The weekly Anglo-African. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1859-1861, 1859-12-31


family, one day, when book was shown
me to keep me from crying, | began spell
ling the names of different objects-this
was source of wonder to all in the neigh
borhood, particularly the blacks-and this
learning was constantly improved at all
opportunities. When got large enough to
go to work, while employed, / was reflect
ing on many things that would present
themselves to my imagination, and when
ever an opportunity occurred of looking at
a book, when the school children were get
ting their lessons, | would find many things
that the fertility of my own Imagination
had depicted to me before; all my time,
not devoted to my masters service, was
spent either in prayer, or in making ex-
periments in casting different things in
moulds made of earth, in attempting to
make paper, gunpowder, and many other
experiments, that, although l could not
perfect, yet convinced me oftheir practical
bility, if l had the means. = was not ad-
dicted to stealing in my youth, nor ever
have been; yet such was the confidence
of the negroes in the neighborhood, even
at this early period of my life, in my su-
perior Judgment, that they would often
carry me with them when they were going
on any roguery, to plan for them. Growing
up among them, with this confidence in my
superior judgment, and when this, in their
opinions, was perfected by Divine inspira-
ton, from the circumstances already alluded
to in infancy, and which belief was after
wards zealously inculcated by the austerity
of my life and manners, which became the
| subject of remark with white and black
Having soon discovered, that to be great
must appear so, therefore studiously
avoided mixing in society, and wrapped
myself in mystery, devoting my time to
fasting and prayer. By this time, having
arrived to mans estate, and hearing the
scriptures commented on at meetings, / was
struck with that particular passage, which
says: "Seek we the kingdom of heaven and
all things shall be added unto you" re-
Elected much on this passage, and prayed
daily for light on this subject. AsI was
praying one day at my plough, the spirit
spoke to me, saying: "Seek we the king
dom of Heaven and all things shall be ad-
ded unto YOU
Question: What do you mean by the
Spirit
Answer.-The Spirit that spoke to the
prophets in former days; and was greatly
astonished, and for two years prayed contin-
ually, whenever my duty would permit;
and then again had the same revelation
which fully confirmed me in the impression
that was ordained for some great purpose
in the hands of the Almighty. Several
years rolled round, in which many events
occurred to strengthen me in this belief
At this time | reverted in my mind to the
remarks made of me in my childhood, and
the things that had been shown me; and as
it had been said of me in my childhood, by
those by whom had been taught to pray
both white and black, and in whom had
the greatest confidence, that had too
much sense to be raised, and if l was, l
would never be of any use to any one, as
slave. Now finding l had arrived at
mans estate, and was a slave, and these
revelations being made known to me, be-
gan to direct my attention to this great OBJ
ject, to fulfill the purpose for which, by this
| time, / felt assured | was intended. Know
ing the influence I had obtained over the
minds of my fellow-servants, (not by means
of conjuring and such like tricks, for to them
l always spoke of such things with con-
Tempt but by the communion of the Spirit,
whose revelations | often communicated to
them, and they believed and said my wis
dom came from God. Inow began to pre-
pare them for my purpose, by telling them
something was about to happen that would
terminate in fulfilling the great promise that
had been made to me. About this time |
was placed under an overseer, from whom
| ran away; and after remaining in the
woods thirty days, / returned, to the aston
ishment of the negroes on the plantation,
who thought l had made my escape to some
other part of the country, as my father had
done before But the reason of my return
was, that the Spirit appeared to me and
said, | had my wishes directed to things of
this world land not to the kingdom of heaven,
and that ! should return to the service of
my earthly master-"For he who knoweth
his Masters will, and doeth it not, shall be
beaten with many stripes, and thus have
chastened you" And the negroes found
fault, and murmured against me, saying if
they had my sense they would not serve
any master in the world. And about this
time l had vision, and saw white spirits
and black spirits engaged in battle, aud the
sun was darkened, the thunder rolled in
the heavens, and blood flowed in streams;
and l heard a voice saying, "Such is your
luck, such are you called on to see, and let
it come, rough or smooth, you must surely
bear it" l now withdrew myself as much
as my situation would permit, from the in
tercourse of my fellow servants, for the
avowed purpose of serving the Spirit more
fully; and it appeared to me, and reminded
me of the things it had already shown me,
and that it would then reveal to me the
knowledge of the elements, the revolution
of the planets, the operation of tides, and
changes of the seasons. After this revela-
ton, in the year 1925, and the knowledge
of the elements being made known to me,
l sought more than ever to obtain true holt
ness, before the great dayofjudgment should
appear, and then began to receive the true