Page:The religious instruction of the colored population.djvu/11

 on the week days, to speak with them of their souls, they have not time to talk with him, because they have so many customers to wait on, but that when he goes to see them on the Lord's Day, for the same purpose, the same difficulty still meets him. So many customers to wait on both on Sundays and on all the other days of the week, that the shop-keeper himself has no time to attend to his own religious interests! Do you know who those customers are? Your poor! Do you know what they are buying? The waters of Fire and the distillation of Death! Do you know how they obtain the means of procuring this indulgence? You can better answer than I, and you are ignorant, indeed, if unable to answer. My friends, our poor are learning intemperance, and they are learning dishonesty. They are being corrupted and destroyed, both soul and body. One of our wealthiest and most intelligent planters lately told me that he loses every year $1000 or $1500 on the destruction of his servants by intemperance. The master is thus robbed of his servant, while the poor servant, alas! is equally robbed of his immortal soul! Yes, my brethren, this is the process that is going or, in this community, under our very eyes, and yet some vainly imagine that our poor are supplied with the preaching of the gospel, and that no new and special efforts are needed for their good! Let me tell you what is necessary, in order that we may be able to say tli it to our poor the gospel is preached. Give them suitable church room and a suitable ministry devoted entirely to their good. Let them be induced, by such allurements as these, to crowd the place of worship; yet, be careful how they are suffered to crowd into the spiritual church. Invite them all to hear the gospel, but receive them only after careful and thorough examination into the membership. Let those who are admitted be built up in the faith, not only by suitable, preaching, but by the laborious and persevering catechetical teaching of them, in private. Indoctrinate thoroughly, their class leaders, that they may communicate sound doctrine to the others. Pay great attention to the youth; and, with reference to the whole congregation, aim not at exciting them, but at instructing them. Thoroughly imbue their minds with the principles and precepts of the Bible, andd store them with the facts and narratives of its history. At the same time, watch over them, as far as possible, both directly and by means of their leaders, as a faithful shepherd washes over his sheep. Let the discipline of the church