A Slave's View of the Gospel.
I ONCE found myself in company with a party of friends in the gallery of a small village church, listening to a discourse from a colored minister, or rather exhorter. After some preliminary exercises, a gray-headed man, evidently quite a patriarchal personage, arose, and announced as his subject, "The history of Dives and Lazarus," which he proceeded to explain and enforce. One illustration he used, was so full of quaint simplicity, and at the same time so adapted to express the idea he meant to convey, that it struck me forcibly. He was trying to show how a sinner should accept the gospel offers of salvation. “Suppose,” said he, “any of you wanted a coat, and should go to a white gentleman to purchase one. Well, he has one that exactly fits you, and in all respects is just what you need. You ask the price, but when told, find you have not enough money, and you shake your head—'No, massa, I am too poor, must go without,' and turn away. But he says, 'I know you cannot pay me, and I have concluded to give it to you—will you have it?' What would you do in that case?—stop to hem and haw, and say, 'O, he's just laughing at me, he don't mean it?' No such thing. There is not one of you who would not take the coat and say, 'Yes, massa, and thank you, too.' “Now, my dear friends, God's salvation is offered you as freely as that; why won't you take it as freely? You are lost, undone sinners, and feel that you need a covering from his wrath. If you could keep his holy law blameless, you might purchase it by good works; but ah! you are full of sin. You are poor indeed, and if this is all your dependence, I don't wonder that you are turning off in despair. But stop—look here! God speaks now, and offers you the perfect robe of Christ's righteousness, that will cover all your sins, and fit all your wants, and says that you may have it 'without money and without price.' O, brethren, my dear brethren, do take God's word for it, and thankfully accept his free gift.” What impression the words had on the old man's colored auditors, I cannot tell, but as our group left the church, one of the ladies remarked to another, 'What a strange idea that was about the coat!' 'My dear friend,' was the reply, 'it suited my state of mind, rough and unpolished as it was, better than all Dr.—'s elaborate and eloquent arguments this morning. I am so glad that I came here. This is the way I have been despairingly seeking for years. How simple! How plain! Free grace alone! Yes, I will take God at his word. ‘Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to thy cross I cling.’
[Presbyterian.