Page:Eleventh annual report of the Association for the Religious Instruction of the Negroes, in Liberty County, Georgia.djvu/18

 on the Sabbath. There is a growing impression of the sanctity of this relation, both among the people and their owners. I have also attended a number of funerals, and some have died in the triumphs of faith. The State Thanksgiving Day, February 13th, was observed by us at Pleasant Grove. The Planters with few exceptions, gave their people the day and we had an overflowing congregation and a day of order and solemnity. I have endeavoured in various waysin dependence upon the Divine blessingto awaken a deeper interest in religion. Sermons have been preached with special reference to the state of the Church: and meetings of members and watchmen called from time to time and much prayer offered and exhortation given. Sabbath, April 20th, we set apart as a day of fasting and prayer at Midway. Three of the white male members attended and took part in the exercises with us. The morning was spent in reading the scriptures, in prayer, singing and exhortation. In the afternoon a sermon for the occasion was preached. The congregation during the day was large and solemn, and our exercises were closed by an Inquiry meeting. To maintain religion among an educated and enlightened people, requires the constant prayers and labours of God's ministers and people, and from time to time, a resort to means, sanctioned and enjoined in the word of God, but which may be denominated, extraordinary; such as days of fasting and solemn convocation, &c.; for the tendency of human nature, and even that which we believe to be under the control of grace, is downward to corruption and spiritual death. But in the instance of educated and enlightened people, they may be considered as possessing some conservative power within themselves. They have a higher standard of character to maintain: they are under greater responsibilities and exert a stronger influence over each other in the way of restraint and encouragement: they have their own qualified instructers: they have access to the word of God and the productions of pious minds and the records of the state and doings of the Church at large; they are subject to appeals to their piety, zeal and benevolence from abroad: and so, "by reason of use, they have their senses exercised to discern both evil and good." How different is the case with our negro population! They possess within themselves, almost no conservative power at all. I forbear to present the contrast: I add only, that they are in large measure, dependent upon other agencies