,illustration3 ,,rev4 ,,alexander ,,herritage ,,newton1 ,d4,d4 ,,out ,,of ,,the ,,briars ,an ,autobiography ,,and ,sketch of the ,twenty-ninth ,regiment ,connecticut ,volunteers ,illustration ,by ,a4 ,h4 ,,newton1 ,d4,d4 ,member of the ,new ,jersey ,annual ,conference of the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church ,with ,introduction by ,rev4 ,j4 ,p4 ,sampson1 ,d4,d4 ,,price #a4be ,printed ,by ,,the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,,book ,,concern ,printers and ,publishers #fca ,pine ,street ,phila41 ,pa4 #aiaj ,copyright1 #aiaj ,by ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton ,,affectionately ,,dedicated ,,to ,,the ,,memory ,,of ,,my ,,dear ,,children ,,and ,,to ,,my ,,wife ,,lulu ,l4 ,,newton --,by the ,author4 ,contents ,page ,preface vii ,introduction xi ,my ,life--,ante ,bellum #ag ,my ,war ,record and ,sketch of the ,twenty-,ninth ,regiment1 ,connecticut ,volunteers #bi ,my ,ministerial ,life and ,labors #ia ,the ,church2 ,what ,it is4 ,and what ,it ,should ,be #adg ,the ,negro ,problem #aei ,sermons #age ,articles and ,contributions #bbi ,resolutions1 ,etc4 #bee ,list of ,illustrations ,page ,rev4 ,alexander ,herritage ,newton ,frontispiece ,rev4 ,j4 ,p4 ,sampson1 ,d4,d4 #aa ,a4 ,h4 ,newton in ,military ,uniform #bi ,col4 ,w4 ,p4 ,wooster #cc ,rev4 ,t4 ,j4 ,hill #dc ,bethel ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church1 ,woodbury #ga ,rev4 ,alexander ,h4 ,newton--,a young ,pastor #ia ,bishop ,jabez ,p4 ,campbell1 ,d4,d41 ,l4,l4,d4 #ie ,rev4 ,theodore ,gould1 ,d4,d4 #ig ,bishop ,william ,paul ,quinn1 ,d4,d4 #ii ,bishop ,john ,m4 ,brown1 ,d4,d41 ,d4,c4,l4 #aae ,rev4 ,j4 ,w4 ,cooper #aag ,macedonia ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church ,camden #aai ,bishop ,henry ,m4 ,turner1 ,d4,d4 #abg ,rev4 ,joseph ,h4 ,morgan #adc ,rev4 ,samuel ,g4 ,miller1 ,d4,d4 #adg ,preface ,with no intention on my part to ever put in book form any matter concerning myself1 many years ago ,i began keeping a daily account of the incidents of my life4 ,i entered into this work conscientiously and let no day pass over my head without its record4 ,i did this that ,i might improve myself and also provide for myself1 family and friends1 a record and reference4 ,this work has grown into three large volumes4 ,i have found this voluminous diary very valuable on many occasions1 not only to myself but to many others4 ,my comrades of the grand old ,twenty-ninth ,regiment1 ,connecticut ,volunteers1 have frequently written me regarding persons and incidents of the ,civil ,war1 and brethren of the ministry have frequently consulted me through this diary for valuable information4 ,this has led me to the conclusion that this knowledge would be more valuable and in better shape in published form4 ,so ,i determined that ,i would undertake the work of publishing my autobiography not in any egotistical sense1 but as an humble service to my race and an inspiration to the young people of my race4 ,i have named the book1 8,out of the ,briars10 because the figure is a befitting one in my own life4 ,although free born1 ,i was born under the curse of slavery1 surrounded by the thorns and briars of prejudice1 hatred1 persecution and the suffering incident to this fearful regime4 ,i1 indeed1 came out of the briars torn and bleeding4 ,i came out of poverty and ignorance4 ,i did not have any of the advantages of the schools4 ,i learned what little ,i know by listening to the educated white people talk4 ,i picked up a great deal in this way4 ,i am sure1 therefore1 that this volume will be read with the kindly spirit in which it is written4 ,i have told my life story1 and am now seventy-two years on my journey through this world4 ,i have but a few milestones further to pass1 or it may be1 not one more2 but at any rate1 the chapters of my life are about closed and ,i am ready at any time to answer the call of the ,captain of my salvation4 ,i sincerely trust that this book will become an inspiration to the young men and women of my race1 that they may copy my good qualities and shun my weaknesses4 ,if1 in a small way1 this supreme end is accomplished1 ,i am amply repaid4 ,i desire to acknowledge my obligations to the ,rev4 ,samuel ,g4 ,miller1 ,d4,d41 ,rev4 ,i4 ,w4 ,l4 ,roundtree1 ,d4,d41 ,rev4 ,c4 ,a4 ,a4 ,greene1 ,b4,s4,t41 ,rev4 ,j4 ,p4 ,sampson1 ,d4,d41 ,rev4 ,george ,e4 ,bivins1 ,d4,d41 ,miss ,alice ,mac,parland1 and my wife ,lulu ,l4 ,newton1 without whose encouragement1 inspiration1 advice and assistance1 this book would never have been written4 8,take my life and let it be1 ,consecrated1 ,lord to ,thee40 ,alexander ,herritage ,newton1 ,d4,d4 ,rev4 ,j4 ,p4 ,sampson1 ,d4,d4 ,rev4 ,dr4 ,j4 ,p4 ,sampson1 a friend and contemporary1 whose picture we present1 though at that time a junior among them1 he stood in the front ranks with ,geo4 ,watkins1 ,douglas1 ,garnett1 ,langston and ,phillips as an advocate for freedom1 not only with eloquent speech but through his pioneer journal1 ,the ,colored ,citizen at ,cincinnati1 making it possible for hundreds1 some of whom at that time were slaves1 since1 themselves leaders1 now declining1 but who took their lessons from these men1 he was largely depended upon by the anti-slavery leaders2 scholar1 author and advocate for civic righteousness1 an exemplar and teacher1 a standard for those who followed1 an old guard1 whose life with others are full of achievement1 yet still active1 cheerful and happy1 editing 8,a ,jolly ,people10 among other books1 running thousands every year1 few colored men are better known4 ,he has the largest charity for an enemy1 matures gracefully and without asperity2 he has given his life of useful service to ,god and the race4 ,a graduate from two or three of our greatest colleges1 especially in theology and law1 and filling for some years various positions of honor and trust in the civil service of the government1 subsequently giving up all secular prospects1 he entered and has been for nearly forty years in the active ministry of the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church4 ,illustration3 ,,rev4 ,j4 ,p4 ,,sampson1 ,d4 ,d4 ,introduction ,to be requested to write an introduction to a book implies some acquaintance with1 confidence in1 and respect for1 the writer thereof1 on the part of the author of the book4 ,some authors solicit such a service because of the prominent position of the writer1 rather than the thorough acquaintance which he has with the author4 ,this may bring an added value to the book and some of the glow of honor to the author4 ,but in this case1 we are sure that the author of this book in no way sought such distinction or compliment2 for like himself1 the writer of this introduction1 has come out of the same circumstances and conditions1 and by the grace of ,god and his common sense1 is what he is4 ,dr4 ,newton has selected a lifelong friend1 a comrade in the toils and trials of this world1 a co-worker in the great and common cause of humanity1 and a brother-minister in the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ1 to present him and his autobiography to the public4 ,we were boys together1 and he was a schoolmate of my brothers1 ,j4 ,b4 ,k4 and ,jos4 ,sampson1 being taught by ,john ,steward ,stanley1 and from that time to this good day1 we have known each other as brothers4 ,dr4 ,newton's life has been1 what we call a success1 neither rich nor poor1 but of easy circumstances4 ,this is to his credit1 for a man of our race to be on the middle ground between riches and poverty1 proves that ,dr4 ,newton has been a great economist in the things of value1 such as money1 time1 ability and opportunity4 ,he has wasted but little and husbanded what he had4 ,we are often tempted to make wealth the basis of our greatness1 but ,dr4 ,newton has sought a much grander foundation1 that of serving his fellowman4 ,he is1 therefore1 ending his life career1 not in sullen disappointment and poverty1 not in the gloated greed of one dying rich1 but with the conviction that he has done his work well and fought a good fight and that there remains for him an inheritance1 incorruptible1 undefiled and that fadeth not away4 ,the doctor has grown old gracefully4 ,he is active in his labors1 cheerful in his disposition1 buoyant in his hopes1 and confident in his faith4 ,he is more than three score and ten young1 not old2 and he looks with the eye of a conqueror toward the glowing sunset of his life battles4 ,every day that he lives adds new joys to his hopes of a glorious immortality beyond the vale of tears4 ,this autobiography is the outgrowth of ,dr4 ,newton's carefully kept diary4 ,it is the fruit of this life tree of his doings4 ,therefore1 it is very valuable as the real unfoldment of a real life of constant action1 habit and conduct4 ,it is the practical realization of the ideals of the author--this indeed1 makes it a real and true monument of his life4 ,some of these ideals made real1 are a true and genuine charity2 devotion to duty2 a high sense of morality2 a love of humanity2 a loyalty to government2 a hatred of sin and evil2 a diligence in business2 a faithful husband1 father and friend4 ,like ,bishop ,henry ,mc,neal ,turner1 he was too great to be little1 and too humble to be great4 ,he always seemed to be less than he was1 the fulfilment was greater than his promises1 the work greater than the plan4 ,he was always the champion of the down trodden and the oppressed4 ,he was ready to enter their cause with an army and to die with others for their welfare1 or to go alone to his death4 ,in all issues of right against wrong1 ,dr4 ,newton has been a ,daniel4 ,after his war career1 in #ahgb1 ,dr4 ,newton entered the ministry of the ,african ,methodist ,episcopal ,church1 in which he has labored most faithfully to the present time4 ,he has been a most successful preacher of the ,gospel of ,christ1 and great builder of churches1 in their membership and edifices4 ,the ,church never had a better ,presiding ,elder1 beloved by all the pastors of fine executive ability and sympathetic and wise in his advice4 ,he has had a remarkable success during the forty years of his ministerial life4 ,before the war1 ,dr4 ,newton was a member of the ,abolition ,movement and did some daring deeds in liberating slaves4 ,from that time on1 he has been the faithful friend of the race1 seeking in every possible way1 to uplift them4 ,he has ever been the staunch advocate of higher education for the masses and especially of the ministry4 ,during the war1 as his record herein shows1 he was a daring soldier1 doing what he could on the battlefield to liberate his race4 ,he was the trusted adviser of all his ,bishops1 ,past ,masters of ,thirty-third ,degree ,masons1 ,supreme ,prelate of the ,supreme ,lodge of the ,knights of ,pythias of ,north ,america1 ,south ,america1 ,europe1 ,asia1 ,africa and ,australia2 ,commissary ,sergeant in the ,civil ,war2 in all these functions of service1 he proved himself a worthy officer and servant4 ,like ,booker ,t4 ,washington1 he has come up out of great struggles and trials and has made himself strong thereby4 ,he educated all his children in the schools and colleges of our country2 bought his own home and was successful in business lines1 and last but by no means least1 at the age of #gj years1 entered the ,bible ,college of ,philadelphia and completed the regular course in that institution1 mastering ,new ,testament ,greek1 ,hebrew1 ,mental ,philosophy1 and the regular studies of the course4 ,in #aiji he was honored with the degree of ,doctor of ,divinity from the same institution1 a most befitting honor for such a man and such a life4 8,out of the ,briars0 ought to be a great inspiration to our young people1 a real monument to this great man and great life1 and a legacy of value to the race4 ,dr4 ,newton is an uncrowned ,bishop1 yet a real ,bishop4 ,he has been my faithful and consistent friend through all the ups and downs of my life4 ,in poverty1 adversity1 in the times of need1 he has been the friend1 indeed4 ,whether as chaplain of a ,state ,legislature or the humble pastor of a small church1 he has been the same great man of ,god4 ,this book will be an ornament to every library as well as a most valuable acquisition thereto4 8,may his tribe increase10 is my prayer1 and may our people follow this heroic and noble leader1 to whom he has given his life of faithful1 constant and unstinted service4 ,j4,p4 ,,sampson1 ,d4,d41 ,p4 ,e4 ,boston ,district1 ,asbury ,park1 ,n4 ,j4 ,may #ae1 #aiaj4 ,my ,life--,ante-,bellum ,i was born in ,newbern1 ,croven ,st41 ,craven ,county1 ,n4 ,c41 ,november the first1 #ahcg4 ,i was born under the regime of slavery1 a free child1 my mother being a free woman4 ,my childhood was the ordinary child life1 of the colored children of the ,south4 ,as a mere child1 ,i looked out upon the world as beautiful and felt that all men and women were good and kind4 ,i did not know of the distinctions1 classes1 conditions and grades of mankind4 ,but as ,i grew older these distinctions were forced upon my tender heart and burned into my mind4 ,i gradually came to realize my said condition1 although free1 and the sad condition of my race4 ,my father was a slave1 so that in my family1 ,i learned what slavery was1 ,i felt its curse in my bones and ,i longed for an opportunity and the power to play the part of a ,moses in behalf of my people4 ,i suppose that this was the wild dream of every child born during slavery4 ,the awful condition of my people1 the steel shackles of slavery1 the slave block of the market place where husbands and wives1 parents and children1 were ruthlessly torn apart and scattered asunder1 the whipping post1 the slave quarters1 the inhuman restrictions1 such as denial of our own religious privileges1 no ministers or churches of our race1 no educational advantages to speak of1 no social freedom among ourselves1 these were some of the unspeakable conditions of my childhood life4 ,but there was the bright and happy side of my life when a boy4 ,with the thoughtlessness1 the happy-go-lucky spirit of the boy1 ,i entered into those plays and pleasures which make up the pastime of youth4 ,i recall the many boys and girls1 both white and colored1 who were my mates in games and pranks4 ,like all boys1 ,i had my little adventures1 which were not always on the side of the right4 ,one of the first practical lessons1 ,i believe the first1 that ,i ever had regarding the sterling worth of my mother ,i most vividly recall4 ,together with some other boys1 we were guilty of stealing some peaches4 ,it was not the proverbial watermelon this time4 ,fortunately we were caught by the proprietor of the orchard4 ,it would be fortunate if all thieves were caught4 ,i was taken in charge4 ,i began to cry vigorously4 ,i was asked what ,i wanted done with me4 ,i begged to be taken home to my mother4 ,this request was granted4 ,soon ,i was facing my mother4 ,the gentleman told her of my offense4 ,i expected1 of course1 that my mother would in some way intercede and waited with breathless expectation for some defense or some excuse or some release from my awful predicament4 ,but my heart sank within me when she said to the man1 8,i have no thieves in my family40 ,so ,i was led away to face some fearful ordeal1 ,i knew not what4 ,when a boy's mother turns against him for his evil-doings1 there is no hope for him4 ,but my tears1 cries and youth touched the man's heart and after leading me away from home towards the jail for a distance1 he released me with some good advice4 ,i learned in that wrong-doing that ,i need never expect my mother to uphold me in the slightest departure from the right path4 ,it was a wonderful lesson and ,i doubt not1 had a fine effect on my entire life4 ,i recall another experience which was much more severe in a physical way4 ,i was bound out to a white man1 ,jacob ,g4 ,gooding1 and placed under his foreman1 ,henry ,e4 ,bryan4 ,i was ordered to carry a bench some distance4 ,then the devil said to me1 8,you are not a horse1 why should you be doing the work of a horse80 ,i said to myself1 this is true4 ,so ,i decided that ,i would not do the work of a horse4 ,well1 he soon came to see what the trouble was and found me and the bench together4 ,he wanted to know why ,i had not obeyed his orders1 ,i told him that ,i was no horse1 that he could get a horse and cart and have that bench taken where he wanted it4 ,we were soon in each other's embrace engaged in a street fight4 ,we were arrested and tried and sentenced to a whipping4 ,well1 ,i was in for punishment1 and being a free boy1 the slave overseer nor his master could punish me4 ,i was reported to my employer4 ,the punishment decided on was forty lashes save one4 ,so ,i was stripped and my employer plied the lash thirty-nine times4 ,my back was lacerated and very painful and for three weeks ,i was unable to do any work4 ,i suppose that ,i could have gone to work sooner1 but ,i was determined that my punishment should cost my employer something as well as myself4 ,it cost me thirty-nine lashes and the suffering and it cost him the loss of three weeks of my labor4 ,this is but an illustration of the manner in which the colored people1 even the free-born1 were generally treated for their offenses4 ,they were treated frequently worse than the brutes4 ,for they knew that the ,negro had enough intelligence to understand what his punishment meant and that the purpose of it was to reduce and keep him in perpetual servitude4 ,this1 of course1 had to be done by mere brute force4 ,but as the result of slavery there were many young men of the race who learned well some trade4 ,they were apprenticed1 as in my case1 to some good workman1 for at least four years or more4 ,at the end of that time they were efficient1 practical workmen who1 if free1 could command good wages4 ,so that hundreds of fine artisans came of slavery who were able to begin at once the laying of the foundation of the history of a free people4 ,they took up their several trades1 and for both races1 turned their hands to every advantage4 ,it should always be remembered that the magnificent civilization of the ,south as to its material wealth and prosperity1 was built up by the slaves of the ,south4 ,the cities1 the country homes1 the plantations and all their improvements1 the planting1 cultivating1 and harvesting of the crops1 all was done by ,negro labor4 ,so that there should be set over to the account of the ,negro race1 not only their own progress since the ,civil ,war1 but also the progress of the south for at least a century before the war4 ,there is another incident in my life at this time which may be interesting and also illustrate something of the workings of that noted system of bringing slaves to the ,north4 ,that system of exporting slaves is known in history as 8,the ,underground ,railroad40 ,i was1 of course1 deeply interested in this means of travel in those days and tried to get all the passengers for this railroad that ,i could find4 ,my boss-foreman1 ,h4 ,e4 ,bryan1 had disobeyed his master and was threatened to be whipped4 ,i assisted him to a place of safety4 ,in all the slaveholders' dwellings1 slaves were employed in the house4 ,they practically had full charge of affairs1 and especially in the dining room1 kitchen1 etc4 ,this part of the house was very seldom inspected1 excepting to see that things were kept clean and orderly4 ,well1 ,i dressed this slave up in a woman's garb and conducted him through the streets to the house of one1 ,mr4 ,primrose1 a man who stood high in the community1 and held the confidence of all slaveholders as one of them and one of their defenders and supporters1 a matter of course4 ,i was successful in getting my charge safely into the kitchen4 ,then with the assistance of the slaves in charge of the kitchen1 we placed him in the attic at the rear of the house1 above the kitchen4 ,here we safely secreted him and here he was fed on the best of the land for a long while4 ,there was a most diligent search made for the slave in the town and throughout the country4 ,a reward was offered and he was advertised1 but all to no avail4 ,he could not be found high or low4 ,at last things quieted down and we found opportunity to put him on this mystic train and send him to a clime where he enjoyed his freedom4 ,this was indeed a daring attempt of mine1 but it was in me to do it with a great deal of delight4 ,and from that day to this1 ,i have been proud of this one feat of my boyhood life which was on the side of right and humanity4 ,in #aheh ,i was bound out to ,mr4 ,jacob ,gooding to learn the trade of bricklaying and plastering1 in ,newbern1 ,n4 ,c4 ,i worked for him four years having thoroughly learned the trade4 ,having finished the course satisfactorily to ,mr4 ,gooding1 he gave me #f1 a suit of clothes1 set of tools1 and a ,bible1 and the advice to be a good boy4 ,afterwards ,i worked for ,mr4 ,eusten4 ,then ,i decided that ,i would quit work and seek new fields4 ,the occasion of my coming to this decision was as follows3 ,mr4 ,eusten gave orders that ,i should work on the fourth of ,july4 ,i made up my mind that ,i would not work on that day4 ,of course1 this was disobedience and would have called for punishment4 ,so ,i had to do something4 ,i cleaned up my tools1 packed them away1 and on the fourth of ,july1 #aheg left for ,beaufort1 ,n4 ,c4 ,there ,i went on board a schooner and became cook1 receiving #g4jj for my services4 ,this schooner was en route for ,new ,york ,city4 ,when ,i landed at pier #bh ,east ,river ,i had only my wages4 ,i met a friend from the ,south1 ,mr4 ,alexander ,hicks1 and we arranged a plan by which ,i should escape from the schooner4 ,he helped me with my trunk and we carried it to a horse car and landed at #ajj ,sands st41 ,brooklyn4 ,i soon found my mother who had preceded me to the ,north4 ,she was engaged in collecting money for buying my father's freedom4 ,she was aided in this work by the ,abolitionists1 among whom were ,rev4 ,henry ,ward ,beecher1 ,rev4 ,henry ,highland ,garnett1 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,bennington1 ,mr4 ,arthur ,tapin1 ,mr4 ,theodore ,tilton and others4 ,mr4 ,timins1 ,kinsley1 ,thomas1 and ,robert ,hamilton1 ,moses ,coss1 ,ebenezer ,chambers and others1 assisted me in getting work4 ,i was able to attend school some4 ,while at school ,i made the acquaintance of ,mr4 ,william ,f4 ,powell1 who has made his mark in the world and was honored by ,president ,mc,kinley with the position of minister to ,hayti4 ,some of the other boys were ,ben ,myrs and ,wash ,parker1 working against great odds and prejudice but aiming to make themselves an honor and credit to the ,negro race4 ,many of these boys are now filling good positions and have made themselves honorable and law-abiding citizens4 ,in ,new ,york ,i worked some at my trade4 ,but ,i did other work as ,i could find it4 ,on the corner of ,pack ,slip and ,water streets1 ,i loaded trucks1 chopped tea1 weighed cotton1 and ,i also did white-washing of houses 7but thank ,god ,i have never white-washed evil doers71 cleaned carpets and houses4 ,in #ahei ,i heard for the first time a minister of the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church1 the ,rev4 ,james ,morris ,williams and the ,rev4 ,geo4 ,a4 ,rue1 having also met ,bishops ,daniel ,a4 ,payne and ,william ,paul ,quinn4 ,i was deeply impressed with the importance of making my life a means of serving ,god in the uplifting of my people4 ,i was convinced even then that it does not follow that because our skins are dark and that we are identified with the ,negro race that there is no chance for us to become potent factors in the uplifting of humanity and especially my own people2 that a man should decide to do right and go ahead and ,god would certainly care for him all his days and give him the reward of all his labors4 ,it is a great thing for a man to realize the responsibility of true manhood and let others learn this from his example4 ,if these were my convictions in those dark days1 what should be the feelings of young men of the race today1 when the darkness of slavery has been changed into the light of liberty8 ,sometime in #ahfj ,mr4 ,albert ,storm requested me to aid him in getting his mother from the ,south4 ,she was a slave4 ,millie1 ,sally1 ,ann and ,john ,caraway were brought from the ,south1 by the permission of the owner1 by one ,dolly ,babb1 to ,brooklyn4 ,dolly said to my mother1 8,now ,i am delivered from the devil out of hell4 ,i am bound to serve my ,heavenly ,master and ,i shall serve ,him well40 ,j4 ,r4 ,v4 ,thomas1 ,william ,isaacs1 ,rev4 ,william ,dixon1 ,paul ,drayton1 ,james ,anderson1 ,dr4 ,peter ,w4 ,ray1 ,joe ,bowen1 ,chas4 ,h4 ,lansing1 ,william ,still1 ,rev4 ,george ,w4 ,leveer and others1 were a few of the men who were engaged in bringing slaves from the ,south and giving them their freedom4 ,men of grander qualities1 morally1 socially and religiously1 ,i have never met4 ,in #ahei ,i was married1 on ,june #afth1 to ,miss ,olivia ,a4 ,hamilton1 a daughter of ,mr4 ,robert ,hamilton1 editor of an ,anglo-,african paper4 ,ada ,a4 ,william ,alexander and ,mary ,hamilton were born to us4 ,illustration3 ,,alexander ,h4 ,,newton ,in ,military ,uniform ,commissary ,sergeant #bith ,regiment ,connecticut ,volunteers ,my ,war ,record and ,sketch of the ,twenty-ninth ,regiment ,in #ahfa when ,president ,lincoln issued a call for #ge1jjj troops ,i engaged myself for the great ,civil ,war1 the ,war of the ,rebellion4 ,i went into the company of the ,thirteenth ,regiment1 of ,brooklyn4 ,i went to the front1 as the ,united ,states was not taking ,negro troops4 ,in #ahfb there was a riot in ,new ,york ,city4 ,the colored people were being dreadfully treated1 being stoned1 killed1 and shown how despised they were even in the ,north4 ,an orphan asylum 7colored7 was burned1 having at that time three hundred children in it4 ,i returned to ,brooklyn under the command of ,general ,b4 ,f4 ,butler1 who had been ordered to put down the riot4 ,while engaged in this mission ,i got into the very midst of the rioters4 ,soon they were after me4 ,i ran through the streets of ,new ,york like a wild steer1 while the rioters cried out1 8,head the ,nigger ,off60 ,at length1 ,i reached the ,new ,haven boat which brought us safely to ,new ,haven1 ,conn4 ,while there ,i engaged at my trade with ,mr4 ,w4 ,clark4 ,on the #ahth of ,december1 #ahfc1 ,i enlisted in the ,twenty-ninth ,regiment1 of the ,connecticut ,volunteers1 as a private4 ,on ,march #h1 #ahfd1 the regiment broke camp and left ,new ,haven for ,annapolis1 ,md41 with ,colonel ,w4 ,b4 ,wooster in command4 ,on the next ,sabbath after we reached ,annapolis1 ,i attended the ,methodist ,church and listened to a powerful sermon by ,rev4 ,i4 ,j4 ,hill1 he being an orderly to ,colonel ,wooster4 ,while in the camp at ,new ,haven1 ,conn41 we employed our idle time in discussing the great problems that confronted the country at that time4 ,lieutenant ,seymour1 ,uncle ,fred ,moore1 ,horace ,louden1 ,rev4 ,i4 ,j4 ,hill and myself were the participants in these discussions4 ,the new party1 the ,republican1 was then formed1 the prime purpose of which was the freedom of the slaves4 ,we were most frequently surmising and prophesying as to what would be the final outcome and the ultimate benefits to the ,negro race4 ,there were vital questions at stake then4 ,the spirit of patriotism and the desire to lift oppression1 were afire in every breast of every true ,american4 ,it would be well for the many young ,afro-,americans of today to remember that the supreme purpose of the ,republican party when it was organized1 was not only to prohibit the further extension of slavery1 but to exterminate it as a system of barter and traffic4 ,on the other hand1 the ,democratic party at that time was in favor of the infernal system of slavery1 and in our day1 it is in sympathy with any movement that looks to keeping the ,negro race in some kind of shackles4 ,they are still in favor of keeping the ,afro-,american in slavery in some form4 ,and they are succeeding reasonably well4 ,for at last1 we are forced to conclude that no man is really free unless he holds in his bosom the right of franchise and has received the liberty to exercise that right4 ,have the ten millions of ,afro-,americans in the ,united ,states that right to-day8 ,the answer comes from many ,states1 ,,no6 ,illustration3 ,,col4 ,w4 ,p4 ,,wooster ,colonel of the #bith ,regiment1 ,connecticut ,volunteers ,inspired with the thought of ,shakespeare1 who said1 8,he who would be free1 let him first strike the blow himself10 my bosom burned with the fire of patriotism for the salvation of my country and the freedom of my people4 ,i was rejoiced when the ,hon4 ,abraham ,lincoln was elected ,president of these ,united ,states1 and when it was my fortune to see him emancipate the millions of members of the downtrodden race4 ,i shall never forget when ,i saw him riding through the streets of ,new ,york1 with throngs of humanity on either side of him4 ,he was on his way then to the inauguration at ,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 to assume control of the terror-stricken country and to take the reigns of government in his own hands4 ,while it became necessary that blood should flow freely1 ,i was reminded1 that no sin is ever wiped out without the spilling of blood4 ,this seems to be a decree of ,high ,heaven1 even among the affairs of men4 ,and ,god has made no exception to this decree1 in the salvation of men from their personal sins4 ,i was indeed willing to unite with the party1 the ,republican party and the abolition movement for their high and holy purposes1 and to be associated with such men as ,rev4 ,henry ,ward ,beecher1 ,rev4 ,henry ,highland ,garnett1 ,theodore ,tilton1 ,lewis ,tapen1 ,william ,still1 of ,philadelphia2 ,charles ,sumner1 ,thaddeus ,stevens and many other such men1 whose platform was justice and right and freedom extended to all without regard to color or previous condition of servitude1 and to enforce these rights and privileges even at the point of the bayonet4 ,at ,new ,haven we had been promised #ae bounty on our enlistment1 but this had not been allowed1 no effort1 it seems had been made to pay us this money1 but we did not shirk our duty because we had not received our just dues4 ,we had long been accustomed to such impositions2 but we said that we would honor ,old ,glory1 obey ,god1 and contend for our prize1 ,liberty1 and will contend in this conflict until the sound of clanking slave chains shall be heard no more in the length and breadth of this fair and goodly land1 ,when kings1 princes and nobles shall have been swept into merited oblivion and the ,civil ,war forgotten1 posterity will catch the glowing theme of ,liberty and enroll with rapture the names of those heroes who bought this boon with blood on the battlefield4 ,the regiment paraded the streets while multitudes looked with wonder1 some laughing1 others cheering1 mothers with their babies in their arms1 crying and holding on to their husbands1 as they marched away to do battle for the noblest of causes4 ,it was a scene never to be forgotten4 ,we marched from ,chapel street1 where we embarked on a ,government transport4 ,as ,i went on board the vessel1 mother1 father1 wife and children1 ladies and gentlemen1 of my friends1 both white and black1 were bidding me goodbye and expressing the hope that ,i might have a safe return4 ,i cannot express the sobbing emotions of my heart1 when ,i ungrasped the hands of these loved ones and friends and turned my face away from them1 knowing that ,i might be going to my death and never again see them in this world4 ,when we reached ,annapolis1 ,md41 we were encamped three miles out of town4 ,here for the first time we put up our tents4 ,it was cold and damp4 ,we dug holes about two feet wide extending from within outside the tent1 and placed sheet iron over these and in these small trenches started our fires4 ,in this way we were able to have heat within and force the smoke outside4 ,the colored people in this place were afraid to speak to us4 ,their masters looked on us with contempt4 ,on ,sunday a reverend gentleman came into the camp to preach to us and we listened to a very interesting sermon4 ,after remaining here for eight or ten days1 we received orders to strike tents4 ,we left for ,hilton ,head1 ,s4 ,c41 arriving at this place ,april #af1 #ahfd4 ,we marched through the main street and went into camp with the ,twenty-sixth1 of ,new ,york4 ,on ,may #be the paymaster arrived at ,beaufort1 ,s4 ,c41 where the ,twenty-ninth ,regiment was at this time stationed1 and our spirits were greatly lifted up when we saw him1 for as yet we had received no pay for our services4 ,but when we were told by him that we could receive only #g per month each1 for our services our spirits fell4 ,so ,i1 together with the rest of my comrades1 was really disgusted with this failure on the part of the ,government to give us a decent compensation for our work as soldiers4 ,the officers advised us to take it and assured us that at the next payment we should receive our full compensation4 ,we decided to follow their advice4 ,we quieted our passions and went to work like good soldiers4 ,my great desire was to get into contact with the ,southern forces that we might be working out the decision of this great problem4 ,i had no ill feeling for the ,southern white people1 some of them had been my best friends2 but this was not a personal matter1 but a question of national issue1 involving the welfare of millions1 and my soul was on fire for the question1 ,slavery or ,no ,slavery1 to be forever settled and that too as soon as possible4 ,while the troops were at ,bermuda ,hundred having disembarked from the transport ,alabama1 ,i recalled an incident4 ,when my father and mother were sitting at the table of my father's owner1 ,master ,park ,custis1 a son of ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,custis1 saw a piece of pie on the table and started to help himself1 without any formalities1 my mother objected to his uncouthness1 caught hold of him and would have handled him quite roughly1 but my father caught hold of her and held her until the youngster got away with his prize4 ,he was very insolent and insulting4 ,it all came over me and ,i thought how ,i would like to find him at that time and administer the very flogging which my dear mother started to give him4 ,i was indeed in a proper mood to have done it1 if ,i had came across him4 ,this is but a little illustration of hundreds of incidents that came into my mind when the army was in the ,south1 and as ,i felt then1 that ,i was duly protected4 ,i confess that ,i had a burning desire to eke out some vengeance which for years had been pent up in my nature4 ,but1 of course1 from the ,christian standpoint1 this was all wrong4 ,i was all wrong4 ,i was then on a much higher mission than trying to get personal vengeance on those who had mistreated me and mine4 ,i was fighting for the liberty of my people and the righting of many wrongs that belonged to their social and religious welfare4 ,while ,i had not learned much of the laws of commerce and politics1 ,i knew only a little of the arts and sciences1 which ,i had picked up here and there1 by an attentive mind1 in mixing with the educated people of the ,south2 ,i knew nothing of military science1 but ,i had been watching the ,southerners drill for several years seemingly getting ready for some unexpected conflict2 but ,i did know that the time was fast approaching when a great problem would have to be settled by bloodshed1 when ,i would be called on to make my life a personal sacrifice on the altar of my country and for the sake of my people4 ,i knew that slavery and its inhuman machinery must be put out of existence and that the simple principles of liberty of thought and action in politics1 society and religion must prevail4 ,and1 at this time1 ,i was in the full realization of what it meant to be again in the ,south1 not a cringing black man1 but a proud ,american soldier with the ,union and ,old ,glory behind1 before1 over and under me4 ,i had heard1 in the fifties1 from the ,southerners1 that there would be a war and that if any of the colored people aided the ,north in it1 they would catch them and cut out their tongues and make them drink their mothers' blood4 ,well1 at this time1 ,i was in the ,south to have my tongue cut out and to drink my mother's blood if it had been necessary4 ,but thank ,god1 ,i helped to save my own tongue and my mother's blood and my race6 ,this is enough glory for me6 ,all the soldiers of the ,twenty-ninth ,regiment1 although dark-skinned1 felt the full responsibility of their mission4 ,they were in the ,south to do1 to dare1 and to die4 ,and while they had not been trained in military tactics at ,west ,point and were backward in their movements1 they had been to the armory of ,god and had received weapons of the heart1 that made them daring and dangerous foes--men to be really reckoned with4 ,and ,i am proud to say1 that the history of the colored man in warfare has been an enviable one4 ,he has always showed his patriotism by action1 by deeds of sacrifice1 by death itself4 ,we had the same muscle1 the same strength1 the same heart1 the same conscience1 the same cause1 the same right1 the same liberty as the white man4 ,we were fighting under the same flag and the same ,god4 ,i remember the words of ,general ,saxon1 8,boys1 if you want to make good soldiers you must look a white man straight in the face and let him know that you are a man40 ,this gave us fresh courage to press forward as soldiers to a certain victory4 ,on the #adth of ,august1 #ahfd1 a time long to be remembered with us1 an oppressively hot day1 we marched into ,virginia4 ,we were worn out1 weary1 thirsty1 hungry1 and completely exhausted4 ,we were compelled to carry our blankets1 knapsack1 musket1 and sixty pounds of cartridges4 ,about #d ,p4 ,m4 we reached the headquarters of ,general ,birney1 in the woods and encamped4 ,i was so overcome with the heat that ,i fell to the ground and was soon asleep4 ,we had no feather beds to lie upon1 only the bare ground--but this bed always supplied by ,mother ,earth1 was delightful this time for rest4 ,we had for our dinner1 breakfast and supper1 half-done salt pork1 which was placed on a stick and held over a blaze to warm it2 hard tack1 on which one could hardly make an impression with the teeth1 and sometimes coffee1 if it could be gotten4 ,these were some of the hardships of the soldier and these were enough2 but when you add to these the mental condition of many1 such as myself1 almost afraid of my own shadow1 ready to shoot at anything that made a threatening noise1--,i remember that ,i shot at the limb of a tree floating down the river1 thinking that it was a rebel skiff with spies--it was a sore and trying ordeal4 ,every soldier was in constant expectation of surprises from the ,johnnies1 or rebels4 ,lee's and ,johnson's army was near ,buzzard's ,roost1 in face of a rocky-faced ridge1 to pass him meant suffering and death4 ,we were surrounded by ,dutch ,gap ,canal1 ,james ,river1 over which we had to cross on a pontoon bridge1 and ,fort ,hell to be captured and taken4 ,but knowing that ,generals ,weitzel1 ,sherman1 ,doubleday and ,butler had #ce1bjj men under them1 we went bravely forward1 determined that ,old ,glory should not trail in the dust4 ,we crossed the pontoon bridge near ,deep ,bottom and marching about two miles1 halted in a corn field4 ,here we rested1 but in momentary readiness for a call to action as the rebels were very near us4 ,we were soon aroused and called to the fort at ,malvern ,hill4 ,here we entered into an engagement with the rebels and many were wounded1 killed and taken prisoners4 ,i had a very narrow escape and thought several times that 8my time0 had come4 ,i remember a twenty-pound cannon ball coming towards me1 ,i could see it distinctly through the smoke4 ,it looked like it had been sent especially for me4 ,i said quickly1 8,lord1 you promised that a thousand should fall at my side1 but that it should not come nigh me40 ,it was quick praying1 quick thinking1 quick coming2 but when the ball was within about three feet of me it struck the ground and bounded over my head4 ,so ,i was saved4 ,god's promise was fulfilled in my case4 ,on the #afth we joined the ,third ,division1 ,tenth ,army ,corps1 ,general ,birney's ,brigade1 composed of the ,twenty-second1 ,seventh1 ,eighth1 ,ninth and ,twenty-ninth1 ,united ,states ,cavalry ,troops1 numbering #ejjj men4 ,we took up our march for ,jones' ,landing1 recrossed the pontoon bridge under very disagreeable circumstances1 rain1 mud and slush1 but we were thankful and cheerful2 glad that we had not been killed1 or wounded or taken prisoners1 in the encounter just passed through4 ,again we camped in an open field and raised our tents1 prepared our bacon and coffee and hard tack4 ,we were soon ready to take a good night's sleep4 ,i remembered my loved ones and wondered how they were faring and my privations1 but ,i found myself willing to undergo all this for the cause of liberty4 ,on the #agth we arose early and received word to advance4 ,in a short time we were in a fierce battle4 ,our lieutenant colonel was wounded in the engagement4 ,again1 ,i thought that my time had come4 ,by some awkward movement1 ,i was thrown into the line of the enemy4 ,the ,johnnies were very much excited and did their best to capture me1 but ,i succeeded in getting back into the ,union lines4 ,i knew then that the prayers of my good old mother were being heard2 for surely the ,lord delivered me from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence4 ,our lieutenant colonel had his horse shot from under him and ,orderly ,i4 ,j4 ,hill was wounded4 ,illustration3 ,,rev4 ,i4 ,j4 ,,hill ,orderly #bith ,regiment1 ,connecticut ,volunteers ,i prayed in this battle whenever ,i had opportunity to look towards ,heaven1 for grape and canister and bullets of all shapes and sizes were falling thick and fast about me4 ,we were in close quarters with the enemy and our ranks were being thinned by reason of the wounded and dead lying on the battlefield4 ,although ,i came out of this battle pretty well shaken up1 excepting for a few scratches1 my life was on the altar for my country and my people1 and ,i was not especially concerned as to the outcome regarding my own life2 but ,i was determined to do all that ,i could to bring our cause to a victorious end4 ,the ,union forces moved back and remained all day about twelve miles from ,richmond4 ,on the #ahth1 the ,twenty-ninth ,regiment1 of which ,i was commissary sergeant1 and the ,third ,division1 moved down the valley1 halting in the open fields for two hours4 ,we were opposite the pontoon bridge which crossed the ,chickahominy1 and remained until the bridge was put in repair4 ,while here ,i gave out hard tack and pork to the soldiers as best ,i could4 ,for myself1 ,i built a little fire and roasted a bit of pork over the fire1 which together with water from the river1 formed my meal4 ,on the #bjth we marched for the forts on the right of ,point ,rock ,hospital1 near ,petersburg4 ,on the #bast we were almost flanked by the rebels and retreated to ,malvern ,hill and repaired the breastworks4 ,here we had another skirmish4 ,some lost their lives and others were wounded1 but we were successful in capturing seventy-five prisoners4 ,on the #bc;d we crossed the ,james ,river on the pontoon bridge1 passing the heights where the ,new ,jersey ,battery was stationed4 ,they greeted us with shouts and 8,hurrah boys6 we are here to stay60 ,such a round of cheers you never heard4 ,you would not have thought that they were on their way to battle1 and some to death and the ,judgment ,throne4 ,uncle ,freddie ,moore and ,orderly ,i4 ,j4 ,hill were the only preachers we had with us1 excepting the chaplain4 ,they used to say to us1 8boys get ready1 for if there ever were a time when you should be ready1 it is now2 for you do not know when you may be called to go1 you are continually in death's jaws40 ,we were soon in front of ,petersburg1 ,va41 looking upon the doomed city4 ,we were greeted by a shell from the rebels1 or ,grey ,backs1 as we sometimes called them4 ,it fell near the colonel1 who was sitting on his horse at the right of the brigade4 ,we countermarched and fell back to the woods1 where we remained until #e o'clock1 when orders were received from the general to fall back to the fort and protect the pontoon bridge4 ,on our way we met a lot of troopers making their way to the front1 who wanted to know our reason for returning4 ,we told them that the rebels were after us4 ,it was very amusing to see them falling into line4 ,some of them could march faster than we4 ,we reached the fort1 but when we found that the ,johnnies were not coming after us1 we became anxious to see them and meet the issue4 ,we found quite a number of our associates from ,new ,haven and ,hartford1 ,conn41 and ,woodbury1 ,n4 ,j4 ,we were all delighted that our lives had been spared to see each other again in the flesh and chatted freely about our friends at home1 our wives1 mothers and children4 ,i had often heard of the horrors of war1 but now ,i began to experience what it meant1 in the joy of meeting friends whom ,i never expected to see again on the earth1 or at least some of them4 ,there was a sense in which ,i had a new understanding of that marvelous passage of ,scripture1 regarding death1 8,oh death1 where is thy sting2 ,oh1 grave1 where is thy victory40 ,we had not yet felt the sting of death and we had not experienced the victory of the grave1 yet we had been in the very midst of both4 ,once again we marched in front of the horrible pit1 ,petersburg4 ,some of the whites said1 see they are taking those colored soldiers to the slaughter pen4 ,truly1 they had said so1 for ,i never saw such a scene the first night4 ,shot and shell were raining fast around us4 ,henry ,migs1 a native of ,africa1 was killed4 ,he died as a soldier1 true to his adopted country1 but a stranger to ,god4 ,i thought that every bullet was sent for me and was doing some real praying4 ,we do not know what prayer is1 until we are reduced to our extremity4 ,then we realize with a new experience1 that our extremity is ,god's opportunity4 ,i told the ,lord that ,he had promised to 8,rescue the perishing and care for the dying10 and that ,i wanted ,him to keep the promise of that song1 so far as ,i was concerned4 ,well1 praise ,his name1 ,he did so4 ,thank ,god to-day that ,i am still living and permitted to write this bit of fearful experience1 so others may know what it is to trust in ,god4 ,on the #bdth1 ,private ,sam ,bertim1 of ,company ,e1 was killed1 having been shot through the head4 ,private ,george ,porter was also killed4 ,colonel ,wooster was taken sick and was carried from the rifle pits to the rear4 ,the rebels captured one of our officers1 while changing those on picket duty4 ,two men from the ,twenty-ninth were slaughtered1 they were members of ,company ,a4 ,the colored troops did some good fighting in this engagement4 ,we were told by the enemy that if we were captured our tongues would be cut out1 or we would be starved to death2 that there would be no exchange of prisoners in our case4 ,so this was a rather fearful inspiration1 but it served its purpose1 of causing us to fight to the best of our ability2 for we really feared that in case we were captured that such barbarities might be administered to us4 ,on the #ast of ,september we were ordered to strike tents and to move on1 we knew not whither we were going4 ,we did not care either1 for now we were thoroughly enthused with the issues of war4 ,we had tasted of the dangers of battle1 and this taste brought out the desire that we should fight to the finish4 ,some of our dear friends had laid down their lives already1 and we reasoned that if it should be necessary for them to give such a sacrifice1 that we were no better than they4 ,so in our judgment1 we were becoming calm1 and in our determination1 we were becoming more and more fixed4 ,with ,president ,lincoln and our great generals and loyal soldiers1 we felt that the issue was assured4 ,of course we did not forget the divine side of the question1 that ,god was on ,his throne and that right and justice and mercy would at last prevail4 ,while it had always been said that this was a white man's country1 we were determined that the black man should share in this honor of ownership4 ,and the best way that this ownership could be established was through the loyalty of the black man on the battlefield4 ,for surely it will be conceded that when a man has bought his adopted country by his blood1 it is his own4 ,while1 as a race1 the ,negro race1 this is our adopted land1 yet as individuals1 it is our native land1 our fatherland4 ,the colored troops numbered at this time about #ge1jjj4 ,the ,twenty-ninth ,regiment1 which was my own1 formed the center4 ,we were in line of march toward the city but were turned in our course and crossed the pontoon bridge1 which landed us near the city of ,petersburg4 ,when daylight came we were on the ,old ,market ,road and headed for ,richmond1 ,va4 ,we were very much exhausted and were hoping for a rest1 when we heard the music of the bugle1 which told us that our rest had come4 ,at this time it was dangerous for live things to get in our way1 we were hungry for something besides hard tack1 bad coffee and salt pork4 ,we wanted fresh meat and plenty of it4 ,so it was a bad time for chickens and terrapin1 for when we could find these living edibles1 we generally appropriated them without any thought of the criminality of the act or of the danger of being detected or arrested4 ,our hunger gave us license to satisfy it in the quickest and best way available4 ,on the #b;d of ,september we were once again in front of the enemy and ready to do battle4 ,we entered the engagement with enthusiasm and rapidly drove the enemy before us4 ,we were assisted by a large ,mogul1 which we called the ,petersburgh ,express and one or two gunboats on the ,james ,river1 which fired balls half as big as a common sized water bucket4 ,soon victory was perched on our banners and with flying colors1 we advanced by a right flank and entered the rebel lines after a bad fought battle of six hours1 leaving many dead and wounded on the battlefield4 ,my brother1 ,william ,henry ,newton1 was in the same regiment with me1 not as a soldier but as a valet1 he attended ,captain ,griswold4 ,we charged two of the rebel forts1 the left of the line was charged by the ,eighth ,united ,states ,troops1 supported by the ,twenty-ninth2 the center was charged by the ,ninth ,maryland1 supported by the ,seventh ,united ,states ,troops4 ,in the history of my war record1 ,i shall never forget this day's experience4 ,the rebels fought hard and nobly1 but the colored troops defeated them and gained another victory in favor of the ,union army4 ,our loss was very heavy and the true story of the suffering and heartaches will never be known until the ,judgment ,day4 ,captain ,thorpe and ,lieutenant ,mc,donald were wounded4 ,i came on my rounds1 bringing refreshments and stopped where the surgeons were at work4 ,i shall never forget the fearful sight that met my eyes4 ,it was indeed sickening4 ,there were arms and legs piled up like hogs' feet in a butcher shop4 ,the dead and the dying were strewn over the battlefield for five miles4 ,drum ,major ,john ,d4 ,cowes1 of ,new ,haven1 with his corps1 were busy carrying the wounded off the battlefield4 ,i said to myself1 war is a terrible way to adjust differences1 when it might be done by the implements of peace4 ,but ,i remembered that it is much easier to wield the sword than to use the pen2 much easier to give a command which will send hundreds to their death1 than to be a master of assemblies and speak the word which gives peace and happiness to millions4 ,we lay all night in front of the rebel works and in the morning we were warmly saluted by fierce bombarding4 ,so we were again in the midst of battle which waged hotly4 ,the enemy carried their dead and wounded out of their trenches as lively as they were able4 ,they did this so as to keep from tramping on them and to have room for the soldiers who were doing the work of death4 ,in this engagement several were wounded but not many killed4 ,our colonel was not able to do duty and our lieutenant colonel was sick at ,fortress ,monroe4 ,on the morning of the #dth1 we advanced to the left of the line1 planting our flag under the rebel fire of grape and canister1 bombshell and musketry4 ,the dead were lying in every direction and the wounded were falling everywhere1 cared for by the rear guard4 ,on the #eth and #fth1 we had to endure the hardships and exposure of the rifle pits1 with advance pickets stationed in front of the rebel garrison4 ,it was the fighting of a duel1 so to speak1 between two armies1 although quite a distance apart4 ,after while the ,twenty-,ninth was ordered to headquarters1 but did not get far on its way1 when a fire broke out in our midst1 we were shifted into a double-quick and returned to the breastworks where we held our position until the #hth1 when we moved on the right to support the ,forty-fifth1 on ,lookout ,mountain4 ,we were worn out and had hoped that we would be allowed to rest2 but we received orders to take position on the front to support the ,eighth ,united ,states ,cavalry ,troops1 who had charge of the breastworks4 ,six days of hard fighting1 fatigue and exposure1 was our experience here4 ,under orders of the general we scouted and explored the territory and drove the enemy from the woods4 ,we were able to take charge of the situation1 much to our pride2 still holding the rebels at bay and driving them further1 to hunt new quarters4 ,on the #adth we abandoned the breastworks1 ,general ,birney leading the ,third ,division1 ,tenth ,army ,corps1 numbering #ge1jjj colored troops4 ,we were not formed into a fighting position at this time1 perhaps for the reason that the enemy were too strong for us4 ,so we were brought to the rear of the breastworks4 ,for a long while the rain had been pouring in torrents and there was not a dry place to be found nor a dry thread on our bodies1 we were covered with dirt and mud from head to foot1 and not only felt to be in a terrible plight1 but must have looked worse4 ,the troops were ordered to prepare two days' rations and to get ready for light marching4 ,i had opportunity now to be in the company of commissioned officers for a few hours at a time1 when we halted for rest4 ,we would spread our meals on the wet ground1 not a very inviting table1 but the best that we could find4 ,i somehow had the feeling that something was going on1 or was going to happen1 that would require one to be wise and cunning4 ,the officers had a queer expression on their faces1 and in fact all the field officers seemed to be uneasy4 ,three o'clock one morning1 my surmises were justified1 for the long roll was sounded and soon we were in line for work4 ,we engaged in a bloody struggle4 ,we moved to the right and some one began to sing1 8,sure1 ,i must fight if ,i would win1 ,increase my courage ,lord2 ,i'll bear the toil1 endure the pain1 ,supported by ,thy ,word40 ,we thus cheered ourselves by the singing of songs while we fought and while we marched through the ,virginia mud1 such songs as 8,tramp1 ,tramp1 the ,boys are ,marching10 8,beneath the ,starry ,flag40 ,the rebel lines were fortified1 but under our noble leaders1 we marched on to certain victory and the old ,twenty-ninth was ready for any fray4 ,the rising sun would seem to say to us1 after he had broken through the darkness and the clouds1 8,cheer up boys1 don't be despondent1 but vigilant1 strong1 courageous1 protecting the flag1 the country1 women and children1 rights and liberty1 and all things will come out right40 ,thus it will be seen1 how often ,god speaks to us through nature1 how often we are cheered and helped by a bright day4 ,how dependent we are upon our surroundings1 for support4 ,i do not say that this should be so1 for a soldier should be strong1 regardless of such things1 but nevertheless they have their effect4 ,we were on the extreme right of the front and within three miles of ,richmond1 where our white troops were repulsed4 ,the colored troops were commanded to halt and line up for action in front of the woods4 ,again the thought came to me1 although this is called the white man's country1 they need us in war as in peace1 to make and to keep the country4 ,and why is not this fact fully realized by the white people8 ,we are more than ten million strong and are ready at any time to lay down our lives for the nation and to give our lives in service1 in times of peace1 in all lines of activity4 ,this we are doing4 ,the progress which the ,negro race has made since the war is an enviable one4 ,no people or race would be ashamed of it4 ,we have made this progress as honest1 industrious citizens4 ,we have shown our manhood in both times of war and peace1 and our record has been written4 ,then why are we not accorded the place that we have rightly merited8 ,in the sentiment of the white people there lurks a deep-rooted prejudice against us1 and in their course of action discrimination is made against the ,negro4 ,we do not understand why this should be1 unless there is a feeling on the part of the white people1 that there is danger that we should become too prosperous and too many--the feeling which the ancient ,egyptians had against the ,hebrews--hence1 they took steps to check the ,hebrews4 ,these may be the steps taken by the white man to check our progress4 ,but the same ,god who overruled the destinies of the ,hebrew slaves and brought them to their ,promised ,land1 will take care of us and1 we too1 one day1 shall enter our ,promised ,land1 of equal rights and liberty4 ,on the #bith1 there as a fierce encounter4 ,the battle was indeed a slaughter pen4 ,the enemy fought like tigers4 ,the battle became general along the entire line4 ,adjutant ,spaulding was wounded4 ,corporal ,george ,burr1 ,company ,l2 ,corporal ,sidney1 of ,company ,e1 and many others were killed4 ,private ,george ,e4 ,peters1 ,sergeant ,george ,halstead1 ,james ,evans and many others were wounded4 ,i1 myself1 feared1 shook1 and thought that my time had come4 ,i was full of thoughts of my loved ones at home4 ,i knew that they were praying that ,i should be delivered from the jaws of death4 ,this thought cheered and comforted me2 and yet ,i saw friends falling around me1 whose loved ones and friends1 were also praying for their protection4 ,their prayers were not being answered and why8 ,why should ,i think that the prayers offered for me were more availing than those offered for them8 ,why should ,i have any special reason for encouragement8 ,these thoughts come to one when he is in the midst of circumstances which seems to upset many of our principles of religious faith4 ,they come to us not only in war but in work4 ,they must be reckoned with4 ,the only answer that ,i could find as to why the prayers offered for me were availing up to this time1 was that my time had not come1 and that it had not come because ,god had not ordered it1 and ,god had not ordered it because ,he had something for me to do4 ,of course1 ,he had heard the prayers which had been offered for me and they entered into ,his decree regarding my life4 ,the only answer we can find to many perplexing questions which come in life is1 8,it is ,god's way1 ,his will40 ,i was very busy in supplying the regiment with food1 vinegar and water1 and such edibles as ,i could get together4 ,the doctors were busy sawing off legs and arms1 and binding up wounds1 and giving medicines to the wounded and sick4 ,the women were busy in preparing bandages1 lint1 and doing what they could in the alleviation of human suffering4 ,god bless the dear women who had the faith and the courage to breast the trials and hardships of soldier life4 ,these scenes would have made your heart sore4 ,dear reader1 the wounded and dying scattered over the battlefield thick1 the hurrying to and fro of the physicians and the nurses2 the prayers and groans and cries of the wounded1 the explosion of bombs1 the whizzing of bullets1 the cracking of rifles2 you would have thought that the very forces of hell had been let loose4 ,and1 indeed1 it was a hell1 the horrors of which no one could ever forget4 ,we finally retreated under the cover of the cavalry4 ,the colored troops were the first to enter the field and the last to fall back4 ,we thereby demonstrated to our ,president1 ,abraham ,lincoln1 and our ,general1 ,u4 ,s4 ,grant1 that we were among their best supporters4 ,the white man had no record to make4 ,he was known as a fighter for centuries1 our record was to be made and we were making it4 ,the flag of our regiment could be seen floating among the pines4 ,we were glad that ,old ,glory was above us with her folds pierced with many bullet holes4 ,we returned to camp and took our former position in front of ,richmond1 where we remained for awhile4 ,we were again in battle array1 having been marched up to the rifle pits4 ,our field officers being absent1 we were under the command of ,captain ,camp1 of ,company ,d1 our own colonel1 ,w4 ,b4 ,wooster1 was at home on sick furlough4 ,lieutenant ,colonel ,w4 ,l4 ,ward1 who had been promoted to the rank of colonel1 was in charge of the ,forty-first ,united ,states ,cavalry ,troop4 ,the lieutenant colonel said to us1 8,boys1 we must fight to-day1 let me have your best4 ,duty demands it4 ,i will stand by you until the last4 ,watch1 keep in line1 and obey orders40 ,he brought us up double-quick to the rifle pits and the bugle sounded charge4 ,we charged1 firing1 yelling1 using our bayonets and our arms in the most cruel manner1 but still in accordance with the tactics of warfare4 ,we were there to kill in every manner possible4 ,we held the pits for twenty-four hours1 brought the rebels to their knees1 brought down their flag and unfurled the ,stars and ,stripes to the breezes4 ,this was a disastrous battle1 probably the most disastrous ,i had ever witnessed4 ,i should probably make exception of the ,fort ,pillow ,massacre1 in which my brother1 ,steven ,newton1 was killed4 ,he was a member of the ,fourteenth1 ,rhode ,island ,battery4 ,charles ,beeman1 ,rev4 ,amos ,g4 ,beeman and ,corporal ,w4 ,w4 ,wilkins were with him to the end and were able to make the report of his death to me4 ,we lost in this battle over one hundred1 i4 e41 ,i am counting only the loss of the ,twenty-ninth ,regiment4 ,this regiment fought most bravely1 gaining great praise1 and receiving many compliments from the officers high up in rank4 ,when the battle was over1 we fell back and camped in front of ,richmond4 ,while there we attended the funeral of ,private ,charles ,bently1 who was killed early in the engagement4 ,he died a champion for liberty and an earnest ,christian4 ,jones ,spriggs and thirteen others were buried at this time4 ,many of the veterans went out on foraging expeditions4 ,while resting we would engage in religious and patriotic songs4 ,one of our favorites was1 8,tenting on the ,old ,camp ,ground40 ,about this time1 the ,third ,division1 ,tenth ,army ,corps1 ,twenty-ninth ,regiment1 and ,general ,birney1 were surprised with the presentation of the ,united ,states national colors1 which greatly pleased the boys4 ,the flag was presented by the ,forty-fifth ,united ,states ,cavalry ,troop to our lieutenant colonel1 in a most pleasing manner4 ,he spoke of the great bravery of the soldiers in battle4 ,colonel ,ward replied that he had #fgb guns which would speak whenever occasion demanded it4 ,he also said that his boys were filled with as noble sentiments as any that had ever filled the breasts of boys before the guns4 ,while on dress parade we received the sad announcement from our lieutenant colonel that he would leave the regiment1 as he had been promoted to the rank of colonel4 ,this was indeed sad news to us4 ,he had been with us in many hard-fought battles4 ,we had learned to love him and had great confidence in his ability4 ,he knew what course to pursue in order to avert many of the tricks of the ,johnnies1 not only being well up in military science1 but well acquainted with many little games that are often played in war4 ,we remained in front of ,richmond five days4 ,while there we were quiet and enjoyed the much needed sleep that we had4 ,we were greatly annoyed here as well as in other places with what the soldiers called greybacks1 not the rebels1 however2 they were genuine creepers4 ,they molested us no little4 ,whenever ,i could get off ,i would go to the creek and disrobe myself and pick them out of my clothes1 then wash my clothes and hang them on the bushes to dry4 ,then ,i would dress myself and feel like a king1 because once a again ,i was clean and free from these unearthly vermin4 ,from the first to the eighth of ,november1 #ahfd1 we were at ,malvern ,hill4 ,i was ,commissary ,sargeant and was careful to keep as near the regiment as possible with my department4 ,sargeant ,quartermaster ,d4 ,l4 ,lathrop had charge of the ammunition1 knapsacks1 etc41 under the command of our regimental quartermaster1 there was always detailed a guard to protect us4 ,we always followed the army with our train4 ,i remember once that ,i got into the line of the ,johnnies and ,i ran as if the hounds of hell were after me4 ,i heard the whizzing of a bullet over my head1 but it missed me4 ,so ,i said1 well they did not get me that time and ,libby ,prison has been robbed of an expected treasure4 ,while here the ,twenty-ninth ,regiment had charge of the fort until the third of ,december4 ,it was whispered about that ,generals ,lee1 ,johnson and others were in a position to watch our movements and that we might expect an attack at any time4 ,but we were not worried over this report with such ,generals as ,u4 ,s4 ,grant1 ,sherman1 ,howard1 ,weitzel and others4 ,we knew that they would be able to flank any movement that they might make4 ,on ,monday the fifth1 we took up our line of march to a destination unknown to us1 there were all kinds of rumors as to where we would stop1 but at last we found ourselves to the left of ,fort ,harrison on the left of the line4 ,here we camped under orders4 ,we engaged in the usual preparations for a stay1 putting up our tents1 building huts and making things convenient for all concerned4 ,but the next day the ,colored troops were ordered to prepare two days' rations and to advance4 ,then our countenances changed4 ,we did not know but that another fierce battle was in store for us2 and we had had quite enough fighting to satisfy us for a long while4 ,on ,wednesday1 we were in front of the ,johnnies1 with our breastworks thrown up ready for fight4 ,the ,colored regiments were consolidated in the ,second ,division1 ,third ,brigade1 ,twenty ,fifth ,army ,corps4 ,a number of detached men were taken from the regiments4 ,orderly ,i4 ,j4 ,hill was ,brigade ,postmaster4 ,i was with the commissary department4 ,all things were quiet along the lines excepting the laughing and yelling of the ,johnnies4 ,once in a while they would throw a shell into our camp4 ,at this time we would hear their cheers and laughter4 ,on ,january the first1 we were in front of ,richmond1 ,va4 ,here we engaged in battle with the ,rebels1 which was terrific4 ,the anxiety1 suffering1 slashing1 shooting1 were beyond description4 ,many lay dead on the battlefield1 baking in the sun4 ,there were dead animals which had been exposed for two weeks1 the stench was unbearable4 ,these are some of the indescribable tortures of war4 ,the rebels soon retired from their position1 for they would not have been able to withstand the ,union ,army4 ,they were in constant expectation of the coming of ,sherman who at that time was in the vicinity of ,atlanta1 ,ga4 ,we were under marching orders until the thirteenth4 ,colonel ,wooster received orders to place his headquarters near our own regiment4 ,i was determined that ,i would keep up my enthusiasm and do all in my power to supply the boys with something to eat4 ,on the twenty-third the rebel fleet moved down the ,james ,river towards the ,dutch ,gap ,canal and opened fire on ,fort ,bradley keeping it up all night4 ,the following morning the whole line was drawn up for action1 at long range with reinforcements in the rear4 ,the shelling was terrific all day4 ,i was in the basement of a house1 when a shell came through the window1 burst and tore its way through the building4 ,this house was used for headquarters4 ,fortunately none of us were hurt4 ,only the everlasting arm of ,god protected us1 for all our friends who witnessed the shell and its devastations1 supposed that we were all killed4 ,the ,quartermaster having received a wound in his knee1 the ,quartermaster ,sargeant and ,i had to do all the work4 ,at this time ,orderly ,i4 ,j4 ,hill and others were let off on parole and went home for twenty days4 ,the ,confederates made another dash to retake their lost territory and to make sure of the permanent establishment of the ,slave ,traffic which has been the curse of every nation or people who has adopted it4 ,their plan was to out-flank us and to effect a great slaughter and capture many of our men and guns and ammunition4 ,and it seemed to us that they were after the ,colored troops4 ,but our leaders were too shrewd for them and they were repulsed and their depot1 magazines and machine shops at ,beaufort1 ,n4 ,c41 were blown up and also at ,newberne4 ,a great battle was fought about ,fort ,fisher and the ,rebels were overcome4 ,hundreds were killed and wounded in this battle4 ,the ,colored troops in front of ,richmond were moved from the breastworks on the left at ,fort ,harrison1 to the hill in the center1 where we built up a fine elevation overlooking the ,rebel works in ,richmond4 ,here we remained several days under heavy cannonading4 ,we held the enemy so that they were unable to make any gains on us for four weeks4 ,they made several attempts to storm and to cut off our supply1 but they signally failed4 ,but our men understood how to construct railroads and we would frequently hear the whistle of a locomotive in some direction bringing in our supplies4 ,our forces were well guarded on every hand by squads which were experts in caring for the welfare and needs of an army4 ,we could hear the result of our bombarding in such cities as ,petersburg1 etc41 and knew that our forces were gradually gaining and that the ,rebels were gradually losing in their strongest holds4 ,on the twenty-seventh of ,march we struck our tents and moved on to ,richmond4 ,we were soon formed in line of battle in front of this city4 ,the ,rebels blew up three gunboats and evacuated their works immediately in front of us4 ,there was heavy cannonading from the gunboats in the ,james ,river1 the ,monitor and other boats4 ,at this time there were many refugees coming to us by the hundreds4 ,this was in part the result of ,sherman's march to the sea4 ,he left in his wake many monuments of this famous march4 ,there were deserted villages1 chimneys standing without the houses about them1 and troops of stragglers following the army4 ,colonel ,wooster ordered the #bith ,regiment to advance and to do some daring work in the digging up of buried torpedoes which had been planted to impede the march of the ,union ,army4 ,we were however equal to the task4 ,we captured five hundred pieces of artillery1 six thousand small arms1 and the prisoners ,i did not count1 but when we looked on them in the prison pen1 the number seemed to be enormous4 ,we were present in ,richmond when ,president ,lincoln made his triumphal entry into the city4 ,it was a sight never to be forgotten4 ,he passed through the main street4 ,there were multitudes of ,colored people to greet him on every hand4 ,they received him with many demonstrations that came from the heart1 thanking ,god that they had seen the day of their salvation1 that freedom was theirs1 that now they could live in this country1 like men and women1 and go on their way rejoicing4 ,orderly ,i4 ,j4 ,hill said that he saw a colored woman trying to get a look at the president1 at last he came along and ,orderly ,hill said to her3 8,madame1 there is the man that made you free40 ,she shouted1 8,is that ,president ,lincoln8 ,glory to ,god1 give ,him praise for ,his goodness40 ,the ,president1 with his son1 and ,admiral ,porter1 together with others walked over a mile to the headquarters of ,general ,weitzel1 at the mansion of ,jeff ,davis4 ,a colored man acted as the guide4 ,there were six ,union soldiers as advance guard1 then came ,president ,lincoln1 his son1 and ,admiral ,porter1 while on his right and his left were other officers4 ,he was followed by six sailors with their carbines4 ,this march created the wildest enthusiasm of the ,colored people4 ,they had lived to see the day of their liberty dawning4 ,i was reminded of what had been done for the ancient ,hebrews by ,moses when he led them out of the land of their bondage1 into the land of their promised liberty4 ,lincoln was indeed our ,moses4 ,he led us forth4 ,he gave us our freedom4 ,i noticed one white lady in a window1 who turned away from the whole scene as if in utter disgust4 ,there were still two sides to the question1 then and there are two sides to it today4 ,how long will these two sides remain1 is the question4 ,as the ,president looked out upon the poor ,colored people and remembered how many lives had been lost in working out their salvation1 he was not able to keep the tears from his eyes4 ,they were tears of gladness and sorrow1 of regret and delight2 but the tears of my own people were the tears of the greatest joy4 ,the ,president went to the state capitol where he made a short address in which he said3 8,now you ,colored people are free1 as free as ,i am4 ,god has made you free and if those who are your superiors are not able to recognize that you are free1 we will have to take the sword and musket and again teach them that you are free4 ,you are as free as ,i am1 having the same rights of liberty1 life and the pursuit of happiness40 ,while at ,richmond1 we engaged in many foraging expeditions4 ,we found such things as eggs1 chickens1 butter1 bread1 fruit1 tobacco4 ,there were bales of tobacco in the streets free for every one who enjoyed the weed4 ,and ,i must say that many were delighted with their free smokes4 ,there was plenty of ,confederate money too1 which was often blown about by the wind as so much worthless waste paper4 ,well it was waste paper4 ,with the passing of the ,confederacy1 the money value passed away on all such currency4 ,on ,april #afth1 #ahfe1 we were painfully shocked to hear of the death of ,president ,lincoln1 at the hands of an assassin4 ,no one can measure the consternation which struck our hearts4 ,this great and wonderful man who had guided the ,ship of ,state through four years of such perilous waves and winds1 that he should thus pass away and in such an infamous manner1 was more than we could stand4 ,but it was so4 ,our faith was almost staggered1 that faith which had sustained us in so many battles1 was now staggering under a blow which was severer than any battles1 the death of our ,immortal leader4 ,thus in four years from the first shot fired on ,fort ,sumter1 four years from the very day of the first shot1 the shot was fired from the hand of ,booth1 that removed one of the greatest men the world ever knew1 from the scenes of human action4 ,he was removed too at a time when he was most needed4 ,yes1 he was more needed1 than when the nation was in the midst of a bloody conflict4 ,he was now needed to set up the battlements of peace1 which is a more difficult work than the forts of warfare4 ,on the twenty-fourth1 we moved from the camp near ,petersburg1 to ,camp ,lincoln where we enjoyed our camp life for awhile4 ,we had lost many of our numbers through death on the battlefield and disease in the camp1 but losses were now being recruited by volunteers coming to us4 ,i was kept busy filling our regimental papers1 ordering and issuing rations4 ,some of our men had become so rum thirsty that they would offer me ten dollars for a canteen full of whisky4 ,but ,i was not allowed to sell it1 and to give it out only on the orders of the ,quartermaster4 ,we were not here long4 ,we embarked on the ,demolay for ,norfolk1 ,va4 ,general ,russel and staff came on board to tell us goodbye4 ,i had two barrels of supposed corn beef1 the boys called it salt-horse1 which ,i suppose was nearer the truth4 ,i had also a barrel of sugar4 ,these ,i could not ship1 so ,i left them on the ground1 for some poor fellows that could use them4 ,colonel ,wooster came also and saw us off4 ,we left many friends1 some of them with tears in their eyes4 ,they had become very dear to us4 ,we had shared together the hardships of camp-life and of the battlefield4 ,human suffering makes men very near akin4 ,as we glided swiftly down the ,james ,river1 for a while we could hear their cheers and when sound was out of touch1 we could see their salutes of hats and handkerchiefs4 ,we enjoyed the day as soldiers on board the vessel4 ,i was astonished at the behavior of the soldiers4 ,they gave themselves over to all kinds of sports and jestings1 which disgusted me most thoroughly4 ,many were unruly1 even threatening the lives of those who favored going to ,texas whither we had been ordered for garrison duty4 ,some of the gang were arrested for their insubordination4 ,my heart was made to shudder at the degrading and shameful life which was manifested on board the ship4 ,their swearing1 drinking1 gambling1 dancing1 etc41 was heartsickening4 ,it was indeed a revelation and shows what men will do when not under the eye of authority4 ,human nature is indeed most sinful1 and were it not for the restrictions which are thrown about us1 none of us know what might come to pass4 ,we arrived at ,norfolk and anchored for the night4 ,with having witnessed the debauchery on board the vessel and at the same time wrought with anxiety for my wife and two babies1 my father and mother at home1 ,i confess ,i was in a most depressed condition of mind and heart4 8,be strong and of good courage10 came to me like a flash and ,i was strong and buoyant in a little while4 ,how grand is the truth of ,god1 when we find it such a rock of refuge in times of trouble2 ,i was thus greatly consoled and went to bed looking up at the shining stars1 as if they were so many angels1 sent by ,god1 to guard me4 ,there was quite an excitement on board when it was whispered about that the officers had covenanted together to take the soldiers on board1 to ,cuba1 and sell them as slaves4 ,there was quite an indignation against ,i4 ,j4 ,hill1 for it was thought that he was in some manner party to this arrangement4 ,the men were suspicious also of ,sam ,brown1 a clerk4 ,i1 together with others1 had the good fortune to escape any insults or indignities4 ,while at ,norfolk1 we went to church and saw quite a number of well-to-do ,colored people4 ,rev4 ,j4 ,m4 ,brown1 of the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church1 ,i think was pastor4 ,he treated us very cordially indeed4 ,we were introduced to many of the congregation4 ,this church had a ,sunday ,school of six or seven hundred members4 ,it was an inspiring sight to see them nicely dressed and to hear them sing so sweetly1 many beautiful ,sunday school songs4 ,but the time had come when we had to leave the many dead of our comrades4 ,we had done all that we could for them in the last sad rites of death and now their bodies were resting under the cold sods of the ,south1 awaiting the ,resurrection ,day1 when we will all meet again and hear our record of the deeds done in the body and the judgment based on these deeds4 ,the memories of war are one of the saddest features thereof4 ,these memories can never be blotted out2 for as we grow older they seem to become more vivid4 ,illustration3 ,,bethel ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,,church ,woodbury1 ,n4 ,j4 ,built by ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton1 ,d4,d4 ,we took shipping on the transport1 ,blackstone1 for ,texas4 ,we were about fifteen days on the waters1 the ocean was calm4 ,there were six or seven hundred on board4 ,it was no little job to take care of the hungry stomachs of these men4 ,but we had a most pleasant trip and enjoyed the ocean waves and breezes4 ,the officers spent most of their time in fishing4 ,once in awhile a fish six or seven feet long would be hauled in4 ,for two days we were out of sight of land and only one small schooner passed us4 ,there was much complaint on board on account of the army food which ,i was compelled to give them salt-pork or hard tack and bad coffee4 ,they thought that being on board of ship warranted better food1 but ,i told them that ,i had to give them what ,i had4 ,and so we fought the battle of the stomach4 ,there were many however who were afflicted with sea-sickness and had no concern for something to eat4 ,we had a burial at sea4 ,the poor soldier was sewed up in a blanket and consigned to a grave in the bottom of the deep4 ,the funeral service was very impressive to many of us1 for it was the first burial at sea we had witnessed4 ,i must confess that there was a grandeur about it that inspired one--as the boundless ocean received the body of our comrade1 eternity had received his soul4 ,i thought of his loved ones and that in all probability they would never hear of him4 ,then ,i wondered if that grand song could not be an interpretation of this burial1 8,rocked in the cradle of the deep1 ,i lay me down in peace to sleep1 ,in ocean cave still safe with ,thee1 ,the germ of ,immortality40 ,at this time ,i was not a member of the church4 ,but my father had taught me to pray4 ,and as ,i have frequently related1 ,i often prayed in battle when ,i thought that my time had come4 ,i had a sense of the guilt of sin and of the need of confession of my sins4 ,so ,i had also1 the sense of peace which comes from a man's justification through ,jesus ,christ4 ,my case ,i am sure is but an illustration of the cases of many men and women who have not connected themselves with the church4 ,they are real ,christians as ,i was1 having all the ordinary experience of the ,christian1 but not having made any outward profession4 ,we are therefore unable to know who are the children of ,god1 for certainly there are believers outside of the church4 ,our judgment therefore must always be a charitable one4 ,yet ,i do not want the impression to be made that ,i1 in any sense1 approve of believers remaining outside of the church4 ,an outward profession of faith in our ,blessed ,lord1 ,jesus ,christ1 is an open badge of our religion which men can see4 ,we should not hide our light under a bushel1 but put it on a candle stick that all about us may see what we are by what we live4 ,when we rounded the ,florida reefs1 the boys' hearts were gladdened1 because they had seen the land once again and their thought was that they were nearing the end of the voyage4 ,we had some sickness on board1 such diseases as yellow jaundice1 malaria1 chills and fever4 ,we were huddled together like a lot of wild ducks and the sanitary conditions were against our health4 ,when about seven days on our trip1 our drinking water failed us4 ,we were on the water1 yet we had no water to drink2 but we did the best we could under the circumstances4 ,we were glad when we came into the harbor at ,mobile1 ,ala4 ,here we found many transports lying in the harbor4 ,fort ,gaines was to our right and ,fort ,morgan to our left4 ,the boys were all delighted1 because they were wild to get to land again1 and especially to get a drink of good water4 ,how dependent we are on mother earth after all for our lives4 ,after passing the forts a short distance the anchor was dropped4 ,the surroundings were grand4 ,there were gunboats lying in the stream1 with their artillery of death-dealing cannon looking forth from the decks and thoroughly manned with the smaller-implements of naval warfare4 ,but our hopes were not fulfilled1 for a command came that we were to sail immediately to ,new ,orleans4 ,the men were bitter in their disappointment1 but such is the experience of war4 ,men are not free1 they are the parts of the gigantic machine of death1 so many cogs in the wheels1 or so many wheels in the machine1 or so many parts of the machine4 ,they soon became reconciled however4 ,we had plenty of hard tack and salt horse left us1 and with this we could not starve to the death4 ,our voyage was an uneventful one1 save for the good weather and fine ocean4 ,we were soon in the channel for ,new ,orleans4 ,when we reached the forts ,jackson and ,phillips1 a signal stopped us for inspection4 ,we were told that we could not go to ,new ,orleans1 that none of the men or officers could go any further without an order from ,general ,grant4 ,the officers telegraphed to ,washington to ,general ,grant4 ,we were in rather a dilapidated condition1 about out of coal and in need of better fuel for the stomach1 with the men completely worn out with the voyage4 ,we were however permitted to go on land at ,fort ,jackson4 ,this was a magnificent fort with its seventy guns overlooking the water inlet4 ,there were many alligators in this place and we amused ourselves by killing them1 which of course was a greatly desired thing4 ,i had plenty of hard tack and this seemed to attract the reptiles4 ,i remember one fellow over seven feet long ,i killed4 ,at this place the ,colored troops had been shamefully and barbarously treated4 ,as ,i thought of the outrages which they had suffered only about one month before our arrival1 ,i felt that if ,i could1 ,i would like a little revenge on their account4 ,but there was no opportunity for such outlet of wicked feeling4 ,at last we received an order from ,general ,grant to take the transport to ,new ,orleans1 to get a supply of coal and oil1 and to have the transport repaired4 ,but to our dismay1 only the officers were permitted to go4 ,we were left at ,fort ,phillips4 ,i managed however1 to get to ,new ,orleans1 in that ,i had charge of the commissary department4 ,we were already beginning to forget the hardships of the battlefield4 ,our minds were turning to the ordinary life which we live1 and looking forward to the pleasures connected with home and with business4 ,and ,i assure you1 my dear readers1 that it was a happy release4 ,we had the constant joy in our hearts that our beloved people had their freedom1 bought with the blood of those who now slept the last sleep on many battlefields2 but we did not believe that the price paid for this boon of liberty was too dear4 ,the price of human liberty can never be estimated4 ,this is especially true of those who knew what slavery meant4 ,and the ,colored ,race has an endless debt to pay their ,white friends who bought their liberty with their own blood4 ,while it is true that the ,white people brought our forefathers here and sold them into slavery1 which of course they had no right to do1 this does not diminish the price which this same race had to pay in order to buy us out of the slavery into which they had sold us4 ,and it does not in the least diminish the debt of gratitude which we shall owe them as long as time exists4 ,i had a short but very pleasant stay in ,new ,orleans4 ,on ,sunday we went to the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church1 of which the ,rev4 ,william ,a4 ,dove was pastor4 ,this was the ,st4 ,james ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church4 ,we were most cordially received by the pastor and members4 ,they were kind enough to take care of us while in the city4 ,we learned from the members that while we were on the battlefield1 they were at home fasting and praying that our grand cause might be victorious4 8,fight and pray0 is sure to win the day for any just cause4 ,the services were very pleasing and profitable4 ,the pastor preached in the morning and our orderly ,i4 ,j4 ,hill1 at night4 ,i and others1 were much lifted up and realized anew what it was to draw water from the wells of salvation4 ,we spent much of our time in seeing the sights of the unique city of the ,south4 ,our friends were more than kind to us during our stay4 ,we lacked nothing for good beds and good food and good society2 and we were in good shape to appreciate these things1 because of the privations1 losses1 suffering1 and fears through which we had passed4 ,our transport having been repaired and furnished with needed coal and oil and food1 we were soon on our way back to the fort4 ,we had not gone far on our course until there was an alarm of fire4 ,this created quite a panic1 but the blaze was soon put out and we were enjoying our trip down the 8,father of ,waters40 ,we arrived at ,fort ,phillips with more soldiers for the ,twenty-ninth ,regiment1 they having been brought in from other quarters4 ,we were soon off for ,texas4 ,with the transport loaded with human freight1 we started for ,brazos ,de ,santiago1 ,texas4 ,we found the gulf quite rough on our entering it4 ,this produced sea sickness with a great many4 ,i remember one fellow who was very sea sick4 ,i was unable to do anything with him4 ,he was continually calling out 8,new ,york1 ,new ,york40 8,there goes my liver10 he cried1 having spit up some blood4 ,our great trouble on this voyage was the lack of water4 ,they had a condenser on board which reduced the amount of salt a few degrees1 but we could easily taste the saline property of the water4 ,we found ,brazos a most undesirable place1 there were plenty of fleas and mosquitoes and sand burrs4 ,we had our headquarters at this place which was knee deep in water4 ,our ,colored troops were nearly perishing for water4 ,the suffering was most intense4 ,it was heart-rending4 ,i cried out to ,god to send us some help4 ,we had but little water and that was quite brackish4 ,our means of condensing the water gave us only about five thousand gallons when we were in need of not less than ten thousand gallons4 ,we paid ten cents a canteen for water and would have been willing to have paid fifty cents1 or any price4 ,after a while we met some ,mexicans who had brought water from the ,rio ,grande and sold it for ten cents a canteen4 ,colonel ,sadrick was very indignant over this hardship4 ,when he saw our scars and realized how much these good soldiers had suffered and the privations through which they had already passed1 he saw ,general ,wietzel and requested that the troops should be taken from ,brazos4 ,he met with success and we took our line of march for ,white ,ranch on the ,rio ,grande ,river about ten miles south of ,brazos4 ,the march was one of great trial4 ,we were in mud knee deep and in some places the water was waist deep4 ,when we reached the ,ranch1 the soldiers were well nigh famished4 ,they made a mad rush for the river and while many of them were on the bank1 it gave way1 and several of them were drowned4 ,we were all greatly saddened over this misfortune4 ,it seemed enough that men should have given up their lives on the battlefield1 this was matter of course2 but when men who had stemmed the tide of death which swept the battlefield were drowned1 it seemed more than we could stand to see them cut off from their loved ones by a mere accident4 ,but it was the ,lord's way to take some more of them home4 ,it was not a hard matter for us to sleep the first night4 ,we spread our rubber blankets on the bare ground and enjoyed our rest as much as if our beds had been made of feathers4 ,the next morning we saw the body of a man floating down the muddy river4 ,he too had evidently met with some accident1 or had been killed and thrown into the river4 ,it was not our duty to make any investigation4 ,i prepared the best breakfast possible for the boys4 ,our fuel was gathered from the woods and rail fences4 ,i said woods1 but unfortunately there was not a tree in the whole country1 so we had to do the best we could4 ,but we had coffee1 rice1 sweet potatoes and our regular rations4 ,we put up our tents here and soon had the camp under military discipline4 ,then we left for ,brownsville1 ,texas1 a distance of twenty miles4 ,the march was a trying one on account of the bad roads4 ,we were not able to keep our stores with us on this account and left a detail of soldiers to guard them4 ,many a solder sickened and had to be taken to ,white ,ranch to be cared for by ,orderly ,hill4 ,some of the men died on the way and were buried under the ,texas sod with no stone to identify them4 ,one boat was on its way to ,brownsville with rations4 ,i remember my homesickness at this time4 ,after the battles had been fought1 ,i was anxious to return to my loved ones4 ,i felt that my duty had been done towards my country and that now ,i must take up my duty to my dear ones4 ,we were soon joined by ,orderly ,hill4 ,he said that he had gotten tired waiting for the boat and had come on to be with us4 ,he threw a few chunks together and started a fire and lighted his pipe4 ,after a few moments reflection1 he said3 8,these light afflictions are but for a moment1 for they work for us a far more and exceeding weight of glory40 ,we met a drove of hungry wolves which made two or three attempts to come to us1 but about fifteen shots from our guns were enough to satisfy them they had no more need of us than we had of them4 ,in time we reached ,brownsville4 ,we saw strange things there4 ,the houses were little huts2 the people dressed in their shirts and drawers2 the women dressed in a long shirt with their breast exposed1 seemingly caring nothing for decency or modesty4 ,it did not look to me that the people here had ever known what it was to know or to serve the true and living ,god4 ,they were certainly far from any such practical knowledge1 judging from their daily lives4 ,i thought 8,if the righteous scarcely be saved where then shall the sinner and the ungodly appear80 ,the next morning ,i was not feeling well4 ,i went to one of the streams and bathed4 ,there were plenty of lizards1 frogs and horned toads about4 ,the horns of the toad reminded one of the horns of a goat4 ,it was a place of trials4 ,some of the men swore and cursed1 others were kept too busy scratching1 while others were praying4 ,it was a time of sore trials4 ,one of our officers1 ,captain ,clark ought to have been with the ,greys instead of the ,blues1 he had so little use for the ,colored troops4 ,so he marched them almost to death on this march4 ,colonel ,wooster1 a man of tender feeling and of a proper sense of right and justice and without prejudice against the ,colored people1 saw the outrage perpetrated against us and put ,clark under arrest4 ,he was kept there until ,colonel ,wooster resigned4 ,after he left1 we were again under the command of ,captain ,clark4 ,orderly ,hill was very sick and was ordered to the ,general ,hospital4 ,as ,i looked upon him ,i said to myself1 ,hill you are a very sick man and your warfare is about ended4 ,there were about seven hundred in the hospital sick4 ,they were treated as if they had been brutes1 doctors and nurses being without any feeling4 ,they were dying at the rate of ten a day4 ,the stewards would search the dead1 take their valuables1 then report them dead4 ,what a contrast between our camp on the banks of the ,james ,river and the camp in this far off1 ,god-for-saken town of ,brownsville1 ,texas4 ,and now after all our hard fought battles1 our fears and foreboding1 our privations and losses1 we received the news from the ,war ,department that the ,twenty-ninth ,regiment was ordered home4 ,it is needless to say1 that the home-fever spread more rapidly than any fever that had ever prevailed in our ranks4 ,we looked for and patiently awaited the day when we would be ordered out4 ,on the fourteenth day of ,october1 #ahfe1 at nine o'clock a4 m41 the recruiting officer was on the ground1 at which time ,company ,k4 was mustered out4 ,we were escorted through ,brownsville by the ,ninth ,u4 ,s4 ,c4 ,t41 ,colonel ,bailey being in command4 ,we marched to an open field where the two regiments bid each other goodbye4 ,it was an impressive scene1 for these regiments had shared each others fortunes and misfortunes through the war4 ,they had become inseparable1 but now the best of friends must part4 ,how happy we were that we should be permitted to breathe the fresh air again and to tramp through the country as free men4 ,yet ,i had the feeling that the ,civil ,war was the mighty struggle of the ,white ,race and that the struggle of the ,colored ,race was yet in the future4 ,there is such a thing as a man having to work out of his own salvation1 and this is also true of a race4 ,our salvation had been bought for us by the nation1 but it is ours now to work out this salvation4 ,as we marched out through the grand country and these thoughts came to me1 ,i cried out to ,god1 8,can these dry bones live8 ,will this country give the ,colored man an equal chance in the marts of trade1 in industrial fields1 and in the professions8 ,he is yet untried in the ranks of an aggressive civilization1 for he has been a slave4 ,can these dry bones live80 ,these were the prayer-thoughts that were filling my mind and heart4 ,our march was a trying one on account of the bad condition of the roads1 but we were going home4 ,no one but the soldier who has been honorably discharged after an issue has been settled1 knows the joys that well-up in the heart as he turns his face homeward4 ,the feeling is indescribable4 ,there were several boys sick1 but their spirits were revived on account of home-going4 ,we soon reached ,brazos where we spent the night4 ,i was very glad to say goodbye to my ,texas friends and experience4 ,they could live on the sandy plains of ,brownsville1 as long as they pleased2 they could eat the strips of dried goat meat until they were satisfied2 they could drink and relish the muddy water of the ,rio ,grande considering it the best water in the world2 but as for me1 ,i would choose other quarters4 ,now that the ,confederacy had surrendered1 now that the ,palmetto flag had been lowered forever and ,old ,glory floated in its stead1 now that millions of people were made free and could live and think as real men and women1 ,i was more than happy to say goodbye to all these things and begin life anew4 ,we embarked on the transport ,alabama1 for ,new ,orleans4 ,our voyage on the gulf was a rough one on account of a heavy storm4 ,we were forced to cast anchor4 ,we passed ,galveston and were much pleased with the place4 ,we found the citizens much more sociable than we had expected1 for we knew that they were ,secessionists and ,rebels and that they had about as much use for ,negro soldiers as the ,devil has for ,holy ,water4 ,nevertheless1 we went through the town and made the acquaintance of some of our brethren4 ,we met an old lady who had been a slave4 ,when she saw us and realized that the victorious end had come1 she cried at the top of her voice4 8,the ,lord1 the ,mighty ,one has conquered and we are all free6 ,glory to ,god60 ,we took on wood and ,i regulated my rations for we were four hundred and fifty miles from ,new ,orleans4 ,we were again on board the transport for ,new ,orleans1 but we were unable to leave the harbor on account of a fearful gale that swept the gulf4 ,we made an attempt1 but were forced back again into the harbor4 ,the soldiers became quite unruly owing to their impatience and also1 ,i suppose the feeling that they could do as they pleased4 ,after a hard voyage we landed safely in ,new ,orleans4 ,we found an open lot in the south side of the city and put up our tents and made ready for a good night's sleep4 ,we felt that we could sleep now4 ,that we had taken part in a mighty conflict and had shared in the victories of the war1 it was now our right to rest4 ,it was the sleep of the just man4 ,we had a quiet ,sunday in ,new ,orleans4 ,our chaplain preached for us4 ,great crowds came out to visit us and to give us their most hearty congratulations4 ,they gave us coffee1 sandwiches1 fruits1 etc41 in token of the appreciation of our services in their behalf4 ,we saw strange things in ,new ,orleans4 ,we found the mixture of ,french and ,negro1 called the ,creole1 speaking a dialect of the ,french4 ,we found the ,octoroon and that some of these unions had from one to seven children4 ,we found that marriage among them was rather an uncommon thing and that a man could establish almost any relationship that pleased him and enter into the ,creole life and be received and welcomed as one of them4 ,we found that they drank more claret1 champagne1 whisky1 beer1 etc41 than they did water4 ,they of course had no sense of their obligation to ,god and ,i suppose that many of them really had no conception of the ,real and ,true ,god4 ,their lives gave no evidence of such a knowledge4 ,the first annual conference of the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church was being held by ,bishop ,j4 ,p4 ,campbell4 ,we enjoyed the services very much being in the spirit of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,we were in ,new ,orleans two weeks4 ,at the end of this time one of the men was shot4 ,this created quite an excitement among us4 ,we broke camp soon and marched through the streets to the wharf where we took ship4 ,we were enthusiastically greeted on every hand1 receiving god-speeds and congratulations and blessings4 ,i shall never forget the musical voices of the people as they sang4 ,the music sounded like a thousand silver harps1 so soft and delicate and stirring it was6 ,we went on board the steamer ,champion4 ,we said goodbye to the old city of ,new ,orleans and to many of the new friends which we had made4 ,we had a heavy sea4 ,the storms were terrific4 ,our clothes were almost continuously wet owing to the rocking of the vessel1 for days it was impossible to find a place to sleep4 ,the voyage was quite rough all the way to ,new ,york4 ,at last we arrived at ,new ,york ,city4 ,it was morning4 ,we remained on board until about two p4 m41 when we left the boat and marched through the principal streets1 receiving cheers and salutes4 ,we had not forgotten our former experiences here however4 ,and we were inwardly revolving the thought that as ,black men we had done our part in bringing about a change of sentiment that would make a new city out of ,new ,york and every other city in the ,union4 ,and we felt that it was but just that we should receive some of the plaudits of praise and reward4 ,when we passed down ,broadway in front of the ,st4 ,nicholas ,hotel1 the flags of the ,nation and of the state were suddenly hoisted by a ,colored man and we gave three lusty cheers for the flag and country and home4 ,at last the orders came to fall into line for our final trip4 ,we marched to pier twenty eight ,east ,river where the steamer1 ,granite ,state1 was waiting to carry us to ,hartford1 ,conn4 ,the distance was about one hundred and fifty miles4 ,we were cheered by every town and village that we passed4 ,we arrived at ,hartford and were escorted to the camp grounds and tendered a fine reception by the citizens1 a most pleasing welcome4 ,at eight o'clock one morning we were paid off1 all but one hundred dollars bounty which was to be paid at some future date4 ,some went to their homes1 others remained in ,hartford1 until they had spent all their money and were locked up in the prisons by the police officers4 ,after having cleared up my commissary department and turning over my books and papers to the proper custodian1 and having said farewell to my comrades1 ,i took a midnight train for my home in ,new ,haven4 ,the occasion of my sudden departure from ,hartford is very interesting4 ,one of our soldiers was passing a ,jew store4 ,he was begged to go in and buy a suit4 ,he got the suit of clothes and walked out without paying for it4 ,the soldier came into camp and soon the ,jew followed4 ,i would not allow him to enter camp and arrest the soldier4 ,not long afterward1 ,i went down town and the ,jew had me arrested and locked up4 ,i was in jail until about midnight when some of my friends liberated me4 ,immediately ,i made my way to the station and left ,hartford4 ,i do not know that the ,jew got his money and ,i was not much concerned4 ,i arrived at home at seven o'clock in the morning and found my wife and children1 my father and mother1 ready to give me the most hearty welcome and greeting which ,i received with a glad heart4 ,i was not seen out of my house for about three weeks4 ,i simply wanted to rest and to drink in the joys that were awaiting me4 ,then ,i went to ,brooklyn1 my wife's home1 and registered as a citizen of the ,united ,states4 ,i again thanked ,god that the war was over and that slavery was dead4 8,now unto ,him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins in ,his blood1 to ,him be glory and dominion and power1 now and forevermore4 ,amen60 ,illustration3 ,,alexander ,h4 ,,newton ,a ,young ,pastor ,my ,ministerial ,life and ,labors ,after ,i had returned from the war1 ,i took the needed rest1 enjoyed the company of my family and got myself together for a new life4 ,i had the consciousness of having done my duty to my country1 of having contributed something to the liberation of my people from the galling yoke of slavery1 and now the time had come in my life for me to determine upon what course ,i could enter that would contribute most to the working out of the salvation of my people upon lines of peace and prosperity4 ,this was no little task4 ,i decided that the best way to find out what ,god wanted me to do1 was to follow the leading of ,his ,providence in my life4 ,i knew of no other way by which a man can ascertain the will of ,god4 ,god is in the life of every individual as fully and really as ,he is in the life of a race or a nation4 ,so ,i surrendered myself to ,his leading1 determined that ,i would follow ,him whatever might be the cost4 ,i felt a double assurance now that ,he had delivered me from death in many bloody struggles1 that ,he had something of importance for me to do4 ,i was not content to take up the old life that ,i had lived before the war1 to remain in the fields of manual labor1 not that ,i considered myself above such a life1 but ,i felt that there was a course that would be vastly more valuable to my brethren1 to my race4 ,and ,i did not consider it egotism to honestly conclude that ,god had given me talents that warranted me in seeking such a course4 8,to every man according to his ability10 is the law of service4 ,a man must find out what his ability is1 ,god already knows what talents ,he has already alloted to this or that man according to his ability4 ,in this way and this way only1 can ,god and man be brought together1 in the work of life4 ,illustration3 ,,bishop ,,jabez ,p4 ,,campbell1 ,d4 ,d41 ,,ll4 ,d4 ,who gave me my first appointment ,on the evening of ,may sixth1 ,i was received on probation1 into the ,fleet ,street ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church1 of which ,elder ,gould was then pastor4 ,i served as assistant superintendent and ,secretary1 ,elder ,cope being superintendent of the ,sunday ,school2 ,robert ,turpin1 one of the preachers1 was a close friend4 ,i was engaged while in this church together with others in a ,social ,betterment work4 ,this work was conducted in a house to house canvass1 or visit4 ,great work was done during this year at the ,bridge ,street ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church the ,rev4 ,wm4 ,winder being pastor4 ,there were about one hundred and fifty young people added to the church on profession of their faith in ,christ4 ,the ,revs4 ,williams1 ,boyer1 and ,turpin1 were the ministers who assisted in this revival4 ,i preached my trial sermon at the ,fleet ,street ,church on the evening of ,september the #ahth1 #ahga1 and received ,exhorters' license from ,elder ,theodore ,gould4 ,on the following ,sunday1 ,i went with ,rev4 ,matthews and others to ,paterson1 ,n4 ,j41 where we organized the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church4 ,the people of ,paterson seemed to have been greatly lifted up and great good was done in their city for the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church4 ,later on ,bishop ,j4 ,p4 ,campbell told ,elder ,gould that he wanted a young man to take charge of a church where a school was located4 ,brother ,gould was kind enough to tell him of my desire for work and doubtless recommended me4 ,bishop ,campbell took hold of me and gave me my first appointment at ,pennington1 ,n4 ,j41 where ,i took charge of the church and attended the school1 ,pennington ,seminary4 ,the leaders of the new church1 ,brothers ,allen1 ,ely and ,amanias ,johnson looked at the new preacher very inquiringly and doubtless were laughing up their sleeves for ,i had not gotten the flimsy1 panhandle1 look off me as yet1 and they were a little slow in taking hold of me and ,i did not know how to take hold of them4 ,however1 ,i managed to get on the good side of ,bro4 ,allen4 ,i told him the troubles of my heart and got his sympathy4 ,one of these troubles was that ,i did not know much4 ,he said that he would help me all he could and that ,i must stay close to the cross of ,christ4 ,so with the assistance of ,god's grace and the help of ,brother ,allen1 ,i was able to surmount all obstacles4 ,i organized a church in the house of ,lewis ,schenks1 at ,lawrenceville4 ,i organized the church at ,birmingham1 having been assisted by ,brothers ,jos4 ,long and ,maxwell ,frost of ,trenton4 ,this church was afterwards reorganized and moved to ,langhorne by ,dr4 ,john ,w4 ,stevenson4 ,i attended the ,pennington ,seminary under the presidency of ,dr4 ,hanlon4 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,marshall and the sister of ,dr4 ,hanlon were of great service to me in my preparatory course4 ,one day ,i was walking through the campass when ,i met ,dr4 ,hanlon4 ,he stopped and fixing his eyes on me said3 8,young man you should walk upright before ,god and remember that all your strength comes from ,him40 ,i shall never forget the deep impression that his advice made on me4 ,it deepened my conviction of the ,divine life in man and of the necessity of living that life daily4 ,i felt no doubt like ,naaman that ,i had need to go to the ,jordan1 the river of ,israel and be washed from my leprosy of sin4 ,this was the first time that ,i had charge of a church and ,i felt the keen responsibility4 ,and ,i do not doubt that those who heard me preach had the feeling that instead of my having charge of them that they should have charge of me4 ,but such things are of the ordering of the ,lord who chooses babes to confound the wise and the weak things of the world to confound the mighty4 ,there is a time when a man feels that the best thing that he can do is to get out of self into ,christ4 ,self is one of the greatest blessings if ,christ is its center1 but if man himself constitutes the center of life it is the stronghold of every sin4 ,illustration3 ,,rev4 ,,theodore ,,gould1 ,d4,d41 ,who gave me my first license to preach4 ,while engaged in this work ,i frequently had to walk ten miles to ,sorel ,mountain1 one of my appointments1 which was a part of this circuit4 ,my salary was indeed very small1 but they fed me and cared for me the best they could1 and ,god did the rest4 ,i closed my work here with twenty-three converts added to the church4 ,as ,i write these lines1 ,i look back to see the ravages of time and what they have wrought4 ,those who were received into the church by me at that time1 with very few exceptions1 have finished their battle of life and completed their labors1 long since1 and have gone home to render a better service than they could have rendered here4 ,i made improvements on the ,church buildings of the circuit and was able to make a good report to the ,conference which met at ,philadelphia4 ,at this conference ,i was received into membership by ,bishop ,paul ,quinn4 ,it was here that ,i made for the first time1 my acquaintance with ,dr4 ,b4 ,t4 ,tanner1 ,rev4 ,t4 ,g4 ,stewart1 ,rev4 ,frisby ,cooper and others4 ,rev4 ,joshua ,woodland was my presiding elder4 ,i was permitted to attend the ,lincoln ,university1 in ,chester ,county1 ,pennsylvania4 ,i was supported by ,mr4 ,amos ,clark ,junion of ,elizabeth1 ,n4 ,j41 and preached on ,sundays in the ,siloam ,presbyterian church4 ,here ,i made the acquaintance of a local preacher1 ,rev4 ,david ,croshon1 of the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church and ,brother ,scisco from whom ,i learned a great deal about church work4 ,being wholly inexperienced and poorly educated1 ,i felt the curse of the regime of slavery1 although ,i had never been a slave4 ,i longed for the equipment that comes from a thorough education and realized that if in some way ,i did not educate myself1 ,i could never amount to much4 ,so it is hard for me at my time of life although a closer student than ever1 to understand or to be in sympathy with any preacher who in his ignorance1 is satisfied to remain so4 ,there is something sadly lacking in such a man and ,i greatly fear those qualities without which no man is either acceptable to ,god or to the church1 as a minister of the ,gospel4 ,illustration3 ,,bishop ,,william ,,paul ,,quinn ,who received me into the ,conference ,i realized also that in addition to my own weakness that this world was no friend to grace to help me on to ,god4 ,i had many foes within and without me to overcome4 ,in ,june1 #ahgj1 ,i was requested by ,bishop ,j4 ,p4 ,campbell to report at the ,philadelphia ,conference1 he having1 in the interval1 taken me up and sent me to the ,pennington circuit4 ,i reported at the conference and was transferred to the ,south under the care of ,bishop ,john ,m4 ,brown4 ,i was sent to ,pulaski1 ,tenn4 ,this was about the time that the ,ku ,klux ,klan was having its sway in the south4 ,these men were engaged in every kind of intimidation and cruelty in order to keep the ,negroes from voting the ,republican ticket4 ,they would kill1 torture1 or do anything that came into mind in order that their purpose might be realized4 ,at this time there were many ,colored people holding office in the ,south4 ,the unrest and the mental suffering of these times were as severe a strain almost as the period of the war itself4 ,when ,i arrived at ,pulaski1 ,tenn4 ,i was introduced to what ,i might expect in the ,south4 ,i presented my check to the baggage master for my trunk4 ,he refused to take the trunk off the car1 but threw it upon the platform in the roughest manner4 ,a ,white man standing near1 saw that ,i was very much surprised at such treatment and approaching me1 asked if ,i did not like that kind of treatment and that if ,i did not he would proceed to give me some more of it4 ,i told him that ,i had made no complaints at all4 ,he asked me where ,i was going and what ,i was doing1 and ,i was glad to slip away and find the steward of the church4 ,i related these things to him and he told me that ,i had acted wisely in being calm and making no fuss over the matter4 ,he told me that the ,white folks were ,ku ,kluxing the ,colored people without mercy and going out of their way to find provocations for such devilish work4 ,the steward told me that ,i would have to be very careful as a minister in and out of the pulpit1 that the ,klu ,klux ,klan was especially after the preachers to force them to use their influence to make the ,negroes vote the ,democratic ticket in elections4 ,they found me a boarding place with a ,mrs4 ,batts4 ,i found that the ,colored men of this community were doing good business4 ,one was a cotton merchant1 a ,mr4 ,harris1 ,i remember4 ,i was greatly assisted in this charge by my local preachers4 ,they were more experienced than ,i in the work of the pastorate and ,i felt them to be my superiors in everything4 ,the meetings were good4 ,souls were converted and many were added to the church4 ,there was not much money in circulation and the salary was small4 ,they used cards to trade with1 postage stamps1 and whatever of value would be accepted or exchanged for what you wanted4 ,i remember one night the ,klu ,klux ,klan came to the house of one of my members1 a ,mr4 ,pleasant ,rector1 called him to the door and shot him down as if he had been a dog4 ,his wife and children were frightened almost to death4 ,one of his daughters asked me what she must do4 ,i could tell her that nothing would help such dreadful matters1 so we all went to the church and prayed over the matter1 and ,i consoled them as best ,i could4 ,these were dreadful times4 ,the hatred and the revenge of the ,southern ,white man who had been whipped by his ,northern ,white ,brother1 were now visited upon the still helpless race4 ,we had to receive the very wounds which the ,southerners would loved to have visited upon his ,white brothers1 and which they tried to visit upon them in war1 but failed4 ,we did a good work here along temperance and missionary lines4 ,in ,september1 #ahgc1 the ,conference convened at ,memphis1 ,tenn4 ,this was the annual conference of the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church and it convened at the ,st4 ,andrews ,chapel of that city4 ,rev4 ,b4 ,l4 ,brooks1 preached the opening sermon4 ,the ,bishop1 ,john ,m4 ,brown1 was belated1 so the conference proceeded with business1 having made ,elder ,page ,tyler chairman1 and ,elder ,brooks1 secretary4 ,the regular routine of business was purposed4 ,bishop ,brown arrived on the fourth day1 having gotten his dates mixed1 then he was afraid that at that time it was unwise to hold any public meetings owing to the presence of yellow fever in the city4 ,the ,conference remained in session until it had completed its business4 ,yellow fever at this time was raging in ,memphis4 ,a friend told me that he stood at a street corner and counted seventy-four funerals as they passed4 ,in the house where ,i was stopping1 there was a yellow fever case in the room next to mine4 ,the meeting of the ,conference in ,memphis was a very successful one considering the obstacles contended against4 ,the following ,conference held a year later1 was in ,nashville1 ,tenn4 ,this ,conference was presided over by ,bishop ,brown4 ,at this conference several were ordained as deacons1 among them myself4 ,while at ,nashville1 the ,conference visited ,fisk ,university and also the ,tennessee college4 ,during this time ,i remained at ,campbell ,chapel1 ,pulaski1 ,tenn4 ,we bought ground and made brick and quarried stone1 for the basement of a church4 ,there were about fifty members added to the church4 ,i cannot refrain from speaking frequently of the great injustice done the ,colored man in the ,south at this time4 ,prejudice was rife4 ,it showed its hydra-head in every possible way and was a serpent with a venomed sting4 ,i remember an incident which illustrates how fearful this prejudice was4 ,i saw a ,white man bring his horse up to a public watering place1 and about the same time a ,colored man drove his horse up to the same trough4 ,he said to the ,colored man1 8,a ,nigger's horse can't drink with my horse10 and ordered him away4 ,immediately a mob gathered and beat the man to death for this 8crime40 ,i preached the funeral of the poor fellow1 but was not allowed to refer to the circumstances1 or ,i suppose there would have been another funeral in a day or so4 ,my report at the end of this year was a reasonably good one1 the number who had joined the church was about one hundred and ten and for all purposes we raised about #b1eah4jj4 ,i was indeed very well satisfied with the work of the year4 ,the next ,conference met in ,chattanooga4 ,this conference was presided over by ,bishop ,brown1 assisted by ,bishop ,ward4 ,the various reports showed the church to be in a growing and prosperous condition4 ,the ,conference report showed #iebg members of the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church in this ,conference1 #aabb probationers1 #baj local preachers1 #abj exhorters1 #aad churches1 valued at #ajf1aja4jj4 ,this was a good showing so soon after the war4 ,at this ,conference ,i was appointed to a charge in ,chattanooga1 ,tenn41 with ,elder ,r4 ,french ,harley as my presiding elder4 ,we had a fearful flood during this year in ,chattanooga4 ,there was great suffering and loss of property4 ,i did not do well in this charge1 however ,i completed1 the church and added #hf to the membership of the ,church4 ,i found that it was necessary to turn two men out of the church1 for their misconduct4 ,they gained the confidence and bias of the presiding elder1 and he moved me from this place4 ,thus it is that a man must suffer for the right that he does1 while many go unpunished for the evil doings4 ,but that should afford no reason for not always doing the right4 ,we1 as ministers of the ,gospel1 must take our stand for the uprightness of character and the righteousness of conduct1 without any consideration of the price which this stand will cost us4 ,bishop ,brown transferred me to the ,arkansas ,conference1 which met at ,pine ,bluff1 ,arkansas4 ,at this conference ,i was ordained ,elder by ,bishop ,brown and sent to the ,bethel ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church at ,little ,rock1 ,arkansas4 ,i found in this city the prejudice against the ,colored people rife and that they had to contend against very great odds on every hand4 ,but in spite of this1 many of the ,colored people were in a flourishing condition4 ,there were men prominent in the ministry who had gone out from this place1 such as ,revs4 ,h4 ,h4 ,pettigrew1 ,reuben ,johnson1 ,a4 ,a4 ,williams1 ,j4 ,f4 ,a4 ,sission1 ,j4 ,t4 ,jennifer1 ,andrew ,j4 ,chambers1 and others4 ,the ,hon4 ,judge ,gibbs1 ,william ,rector1 and ,elias ,rector who was fulfilling a prominent place in the post office were leading business men4 ,the church here was built by ,brother ,j4 ,t4 ,jennifer1 ,d4,d4 ,my daughter ,ada was with me at this time1 my son ,william ,alexander1 having remained in ,tennessee4 ,there were many noble workers in this church1 viz3 ,joseph ,stone1 ,jerome ,lewis1 ,nelson ,warren1 ,sam ,white1 ,willie ,oliver1 and others whose names are too numerous to mention4 ,my wife1 ,olivia ,newton having died in #ahfh1 and being a widower1 while here ,i became acquainted with a young lady1 ,miss ,lulu ,l4 ,campbell1 secretary of the ,sunday ,school4 ,i found her to be a noble ,christian woman and felt that the ,lord had brought us into contact for a great purpose4 ,after having considered the matter and having consulted my daughter and finding that she approved1 we were married ,june #a1 #ahgf4 ,after paying off a little more of the debt on the church and adding about ninety souls to the membership of the church1 ,i finished my first year's work4 ,the ,conference met the following year at the ,bethel ,church1 ,little ,rock4 ,at this ,conference ,i was transferred by ,bishop ,ward to the ,louisiana ,conference and was to have been stationed at the ,st4 ,james ,church1 ,new ,orleans1 but owing to some miscarriage in the appointments1 ,i was given the station at ,algiers1 ,la4 ,there as in other places1 ,i was not long in arranging and drilling my forces for active work4 ,we succeeded in repairing the church1 but were greatly hindered by the ragings of smallpox and yellow fever in this section4 ,i remember a fearful example of the work of the ,k4 ,k4 ,k4 in this section4 ,a woman had been taken by this devilish clan and they had cut off her breasts4 ,she showed her bosom to a few and they had done their work well1 for her bosom was as flat as a man's4 ,these were some of the outrages that were continually committed on the ,colored people4 ,it is sometimes wondered at1 that the ,colored people are so slow to place confidence in the ,white ,race1 that they too1 have a deep seated prejudice which now and then crops out in some vile offense against the ,white ,race1 if our ,white friends only understood that these fearful atrocities committed then and even now1 against my people1 are not easily forgotten1 they would the better understand4 ,human nature is the same and it will require a great deal of the grace of ,god to smother out all the horrible memories that have passed from individual hearts into the heart of the ,race to which ,i belong4 ,but the time will doubtless come and then we will see a different state of affairs4 ,i remember another incident at this place4 ,as ,i have said1 the smallpox was raging4 ,i was invited to conduct the funeral of a small boy who had died of this disease4 ,when ,i went to the house and was seen by the mother1 she rushed to me and threw her arms about me and wept4 ,of course she had been nursing the child4 ,i was greatly annoyed by this foolish act which threatened the health of my own family1 but as the good ,lord willed1 nothing came of it4 ,after doing my best here1 ,i decided that ,i would not stay longer4 ,i consulted ,bishop ,ward and others4 ,they told me that ,i was making a very unwise step1 but ,i got a transfer and went to ,bishop ,brown in the ,north ,carolina ,conference4 ,the ,conference met ,november #adth4 at the ,gaston ,chapel1 ,morgantown1 ,n4 ,c41 presided over by ,bishop ,brown4 ,the regular routine of business was taken up and the reports showed a growing condition of the church4 ,dr4 ,h4 ,m4 ,turner1 manager of the ,publication ,department and ,j4 ,h4 ,w4 ,burley1 financial secretary1 appeared and made their reports4 ,the number of members in the ,conference as reported were1 #eaca2 probationers #hgg2 churches #eh2 support of pastors #dgdi4ea4 ,i was received into this ,conference and appointed to the station1 ,raleigh1 ,n4 ,c4 ,i had instructions to go to ,mr4 ,norfleet ,dunson1 but he was away and ,i was sent to ,mr4 ,stewart ,ellisons4 ,when ,i went to ,raleigh1 ,i had a very discouraging experience4 ,i drove up to a ,brother ,ellisons'1 rapped on the door4 ,a lady came to the door4 ,i told her that ,i was the preacher who had been sent to the ,st4 ,paul's ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church4 ,she informed me that all her family had gone to the funeral1 so ,i had my trunk brought upon the porch and sat down upon it4 ,she had evidently expected me to come in when the trunk was safely on the porch4 ,but ,i remained in the porch1 being worn out and out of patience4 ,presently she came out and invited me in4 ,i told her that no one was at home but herself and that ,i would remain outside until the folks came home4 ,she said1 8,now ,i don't want any foolishness around here1 if you have been sent here to be pastor of our church1 you come right in40 ,well1 that was hearty enough a reception1 a positive command1 of course ,i obeyed orders1 ,i had learned this in the army4 ,soon the family returned4 ,they were delighted to see me1 built a fine fire1 made ready a fine supper1 and after a social time ,i was sent to a good bed4 ,after ,i retired ,i felt very much ashamed of myself for the ugly feeling ,i had harbored and repented of my sins4 ,it never pays to allow one's bad feelings to get the better of their good feelings1 for they always pay a big price for the victory4 ,my official board was made up of ,john ,o',kelley1 ,stewart ,ellison1 ,norfleet ,dunson1 ,seth ,nowell1 and ,henry ,hunter4 ,they were a very fine set of men4 ,we went to work in earnest1 bought a lot and paid off a great many debts4 ,there were over #bcj accessions to the church1 of whom ,i baptized about #aej by immersion4 ,i received a salary of #ajjj4jj which was very large at that time in our ,connection4 ,they gave me #ge4jj that ,i might bring my wife and daughter from ,algiers1 ,la4 ,the ,colored people at this place were very successful in business and of good reputation and character4 ,the ,white people1 that is those especially interested in us1 were very kind indeed4 ,a ,mrs4 ,dorr1 7white7 was principal of the school for ,colored children4 ,she did a great deal for the uplifting of the ,race4 ,mr4 ,tupper1 7white7 was the president of ,shaw ,university1 a ,baptist school of the ,colored people4 ,my daughter1 ,ada1 taught rhetoric1 in the ,shaw ,university4 ,i concluded my work at this place and was able to carry to the ,conference fine reports4 ,this was largely due to the fact that the church was very spiritual4 ,it was on the ,lord's side on all those questions which affect the religion of a community4 ,sometimes a minister is looked upon as the cause of the failures of a church1 in its work1 as a rule he is blamed1 but this is a mistake4 ,the general cause is to be found in the church4 ,a good church with a poor pastor will succeed1 but a bad church with a good pastor is liable to fail4 ,christ could do no mighty works in a certain place because of their unbelief4 ,there are many good preachers who are unable to do good work because of the unbelief of the people and the consequence of this unbelief4 ,it acts as a kind of paralysis1 and indeed it is1 a paralysis of the church4 ,i left this church for the station of ,newberne1 ,n4 ,c4 ,this was my birthplace4 ,i was really glad to get back to the place where ,i first saw the light4 ,i had been absent for twenty years4 ,i saw that great changes had taken place during this time4 ,there were no slave gangs1 no whipping posts1 no slave pen1 no auction block4 ,one of the first things that ,i did was to go to see a tree opposite the house of ,bob ,walker1 in an old field1 the spot where ,tom ,lewis had been whipped nearly to death for attacking a ,white man4 ,after they had nearly killed him they took him down to the boat and put him on it and told him that he was never to put the prints of his feet on that part of the country again4 ,i was received very cordially by the church members4 ,many of them ,i remembered as my friends twenty years ago and longer4 ,i had charge of ,rue's ,chapel4 ,my first year was a very successful one4 ,i was returned again the second year4 ,newberne has quite a history4 ,it is situated on the banks of two rivers1 the ,neuse and ,trent rivers4 ,the elm trees are magnificent4 ,here lived the ,stevenses1 ,jenkinses1 ,bryans1 ,webbs1 and others1 all old slave owners4 ,they were of course deeply interested in the traffic and did all in their power to keep the regime from passing away4 ,there was a ,colored man at this place that owned slaves also1 a ,mr4 ,j4 ,s4 ,stanley4 ,newberne was a great turpentine center4 ,there were turpentine distilleries here and about here4 ,but great changes had taken place4 ,the magnificent dwelling house of the ,stevens was now occupied by a ,colored man and run as a hotel4 ,a ,mr4 ,george ,h4 ,white was the superintendent of the public schools1 7,colored7 at this place and had also a law office4 ,he afterwards became solicitor of state and a member of the ,u4 ,s4 ,congress4 ,he is now the president of a ,savings ,bank1 on ,lombard ,street1 ,philadelphia1 ,penna4 ,mr4 ,sylvester ,mackey and ,judge ,mumford were merchants4 ,presiding ,elder1 ,edward ,hill1 of the ,zion ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church1 was a wealthy planter4 ,mrs4 ,edward ,r4 ,richardson was a clerk in the ,post ,office4 ,mr4 ,john ,willis was a deputy sheriff4 ,these and other men and women had made good their opportunities4 ,they had not only welcomed the change from slavery but they had taken their places as freedmen among the citizens of this country and had demonstrated that they had in them that out of which the best citizens are made4 ,i forgot to mention that the ,rev4 ,j4 ,c4 ,price1 ,d4,d41 former president of ,livingston ,college1 ,salisbury1 ,n4 ,c41 was born at this town4 ,dr4 ,price was one of the most distinguished orators1 educators and scholars of the country regardless of color4 ,after my second year at this place1 ,i attended the ,general ,conference of the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church which met in ,st4 ,louis1 ,mo4 ,i took my wife and baby and we went up on boat4 ,my daughter ,ada returned to ,shaw ,university1 ,raleigh1 ,n4 ,c4 where she was an instructor4 ,at ,st4 ,louis1 ,i met a great many ministers whom ,i knew and many more with whom ,i got well acquainted4 ,i was quite indisposed while there1 but was able to attend the sessions of the ,conference4 ,it was at this ,conference that ,elder ,r4 ,h4 ,cain1 ,d4,d41 made his defense against the charge of maladministration in office4 ,and ,i am sure that it was his noble defense that brought about his election to the office of ,bishopric4 ,while in ,st4 ,louis1 ,i visited some of the places of interest4 ,i called upon ,mr4 ,j4 ,milton ,turner1 editor of the ,freeman's ,journal who afterward represented the ,u4 ,s4 as minister to ,hayti4 ,i visited a large ,catholic 7,roman7 school4 ,this was my first visit to a ,roman ,catholic institution of any kind4 ,i was deeply impressed with the services1 with the use of crucifixes1 and the place that images held in their service4 ,it was very strange to me4 ,i could not understand how their minds and hearts could be fixed on ,god while at the same time they were giving so much time to these genuflections1 rituals1 and ceremonies4 ,i remembered the second commandment4 ,i saw that this commandment was being broken4 ,for there were the images and likenesses of things in ,heaven and on the earth1 if not under earth4 ,and yet at the same time these people seemed to be in earnest1 they did what they had before them with a devotion that attracted4 ,but it was all wrong because the ,word of ,god in one of the ,ten ,commandments condemned it4 ,the ,roman ,catholic ,church with all its pomp1 pride and wealth1 is wrong in its fundamental principals and is therefore guilty of idolatry--they are not worshipping ,god only1 they are worshipping saints and other divinities4 ,on ,thursday1 ,may #bj1 #ahhj1 ,revs4 ,h4 ,m4 ,turner1 ,r4 ,h4 ,cain1 ,w4 ,f4 ,dickerson were elected bishops of the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church4 ,bishops ,payne1 ,wayman1 ,campbell1 ,shorter1 ,ward and ,brown1 together with the required number of elders1 officiated4 ,i left ,st4 ,louis and on my way home1 stopped over in ,little ,rock1 ,ark41 spending ,sunday there4 ,it was my pleasure to preach in ,bethel ,church on ,sunday afternoon1 for the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,j4 ,t4 ,jennifer1 the pastor of the church4 ,i enjoyed meeting my many old friends4 ,i was soon back at my work in ,newberne1 ,n4 ,c41 and remained there until the end of the year4 ,quite a number of members united with the church and debts were paid off4 ,my work at this place was reasonably successful4 ,i attended the ,conference that met in ,raleigh1 ,n4 ,c4 ,on account of my mother's health ,i requested a transfer from this section to the ,north1 and at this ,conference ,i was transferred to the ,conference of ,new ,jersey4 ,i received appointment to the station of ,morristown1 ,n4 ,j4 ,i arrived at ,morristown with my daughter1 ,ada4 ,it was midnight and very cold4 ,i was somewhat discouraged4 ,my daughter said to me1 father1 it is very cold and the outlook is a gloomy one1 but ,i am here to stay with you and help all that ,i can4 7,poor child1 long since she passed away to that country where the inhabitants are free from the tribulations of this world47 ,i was reminded of a couplet in one of the old hymns1 8,thy saints in all this glorious war ,shall conquer though they die40 ,illustration3 ,,bishop ,,john ,m4 ,,brown1 ,d4,d41 ,d4,c4,l4 ,who ordained me as an ,elder4 ,i was sent to the ,morristown station to fill out the unexpired term of the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,smith deceased4 ,we spent the night at the parsonage1 then ,mr4 ,henry ,ader1 a prominent contractor and steward in the church1 came to see us and took us to his house until the parsonage was put in shape for us4 ,we were most pleasantly entertained by him4 ,while in this field of labor ,i sought out a secret spot where ,i might meet with ,god and talk over with ,him all the work that ,i was entering upon in this field4 ,i realized that such an arrangement with ,god was best and one that every ,christian who is doing business for the ,king1 should have4 ,so ,i regularly kept my engagements with ,god in this place4 ,i put before ,him all my plans and went over them1 seeking ,his wisdom and help4 ,it is wonderful how ,he brings to our assistance ,his strength and grace when we honor ,him as we should in this way4 ,the ,saviour ,himself taught that we should have our closet1 that is1 a secret place1 where we talk with ,god about everything that interests us4 ,that we should not do as the ,pharisees and ,scribes1 who loved to talk with ,god on the street corners and public places that they might be seen of men4 8,when thou prayest enter into thy closet and thy ,father who seeth in secret shall reward thee openly40 ,mr4 ,henry ,ader1 ,lansing ,furman1 ,george ,yates1 ,nicholas ,miller1 ,henry ,johnson1 ,robert ,gale1 ,preston ,garland1 together with their wives1 were the active members in this church and they were indeed a noble band of workers4 ,there was harmony in the church between the members and a zeal marked with wisdom in their work4 ,i was soon able to have my wife and children come on from ,little ,rock1 ,ark4 ,this getting together again was a happy reunion of my home4 ,i found the ,y4 ,m4 ,c4 ,a4 in this place to be a noble band of workers and very much interested in the colored people4 ,such influences as this are very inspiring to my people4 ,i met and had the pleasant acquaintance while here of the pastor of the ,presbyterian ,church1 the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,erdman 7white74 ,i found him to be a noble ,christian man and very deeply interested in the uplifting of our people4 ,he not only used his influence but contributed of his means for our welfare4 ,i had the pleasure of preaching for him in his own pulpit4 ,i might mention also a ,dr4 ,owen1 a physician 7white71 who did a great deal for our people and cause4 ,he assisted us in paying off the mortgage on our ,church and in getting the ,church out of debt4 ,in all these things ,i was able to see the gleams of the light of ,god's love shining down upon us every day4 ,for we must remember that the love and the friendship of our white friends are but the sunshine of ,god's love falling upon us to bless us and to teach us that ,god has ,his own chosen ones in this world who are living on the table land of ,christian thought and activity1 far above the swamps of prejudice and racial animosity4 ,we1 too1 should daily seek to live on these same highlands of ,god's love and peace4 ,illustration3 ,,rev4 ,j4 ,w4 ,,cooper1 ,treasurer of the ,new ,jersey ,conference4 ,the ,conference met at ,princeton1 ,n4 ,j4 ,i was received into the membership of this ,conference and entered into the active duties thereof on committees on which ,i was assigned4 ,i found the brethren very cordial in their welcome and pleasant as co-laborers in the ,lord's work4 ,i met here for the first time1 ,elders ,j4 ,w4 ,cooper1 ,j4 ,h4 ,bean1 ,george ,a4 ,mills1 ,j4 ,h4 ,morgan1 ,r4 ,faucett1 ,j4 ,t4 ,diggs1 ,winston ,taylor1 ,j4 ,r4 ,v4 ,pierce1 ,wilson ,patterson1 ,s4 ,b4 ,williams and others4 ,i was assigned to ,morristown and was much pleased with the appointment4 ,we had a very pleasant year as well as profitable4 ,the ,conference the following year was entertained by my ,church4 ,this meeting of the ,conference was a very pleasant and profitable one4 ,the reports showed that in every way the denomination in this part of the vineyard was doing its work reasonably well4 ,the ,conference had the pleasure while here of visiting ,drew ,seminary4 ,some of our ,bishops and leaders made addresses1 which were kindly received judging from the responses on the part of the ,faculty of this noble institution4 ,this is a theological school of the ,m4 ,e4 ,church4 ,after the adjournment of the ,conference ,i slipped away for a much needed rest1 not letting my congregation or even my wife know where ,i was going4 ,i went to ,new ,york ,city for a few days4 ,sometimes it is necessary for a man to get away from every work that he may recuperate himself4 ,about this time ,i attended the funeral of my cousin1 ,john ,harris1 living on ,lombard street1 ,philadelphia4 ,while here ,i met ,bishops ,wayman and ,brown2 ,financial ,secretary1 ,b4 ,w4 ,arnett1 7since made ,bishop1 but now deceased71 and ,judge ,allen 7colored71 of ,south ,carolina4 ,i visited the ,philadelphia ,conference which met at ,west ,chester1 ,pa4 ,this was a very delightful meeting of ,conference4 ,i soon returned to my field of labor1 at ,morristown1 very much refreshed and entered upon my labors with new zeal and1 ,i trust1 more wisdom4 ,all through my ministry ,i have been deeply impressed with the fact that we must do all that we can for our young people4 ,they are1 in their own time and generation1 to do all in their power to work out the salvation of their people4 ,they must be trained to take up the labors of their fathers and mothers with more zeal and wisdom than their parents1 so that the cause of the race may be greatly advanced by them in their day4 ,when ,i think of the ten millions or more of my people in this country1 and their destiny will be largely fixed by the coming generation of ,afro-,americans2 ,i almost tremble for the outcome1 because ,i fear that the fathers and mothers of this day and generation have not done their work as well as they could have done it4 ,there are great odds against us in this country1 and it will require strong bodies1 characters and minds1 together with the power and wisdom of ,god1 to bring my people to the place where they can become potent factors in this mighty civilization4 ,at ,morristown ,i furnished the parsonage1 paid off all debts and added #dj members to the ,church4 ,i also organized the ,church at ,madison1 ,n4 ,j4 ,illustration3 ,,macedonia ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,,church ,camden1 ,n4 ,j4 ,built by ,rev4 ,w4 ,h4 ,yeocum1 ,d4,d41 and ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton1 ,d4,d4 ,on ,april #ah1 #ahhc1 the ,new ,jersey ,conference met at ,bridgeton1 ,n4 ,j41 in the ,mt4 ,zion ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church4 ,my report was as follows3 ,contingent1 #a2 salary1 #ehj2 traveling expenses1 #ab2 ,p4 ,e4 support1 #di2 ,dollar ,money1 #bg2 ,missionary ,fund1 #ab2 ,sunday ,school1 #bb2 number of members1 #fa2 probationers1 #d2 ,sunday ,school scholars1 #abj4 ,i was sent from this ,conference to ,trenton1 ,n4 ,j41 where ,i spent two years in the pastoral work4 ,i increased the membership of this ,church from #fb to #ahj during this time and paid off a great many debts and advanced the cause of ,christ in many ways4 ,after this pastorate1 ,i served the ,macedonia ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church1 ,camden1 ,n4 ,j4 ,i attended the ,general ,conference in ,baltimore1 which was a wideawake meeting4 ,while living and working in ,camden ,i bought my first house and became a property owner4 ,i did this because the parsonage could not be vacated at the time ,i needed the house4 ,i have never regretted this step4 ,and ,i hope that many who read this volume will take a similar step4 ,there is no comfort like living under your own 8vine and fig tree40 ,my work in the ,camden ,church was very successful4 ,i had associated with me ,mr4 ,c4 ,w4 ,robinson1 ,taswell ,green1 ,w4 ,starr1 ,james ,hunt1 ,james ,martin1 ,george ,rice1 ,mary ,white1 ,lizzie ,green1 ,mary ,merril1 ,emma ,pitts1 ,mary ,stevenson and other helpers1 whose loyalty and faithfulness were most praiseworthy4 ,we had the great pleasure of entertaining the ,conference1 which was a most profitable meeting4 ,the ,conference was opened by a sermon from ,bishop ,campbell and presided over by ,bishop ,wayman4 ,i was complimented at this meeting by the brethren along the strain that ,god had special blessings prepared for me and that in a peculiar sense ,he had cared for me4 ,i told them that ,i praised ,him for all that ,i was1 and had been able to do for ,him2 that they all knew that ,i had started without any education in the schools4 ,i had been blessed with good health and ordinarily good sense2 that my school was the school in which ,jesus ,christ is the ,principal and the ,holy ,spirit the ,teacher2 that ,i had associated every day with my schoolmates1 the sun1 moon1 stars1 rivers1 trees1 grass1 flowers and birds2 that the world was my blackboard1 and the mountains my college walls4 ,here is where ,i got my start4 ,as ,i now look out on the young men who are entering the ministry and see the splendid opportunities they have of acquiring an education1 ,i am really appalled that they do not improve these opportunities4 ,it is a mystery to me4 ,i hope that the ,holy ,spirit will awaken in the minds and hearts of the young men of my race who expect to preach the ,gospel1 the determination and effort to thoroughly prepare themselves to preach the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ4 ,i was left at the ,macedonia ,church for another year4 ,we were able to complete the ,church during this year1 and it was dedicated on the #bdth of ,october1 #ahhf1 by ,bishop ,wayman4 ,the collection which we were able to raise at this dedicatory service was #ijj4 ,the church building is a fine edifice1 with stained glass windows and a fine pipe organ4 ,we were very proud of our work4 ,at this service ,i performed two marriages between ,mr4 ,frank ,miller and ,miss ,georgia ,stratton1 and ,mr4 ,charles ,j4 ,cloud and ,miss ,sarah ,j4 ,beatty4 ,i finished my work in ,camden1 paid #aa1jjj on indebtedness1 was blessed with #bjj conversions1 of whom #afj united with the church and paid for my house at ,no4 #ccb ,washington ,street1 ,camden1 ,n4 ,j4 ,i left an indebtedness of #ejjj in the church4 ,the ,conference of #ahhf met at ,trenton1 ,n4 ,j41 and was presided over by ,bishop ,wayman4 ,it was a very profitable meeting4 ,the ,conference appointed a committee to call on the ,governor of the ,state4 ,they arranged a time and had a most pleasant meeting with this official4 ,rev4 ,w4 ,a4 ,s4 ,rice1 ,d4,d41 was the spokesman of the committee1 which consisted of ,rev4 ,j4 ,p4 ,sampson1 ,d4,d41 ,w4 ,a4 ,s4 ,rice1 ,d4,d41 and ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton1 ,d4,d4 ,the ,governor afterwards sent for ,dr4 ,rice and asked him what the ,conference wanted in making a call upon him4 ,dr4 ,rice was not able to say anything definitely4 ,then he told ,dr4 ,rice of a provision which the legislature had made for the founding and maintaining of a ,colored ,industrial ,school4 ,the outcome of this conference of ,dr4 ,rice with the ,governor was that the ,industrial ,school at ,bordentown was established and that ,dr4 ,rice became its honored founder4 ,i would like to say in this connection that the chairman of this committee1 ,rev4 ,j4 ,p4 ,sampson1 ,d4,d41 my life long friend1 has ever been prominent in the work of the church4 ,he is a man of fine ability1 of sound judgment1 and of noble ,christian character4 ,he has been tested by me during a long life and ,i have ever found him to be tried and true4 ,i always know where to find ,dr4 ,sampson on any great and important question1 he is on the right side4 ,i was sent to ,bridgeton1 ,n4 ,j41 and served this charge with cheerfulness and success4 ,at the next ,conference ,i was appointed by ,bishop ,campbell1 pastor over the ,millville ,circuit4 ,i made my home at ,vineland1 ,n4 ,j4 ,i looked after the church in ,vineland4 ,this being a very poor charge1 my wife raised chickens and the children gardened1 and we were able to live4 ,i went back to my old trade at odd times1 that of bricklayer4 ,i did not fear to take off my coat1 roll up my sleeves and go to work4 ,i made #c4ge a day1 paid off the debt on the church1 preached to them on ,sundays and added quite a number to the church4 ,i went from here to ,new ,brunswick1 ,n4 ,j41 and was quite successful4 ,i found the people thoroughly alive to the interests of the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 ,this church had the honor of entertaining the ,eighteenth ,annual ,conference of the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 connection at the end of my first year4 ,this ,conference showed a deeper interest in the cause of education than any other4 ,the speech that stirred the ,conference was made by editor ,l4 ,j4 ,coppin4 ,the reports at this ,conference showed a total membership of #dceb2 ,probationers1 #abjj2 ,accessions1 #ajcf2 ,preachers1 #ga2 ,sunday ,school ,scholars1 #cfid2 ,dollar ,money1 #aech4eb2 ,pastors' ,support1 #ah1jjj4 ,i remained at this charge for another year4 ,i determined that ,i would do the best work of my life this year4 ,in examining myself ,i found that ,i was as full of zeal as when ,i first entered the ministry and that the secret motive was to please the ,lord by serving ,him to the best of my ability4 ,i was greatly aided in my work by the ,rev4 ,j4 ,h4 ,morgan1 the presiding elder4 ,he had the tact and good sense to bring about a most pleasant relationship between pastor and people4 ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,pockman1 of the ,reformed ,church1 aided me very much in my work4 ,i always sought the advice and help of my ,methodist brethren1 as well as the brethren of other denominations4 ,william ,stiles1 ,dorie ,davis1 ,josiah ,henson1 ,thomas ,march1 ,alice ,thompson1 ,mrs4 ,march1 ,samuel ,dowdie1 ,harriet ,henson1 and others were my valuable co-workers during this year4 ,we paid off the debt1 furnished the parsonage1 repaired and carpeted the church building1 paid the mortgage of #ae years' standing and were blessed with an addition to the membership of forty-two souls4 ,i was therefore able to take a good report to the next meeting of the ,conference4 ,the reports at this ,conference showed splendid progress being made by this branch of the ,methodist ,church4 ,and it requires but a brief examination to prove that this is also true of every denomination represented among my people4 ,i submit a few facts and figures that may be of great encouragement to my friends who have the patience to read this volume4 ,there are #ee1ghd church organizations2 #ef1bbh church buildings2 #b1fgb1igg members of all denominations2 church property is valued at #cb1eaj1ddh2 when ,i enlisted in the ,civil ,war we had practically no schools1 because before the war it was a misdemeanor to teach ,colored children in school1 now there are upwards of #b1jjj1jjj ,colored children attending well taught schools4 ,this is a record of which we are very proud1 but by no means satisfied with the achievement4 ,we must press forward along all lines of work and enterprise4 ,there is no time for idling1 there is no place for drones1 there is no reward for ignorance4 ,my next assignment was ,cape ,may1 ,n4 ,j4 ,during the pastorate of ,rev4 ,j4 ,height ,bean1 ,d4,d41 this church had bought a lot on which was a house used as a parsonage4 ,we were greatly favored here by a ,mr4 ,ogden1 who aided us in procuring lumber4 ,he was a most kind man to the poor and needy and in his kindness he knew no color line4 ,the church building was not plastered or seated1 so we decided to borrow money for this purpose4 ,we needed #ejj and owed a mortgage of #abjj4 ,we had not a cent4 ,therefore the ,board decided on a rally4 ,at this rally we had with us the ,rev4 ,israel ,derricks1 of the ,conference of ,new ,york4 ,on that day we raised #afh in cash and #ej in subscriptions4 ,on another ,sabbath later we raised #bej4 ,rev4 ,levi ,coppin aided us very materially that day4 ,so that at last we were able to pay in cash #dfh of the #ejj which we had expected to borrow4 ,the ,school ,board at ,cape ,may applied to me for two teachers to fill vacancies in public school4 ,i recommended ,miss ,gertie ,pierce1 of ,trenton1 ,n4 ,j41 and ,miss ,fannie ,worthington1 of ,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ,they were accepted and given positions4 ,our church at this place supplied two of the school teachers1 this year1 for the teaching of the ,colored children4 ,the ,misses ,gertie ,pierce and ,fannie ,worthington were the young ladies4 ,through the spiritual activity of the members we had a splendid revival during the year which resulted in forty members being added to the church1 and in all #fb members4 ,we installed a pipe organ also4 ,i am glad to say that the members of this church were in dead earnest4 ,so ,i had no trouble with mud-slingers and evil doers4 ,how much time of a pastor is frequently taken up in fighting against the ,devil who is incarnated in some of the members of the church6 ,illustration3 ,,bishop ,,henry ,m4 ,,turner ,who appointed me ,presiding ,elder ,the next ,conference met at ,morristown1 ,n4 ,j4 ,it was a great delight to return and meet my old friends and co-laborers4 ,the reports of this ,conference showed a steady growth and advancement along all lines4 ,i am often reminded of the courage of ,bishop ,allen1 who1 when he and his friends were declared a nuisance in the ,white church and while on their knees in prayers were taken hold of1 and ordered to the back part of the church1 went out and organized the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,denomination4 ,god went out with him as results have shown4 ,and on account of this most un-,christian treatment which the founder of our church received1 ,i have given my life with redoubled zeal to its establishment in this land4 ,our church has stood for an independence which has been an uplifting power in the ,race4 ,while in some cases this may have been carried too far by unwise persons1 yet on the whole no one can gainsay that the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church has been a ,divinely appointed agency in the life and labors of the ,negro ,race of the ,united ,states of ,america4 ,at this ,conference ,i was made a ,presiding ,elder of the ,trenton ,district by ,bishop ,h4 ,m4 ,turner1 ,d4,d4 ,i moved my family to ,philadelphia1 ,pa4 ,with the aid of my friends1 my family was pleasantly domiciled in ,philadelphia and ,i started on my first rounds as a ,p4 ,e4 ,this was the most difficult part of my ministerial life4 ,i found that there was no church in the ,n4 ,j4 ,conference that wanted to see the presiding elder4 ,they looked upon him as an unnecessary part of church machinery4 ,they considered him as a dependent on their gifts and that every time that he came it meant 8more money1 more money40 ,my first quarterly meeting was to have been held at the church at ,mt4 ,holly but ,i found that the pastor was not ready to hold the meeting1 so it was postponed4 ,i went to another place and the pastor told me that 8things were very unfavorable there40 ,the result of my first round was that when ,i came back to ,camden1 ,i had to borrow ten dollars4 ,i attended during this year the ,general ,conference which met in the ,mother ,bethel ,church1 ,philadelphia4 ,i witnessed the ordination of ,revs4 ,b4 ,f4 ,lee1 ,m4 ,b4 ,salter and ,james ,a4 ,handy to the ,bishopric4 ,the ,conference created a great deal of enthusiasm for the connection4 ,i returned to my work with the determination that ,i would do more for the ,lord than ,i had ever done before4 ,i closed my ,conference year with reasonable success4 ,i received as a salary #fhj and #eg for traveling expenses4 ,but ,i believe that ,i succeeded in convincing the people that the presiding elder may be of great assistance to the local church in doing its work in that the minister is often not able to cope with things as they exist4 ,my report at the ,conference which met at ,princeton1 ,n4 ,j41 was about as follows3 ,trenton pastorate1 new church built and #ei converts2 new church built at ,trenton ,mission2 new church at ,jordantown2 mortgage burned at ,bordentown2 church finished at ,jamesburgh2 the other work was the routine work of the presiding elder4 ,i was again appointed presiding elder of the same district4 ,during this year ,i had my daughter1 ,ada1 with me1 having come ,north and brought her husband1 ,albert ,a4 ,b4 ,cooper4 ,bishop ,turner gave my son-in-law an appointment at ,bethel1 ,south ,camden1 which pleased us all very much4 ,my wife and children not being well pleased with their residence in ,philadelphia1 ,i moved them to our own house in ,camden4 ,during this year as presiding elder ,i took up a campaign against worldliness in the church4 ,i found that our young people were drifting off to places of amusement1 such as theatres1 parks1 etc4 ,this work was carried on by the pastors in my district and ,i am glad to say that there was a great change for the better4 ,i do not think that our young people are malicious or wilful in such matters1 but that it is largely on account of the indifference on the part of their pastors4 ,it is not enough to go into the pulpit and enter into a tirade of denunciation and scolding2 this will do more harm than good2 but reason must be employed4 ,the world and the church are at enmity1 they never have been and never can be friends until the world1 as an individual1 has been saved by the blood of ,jesus ,christ4 ,as long as this relation of hostility exists between the world and the church1 members of the church cannot be friendly to both4 ,they cannot be followers of the world and its ways and at the same time consistent members of the church4 ,at the ,newark ,conference1 ,i was quite sick1 but able to get through the work4 ,my reports as presiding elder during this year were very satisfactory4 ,i was given an appointment as a pastor at this ,conference by ,bishop ,b4 ,t4 ,tanner1 my station was ,south ,woodbury4 ,sick as ,i was1 ,i was determined to attend the ,general ,conference which met at ,wilmington1 ,n4 ,c4 ,the trip was not a very pleasant one for me although everything had been done to make it pleasant4 ,we arrived at ,richmond1 ,va41 and stopped twenty minutes for a meal4 ,i was carried into the dining room and seated with the brethren4 ,i was impressed there with the fact that the ,white people are not going to allow anything that has the semblance of social equality4 ,as soon as we were seated a folding screen was placed about our little company so as to cut us off from the ,white people in the dining room4 ,this was segregation in earnest4 ,i enjoyed the meeting of the ,general ,conference very much4 ,i was under the care of a physician and able to attend each day's session of the long meeting4 ,i was delighted to be with ,mr4 ,joseph ,sampson1 my boyhood friend and associate4 ,he was ,registrar of ,deeds4 ,i was rejoiced when ,i learned from him of the mental improvement he had made4 ,there were over six hundred ministers and lay-delegates in attendance4 ,they represented the strong element of the church4 ,there were theologians and scholars1 men skilled in the tactics of ,christian warfare4 ,i rejoiced that ,god has such gatherings as this to work and plan for the general uplifting of my people4 ,as long as there are men who have determined that right shall prevail and that the ,gospel shall leaven the entire human race1 there is no doubt of the final issue4 ,for we know what ,god's will is and that this will must be carried out by ,his loyal children4 ,after my return home ,i was sick for about two weeks but was able to take up the work at ,south ,woodbury4 ,the first thing we did as pastor and people was to plan for a new church building1 the old one being in a dilapidated condition4 ,it took quite a while to get the people in the notion of building1 but we adopted our plans and began to work4 ,i found a great many splendid workers in this church1 without whom ,i would have labored in vain4 ,i was at this place for three years and when ,i left1 the members were worshipping in a fine brick church4 ,i had succeeded in paying off a part of the debt1 and had received into the membership of the church about thirty-five members4 ,at the next meeting of the ,conference ,i was sent to the station of ,burlington1 ,n4 ,j4 ,i spent a most pleasant and profitable year with these dear people4 ,they did all in their power to make my life a pleasure to myself and family4 ,i left this work with the best wishes of the members of the church4 ,i left with the conviction too that they were a noble band of the ,lord's workers and that the work would be in the hands of men and women who would not let it lag for the want of untiring1 energetic workers4 ,in #ahii ,i was assigned by ,bishop ,a4 ,grant to ,hossanah ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church1 ,east ,camden1 ,n4 ,j4 ,i labored here until #aija1 having reorganized the ,sunday ,school and paid something on the church debt and added many members to the membership of the church4 ,beverly was my next charge4 ,here ,i built a new church4 ,i found that many of the ,white people of this community were in sympathy with our work4 ,they contributed of their money and did what they could spiritually for the upbuilding of our work4 ,a lady from ,edgewater ,park gave me six hundred dollars for the building of the church and a nice little sum for the pastor4 ,she was ,mrs4 ,taylor4 ,the ,presbyterian minister at this place helped me a great deal in my work4 ,i can surely say that the presence of the ,lord was with us and like ,david1 exclaim1 8,whom have ,i in ,heaven but ,thee and there is none in all the earth1 my soul would desire1 beside ,thee40 ,sad1 sad1 are the recollections of the years from #ahii to #aijd4 ,i was taxed to my utmost for the enlargement of the ,kingdom of ,grace in my attempts to keep the young men and women from the sharks or pirates1 who would have dragged them down to hell4 ,their great sin was that of ,sabbath breaking4 ,this led them to licentious living and almost every other crime of immorality4 ,at the same time the hand of affliction was laid heavily upon me4 ,and had it not been for the grace of ,god ,i should have sunken beneath the waves of affliction4 ,my daughter1 ,ada ,augusta ,newton ,cooper1 the wife of ,rev4 ,a4 ,b4 ,cooper1 died ,september #ahth1 #ahii4 ,she was thirty-eight years old4 ,she was a devoted1 loving daughter and faithful wife4 ,she passed away at ,orange1 ,n4 ,j41 where she was engaged in her ,christian activities4 ,she was a consecrated worker1 a proficient teacher1 authoress1 and a most valuable assistant to me for many years4 ,she knew as well as ,i that my education was sadly deficient1 that ,i had come out of the briars of slavery and all its curses1 and in a very practical manner1 she was my education4 ,for ,i had spared no means to have her thoroughly educated4 ,and always afterward she was conscious of the advantages that ,i had given her and was constantly trying to pay off this great debt of gratitude4 ,but the time came when the ,lord called her to a higher service4 ,he had need of her in another part of ,his ,kingdom and called her away4 ,it is indeed one of the heavy crosses that we are called upon to bear1 when the ,lord calls away from us the children whom ,he has given us4 ,only those parents who have passed through these said afflictions know anything of the pains and suffering4 ,i cried out1 8,oh1 ,lord4 ,i sink into the deep mire where no solid foundation is found4 ,i have come into the deep waters where the floods overflow me4 ,save me1 ,o1 ,god1 for the waters are overflowing my soul40 ,on ,december #c1 #aijb1 my devoted and loving son passed away4 ,he had lived a consecrated ,christian life4 ,he died at the age of twenty-one years4 ,he had taken a thorough course of training at ,lincoln ,university1 ,pa41 and had entered the ministry of the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,denomination4 ,he united with the ,conference at ,atlantic ,city and had been assigned to the charge at ,sea ,bright1 ,n4 ,j41 by ,bishop ,a4 ,grant4 ,he was a loving son1 fine scholar1 strong preacher1 and was beginning life with all the prospects of a great usefulness4 ,but the frost of death rested on him and he went to sleep from the labors of the earth4 ,but we are sure that he awakened in that bright and happy land where there is no death and that now he is engaged in a much larger and better service than any that he could have rendered here below4 ,i shall see him again4 ,we will soon meet to part no more4 ,we will soon talk together again and thank ,god1 with the assurance1 that father and son will never be parted4 ,on ,february #h1 #aijd1 my dear mother was called to the other home4 ,this was the woman who had done more for me than all on the earth besides4 ,she died at the age of ninety-two years4 ,this1 added to my other afflictions and to the weight of my labors1 seemed more than ,i could stand4 ,i had never realized what it was to be without a mother4 ,although at the age of sixty ,i was still a son4 ,i had never forgotten that the law of my life was that of obedience4 ,that it was my duty to honor my father and my mother4 ,so that my years had nothing to do with the intensity of my filial love and devotion4 ,i shall never forget her looks when dying1 with her eyes fixed on me1 she said1 8,do the work of the ministry as becomes a minister of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,see to it1 that no disgrace is brought on the cause which you represent by your unworthiness40 ,to my brother ,henry she said1 8,my work is done4 ,neither of you can do me any good4 ,be earnest and true to your trust1 and meet me in the morning where parting is no more40 ,then she sang with us3 8,guide me1 ,o ,thou ,great ,jehovah1 ,pilgrim through this barren land2 ,i am weak but ,thou art mighty1 ,hold me with ,thy powerful hand4 ,bread of ,heaven6 ,feed me till ,i want no more40 8,when ,i tread the verge of ,jordan1 ,bid my anxious fears subside4 ,death of death and ,hell's destruction1-- ,land me safe on ,canaan's side4 ,songs of ,praises1 ,i will give ,thee evermore40 ,then she left us4 ,and from that day until the day when ,i promised to meet her1 ,i will be lonely without her4 ,on ,september #bi1 #aije1 my youngest and last daughter fell asleep in the arms of ,jesus4 ,on the morning she left us ,i came to her bedside4 ,mrs4 ,jennie ,wise ,johnston1 wife of the editor1 ,dr4 ,h4 ,t4 ,johnson1 was sitting by her bedside holding her hand4 ,she was rubbing her hands as if she could rub the warmth of life into them4 ,the poor child cried out1 8,papa1 ,oh1 papa60 ,these were her last words1 she could say no more4 ,oh those words1 how they have rung in my ears and how the echoes have come to me out of eternity1 8,papa1 ,oh1 papa60 ,her mother had stepped into another room to weep4 ,i could not stand to see her die4 ,the cares and toils and sacrifices which ,i had made for her1 the love that had bound her to me1 the joys which she had brought into my life1--and now that ,grim ,death should be choking her--was more than ,i could bear4 ,i bowed my head and prayed and took the train for my appointment in ,jersey ,city4 ,when ,i arrived ,i was handed a telegram announcing that she had left us4 ,i took the next train and came home4 ,this daughter at the early age of twelve years1 like my other children1 had become a devoted ,christian4 ,her early piety was marked and deep4 ,she lived until she was twenty-seven years of age4 ,she had been a teacher in the public school1 ,mt4 ,vernon ,st41 ,camden1 for seven years1 a skilled musician and a competent ,sunday ,school worker4 ,in passing through all these afflictions1 ,i learned that it was a great deal easier for one to say what he would do under such circumstances than it was to do what one ought to do4 ,i had often said to many under the hand of affliction3 8,cast thy burden on the ,lord1 for ,he careth for you40 ,i had never learned what that little word1 8cast0 meant4 ,i found that it was no easy thing to cast my burden on the ,lord4 ,it was no easy thing to really say1 8,thy will be done1 not mine40 ,i would take these burdens to the ,lord1 but when ,i came away ,i would bring them with me4 ,ah6 ,there is the point1 ,i would bring them away with me6 ,this ,i should not have done1 but thank ,god1 ,i am becoming able to leave my burdens with ,him4 ,i am too old to carry them now4 ,and my dear reader1 if you in early life can learn to leave your burdens with the ,lord1 you will have won the victory of victories4 ,i know that these dear ones cannot come to me but ,i can go to them and it will not be long until ,i go4 ,at ,jersey ,city ,i entered upon my work with a fine body of workers associated with me4 ,bros4 ,a4 ,s4 ,taper1 ,w4 ,h4 ,dougherty1 ,j4 ,stokes1 ,edward ,holmes2 sisters1 ,hannah ,stokes1 ,mamie ,taper1 ,hattie ,dougherty1 ,louisa ,holmes1 ,anna ,burk1 ,annie ,dowers1 and a host of other workers were standing around me in this great field4 ,they did all that they could to make ,african ,methodism a strong fort of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ and were bent on having a building that would be an honor to the denomination4 ,a ,mr4 ,beach became very much interested in the work1 he was our trusted treasurer and gave of his own money and influenced others to help us4 ,i made my home with ,mr4 ,john ,smith and his wife4 ,they did a great deal to help the work along4 ,while here we paid #ejj on the church debt1 and left the lumber and brick for a new church on the lot which belonged to the church and added over one hundred members to the church4 ,on ,april #ab1 #aije1 ,i met the thirty-third session of the ,new ,jersey ,conference at the ,st4 ,james ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church1 ,atlantic ,city1 ,n4 ,j4 ,rev4 ,b4 ,w4 ,arnett1 ,d4,d41 ,,ll4,d41 was the presiding bishop4 ,the report of the presiding elders was indeed very encouraging1 showing that great revivals had been in the districts of the several presiding elders1 and that the church in all its departments of labor and enterprise had made encouraging advancement4 ,this ,conference as a great spiritual revival4 ,there was great rejoicing on every hand4 ,the secretaries brought in fine reports of their departments of work4 ,we were made to feel that the church was getting back on the solid ground of ,methodism1 the ,old ,time ,religion which our fathers enjoyed4 ,i sometimes think that in our church work we have so much machinery and so many schemes and plans1 and are so bent on the money or material side of the church and its life1 that we have lost our spiritual power4 ,we need a great change in this respect4 ,we must get back to the thought that ,god is our all in all and that they labor in vain who would build the house unless the ,lord ,himself build it4 ,during this meeting of the ,conference some valuable statistics were submitted on the ,race which ,i submit for careful study4 ,of course these will soon be supplanted by the ,u4 ,s4 ,census ,report1 but many will not have access to this report1 so ,i give them here3 ,the ,negro population of the ,u4 ,s4 in #aijj was #i1bjd1eca2 seventy per cent4 work on #gdf1jjj farms2 #ba1jjj carpenters2 #bj1jjj barbers1 and one-fourth as many doctors2 #aj1jjj ordained preachers2 #ae1jjj masons2 #ab1jjj dress makers2 #aj1jjj engineers2 #e1jjj shoemakers2 #a1jjj lawyers2 #d1jjj musicians2 #b1jjj actors2 since #ahij the illiteracy of the race has been reduced from #eg per cent4 to #dd4e per cent4 ,these reports mentioned ,mr4 ,roosevelt as standing shoulder to shoulder with the immortal ,lincoln as the friend of the ,race4 ,these facts and figures are a great inspiration to my people and ,i hope that they will be inspired to take fresh courage and go ahead in the great work and battle of life4 ,my only purpose in putting into print the record of my own life is to encourage the young men and women to do something more to help themselves4 ,the doors of great schools are now open to the young men of the ,race and if they do not improve their opportunities1 it is their own fault and their own loss4 ,the time has come when the people should not tolerate ignorance and its shames in any of the professions4 ,from a personal acquaintance1 ,i can most heartily recommend three great men who will do all in their power for the young ,colored men of this country--,rev4 ,isaac ,n4 ,rendall1 ,d4,d41 of ,lincoln ,university1 ,rev4 ,dr4 ,scarbourough1 of ,wilberforce ,university1 ,ohio1 and ,rev4 ,samuel ,g4 ,miller4 ,d4,d41 of the ,bible ,college1 of ,philadelphia1 ,pa4 ,these men have made their reputation and are among the great instructors of the ,race and they stand in readiness to do what they can for the young people of my ,race4 ,the three men mentioned stand for the higher education of the people4 ,they believe that what is good for the ,white man is equally good for the ,black man4 ,on the other hand1 if young men and women are seeking to be educated along practical lines1 ,i recommend them to the great institution at ,tuskegee1 ,ala41 ,dr4 ,booker ,t4 ,washington's school4 ,with these great men and the advantages which have been supplied by them1 no young person can have an excuse for not rising to a high degree of scholarship and efficiency in any line of work4 ,at the ,conference at ,long ,branch ,i was appointed at ,bordentown1 ,n4 ,j4 ,i had a pleasant reception here4 ,rev4 ,j4 ,h4 ,morgan was the retiring pastor4 ,he called on me and gave me some valuable advice as to the work4 ,i found that the church was divided by factions1 but under ,god's blessing these were united and all worked together in perfect harmony4 ,we painted and paid for the parsonage and considerable was paid on the church debt4 ,dr4 ,roundtree1 the ,presiding ,elder of this district1 was of great assistance to me in my work4 ,prof4 ,james ,gregory1 principal of the ,industrial ,school at this place1 an institution supported by the ,state of ,new ,jersey1 was also a very valuable aid in the work of the church4 ,he and his students were always present at the ,sunday services and helped very materially in all the work of the church4 ,illustration3 ,,rev4 ,j4 ,h4 ,,morgan ,former ,secretary of the ,new ,jersey ,annual ,conference ,when ,i went from ,jersey ,city to this place4 ,i was in poor health and this made the work much more difficult4 ,at last ,i was taken to the hospital and was there three months4 ,it was a fight between the forces of life and the forces of death1 but it was ,god's will that ,i should stay a while longer on the earth to do ,his work1 so ,i won out in the fight with death4 ,but ,i am glad to recount this experience2 after a close examination of myself1 ,i found that ,i was ready to die1 that ,i was really relying on the ,lord ,jesus ,christ for my salvation and that ,his will was indeed my will4 ,this was a great consolation4 ,in health we are sometimes not able to diagnose our spiritual condition1 but in extreme sickness1 when we are brought near to the valley of the shadow of death1 we are able to make note of our real spiritual state or condition and we are able to do so1 with the knowledge that we may soon feel the pangs of death4 ,during my stay in the hospital my friends were exceedingly good to me and my church at ,bordentown continued my salary4 ,surely ,god has blessed me with tried and true friends4 ,the best friend ,i had in all this affliction was my dear wife1 ,lulu4 ,she was with me constantly4 ,she seemed to suffer with me all my suffering4 ,how often ,i have seen in her face the sympathy and love that would have robbed me of every pain1 but she could not4 ,i cried out within myself1 8,glory and honor to such a wife60 ,the operation was a successful one in the sense that in this case the patient did not die4 ,in three months to the day from the time that ,i left my pulpit ,i was again in the pulpit ready to do valiant service for ,god and my people4 ,the next ,conference met at ,orange1 ,n4 ,j41 ,april #beth1 #aijg4 ,bishop ,wesley ,j4 ,gaines1 presided4 ,i was sent to the charge at ,haddonfield1 ,n4 ,j4 ,i was at this church two years4 ,a good work was done4 ,from this church ,i was stationed at the church at ,mt4 ,holly1 ,n4 ,j4 7,the ,mt4 ,moriah ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church74 ,we met a most pleasant and active band of workers at this place and did a good work for the ,lord4 ,at the ,conference which met at ,orange ,i had the pleasure of hearing the ,rev4 ,samuel ,g4 ,miller1 ,d4,d41 ,president of the ,bible ,educational ,association1 speak on the necessity of an educated ministry4 ,i was deeply impressed with his remarks and when he made it known that he was at the head of an institution in ,philadelphia where ministers regardless of their intellectual condition would be received and aided along educational lines1 ,i determined that ,i would visit the school and see what they were doing4 ,illustration3 ,,samuel ,g4 ,,miller1 ,d4,d4 ,my ,instructor in ,hebrew1 ,new ,testament ,greek1 ,theology1 etc41 ,bible ,college1 ,philadelphia1 ,pa4 ,not long afterward ,i went to the school and found ,dr4 ,miller at his post4 ,i told him that ,i was about seventy years old1 that ,i did not feel that it was worth while for me to undertake any course of study and that if ,i did ,i feared that ,i could not keep pace with the class4 ,he replied to me that age had nothing to do with a man's ability to study if he would apply himself--that the mind never grew old1 that it was immortal1 and that the only thing for me to do was to enter the school and get down to hard work4 ,i was both amused and astonished at his advice4 ,but ,i entered the school and took up those difficult studies4 ,new ,testament ,greek1 ,hebrew1 ,psychology1 and put in several hours a day on them4 ,i was astonished at my success4 ,i found that my memory came back to me and that ,i was really able to perform feats of memory4 ,i found that it became easier for me to acquire knowledge as ,i went along4 ,i remained in the college three years1 and am now able to read the ,bible in its original tongues and have taken the ,theological course4 ,and now in my seventy-third year1 ,i have done what ,i would loved to have done fifty years ago4 ,i have educated myself4 ,how strange the ,providence of ,god6 ,the ,southern people enslaved my people and caused me a great deal of my suffering1 but at the end or almost at the end of my earthly journey1 ,i met this godly ,southern man1 ,dr4 ,miller1 who has made a new man out of me along educational lines4 ,thank ,god1 ,he has ,his own children among the ,southern people as well as in the ,north4 ,and ,i believe that when the ,southern people realize what the ,negro is to them as well as what he has been1 that they will do wonders for the ,race4 ,at this very writing1 the white people of the ,state of ,south ,carolina are vying with the ,white people of ,north ,carolina1 as to which state has the best and most progressive class of ,colored people4 ,i thank ,god that ,i have gotten out of the briars4 ,i am greatly surprised that ,i have been able to fill the posts of duty and honor which have been assigned me in my life4 ,i have done what ,i could and the best ,i could4 ,on the battle field1 as chaplain in the state legislature1 as pastor1 as presiding elder1 as a high official in ,fraternal ,orders1 as an officer in the ,civil ,war1 as son1 husband1 father and friend4 ,i have tried to be faithful1 and ,i can truly repeat the words of dying ,king ,edward1 8,i tried to do my duty40 ,illustration ,the ,church2 ,what ,it ,is and ,what ,it ,should ,be4 ,i am aware of the fact that in writing my views of the ,church as it is and as it should be1 that ,i may and doubtlessly will1 run counter to the views of some of my brethren1 but ,i do not find that this is a valid reason for my not expressing my views on such an important subject4 ,i have served the ,church quite a number of years1 over forty years1 having given her the best part of my life1 and now that ,i am about to conclude my labors for her1 ,i feel that it is my duty to say those things which in my judgment will be for her highest welfare and the glory of her ,head1 ,jesus ,christ4 ,i4 ,the ,church as it is4 ,the study of present church life is a most intricate one4 ,we find that the ,church is hopelessly divided1 that is1 it seems hopelessly divided4 8,a house divided against itself cannot stand40 ,let it be understood that ,i am not talking or writing about any of these divisions1 or denominations4 ,i am speaking of that body of believers of every denomination or sect1 who belong to our ,christ4 ,they may be ,protestants or ,roman ,catholics2 they may be ,methodists1 ,presbyterians1 ,baptists1 ,episcopalians or ,quakers4 ,no one denomination can lay any claim to a monopoly of religion or of ,christianity1 and therefore cannot be considered alone4 #a4 ,the ,church today is shorn of much of its power by so many divisions4 ,there would be no objection to these myriad divisions if it were not for the fact that these divisions are more or less arrayed against one another4 ,if these divisions were articulated and harmonious like the divisions of a great army1 it would be a good thing1 but this is not so2 we are the ,church ,militant in a bad sense as well as in a good sense1 and alas the bad too often predominates4 ,we have frequently found one denomination fighting another denomination on doctrinal grounds2 we have found them proselyting2 we have found them trying to occupy the same territory1 and thereby wasting their strength2 we have seen them grow into bigotry and sectarianism and live the life of strife4 ,the evils which have followed such a condition have been an impoverished and struggling1 yes1 dying church2 a poorly paid and inefficient ministry2 a life largely robbed of its spirituality2 an organization which has become the laughing stock of the world4 ,we have found individual congregations following the example of their denominations4 ,all this is to be greatly deplored1 for it is contrary to the teachings and spirit of ,jesus ,christ4 #b4 ,the ,church today has become poisoned with politics4 ,political tricks and schemes1 political life and its power1 have gotten into the church and have wrought havoc4 ,we cannot reconcile this manner of directing the life and work of the ,church with the over ruling of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,some of the great meetings of our churches1 in their annual business sessions1 have become real worldly political gatherings having met in the name of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,they have turned the ,house of ,god into a den of politicians4 ,men high up in the authority and influence of the ,church1 have subverted this rank and power to their own selfish purposes4 ,they have sought to make the ,church a stepping stone to something better for themselves instead of making themselves a stepping stone for the betterment of the ,zion of ,god4 ,they have forgotten that they came not to be ministered unto1 but to minister2 not to be served with easy and lucrative positions1 but to serve in any sphere however humble4 ,money has been spent in vast sums for the procuring of high positions2 life has been wasted in a selfish attempt to save it2 the ,church has become corrupted and made sinful1 thereby driving the ,holy ,spirit away from its work and presence4 ,the ,church today is more or less disgraced by such political methods4 ,it stands depleted of much of its power4 ,it is following men instead of ,god1 instead of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the ,church cannot serve two masters4 #c4 ,the ,church today is largely under the power of the god of ,mammon4 ,it has forgotten the poor which it always has with it4 ,it has gone off after the well-to-do and rich classes4 ,it has greater respect for the man that comes into its doors dressed in goodly apparel than for the poor man in his rags4 ,in our cities the ,church is following the rich uptown4 ,great and grand buildings are standing idle1 and posted on their front is the sign1 8,for ,sale40 ,whereas the multitudes are living and surging all about these empty houses of ,god4 ,the great burden of the ,church today is not getting in souls1 but getting in dollars4 ,magnificent buildings are erected costing hundreds1 yes millions of dollars4 ,the members are compelled to pay for the costly structures4 ,we forget that the groves were ,god's first temples4 ,we forget that ,he was pleased to live in a tent with ,his people4 ,the ,church has gone money-mad4 ,the struggle of the pastor is to get his salary after the great and increasing expenses of the ,church have been met4 ,if he fails to accomplish this herculean task1 he must go4 ,by this course the masses of the people are driven away from the ,church4 ,only fifty per cent of the people of the ,united ,states attend the ,church1 and only thirty per cent are members of the ,church1 and one of the reasons1 if not the greatest1 is that they cannot afford to be members of the ,church4 ,the call on the ,sabbath ,day is money1 money1 money4 ,people sicken at the cry1 and turn away in utter disgust4 #d4 ,there is a growing formality in the ,church4 ,this formality is seen in the lives as well as the worship of the members of the ,church4 ,alas1 too many love the form of religion1 but they deny the power of it4 ,revivals are gotten up1 whereas they always come down4 ,we have never been able to get up a rain1 because it is nature that brings it down4 ,we can never get up a revival because the ,holy ,spirit brings it down1 so that there has crept into the ,church1 times1 and seasons and plans of man's making for revival purposes1 simply because the time has come for a revival and for no other purpose1 the revival is had4 ,what good can come out of such attempts8 ,revivals come through the operation of great spiritual laws1 and these laws must be obeyed by ,god's people1 or there can be no revival4 ,the modern evangelist has done much to bring about a stereotyped condition of the ,church4 ,he has his set methods of rousing the people2 he arranges for a revival in a certain church because it suits his convenience1 not looking to the special need of the church for such a service4 ,he is often inclined to depreciate the work of the pastor by his own methods and mannerism2 he sets in to do a certain amount of work2 so many souls must be converted2 so much money must be raised1 and he is on hand to have this work done1 and in this manner1 the whole work of revivals has been almost entirely discounted4 ,the work of the modern evangelist is unscriptural in that he is not doing it in the right place4 ,the pastorate is not the place for the evangelist4 ,he should go to those waste places where there is no pastor4 ,he belongs on the frontier1 and the pastor who is wise will not permit an evangelist to come into his church1 and do the work which he himself ought to do1 or some other pastor4 ,the ,church must get away from these man-made methods and plans2 these man-set times and occasions1 and must look to the ,holy ,spirit for direction in all these matters4 ,i wish it understood that ,i am pointing out some of the great weaknesses of the ,church to-day4 ,i have not forgotten that the ,church in every age has had its struggles2 ,i have not forgotten that the ,church is founded on the ,rock1 ,jesus ,christ1 and the walls of hell cannot prevail against her4 ,i have not forgotten that it is through the ,church that this lost world will be redeemed4 ,i have not forgotten that the ,church is the salt of the earth1 the light of the world1 the bride of ,christ4 ,in considering what the ,church should be we have but to go back to the ,bible in order to determine this question4 #a4 ,the ,church should be a body of believers in ,christ4 ,i mean by believers1 men and women who are practicing the teachings of ,christ4 ,if the life is not the result of the teachings of ,christ there is no faith behind it4 ,if a man says that he believes in ,christ1 and is not living the teachings of the ,master1 he is not a believer4 ,that there are many in the ,church who are not believers is therefore true1 because there are many who are not practicing the teachings of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 #b4 ,the ,church should return to its great mission of preaching the ,gospel4 ,almost everything else but the ,gospel is preached4 ,science1 literature1 biography1 philosophy1 mortality1 etc41 are the burden of the pulpit today4 ,as a consequence of this men and women are starving to death for the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ4 ,the doctrines of great fundamental principles of ,christianity should be preached4 ,if a man is not rooted and grounded in the principles of his faith1 how can he be strong1 how can he be useful8 ,a cry has gone out for a new religion4 ,we have too much now of the new religion4 ,it is a failure2 we must get more of the old religion1 or give up the ,gospelship to those who will be faithful to their trust4 ,god will make the change ,himself if we do not make it4 ,he took the light away from the ,jews because they were not faithful to their charge1 and ,he will take it away from us for the same reason4 ,what the world today needs is the ,bible1 and in order that it may receive the ,bible it must be preached in the pulpit and in the pew4 ,the pulpit is very weak today in this respect1 and hence the pew is weak4 ,we have a weak religion1 and unless we return to ,god's way1 it will grow weaker still4 ,this requires a thorough ,bible training on the part of the preacher4 ,the minister should know his ,bible1 and then he should preach it4 ,it demands great faith in the ,word of ,god1 and great courage to proclaim its saving truth4 ,a preacher is sent out into the world to tell it of sin1 ,satan1 self and hell4 ,he is commissioned to proclaim salvation from these things1 and to set before the people an upright1 godly life4 ,he is authorized to command that men everywhere shall repent of their sins and turn to ,god4 ,he must know the truth that he may preach it4 ,he must know the plan of salvation4 ,he must be one with ,god in knowledge and work4 ,the pulpit must control the pew1 and not the pew the pulpit4 #c4 ,the ,church must look after the poor4 ,this is not being done today4 ,in the ,church during the days of the ,hebrew nation there were no poor4 ,during the ,church in the early days of ,christianity1 the poor were well cared for4 ,there were not any that lacked4 ,the ,church should be going out after the poor instead of running away from them4 ,christ was constantly serving the poor4 ,he was with them all the time4 ,he shared their sufferings and bore their burdens4 ,the ,church to be true to ,him and true to itself must do the same thing4 ,our very judgment test will be found in the manner in which we treat the poor1 which are the representatives of ,christ on the earth4 8,i was hungry and ye gave me no meat40 ,read the twenty-fifth chapter of ,matthew and see what this test is4 ,suppose that the ,church today would be judged by this test1 where would it stand8 ,these are some of my views which ,i gladly put into this book hoping and praying that they will become an inspiration to many to get back to the ,bible2 back to the old time religion of our fathers2 back to the cross of ,jesus ,christ4 ,they are written in the greatest kindness but with the greatest earnestness4 ,they are written in no fault finding spirit1 but with the spirit of love and sympathy1 for ,i love the ,church more than my own life4 ,the ,negro ,problem ,it might be profitable to my readers1 after having sketched my life in the army1 to give some of my views pertaining to my race1 relative to the ,civil ,war and the time since then4 ,much is being said and written on the so-called ,negro ,problem4 ,why it has taken this name1 ,i have never been able to decide4 ,for when we examine into its intricacies1 we find that it is the ,white ,man's problem also4 ,and certainly it is true1 that if this problem is ever settled in this country on a proper basis1 it will be settled when the ,white and the ,colored people come together on some practical basis of agreement4 ,there are more than ten millions of ,colored people in this country and they are here to stay4 ,they have paid at least a part of the debt which they owe to the nation1 on the battlefield4 ,they have never shirked their duty in this respect and they never will4 ,soldiers during both the ,civil and the ,spanish-,american wars1 demonstrated the fact that they are patriotic to the core and that on the battlefield they are not afraid of the belching cannon4 ,they have done their duty in this regard4 ,and when we look into the history of the ,colored people since the ,civil ,war we are satisfied that the progress which has been made1 is a most satisfactory one4 ,it is acknowledged by some of the leading ,white men of the nation1 that the progress of the ,negro ,race since the ,rebellion has been unparalleled in history4 ,but that there is much to be done by my own people yet1 is evident4 ,we have just begun the work of our race4 ,a race that is not over fifty years old in the arts of civilization1 is but an infant in swaddling clothes4 ,we are to wait until he is able to walk and especially to work4 ,the ,negro ,race in this country has a most trying ordeal before it4 ,it is one of the most difficult of undertakings1 to work out our destiny in a land of such high civilization as that of this country4 ,while on the one hand it would seem an easier task in such a civilization1 because of the advantages which we have thrown about us2 on the other hand1 there are probably more disadvantages4 ,and why8 ,for the simple reason that the ,colored man comes out of the past without the centuries of training which the ,white man has4 ,he comes out of the past without any history4 ,he comes out of the past in a crude condition1 untrained and with the curse of slavery still resting on him4 ,it will take time for him to prepare himself to compete with the ,white man and compete he must6 ,the ,colored people must wake up to the fact that they have to pay for everything that they get in this country4 ,the mystic 8mule and forty acres10 promised by ,uncle ,sam1 has never been forthcoming4 ,and this is but an indication of any other mystic gifts that we might dream of in days to come4 ,it will be by the dint of hard labor1 that the ,colored man will rise and make his mark4 ,there are many features of this situation which we will be compelled to look into and many conditions which we must face1 as men4 ,i have often asked myself the question1 why is it that on our railroads and street car tracks1 there is such a lack of our working men8 ,we see thousands upon thousands of white men1 chiefly foreigners4 ,there was a time when the larger portion of railroad laborers was ,colored men4 ,there are two or three reasons for this which are obvious4 ,one is that the foreigner will work for a cheaper wage and will live on less than the ,colored man4 ,he is willing to undergo certain hardships and privations that the ,colored man does not undergo4 ,i am not willing to concede that he is a better workman than the ,colored man1 for the ,colored man has proven his ability as a laborer along every line of work4 ,another reason is that the ,white man may be more reliable4 ,he can be depended on with more certainty4 ,and at this point let me say that if the ,colored race is ever to take its place in the mart of trade1 it must become more reliable4 ,promises must be kept4 ,when a man agrees to work for six days in the week1 for a certain number of weeks1 he must stay his time out and do his work4 ,it is not a question of his disliking the work or the employer1 but the question of his fidelity to his trust4 ,for this reason1 that the ,colored man is not faithful to his promises1 he has been discounted in the field of manual labor4 ,the more important the job of the employer1 the more important the fidelity of the employee4 ,no employer wishes to undertake an extensive and costly piece of work and be dependent on a class of labor that may fail him at the place where he needs steady1 persistent work4 ,so he will1 in making his choice select that class of labor that will stick to him through thick and thin4 ,fidelity to a trust is one of the essentials of man and womanhood that must be cultivated among my people4 ,if ,i am correctly informed1 ,i understand that in our large cities1 our girls are not holding their own as house servants4 ,they are being set aside for the ,white girls and these for the most part are foreigners also4 ,here is a large and remunerative field that will be ultimately closed to our girls if they do not take hold of the situation and meet all competition4 ,surely it is due us1 if we make good1 to receive the labor that is being given out on every hand4 ,we were here before the foreigner and are the native laborers of the country4 ,and the country owes it to us to give our race the labor of the field1 of the trades and of the homes1 if we merit it4 ,i greatly fear1 however1 that we do not merit it4 ,we need more sterling worth among us4 ,the cities are becoming the great centers of my people and in these cities there is plenty to do4 ,the work is there4 ,it must be done4 ,my people must live4 ,they must have money to live4 ,they should get this money honestly1 and this means by work4 ,but suppose that the ,colored people of the cities1 both ,north and ,south1 fail in getting their portion of the work that is to be done1 how are they going to live8 ,that is the question4 ,and we are sure of this conclusion1 that if a man does not earn his bread by the sweat of his brow1 which is the ,divinely appointed way to earn it1 that he will be forced to earn it in some dishonorable manner4 ,he will be forced to become more or less a criminal4 ,he will become a menace rather than a benefit1 to the community in which he lives4 ,so that unless my people look to their own welfare in our cities there is an ever growing future of darkness for them4 ,i need not stop to tell of the unsanitary conditions in which they live4 ,these conditions are enough to deplete their living greatly every year4 ,i need not talk of the crowded tenement houses of the city where many persons of both sexes are frequently huddled into one room and many families into one house4 ,i need not tell of the bawdy houses1 the gambling dens and the saloons1 thickly scattered through the sections of the city where the ,colored people live4 ,it is enough to damn them all4 ,i need not tell of the growing criminal class among the ,negroes in the cities and of the recruits that flow in from the ,south every year4 ,i need not speak of the ,white and the ,black ,slave traffic among the young girls of both races4 ,the cities are the death centers of the ,negro race1 unless there is something radically done to overtake these conditions4 ,this1 of course1 is the dark side of the picture1 but ,i have not painted it as dark as it is4 ,it would be impossible to do this4 ,it might be profitable for my readers1 when they are in ,philadelphia1 to visit ,south street and its adjoining streets1 that they may see with their own eyes1 the signs of infamy1 idleness and debauch among my people4 ,you will find scores of young men there well dressed1 simply straggling about4 ,how do they live8 ,why are they not at work8 ,the dens of infamy hidden in houses answer to their vocations4 ,it would be well in our cities to have such municipal regulations that such loafers1 male or female1 could be arrested1 unless they could show that they were actually engaged in some legitimate work4 ,unless something of the kind is done in the cities1 they will become more and more the cess pools of sin and death1 and into these pools thousands upon thousands of my people will be thrown annually to sink to hell6 ,there is not only the obstacle of instability which my people must overcome in order that they may get and hold the place that they should have in the field of labor1 but the ,trades ,unions are rapidly closing up these fields against the ,colored laborers4 ,the basis of the opposition to the ,colored people is primarily the desire to eliminate him from the ordinary industrial lines of work that he will not be able to compete with the ,white man4 ,of course1 if he is not permitted to work there is no danger of competition4 ,this is the real cause of the opposition of ,labor ,unions to the ,colored laborer1 but this cause is hidden1 and the outward cause is1 because his skin is black4 ,they do not want to work by the side of the black man4 ,this1 however is but a good excuse in the mouth of the white man for it is accepted as satisfactory by the white employer4 ,an examination into labor conditions in our ,northern cities reveals a deplorable condition so far as the ,colored man is concerned4 ,he cannot get a job calling for the skilled artisan however skilled he may be4 ,the ,union will not permit him to win his bread by the sweat of his brow4 ,he cannot work because he is not allowed to work4 ,what is to be done for hundreds of laborers who are thus excluded from the fields of honest livelihood8 ,there is no likelihood that these avenues will ever be opened and unless he can find employment among his own people of what value is his skill as an artisan to him and of what use is the acquiring of such a training8 ,the only answer to this question is that the ,colored laborer must thoroughly prepare himself and be on the ground ready for action4 ,he must be patient4 ,he must be prepared to meet every objectional condition with manliness and kindness1 for the odds are against him4 ,there are many lessons that we have learned and there are many lessons yet to be learned4 ,new conditions in this most complex civilization must be met with the application of the principles of fidelity1 honesty1 industry1 and the like1 or we will never win for the race in this country4 ,another great need of my people is the ownership of their homes4 ,this makes the people1 citizens in the most realistic sense1 they pay taxes and have the right of representation on such basis4 ,they become independent4 ,they are then able to lay up some money4 ,they are prepared to enjoy life in its real and true sense4 ,they will command the respect of the ,white race and share with them the burdens of government in times of peace4 ,they become producers to some degree4 ,there cannot be said too much in favor of the gospel of ownership in this form of government4 ,it is our sheet-anchor of hope4 ,the money that is paid out annually for rent if invested through the right channels will in a few years pay for the rented house4 ,the time seems to be drawing closer when it will be more difficult for a ,colored man to buy good property4 ,there are many sections now in our cities from which the ,colored man is eliminated as a purchaser4 ,the rule is to confine him to certain undesirable sections of the city4 ,this can be overcome to some degree by the practice of economy and the purchase in the next few years of homes4 ,i wish it to be known that ,i am by no means a pessimist1 regarding my people4 ,the same ,god made my race that made the ,white race and ,he has a destiny for us and ,he is with us that we may reach that destiny4 ,but ,i realize that we have our own part to perform and that it must be done on the foundation of certain great principles which ,god ,himself has taught us in ,his ,book4 ,it is in recognition of these eternal laws that ,i speak1 these principles will stand forever and the people that puts them into daily practice1 will abide with the principles1 but the people who violate them must go down4 ,i am deeply interested in the education of the ministry of the race4 ,there are thousands of ,colored preachers whose education is sadly deficient4 ,they are really not capable of doing the work of ministry either in or out of the pulpit1 and yet they are leading millions of the people4 ,in a most peculiar sense the ,colored pastor is the leader of his flock4 ,the members of the church follow him and that too almost blindly4 ,they will condone his faults1 overlook his ignorance1 and receive what he says as 8,the law and the ,gospel40 ,that the people are disposed to this most kindly attitude toward their ministers is most praiseworthy1 but that in many cases the ministers are unworthy of such confidence is most lamentable4 ,it has been carefully estimated that only about ten per cent of the pastors who have been ordained are college men and that the average education of the ,colored minister is not above the seventh or eighth grade of the common school1 with practically no ,bible or ,theological training4 ,this is a sad state of affairs when we consider that the minister is the leader of the people4 ,and ,i am sorry to say that the disposition to improve themselves is not apparent on the part of many of these ministers4 ,they rather make pretensions and hide behind these pretensions1 they mask themselves behind the smattering of an education1 and think that they are passing for educated men2 but how sadly they are deceived4 ,how this condition is to be remedied is yet to be seen4 ,it is evident that the present system of ministerial education in vogue is not sufficient for the need4 ,out of over fifteen hundred young men who enter the ministry yearly1 only ten per cent are graduated in the ,theological course of all our schools4 ,the schools of the ,united ,states doing ,theological ,training for the ministry of the ,negro race are therefore not beginning to do the work4 ,i might mention in this connection that there is an organization which is beginning this work in the right manner1 ,the ,bible ,educational ,association1 with headquarters in ,philadelphia1 ,pa4 ,this is an association of ,bible colleges or schools4 ,these schools are located where they are needed and maintained by the ,association4 ,by the plan of this ,association schools can be established where the ministers are located as pastors and the advantages of this training is thereby brought to their very doors4 ,the ,bible ,college of ,philadelphia and the ,bible ,college of ,washington1 ,d4 ,c41 both schools of this ,association are doing a great work4 ,the ministers are being greatly benefited by taking the practical and helpful courses4 ,these schools train also young men for the ministry4 ,there is much more that ,i might say on this great subject of the ,negro ,problem1 but time and space will not allow4 ,whatever course may be pursued and plans adopted1 it must always be remembered that 8,they labor in vain1 except the ,lord build the house40 ,our plans are like the nests of mice1 the straw before the wind1 the dust in the gale1 they amount to nothing without ,god's co-operation4 ,and ,his co-operation cannot be had without our obedience to ,his laws and commands4 ,the people of this country of both races have much to learn of vital ,godliness4 ,the prejudice which exists in both races1 the hatred and antagonism engendered thereby1 the separation of the races in educational and religious matters1 are all parts of the condition which we are forced to face and in some manner to meet4 ,both races must know each other better4 ,they must recognize the rights and privileges of manhood and womanhood4 ,they must build promotion1 on merit and service1 on ability1 regardless of the color of the skin or previous condition of servitude4 ,all must become the followers of the ,meek and ,lowly ,christ1 and they will be brothers and our brothers' keepers4 ,there is no ,fatherhood of ,god and ,brotherhood of ,man1 excepting on this foundation4 ,whether ,i live to see it or not1 the ,negro problem will never be settled1 unless on this basis4 ,sermons ,acquaintance ,with ,god4 ,thus said the ,lord1 ,in this thou shalt know that ,i am the ,lord3 ,behold ,i will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters in the river and they shall be turned into blood4--,exodus #g3ag4 ,there are many perplexities which are not explained by philosophers4 ,men of scholarly renown have by no means been able to comprehend the mysteries of ,god4 ,in ,his ,omnipotence1 ,omniscience and ,omnipresence1 ,he enveloped ,moses1 the great law-giver1 but with ,his ,god4 ,the power that was to uphold ,moses was not inborn nor was it acquired1 but it was ,god4 ,the omnipresence1 the hand that was to guide him in all his earthly wanderings was not his own hand1 but the hand of his ,god4 ,so that whatever of success came to ,moses1 ,god would have ,moses as well as us1 to know1 that it came from the blessings of ,god and not through the wisdom or the efforts of man4 ,therefore1 let us render obedience to our ,god1 who has promised us1 that although the heavens and the earth pass away1 not one jot or tittle of ,his ,word or of ,his law1 shall in any wise pass1 until all be fulfilled4 ,we discover in the text the first great truth1 that ,god wishes us to know ,him4 ,the providences of ,god were manifested to ,moses through ,his dealings with him4 ,this is one of ,god's ways of making himself known to us4 ,but our eyes must be open to the fact that it is ,god who deals with us in our conditions and circumstances of life--yes1 it is ,god4 ,we may say that it is ,nature1 that it is ,law1 that it is ,force1 but herein are we blind1 for ,god says that 8,in this thou shalt know40 ,the doings of ,god are frequently through nature1 sometimes above nature1 as in the case of turning the water of the river into blood1 but we are to be able to see that it is ,god's hand that moves and ,god's voice that speaks4 ,if a man knows not ,god he will always attribute the doings of ,god in his life to some other cause or causes2 but if he know ,god1 he thus becomes better acquainted with ,god4 ,so in the case of ,moses1 ,god's promise was sufficient to allow him and the ,jewish people to accomplish results which were replete with honor and glory4 ,these pilgrims on their way to the ,promised ,land of ,canaan were full of faith and confidence in ,god1 they believed ,him1 they knew ,him4 ,he had promised them that ,he would bring them to this land that 8,flowed with milk and honey0 and nothing could turn ,him from the fulfilment of this promise2 no1 not even the sins of ,his people4 ,for did they not rebel against ,him and sin most grievously against ,him in the wilderness1 and yet did ,he not bring them into ,canaan8 8,behold ,i will smite the water of the river with the rod that is in mine hand and it shall be turned into blood40 ,the church is the receptacle of truth4 ,god has always committed ,his truth to ,his chosen people1 to the believers1 the church4 ,the church is devoted and consecrated in word and action to the glory and the service of ,god4 ,through it ,he has caused the light to shine in darkness1 ,his love to fall into our hearts1 the light of ,his knowledge and glory has appeared in the face of ,jesus ,christ1 ,his ,son1 who is the great ,head of the ,church4 ,god appeared to ,moses through ,jehovah1 the ,head of the ,church1 and it was upon the strong arm of ,jehovah that ,moses leaned and it is upon the same strong arm that we1 the church in this day1 also lean4 ,moses saw the fire in the ,burning ,bush and he heard the voice out of the ,bush4 ,he turned and saw that the ,bush was burning1 but that it was not consumed4 ,my brethren1 do you know that this ,burning ,bush of the desert is a type of the church8 ,it is the church passing through the fiery trials of this world1 the church burning on every hand with temptations1 troubles1 doubts1 distresses1 tribulations1 sufferings1 and yet she is not consumed4 ,so ,moses was taught at the very beginning of his ministry that ,god was in the church through the mediation of ,jesus ,christ and that things were made to work together for good to her4 ,thou1 the ,church1 shall know that ,i am the ,lord4 ,lofty cedars1 towering oaks1 bramble bushes1 the national capital1 the ,house of the ,lord1 all these may attract the multitudes of sight-seers1 but ,god's own people shall know that ,he is ,god and that there is no other ,god4 ,the text also teaches us that4 ,,ii4 ,god is prompt in the keeping of ,his promises4 ,wherever two or three of ,god's servants are gathered together in ,his name1 ,god is in the midst of them to do all that ,he has promised4 ,he is prompt to keep ,his word4 ,he rides upon the wings of the wind and upon the wings of angels and upon the lightning1 that ,he may meet all ,his engagements4 ,we see ,him in the return of ,his prodigals4 ,we see ,him every where1 keeping faith1 doing ,his will1 fulfilling ,his promises4 ,he is the omnipresent ,god6 ,because of ,his promptness ,his people are always able to confide in ,him4 ,god is prompt in sustaining the physical needs of the universe4 ,it is worth our while to look into ,god's storehouse to see how ,he has filled it with food for the flying fowl1 the fish of the sea1 the beast of the field1 and man1 the ,lord of the earth4 ,food and fuel1 light and heat1 air and water1 soil and seed1 wind and rain1 snow and frost1 these are the agents of ,his prompt action as the ,father of the ,universe4 ,prove me now herewith1 saith the ,lord1 and see if ,i will not open the windows of heaven and pour you out such a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it4 7,mal4 #aa3a-aa47 ,god is as prompt in sustaining the needs of man's soul4 ,he was with our forefathers1 ,he was with ,abraham1 ,isaac and ,jacob1 ,he was with ,noah1 ,he was with ,enoch1 ,he was with ,abel1 ,he was with our first parents1 ,adam and ,eve1 all these in their experiences and lives attested the fact that ,god saved them and saved them at the right time4 ,he gave them ,his own salvation and not the salvation of another4 ,all the ,saints of the ages have depended on ,god's promptness to do what he promised ,he would do4 ,there is not an instance in the history of ,his people or in our own experience1 if we interpret ,his dealing aright1 where ,he has not promptly kept ,his word of promise4 ,every child of ,god has his spiritual battles to fight4 ,but depending on ,god with the musket of ,his grace he will rout the enemy4 ,satan in all his hellish rage is not able to overthrow the bulwarks of the church behind which the believer stands to destroy the forces of evil4 ,god was prompt in striking the sea and ,his people were prompt in crossing4 ,he was prompt in leading ,his armies and they were prompt in winning the victories4 ,jehovah is prompt in aiding ,his own and ,his own are quick in winning the land of spiritual freedom4 ,the river was turned into blood and all the waters of ,egypt were instantly changed into blood4 ,but ,god's river is a river of the water of life4 ,consider1 my brethren1 these great types of the ,bible--these rivers of blood1 these rivers of water1 these rivers of life6 ,god stands with ,his rod stretched over every river2 your sins1 your wickedness1 may turn the waters of life into the blood of death2 which1 what1 shall it be8 ,god says to you and hear ye ,his voice1 8,come now let us reason together1 your sins though they be as scarlet1 ,i will make them like snow1 though they be red like crimson1 ,i will make them like wool40 ,none1 my friends1 but ,god can work these changes4 ,the church is moving on with the march of the centuries4 ,she is grandly marching on6 ,moses has gone1 ,joshua has gone1 the prophets have gone1 the apostles have gone1 the saints of the ,christian era have gone1 and we are passing on1 but ,god is with us and ,he is prompt in keeping ,his word4 8,on the other side of ,jordan1 in the sweet fields of ,eden1 ,where the ,tree of ,life is blooming1 there is rest for you40 ,,iii4 ,the text teaches us that the river1 turned into blood1 is the ,type of ,christ4 ,jehovah1 or ,jesus1 in ,egypt1 turned the water into blood2 ,jehovah1 or ,jesus1 in ,canaan1 in the country of ,galilee1 turned the water into wine4 8,the blood of ,christ cleanseth us from all sin40 ,the wine of the ,communion ,table is the symbol of ,his blood4 ,in these last days ,god has spoken to us in the person of ,his ,son4 ,in ,him was life1 and the life was the light of men4 ,he came into our own flesh and blood and dwelt among us and we beheld ,his glory1 the glory as of the only begotten of the ,father4 8,our life is hid with ,christ1 in ,god40 ,these are most wonderful words6 ,but let us remember that the rivers of blood in ,egypt did not change the heart of ,pharaoh1 neither did they change the hearts of the ,egyptians4 ,the blood of ,christ has been shed but it is of no avail to them that will not accept its saving power4 ,christ died for all but are all saved8 ,how many are saved8 ,are you saved8 ,if so1 why8 ,oh1 my friends1 it is the blood of ,christ that availeth all things with ,god4 8,what can save my soul from sin8 ,nothing but the blood of ,jesus40 8,unto us a child is born1 unto us a son is given4 ,he is the wonderful ,counselor1 the mighty ,god1 the ,prince of ,peace1 the ,everlasting ,father40 ,just as ,pharaoh and his hosts were strewn in death upon the sands of the sea1 so ,satan and his hosts will be strewn upon the land of time4 ,christ is our mighty ,captain4 ,he has led ,his battle strong1 through the ages of the past and on through the ages of time to come4 ,he will lead to victory4 ,his blood is all-availing with ,god and ,god is the ruler of the universe4 ,it is for ,christ's sake that ,god hears and answers our prayers4 ,it is for ,christ's sake that ,he saves our souls4 ,it is for ,christ's sake that ,he will make us kings and priests to rule and reign with ,him forever4 ,it is for ,christ's sake that ,he has prepared for us the ,canaan that lies beyond the ,jordan of ,death and it is for ,christ's sake that ,he is with us today4 ,and after while we will sing1 8,yea1 though ,i walk through the valley of the shadow of death1 ,i will fear no evil1 for ,thou 7,christ7 art with me1 thy rod and thy staff1 they comfort me40 8,thus said the ,lord1 in this thou shalt know that ,i am the ,lord3 ,behold ,i will smite with the rod in mine hand upon the waters of the river and they shall be turned into blood40 ,god grant to bless every soul here to-day with the blessed words of this text4 ,the ,intercession of ,christ4 8,he ever liveth to make intercession for them40--,hebrews #h3be4 ,christ had completed ,his work on the earth4 ,he had kept the faith1 fulfilled the law1 and suffered its penalty in ,his death4 ,his work1 therefore1 so far as the earthly conditions and needs were concerned1 was completed4 ,he did this work1 it must be remembered1 not on his own account or for himself1 but on your account and for you4 ,he was acting in the capacity of a representative while on the earth1 so that when his life in the flesh had been finished1 it might become your life and my life1 through faith4 ,we are told by the apostle that after this1 i4 e41 8,he had finished ,his work here1 ,he was believed on in the world1 justified in the spirit1 seen of angels1 received into glory where ,he ever liveth to make intercession for us40 ,we notice that this passage teaches us1 that ,i4 ,christ was absolutely free from selfishness4 8,greater love hath no man than this that he lay down his life for his friends40 ,yes1 there is a greater love1 for ,christ laid down his life for ,his enemies4 ,study the life of ,christ as ,he lived here below1 see how free ,he was from the selfish taint of sin which lurks in our natures1 and alas1 too frequently is the ruling passions of our lives4 ,with ,christ1 others were first in consideration and in service2 but with us1 we are the first to be considered and served and others must wait2 then if there is opportunity or time they will be considered and served4 ,christ opened the gate of righteousness and the way that leads to life4 ,this cost ,him his own life1 the price of it was not only the suffering and labors of life1 but the pangs of the physical1 and the eternal pains of the spiritual1 death2 for you must know that ,christ tasted the death for every man4 ,we can have no conception of what death meant to ,him and yet ,he went down to death willingly for you and for me4 ,what are we doing that we may become human saviours of men1 that we too may suffer and labor for others1 that we may die that through our death others may live8 ,these are vital questions if you and ,i are to be known as ,his humble followers2 if you and ,i are to share ,his glory with ,him1 we must also be with ,him in ,his sufferings and death4 8,enter in at the strait gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to death1 but strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth to life2 many there be that go in at the former gate of death1 but few find the strait gate of life40 ,,ii4 ,the purpose of ,christ's life and death1 was that ,he might be able to give life unto others4 8,father1 the hour is come4 ,glorify thy son that thy son also may glorify thee4 ,as thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him40 ,john #ah3a1 #b4 ,we read that 8,to as many as received him1 to them gave ,he power to become the sons or the children of ,god40 ,it is interesting to notice that the word translated 8power0 here1 means a great deal more than power or authority4 ,it has a germinal meaning and has reference to life4 ,the idea is that ,christ plants in us the seed of eternal life and it grows and takes root in the heart and life of every believer and they thereby become the children of ,god4 ,there is therefore the germ of eternal life just as there is the germ of physical or mortal life4 ,the only purpose which ,christ had in coming into human flesh was that ,he might be able thereby to plant in human nature the seed of everlasting life1 which sin had prevented from bearing fruit4 ,so ,he became one of us1 bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh1 our very brother4 ,the very life which ,he lived in the flesh is the pattern for our lives4 ,he is our example in thought1 word1 and action4 ,we are to live ,his life by letting ,christ live in us4 ,as ,paul said regarding sin1 8,it is not ,i but sin that dwelleth in me10 so he also said that ,christ dwelt in him and we know that ,christ dwelleth in us and that through ,him we can do all things4 ,we are very prone to think always of ,christ's ,divinity and to seek to explain ,his life on this basis1 this is a great mistake4 ,we are to look on ,christ as also human1 a real man3 ,his trials and temptations real2 ,his limitations as a man1 real2 ,his knowledge and experience as a man1 real4 ,such reflections as these bring ,him very near to us and become a great inspiration to us in that they make ,his ideal life1 a real life2 hence ,his ideal human life becomes to us a real human life4 8,he came that we might have life and that we might have it more abundant40 ,our life1 that is our ,christ-life1 may become abundant in its power1 in its light1 in its fruits1 if we will walk and talk with ,jesus daily4 ,he is the vine and we are the branches4 ,but in order that the branches may live and bear fruit1 they must abide in the vine4 ,jesus taught us that if we obeyed ,him1 we were abiding in ,him4 ,obedience therefore is the vital union between us and ,christ1 the ,vine4 ,disobedience is the cutting of the branch off from the vine and the branch dies4 ,this leads us to another great fact in the text1 namely that ,,iii4 ,christ is now engaged in making intercession for us at ,god's throne4 ,his work on earth is finished1 but in ,heaven1 ,he is still engaged in our behalf4 ,the priest of the ,mosaic ,dispensation1 made intercession for the people4 ,he offered sacrifice for them and then he entered into the temple1 the ,holy of ,holies1 once a year1 in the person of the ,high ,priest and prayed for the people4 ,but this priest was a sinner like the people4 ,he had to first offer sacrifice for himself then for the people4 ,he has passed away4 ,the earthly priesthood1 in the ,mosaic sense1 is no more4 ,this priest was but a type of ,christ4 ,christ is the great anti-type4 ,christ offered ,his sacrifice also1 which was ,his own life4 ,he made no sacrifice for himself1 for ,he was without sin1 but ,he made sacrifice for the people4 ,now ,he has entered into the temple on ,high1 into the ,holy of ,holies1 where ,he stands to plead for you and for me4 ,intercession here1 means that ,christ is our ,advocate at the throne of ,god4 ,he is our lawyer in the supreme court of ,god4 ,he represents us4 ,he pleads our case1 ,he defends our cause4 ,there is nothing that takes place in our lives that ,he does not take note of1 there is no sin that passes without ,his taking account of it1 there is no thought1 or word1 or deed1 that is not entered in the book of ,his ,remembrance4 ,he must keep an accurate account of our lives1 for ,he represents us at the ,great ,white ,throne4 ,how wonderful is this thought and how inspiring6 ,let us therefore make our intercessions to ,him that ,he may take up our prayers and in ,his own ,heavenly language1 present them to our ,heavenly ,father4 ,christ ,glorified in ,his ,word4 8,let the word of ,christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom40--,col4 #c3af4 ,it is well nigh impossible for us to understand the power of a word4 ,we read that in the beginning ,god said1 8,let there be light10 these were the words or the ,word4 ,who can tell the wisdom and the power that dwelt in that word or command8 ,we are not able even now to measure the magnificent result1 but we read1 8,and there was light40 ,christ stood at the sealed tomb and said4 8,lazarus1 come forth40 ,this was the word or the command4 ,it is not in the power of the human mind to comprehend the meaning1 the power and the wisdom of this word1 but we see the effect1 8,and ,lazarus1 came forth40 ,we take the ,bible in its entirety and call it the ,word of ,god1 the ,word of ,christ4 ,so that in the unfolding of the text1 we wish you to note that3 ,i4 ,the entire ,scriptures1 from ,genesis to ,revelation1 is the ,word of ,christ4 ,we must not look on the ,bible as composed of parts when we make it1 8,the man of our counsel10 the guide of our life4 ,the entire book is the guide1 the man1 the law1 the ,gospel4 ,there is a disposition of many ,christians to attach more importance to one part of the ,bible than another part4 ,this is wrong and it leads to evil in our lives4 ,every part of the ,bible belongs to the entire book1 it cannot be detached1 it must not be rendered less important than some other part1 for it was all written for our instruction and edification4 ,so ,i would have you understand that the ,bible itself in its entirety1 is the ,word of ,christ1 in the text1 ,christ is the light and the glory of every page of its history1 prophecy1 precept1 promise1 poetry1 philosophy and practice4 ,human reason1 effort and energy are too weak to have reached ,heaven and brought down to us the riches of the ,word of ,god4 ,no man hath come down from ,heaven to tell us of the wonders of the spiritual life1 but the man1 ,christ ,jesus4 ,he is the pearl of priceless value1 which we are to find hidden in this ,word4 ,let the ,word of ,christ reign in you when your greatest interests are at stake1 when your strongest passions are raging1 and ,he will guide you into all truth and grace1 and you will sing1 8,glory to ,god in the highest1 ,peace on earth1 ,good will to men40 ,the ,bible is the ,word of ,christ1 because ,he is the ,author4 ,he is the ,jehovah of the ,old ,testament1 and the ,jesus of the ,new ,testament4 ,he spake to the ,prophets as well as to the ,apostles4 ,he was in that beginning which was before time1 when ,he is called the ,word of ,god1 when ,he was associated with ,god1 and when ,he was ,god1 and ,he was also in that beginning which marks the first moment1 the first hour1 the first day of time1 when all things were made by ,him and without ,him was nothing made which was made4 ,he is known as the ,lamb which was slain from the foundation of the world1 the everlasting ,prince1 the ,holy ,one4 ,as the ,word of ,god1 ,christ is the great and only revealer of ,god and ,his revelation or revelations are the ,bible1 the ,scriptures1 the ,word of ,god4 ,we are exhorted therefore to see that great company which doth encompass us about and which looks down upon us1 filled with ,god's wisdom and power1 because the word of ,christ dwells richly in us4 ,we are to look to ,jesus as not only the author of ,his own ,word1 but also through this word1 as the author and finisher of our faith1 or religion4 ,this word must dwell richly in the heart that the believer may be able to glorify ,god and to strive for that faith which is steadfast and immovable1 for let us remember that faith cometh by hearing1 and hearing by the word of ,god4 ,just as ,christ appeared to ,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,jacob and ,moses1 to whom ,he said1 8,i will be thy mouth10 so ,he appears today to every believer1 in ,his ,word4 ,all these holy men of old spake as they were moved by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the ,holy ,spirit takes the things of ,god and of ,christ1 and tells them to us in words4 ,he gives us ,god's and ,christ's words4 ,when ,joshua prayed that the sun might stand still1 the sun in his fiery course stood still4 ,why8 ,because it was the word of ,god in ,joshua which commanded the sun to stand still4 ,i pray ,god1 my brethren1 that you may be filled richly with the word of ,god in all wisdom1 that your own hearts may be filled with all spiritual blessing2 that the wickedness which is flooding the country in hellish rage1 may be stopped2 that sinners may be brought to repentance2 that the church may triumph most gloriously1 and that the whole earth may be filled with righteousness as the waters cover the deep4 ,we need today another ,pentecost1 when thousands shall be converted to ,god1 and that time will come just as soon as ,god's disciples are filled with the word of ,god4 ,,ii4 ,the ,word of ,christ ,dwelling in ,us is ,our ,strength4 ,the ,word reveals to us the saving power of ,god4 ,paul said1 8,i am not ashamed of the ,gospel of ,christ1 for it is the power of ,god unto salvation40 ,yes1 it is the power of ,god unto salvation1 that is the thought that you should take hold of4 ,we need power1 strength1 in this world of weakness and sin1 and we can get this power only by letting the ,word of ,christ1 dwell in us richly4 ,the ,word of ,christ dwelling in us will take us out of ourselves1 teach us that labor1 learning1 house-hold duties1 supporting our families1 being punctual to our duties in the church1 avoiding quick tempers and unkind words1 constitute the religion of ,jesus ,christ which we are to live4 ,we must therefore be1 8,doers of the ,word and not hearers only40 ,we must hear the ,word on the ,sabbath and do it every day of the week4 ,we are to look into the perfect law of liberty that we may know what manner of persons we are1 and to continue to look into this law1 lest when we know1 we should forget what manner of persons we are4 8,pure and undefiled religion before ,god the ,father is this1 that we should visit the widow and the fatherless in their affliction and keep ourselves unspotted from the world40 ,to do all these things1 my brethren1 the ,word of ,god must dwell richly in you1 in wisdom1 or there will not be enough strength in you to live this ,christ-like life4 ,his word is strength1 because ,christ dwells in ,his word1 and if ,his word dwells in you1 you will have the strength of ,christ in you4 ,see what ,christ is1 ,he is life and immortality1 ,he gives repentance and remission of sins1 ,he is the bread that cometh down from ,heaven1 ,his blood cleanseth from all sin1 ,he saves1 and ,he does all these things in and through ,his word4 ,is that word in you8 ,lean on ,him in ,his word1 and ,he will give you daily strength1 and guide you into all blessing1 ,he will give you eternal life here and hereafter4 ,,iii4 ,his ,word ,reveals to us the ,plan of ,salvation4 ,we would know nothing of the ,saviour1 nor of the sinner except through ,his word4 ,he came to seek and to save that which was lost4 ,yes1 it was lost1 the soul of man4 ,what we know of sin1 of ,satan1 of hell1 of heaven1 of repentance1 of faith1 of justification1 of sanctification1 of glorification1 we know through ,his word1 and whatever we shall experience of these blessings1 we shall experience through ,his word4 8,i am ,alpha and ,omega1 the beginning and the end1 the first and the last1 which is and was and is to come40 ,we must be saved through ,his word4 ,job said1 8,i know that my ,redeemer liveth1 and that ,i shall stand upon the earth at the latter days and though after my skin worms destroy this body1 yet in my flesh will ,i see ,god whom mine eyes shall see for myself and not another40 ,how did ,job get this knowledge8 ,it was through the ,word of ,god1 doubtless spoken to him4 ,and whatever we know of salvation1 of sin1 or of the resurrection of the dead1 of ,heaven and hell1 of eternity1 of immortality1 we must get it out of the ,word of ,christ4 ,i exhort you1 therefore1 my dear brethren1 to have the ,word of ,christ dwelling in you richly in wisdom2 study it daily1 commit it to memory1 put it into practice every hour1 turn its precepts into practice1 and you will rejoice in its power to redeem you from your sins1 and to fill your hearts with power1 joy and peace4 ,amen4 ,where ,is ,your ,tent8 8,and ,isaac departed and pitched his tent in the valley of ,gerar and dwelt there40--,gen4 #bf3ag4 ,our text is found in connection with a paragraph of peculiar weight and sublimity4 ,the ,israelites in all their wanderings had a high regard for the ,levites4 ,they formed the tribe of ,levi1 which filled a most important place in the life of the ,israelites4 ,the entire nation and government was permeated with their influence4 ,they were the officers and teachers in the synagogue1 or ,tabernacle4 ,the ,tabernacle was the center of ,hebrew life4 ,all the encampments of the ,israelites was made around the ,tabernacle4 ,this tent was ,god's dwelling place1 and whither the ,israelites moved1 they followed the ,tabernacle1 it was not only their guide but their guard4 ,when on the march they carried it with them1 and when they were at rest they set it up4 ,it is worthy of note that the ,israelites always had a high regard for their women4 ,these women were thoroughly identified with the history of this people1 and often filled prominent positions4 ,the influence and power of the ,israelitish women is well worth careful study that we may learn some valuable lessons therefrom4 ,miriam was very closely associated with ,moses and ,aaron4 ,deborah was a mighty leader of her people4 ,there were many prophetesses such as ,anna at the temple4 ,the wives of such men as ,abraham1 ,isaac and ,jacob exerted a great influence over these men1 for they were women of fine judgment1 and highly developed religious characters4 ,the wife of ,abraham was always with him for 8better or worse10 through good and evil report4 ,she was faithful and efficient as his life-companion4 ,she did not live with him for ornament or social distinction1 but for what she could contribute to his happiness and success4 ,she made her life1 his life2 her destiny1 his destiny4 ,on this occasion of your anniversary1 ,i take this opportunity to call your attention to the direction in which you are pitching your tent4 ,we cannot stand still4 ,we choose the place of our tent today1 and we will have to choose the place where we will pitch it tomorrow4 ,whither are you going and where are you to pitch your tent8 ,how important these questions4 ,you are here tonight1 with your tears and affection1 your sympathy and smiles1 not for show1 but that you might hear the ,gospel1 and let the world know that you are moving in the right direction1 and that your tent will be pitched nearer ,heaven4 ,you are here1 as wives and mothers and sisters1 to do your part by the men whom ,god has placed you with1 and to do your part by the children whom ,he has given you4 ,this is what the ,gospel teaches and your works and teachings1 your by-laws and ,christian characters1 as a noble band of workers1 all prove that you are pitched tonight about the ,tabernacle of ,god1 and that when ,his tent moves you will follow it4 ,moses tells us that at the commandment of the ,lord the ,israelites marched1 and at the commandment of the ,lord1 they pitched their tents4 ,the cloud of ,his presence was a shadow by the day and a light by night4 ,they were safe with this ,divine ,leadership4 ,in the same way ,he deals with us4 ,he is still present1 although not in the visible cloud1 to shade us and give us light1 but ,he is present in and through ,jesus ,christ who dwells in our midst4 ,he will look after you1 mothers and sisters1 who with tenderness and care will lead our girls and young women away from the dens of vice and sin1 from brothels of debauchery and licentiousness1 into the paths of virtue and holiness4 ,you will teach them those lessons of dignity and character1 and teach them the spirit and works of our blessed religion1 which will bring them unto ,god and make them wise unto salvation4 8,isaac pitched his tent in the valley of ,gerar and dwelt there40 ,he had a reason for so doing4 ,we find that a jealousy had sprung up between ,abimelek1 the ,philistines1 and ,isaac and his followers4 ,they could no longer remain near neighbors4 ,the ,philistines had filled the wells which ,abraham had dug in his day1 and in many other ways they were annoying the righteous heart of ,isaac4 ,so there are jealousies today that spring up among ,god's people1 and they cause a great deal of trouble4 ,these troubles must be settled in some way1 and the example of ,isaac is now and always before us4 ,you will not wait to carry out the purposes of such evil passions1 but will cause your heart-tent to be pitched in another direction4 ,you have adopted the ,lily for your name4 ,it grows in the valley4 ,it is the symbol of ,christ4 ,it represents beauty and purity4 ,christ taught us1 consider the lilies1 how they grow2 they grew in their loveliness under the sunshine and showers which ,god sent them4 ,they fulfilled their mission4 ,the ,master told us that ,solomon1 in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these simple little flowers1 and so it was1 the heart may be so arrayed1 but not the body4 ,the lily is an emblem of the purity of ,god ,himself4 ,you have chosen this name4 8,the lilies of the valley10 as your name and title1 and it should make you as the hand-maidens of the ,lord1 tender1 pure1 strong1 noble1 ,christ-like2 no anger1 jealousy1 hatred1 and like passions should be permitted to dwell in your hearts for one moment1 and my advice to all the members present1 is that you should go into this or some other similar society1 for these dear sisters have pitched their tents in the valley of ,christianity1 and not only that1 but thank ,god1 they are dwelling there4 ,yes1 they have pitched their tent in the valley among the lilies4 ,they are humble and meek4 ,they are willing to do the little things for ,god and humanity4 ,they are willing to be his humblest servants4 ,they have planted the lilies in their hearts4 ,they are living like the lilies1 ,i trust4 ,i compliment and congratulate you for the splendid work which you have done during the year just closed4 ,your faith is proven by your works1 and your works are the fruit of the ,tree of ,life4 ,we shall know the tree by its fruits4 ,you are devoting your time and energies to ,god along new lines of thought and service1 and new fields of usefulness are opening up before you4 ,it is always the case when ,god's children are earnestly seeking to do his will1 ,he will lead them into greater fields of usefulness4 ,i bid you ,godspeed4 ,the army of ,god is hard on the march4 ,there are many trials and tribulations1 but ,god is our ,captain1 and ,he will lead us to grand victories4 ,abimelek and the ,philistines have gone to their place4 ,moses1 the servant of ,god1 was succeeded by ,joshua1 and ,joshua1 by another as leader1 and so ,god has been marching with ,his people through all the ages1 leading them from one victory to another1 into the very land of ,promise1 on the other side of ,jordan4 ,study the history of ,god's people1 follow the example of these illustrious leaders1 do not fear1 do not fret1 but ever march along the ,highway of the ,king4 ,ever take the name of ,jesus with you4 ,pitch your tent always in the valley of ,christianity and toward ,heaven4 ,always dwell in the right place1 and move in the right direction1 and at last you will wear the white robe of the righteousness of ,jesus ,christ your ,lord4 ,let this passage of ,scripture be closely inscribed on your hearts1 and ,grace be unto you from ,him who was and is and is to come4 8,unto ,him who hath loved us and washed us in ,his blood1 and made us kings and priests1 unto ,god the ,father1 to ,him be glory and dominion now and forevermore4 ,amen40 ,christ's ,ascension4 8,and it came to pass while he blessed them he was parted from them and carried into heaven40--,luke #ae3ea4 ,the coming of the ,lord to the nations of the earth was not that ,he might advertise ,himself as a candidate for some high office among the nations1 or in the nation to which he belonged4 ,he came not as the ,jews expected ,him1 for they were looking for some temporal ruler who would re-establish their temporal kingdom on the earth4 ,their idea was that some man would come and sit on the throne of ,david4 ,their dream was that the ,hebrew people would be formed into the most powerful nation on the earth1 and that in some mysterious1 some mystic way1 this great feat would be accomplished4 ,god's own chosen people at that time had practically no spiritual conception of what the ,kingdom of ,god meant4 ,the disciples of ,christ most frequently misconstrued ,his teachings on this subject4 ,the case of ,nicodemus is an illustrious example of the spiritual misconception of the ,jews4 ,christ came on a special mission1 the saving of the lost1 the saving of man4 ,he is therefore represented as the ,lamb that taketh away the sin of the world4 ,when ,john1 the ,baptist1 saw ,him coming towards him1 walking on the shore of the river ,jordan1 he exclaimed1 8,behold1 the ,lamb of ,god that taketh away the sin of the world40 ,this spiritual work of ,christ is unchanged4 ,he will rule until the kingdoms of this world1 become the kingdom of ,god4 8,he came unto ,his own and ,his own received him not10 we read1 because ,he did not come doing the temporal work which they expected ,him to do1 but ,he came unto ,his own1 and in a grand sense it was through this coming1 that the world has received a true conception of this ,kingdom1 and millions of hearts have experienced this ,kingdom set up in these hearts4 ,the ,kingdom of ,god is within you1 and as heaven1 it will work in and through you1 until you are entirely made spiritual4 ,christ has ever been the ,light of the ,word4 ,he inspired our ,pilgrim ,fathers2 ,he was the friend of the poor ,samaritans2 ,he sought and saved the needy1 poor and sinning of ,his day4 ,indeed1 the human founders of ,his ,kingdom on the earth were the ignorant fishermen of ,galilee4 ,the law came through ,moses1 but grace and truth by ,jesus ,christ4 ,his presence1 ,his revelation1 ,his manifestation1 ,his power1 ,his goodness1 thrilled the angels when they sang1 8,glory to ,god in the highest1 on earth peace1 good-will to men40 ,we are here to laud and to praise ,him1 and to say as the ,scriptures say1 8,blessed is the womb that bare thee and the paps that gave thee suck40 ,sir ,knights1 we congratulate you on this noble spirit of acknowledging the ascension of ,jesus ,christ4 ,we are here not to talk about the mystic ties which bind you together as a noble band of brothers1 but to honor and glorify ,him who rose from the dead that our life and immortality might be brought to light4 ,you have come from your asylum to this tabernacle that you may pay tribute to this ascension1 the ascension day of the ,king of ,kings4 ,as ,christ climbed the rugged hill of ,calvary that ,he might set the captives free so we have climbed1 as weary pilgrims1 the holy mount of privilege that we might view the landscape o'er of our liberty on this and that side of ,jordan4 ,let us raise our banners and wield our swords for the defense of our country1 and our helpless women and children4 ,let us be valiant soldiers not only of our own teaching as knights1 but also of the ,cross of ,jesus ,christ4 ,we can know but one real captain2 we can follow but one real leader2 we can march in but one army2 we can have but one victory2 these are all in the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,when ,jesus arose from the dead1 ,he met ,his disciples and blessed them1 and having completed ,his mission on earth1 ,he went on ,high1 but ,he has drilled us as ,he drilled those disciples2 ,he has left us human leaders in ,his name and with ,his authority1 and to us ,he said1 8,if ye would be my disciples1 deny yourselves1 take up your cross and follow me40 ,his work on earth is done1 excepting through you and me1 the human agency which ,he employs4 ,he is doing ,his work at the right hand of ,his ,father's throne that we may be able here1 to come off more than conquerors through ,him4 ,he passed through the scenes of ,gethsemane1 ,he died on the cross of ,calvary2 ,he descended into hell or ,hades that ,he might taste death for every man1 and forty days after the resurrection1 ,he ascended on ,high4 ,he went up on the pinions of the clouds until they received ,him out of their sight4 ,then two men stood by the disciples who were gazing into heaven and said to them1 8,why stand ye gazing into heaven1 as ye see ,him go up ye shall see ,him likewise come down again4 ,you have heard of ,zerubabel1 you have met ,darius and ,cyrus1 the ,great1 you have seen ,jesus ,christ ascending2 those great men will not return1 but ,jesus will come again to take you with ,him in the next ascension4 ,he will not come again as the victim of pagan hostilities or ,jewish persecution1 but ,he is coming without sin unto salvation as the spoiler of the grave1 the conqueror of the world1 the hero who conquered hell1 and will lead us to victory over ,satan and his forces40 ,the ,gospel and the ,word are preached to you because you dwell in ,his secret place2 thus you are abiding under the shadow of the ,almighty1 stay with ,him1 fight on through the conflict1 the battle may be fierce1 but you shall win4 ,you see the triumph from afar1 your faith is your power4 ,god the ,all-,glorious ,one is with you1 for remember that when star will shine no more unto star1 and planet cease to revolve around planet1 when flowers fade to bloom no more1 the ,word of our ,god endureth forever4 ,heaven is ,his throne and earth ,his footstool1 and we are ,his children4 ,i exhort you therefore to take ,him more than ever before1 as the ,man of your counsel1 the friend that sticketh closer than a brother4 ,he has gone to prepare a place for you that where ,he is there ye may be also4 8,unto ,him who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in ,his own blood1 be glory and dominion now and evermore40 ,there is death in the pot4--,,ii ,kings #d3dj4 ,in the year #hie ,b4 ,c41 in ,syria1 a certain woman resided4 ,she was the wife of ,obadiah1 a devoted companion1 a good1 genial spirit2 she was a model wife1 but misfortune overtook her1 and the bright days of prosperity and enjoyment passed under the dark clouds of adversity4 ,the pleasant fragrance from the flowers faded and her husband too had passed to the bourne from whence none returns4 ,she is now a widow left to contend against the hard and unsympathizing world4 8,trouble like a gloomy cloud ,gathered fast and thundered loud40 ,her husband and father was ,god above4 ,her old-time friends who knew and recognized her in her prosperity1 now passed her by unnoticed4 ,adversity makes a great change in friendship4 ,it renders friends1 strangers1 and breaks asunder the dearest ties4 ,these friends were willing to see her suffer and her children torn from her side and sold into slavery that her debts might be paid4 ,there was no helping hand1 no money to loan1 no salvation from this awful condition1 no one to become her surety1 but above all this darkness of night and of cloud1 ,god was dwelling1 and watching4 ,he never forsakes ,his own1 ,he may seem to do so1 but never1 never4 ,god sent ,his servant ,elisha to her and through him relieved her of all her troubles4 ,elisha was a mighty man of ,god4 ,he had received the mantle of ,elijah and was a student under him4 ,he was full of wisdom and understanding1 going about in the spirit of ,jehovah serving the people1 instructing them1 leading them to higher life1 and making them acquainted with ,god and ,his ways4 ,elisha during a famine had the people to gather herbs that their hunger might be relieved4 ,among those herbs which were thrown into the pot1 there was some poisonous herb which some one had gathered by mistake1 it too was thrown in4 ,in the boiling of these together1 the poison was spread through the pot4 ,when they began eating the vegetable soup1 the poison was discovered4 ,elijah was informed and destroyed its bad effect4 ,it is well for us to note that4 ,i4 ,the world is the pot4 ,the world has been cursed by sin4 ,there is in it both the good and the bad1 both food and poison4 ,god has placed us in the world that we may as ,christians1 do the work which ,elisha did in his day4 ,when we look about us1 how many people we see who have been poisoned4 ,there are murderers1 suicides1 thieves1 robbers1 liars1 all these are acting in the way they act and live1 because they have in them poison4 ,it is well for us to understand that we need not expect in this world to find the good unmixed from the evil4 ,christ prayed that ,god would not take ,his own out of the world1 but that ,he would keep them from the evil in the world1 and we are taught in the prayer called the ,lord's ,prayer1 8,lead us not into temptation1 but deliver us from evil40 ,as ,god's children1 we cannot mix with the children of this world4 ,we cannot allow the amusements of this world and its allurements to lead us away from ,god and ,his ,kingdom4 ,we are in the world1 but not of it4 ,we are but pilgrims1 passing through1 on the way to the country of ,god1 but all that we are and have are in this world2 just as all the herbs were thrown into the pot1 but there is also poison there4 ,is there any pleasure1 without its tinge of pain8 ,is there any hope without the presence of a cloud8 ,is there any expectation without some kind of a disappointment8 ,but ,christ is our ,elisha4 ,the poison in the pot can be removed and ,he will remove it for us4 ,the pleasures of the world may be rendered sweet and pure4 ,the work of this world can be raised to the highest dignity4 ,the power of this world may be turned to the highest good of all4 ,we are not left helpless and hopeless4 ,,ii4 ,the temptations of the world are the fire under the pot4 ,the question of temptations is a very interesting one1 for the ,christian4 ,there are many who find their greatest trouble in temptations4 ,they are not able to distinguish a temptation from a sin1 and confusing them1 they look upon themselves as very great sinners1 because they have very great temptations4 ,this is a false idea4 ,a temptation is a trial4 ,all temptations are not evil4 ,there are also temptations that lead us to noble action4 ,god is not tempted of evil1 neither does ,he tempt to evil1 but ,he does tempt us to the good1 and indeed1 ,he permits ,satan to ply us with temptations1 and we by overcoming these temptations may grow strong and pure4 ,christ1 the sinless man1 was in the world1 full of temptations1 but ,he overcame them4 ,his temptations were genuine1 they were sinful1 they would have proven destructive1 but ,he overcame them and ,he overcame them without sin4 ,it matters not what the temptation may be1 however dark and sinful1 it is with you as to the result of that temptation in your life4 8,yield not to temptation1 ,for yielding is sin40 ,it is the yielding that is sin4 ,resist the devil1 and he will flee from you4 ,make friends of him and he will live with you4 ,he will become a part of you1 he will drag you down1 he will work your destruction4 ,how often we realize that dark1 sinful thoughts1 pass through our minds4 ,they are sins like a black cloud1 sweeping over the beautiful landscape of the soul4 ,well1 does this constitute sin8 ,by no means4 ,it is only when these thoughts remain in the mind1 when we harbor them1 when we become fond of them2 this is what forms sin in the soul4 ,it is your work to expel them1 to drive them out1 to hate them4 ,paul said1 ,when ,i would do good evil is present with me4 ,how true this is with us today4 ,even in our holiest exercises1 such as prayer1 praise1 worship1 sin is found lurking in our aspirations after ,god4 ,selfishness enters our prayers1 selfishness frequently inspires our holiest hopes1 selfishness poisons our love1 doubt weakens our faith1 and so we find in our religion and its life1 the element of sin4 ,this is the death in the pot4 ,so the whole ,bible deals with the problem of sin4 ,the plan of salvation is simply the plan for removing sin from within and from without us4 ,the mission of ,christ is to save the sinner from his sins4 ,frequently ,christians get the idea that salvation is to bring us at last to ,heaven2 well1 that is in a manner true1 but remember that is the last work of salvation1 bringing us to ,heaven4 ,salvation deals with thousands of things in our lives here1 before we are ready for ,heaven4 ,and indeed we can never enter ,heaven with sin in our natures4 ,sin must be rooted out here in some manner4 ,so we have our ,elisha1 he can and does remove the death from the pot4 ,he is the bread of life1 the water of life1 in which there is no poison4 ,i beg you1 therefore1 to take this text with you4 ,ponder over its deep meaning4 ,apply its truths to your own life1 come to our ,elisha that ,he may remove the death from your pot4 ,try and understand the deep meaning of your religion and that it is a rule of life for every-day living4 ,that it furnishes you with the wisdom and the power to overcome all the sin within you and all the temptations without you4 ,therefore watch and pray4 ,be diligent in season and out of season and put your trust in your ,elisha1 and ,he will make all things work together for your good4 ,this is ,his promise4 ,the ,reward of the ,righteous4 8,for ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which the ,lord your ,god giveth you40--,deut4 #ab3i4 ,a description of ,paradise is always acceptable to the humble believer4 ,he is seeking the rest1 the inheritance1 which ,god has so abundantly promised in ,his word4 ,so our ,god has not omitted to give us glimpses of this ,heavenly rest4 ,we have gathered together our own sweet bundle of sentiments regarding it4 ,they are ever a blooming garden of flowers by our pathway4 ,we are to so live that we may daily prepare for this ,home of the ,soul4 ,hezekiah was ordered to set his house in order4 ,he was reminded that he would soon be called to enter into this rest prepared for the people of ,god4 ,he had something to do first1 however--to set his house in order4 ,we sadly realize that in the study of this deep question our knowledge of that country which is our eternal home1 can be but faint4 ,paul saw something of its glory but would not undertake to describe it4 ,and the glowing descriptions which ,john gives us in his ,revelation1 are most difficult to understand4 ,they are figures1 they are poorly drawn pictures1 outlines1 photographs1 of that ,celestial ,clime and its ,holy ,inhabitants4 ,but it confirms our hopes1 invigorates our strength1 ennobles our efforts4 ,then let us study today something and somewhat of this ,happy ,land4 ,i4 ,the ,character of the ,reward1 the ,inheritance4 ,the ,israelites were worn and weary1 with the desert journey4 ,for forty years they had been wanderers1 pilgrims1 in a land of sand1 rocks1 barren waste and mountains4 ,god so blessed them that their garments did not wear out1 and ,he gave them water from the rocks and food from ,heaven and flesh from the far countries4 ,but this was not enough4 ,they had been promised a land that flowed with milk and honey1 a land of rest1 an inheritance4 ,god had promised to ,abraham that ,he would give them the land of ,canaan for a possession1 and that it should be inherited by all his children forever4 ,while this promise had been made centuries before their trials in the ,wilderness1 yet ,god had not forgotten ,his pledge and ,his people had not forgotten ,his promises4 ,the great encouragement which ,moses always brought forward that their strength might be renewed1 was that ,god had made them a promise of a land of their own4 ,with all their trials and disappointments1 their mistakes and their failures1 their doubts and perplexities1 ,god was with them and the ,land of ,canaan was just beyond the ,jordan4 ,it is well for us to keep in mind the journey of the ,israelites1 between the ,red ,sea and the ,jordan2 between the land of slavery and the land of liberty4 ,for indeed we are making just such a journey now4 ,we are on the march to our ,heavenly ,canaan4 ,it is called a rest4 ,it is called an inheritance4 ,what blessed descriptions these are6 ,we could want no better4 ,this wilderness of sin is a land of weariness4 ,the way is hard1 the mountains to climb are high4 ,the rocks which cut our feet are many4 ,the loads which we carry cause so often fainting1 almost death4 ,there is no rest here4 ,we have temporary resting places where we may sleep and refresh ourselves4 ,but the day comes1 and its work1 its weariness4 ,even in our religious lives and work1 we experience the same fatigue1 we are exhorted not to grow weary in well doing1 not to faint by the way1 why8 ,because we are in a land of weariness1 of toil1 of exhaustion6 8,to him that overcometh1 ,i will give a crown of life4 ,to him that overcometh1 ,i will make a pillar in the temple of my ,god and they shall go out no more40 ,our abiding place there will be as permanent as the pillars of the temple4 ,we cannot be removed4 ,surely we will not want to go out any more4 ,we will be satisfied to dwell in the temple of ,god forever4 ,then it is called an inheritance4 ,our children inherit our possessions4 ,there is no law to prevent them from coming into what has belonged to us4 ,it is their own when we leave it by every right of human and ,divine law4 ,,ii4 ,our ,saviour is the faithful witness of this promised land4 ,moses1 you remember1 sent spies into ,canaan that they might bring back a report of the land which ,god had promised to ,abraham and his descendants4 ,these spies returned4 ,only two1 ,caleb and ,joshua1 brought back a good report4 ,the majority report was very discouraging indeed1 so much so1 that the ,israelites turned back again4 ,there are many in this world who have a bad report of the ,promised ,land which the text tells us1 is to be our rest and our inheritance4 ,will you listen to them8 ,if so1 you will also turn back and continue wandering in the wilderness of sin4 ,do not forget that ,satan is one of these spies4 ,he will tell you false things regarding your religion1 your brethren1 your ,saviour1 your ,god and ,heaven4 ,this is his business4 ,he is always at it4 ,you find many ,christians who do not think much about ,heaven1 they consider it a dream1 they contend that this is their ,heaven1 hence they place little value on all the reports in the ,bible concerning this land4 ,but we have a true witness1 our ,joshua1 our ,jesus4 ,he came from that country4 ,he knows its hills and dells1 its clime1 its fruits1 its joys1 its eternal delights4 ,he has left us ,his report4 ,it is absolutely true4 ,he has seen and heard and tasted and ,he speaks as a true witness4 ,he said to ,his disciples on the eve of ,his departure1 8,i go to prepare a place for you1 that where ,i am1 there ye may be also4 ,in my ,father's house are many mansions1 if it were not so ,i would have told you40 8,if ye believe in ,god1 believe also in me40 ,god liberated ,his people from ,egypt4 ,he raised the iron heel of oppression from the necks of ,his people4 ,he led them forth4 ,he brought them into ,canaan4 ,his omniscience guided them4 ,his omnipresence was ever with them4 ,he brought them to an end of the toil1 labor1 dust1 pains1 weariness of the wilderness journey4 ,the same ,god is leading us to a much better country4 ,in this country there are no enemies1 as there were in ,canaan4 ,no battles will be fought1 no sickness will be endured1 no trials to pass through1 no fading sunsets and following dark nights1 no losses1 no crosses1 for 8,all the former things are passed away1 behold1 ,i make all things new40 ,jesus says1 8,i am the living bread of which if any man eat1 he shall nevermore hunger40 ,he has broken down the middle wall or partition1 so that we can enter into the very presence of ,god4 ,paul speaks of ,his work when he says1 8,by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of ,god40 ,yes1 the glory of ,god1 that glory which shall be reflected from our hearts and faces when we stand complete before ,god4 ,john says1 8,it doth not appear what we shall be1 but we know that when ,he shall appear1 we shall be like ,him1 for we shall see ,him as ,he is4 ,and every one that hath this hope in him1 purifieth himself even as ,he is pure40 ,we shall be like ,him6 ,these are not misty descriptions of our rest and inheritance6 ,they are real photographs4 ,we need not doubt1 we need not fear4 ,it doth not appear what we shall be1 but in that beautiful habitation of the soul1 we will be more beautiful than the beautiful home which ,god has prepared4 ,,iii4 ,but this rest and inheritance will be the reward of the faithful4 ,we should not deceive ourselves for not every one will enter4 ,there are many in this world who confidently expect to enter this ,heavenly ,canaan1 but they have no passport4 ,if you were to take a trip through ,europe and ,asia1 it would be necessary for you to procure from the proper officials of this country a passport1 for without this you would not be permitted to go through these countries4 ,you would be looked upon as some kind of an enemy4 ,the passports to ,heaven are goodness and faithfulness4 ,not the goodness1 however1 which this world creates and loves and prizes4 ,christ said to the young nobleman who came to ,him and wanted to know what good thing he could do to enter the kingdom of ,heaven1 8,why callest thou me good1 there is none good but ,god40 ,this young man said that he had kept all the commandments from his youth up1 now if he had done that and we have no reason to doubt it1 for ,christ looked on him and loved him1 then this young man was really good as this world calls goodness2 but mark you he did not enter the 8,kingdom of ,god10 for he went away very sorrowful1 for he was very rich4 ,oh6 he was very rich6 ,he had his own little heaven1 he had his own little bundle of goodness1 he had his own passport1 but these did not suffice1 for the ,kingdom of ,god4 ,these were of no value in this ,kingdom4 ,i was born in a slave state4 ,when ,i was a little boy1 my mother being very poor1 sent me out on a very cold day to the river bank to gather up a bundle of wood4 ,i gathered up the wood and tied it into a bundle and placed it on my head4 ,i started home4 ,it was a large bundle and grew very heavy as ,i walked along4 ,it was painful to my head and ,i became tired4 ,i staggered under the burden1 ,i thought that ,i could not reach the house1 but ,i kept on4 ,at last ,i got home and almost fainted4 ,but what a relief it was to me and what a comfort it became to my mother4 ,as we sat that night by the crackling fire1 ,i thought1 well it was worth all it cost me4 ,the pleasure it gave my mother1 the family1 and satisfaction it gave me to know that ,i had done this and all were now enjoying it1 was my reward1 my rest4 ,but mark you1 it was the reward of goodness and faithfulness4 ,if ,i had been a disobedient boy1 would ,i have had that reward8 ,would ,i have had that enjoyment8 ,would ,i have had the approval and the love of my mother8 ,never1 never6 ,so it is with us today4 ,we must carry our burdens1 and the burdens of others4 ,we have always a double load on our shoulders1 this makes it doubly heavy4 ,sometimes we nearly faint under it1 the road seems to have no end1 we are almost tempted to throw down the load1 but can we8 ,if we really desire to enter that beautiful city beyond the river of death1 the load which ,god has given us1 must be carried to the very end4 ,we can drop that load when we come to the river1 when the death angel tells us that it is enough and that our ,father wants us to come home4 ,you are to serve your brother-man1 you are to love him1 to pray for him1 and to love and pray for your enemies4 ,this is the load1 this is the work that is to be done6 ,without the cross there is no crown1 without the weights there are no wings1 without the prayers there will be no praises6 8,well done1 good and faithful servant2 thou hast been faithful over a few things1 ,i will make thee ruler over many things4 ,enter thou into the joy of thy lord40 ,this is the welcome plaudit4 ,do you long to hear that plaudit8 ,then be faithful today and tomorrow and throughout life4 ,,iv4 ,this place is called rest4 ,after the victory there is peace4 ,after the labor there is rest4 ,after the pain there is pleasure4 ,this world is not our abiding place1 our peace-place4 ,as long as man lives on the earth he has various inducements to sin4 ,enemies within and without are continually organizing against him4 ,satan is seeking to devour him with lust and sin4 ,he too often1 alas6 renounces his allegiance to his ,god1 he forgets his ,saviour1 he turns away from the practice of his religion4 ,worldly pleasures allure him1 they deceive him1 they intoxicate4 ,ten thousand are the ways of this world to lead the humble pilgrim astray4 ,the ,israelites wandered in the ,wilderness forty days1 but it was only a seven days march from ,egypt to ,canaan2 ,why did they wander8 ,because they sinned4 ,the flesh is lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh4 ,when we would do good evil is present with us4 ,what a mighty conflict this life of wandering is6 ,but blessed be ,god there are no haunts of innocent 787 amusement to entice you from pure holiness1 in ,heaven6 ,no dens to rob men and women of their virtue1 no pit-falls of saloons and gambling hells to lead astray the holy inhabitants of that land of rest1 none of these things are to be found there6 ,the ungodly rich man1 the oppressor of the poor1 the robber1 the thief1 these are all cast into the lake where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched4 ,there is the place of our ,eternal ,rest4 ,it is a mountain where heavenly pastures grow and the rivers of life gently flow4 ,it is here that we shall know as we are known4 ,here ignorance is forever banished and we see face to face4 ,god help as to enter this rest and to obtain this inheritance4 ,our ,legacy4 ,peace ,i leave with you4--,john #ad3bg4 ,dear ,brethren1 in entering upon the work of this district two years ago ,i found that the ship had sprung a leak1 the sails were furled1 many of the crew had deserted the ship and left her to the mercy of the waves4 ,there seemed to be a heavy cloud over the church1 her banners had been trailing in the dust4 ,i look back and almost shudder and wonder what would have been the fate of the church had things drifted on as ,i found them4 ,i wonder if there were any here who at that time would have believed our report and to whom the arm of the ,lord would have been revealed4 ,i ask the question now1 shall the church in ,trenton sink1 shall her doors be closed1 shall her banner be dust covered8 ,no1 never1 so long as ,god says 8,thou shalt live40 ,so like ,paul at ,athens ,i take courage and preach the ,gospel to you that your strength may increase and your faith grow stronger4 ,bro4 ,joseph ,long was the first man ,i saw1 to whom ,i delivered my message4 ,he said go ahead1 my son1 sound the trumpet and we will rally to the standard though the host of hell surround us4 ,i accepted the situation1 seeing that there was a great field of usefulness before me4 ,i saw and felt my inability to do any good or to be of any service to the church unless ,god was with me4 ,so ,i consecrated myself anew to ,god and made a complete surrender4 ,my own capabilities united with yours1 we brought our forces into line and began the battle which you have fought so nobly and bravely against every obstacle4 ,you have been faithful soldiers1 and may be called veterans in the cause of ,christ4 ,the enemy has been many times defeated and main victories have been won and the cause has been greatly advanced1 but the time of our separation is drawing nigh1 our communions will soon cease1 they have been very sweet and precious to me1 very helpful1 your kindness has been like the bud on the tree continually swelling1 and blossoming for my own pleasure and profit4 ,like ,david1 we have cried from the bottom of our hearts1 ,how long1 ,o ,lord1 ,how long shall the wicked reign8 ,save thy people1 bless thine inheritance1 feed and lift them up for ever4 ,you have proven your loyalty to the church at large1 your efficiency in the church here1 ,i commend your integrity1 your faithfulness4 ,your warm hearts have beat continually for the success of the church during this pastorate4 ,the old heroes have gone home to their reward4 ,their seats are vacant1 their work is complete but we have entered into their labors and their memory is still precious among us4 ,they are still with us in spirit1 they are looking down from the battlements of glory and are witnessing our race here below4 ,they have been described as a cloud of witnesses4 ,therefore we are to lay aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us and run with patience the race that is set before us4 ,their skill and bravery we should imitate1 their example we should copy1 their life of service we should relieve4 ,oh6 ,could many of those old warriors awake from their graves and revisit old ,mt4 ,zion and stand on her battleground1 to tell us of the contests through which they had passed and to show us the scars which they had received while fighting the battle of the ,lord1 how often they have witnessed the going and coming of ministers1 having listened to their sad farewells1 ,i am sure that we would take courage today and rejoice that we are a part of that grand procession1 some of which are now in glory1 some of which are crossing and some of which are still on this side4 ,these old veterans of glory are not here to shake our hands2 they have risen from the bloody battlefield of earth to the sun lit hills of eternity and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the ,lamb4 ,some that ,i met two years ago are not here tonight to shake our hands1 to be with us in this farewell exercise1 where are they8 ,where is father ,crusen and ,sister ,layten1 ,tolson1 ,phinley1 ,reley and ,rachel ,conover4 ,young men1 ,i ask you tonight where is ,enoch ,limehouse1 ,jimmie ,vroom and others of your companions8 ,parents and ,sabbath ,school teachers1 ,i ask you where are the ,scotts1 the ,sees and ,lily ,wright and others whom ,i met here two years ago8 ,they have gone down to the grave1 they are mouldering in their graves4 ,but this shattered ,mt4 ,zion church is the same now as then1 a few pillars are left4 ,brothers ,long1 ,johnson1 ,fisher1 ,jones1 ,ward1 ,ayers1 ,charna1 ,sisters ,long1 ,ward1 ,perine1 ,hall1 ,scroden1 ,hutchens1 ,lewis1 ,harriet1 ,charmer1 and a host of others1 we have stood together through these years and are one tonight in spirit and in truth4 ,our spirits have shared each other's burdens1 each other's sorrows1 we have mingled our tears4 ,your ,christian advice1 tender care1 loyal friendship1 all these have helped me on my way to the better land4 ,you have performed your part well1 a uniform desire to contribute to the harmony of all4 ,your zeal for the growth of the church when it seemed to be dying1 your constant watching for its highest welfare1 have often caused me to say1 8,i was glad when they said to me1 let us go into the house of the ,lord40 ,although we separate here in sorrow we will meet in a place where sorrow is unknown4 ,do you promise to meet me there8 ,march on1 ye ,soldiers of the ,cross1 be not afraid1 ,god is your helper1 ,he will not desert you6 ,keep your eyes on the city whose builder and maker is ,god4 ,do not grow weary in well-doing nor faint by the way4 ,christ said1 ,my peace ,i leave with you4 ,i can say my blessings ,i leave with you4 ,let us pray for each other and look forward to the time when we shall meet to part no more4 ,farewell6 ,illustration ,articles and ,contributions ,an ,echo to the ,manager's ,call4 ,mr4 ,editor3 ,in your issue of ,june #ba1 #ahgg1 an article appears1 emanating from the business manager1 indicating trouble ahead4 ,he says that from the very fact of the editor receiving two letters to his one1 and the supporters of our publishing department placing the major portions of their communications on the wrong current1 the most pernicious effect is designed to flow through the stream of intellectual knowledge gleaned from the columns of the ,christian ,recorder4 ,i have only to ask my brethren1 ,can we1 as pillars of the porch that leads to the great temple of ,african ,methodism1 sit still on our easy chair and hear such powerful peals of thunder ringing through our ears1 constantly coming from the subverting clouds now overhanging our manager's head8 ,let us burst loose the bands of oppression1 open the prison door and set the captive free4 ,give the manager a fair start in the race1 and then if he die 7as he says the death warrant has been served on others who had charge of the concern71 let us bury him in a recreant's grave4 ,as to the department being whittled away by the ministry1 ,i would like to ask1 ,mr4 ,editor1 who is responsible for that8 ,is there not a prescribed mode of bringing these would-be men to justice8 ,these vipers that creep through the money till of all our departments and from their atrocious dereliction or their villainous designs to defraud the connection out of what is rightfully due it8 ,these things are actually undermining the foundation of our ,church4 ,put them between the upper and lower millstones and grind them as fine as powder4 ,do not let us all suffer from the effect of the same blow4 ,the blow the ,doctor struck has shocked the connection like a mighty earthquake4 ,now the question goes from every loyal fort along the line1 8,who are these whittlers80 ,again1 the manager says there is a wolf howling about the door of his sanctum1 and that unless there be sufficient food to satisfy his demands1 at no distant date there will be a burst up4 ,i again ask1 ,cannot this eternal howling be stopped8 ,now1 the manager says that our articles of commendation and sweet pats on the shoulder1 telling him to go ahead with the engine without anything to propel it1 does not amount to much4 ,he wants action--noble1 sublime1 ,godlike action--such as will place him on the road to success4 ,then1 brethren1 let us act4 ,according to the report made at the ,general ,conference of #ahgb1 we have three hundred thousand members1 seven thousand preachers in our connection4 ,let a ,sabbath be set apart and let it be universally known throughout the ,church1 and one-fourth of a dollar be collected from each member4 ,this would give us the nice little sum of #ge1jjj4 ,say that the preachers give one dollar each1 including bishops1 managers1 editors and all others1 which would make a total of #hb1jjj4 ,would not this stop the howling wolf and save the department8 ,the echo is1 ,yes6 ,then1 brethren1 let us awake from our sleep4 ,call the forces to the front1 wheel into line1 fire on the enemy1 and the victory is ours4 ,i will guarantee one-fourth of a dollar from each one of my members1 and not only one dollar from myself1 but five1 at whatever time may be mentioned as a day for this purpose in the interests of the ,book ,concern4 ,a4 ,h4 ,,newton4 ,algiers1 ,la41 ,july1 #ahgg4 ,the ,race ,problem ,solved at ,asbury ,park4 ,for the ,christian ,recorder4 ,new ,brunswick1 ,n4 ,j41 ,august #b1 #ahij4 ,mr4 ,editor4 ,sir3 ,as a native of the 8,old ,north ,state0 myself1 it is but natural that ,i should feel some pride in every honor or mark of respect paid to her honored sons2 and yet1 sir1 when ,i see metropolitan papers1 whose politics are not very favorable to our race1 teeming with praise of the speeches made1 with some very remarkable quotations of opposition to the 8,force ,bill10 or apologizing for certain reasons why it should not become a law2 when ,i see certain gentlemen denied by those in authority not especially committed to our side of public questions regarding our interest1 it is but natural that some of us should become alarmed lest these honors are received and bestowed at the terrible expense of compromising the rights of our race4 ,we are forced to believe that ,president ,grandison must have committed himself with all the force of his eloquence on the beach at the park to thirty thousand people in favor of the ,force ,bill4 ,we are also led to believe that our popular friend ,dr4 ,sampson was very conservative in his ,fourth of ,july speech4 ,but now comes out one of the leading illustrated journals with all the pictures of these orators of the ,fourth at the park1 and the ,doctor is made to say if a colored man is discriminated against or in any way persecuted in regard to his rights1 that it ought to stimulate him to greater effort to make himself more worthy1 and to not only make himself the equal1 but the superior of the other men4 ,with other compromising remarks1 and after several highly pleasing speeches on the beach to the multitudes from the hotels1 it is said that the ,doctor and founder1 ,bradley1 repaired to the dining rooms of the different hotels and told the colored help when and where they might be allowed to bathe4 ,was this arrangement made by the ,doctor with ,mr4 ,bradley for the colored people8 ,will these two ,north ,carolinians answer this question8 ,were they paid one hundred dollars for these speeches1 and were they properly quoted in the ,new ,york ,world8 ,i mean ,president ,grandison1 of ,bennett ,college1 as to his views on the ,force ,bill delivered at the park or elsewhere1 and also ,dr4 ,sampson on the ,race ,problem1 delivered on the grand stand on the ,fourth of ,july at the park4 ,i understand that my old friend did say that a ,negro's occupation should not be above that of a servant1 for he must know well how to discharge the duties belonging to this sphere before he is able to meet the more responsible duties of life4 ,i ask the ,doctor if this is all true4 ,yours respectfully1 ,a4 ,h4 ,,newton4 #ca ,french ,street1 ,new ,brunswick1 ,n4 ,j4 ,intemperance4 ,by ,miss ,ada ,a4 ,newton4 ,intemperance is a fatal evil4 ,what are felons1 murderers and thieves but men who began drinking but moderately1 just for fashion or to see how it tasted8 ,from drinking moderately they go on taking a little more each time1 until finally they become confirmed drunkards4 ,how common it is to hear a wife say1 ,ah6 ,he was a good husband before he began drinking4 ,there was nothing he thought too good for me4 ,how we pity the drunkard's wife and children6 ,the little ones are made to suffer for the doings of their father1 for ,god says that 8the iniquities of the fathers are visited upon the children unto the third and fourth generation1 while ,his mercy is shown unto thousands that love ,him and keep ,his commandments40 ,how careful1 then1 should all be to guard against this evil4 ,the cup that has the glow of ruby at last biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder4 ,let us give an illustration that all may see the course of this sin4 ,here is a rich man who has a son2 he indulges him beyond measure2 he teaches him in youth to drink wine4 ,at first he makes a wry face and tells his father that he does not like it and cannot drink it4 ,his father scorns and ridicules the idea1 and tells him that unless he drinks some he will never become a man4 ,so the little fellow drinks because it is his father's desire and not his own4 ,he soon acquires a thirst for the poisonous cup1 and when he comes to manhood's estate he drinks often and freely4 ,at last he drinks too much and becomes intoxicated--yes1 intoxicated6 ,this is his first step to ruin2 the habit has been formed4 ,his father is now much mortified4 ,he threatens to disinherit him if he does not stop drinking1 but it is too late4 ,the father has laid the foundation and the son has built on it1 and neither of them is now able to undo what has been done and fixed into a habit4 ,his mother begs him to never again touch the deadly drug4 ,for her sake he promises and takes the pledge4 ,there is great rejoicing now4 ,his father1 mother1 friends1 all rejoice at the reclamation2 the son has reformed6 ,yes1 he has reformed4 ,his eyes lose their redness and become bright and lustrous4 ,he attends diligently to his business4 ,after a while he marries4 ,then the rejoicing is universal4 ,all delight at the great reformation4 ,but alas6 how frail is human nature4 ,soon after his marriage he meets at the tavern his old chums4 ,he has perfect confidence in himself4 ,he knows he will not drink again4 ,his pride asserts itself4 ,his old companions are gleeful and congenial2 they ask him to drink4 ,he pays no attention to them4 ,then they sneer1 they ridicule1 they appeal to his manhood1 they accuse him of being tied to his wife's apron strings4 ,to prove to them that he is not all that they declare1 he takes one drink1 then another and another1 and soon he is beastly drunk4 ,then they kick him out4 ,his wife watches for him1 then she watches over him1 and he does not return1 so it seems4 ,he is now detained on business2 he has an engagement at the club1 at the lodge4 ,how little does she know how soon she is to be bowed down and broken under grief6 ,she watches4 ,it is midnight2 she meets him at the door with a glad heart2 the sight is heart-sickening4 ,she reels and faints4 ,he is fearfully intoxicated6 ,when he is able to reason1 she reasons with him1 but in vain4 ,down1 down he goes from one step to another1 until from a large mansion he brings her to live in a cellar4 ,who is that grinning monster the boys are pelting in the street8 ,and who is that emaciated creature entreating the boys to let the miserable wretch whom she calls her husband go home8 ,the once noble husband and the once beautiful wife6 ,what has brought them so low8 ,what has caused her misery1 her anguish8 ,rum1 rum1 rum2 nothing but the demon ,,rum6 ,oh1 young man1 if you only knew the harm that the social glass does you1 the misery that it brings1 the death that follows1 you would cast away the poison and turn from it now1 before it is eternally to late4 8,touch not1 taste not the unclean thing1 for wine is a mocker and strong drink is raging40 ,algiers1 ,la4 ,from ,arkansas4 ,for the ,christian ,recorder4 ,mr4 ,editor3 ,you have not heard from us for several months1 not because we have lost interest1 for we have always stood among the active workers of the ,church1 but we have been very busy4 ,the last time we wrote you from the ,south we were in the ,state of ,tennessee4 ,in the month of ,october last year ,bishop ,brown ordered us to strike our tent and move to ,arkansas4 ,with the knapsack of faith and the musket of truth we came and engaged in the contest1 taking charge of ,little ,rock4 ,the ,little ,rock ,conference is composed of some of the noblest and most energetic men in the ,church4 ,they work1 sing and fight against ,satan like men of war1 determined to conquer although they die in the battle4 ,elder ,j4 ,t4 ,jenifer1 so well known throughout our widespread connection as a pioneer of ,african ,methodism1 erected a new church edifice at ,little ,rock1 a monument that can never be forgotten1 and to be admired by unborn generations4 ,bishop ,brown and ,j4 ,f4 ,a4 ,sisson1 ,p4 ,e41 contributed their share towards the construction of this model of beauty4 ,h4 ,h4 ,petigrew1 ,p4 ,e41 ,john ,a4 ,jones1 ,s4 ,a4 ,patten and ,r4 ,a4 ,sinquefield are the pioneers of ,african ,methodism in this ,state1 and their labors have been given entirely to the ,christian ,church4 ,their affectionate and kind-hearted spirits draw every one near to them in the fullest confidence1 and none can but love and cherish them4 ,the ,conference is divided into eleven districts and is cared for by good and faithful presiding elders who are not afraid of the truth1 though dark and gloomy clouds oppose them on every hand4 ,we have several churches in course of construction in this ,state which will be ornaments when completed4 ,in ,little ,rock the work is in a prosperous condition4 ,we are preparing to hold the ,conference on the #ith of ,november1 #ahgf4 ,bishop ,t4 ,m4 ,ward is now with us on his way to the ,south ,arkansas ,conference4 ,our church is not yet completed1 and we are about four thousand dollars in debt2 but1 thank the ,lord1 we were successful in paying off #abjj this year4 ,we have #dhc members1 who say that they are determined to succeed4 ,we have #bbi scholars in the ,sunday ,school and #be officers and teachers4 ,we have not done much for the ,recorder1 but we intend to fall into line4 8,hold the fort1 for we are coming60 78,yes1 but hurry up607 ,king ,cotton has a powerful influence in this ,state1 and the same is true of another king--,alcohol4 ,there are #aac rum shops in ,pine ,bluff and #ajh in ,little ,rock4 ,thousands of people are inquiring for the byways to hell1 and1 comparatively speaking1 very few are inquiring the way to heaven4 ,over #a1jjj1jjj are spent in this ,state annually for rum and tobacco4 ,on ,september #beth we visited the ,conference of ,tennessee1 held in ,pulaski1 where we met many smiling faces and hearts and enjoyed a hearty shake of many hands4 ,a4 ,h4 ,,newton4 ,little ,rock1 ,ark41 ,october #ah1 #ahgf4 ,algiers1 ,la4 ,algiers is situated on the north bank of the ,mississippi ,river1 about one hundred miles distant from the ,gulf4 ,it is connected with ,new ,orleans by ferry boats1 which run every five or ten minutes4 ,there is not much enterprise here1 as all the business is done in the city4 ,it is not a separate parish from the city1 as one mayor controls the affairs of both places4 ,beelzebub has his headquarters here1 and his court and his orders take the premium4 ,the ,sabbath is not respected4 ,mechanics labor and stevedores flock and flutter about the ships4 ,you will find human beings as thick on the ballroom floor on ,sunday as fleas on a dog's head4 ,and this is only a substitute for the wickedness indulged in here on the ,sabbath4 ,but our ,church is progressing4 ,we have just had a glorious revival4 ,our forces were drawn up in line in pitched battle with the devil and artillery of hell4 ,after a heavy conflict for several weeks the battle subsided4 ,when the smoke was over we picked up thirty souls happily converted to ,god4 ,bishop ,ward was with us about eight weeks ago4 ,he organized a new mission work in this city4 ,he threw two or three bombshells against the forces of ,catholicism1 crippled1 wounded and captured several of their troops1 and moved on down the line1 leaving the boys to push the battle to the gate4 ,a4 ,h4 ,,newton4 ,june #ba1 #ahgg4 ,word from ,algiers1 ,la4 ,for the ,christian ,recorder4 ,mr4 ,editor3 ,elder ,a4 ,h4 ,newton has charge of the branch of ,african ,methodism of ,algiers1 ,la4 ,when ,elder ,newton arrived in ,algiers he found the church in an almost hopeless condition1 there being but ten members belonging to the fold1 and as far as ,sabbath ,school was concerned1 they hardly knew what it meant4 ,the majority of the people of color are ,catholics4 ,there are three ,catholic churches to one ,methodist church1 therefore he had to labor under great disadvantages1 but with ,king ,jesus as his ,captain1 the ,bible as his shield1 he fought the battle bravely and gained the victory4 ,our church now is in a prosperous condition4 ,we are doing a good work4 ,instead of ten members we have ten times ten1 and they are coming to the fold every day4 ,we have the finest ,sabbath ,school in the ,state of ,louisiana4 ,there are one hundred and seventy-five members1 and still they come4 ,our superintendent1 ,prof4 ,j4 ,h4 ,corbin1 is alive to our ,sabbath ,school4 ,he is pious1 kind and educated4 ,the children all love him1 and in no ,sunday ,school throughout our entire connection could you find a better superintendent than he4 ,he is also the principal of the colored school of ,algiers4 ,our musical director1 ,prof4 ,s4 ,w4 ,otts1 is also one of our bright stars4 ,he makes the walls of ,zion ring with melodies from the 8,gospel ,songs40 ,miss ,o4 ,b4 ,flowers1 the assistant principal of the colored school of this city is also a noble worker in our ,sabbath ,school4 ,as a teacher she is interesting1 and she is also the embodiment of ,christian forbearance4 ,we have a very intelligent corps of teachers1 and1 altogether1 our school is progressing quite rapidly4 ,when ,elder ,newton came to ,algiers there was not a book in the ,sabbath ,school library1 not even a ,testament2 but with the help of ,god we have been enabled to get ,testaments1 ,bibles and ,catechisms1 and we also have an organ4 ,all this has been done in three months4 ,in another three months we have hopes of as much more being accomplished4 ,our agent for the ,christian ,recorder is ,mrs4 ,lula ,l4 ,newton4 ,she sells as many papers as are sent her1 and could sell as many more if she had them4 ,the people take quite an interest in the paper1 simply because it is edited and published by our own color4 ,for the last week we have had a practical effort1 six souls have been added to our number and we have prospects of as many more4 ,algiers bids fair of becoming one of the strongholds of the connection4 ,in the city of ,new ,orleans1 ,bishop ,ward 7blessings on his venerable head67 has organized a new mission1 which the elder in charge--,elder ,cargile--with the help of the ,lord and good management1 is making a good charge4 ,the people in this city are very wicked1 some of them1 although in a ,christian land and among ,christian people1 are worse than heathen4 ,they have never read the ,bible4 ,the ,bishop1 knowing this1 organized the mission in the most wicked portion of the city1 and it is progressing finely4 ,,ada ,a4 ,,newton4 ,april #d1 #ahgg4 ,word from ,algiers1 ,la4 ,for the ,christian ,recorder4 ,mr4 ,editor3 ,i am glad to say that our church is gaining ground4 ,christians are a unit in this place in laboring for the building of ,christ's kingdom4 ,meetings are being held everywhere1 with very marked results4 ,elder ,james ,madison is carrying on a great work in ,st4 ,james4 ,he seems to be determined that every valley shall be filled and every hill made low4 ,i think that he is the right man in the right place4 ,the ,elder visited my ,sabbath ,school and addressed the children4 ,he expressed himself as highly pleased with the progress of the church and school4 ,elder ,lazarus ,gardiner1 of ,st4 ,peter's ,chapel1 is scattering ,gospel seed and contending against the assaults of sin1 at the head of noble-hearted workers for the success of ,african ,methodism in this ,state4 ,they have paid five hundred dollars on their new church and have arranged for the payment of another five hundred when due4 ,the ,elder is up and a-doing4 ,god speed him on his journey6 ,dr4 ,george ,w4 ,bryant is sounding the ,gospel trumpet from the battlements of ,zion at the ,union ,bethel4 ,he is master of the situation4 ,if our ,gospel be hid1 it is hid unto them that are lost4 ,the ,baptist church is also doing a great work in this place4 ,i was at a union meeting at the ,rev4 ,james ,chaig's church1 a ,baptist brother1 and the ,spirit of the ,lord ,god filled the house4 ,it was densely packed4 ,the conference of glad voices giving praise to ,god was a heaven below4 ,brother ,benjamin ,buchannon also held a union meeting last ,sabbath1 which was a complete success4 ,fully three thousand people were present4 ,the church and the yard were literally packed4 ,god bless these brethren6 ,may they live long and continue as instruments in the hands of ,god1 enemies to ignorance and friends to holiness6 ,j4 ,h4 ,scie1 ,p4 ,e41 is on the scout1 ,i presume1 although ,i have not heard from ,elder ,thomas4 ,and ,elder ,burch ,i can give no account of1 as ,i have no news from their district since ,conference4 ,a4 ,h4 ,,newton4 ,june #e1 #ahgg4 ,dedication of ,macedonia ,church4 ,the ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton was ably assisted in the service of dedicating the beautiful new ,macedonia ,church in ,camden1 ,n4 ,j41 last ,sunday4 ,the dedicatory service was conducted and sermon preached by ,bishop ,a4 ,w4 ,wayman1 ,d4,d41 at #aa ,a4 ,m4 ,in the afternoon the editor of the ,christian ,recorder and at night ,macedonia's ex-pastor1 ,rev4 ,w4 ,h4 ,yocum1 ,b4,d41 preached4 ,there were present the ,rev4 ,g4 ,a4 ,mills1 ,rev4 ,j4 ,w4 ,cooper1 ,t4 ,n4 ,allen1 ,s4 ,b4 ,williams1 ,g4 ,s4 ,smith1 ,t4 ,gould1 ,l4 ,j4 ,coppin1 ,b4 ,t4 ,tanner1 ,d4,d41 ,j4 ,h4 ,bean1 ,j4 ,w4 ,becket1 ,d4,d41 ,w4 ,rice and ,g4 ,m4 ,witten1 of our church1 and ,s4 ,p4 ,smith1 of the ,congregational ,church of ,knoxville1 ,tenn4 ,there may have been other ministers present4 ,in the afternoon the audience of the main audience room overflowed1 filling the basement1 where they were addressed in a good sermon delivered by ,rev4 ,g4 ,m4 ,witten4 ,the collection of the day amounted to over #ijj4 ,macedonia has been partly described while in course of erection4 ,it is of brick1 the windows are of beautiful stained glass1 the floor is entirely carpeted1 the pulpit is furnished1 the gas jets1 the excellent finish of the entire building within and without command our congratulation to our ,brother ,newton and constituents1 who with him1 as well as with his predecessor1 ,elder ,yocum1 under whose pastorate the building was started1 erected and enclosed1 have been faithful4 ,october #bd1 #ahhf4 ,another ,account of the ,dedication of the ,macedonia ,church4 ,for the ,christian ,recorder4 ,mr4 ,editor3 ,in the midst of the ranges of thought and sentiment1 and while the busy world was moving on in the grand march of improvement1 the ,church of the ,living ,god is unfolding and developing everywhere4 ,the ,kingdom of ,christ is gaining territory in the marts of men4 ,sunday1 ,october #bdth1 the ,macedonia ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church of ,camden1 ,n4 ,j41 was dedicated with imposing services4 ,indeed1 ,i venture the assertion that it was the grandest occasion in the history of the congregation4 ,more than forty years ago a few fathers and mothers1 ,african ,methodists1 concluded to build the house to ,god in that city1 all of whom have finished their well-begun work1 and have fallen asleep2 but ,brother ,wilson1 ,father ,sample1 ,mother ,quinn and ,sister ,hill4 ,the younger men and women1 inspired by the fathers1 took hold where they left off and have carried forward the work until the third building is successfully reared on the same lot2 but the glory of the latter house is greater than the former4 ,the members and congregation needed this new church seventeen years before it was built4 ,they were losing their congregation of young people1 their societies were taking their start from ,old ,macedonia until eight other churches were built in ,camden4 ,with the exception of one or two1 ,macedonia was the poorest4 ,standing two and one-half feet below the grade of the street might be seen a small flat-roof house covered with felt1 pitch and gravel2 this was the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 church with a gallery all around it1 yet some of our ablest ministers had pastored there4 ,after ,i had labored three years in the city of ,providence1 ,r4 ,i41 in ,august1 ,bishop ,john ,m4 ,brown said to me1 8,brother ,yeocum1 we have needed a new church in ,camden for years1 can you not go there and build that church4 ,you will find a good lot of people4 ,we must have a church there that will compare with the churches in ,philadelphia or we shall lose all that we have40 ,on the #bbnd of ,august ,i found myself in ,camden1 ,n4 ,j41 and it was not long before we commenced talking about the new church4 ,about the last of ,october our first grand rally netted us #ege4jj2 at the last service in the old building we raised about #cjj4jj and soon #a1jjj4jj were in hand4 ,the old church was taken down and many were fearful that the church would never go up again4 ,we took the congregation some distance from its stamping ground to what is known as 8,kaighnsville0 and worshipped in our mission school-house just in the rear of the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,z4 ,church4 ,here we remained eighteen months while the carpenters and masons were working on the present noble structure4 ,there were many discouragements and trying circumstances confronting us1 but we toiled on trusting in the ,lord whose work it was4 ,the tribes led on by the presidents1 ,mrs4 ,anna ,white1 the late ,lyda ,mc,coy and ,mrs4 ,maggie ,j4 ,moseley and ,mrs4 ,lizzie ,green1 collected money perhaps as they never expected4 ,it was simply marvelous4 ,the former1 if my memory is correct1 raised over #ejj4jj during my three years pastorate while the building was being erected4 ,on the first ,sunday in ,december1 #ahhe1 we went into the basement of the new church complete4 ,that was an occasion of surprise as well as of joy to the members of the congregation4 ,for many a ,job's comforter had prophesied that it would not go up again1 while others laughed saying1 8,aha6 ,aha60 8,where is their church now80 ,perhaps some said1 8,what they do build1 if a fox go up thereon1 it will break down40 ,in ,april1 #ahhe1 ,i was succeeded by the ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton1 who is a successful1 energetic pastor1 who does not sit down or stand still waiting for something to turn up in his favor1 like some pastors4 ,but he goes to work with such vim and is here and there so much among his members that one following him learns that ,rev4 ,newton has been there4 ,with this spirit he carried to completion this fine and beautiful church4 ,he and his members deserve much credit4 ,the church has all the modern improvements and many say that it is the finest ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 church in ,new ,jersey4 ,i do not remember the dimensions but it is a large two-story brick building with a cellar below where all the heating is done4 ,on entering the front door there is a stair-way leading to the audience room on the right and on the left4 ,before entering the lecture room there is a fine study and lecture and class room with frosted windows4 ,the ceiling of the basement is high1 it is easily ventilated1 the windows of the best enameled glass4 ,there is no paint on the wood work1 simply finished in oil1 thus retaining the natural color of the yellow pine4 ,the audience room is large with three isles1 one in the center and one on each side1 with a door at each isle1 making the exit very easy4 ,there is a large gallery across the front1 making the seating capacity about #eej4 ,the windows are the best variegated stained glass4 ,in each there is a memorial to ,bishop ,r4 ,h4 ,cain1 the ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton1 ,w4 ,h4 ,yeocum and ,mr4 ,perry ,wilson1 the oldest member4 ,the ceiling is very high1 carved and angled1 with two large reflectors which give a mellow1 beautiful light4 ,unlike many of our churches all the floor is carpeted and the fine furniture on the pulpit1 together with the splendid pipe organ1 make an elegant finish4 ,at #aj3cj a4 m41 after the usual form1 ,bishop ,a4 ,w4 ,wayman1 ,d4,d41 preached one of his noted sermons which was well received by the people1 the text being1 8,who is she that looketh fair as the morning80 ,and ,rev4 ,b4 ,f4 ,lee1 ,d4,d41 preached a most elegant1 instructive1 sermon at #c p4 m4 ,the congregation was so large that the ,rev4 ,g4 ,m4 ,witten preached to a crowded basement also at the same hour4 ,at #g p4 m4 your humble servant tried to preach from ,rev4 #a3aa1 8,i am ,alpha and ,omega10 the theme being1 8,christ1 the ,first and the ,last40 ,the collection was #ijj4jj1 which was very good considering the circumstances of our people4 ,the visiting members present were ,dr4 ,b4 ,t4 ,tanner1 ,rev4 ,j4 ,w4 ,cooper1 ,rev4 ,g4 ,a4 ,mills1 ,rev4 ,s4 ,b4 ,williams1 ,rev4 ,w4 ,a4 ,rice1 ,rev4 ,j4 ,h4 ,bean1 ,rev4 ,j4 ,h4 ,morgan and ,rev4 ,l4 ,j4 ,coppin4 ,rev4 ,william ,h4 ,yeocum1 ,b4,d4 ,trenton1 ,new ,jersey4 ,resolutions1 ,etc4 ,little ,rock1 ,ark4 ,whereas1 ,the ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton1 since his advent in our midst as pastor of ,bethel ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church and subsequently1 became superintendent of our ,sabbath ,school1 demonstrating a great love for the ,sabbath ,school and zealously desirous of promoting its complete success as a place of reform and education for the young1 has ardently labored to extend its usefulness and sound religious and moral teachings in the minds of our youthful members1 has striven to lead the young to religious devotion1 has spared no pains to cause the officers and teachers to imbibe the same zeal1 and1 being a devotee to music1 has caused its uplifting influence to flow among us1 leading our voices to leap forth in joyous strains in adoration to our ,king of kings1 and to promote a higher intellectual and spiritual standard among officers1 members and scholars1 and has sown the seed that will bring forth an abundant harvest when his hoary head is laid to rest in its last resting place2 therefore be it ,resolved1 #a4 ,that the officers and teachers of the ,bethel ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,s4 ,s4 give to ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton a vote of thanks for the expending of his time and labors in promoting our welfare4 #b4 ,that we commend him to his many ,christian friends for his many deeds of kindness and labors of love1 for both our temporal and spiritual good4 #c4 ,that the above preamble and resolutions be recorded by our secretary1 and a copy be given to him4 ,h4 ,j4 ,,brown1 ,w4 ,h4 ,,smith1 ,g4 ,w4 ,,oliver1 ,committee4 ,november #ai1 #ahgf4 ,respecting ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton4 ,at a meeting of the officers and members of the ,bethel ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church1 held in this city in #ahgf1 the following preamble and resolutions were adopted3 ,whereas1 ,he has served us faithfully for one year as pastor of ,bethel ,station1 in this city1 and labored faithfully and honestly to build up our ,sabbath ,school and other organizations placed under his charge by the ,general ,conference2 and ,whereas1 ,he has taken special pains to instill into the minds of the young of the church the grand and beneficent principles of temperance and morality2 and ,whereas1 ,his ,christian conduct1 scholarly attainments and liberal views have endeared him unto us2 therefore be it ,resolved1 ,that we1 officers and members of the ,bethel ,church1 do hereby tender to him our heartfelt thanks for the noble work he has done among us1 and we will ever pray that the blessings of ,almighty ,god may rest upon him and his family1 and aid him in his new work to accomplish good work for the cause of ,christ4 ,resolved1 ,that a copy of these resolutions be presented to ,brother ,newton1 and that they be published in the ,little ,rock daily papers4 ,g4 ,w4 ,,oliver1 ,secretary4 ,november #ah1 #ahgf4 ,macedonia ,church ,endeavors to ,retain ,their ,pastor4 ,camden1 ,n4 ,j4 ,to the ,presiding ,elder and ,members of the ,quarterly ,conference of ,macedonia ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church3 ,whereas1 ,the ,new ,jersey ,annual ,conference of the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church will hold its annual session at ,trenton ,april #bj2 and ,whereas1 ,another year's faithful service of our pastor1 ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton1 will expire2 and ,whereas1 ,his ,christian deportment and liberal views1 his gentlemanly and agreeable qualities have endeared him to us2 therefore be it ,resolved1 ,that we1 the members of the ,macedonia ,quarterly ,conference1 do1 for his two years of earnest labor in the upbuilding and finishing of our church and increasing our membership1 tender him our heartiest thanks2 and ,resolved1 ,that in this he has our heartiest regard and the good wishes of the members of the ,quarterly ,conference1 and we sincerely hope that his future may be as bright and prosperous as he may hope or desire1 and we also pray that the ,bishop may return him to us for another year4 ,resolved1 ,that a copy of these minutes be presented to ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton and be printed in the ,sentinel and the ,tribune4 ,signed in behalf of the ,quarterly ,conference of the ,macedonia ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church4 ,,william ,,stevenson1 ,,james ,,hurt1 ,,charles ,,cox1 ,,ezekiel ,,wallace1 ,,george ,,roberts1 ,,james ,,briscoe4 ,march #bd1 #ahhg4 ,notice4 ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton1 pastor of the ,bethel ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church1 has been transferred to the ,louisiana ,conference4 ,we regret to lose ,mr4 ,newton from this city1 as gentlemen of his attainments are none too plenty in the ranks of the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ministry4 ,aside from being liberally educated1 he has shown a practical ,christian spirit and work since his residence in this city4 ,he is to be succeeded by the ,rev4 ,j4 ,r4 ,jenifer4 ,east ,camden1 ,n4 ,j4 ,at the last ,quarterly ,conference of the ,hosanna ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church the following resolutions were offered by the ,rev4 ,w4 ,w4 ,chase3 ,whereas1 ,the church has prospered under the presiding eldership of ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton for the past four years2 and ,whereas1 ,this is his last year and ,quarterly ,conference2 be it therefore ,resolved1 ,that we return to him our grateful thanks for the manner in which he has conducted the business of the church1 and pray that the blessings of ,god may rest on his labors2 and ,whereas1 ,in the appointment of the ,rev4 ,f4 ,a4 ,sherman to fill the unexpired term of ,rev4 ,g4 ,b4 ,smith has proven a blessing to the church and the community2 we pray that he may be successful in preaching the ,word of ,god2 and ,whereas1 ,he has been zealous and faithful in the discharge of his duties1 both temporal and spiritual2 therefore be it ,resolved1 ,that he has our prayers and best wishes for his future success4 ,,harry ,,ingram1 ,,william ,,ingram1 ,,david ,,corse1 ,,john ,,toulks1 ,,benjamin ,,ingram1 ,,nathaniel ,,ingram1 ,,gardner ,,ingram1 ,,hezekiah ,,commarger1 ,church ,officers4 ,march #ad1 #ahif4 ,resolutions of ,respect4 ,the ,fourth ,quarterly ,conference of the ,mt4 ,zion ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church1 at its regular session1 adopted the following resolutions3 ,whereas1 ,the ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton1 having served us as pastor1 and as he is near the termination of his administration1 it is the honor that should be given to whom it is due and credit to those who justly merit it2 therefore be it ,resolved1 ,by the members of this ,quarterly ,conference that in the ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton we recognize a faithful ,gospel minister and energetic worker in his ,master's vineyard2 and furthermore we recognize him as a gentleman whose character is irreproachable and whose ministerial bearing and executive ability commend themselves to the judgment of the intelligent2 and furthermore be it ,resolved1 ,that we highly appreciate his efficient management of the temporal1 financial and spiritual interests of the church1 and whose administration of two years has been one of perfect tranquillity and fraternal feeling1 one of its prominent characteristics2 and be it ,resolved1 ,that in giving him our testimony of appreciation we would not forget his companion and coadjutor in his ministerial work1 and do highly esteem her as a ,christian lady for her untiring perseverance and devotion that has characterized her during her husband's administration4 ,mt4 ,zion ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,church4 ,the quarterly meeting of ,mt4 ,zion ,church last ,sunday was a grand success4 ,the ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton1 the pastor1 is very energetic and a grand church worker4 ,rev4 ,gilbert ,t4 ,waters preached a noble sermon in the afternoon4 ,the ,rev4 ,thomas held the audience spellbound at night4 ,elder ,j4 ,h4 ,morgan consecrated the elements and administered the ,lord's ,supper1 with the assistance of ,elder ,thomas4 ,the church was crowded afternoon and evening4 ,there were many strangers present1 who expressed themselves benefited during the day4 ,mrs4 ,lulu ,l4 ,newton left last ,monday morning to spend a few days in ,camden and ,philadelphia with old friends4 ,mrs4 ,ada ,a4 ,harris1 daughter of ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton1 will spend some time in ,atlantic ,city before returning to ,raleigh1 ,n4 ,c4 ,elder ,a4 ,h4 ,newton has raised #ijj since ,conference for church purposes4 ,the congregation of ,mt4 ,zion are well pleased with the appointment of the ,bishop4 ,the ,sabbath ,school of ,mt4 ,zion will give a grand concert in the near future1 conducted by ,mrs4 ,ada ,a4 ,harris1 for the purpose of getting new singing books4 ,the collection at ,mt4 ,zion last ,sunday was #de4hc4 ,the members of ,mt4 ,zion ,church tendered their pastor1 ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton1 a nice little surprise in honor of the reverend gentleman's fiftieth birthday4 ,they had a good time and left many substantial tokens of their regard4 ,the ,obituary of the ,rev4 ,william ,watson4 ,the ,rev4 ,william ,watson1 a member of the ,new ,jersey ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 ,conference1 died at his residence in ,woodbury1 ,n4 ,j41 ,tuesday1 ,august #g1 #ahhh4 ,he was one of the oldest preachers of the ,conference1 and was therefore regarded as the 8,father of the ,conference40 ,the funeral services were held ,august #i at the ,a4 ,m4 ,e4 church1 ,woodbury1 ,n4 ,j4 ,the ,rev4 ,j4 ,t4 ,rex preached the sermon1 which was very impressive1 and ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton and ,rev4 ,johns made very appropriate remarks concerning the character and usefulness of the deceased4 ,friday1 ,august #ajth1 the body was carried to ,frankford1 ,pa41 where services were held in the church1 when eulogies were delivered by ,elder ,g4 ,a4 ,mills1 ,bishop ,turner1 ,elder ,j4 ,w4 ,cooper and others4 ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton read the following resolution3 ,whereas1 we realize the fact that we sustain a great loss by the decease of our dear brother and colaborer in the work of the ,master2 be it therefore ,resolved1 ,that it is but a just tribute to the memory of our brother who has been taken from us to say that in his removal from our midst we mourn for one who was in every way worthy of our respect and our regard2 ,resolved1 ,that while we bow in humble submission to the hand of ,divine ,providence1 and while sorrow for the loss of a good man1 a kind shepherd1 a faithful and beloved minister1 we find consolation in the belief that 8it is well with him40 ,he fell at his post1 and we believe that he has triumphantly entered the ,haven of ,eternal ,rest4 ,resolved1 ,that we also remember the family in the hour of affliction and trial1 we tenderly condole with and devoutly commend them to the keeping of ,him who looks with pity on the widow and fatherless1 and that we share with them the hope of a reunion in that better land where death and separation are forever unknown4 ,resolved1 ,that a copy of these resolutions be presented to the family and printed in the ,christian ,recorder and other papers4 ,,rev4 ,j4 ,t4 ,,rex1 ,,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,,newton1 ,,rev4 ,g4 ,m4 ,,witten1 ,,rev4 ,,walter ,,thompson1 ,committee4 ,,lodge ,,notices4 ,past ,grand ,master ,p4 ,t4 ,colding1 ,g4 ,bailey1 ,w4 ,o4 ,castor1 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton1 ,rev4 ,bean and twenty others of the ,state of ,new ,jersey paid ,prince ,hall ,lodge1 ,no4 #aj1 a fraternal visit on last ,wednesday4 ,short addresses were delivered by those present4 ,last week we left out the names of the officers elect of the ,grand ,chapter3 ,s4 ,n4 ,robinson1 ,m4 ,e4 ,g4 ,p41 ,p4 ,l4 ,colding1 ,r4 ,d4 ,g4 ,h4 ,p41 ,camden2 ,w4 ,h4 ,jackson1 ,r4 ,e4 ,g4 ,k41 ,bordentown2 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton1 ,r4 ,e4 ,g4 ,s41 ,trenton2 ,j4 ,l4 ,derrick1 ,r4 ,w4 ,g4 ,treasurer1 ,camden2 ,w4 ,f4 ,powell1 ,r4 ,w4 ,grand ,secretary1 ,burlington2 ,w4 ,h4 ,douglas1 ,r4 ,w4 ,dist4 ,dept41 ,plainfield4 99 99 99 99 99 ,madams ,pitts1 ,daniels1 ,webb1 ,hack and ,newton have been assiduous in their efforts in making the fair a success4 99 99 99 99 99 ,at a meeting of the ,damascus ,commandery1 ,k4 ,t41 ,no4 #d1 ,trenton1 the following officers were elected3 ,sir ,a4 ,h4 ,newton1 ,em4 ,com42 ,sir ,j4 ,thornton1 ,gen42 ,john ,seruby1 ,capt4 ,general4 ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton1 ,chaplain of the ,senate1 ,trenton1 ,n4 ,j4 ,rev4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton has been appointed ,chaplain of the ,state ,senate1 ,trenton1 ,n4 ,j4 ,thus we creep up4 ,this is a great honor to ,rev4 ,newton1 as well as the race4 ,we congratulate him4 ,march #bith-,april #c;d4 ,camden1 ,n4 ,j41 ,august #bj1 #ahid4 ,the ,adjutant-,general ,w4 ,s4 ,arcory1 ,w4 ,s4 ,u4 ,s4 ,a41 ,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ,dear ,sir3 ,will you please inform me of the probable number of troops enlisted during the ,civil ,war1 those having died from wounds1 being sick in hospitals1 and the number of those killed on the battlefield8 ,also please advise me of the cost of the war1 how many colored soldiers enlisted1 the years they enlisted1 and the first battle they engaged in4 ,very respectfully yours1 ,a4 ,h4 ,,newton4 ,the following was the reply to the above3 ,address3 8,chief of the ,record and ,pension ,office1 ,war ,department1 ,washington1 ,d4 ,c40 ,,record ,,and ,,pension ,,office1 ,war ,department1 ,washington1 ,august #bd1 #ahid4 ,respectfully returned to ,mr4 ,a4 ,h4 ,newton1 #ccb ,washington ,st41 ,camden1 ,n4 ,j4 ,inviting attention to the accompanying printed statement showing the number of troops furnished by the several ,states and ,territories under the different calls by the ,president1 including the number of colored troops4 ,according to the latest official compilation1 #fg1jeh officers and men were killed in action1 and #bib1dgj died of wounds or disease during the war4 ,according to a statement made by the ,secretary of the ,treasury on ,june #aj1 #ahhj1 8the expenditures of the government on account of the war of the rebellion from ,july #a1 #ahfa to ,june #cj1 #ahgi10 including interest on the public debt1 8aggregated #f1ahi1ibi1ijh4eh40 ,the amount expended since the latter date is not shown by any statistics filed in this ,department4 ,the first authorized enlistment of ,u4 ,s4 colored troops during the war of the rebellion was made in the ,state of ,louisiana in #ahfb4 ,no detailed information as to the organization and service of colored troops can readily be furnished from data now accessible4 7one enclosure7 ,by authority of the ,secretary of ,war3 ,f4 ,c4 ,,ainsworth1 ,colonel1 ,u4 ,s4 ,army1 ,chief of ,office4 ,per ,the ,legal ,form of ,apprenticeship ,used in the ,case of ,a4 ,h4 ,newton4 ,state of ,north ,carolina1 ,county of ,craven1 ss3 ,this ,indenture1 made the eighteenth day of ,december1 in the year of our ,lord #aheb1 between the ,worshipful ,william ,s4 ,blackledge1 ,esq41 ,chairman and ,presiding ,justice of the ,court of ,pleas and ,quarter ,sessions of the county aforesaid1 of the one part1 and ,jacob ,gooding1 of the same county1 of the other part1 ,witnesseth1 ,that the said ,presiding ,justice1 in pursuance of an order of said ,court1 doth put1 place and bind1 unto said ,jacob ,gooding1 a free boy of color1 an orphan1 named ,alexander ,h4 ,newton1 aged #ag years #afth ,july1 #aheb1 with the said ,jacob ,gooding1 to live after the manner of an apprentice and servant until he shall attain the age of #ba years4 ,during which time the said apprentice his said ,master shall faithfully serve1 and his lawful commands gladly obey1 and not absent himself from his ,master's service without leave1 but in all things as a good and faithful servant shall behave4 ,and the said ,jacob ,gooding doth covenant1 promise and agree1 with the said ,presiding ,justice1 that he will teach and instruct1 or cause to be taught and instructed1 the said apprentice the art and mystery of a bricklayer and mason1 and constantly find and provide for the said apprentice1 during the term aforesaid1 sufficient diet1 washing1 lodging and apparel fitting an apprentice1 and also all other things necessary both in sickness and in health1 and at the expiration of said apprenticeship will pay to said apprentice six dollars and furnish him with a new suit of clothes and a new ,bible4 ,in witness whereof1 the parties have hereunto set their hands and seals the day and year aforesaid4 ,j4 ,,gooding4 7,seal7 ,,william ,,blackledge4 7,seal7 ,signed1 sealed and delivered in the presence of ,j4 ,g4 ,stanly4 ,state of ,north ,carolina1 ,county of ,craven1 ss3 ,i hereby certify that the above is a true copy of the original filed in this office4 ,witness my hand and official seal this #bb;d day of ,august1 #ahgh4 ,s4 ,w4 ,,carpenter1 ,c4 ,s4 ,c41 ,per ,j4 ,b4 ,willis1 ,deputy4 7,seal ,superior ,court47 ,illustration ,transcriber's ,notes ,minor errors and omissions in punctuation have been fixed4 ,page #bj3 8the thoughlessness0 changed to 8the thoughtlessness0 ,page #gh3 8loaded with human frieght0 changed to 8loaded with human freight0 ,page #gi3 8the ,rio ,grand0 changed to 8the ,rio ,grande0 ,page #ii3 8,klu ,klux ,klan0 changed to 8,ku ,klux ,klan0 ,page #ajj3 8were ,klu ,kluxing0 changed to 8were ,ku ,kluxing0 ,page #ajd3 8in ,chatanooga0 changed to 8in ,chattanooga0 ,page #aaa3 8now occupied ed by0 changed to 8now occupied by0 ,page #aac3 8one of the the ,ten ,commandments0 changed to 8one of the ,ten ,commandments0 ,page #abb3 8this conncetion0 changed to 8this connection0 ,page #abc3 ,a repeated line of text was removed4 ,page #abd3 8,harriet ,henson1 son and others0 changed to 8,harriet ,henson1 and others0 ,page #abh3 8#eg for for traveling expenses0 changed to 8#eg for traveling expenses0 ,page #acc3 8was begining0 changed to 8was beginning0 ,page #agg3 8,omnipotence1 ,omnicience0 changed to 8,omnipotence1 ,omniscience0 ,page #agi3 8most greviously0 changed to 8most grievously0 ,page #ahf3 8others may life80 changed to 8others may live80 ,page #aii3 8,dibine ,leadership0 changed to 8,divine ,leadership0 ,page #bdc3 8assistant princial0 changed to 8assistant principal0 ,page #bdg3 8sermon deliverd0 changed to 8sermon delivered0