,illustration ,,friendly ,,counsels ,,for ,,freedmen4 ,,by ,,rev4 ,j4 ,b4 ,,waterbury1 ,d4 ,d4 ,illustration ,,published ,,by ,,the ,,american ,,tract ,,society1 #aej ,,nassau-,,street1 ,,new ,,york4 ,,friendly ,,counsels ,,for ,,freedmen4 ,we welcome all who have come out of bondage to the privileges of freemen4 ,providence has unloosed your fetters4 ,the war has been made use of by the ,almighty to bring about this great change in your condition4 ,we hope you will remember this2 and when you pray1 you must not forget to give him thanks for your freedom4 ,your condition is in some respects much better1 and in others somewhat worse1 than when you were slaves4 ,your master1 if he was kind1 took good care of you4 ,now that you are free1 you have got to take care of yourselves4 ,at first this may be a hardship2 but by and by you will see that it is a good thing4 ,in slavery you had little or no care1 except to see that your task was done4 ,now that you are your own men1 you have got to think and work both4 ,thus freedom acts on the mind4 ,it obliges you to seek a livelihood--to look up work such as you can do1 that you may support yourselves and your families4 ,it sets you to thinking how you can earn wages1 and how you can best spend them4 ,freedom1 remember1 has its cares and anxieties as well as its benefits4 ,,labor4 ,don't fall into the mistake of some1 that freedom means idleness4 ,no such thing4 ,free people have to work1 and some of them have to work very hard even to get their bread4 ,some of the free colored people have by their own labor gained the means of a comfortable livelihood1 and made themselves respectable4 ,you can do the same1 if you will use the same diligence4 ,by industry you will soon be able to support yourselves and families1 and lay up something perhaps for a rainy day4 ,thus you may secure something to depend on when you are sick or old and can't work4 ,there will no doubt be penny savings-banks1 where you can put some of your money1 and where it will not only be safe1 but will increase4 ,we hope1 if there are such banks1 that you will take advantage of them4 ,at first1 and before you get well a going1 the government1 aided by good people1 is ready to lend you a helping hand4 ,this is done to give you a chance to get used to your new situation4 ,but the sooner you stop leaning on the government and on the help of the whites1 the better for yourselves and for all concerned4 ,don't refuse to work then1 even at low wages4 ,work at low wages is better than idleness4 ,the ,bible says1 he that will not work1 neither shall he eat4 ,it says also1 8,be diligent in business40 ,besides1 if you are idle1 and look for support to the whites1 the slaveholders will throw it in our teeth1 and say1 8,there1 you see negroes wont work1 unless there is a master over them40 ,and so we shall be ashamed1 not knowing what to say in reply4 ,but if you are industrious and willing to work even at low wages1 they can't say this4 ,if the government wants able-bodied men among you for the army1 to dig trenches1 to build forts1 or to enlist as soldiers1 let it not be said that you refused4 ,if you are invited to go in as field laborers1 go in and work4 ,you work now as freemen1 not as slaves2 and the money which is paid you1 you can lay out for food and clothing1 and for any thing else that is proper4 ,in this country nobody expects to live without work4 ,,cleanliness4 ,industry is one good thing4 ,but there are other habits also we would recommend4 ,cleanliness is very important4 ,black or white1 a dirty person is a disgusting object4 ,even a poor person can possess the virtue of cleanliness4 ,soap and water are not very dear things2 but if one don't use them1 they might as well cost guineas instead of coppers4 ,what do you think of a mother who keeps neither herself nor her children clean8 ,who likes to enter a cabin or cottage where the dirt has to be wiped off a seat before a decent man or woman can sit down upon it8 ,a clean person will see that even the patched garments he is obliged to wear are at least free from dirt4 ,no matter how poor the house is you live in1 it should be kept clean4 ,the ,bible says1 8,wash you1 make you clean40 ,though this means soul washing1 yet it shows ,god loves cleanliness4 ,,economy4 ,economy is another thing we recommend4 ,this means saving all you can above and beyond what is needful for you to live upon4 ,don't spend your money foolishly4 ,don't spend it on rum or tobacco4 ,don't gamble it away4 ,don't buy expensive clothes or rich food4 ,some poor people1 when they get a little money1 think they may spend it in a frolic4 ,all this is bad1 and brings a man or a family very soon to want4 ,we don't wish you to be stingy1 nor like one who hates to spend a penny even for what is necessary4 ,this is not what we mean4 ,but take care of your wages4 ,make them go as far as you can in supporting yourself and family2 and if there is any over1 lay it up against a time of need4 ,only don't waste it2 for the ,bible makes the waster and the slothful man brothers4 8,he also that is slothful in his work1 is brother to him that is a great waster40 ,,sobriety4 ,sobriety is another habit or virtue we hope you will observe4 ,rum is the ruin of thousands4 ,keep clear of it1 or it will ruin you4 ,soul and body die under its ravages4 ,a drunkard is worse than a beast4 ,look at the drunkard's home--or rather1 dwelling2 home is too sacred a word--and see how desolate and dreary and wretched it is4 ,the ,bible says1 8,drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of ,god20 so that they are miserable here1 and more miserable hereafter and for ever4 ,,honesty4 ,honesty is all-important4 8,thou shalt not steal0 is one of ,god's commandments4 ,when you were in slavery you may have thought that you had a right to take from your master what you could get hold of1 and hesitated only from the fear of being found out4 ,even some slaves who call themselves pious1 have thought it was not wrong to take from the master's crib whatever they could lay their hands upon4 ,but if they had read the ,bible1 they would have seen how wrong it was4 ,the apostle ,paul1 writing to the bondmen in his day1 says they must 8not purloin20 which means1 they must not steal even a little thing from their masters1 nor from anybody else4 ,if then any of you have fallen into this wicked habit1 stop it at once4 ,besides1 if you steal1 the law will seize upon you1 and you may have to go to prison1 or suffer some worse punishment4 ,you are now under law1 and must be an honest keeper of the law4 ,,lying4 ,be truthful4 ,some have said that lying is universally practised among the slaves--that they seem to think it is no sin1 or if it be a sin1 that it is a very little one4 ,if this be so1 then we urge you to get your minds at once set right in this matter4 ,lying is a sin1 and a great sin4 ,god has said1 8,thou shalt not bear false witness10 and that forbids lying of all kinds4 ,he says too1 8,lie not one to another40 ,and still more1 he says1 8,liars shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone40 ,he is a ,god of truth1 and he commands us all to 8speak the truth in love40 ,,swearing4 ,perhaps you are not a profane swearer4 ,we hardly think swearing is as common among the blacks as it is among the whites3 to the shame of the whites be it said4 ,yet we have heard some shocking oaths from colored men and women4 ,this wicked habit the ,bible condemns4 8,thou shalt not take the name of the ,lord thy ,god in vain2 for the ,lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain40 8,swear not at all10 said ,jesus4 ,if any of you have fallen into this dreadful habit1 break it off1 stop it at once4 ,and if you have not1 then guard against it4 ,,purity4 ,be chaste4 ,i dare say you know what that means4 ,whatever bad examples you may have had1 you should now and henceforth keep from that destructive vice which ,god has forbidden in the seventh commandment4 ,it is1 8,thou shalt not commit adultery40 ,this means1 to keep to your own wife1 and the wife keep to her own husband4 ,if you break over this bound1 you break ,god's law4 ,in slavery1 this vice or wickedness has not been thought so very bad2 and perhaps1 in some instances1 it may even have been encouraged4 ,but it was wicked then1 and it is wicked now4 ,whatever apologies you may have made for it before1 you are now out of the house of bondage1 and under the same laws that all are4 ,a woman's character1 married or unmarried1 is blasted if she is impure2 and in the sight of ,god an impure man is equally sinful4 ,all young people should guard against this vice4 ,they have a character to form and to maintain2 and how can that be done if this vile habit is indulged8 ,a virtuous character is as precious to a colored woman as it is to any woman4 ,and with regard to men and women both1 the ,bible says1 8,whoremongers and adulterers ,god will judge40 ,,the ,,sabbath4 ,keep the ,sabbath4 ,make it not a day of work nor of pleasure1 but of rest and of worship4 ,the ,bible says1 8,remember the ,sabbath-day to keep it holy40 ,cease on that day from all unnecessary work4 ,let your families have rest also4 ,put on your best clothes--parents and children both--and after you have prayed in your closet and prayed with your family1 then go to church1 taking with you such of your family as are old enough4 ,don't idle about on the ,lord's day4 ,if there is a ,sabbath-school1 go to it yourselves1 and take your children along with you4 ,if you follow these rules1 you will grow wiser and better4 ,it is in this way that people are trained up for heaven4 99 99 99 99 99 ,these habits are1 you see1 all based on the ,bible4 ,it is ,god's morality we are recommending4 ,and yet1 after you have done all these things1 you have done nothing more than your duty4 ,you must not make a religion out of these good habits4 ,that is1 you must not think that these are all that religion requires4 ,religion demands these1 and something more4 ,you must have 8the broken heart10 sorrow for sin--sorrow before ,god1 because you have broken his laws4 ,religion bids you turn from all sin--even sins of thought4 ,it commands you to go to ,jesus1 that you may have your sins washed away in his precious blood4 ,it tells you that you must put your whole trust in the ,lord ,jesus for salvation4 ,religion calls upon you to love ,jesus1 and from love to do whatsoever he hath commanded4 ,this is the inward experience of religion4 ,but all the good habits we have been recommending are such as a religious person will practise4 ,if a man pretends to be religious1 and is a bad man in his outward conduct--if he loves to speak against his neighbors1 or tells lies about them1 or steals1 or swears1 or is impure1 he is not a religious man2 he is a hypocrite2 and 8that man's religion10 the ,bible says1 8is vain40 ,we want you to be religious and moral both4 ,,learning4 ,a great many good people are now engaged in teaching you to read and write4 ,this is very important2 for then you can read the ,bible and other good books1 and see your way to heaven clearer4 ,besides1 some learning is very necessary and useful in business1 in writing letters1 and in many ways4 ,while you were slaves1 you were for the most part not permitted to learn to read and write2 but now you have the opportunity1 and you must give your attention to it4 ,it is a new thing to you1 this learning to read and write1 and it may come hard at first2 but if you keep on1 it will soon become easier4 ,and when you have once learned these1 what a pleasant thing it will be to you to write a letter1 or to sit down in your own house and read all about ,jesus and salvation6 ,you must see that your children learn also4 ,perhaps they will take it quicker1 and then they can read to you4 ,how nice it will be1 after your day's work or on the ,sabbath1 to listen to your children reading to you out of the precious ,bible6 ,this will be one of the best blessings connected with your new-found freedom4 ,a ,,home4 ,one of the first things you should endeavor to secure to yourselves is a home4 ,each family should aim at this4 ,no matter how small your house be1 if it is a home1 and your home1 there will be a charm about it4 ,i see not why every family among the freedmen may not obtain such a home--where he can have his family to himself1 and train his children to good morals and religion4 ,freedom makes a home worth something4 ,get a house1 then1 as soon as you can2 no matter how small or how poor it is4 ,perhaps by your industry you may make it larger and better4 ,move your family into it1 and begin to live as one who is responsible to ,god1 and who is determined to show that slavery has not robbed him of all his manhood4 ,in this home have family worship4 ,pray with your family every morning1 asking ,god's blessing in something like the following words3 ,,morning ,,prayer4 ,our ,father which art in heaven1 we thank thee for keeping us safe through the night4 ,we thank thee for our sleep1 which has done us so much good4 ,grant now1 ,o ,lord1 that we may have thy blessing through the day4 ,help us to be diligent in business4 ,keep us from all harm and from all wrong4 ,help us to do thy will in all things4 ,o ,lord1 bless this family2 make us ,christians2 give us sorrow for all our sins1 and pardon them for ,jesus' sake4 ,may we trust in ,jesus alone for salvation4 ,help us to obey all thy commands4 ,may we love all men1 even our enemies4 ,may we serve thee faithfully until we die2 and then1 ,o ,lord1 take us to heaven1 for ,jesus' sake4 ,amen4 ,the evening prayer might be somewhat as follows3 ,,evening ,,prayer4 ,o ,lord1 we give thee thanks that thou hast preserved us through the past day2 that thou hast helped us to do our work1 and hast not suffered us to fall into any hurtful evils4 ,yet1 ,lord1 we know and feel that the day has not been without its temptations and sins4 ,we have done many things which we ought not to have done1 and have left undone many things which we ought to have done2 and for these sins1 ,o ,lord1 we ask thy forgiveness4 ,oh1 wash them all away in the blood of ,jesus4 ,give us hearts to love and obey thee more perfectly hereafter4 ,keep us1 ,o ,lord1 through the night1 from all harm4 ,give us peaceful sleep4 ,and when the night of death shall come1 may we sleep in ,jesus1 and awake in heaven4 ,this we ask through ,jesus ,christ1 our blessed ,redeemer4 ,amen4 ,learn also the ,lord's prayer1 and help your children to learn it4 ,you should often say it as a morning prayer2 going down upon your knees with your little ones1 and all repeating it aloud together4 ,,the ,,lord',s ,,prayer4 8,our ,father which art in heaven1 hallowed be thy name4 ,thy kingdom come4 ,thy will be done in earth1 as it is in heaven4 ,give us this day our daily bread4 ,and forgive us our debts1 as we forgive our debtors4 ,and lead us not into temptation1 but deliver us from evil2 for thine is the kingdom1 and the power1 and the glory1 for ever4 ,amen40 99 99 99 99 99 ,as soon as you learn to read1 let your prayers be accompanied by the reading daily of at least a few verses out of the ,bible4 ,take great pains also to teach your children to pray4 ,there are a great many pretty little prayers they can learn1 and some of them are in verse4 ,i will give two of these1 though ,i dare say some of you know them already4 ,,prayer ,,for ,a ,,little ,,child ,,on ,,going ,,to ,,bed4 8,now ,i lay me down to sleep1 ,i pray the ,lord my soul to keep2 ,if ,i should die before ,i wake1 ,i pray the ,lord my soul to take2 ,and this ,i beg for ,jesus' sake4 ,amen40 ,,child',s ,,morning ,,prayer4 8,now ,i awake1 and see the light2 ',tis ,god who kept me through the night4 ,to him ,i lift my voice1 and pray ,that he would keep me through the day4 ,if ,i should die before 'tis done1 ,o ,god1 accept me through thy ,son4 ,amen40 ,teach your children to fear ,god and to keep his commandments4 ,train them up for him4 ,remember they are given to you to be brought up for some good and useful end4 ,let them have every advantage within your reach for their improvement4 ,and above all1 set them a good example yourselves1 which will have more effect in making them good children than any lessons which you or others may give them4 ,a ,,happy ,,home4 ,try to make your house a happy home for yourselves and for your children4 ,so far as you can1 keep the children clean and neat4 ,especially take care that they don't learn bad ways1 by getting into the company of bad children4 ,make things as pleasant as you can in and around your house4 ,what a difference there is6 ,some cottages or cabins look very pretty1 and some look very bad4 ,it is easy to tell what sort of people live in a house1 by the very looks of it4 ,dirty within and dirty without tells a bad story of the inmates4 ,on the other hand1 when we pass a log-cabin where things look tidy1 we are apt to say to ourselves1 8,some nice people live there40 ,now1 when a stranger approaches your house1 let him notice a pretty garden-spot1 with flowers and vegetables1 all well kept4 ,when he enters1 let his eye be cheered by seeing how nice every thing looks1 how well swept the floor is1 how the tin things shine4 ,let him notice a few books1 with marks of study or reading upon them4 ,especially let him see the ,bible or ,testament in daily use4 ,as he glances around1 it would be pleasant if he could see a little picture here and there hanging on the wall1 or a flower-pot with a pretty pink or rose blooming in it1 showing that you have a liking for such things4 ,he would say1 8,well1 this looks like freedom4 ,i think you must be quite a happy family40 ,will any one say that such a picture of home comforts may not be seen among the families of the freedmen8 ,i trust that many who read this little book1 or hear it read1 will say to themselves1 8,well1 ,i mean to try and see if ,i can't have such a home40 ,try1 then1 and we believe you will succeed4 ,it will be a very pretty picture to show some who maintain that it is useless to attempt to elevate or to improve the condition of the colored race4 ,these counsels are from your friends4 ,we rejoice in your freedom1 and we long to see you improve it to the utmost1 thus showing to the world the superiority of a state of freedom under the worst aspects over that of slavery under the best4 ,,to ,,sum ,,up4 ,and now try to think over all the things mentioned in this little book1 and bear them in mind1 so that every day they will keep you right4 ,for instance1 say to yourself1 ,i will be industrious4 ,i wont lie around a mere idler4 ,and when ,i have work to do1 ,i will be faithful and do it4 ,i wont be an eye-servant1 working only when my employer is looking at me4 ,next1 ,i will be clean4 ,i will keep my body clean1 and my house clean1 and my children clean2 and this will remind me that ,i must be clean in my thoughts4 ,then ,i will remember to save my wages1 and not spend more than is necessary1 and to lay up something for a time of need4 ,as to rum and other intoxicating liquors1 ,i wont touch them1 any more than ,i would handle a fiery serpent4 ,i will not steal even a small amount4 ,if the devil says1 ,take it1 ,i will say1 ,no2 it isn't mine2 ,god has forbidden me to take it4 ,i will guard my lips from lying4 ,i will always speak the truth4 ,even if it is against myself1 ,i will still keep to the truth2 for ,i know ,god abhors the deceitful tongue4 ,when ,i hear people taking ,god's name in vain1 ,i will say1 ,that is very wicked4 ,lord1 help me to keep from this dreadful sin4 ,and so also1 when ,i am tempted to impurity1 ,i will say as ,joseph in the ,bible said1 8,how can ,i do this great wickedness1 and sin against ,god80 ,i will keep from such vice4 ,i will remember the ,sabbath too1 and try to keep it holy4 ,i will go to church and prayer-meeting4 ,i wont do any unnecessary work on that holy day4 ,try to keep all these good resolutions1 and ask ,god to help you4 ,you need ,god's help2 and he will give it to you1 if you pray for it4 ,and now learn and say the following beautiful hymns1 with which ,i will close3 ,,just ,,as ,i ,,am4 ,just as ,i am--without one plea1 ,but that thy blood was shed for me1 ,and that thou bidst me come to thee1 ,o ,lamb of ,god1 ,i come6 ,just as ,i am--and waiting not ,to rid my soul of one dark blot1 ,to thee1 whose blood can cleanse each spot1 ,o ,lamb of ,god1 ,i come6 ,just as ,i am--though tossed about ,with many a conflict1 many a doubt-- ,fightings within1 and fears without1 ,o ,lamb of ,god1 ,i come6 ,just as ,i am--poor1 wretched1 blind-- ,sight1 riches1 healing of the mind1 ,yea1 all ,i need1 in thee to find1 ,o ,lamb of ,god1 ,i come6 ,just as ,i am--thou wilt receive4 ,wilt welcome1 pardon1 cleanse1 relieve2 ,because thy promise ,i believe1 ,o ,lamb of ,god1 ,i come6 ,just as ,i am--thy love1 ,i own1 ,has broken every barrier down2 ,now to be thine1 yea1 thine alone1 ,o ,lamb of ,god1 ,i come6 ,,hymn4 8,a charge to keep ,i have2 ,a ,god to glorify2 ,a never-dying soul to save1 ,and fit it for the sky4 ,to serve the present age1 ,my calling to fulfil3 ,oh1 may it all my powers engage1 ,to do my ,master's will4 ,arm me with jealous care1 ,as in thy sight to live2 ,and ,oh1 thy servant1 ,lord1 prepare ,a strict account to give4 ,help me to watch and pray2 ,and on thyself rely2 ,assured if ,i my trust betray1 ,i shall for ever die40 ,,transcriber',s ,,notes3 ,italicized text is surrounded by underscores3 italics4 ,obvious typographical errors have been corrected4 ,archaic or variant spelling has been retained4 ,the cover image for this e,book was created by the transcriber and is entered into the public domain4