"

Thus ended my examination for the present. The other friends who were in
the house listened with the most affectionate anxiety to all that passed.
One of them observed, not without evident emotion--

"I see, sir, that though some men are white and some are black, true
Christianity is all of one colour. My own heart has gone with this good
man, every word he has spoken."

"And so has mine," gently re-echoed from every part of the room.

After some time passed in more general conversation on the subject of the
Negro's history, I said, "Let us now praise God for the rich and
unspeakable gift of his grace, and sing the hymn of redeeming love--

'Now begin the heavenly theme,
Sing aloud in Jesus' name,'" &c.

Which was accordingly done. Whatever might be the merit of the natural
voices, it was evident there was spiritual melody in all their hearts.

The Negro was not much used to our way of singing, yet joined with great
earnestness and affection, that showed how truly he felt what he uttered.
When the fifth verse was ended--

"Nothing brought him from above,
Nothing but redeeming love"--

he repeated the words, almost unconscious where he was--

"No, noting, noting but redeeming love, bring him down to poor William;
noting but redeeming love."

The following verses were added and sung by way of conclusion:--

See, a stranger comes to view,
Though he's black, {121} he's comely too
Comes to join the choirs above,
Singing of redeeming love.

Welcome, Negro, welcome here,
Banish doubt and banish fear;
You, who Christ's salvation prove,
Praise and bless redeeming love.

I concluded with some remarks on the nature of salvation by grace,
exhorting all present to press forward in the heavenly journey. It was
an evening the circumstances of which, had they never been recorded on
earth, were yet, doubtless, registered in the book of remembrance above.

I then fixed the day for the baptism of the Negro, and so took leave of
my little affectionate circle.

The moon shone bright as I returned home, and was beautifully reflected
from the waters of the lake; harmony and repose characterized the scene.
I had just been uniting in the praises of the God of grace and
providence; and now the God of nature demanded a fresh tribute of
thanksgiving for the beauties and comforts of creation; as David sang,
"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the
stars