New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-03-01
A Sermon Preached at First
Street Church, New Orleans, by
Rev. H. Green, (Colored0

EoCrSGI SuuFCu, NEW Orl6anSs Dy
Rev. H. Green, (Colored0
Hebrew 2, 3; "How shall we escape if we
neglect so great salvation"
The Apostle of our blessed Lord
considered this great salvation. And
how came it to be great salvation !
Because it was spoken by the Lord and
confirmed to us by them that heard
Him. God manifested himself so that
we could understand it from them, that
is by miracles and gifts by the Holy
Ghost. 1t shows us that God did not
leave us TO hear of salvation only, but
Heplanted it with miracles and signs to
let them know that He was on hand.
The history of these miracles is tes-
timony. The psalmist says, "What is
man that thou art mindful Of him 2"
That seemed to be the great wonder
that God should visit man with divers
miracles and signs. God intended
that man should go forth and show
his glory. And the apostle says,
"How shall we escape if we neglect
SO great salvation !"
These words spoken by the Lord
we're confirmed to US by those that
heard them. Can you say you know
anything that you have not been
taught How do you know that your
bodies are the temples Of the Holy
Ghost unless you were taught it !
How do these children know the
hymns they sing and the other knowl-
edge they have unless it was taught
them That's the way Of the history
of ali countries which men have built,
we only know what we've been told
about it. Now if go down St. Charles
street, there just beyond Gravier
street, I'll see a big building. That's
the St. Charles hotel. / come uphere
and tell you all; you believe it, espe-
cially if you know that good many
of these have been down about there
and none of them denies what l say
it's so plain truth. Well, so these
things are confirmed to rs by them
that heard them. We take their testi-
mony. You know we must have faith
in one another. If we have not it will
go hard with the people.
We must understand something of
this great salvation, especially those
of us that have not always been free.
How glad you were when you heard
the Yankees had brought up their gun
boats and you all were TO be freed.
Every Union man this side of the sun
was glad. Well, now; salvation is the
freedom that belongs to the human
family. Salvation was ordained to be
to all the world. The world is in
darkness without it.
! When salvation comes. it comes
with joy and gladness. On salvation
river saints make their way from
earth to glory.
1t was the want of salvation in the
land that you was in bondage, and
because salvation is in the land more
abundantly that you now are free.
Why the devil had q lot of folks
down here in prison once, salvation
went next day and turned them all
loose.
When Satan gets into a man, money
gets above salvation. When the
devil is cast out salvation gets to the
top again. On account Of salvation
we are in the church to-day. Some
people are in one bad place TO- day,
some in another. In grogsheps and
around drinking. Butsome one says:
"What have you got to do with grog-
shops 7" l got heap. l wish |
had more, I'd shut 'em up on Sunday,
tell you,
Why I've seen folks that would sell
whisky and yet pretend to be Chris
tians. Yes, sell brandy all day TO
corrupt the world and make men
brutes, and then say that they were
Christians, They'd swell out as big
as a terrapin full of meat and talk
about "our church," about its being
one of the first churches in the city
and always full. l tell you if the
devil had a church and had brandy
enough, he'd have plenty of hearers.
If you want salvation pray for it,
and it will come and make you happy.
There's great power in prayer. re-
member when / was a young man and
first came to this part of the country.
most all the folks were French
Catholics and ereoles, and spoke the
French language.
They used to say that these Ameri-
can niggers, as they called us who
spoke English, had prayed so much
that they had got God mad. Yes,
God was mad they said through these
American niggers, from Virginia and
up that way. ! heard this not once
nor twice but many times. They
used to think that all the poor crops,
and the cattle dying, and every such
thing came through our praying,
They talked about the time ''since
this Meriean god came into Louisiana. .
All. if you'd only repent, you'd
know at one dash what salvation is
Salvation is bigger than the sea high
as heaven deeper than the depths