Earlier today, I finished reading the NARRATIVE OF SOJOURNER TRUTH (1850, 2013)which she dictated to her friend, Olive Gilbert. In the book, Isabella (Sojourner Truth) explained how she had quelled very riotous young men at an outdoor camp-meeting, in Northampton, New York, who were terrorizing the preachers and the audience, for entertainment.
She was the only person of African descent present, and was at first fearful that she would be the first one harmed, so she hid in a tent behind a trunk. But, as the tumultuous clamor did not abate, she recalled that "one will chase a thousand and that two will chase ten thousand."
Thus, emboldened and fortified by the Holy Spirit, she came out of hiding and began singing praying, praising God, attracting them to herself. They came surrounding her with sticks and clubs. They told her that they had come to hear her sing, not to harm her. She said she would sing, but they must stand back so she could breathe. They stood back. She sang, prayed. She even preached !
"They kindly assisted her to mount the wagon, from which she spoke and sung to them about an hour. Of all she said to them on the occasion, she remembers only the following:--'Well, there are two congregations on this ground. It is written that there shall be a separation, and the sheep shall be separated from the goats. The other preachers have the sheep, I have the goats . And I have a few sheep among my goats, but they are very ragged.'
"This exordium produced great laughter. When she became wearied with talking , she began to cast about her to contrive some way to induce them to disperse. While she paused , they loudly clamored for 'more' 'more',--'sing' 'sing more.'" P.109
She was able to disperse her few 'goats' and motley sheep. They were several hundred young men, who clamored to hear , "more! More! More!"
Thursday, November 23, 2017
MORE MORE! SOJOURNER TRUTH
Earlier today, I finished reading the NARRATIVE OF SOJOURNER TRUTH (1850, 2013)which she dictated to her friend, Olive Gilbert. In the book, Isabella (Sojourner Truth) explained how she had quelled very riotous young men at an outdoor camp-meeting, in Northampton, New York, who were terrorizing the preachers and the audience, for entertainment.
She was the only person of African descent present, and was at first fearful that she would be the first one harmed, so she hid in a tent behind a trunk. But, as the tumultuous clamor did not abate, she recalled that "one will chase a thousand and that two will chase ten thousand."
Thus, emboldened and fortified by the Holy Spirit, she came out of hiding and began singing praying, praising God, attracting them to herself. They came surrounding her with sticks and clubs. They told her that they had come to hear her sing, not to harm her. She said she would sing, but they must stand back so she could breathe. They stood back. She sang, prayed. She even preached !
"They kindly assisted her to mount the wagon, from which she spoke and sung to them about an hour. Of all she said to them on the occasion, she remembers only the following:--'Well, there are two congregations on this ground. It is written that there shall be a separation, and the sheep shall be separated from the goats. The other preachers have the sheep, I have the goats . And I have a few sheep among my goats, but they are very ragged.'
"This exordium produced great laughter. When she became wearied with talking , she began to cast about her to contrive some way to induce them to disperse. While she paused , they loudly clamored for 'more' 'more',--'sing' 'sing more.'" P.109
She was able to disperse her few 'goats' and motley sheep. They were several hundred young men, who clamored to hear , "more! More! More!"