"all-ruling Father, whose presence fills the void unknown with light and order; but to the man who has dethroned God, the spirit-land is, indeed, in the words of the Hebrew poet "a land of darkness and shadow of death," (p.567)
Note 13: I date the entertainment of a deep conviction that slavery would not always be able to hold me within its foul embrace; and in the darkest hours of my career in slavery, this living word of faith and spirit of hope departed not from me, but remained like ministering angels to cheer me through the gloom. This good spirit was from God, and to him I offer thanksgiving and praise.
Source: Douglas, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself. Baym, Nina, ed. Norton Anthology of American Literature. W. W. Norton & Company. New York, New York: 1998. (p.2014)
Note 14: From my childhood up, my mind had been wont to full of objections against the doctrine of God's sovereignty, in choosing whom He would to eternal life and rejecting whom He pleased, leaving them eternally to perish and be everlastingly tormented in hell. It used to appear like a horrible doctrine to me. But I remember the time very well when I seemed to be convinced, and fully satisfied, as to the sovereignty of God and His justice in thus eternally disposing of men according to His sovereign pleasure. But never could give an account how or by what means I was thus convinced; not in the least imagining, in the time of it nor a long time after, that there was any extraordinary influence of God's spirit in it; but only that now I saw further, and my reason apprehended the justice and reasonableness of it. However, my mind rested in it; and it put an end to all those cavils and objections, that had till then abode with me, all the proceeding part of my life. And there has been a wonderful alteration in my mind, with respect to the doctrine of God's sovereignty, from that day to this; so that I scarce ever have found so much as the rising of an objection against God's sovereignty, in the most absolute sense, in showing mercy to whom He will show mercy and hardening and eternally damning whom He will. God's absolute sovereignty and justice, with respect to salvation and damnation, is what my mind seems to rest assured of, as much as of anything that I see with my eyes; at least it is so at times.
Source: Edwards, Jonathan. Personal Narrative. Baym, Nina, ed. Norton Anthology of American Literature. W. W. Norton & Company. New York, New York: 1998. (p.442-443)
Note 15: The devil stands ready to fall upon them, and seize them as his own, at what moment God shall permit him. They belong to him; he has their souls in his possession, and under his dominion. The Scripture represents them as his goods, Luke 11.12. The devils watch them; they are ever by them at their right hand; they stand waiting for them, like greedy hungry lions that see their prey, and expect to have it, but are for the present kept back. If God should withdraw His hand, by which they are restrained, they would in one moment fly upon their poor souls. The old serpent is gaping for them; hell opens its mouth wide to receive them; and if God should permit it, they would be hastily swallowed up and lost.
Source: Edwards, Jonathan. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Baym, Nina, ed. Norton Anthology of American Literature. W. W. Norton & Company. New York, New York: 1998. (p.476)