The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-12-04
AN AFRICAN
ROMANCE.
IL Story Blended With Some Interesting
Colonial History.
BY EDWARD EVERETT HALE.
CHAPTER. III.

There were no newspapers IN Boston,
but there was great deal OF converse
zion, and whatever was posted up on the
town pump, or at the town house hard
by, or above the whipping post, or on
the front Of the meeting house, was rap
idly rereated from mouth to mouth. So
was it tuat the week had not ended be-
fore the town knew perfectly well that
a@G;uny black" was offered for sale.
And In one and another conference, IN
which Winthrop and Dudley and John
Cotton took the lead, as they came out
from the Thursday lecture, the matter
Was discussed in all it's relations. When
John Cotton and John Williams went
into the meeting house Thursday morn
ing thew did not know much about tho
matter. and far less did they know what
thew thoupht about it. But, after the
informal conversation with the other ell
ders. ,aster the meeting was over, and
before they left the house, both OF them
knew very we'll. Winthrop knew what
they thought, and Dudley knew; for, in
q fashion, Winthrop and Dudley had had
their share in telling John Cotton what
1t was as we'll that he should think. And
80, when people went to meeting on
Sunday, there was quite general i'm
precision in the congregation that before
they came out they would know what
was to be done with the black man.
The meeting house was always as
full as it would hold. On this occasion
Wilson led the congregation in prayer;
then he "doaconed out" one OF the
psalms, as versifed for the congrega-
ton. Then Cotton led in prayer, and,
after the prayer, he announced the text
OF his discourse. 1t was from the
tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth
verses of the eighteenth chapter OF
Revelations. Alas, alas, the great city
of Babylon, that mighty city, for in one
hour is thy Judgment come. And the
merchants Of the earth shall weep and
mourn over her; for no man buyeth
their merchandise any more; the mer-
chandlse Of gold and silver. and precious
stones, and pearl, and fine linen. and
purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all
thyme wood, and all manner vessels OF
ivory; and all manner vessels OF most
precious wood, and OF brass, and iron,
and marble, and cinnamon, and odors,
and ointments, and frankincense, and
wine, and oil, and fine -four, and wheat,
and beasts, and sheep, and chariots,
and slaves, and souls Of men,"
The first head was description OF
Babylon in all it's glory. The second
head showed that, although Boston was
but small town now-nay, had been
called Lost Town" in the sneers Of the
people around her-there was every
reason why, if Boston held firmly in her
loyalty to the living God, King OF kings,
and Lord Of lords, Boston should have
more wealth and trade and rule and do"
minion than any OF the principalities
and powers of the heather. The third
head showed that all this was impossi-
BILE for Boston if she did not cleave to
the living God, and did not live by His
commands. The fourth, head showed,
by full reference to the'7beoks Of the
Old Testament, that Gods people made
no slaves excepting in war. The fifth
head pointed out the denunciations OF
the prophets against the Syrians, be-
cause they bought and sold slaves from
the islands of the West. And the sixth
head brought all this to a close, in it's
denunciation Of Babylon because she
traded in souls and slaves.
L have read to you, he said, from
the word Of God, the names OF some OF
those things which perish with the
using, which this great Babylon bought
and sold. have read to you also the
names Of treasures which do not perish
in the using, which this Babylon pre-!
tended to sell and to buy. It is all as
Boston can buy corn and fish and fur,
as Boston can buy beaver and otter and
skin Of mink and skin Of bear, as Bos-
ton can send out her sasafras to En-
gland and buy her cotton from the IL.
dies, so could Babylon buy and sell Gin
namon and frankincense. And then ne
read the whole verse. "R"t woe to
Babylon, because she bought, or tried
to buy, the souls OF men! Babylon the
great is fallen, because she bought those
slaves which her merchants captivated
far away. And woe to this town, which
we thought the Lord founded, woe to
His kingdom, which we thought was to
come even in the wilderness, in the day
when our Bhipmen and our merchants
shall carry away from us our furs and
our spices, and shall bring back to us,
for a recompense, slaves and the souls
of men," Then, pausing for moment,
he went on to address the King OF kings
in prayer. The whole congregation,
thrilled and excited. rose to their feet
and stood as he prayed, pouring out the
anger OF his eloquence in eager words.
20 Lord God, save thy people, and
save thy heritage! Let not the curse
and the damnation fall on this place
which fell upon those heather. Let not
thine own people, the sheep OF thine
own pasture and the flock Of thine own
hand, stray in the waste in which the
Gentiles strayed. Let them not taste
the fruit that was forbidden, let them
not drink Ct the waters Of Marah. Save,
0 God, save in this thy time! Blot out,
from the book Of thy remembrance our
follies and sins in the days that are
mast. Remember thine own infinite
mercy, and hold fast to thine own pur-
pose in the redemption OF this land, and
show thy people, in the light and
majesty Of thine own holy spirit. how tS
undo the chains that they have bound,
how to turn back from the paths OF their
weakness, and how to proclaim liberty
TO the captive. 0, rule in this thy land,
thou who art King Of kings and God OF
gods, thou Lord o. hosts. Rule for cur
good, and do not trample us under the
feet of thy vengeance. Save MS, save,
we beseech thee, o Lord! Lift up lin
that is oppressed, break the bonds OF
him who is eHslaved and set the prlson-
er free. Save us, Lord Jesus, who hast
been pleased in thine own flesh, to lead
captivity captive, and thine shall be the
glory and the honor, the power and the
dominion, forever and ever, world with
And then he directed them to sing the
fortv-fourth psalm. Wilson, as before.
~.,.r ,,,+ +l,a l-,oc ono hv one and the