mastered the situation and escaped supersedure and punishment. I held
the position of field-superintendent about nine years, and performed my
duties faithfully and honestly, to the satisfaction of my master and the
hands under me generally.

Why was I so faithful and dutiful to my slave master? Simply because I
was doing my duty to God and acting in obedience to the commands of
Christ; for my book taught me to do good and shun evil--to obey the
revealed will of God no matter what position I might be placed in. As a
slave I loved to do the will of the Master in heaven; as a responsible
human being I could do no less.

I improved my knowledge, whenever opportunity occurred, and it was but a
short time, comparatively, until I found out for myself, by searching
the Scriptures clandestinely, the great truths that Jesus taught. I
read, pondered, and began the work of self-regeneration. I read that God
required of me to do certain things; that unless I obeyed the commands
of Jesus I could expect no help from God. I found that I was commanded
to "do," and not stand still and wait for others to "do" for me. The way
seemed to open before me plainly and unmistakably, and engraved the
command to "do" firmly in my heart, in the simple words, "Do the will of
God." I obeyed the commands of our Savior in all the essentials of
repentance, baptism, and in everything, and began the real work of my
life--of living and being a servant of God and a faithful follower of
Jesus Christ. My field of labor was my own heart, which I endeavored to
render pure in the sight of God. But a short time elapsed when my work
within myself began to bear fruit in my efforts to redeem my
fellow-slaves from sin and make them children of God. I labored with
them in a spirit of brotherly love, and urged them, in season and out
of season, to come to Jesus. My labors were not in vain, for a great