A Narrative of the Most Remarkable Particulars in the Life of James Albert Ukawsaw Gronniosaw, an A | Page 7

face. He
told me that God was a Great and Good Spirit, that He created all the

world, and every person and thing in it, in Ethiopia, Africa, and
America, and every where. I was delighted when I heard this: There,
says I, I always thought so when I liv'd at home! Now if I had wings
like an Eagle I would fly to tell my dear mother that God is greater than
the sun, moon, and stars; and that they were made by Him.
I was exceedingly pleas'd with this information of my master's, because
it corresponded so well with my own opinion; I thought now if I could
but get home, I should be wiser than all my country-folks, my
grandfather, or father, or mother, or any of them--But though I was
somewhat enlighten'd by this information of my master's, yet, I had no
other knowledge of God but that He was a Good Spirit, and created
every body, and every thing--I never was sensible in myself, nor had
any one ever told me, that He would punish the wicked, and love the
just. I was only glad that I had been told there was a God because I had
always thought so.
My dear kind master grew very fond of me, as was his Lady; she put
me to School, but I was uneasy at that, and did not like to go; but my
master and mistress requested me to learn in the gentlest terms, and
persuaded me to attend my school without any anger at all; that, at last,
I came to like it better, and learnt to read pretty well. My schoolmaster
was a good man, his name was Vanosdore, and very indulgent to me.--I
was in this state when, one Sunday, I heard my master preach from
these words out of the Revelations, chap. i. v. 7. "Behold, He cometh in
the clouds and every eye shall see him and they that pierc'd Him."
These words affected me excessively; I was in great agonies because I
thought my master directed them to me only; and, I fancied, that he
observ'd me with unusual earnestness--I was farther confirm'd in this
belief as I look'd round the church, and could see no one person beside
myself in such grief and distress as I was; I began to think that my
master hated me, and was very desirous to go home, to my own country;
for I thought that if God did come (as he said) He would be sure to be
most angry with me, as I did not know what He was, nor had ever heard
of him before.
I went home in great trouble, but said nothing to any body.--I was

somewhat afraid of my master; I thought he disliked me.--The next text
I heard him preach from was, Heb. xii. 14. "follow peace with all men,
and holiness, without which no man shall see the LORD." he preached
the law so severely, that it made me tremble.--he said, that GOD would
judge the whole world; Ethiopia, Asia, and Africa, and every where.--I
was now excessively perplexed, and undetermined what to do; as I had
now reason to believe my situation would be equally bad to go, as to
stay.--I kept these thoughts to myself, and said nothing to any person
whatever.
I should have complained to my good mistress of this great trouble of
mind, but she had been a little strange to me for several days before this
happened, occasioned by a story told of me by one of the maids. The
servants were all jealous, and envied me the regard, and favour shewn
me by my master and mistress; and the Devil being always ready, and
diligent in wickedness, had influenced this girl, to make a lye on
me.--This happened about hay-harvest, and one day when I was
unloading the waggon to put the hay into the barn, she watched an
opportunity, in my absence, to take the fork out of the stick, and hide it:
when I came again to my work, and could not find it, I was a good deal
vexed, but I concluded it was dropt somewhere among the hay; so I
went and bought another with my own money: when the girl saw that I
had another, she was so malicious that she told my mistress I was very
unfaithful, and not the person she took me for; and that she knew, I had,
without my master's permission, order'd many things in his name, that
he must pay for; and as a proof of my carelessness produc'd the fork
she had taken out of the stick, and said, she had found it out of
doors--My Lady, not knowing the truth of these things, was a little shy
to