School, but I was uneasy at that, and did not like to go; but my master
and mistress requested me to learn in the gentlest terms, and persuaded
me to attend my school without any anger at all; that, at last, I came
to like it better, and learnt to read pretty well. My schoolmaster was a
good man, his name was Vanosdore, and very indulgent to me.--I was in
this state when, one Sunday, I heard my master preach from these words
out of the Revelations, chap. i. v. 7. _"Behold, He cometh in the clouds
and every eye shall see him and they that pierc'd Him."_ These words
affected me excessively; I was in great agonies because I thought my
master directed them to me only; and, I fancied, that he observ'd me
with unusual earnestness--I was farther confirm'd in this belief as I
look'd round the church, and could see no one person beside myself in
such grief and distress as I was; I began to think that my master hated
me, and was very desirous to go home, to my own country; for I thought
that if God did come (as he said) He would be sure to be most angry with
_me_, as I did not know what He was, nor had ever heard of him before.

I went home in great trouble, but said nothing to any body.--I was
somewhat afraid of my master; I thought he disliked me.--The next text I
heard him preach from was, Heb. xii. 14. _"follow peace with all men,
and holiness, without which no man shall see the LORD."_ he preached the
law so severely, that it made me tremble.--he said, that GOD would judge
the whole world; Ethiopia, Asia, and Africa, and every where.--I was
now excessively perplexed, and undetermined what to do; as I had now
reason to believe my situation would be equally bad to go, as to
stay.--I kept these thoughts to myself, and said nothing to any person
whatever.

I should have complained to my good mistress of this great trouble of
mind, but she had been a little strange to me for several days before
this happened, occasioned by a story told of me by one of the maids. The
servants were all jealous, and envied me the regard, and favour shewn me
by my master and mistress; and the Devil being always ready, and
diligent in wickedness, had influenced this girl, to make a lye on
me.--This happened about hay-harvest, and one day when I was unloading
the waggon to put the hay into the barn, she watched an opportunity, in
my absence, to take the fork out of the stick, and hide it: when I came
again to my work, and could not find it, I was a g