When President Lincoln signed the proclamation of emancipation, copies
of it were sent to all points along the Northern line, where they were
posted. Now, supposing a slave should have seen a copy of that
proclamation and should have learned its contents. He might have
known the fact, he might have assented to its justice, but if he had
still continued to serve his old master as a slave his faith in the
document would not have amounted to anything.
And so it is with us. A mere knowledge of the historical events of
Christ's life, or a simple intellectual assent to His teachings and
His mission, will be of no help in a man's life unless he adds to them
a trustful surrender to the Lord's loving kindness.
"Forty Miles to Liberty"
A friend of mine went to teach in Natchez before the war. He and a
friend of his went out riding one Saturday in the country. They saw an
old slave coming, and they thought they would have a little fun. They
had just come to a place where there was a fork in the road, and there
was a sign-post which read, "Forty miles to Liberty."
"Sambo, how old are you?"
"I don't know, massa. I guess I'se about eighty."
"Can you read?"
"No, sah; we don't read in dis country. It's agin the law."
"Can you tell what is on that sign-post?"
"Yes, sah; it says forty miles to Liberty."
"Well, now," said my friend, "why don't you follow that road and get
your liberty? It says there, only 'forty miles to Liberty.' Now, why
don't you take that road and go there?"
The old man's countenance changed, and he said: "That ar's a sham,
young massa, but if it pointed up thar," and he raised his trembling
hand toward heaven, "to the liberty wherewith Christ makes us free,
that ar wouldn't be no sham."
The old slave, with all his ignorance, had even then experienced a
liberty in his own soul that these young men, with all their boasted
education, at that time knew nothing of.