Transcriber's Note
Every effort has been made to replicate this text asfaithfully as possible, including obsolete and variant spellings and otherinconsistencies. Text that has been changed to correct an obvious erroris noted at the end of this ebook.
Many centuries ago, a holy seer said, "Ethiopia shall soon stretch outher hand unto God." In view of the fulfilment of this prophecy, theroyal bard called for a song of universal praise. The words nextsucceeding this prediction are, "Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of theearth: O sing praises unto the Lord." The writings of Jeremiah inform uswho the Ethiopians were, when he speaks of them as contra-distinguishedfrom the rest of the race by their colour, as the leopard is from therest of the feline tribe by his spots.
The first step in the providence of God towards an amelioration of thespiritual condition of the negro race was their dispersion among otherraces of mankind. This work, both cruel and bloody, had not beencompleted, when Christian philanthropy, ever vigilant, sought them outin bondage, and bore to them the cup of divine consolation, which thegospel offers to all, and especially to the sons of sorrow. As early asthe year 1732, the United Brethren commenced missions to the negroes inthe Danish West Indies, viz., St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. Jan. In1754 they began their labours in Jamaica: in 1756 in Antigua: in 1765 inBarbadoes: in 1775 in St. Kitts: in 1790 in Tobago. In 1735 they begantheir labours among the free negroes of Surinam, and in 1736 theycommenced a mission in South Africa. The same zeal led the same peopleto labour amongst the slaves at and near Paramaribo. One mission was atParamaribo and one at Sommelsdyke.
The difficulty of establishing the first missions among the negroes canscarcely now be conceived. This difficulty was neither blindlycontemned, nor timidly feared. With a zeal which Christ knows how toreward, "two of the Brethren at Hernhutth offered to sell themselves asslaves, should they find no other way of obtaining an opportunity ofinstructing the negroes." In almost every instance some ignorant orviciously disposed persons chose to misunderstand and misrepresent the[Pg 4]object and tendency of this missionary labour; and thus at firstopposition was frequently violent. But in every case this hostility wasfound to be unreasonable and died away. Thus in St. Thomas through thebitterness of some, of whom better things might have been expected, themissionaries were at one time imprisoned for fifteen weeks; but soonafter the governor and most of the planters on the island wereconvinced, by experience, that the instruction of the negroes in theprinciples of religion, instead of impairing, promoted the interests oftheir masters; and therefore they were pleased to see their slavesattend on the preaching of the gospel. Thus also in St. Croix, when adangerous plot was discovered among the slaves, who had bound themselvesto murder all the white people on the island in one night, certainmalicious persons reported, that some of the negroes baptised by themissionaries were concerned in this conspiracy; but their ignorance wassoon vindicated by the criminals themselves. As long as the disturbanceslasted, the Brethren by the governor's advice,