TO THE READER.
This little book is for the more wise to give counsel,
wherein I fail, and the more ignorant stumble, for want
of knowledge, for we must first learn what is right and
then pursue it; I have no doubt that when this comes
before the face of the public there may be many misrepresentations
on this subject, but my soul is at stake for I
stand as a minister of God, 2 Tim. 4 c. 1, 2 v. and some
may reject this on the account of my being a descendant
of Ethiopia, and if so, then you may anticipate the feeling
of your unworthy author; and he is well aware of the
particular prejudice that still seems to exist from some
whites towards that nation of people which is called Ethiopians,
but my earnest prayer to God is that the time may
soon come when that overruling prejudice of sin will die
among all nations, and that the pure love of God may
spring up in every heart and shine as the morning star,
and that the Gospel may bear on the prejudice of man,
and I feel it necessary to place my dependence upon
the great Rock of Ages, in whose name and with whose
words I come to you this day.
I, choose to dedicate this little treaties to you, because
sometimes those providences which appear rather out of
the common line, are hard nuts in the mouth of a weak
believer; but some of you have known me from the beginning
and have been eye witnesses of most of the facts
which I am going to relate, and if you will allow me to
make an honest confession. My conscience has often
lashed me for not keeping a diary, or rather minuteing
down the many conspicuous providences of God, which
have appeared to me in times of trouble; but like ungrateful
Israel, I went the only way to forget his work and to
be unmindful of the rock of my salvation, and now I
have nothing to trust to, on this creation but my own
treacherous memory, unless the Lord be pleased to send
the comforter to me, and if he comes he will bring all things
to my remembrance, whatever God hath said unto me in
the way of providence. I am sure the earth is the Lord's
and the fulness thereof, the world and all that is thereon,
all the cattle of the forest are his and so are the flocks of
a thousand hills, yea, the corn and the wine, the oil thereof,
and the flax; yea, the wicked deceiver as well as the
deceived are the Lord's, and it is he that maketh one man
poor and another rich, that bringeth down and lifteth up,
and no man can add to the fixed statute of God whether
the statute be in grace or providence. The battle, saith
the wise man, is not to the strong nor the race to the swift,
nor bread to men of skill, the weak are often sure to win
the field and the cripple to win the heavenly race, and
even fools to accumulate the greatest fortunes. There is
no adding a cubit to the statute even in the least circumstance,
then why take ye thought for the rest? and now
the reader will please to take notice by pursuing these
pages, that it should be attended by much prayer; feeling
myself small among men and particularly to the learned,
when considering my inability; I can make out to write my
name, but being impressed by the spirit of God for some
years to set before you life and death, in the way of a
small treatise, and I hope that it will prove the happy power
of God unto salvation to many souls. Many of the
readers of this pamphlet may suppose this attempt was
attended with a great deal of
self, but my blessed master
who stands at the helm of affairs to them that love and
serve him, I often times say, as Moses said, “thou God
seest me,” also it is likely this treatise may fall into the
hands of the critic, if so I pray to my God while he is
a criticising that God may break down his obdurate heart
if not a christian, and that his chains may fly off although
they are made fast by the devil, likeunto the man that
Christ spake unto “come out of the man thou unclean
spirit,” see Mark 3 ch. 8 vs. also this treatise may fall
into the hands of some enemy to the cross of Christ, if
so, I hope they will take in consideration the things that
makes for their everlasting peace, now hold fast all things
that are good, and if there is any thing that will not be
beneficial throw it away and do not stumble over it and
go down to hell, for I love your souls although I am of
the Ethiopian race, and never had the chance of being
taught in the Colleges or Academies and taught the rudiments
and sciences &c. unlike to Paul who was brought
up at the feet of Gamaliel; one of the judges of the Sanhedren,
neither like our great men of America who have
been taught all these rudiments and are now capable
of taking their station in any department of life
standing at the head of affairs; but such as my God gave
unto me, I will with all pleasure give it unto you so that
you may stand fast in the liberty where Christ has made
you free, for these things are commanded, and let no man
despise thy youth but be thou an example of the believers
in word in conversation in charity, in spirit, in faith,
in purity, see Tim. 4 ch. 11, 12 vs. I have one more requesting
desire in my heart that has been there may years,
ever since I began preaching the gospel, which has never
yet been granted though I really believe it will in God's
own time and way, and when it is accomplished perhaps
my dear friends may hear from me again, till then farewell,
be of good comfort, live in peace and the God of peace
shall be with you, amen, amen.
Even thine in faith and affection, N. CALWELL CANNON.
