Page:Negro servant, an authentic and interesting narrative of a young Negro servant.pdf/17

( 17 ) THE interesting and affectig conversation which I had with the Negro Servant, produced a sensation not easy to be expressed. As I returned home, I was led into meditation on the singular clearness and beauty of those evidencies of faith and conversion to God, which I had just seen and heard. How plainly, I thought, it appears, that salvation is freely obtained by grace through faith; and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. What but the Holy Spirit, who is the author and giver of the life of grace, could have wrought such a change from the once dark, perverse and ignorant heathen, to this now convinced, enlightened, humble and believing Christian; How manifest is the uncontrouled sovereignty of the divine will excercised in the ceiling and translating of sinners from darkness to light! what a lesson may the nominal Christian of a civilized country sometimes learn from the simple, sincere religion of a converted heathen!

I afterwards made particular inquiry into this young man's domestic and general deportment. Every thing I heard was satisfactory: nor could I entertain a doubt respecting the consistency of his conduct and character. I had some further conversation with him, in the course of which I pursued such a plan of Scriptural instruction and examination, as I conceived to be most suitable to his progressive state of mind. He improved much in reading, carried his Bible constantly in his pocket, and took every opportunity, which his duty to his master's service would allow, for perusing it. I have frequently had an occasion to observe, that amongst the religious poor, who have not had the advantage of learning to real in early youth, a concern about the soul, and do