Aunt Hagar On The Rock Of Ages


I'se had a great many trials in my day, Miss

 Lizzie, and if it hadn't been for de Lord Jesus, no

tellin' where Aunt Hagar 'd a been now. I'se seen

a heap o' troubles, such as you nebber 'spected

 on, and it took a good many on 'em to bring me

 to de Lord's feet. I felt no how reconciled to de 

breakin' up of my family husband sold to de 

Orleans market, an' my young handsome boys,

 an' bright girls, all torn from me. I'se often spent

 whole nights on de damp ground, prayin' de Lord

 to strike me dead, nebber carin' for what might

 come after, till my heart seemed dead, an' I 

couldn't cry out no more from faintness. One

 time a missus from way up North came to stay

 with my missus  awhile, an' she used to be on

 our south piazza  steps in de cool of de evening,

 and would sing to de children. One night she 

sungdis yer hymn you love so much. I was by de

 door of my cabin, an'  wonderin' why de Lord 

made people to suffer,  an' what comfort he 

could 'spect such poor folks as me to take in 

this world, husban' an' chil'en  all gone, when 

all at once she sang louder, an'soon I heard de

 words. Dey made me wonder more an' more. 

I crept "long to de steps, an' after she'd done

 singin,' seein' nobody near by but little massa

 Tommy, 'sleep in her lap, I said, Miss Lucy, can

 you tell Aunt Hagar what dat hymn mean?

Can yon 'xplain what dat Rock of Ages is?

She made me sit down on de steps at her feet,

 an' tole me all about de Lord, an' how he was a

 chile once, an' live wid his mother, an' how she

 loved him, an' 'bout his teachin' de great 

doctors when He wasn't only twelve years old,

 an' den all 'bout de wicked Jews, an' how dey 

hated him, an' how cruel dey were, an' how dey

 killed him an' while I couldn't see for de tears,

 she went on an' tole me how de Saviour came

 into de world to save sinners, an' how he died,

 an' dat he came again  to life, an'went up to 

heaven, an' dat he lives in dat happy place now,

 to bless all dat love him,  and if folks would be

 sorry for dar sins, an'  would ask him to be dar

 Saviour, he would make 'em feel happy.

 'Pears like I couldn't understand dis, I was in

 such trouble, an' den Miss Lucy said: “Aunt 

Hagar, I'll go to your cabin any night, an' read

 this to you;" an' she did go, but my heart was 

so big with my own troubles, I couldn't no way

 believe on de Lord, till one night after she had

 read an' talked a long while, she said: "I'll pray

with you, Aunt Hagar." An' O! How she did pray,

an' beg de Lord to look on poor Hagar, an' take

away her sins, an' make her his chile; an' right in

de middle of her prayers, I cried out, "Yes, Miss

Lucy, I does love de Lord," an' from dat day to

 dis I'se always loved him.

I'se seen a heap o' troubles, but he's been such a

comfort in 'em all. I'se old now, an' ‘most home,

but as long as I live, I'se got work to do for him.

When he calls me home to mansions in the skies,

I'll be berry glad to go, an' see my heavenly 

Master, an' sing wid de angels. All de work I'se

 got now to do, is only patient waiting.

And here Aunt Hagar sighed deeply, and was 

silent a long while. The grey dawn was breaking

ere she again spoke. I'se often sick, Miss Lizzie,

 but I'se nebber troubled 'bout it. Ebery night 

'fore I go to sleep, I say the little chil'en's prayer

 Miss Lucy made me learn, an' if de good Lord

 does take my soul in de lamp of de night, 'pears

 like I'd go right home to glory, an' de dear

 Saviour'll wipe away all de tears I'se been

 weeping so many years.

I learned to sing dis "Rock of Ages" of Miss Lucy,

an' I loves it for her sake; an' many times

when ebery ting looks dark, I goes an' prays, 

an'den sings dat hymn, an' den de blessed 

Lord seems bery near to me, an' I'se willin' to 

do anything for him. An' now, Miss Lizzie, if you

 loves dis good Lord, don't neber be 'fraid to tell

 him all your heart, an' if oder friends ain't nigh,

 he'll be your friend, an' give you patience to 

bear, an' grace to trust him.



YI

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“For this we say unto you by the word of the

 Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto

 the coming of the Lord shall not 

prevent (go before) them which are asleep.  

  For the Lord himself shall descend from 

heaven with a shout, with the voice of the 

archangel, and with the trump of God: and the

 dead in Christ shall rise first:  

  Then we which are alive and remain shall be

 caught up together with them in the clouds, to

 meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be

 with the Lord.  

 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

1 Thessalonians  4:15-18