The Looking-Glass (Peterson)/Chapter 1
THE LOOKING-GLASS
CHAPTER I.
The Author purchases his Mother's freedom. An excellent young lady. He goes to Baltimore. Early religious impressions. He goes to Philadelphia and becomes united to the Church. Is Steward on the Delaware. Remarkable vision. His ministry.
My parents were slaves. The place of my nativity was in the State of Maryland, near Baltimore, in the respectable family of a Mr. Tyler, near connexion of the Hon. John Tyler, late President of the United States.
In the year of our Lord 1812, my mother was too aged to be emancipated, and was left in slavery. She, however, desired her liberty, but knew not how to obtain it. The Author, although but a small boy, readily agreed to enter an apprenticeship for the redemption of his mother. Children can never remunerate faithful parents for the care that has been extended to them in their tender years, and for the trouble and anxiety of which they have been the cause. Therefore it is in obedience to the dictates of wisdom, that children and youth obey and honor their parents. If they do this, they will be blessed for ever. I realized this blessing from that time forth: and my dear aged mother died a free woman in the year 1844.
I fulfilled my obligations faithfully in all things, and was treated as one of the family. Among those with whom I lived, was a young lady, Miss S. T., highly accomplished and benevolent, with fine Christian feelings, and very kind to the poor. Through the blessing of the Lord, she took the oversight of me, and from that source I received instruction and other great benefits. I parted from this family at length, not without regret and sorrow on both sides, for I esteemed them for their kind treatment of me, while they respected me for my obedience and the faithful service which I had rendered them. But I desired to acquire attainments by which I might become useful to my fellow-men. I remembered the impressions that had been made upon me, when a child, at the prayer meetings that had been held in the house of my parents. Those religious impressions were the first that I had experienced, and they never left me. They preserved me from vice, and influenced my conduct in all times and places. They _-_figure_019.png)
The Author attending in a gentleman's family.
were like gram that is sown, and continues to grow until it has arrived at full perfection. Therefore, prayer is always good, and to be recommended to all persons under all circumstances. The aforesaid family is certainly a great and noble family, and have done much for me, in the way both of example and of instruction, but the time came for us to part, as I had a greater work to do.
I then took up my residence in Baltimore, with respectable and eminent families. I was treated well and allowed money, and excellent privileges, which I endeavored to improve both by moral and religious exercises. I avoided all bad company, and was full of zeal for the Church, and of love for all mankind. I continued to look ahead, and pressed forward to the mark of a higher calling, which I believed it was possible for me to obtain. I lived a considerable time with Mr. Hopkinson, by whom I was well treated: also, with Messrs. Cook, Gilmore, Hollins, McBlair, and Commodore Ridgely, who were good men: also, with William Hollins, Jr. Esq., and Col. P. Workman. These were all gentlemen of the highest standing, merchants, &c. I also lived with many others, among whom were Messrs. Oliver and Thompson, all of whom moved in the highest circles of that city; they supplied me with whatever was necessary to my comfort and convenience. When I wanted clothing, I had only to call upon the tailor and get a supply, these gentlemen freely paying all my bills.
Many colored persons entertain the opinion that all white people are their enemies. That is not true, for I declare that, from a child unto this day, I have found all my best friends among the white people. Therefore, the prejudice which I have mentioned is the child of ignorance, resulting from the want of a clear conception of facts, and sometimes from impropriety of conduct. A great many men bring trouble upon themselves, by their own mismanagement.
While living with the gentlemen whom I have named, I applied myself to the study of the Word of the Lord, with prayer and meditation. I found it good so to do. I perceived that the spirit of the Lord was with me, and felt an impression that I must labor in the vineyard of the Most High.
In the year 1815, I left Baltimore and went to Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania. There I united with the Church and became a member, under the influence of the gospel preached by Rev. Mr. Fox, an old minister from Frenchtown. His text was Matthew xiii. v. 48. "They gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away." It was under the power of these words, that the spirit came home to me. I rejoiced in the blessed Lord and his great mercies, for he redeemed me from sin and death. I was still impressed with the idea that there was a greater work for me to do than to remain an ordinary member of the Church. I made it the subject of prayer, and besought the Lord to instruct me in regard to his will. In that condition I remained for a season, awaiting an answer. During this time I was engaged in domestic life, having good employment in the best families. I was sent for, to come to Burlington, N. J., and act as steward in the house of John Griffith, Esq., at Green Bank, the building occupied by the British Governor while the country was subject to the English crown. I went to Green Bank and lived with the family awhile. I was much pleased with them, and they were well satisfied with me. They wished me to remain with them, but I was sent for by those honorable gentlemen, the Captains of the steamboats on the Delaware river, in connection with the establishment of Robert L. Stevens, Esq. and Brothers of New-York, the first engineers in the country. I engaged in the employment of those favorite Captains A. and M. Jenkins, and remained with them a number of years as chief steward, having full charge of the Bar and Table, and control over all the cabins, &c. Those excellent men will never be blotted from my remembrance.
Notwithstanding my good situation, ample wages, and kind treatment, I found it my duty to leave all. I was impressed with the conviction that the Lord had other work for me to do. I said to the Captain—"Sir, I shall be obliged to leave you. I have no fault to rind with my place, but I am impressed with a belief that I am called elsewhere by the Spirit." Our accounts were then settled in an honorable manner, and having put another man in my place, I took my departure. I then travelled with James McClanaghan, Esq., to New-York, who went from Baltimore to the former city with his family, soon after losing his wife. He was connected with the great house of John B. Murray and Son. I remained awhile with Mr. McClanaghan, and was treated well by him.
At the time appointed, I left him and went to Philadelphia. There I settled and began to look out for a bosom friend, one to whom I could confide my secret thoughts, and whose advice would always be of service to me. After a time I became acquainted with one of the most respectable colored families in the city of Philadelphia, that of Mr. Jonathan Trusty, residing in Locust street. I married _-_figure_025.png)
The Author as a Steward on the Delaware.
The cabins were always clean and in good order; due respect paid to
the owners and officers; and every attention to all passengers.
his eldest daughter, Mary Trusty. At that time Mr. Trusty was a man of property and a trustee of the Church, over which he exercised much influence. I then settled down and went into business for myself for a few years. During that time I applied for a license to preach. I had difficulty in obtaining it, but succeeded after a while. I labored in the city and county extensively for several years. The Lord blessed my labors, I had a good wife, very kind on all occasions, and I continued awhile in Philadelphia with my agreeable family. But the blessed Lord showed me that this could not always be. "Not so," said He—" thou art a chosen vessel, and I will send thee far away. Thou shalt bear testimony for my name's sake in distant lands, even among those who know me not, and have not heard the glad tidings of the gospel."
The Lord showed me in the visions of the night, upon my bed, the dreadful state of mankind throughout the world, living in sin and wickedness. "Oh! wretched man!" said I—" who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death!" There is none can do this but our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and He only, for Christ has become a sacrifice for us. Therefore let us keep the feast with love and unity, which is well pleasing in the sight of the Lord." In the vision of the night, I saw come to the door of my dwelling, a coach and four white horses, with a good driver. I was taken into the carriage, and it was driven off. We travelled far away in a South-Western direction, until we arrived at a large village. There I alighted from the coach and saw it no more. But the people of the town were in a state of intense excitement, and for some cause unknown to me, they were filled with fear and horror. I then saw a garden in which there was no grass, but a number of young vegetables had sprung up and were in a flourishing condition. I passed through the garden with a saw in my hand. I looked, and beheld a number of people gazing from their windows, both above and below; and then I saw a cloud rising in the West. There was thunder and lightning, and the people were much alarmed. I passed out of the garden with the saw in my hand, and was fearful that it would attract the lightning. As I left the garden, the cloud became more dark and terrific. I saw ships tossed to and fro upon the cloud; and after that, I saw two persons of very solemn appearance ascend from behind, and stand upon the top of the cloud. Above these two beings, the sky was perfectly clear, and their feet rested on the very summit of the cloud. One of these men held in his hand a sword, and the other was armed with a spear.
These two men appeared to be very angry with the world of mankind. They turned swiftly around and brandished their weapons in a threatening manner, and soon afterwards they disappeared again behind the cloud, the one following the other in his descent. As soon as the two men were gone, fire came from the cloud. The earth itself was ignited by this fire, and the flames ascended to the skies. The conflagration extended so swiftly along the earth, that neither beast nor bird could escape its fury.
After witnessing this vision, I came to the determination to leave all and enter fully into the vineyard of the Lord. "Every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life."—Matt. xix. 29 v.
The reader will please observe, that the family with which I was connected was that of Mr. Jonathan Trusty and his wife Esther, a religious family, in which there were only three children—Mary, the eldest, whom I married, Hannah, who became the wife of Mr. Wm. Tucker, of Lexington, Ky., and Esther, who remains single and resides in my family at the present time. The worthy gentleman referred to on another page, M. Jenkins, Esq., has retired from business, and now resides in Trenton, N. J., surrounded by his worthy family—a perfect gentle-man and sincere Christian.
It must be borne in mind, that in my vision I beheld the great evil of slavery in this gigantic Republic, as well as the magnitude of other sins. I prayed that the iniquities of the nations might all be removed, so that this great earth might become a perfect Paradise, a place of happiness and joy, instead of sickness, sorrow, pain, and death.
I consulted my wife in regard to the new views that had been opened to my mind, to which she replied, "If you must leave us, the will of the blessed Son be done. I will, with the help of the Lord, do the best that I can in all things; but you will remember me and all others in your prayers, at all times and places, and we will remember you in our weak way." I next waited upon several of the clergymen in the city. I told them that my intention was to embark upon the great Gospel ocean, and endeavor to turn men from darkness to light. They gave me the right hand of fellowship, and said, "Brother, go on, and may the Blessed One be with _-_figure_031.png)
Connection of the Author with the Church.
"One thing I desire, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
for ever."
you for ever." They then presented me with letters of recommendation to all people among whom my lot might be cast. So I entered fully into this work, in the year of our Lord 1848.