MANY years ago I was living in Bermuda, where the greater part of the population was composed of colored people of various shades. Many of them had been slaves, and had been emancipated only some twenty years previously. A custom then prevailed on “Emancipation Day” which was very significant. The day was kept as a high festival, and hundreds of old and young made themselves little card-board house, in each of which a light was put; and as darkness drew on, they fixed these little houses upon their heads, and went dancing through the streets till midnight, I inquired the cause. “Don’t you know?” said they. “Why, we and our forefathers were slaves; now we are free, and keep up the day of our freedom. We make the little houses and burn lights in them to show that now we have houses of our own, our own fire and lights, with perfect freedom, and so we rejoice in being free. No more slavery.”
There is also an emancipation day for another class of slaves — the slaves of folly and sin, the slaves to all that is worldly and evil. Now is the day of salvation, the day of emancipation for all that look to the Lord Jesus to set them free, and who will give to all who look to Him eternal freedom.
These poor creatures could rejoice with unbounded joy in being set free from slavery, to enjoy the merciful blessings of this world, many of them no doubt having their hearts filled with gratitude to God for His wonderful goodness and mercies to them.
How should it be with all true Christians? Should not they continually rejoice that they now become possessors of eternal life, and have the glorious mansions, eternal in the heavens, to look forward to as possessions, where there shall be no more sorrow or pain— night no more, “and they need no light of lamp, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God shall give them light”?