BY REV. J. B. WATERBURY, D. D. PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, 150 NASSAU-STREET, NEW YORK. FRIENDLY COUNSELS FOR FREEDMEN. We welcome all who have come out of bondage to the privileges of freemen. Providence has unloosed your fetters. The war has been made use of by the Almighty to bring about this great change in your condition. We hope you will remember this; and when you pray, you must not forget to give him thanks for your freedom. Your condition is in some respects much better, an

Don’t fall into the mistake of some, that freedom means idleness. No such thing. Free people have to work, and some of them have to work very hard even to get their bread. Some of the free colored people have by their own labor gained the means of a comfortable livelihood, and made themselves respectable. You can do the same, if you will use the same diligence. By industry you will soon be able to support yourselves and families, and lay up something perhaps for a rainy day. Thus you may secure

Industry is one good thing. But there are other habits also we would recommend. Cleanliness is very important. Black or white, a dirty person is a disgusting object. Even a poor person can possess the virtue of cleanliness. Soap and water are not very dear things; but if one don’t use them, they might as well cost guineas instead of coppers. What do you think of a mother who keeps neither herself nor her children clean? Who likes to enter a cabin or cottage where the dirt has to be wiped off a s

Economy is another thing we recommend. This means saving all you can above and beyond what is needful for you to live upon. Don’t spend your money foolishly. Don’t spend it on rum or tobacco. Don’t gamble it away. Don’t buy expensive clothes or rich food. Some poor people, when they get a little money, think they may spend it in a frolic. All this is bad, and brings a man or a family very soon to want. We don’t wish you to be stingy, nor like one who hates to spend a penny even for what is neces

Sobriety is another habit or virtue we hope you will observe. Rum is the ruin of thousands. Keep clear of it, or it will ruin you. Soul and body die under its ravages. A drunkard is worse than a beast. Look at the drunkard’s home—or rather, dwelling ; home is too sacred a word—and see how desolate and dreary and wretched it is. The Bible says, “Drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of God;” so that they are miserable here, and more miserable hereafter and for ever....

Honesty is all-important. “Thou shalt not steal” is one of God’s commandments. When you were in slavery you may have thought that you had a right to take from your master what you could get hold of, and hesitated only from the fear of being found out. Even some slaves who call themselves pious, have thought it was not wrong to take from the master’s crib whatever they could lay their hands upon. But if they had read the Bible, they would have seen how wrong it was. The apostle Paul, writing to t

Be truthful. Some have said that lying is universally practised among the slaves—that they seem to think it is no sin, or if it be a sin, that it is a very little one. If this be so, then we urge you to get your minds at once set right in this matter. Lying is a sin, and a great sin. God has said, “Thou shalt not bear false witness,” and that forbids lying of all kinds. He says too, “Lie not one to another.” And still more, he says, “Liars shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire

Perhaps you are not a profane swearer. We hardly think swearing is as common among the blacks as it is among the whites: to the shame of the whites be it said. Yet we have heard some shocking oaths from colored men and women. This wicked habit the Bible condemns. “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” “Swear not at all,” said Jesus. If any of you have fallen into this dreadful habit, break it off, stop it

Be chaste. I dare say you know what that means. Whatever bad examples you may have had, you should now and henceforth keep from that destructive vice which God has forbidden in the seventh commandment. It is, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” This means, to keep to your own wife, and the wife keep to her own husband. If you break over this bound, you break God’s law. In slavery, this vice or wickedness has not been thought so very bad; and perhaps, in some instances, it may even have been encour

Keep the Sabbath. Make it not a day of work nor of pleasure, but of rest and of worship. The Bible says, “Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy.” Cease on that day from all unnecessary work. Let your families have rest also. Put on your best clothes—parents and children both—and after you have prayed in your closet and prayed with your family, then go to church, taking with you such of your family as are old enough. Don’t idle about on the Lord’s day. If there is a Sabbath-school, go to it yo

A great many good people are now engaged in teaching you to read and write. This is very important; for then you can read the Bible and other good books, and see your way to heaven clearer. Besides, some learning is very necessary and useful in business, in writing letters, and in many ways. While you were slaves, you were for the most part not permitted to learn to read and write; but now you have the opportunity, and you must give your attention to it. It is a new thing to you, this learning t

One of the first things you should endeavor to secure to yourselves is a home. Each family should aim at this. No matter how small your house be, if it is a home, and your home, there will be a charm about it. I see not why every family among the freedmen may not obtain such a home—where he can have his family to himself, and train his children to good morals and religion. Freedom makes a home worth something. Get a house, then, as soon as you can; no matter how small or how poor it is. Perhaps

Our Father which art in heaven, we thank thee for keeping us safe through the night. We thank thee for our sleep, which has done us so much good. Grant now, O Lord, that we may have thy blessing through the day. Help us to be diligent in business. Keep us from all harm and from all wrong. Help us to do thy will in all things. O Lord, bless this family; make us Christians; give us sorrow for all our sins, and pardon them for Jesus’ sake. May we trust in Jesus alone for salvation. Help us to obey

O Lord , we give thee thanks that thou hast preserved us through the past day; that thou hast helped us to do our work, and hast not suffered us to fall into any hurtful evils. Yet, Lord, we know and feel that the day has not been without its temptations and sins. We have done many things which we ought not to have done, and have left undone many things which we ought to have done; and for these sins, O Lord, we ask thy forgiveness. Oh, wash them all away in the blood of Jesus. Give us hearts to

Teach your children to fear God and to keep his commandments. Train them up for him. Remember they are given to you to be brought up for some good and useful end. Let them have every advantage within your reach for their improvement. And above all, set them a good example yourselves, which will have more effect in making them good children than any lessons which you or others may give them....

Try to make your house a happy home for yourselves and for your children. So far as you can, keep the children clean and neat. Especially take care that they don’t learn bad ways, by getting into the company of bad children. Make things as pleasant as you can in and around your house. What a difference there is! Some cottages or cabins look very pretty, and some look very bad. It is easy to tell what sort of people live in a house, by the very looks of it. Dirty within and dirty without tells a