Slavery and the Constitution Part 3

Page 83: "Q. Are there two places only spoken of in the Bible to which the souls of men go after death?--A. Only two.

Q. Which are they?--A. Heaven and h.e.l.l.

Pp. 91, 92: Q. After the Judgment is over, into what place do the righteous go?--A. Into heaven.

Q. What kind of a place is heaven?--A. A most glorious and happy place.

Q. Shall the righteous in heaven have any more hunger or thirst, or nakedness or heat or cold? Shall they any more have sin or sorrow, or crying or pain or death?--A. No.

Q. Repeat, 'And G.o.d shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.'--A.

'And G.o.d shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying; neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are pa.s.sed away.'

Q. Will heaven be their everlasting home?--A. Yes.

Q. And shall the righteous grow in knowledge and holiness and happiness for ever and ever?--A. Yes.

Q. To what place should we wish and strive to go, more than to all other places?--A. Heaven.

Pp. 93, 94: Q. Into what place are the wicked to be cast?--A. Into h.e.l.l.

Q. Repeat, 'The wicked shall be turned.'--A. 'The wicked shall be turned into h.e.l.l, and all the nations that forget G.o.d.'

Q. What kind of a place is h.e.l.l?--A. A place of dreadful torments.

Q. What does it burn with?--A. Everlasting fire.

Q. Who are cast into h.e.l.l besides wicked men?--A. The devil and his angels.

Q. What will the torments of h.e.l.l make the wicked do?--A. Weep and wail, and gnash their teeth.

Q. What did the rich man beg for when he was tormented in the flame?--A. A drop of water to cool his tongue.

Q. Will the wicked have any good thing in h.e.l.l? the least comfort?

the least relief from torment?--A. No.

Q. Will they ever come out of h.e.l.l?--A. No: never.

Q. Can any go from heaven to h.e.l.l, or from h.e.l.l to heaven?--A. No.

Q. What is fixed between heaven and h.e.l.l?--A. A great gulf.

Q. What is the punishment of the wicked in h.e.l.l called?--A.

Everlasting punishment.

Q. Will this punishment make them better?--A. No.

Q. Repeat, 'It is a fearful thing.'--A. 'It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living G.o.d.'

Q. What is G.o.d said to be to the wicked?--A. A consuming fire.

Q. What place should we strive to escape from above all others?--A.

h.e.l.l."

The slaves are taught that they must do what G.o.d requires of them, if they would escape never-ending torments in h.e.l.l. How strict an account of their stewardship does G.o.d require at their hands! He, they are taught, has made them slaves, and has given them nothing but labor and poverty for their lot in this life. Will he require much, where he has given little? Bishop Meade continues (Brooke's "Slavery," pp. 30, 31, 32):--

"Having thus shown you the chief duties you owe to your great Master in heaven, I now come to lay before you the duties you owe to your masters and mistresses here upon earth; and for this you have one general rule that you ought always to carry in your minds, and that is, to do all service for them as if you did it for G.o.d himself.

Poor creatures! you little consider, when you are idle and neglectful of your masters' business, when you steal and waste and hurt any of their substance, when you are saucy and impudent, when you are telling them lies and deceiving them; or when you prove stubborn and sullen, and will not do the work you are set about without stripes and vexation; you do not consider, I say, that _what faults you are guilty of towards your masters and mistresses are faults done against G.o.d himself_, who hath set your masters and mistresses over you in his own stead, and expects that you will do for them just as you would do for him. And, pray, do not think that I want to deceive you, when I tell you that _your masters and mistresses are G.o.d's overseers_; and that, if you are faulty towards them, G.o.d himself will punish you severely for it in the next world, unless you repent of it, and strive to make amends by your faithfulness and diligence for the time to come; for G.o.d himself hath declared the same.

"Now, from this general rule,--namely, that you are to do all service for your masters and mistresses as if you did it for G.o.d himself,--there arise several other rules of duty towards your masters and mistresses, which I shall endeavor to lay out in order before you.

"And, in the first place, you are to be obedient and subject to your masters in all things.... And Christian ministers are commanded to 'exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things, not answering them again, or gain-saying.' You see how strictly G.o.d requires this of you, that whatever your masters and mistresses order you to do, you must set about it immediately, and faithfully perform it, without any disputing or grumbling, and take care to please them well in all things. And for your encouragement he tells you, that he will reward you for it in heaven; because, while you are honestly and faithfully doing your master's business here, you are serving your Lord and Master in heaven. You see also that you are not to take any exceptions to the behavior of your masters and mistresses, and that you are to be subject and obedient, not only to such as are good and gentle and mild towards you, but also to such as may be froward, peevish, and hard. For you are not at liberty to choose your own masters; but into whatever hands G.o.d hath been pleased to put you, you must do your duty, and G.o.d will reward you for it.

"2. You are not to be eye-servants. Now, eye-servants are such as will work hard, and seem mighty diligent, while they think anybody is taking notice of them; but, when their masters' and mistresses'

backs are turned, they are idle, and neglect their business. I am afraid there are a great many such eye-servants among you, and that you do not consider how great a sin it is to be so, and how severely G.o.d will punish you for it. You may easily deceive your owners, and make them have an opinion of you that you do not deserve, and get the praise of men by it; but remember that you cannot deceive Almighty G.o.d, who sees your wickedness and deceit, and will punish you accordingly. For the rule is, that you must obey your masters in all things, and do the work they set you about with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as unto Christ; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of G.o.d from the heart; with good-will doing service as to the Lord, and not as to men. If, then, you would but say within yourselves, 'My master hath set me about this work, and his back is turned, so that I may loiter and idle if I please, for he does not see me; but _there is my great Master in heaven, whose overseer my other master is_,[I] and his eyes are always upon me and taking notice of me, and I cannot get anywhere out of his sight, nor be idle without his knowing it; and what will become of me, if I lose his good-will and make him angry with me?'--if, I say, you would once get the way of thinking and saying thus upon all occasions, you then would do what G.o.d commands you, and serve your masters with singleness of heart, that is, with honesty and sincerity, and do the work you are set about with fear and trembling, not for fear of your masters and mistresses upon earth, for you may easily cheat them, and make them believe you are doing their business when you do not, but with fear and trembling, lest G.o.d your heavenly Master, whom you cannot deceive, should call you to account, and punish you in the next world for your deceitfulness and eye-service in this.

"3. _You are to be faithful and honest to your masters and mistresses, not purloining or wasting their goods or substance, but showing all good fidelity in all things...._ Do not your masters, under G.o.d, provide for you? And how shall they be able to do this, to feed and to clothe you, unless you take honest care of every thing that belongs to them? _Remember that G.o.d requires this of you; and, if you are not afraid of suffering for it here, you cannot escape the vengeance of Almighty G.o.d, who will judge between you and your masters, and make you pay severely in the next world for all the injustice you do them here._ And though you could manage so cunningly as to escape the eyes and hands of man, yet think what a dreadful thing it is to fall into the hands of the living G.o.d, who is able to cast both soul and body into h.e.l.l!

"4. _You are to serve your masters with cheerfulness, reverence, and humility. You are to do your masters' service with good-will, doing it as the will of G.o.d from the heart, without any sauciness or answering again._ How many of you do things quite otherwise, and, instead of going about your work with a good will and a good heart, dispute and grumble, give saucy answers, and behave in a surly manner! There is something so becoming and engaging in a modest, cheerful, good-natured behavior, that a little work done in that manner seems better done and gives far more satisfaction than a great deal more that must be done with fretting, vexation, and the lash always held over you. It also gains the good-will and love of those you belong to, and makes your own life pa.s.s with more ease and pleasure. Besides, you are to consider that this grumbling and ill-will does not affect your masters and mistresses only. They have ways and means in their hands of forcing you to do your work, whether you are willing or not. _But your murmuring and grumbling is against G.o.d, who hath placed you in that service, who will punish you severely in the next world for despising his commands._"

If the slave who wastes his master's goods and substance will not be able to escape the vengeance of Almighty G.o.d, what will become of the master who impoverishes and darkens the mind of his brother-man? Who commits the greater injustice,--the man who robs another of his mind, or the man who robs another of his money?

Mr. Glennie is equally explicit in his teaching. His fourth Sermon is on the text, Eph. vi. 7, "With good-will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men," pp. 21, 22:--

"In this part of the word of G.o.d, servants are taught with what mind they ought to do their service. They are told to do what is required of them 'with good-will;' and to do it, 'as to the Lord, and not to men.'

"What a blessed book the Bible is, my brethren! It speaks comfort to all people in every station of life; it shows how every one must live here so as to please our heavenly Father. He, the Father of mercies and the G.o.d of all comfort, has in his word forgotten none of the children of men. All may learn from that holy book how their souls may be saved through the merits of the death of Christ. And, in addition to this, every one, in whatever condition he may be, will find in that holy book what his peculiar duties are. Thus, ministers are taught in the Bible how they ought to preach the gospel, and how they ought to live, so as to glorify their Saviour Jesus Christ. The rich are taught in the Bible how they must do good with their riches; and the poor, how they must be contented with the portion that G.o.d has given them; and both rich and poor are taught how to lay up treasure in heaven. Parents are told in the Bible how they must bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; and children, how they must obey their parents. Masters are taught in the Bible how they must rule their servants, and servants how they must obey their masters. Truly, this holy word of G.o.d is a blessed gift indeed; and how greatly blessed shall we all be, if we diligently seek the help of the Holy Spirit, that we may be 'doers of the word, and not hearers only'! I will now read to you the whole of this pa.s.sage out of G.o.d's holy word, which is written especially for your instruction:--'Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of G.o.d from the heart: with good-will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men; knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.' This pa.s.sage from the Bible shows to you what G.o.d requires from you as servants; and there are many other pa.s.sages which teach the same things. You should try and remember these parts of the Bible, that you may be able 'to do your duty in that state of life unto which it has pleased G.o.d to call you.' For, although a bad servant may not wish to know what G.o.d requires of him, yet a Christian servant will desire to know this, and to do his will in every thing."

How easy it must be for those who cannot read to learn from the holy book what G.o.d requires of them! Mr. Glennie a.s.sures his hearers, that not one of them will be able to say, in the day of judgment, "I had no way of hearing and learning about my G.o.d and Saviour"! (p. 137). May they not all listen to such words of comfort as fall from his lips? And how full of comfort to their souls must that book be which tells them that G.o.d intended to make them slaves, and that they must be faithful and obedient to their oppressors, if they wish to avoid endless punishment in h.e.l.l!

Pp. 22, 23: "Our heavenly Father commands that you, who are servants, should 'be obedient to your masters according to the flesh;' that is, to your earthly master, the master that you serve here while in the body. Here is a very plain command: 'Servants, be obedient;' be obedient to your masters. A bad servant will not try and obey this command. A worldly-minded servant, who is not living in the fear of G.o.d, will neglect this command. But you, who call yourselves children of G.o.d, will do his will, and be obedient to your earthly master. You can every day give proof that you wish to serve G.o.d, by your ready, your cheerful obedience.

"You are here directed to be obedient to your master 'with fear and trembling;' that is, you ought to feel as anxious to discharge your duty faithfully as to feel afraid of giving offence by any conduct that looks like disobedience; for, by disobedience, you not only offend your earthly master, but you sin against G.o.d; and of this every Christian servant will be afraid. A bad servant will be afraid only of the punishment which he will receive, if his disobedience should be found out. But a Christian servant must look up always to his heavenly Master. Therefore, if you love G.o.d, whose children you were made at your baptism, you will do every day all that you have to do, with fear and trembling; that is, in the fear of G.o.d; knowing that he would be angry with you, if you neglected your duty. If you love the Lord Jesus Christ, who shed his blood for you, you will do your daily work with fear and trembling, lest, by any act of disobedience, you bring reproach on him whose name you bear. If you desire that the Holy Spirit should abide in your hearts, you will not willingly be disobedient, being afraid that this Comforter and Sanctifier would forsake you, if you paid so little attention to the plain word of G.o.d."

How full of comfort must the Bible be to the slaveholder! How gratifying to him the reconciliation between G.o.d and mammon! How interesting to a reverend father must be the reflection, that, just in the proportion as he serves his G.o.d, by imparting to his hearers gospel truth, he is serving mammon, and putting money in the purses of his employers, by making his hearers more valuable as slaves!

Page 23: "You are here commanded to be obedient, 'in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ:' that is, do not be double-minded, professing to be one thing, but really being another; but, in your duty to your master, have a single heart; an honest, upright, and true heart, as unto Christ; knowing that he sees your heart, and will not be pleased with double-dealing."

Page 24: "This part of the Bible goes on speaking of the same matter in different words; it gives 'line upon line and precept upon precept;' because it is what all of us ought to keep in mind, that we must engage in our several duties with a desire to please G.o.d, and with a fear of sinning against him. It says, 'not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of G.o.d from the heart.' Do not attend to your work, only when your earthly master's eye is upon you; but remember that the eye of your heavenly Master is always upon you. Do your work as serving Christ, _look upon your daily tasks as the will of G.o.d_, and do them from the heart, with a hearty desire to please G.o.d. A bad servant is an eye-servant, doing the work required of him so long as his master's eye is upon him: he has no regard to Christ our Saviour; and, instead of the will of G.o.d, he thinks only of his own will, and the desires of his own evil heart. But you, who profess to be the servants of Jesus Christ, will, if you are indeed his, do all your duty faithfully, whether the eye of man is upon you or not; you will feel that such is the will of G.o.d; and you will daily watch and pray, that, by the help of the Holy Spirit, you may 'do the will of G.o.d from the heart.'

"The word of G.o.d goes on teaching you the same thing. It says, 'with good-will doing service as to the Lord, and not to men.' A bad servant will very often do his service with a very bad will; he will try many ways to deceive his master, and will do as little for him as he can. You, however, who call yourselves the servants of Christ, will, if you indeed belong to him, aim at doing your service 'with good-will;' you will pray that your will may be subject to the will of G.o.d, so that you may 'do service' cheerfully, 'as to the Lord, and not to men.'"

We candidly confess, that we have not sufficient faith to believe that the Rev. Rector of All-Saints Parish would, if he were a slave, be a good servant, and do service as unto the Lord. We do verily believe, that both he and Bishop Meade would follow the desires of man's unregenerate and evil heart, and do their utmost to escape from this unwelcome service of Christ. But what a curious subject for reflection, that the saving of negro souls and of negro overseers in All-Saints Parish must keep pace one with another!

The Rector concludes his Sermon with these important suggestions:--

Page 25: "This pa.s.sage of Scripture ends by telling you to remember that the day of judgment is coming, when every one, in every condition of life, shall receive according to what he has done in the body. It says, 'Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.' We are here told, that in the day of judgment, the inquiry will be, What have we done in this world? how did we live in this world? It matters not, we see, in what condition we have been here; it matters not whether we be bond-servants or freemen; it matters not whether we be among the high and the rich, or among the low and the poor, we shall in that day receive according as we now live. If we now live as obedient followers of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we shall, through him who loved us, inherit everlasting life. But if we are not true believers in him, if we are disobedient to his word, we can inherit only everlasting misery. With regard to you, the disobedient servants amongst you, the unfaithful, the deceitful, the unG.o.dly servants, unless they repent and turn from the service of the devil to the service of G.o.d, shall surely 'be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.' Whilst the obedient servants amongst you, the faithful, the true, the G.o.dly servants, who are living 'as the servants of Christ,' 'doing service as to the Lord, and not to men,' shall, if they continue steadfast unto the end, be blessed for ever."