Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-12-17
asliseellanu.
The Israel Bethel Church in Wash.
instOn.

IN lSU--1COo- AnS Pooeoi III CudTSe 1Or
art of those years Was stalwart fellow.
/ nure African blood, believe, who has
srce served term or two in one of the
suthern Legislatures, and, for ought [
.row. may still retain seat therein. He
ras leader rather than follower, and
,'s of the first negroes to enter the mill
nry service, going out as chaplain, and,
doubt not, stirring his regiment to vigor
and steruness of bearing. He had no
,rup.es about the shedding of blood in a
,,oi c8use, and never for an instant. so
ar as | was informed, wavered in the be-
isf that war against shareholders was
+gbteOus. He was critic and censor
had DO patience with those who adopted
r,lf.way measures or were content with a
pnporlzlDg policy and declalmed vehe-
rsntly against the attitude of certain
rblte folks churches in Washington.
Preach from what text he won d, begin
THere he might, he seemed to always
.lI the war within the scope of his theme.
suppose the military question more or
s.s entered all the negro puIpits at that
tine; IN this | always found 1t the primer
"a one WHAT the war would do for the
.Jored race, how 1t was to bring all rights
and all blessings IN its train,-thls was the
slrden alike of Sunday sermon and week
iay exhortation.
Ouce | herd a sermon there from the
ext " In the beginning God created the
haven and the earth" Probably | need
not say that | was curious to see what
work the preacher would make with the
4 Mosaic account of the creation. He had
heard men argue, he said. " that this record
Of the beginning OF things is not true that
there was more than one source of life on
.ae earth; that we did not all descend
from Adam and the garden of Eden; that
Do weIl-educated person now accepted
Enat vas said in the first chapter of the
/ Bible as an exact statement of fact. All
this sort Of talk, friends, need not trouble
Is The Bible is true on that | rest nv
feet. Whether we always understand the
Bible right, is another thing We must
al. study it as faithfully as we can. The
Lord will not hold US responsible for mis-
axes, if we really do the best we know
Low. He is tender father, we are ig-
aorant children" How was one to get H.
to an antagonistic mood toward q preach
ar who disarmed superior culture in this
manner?
At rhis is what God means,-the wisest,
greatest, highest, most majestic, most low
llg, most tender. All nations have this
something above all other things. Thai
rGod He created the heavens and the
earth and the sea and all there is therein
He is manifested to US in Christ, the Cap
tam of our Savation.' Some one in the
rear of the church shouted out. "Thank
s God for our Captainl - To which the
preacher responded, - Yes, thank God foI
hs Captain God is 50 high and mighty
that We poor creatures would mot have
dareg ID. seaH fli1u 57htlfers : - xespf for hi
4 Canaan xha redeemfd Us and viii lead u
% % glorious gietorya Tie LoFd sgesh.
vas in heaven Just as God VAS bqsl A.
couldn't bear to have the sons of men Sc
fsraway and therefore he came down te
Earth. took our form, lived our life, anC
suffered everything to death, that he
might know just how to be the Captain OF
OUT Salvation He did not escape any,
hing. He was naked and hungry and
shut in prison, just as we have been
That was what God created him in the
heavens for in the beginning, to know
whatever atHicts us, so that he might bt
our Captain.
"Ln the beginning God created, th'
Bible says. God has beginnings every
day. Shall | tell you what? He is max
Ing Us poor men over every day of all thi
var time. We weren't worth much TIVE
years ago; perhaps We are MT worth /
great deal now but God will make mel
and women o! Us before he rests from hi
work. lie is every day creating righteous
hess Of heart among the white people o
this land, and when he finishes that crea
ton the chains will fall from Our race, ant
We shall walk free everywhere and know
no master but Christ. And he is ever,
day creating friends for US, not only her
IN Washington, but all over the North
Whoever else goes back on him, we can
Do so A." This idea Of going back o.
somebody or something was commo
among the negroes of that time. The.
were IN the habit Of saying that such an
such officers had gone back on the colore
race; and when once that notion got we
abroad, the offending person was neve
agaln given a seat Oh the tree of lite
watch Jordan roll.
The church bad well.lit audience
ioom, with pulpit at one end and CALLER
at the other, no cushions on the seat
cocoa mating IN the aisles, and prett
narbe-top table at the front. After b
entered the army, his people spoke of th
Chaplain as though they had great de'
dPride in his position, and the churc
Vas full whenever he chanced to be
Washington and could pre- tach. Thel
Tas choir of twelve or fifteen good an
tlnefuI voices, and the congregation W;
frequently asked to join in the singing
though, truth to tell, the great majori'
OF the negroes themselves needed no ur
n5 Walk in, friends, walk ID" VI
toe sexton's salutation as white men DIRE
near the door walk in, the seats are
lee; 90 in on this side please, the 9th
asor is for the ladies'" On more tn;
one occasion when | took seat near t
entrance, [ was invited to sit farther fc
Yard; could hear to better advantag
and might be chilly if [ remained ne
Zoe ott-opening door. L cherish live
memory OF that sexton.
10 March, 1864, word was circulated
saturday that the chaplain had come
town, and would preach on the followl
evening For some cause he failed
reach the city, and in one sense those
Us who went to the church were dlsappoil
co. But We heard a stirring war sermt
nevertheless, and saw the negroes IN
a their peculiar moods. The preach