Quote from Forum Archives on June 27, 2000, 4:56 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

An interesting old story from James Avery...

--- [email protected] wrote:

> During the years when slavery was legal in the United States, a gentleman
> happened upon a slave-bidding in a crowed street. The man paused to observe
> the activities. As he watched from the edge of the crowd, he saw one slave
> after another led to a platform, their arms and legs shackled with ropes as
> if they were animals. Displayed before the jeering crowd, they were auctioned
> off, one by one. Some onlookers would inspect the "merchandise", grabbing
> disrespectfully at the women, examining the muscular arms of the men. The
> gentleman studied the group of slaves waiting nearby. He paused when he saw a
> young girl standing at the back. Her eyes were filled with fear. She looked
> so frightened. He hesitated for a moment and then disappeared briefly. When
> he returned, the auctioneer was about to start the bidding for the young girl
> he had noticed beforehand.
>
> As the auctioneer opened the bidding, the gentleman shouted out a bid that
> was twice the amount of any other selling price offered that day. There was
> silence for an instance, and then the gavel fell as, "sold to the gentleman"
> was heard. The gentleman stepped forward, making his way through the crowd.
> He waited at the bottom of the steps as the young girl was led down to her
> new owner.
>
> The rope which bound her was handed to the man, who accepted it without
> saying nothing. The young girl stared at the ground. Suddenly she looked up
> and spit in his face. Silently, he reached for a handkerchief and wiped the
> spittle from his face. He smiled gently at the young girl and said, "follow
> me". She followed him reluctantly. As they reached the edge of the crowd, he
> continued to a nearby area where each deal was closed legally.
>
> When a slave was set free, legal documents, called manumission papers, were
> necessary. The gentleman paid the purchase price and signed the necessary
> documents. When the transaction was complete, he turned to the young girl and
> presented the documents to her. Startled, she looked at him with uncertainty.
> Her narrowed eyes asked, what are you doing? The gentlemen responded to her
> questioning look. He said, "Here, take these papers. I bought you to make you
> free. As long as you have these papers in your possession, no man can ever
> make you a slave again.
>
> The girl looked into his face. What was happening? There was silence. Slowly,
> she said, "You bought me, to make me free?" "You bought me, to make me free?"
> As she repeated this phrase over and over, the significance of what had just
> happened became more and more real to her. "You bought me, to make me free?"
> Was it possible that a stranger had just granted her freedom and never again
> could she be held in bondage and servitude to any man? As she began to grasp
> the significance of the documents which she now held in her hand, she fell to
> her knees and wept at the gentleman's feet. Through her tears of joy and
> gratitude, she said, "You bought me, to make me free....I'll serve you
> forever!"
>
> You and I were once bound in slavery to sin. But the Lord Jesus paid the
> price, to make us free, when He shed His Blood at Calvary. That's what the
> Bible calls redemption. "In Christ Jesus, we have Redemption through His
> Blood, the Forgiveness of sins, according to the Riches of His Grace."
> (Ephesians 1:7) "For you were Bought with a Price, therefore Glorify God in
> your body and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:20) The
> Blood of Jesus was not spilled; it was Shed. It was no accident. The Lord
> chose to Die in our place, Shedding His Precious Blood on our behalf. Jesus
> Said of Himself, "The Son of man did not come to be served, but to Serve, and
> to Give His Life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28)
>
>
>

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:[email protected]
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/
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