ,god4  ,we will    
consider some of the effects of this    
distinguishing grace4 ,there are several
 kinds of faith spoken of in the ,bible4
 ,in one case1 men are said to believe  
for a while4 ,this faith is shown us in 
the parable taught by our blessed       
,saviour1 in the characters represented 

by the seed sown upon the rock1 which   
for a while believe1 and in time of     
temptation fall away4--7,luke #h3 #cc47 
,there is a faith which is called       
dead4--,even so faith1 if it hath not   
works1 is dead1 being alone4--7,james   
#b3 #ag47 ,but the faith which enables  
the christian to obey the ,saviour in   
all things1 is said to work by          
love4--7,gal4 #e3 #f47 ,now we say that 
those who have this faith1 will never   
deny it4 ,the counterfeit may deceive1  
but the genuine cannot4 ,we say this    
faith cannot deny itself4 ,all who are  
spoken of in the ,old ,testament as     
having this faith never denied it4 ,by  
it ,abel made a more excellent sacrifice
 to ,god than ,cain4 ,by it1 ,enoch     
walked with ,god1 when the other portion
 of mankind walked in the vain wicked   
imaginations of their own hearts4 ,by   
faith ,noah1 being warned of ,god of    
things not seen as yet1 moved with fear1
 prepared an ark for the saving of his  
house4 ,abraham believed ,god1 and it   

was counted unto him for righteousness4 
,this is the grace which enables        
believers to renounce the pleasures of  
sin1 which are but for a season4 ,it    
gives them a complete victory over the  
world4 ,it abideth with hope and        
charity4 ,now1 whosoever professes this 
faith1 and then by his unholy life      
denies it1 by neglecting to provide for 
his own1 and especially for those of his
 own house1 makes it manifest that he   
never had it4 ,it is as unchangeable as 
its ,author1 for it is the gift of ,god4
 ,it prompted ,noah to labor over a     
hundred years1 to build an ark1 to save 
his house4 ,and what it has done1 it    
will continue to do1 for those who have 
it4 ,this is the principle in religion  
which purifies the heart1 overcomes the 
world1 and causes christians to love one
 another1 whatever may be their         
circumstances1 or color or rank in life4
  #d4 ,we are now in the fourth and last
 place to draw a comparison between     
those who deny the faith1 and an        

infidel4 ,now an infidel1 is an         
unbeliever in the religion of           
,christ4--,yet he provides for his own1 
and especially for those of his own     
house4 ,in this he is consistent with   
himself4 ,here he acts from reason1 and 
principles of nature4 ,but the          
individual who denies the faith1 is one1
 who has taken upon himself the solemn  
vow before ,god and men1 that he will   
act out what his profession supposes him
 to be in possession of1 which is       
superior in its influence1 to the       
infidel's principles1 yet he fails to do
 as much4  ,but again1 an infidel is a  
bad man1 and makes no pretensions to    
hide it4 ,but he who contradicts his    
profession1 by denying it in the manner 
here set forth1 is worse for attempting 
to cover up a character1 which in itself
 is no better4 ,but consider the effect 
produced by a false faith1 7and we have 
shown1 that such a faith1 as does not   
come up with the infidel's1 is false17  
it does the person no harm4 ,many       

persons1 when they make a profession of 
faith1 suppose it is the true faith1 but
 after a while1 they find that their    
faith does not work by love1 it does not
 purify their hearts4 ,they love sin    
secretly1 as much as before4 ,they love 
worldly company as well as ever4 ,and   
they find the employments1 which their  
profession enjoins upon them1 irksome   
and dry4 ,such persons are greatly      
deceived1 yet they are ashamed to       
confess it1 and throw off the mask of   
profession4 ,and such persons are often 
the greatest fault-finders with those1  
whose true faith inspires them to endure
 hardness1 afflictions and deny         
themselves and take up their cross1 so  
that they may glorify their ,saviour in 
their bodies and spirits which are the  
,lord's4  ,in conclusion1 dear brethren1
 let us1 who have made a profession of  
faith1 examine ourselves1 whether we be 
in the faith of the gospel1 or not4     
,know ye not your own selves how that   
,jesus ,christ is in you1 except ye be  

reprobates4 ,,amen4     ,,statistical   
,,report  ,,of ,,all ,,the  ,,colored   
,,protestant ,,churches ,,and ,,sabbath 
,,schools ,,in ,,baltimore4   7,as      
quoted from the ,minutes of their       
respective bodies1 for the year #ahei47 
,sharp st4 and ,wesley ,chapel1 ,meth4  
,ep41     #ahab ,orchard st4 and        
,asbury1                    #aejh       
,dallas st41                            
#aai ,bethel1 ,saratoga st41            
,african ,m4,e41     #acih ,ebenezer1   
,montgomery st41                  #fjj  
,union ,bethel1 ,fell's ,point1         
#ajj ,water's ,chapel1 ,spring st41     
#ih ,mission        ,tissia st41        
#gg ,south ,howard st4 ,chapel1 ,zion   
,meth41         #bjj ,st4 ,thomas'1     
,chesnut st41 ,meth4 ,prot41        #gj 
,st4 ,james'1 ,saratoga st41 ,episcopal1
         #ajj ,presbyterian church1     
,madison st41             #fi ,first    
,baptist1 cor4 ,young and ,thomson st41 
#ii ,union ,baptist1 ,lewis st41        
#fc ,saratoga st4 ,african ,baptist     

,chapel1          #gc                   
----- ,total ,col'd ,prot4 ,religious   
,popul'n1        #fchf   ,,sabbath      
,,school ,,report4  7,rendered to the   
,s4 ,s4 ,union1 for #ahei47             
,v                             ,b     ,c
     ,o                             ,i  
,o     ,l      ,f      ,m               
,b     ,n     ,s      ,e      ,a        
,l     ,v     4      ,m      ,l    ,s   
,e     ,e            4      ,e    ,c    
,r     ,l                  ,h           
,r     ,s     ,i      ,t      ,t    ,o  
,e     ,i     ,b      ,e      ,e    ,l  
,a     '     ,r      ,a      ,a    ,a   
,d     ,n     '      ,c      ,c    ,r   
,s     ,s     ,y      ,h      ,h    ,s  
4     4     4      4      4    4 ,sharp 
st41  ,m4,e41                      #bjj 
#ae     #ae   #bjj ,orchard st41        
#f      #i   #agg ,asbury1              
#b                  #de   #bei ,dallas  
st41                                    
#bj     #ag   #bej ,john ,wesley1       
#bej    #aj     #aj   #abj ,bethel1     

,african ,m4,e41       #fj   #ae    #bjj
    #af     #af   #cej ,ebenezer1       
#bg   #agh ,spring st41                 
#aac           #ac   #abj ,allen chapel1
                                #f      
#eh ,union ,bethel1                     
#aa    #hf ,good ,samaritan1            
#f           #fj ,tissia st41           
#ajh            #f    #cj ,st4 ,thomas1 
,m4,p41                      #bjj     #c
      #d    #ef ,s4 ,how'd st41 ,zion1  
#e      #g   #ajb ,mt4 ,olive1 ,ind41   
#c      #g    #dj ,presbyterian1        
#bj     #aj   #bdj ,episcopal1          
#bje     #e      #e    #gj ,first ,col'd
 ,baptist1                    #gh     #c
      #c    #cc ,union1                 
#aa    #hf ,saratoga st41               
#dj    #a    #bej     #h      #f   #aej 
----------------------------------      
,aggregate1                 #ajf   #ah  
#afjd    #abf   #bbb  #bffe     ,,the   
,,saratoga ,,street ,,institute4   ,this
 ,seminary for colored people1 was      
opened in the upper rooms of the        

,african ,baptist ,chapel building1 in  
,december1 #ahef1 and in a few months1  
over one hundred scholars1 were in      
attendance4 ,but from circumstances     
which need not be narrated1 in #aheg1   
the school was removed away1 without any
 rent having ever been paid for the use 
of the rooms4 ,a second time a school   
has been collected of over one hundred  
scholars1 but1 up to the present time1  
,august1 #ahei1 the trustees of the     
building have never received any sort of
 compensation for the use of the rooms1 
occupied by the ,institute4  ,mr4 ,j4   
,g4 ,goodridge1 lately a teacher of a   
,public ,school1 in ,york1 ,pa1 has now 
rented the rooms1 and his friends feel  
great confidence in the success of his  
labors4  ,it may be remarked1 that the  
large colored population of ,baltimore1 
now from thirty to forty thousand souls1
 have no sort of ,public ,school        
provision made for them1 by the city or 
state governments4 ,they are left       
entirely to themselves for any education

 they may obtain4  ,the above named     
,institute combines advantages for the  
education of colored children far       
superior to any other in the city4      
,,interesting ,,books ,,published ,,by  
,,weishampel1 ,,baltimore4  ,prayer     
,meeting ,hymn ,book4  ,containing over 
three hundred ,hymns1 with many favorite
 ,choruses4  ,,price ,,twenty-,,five    
,,cents4   ,this book is bound in       
leather1 it convenient to carry in the  
pocket1 and has been received with much 
favor1 many thousands having been sold  
during the first year of its            
publication4 ,it contains all the ,hymns
 most used in ,prayer ,meetings and     
,revivals2 these have been collected    
from many different volumes1 no other   
single book containing all of them4 ,it 
is provided at a low price4 ,the retail 
coat being only twenty-five cents1 it   
will circulate where larger and costlier
 volumes are neglected2 and being       
designed only for the circle of prayer  
and the revival1 will not interfere with

 the use of the regular ,church ,hymn   
,books4  ,the ,cheap ,edition is        
furnished at the following prices3      
,single copies1                         
#be cts4 ,one dozen copies1             
#b1be ,one hundred copies1              
#ag1jj  ,to please the various tastes of
 purchasers1 three editions in fine     
binding have been prepared1 at the      
annexed prices3  ,roan1 #dj cts41 ,full 
,gilt1 #fj cts41 ,turkey mor41 #ge cts4 
,the following lots are arranged for    
convenience3  ,,lot ,,no4 #a1 ,,for     
,,five ,,dollars3 #af plain at #be cts41
 #d roan at #dj cts41 #b gilt at #fj    
cts4 ,being #f1hj worth of books for #e4
  ,,lot ,,no4 #b1 ,,for ,,ten ,,dollars3
 #cj plain at #be cts41 #h roan at #dj  
cts41 #e gilt at #fj cts4 ,being #ac1gj 
worth of books for #aj4  ,,lot ,,no4 #c1
 ,,for ,,twenty ,,dollars3 #fj plain at 
#be cts41 #af roan at #dj cts41 #aa gilt
 at #fj cts4  ,these packages can go by 
,express1 or any means directed4        
,character ,book3  ,,for  ,,high        

,,schools1 ,,academies1 ,,and ,,primary 
,,schools4  ,,price ,,six ,,cents4  ,the
 object of this ,book is to give a      
weekly report to parents of the studies1
 attendance1 deportment1 standing and   
progress of pupils at school4 ,the      
,,conduct of the pupil is marked under  
the head of ,general ,deportment1 with  
the following degrees3 ,excellent1      
,good1 ,tolerable1 ,unsatisfactory1     
,inattentive1 ,idle1 ,disorderly1       
,disrespectful1 ,careless4 ,a written   
excuse is required for every exercise   
omitted1 or for leaving school before   
the hour of dismissal4 ,parents or      
guardians are requested to examine the  
weekly reports of the ,character ,book1 
sign their names to them1 and return the
 ,book on ,monday morning4 ,a good name 
is rather to be chosen than great       
riches4  ,price to ,teachers3 ,fifty    
cts4 a dozen4   ,the ,first ,school     
,book4  ,illustrated with numerous      
,engravings4  ,,price ,,twelve ,,cents4 
,this is an instructive ,primer1 for    

children1 combining a series of         
progressive spelling lessons1 commencing
 with the alphabet1 and interspersed    
with simple rhymes and easy sentences in
 prose1 accompanied with many pictures4 
,the ,primer contains ,dr4 ,watts'      
celebrated ,cradle ,hymn1 the verses    
entitled ,mary and her ,lamb1 the ,busy 
,bee1 c4 ,those who wish to change from 
the heavy and badly printed ,spelling   
,books in present use1 will find this to
 be more attractive to the young        
beginner1 and more likely to coax him a 
step forward in his first lessons4      
,the ,testimony of a ,hundred           
,witnesses3  ,or1 the ,instrumentalities
 by which ,sinners are brought to       
,embrace the ,religion of ,jesus        
,christ4  ,,price ,,fifty ,,cents4      
,this ,volume contains the history of   
,one ,hundred ,conversions1 written     
mostly expressly for this publication1  
by ,christian individuals in the various
 evangelical denominations4 ,it is1 in a
 word1  ,,an ,,experience ,,meeting ,,in

 ,a ,,book1  ,in which each person      
relates briefly the experience of his   
own heart concerning the great          
salvation4 ,among the number are about  
fifty ministers1 some of the most able  
and renowned of the past and present    
ages4 ,these interesting narratives show
 some of the causes which lead sinners  
to become concerned for their eternal   
welfare1--their resistance to the force 
of the ,truth and the strivings of the  
,holy ,spirit1--their subsequent        
struggles against their own evil        
dispositions1 or carnal mind1--and their
 final perseverance toward the way of   
life1 by true repentance1 and an        
acceptance through faith in ,christ1 of 
the blessings which follow the love of  
,god shed abroad in the soul4  ,place   
this book in your family1 and cause it  
to be circulated among your neighbors1  
that it may awaken many sinners1 and    
edify the saints of ,god4 ,form clubs of
 a dozen or more1 and send for the work1
 which will be forwarded at #d4jj per   

dozen1 cash1 in any way directed4 ,a    
single copy sent by mail1 post-paid1 on 
receipt of fifty cents4  ,canvassers can
 make good wages in selling this popular
 book4 ,all orders must be acccompanied 
7sic47 by the cash1 and addressed to the
 ,publisher4     ,the ,career of ,john  
,mortal1  ,a ,,man ,,who ,,enjoyed      
,,this ,,life4  ,illustrated with       
several ,engravings4  ,,price           
,,twenty-,,five ,,cents4  ,this volume  
presents several rapid and startling    
pictures of the career of a man who     
enjoyed all the pleasures and profits of
 this world1 and neglected to honor     
,god4 ,john ,mortal gained the whole    
world1 and lost his own soul4 ,the style
 of the composition is partly           
allegorical and partly narrative4 ,it   
claims no credit for literary           
excellence1 but is published with the   
hope of arresting the attention of those
 who neglect to read works of a heavier 
and more solemn appearance1 and         
impressing their minds with the         

worthlessness of human vanities and     
honors4  ,table of ,contents4  ,,part   
,i4  ,the beginning of ,life4--,the     
first                                   
disappointment4--,apprenticeship4--,foll
ies of ,youth4--,sin4  ,,part ,,ii4     
,the ,child has become a young          
,man4--,he dissipates4--,the revelers of
 ,vagrant ,island4--,religion           
scoffed4--,follies and pains of an      
irregular life4--,sickness4--,the       
,friend in need4--,tempter4--,,recruits 
,,wanted4--,enlistment in a regiment of 
soldiers4--,col4 ,blood's speech4       
,,part ,,iii4  ,the                     
,army4--,advancement4--,mortal succeeds 
,col4 ,blood4--,the fury of ,war4--,the 
slaughter4--,glory4--,unhappiness4--,hon
or to the brave4--,major ,sharper4      
,,part ,,iv4  ,mortal in love4--,he     
becomes wealthy4--,he                   
travels4--,vesuvius4--,the grave of     
,general ,gog4--,gambling4--,ruin4      
,,part ,v4  ,the last scene of          
all4--,dr4 ,popular ,gospel4--,dimelover

 and ,sharp die hopefully4--,john       
,mortal's last conversation with ,mentor
 and ,tempter4--,despair and ,death4