The Angel in Ebony
“The Apostle of Simple Faith.” This was the title later ascribed to Samuel Morris, a young man whose life was filled with the presence of God. His life inspired many people during his day to seek a closer walk with God, and till today continues to be an example of intimate fellowship with God. As he stood up to share the Word of God, many would fall to their knees in repentance, stricken with conviction. This African prince had come to America to learn more about the Holy Spirit, but in the end, this student modeled for America what a Spirit-filled life truly is.
Samuel Morris, or Kaboo, as he was named by his parents, was born in the Ivory Coast in 1872. Tribal wars were commonplace, and Samuel was the oldest son of the local tribe chief, which placed his life in great jeopardy—for a chief’s eldest son would be given to an enemy tribe if they lost a war. Samuel had been handed over several times, delivered to a victorious chief until his father brought the ransom demanded.
When Samuel was fifteen, he was delivered to an infamously savage tribe. His father tried to free his son, but nothing could satisfy this enemy chief. Samuel was tortured daily, often losing consciousness. His captors decided upon his final torture: to bury their victim alive up to his neck and then allow flesh-eating ants to consume his head. Before their plan could be executed, the Lord entered Samuel’s story in dramatic fashion. Suddenly a bright light shone and a Voice commanded Samuel to flee. His body was miraculously strengthened and he ran for his life. This visitation would be the beginning of Samuel’s incredible experiences with his heavenly Father.
The Lord guided him through the jungles and protected him from animals and cannibals until he found a plantation near Monrovia, Liberia. This was a Christian settlement where Samuel would live, work, and attend church. One day he heard the story of Paul’s Damascus road encounter and recognized that same wonderful Light that had appeared to him and set him free. Samuel’s sincere conversations with his heavenly Father, at times throughout the night, blossomed into the prayer life that would later inspire American Christians.
One night he had a beautiful encounter with the Lord. “All at once my room grew bright. At first I thought the sun was rising, but others were sound asleep. The room became brighter, until it was filled with glory. The burden of my heart suddenly disappeared, and I was filled with a sense of inner joy. My body felt as light as a feather. I was filled with a power that made me feel like I could almost fly. I could not contain my joy, but shouted till everyone in the barracks was awakened. I knew then that my Father had saved me for a purpose and that He would work with me.”
“Kaboo” was then buried in waters of baptism and given the name Samuel Morris; he continued working, learning English and studying in Liberia for two more years. His life, now transformed by the Holy Spirit, began to influence others. Another escapee from the Ivory Coast tribes joined them in Liberia and to Samuel’s surprise, he learned that this boy was there when that light had appeared to him, and he also had heard the Voice that commanded Samuel to flee! Samuel excitedly shared God’s love with him, and this boy was saved, baptized, and given the name Henry O’Neil.
One day someone read John 14 to Samuel and the promise of the Holy Spirit captivated his heart. He questioned every missionary he knew about this promise, wanting to learn more, yet found himself still searching. Finally, one missionary said that he learned everything he knew from a man named Stephen Merritt, who lived in New York City. Hearing this, Samuel’s mind was made up: he must travel to New York and learn about the Holy Spirit from Mr. Merritt.
He immediately went to the docks and approached a captain of a ship and said, “My Father in heaven told me you would take me to New York.” The captain dismissed the boy thinking he was crazy but Samuel would not let up his efforts. Finally when some of his crew deserted, the captain decided to take Samuel on as a helping hand and his impact was felt right away. Samuel saw a young man who could not walk because of an injury and prayed for him—he was immediately healed!
The ship was full of ungodly men and one that particularly hated Samuel. One day during a brawl, Samuel interrupted with God’s presence. He began to pray and the Holy Spirit convicted all aboard. Life aboard the ship changed: prayer meetings replaced drunkenness! The man who hated Samuel was healed when Samuel prayed for him. When they arrived in New York, some of the crew wept at Samuel’s departing. They gave him proper clothes; he gave them different lives. Years later the captain of the ship testified of Samuel’s lasting influence on his sailors.
This total stranger in this large city simply asked people on the street for Stephen Merrit: by a miracle he was guided to the man. Merritt was too busy to talk to a young African boy and left him at the mission office while he attended to his duties. Merritt returned to the shock of his life: Samuel had shared the Word of God to the men there and seventeen of them were on their knees crying out to God. Heaven’s radiance shone from his face.
The next day there was a funeral, and Merritt took Samuel along. During the coach ride Merritt was pointing out all the attractions of New York City but Samuel wasn’t interested. Samuel asked Merritt if he ever prayed in the coach and Merritt had to admit that he hadn’t. Immediately they stopped the coach and Samuel began to pray: “Father, I wanted to see Stephen Merritt, so I could talk to him about the Holy Ghost. He shows me the harbor, the churches, the banks and other large buildings, but says nothing to me about this Spirit I want to know more about. Fill him with Thyself, so that he will not think, talk, write or preach about anything else.” During that prayer, Merritt felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in a way that he had never felt before. From that day onwards his life was changed. At the funeral the power of the Holy Spirit moved in such a tremendous way that many knelt at the casket in repentance.
Because of Samuel’s desire to know more about the Lord, Merritt enrolled him in Taylor University in Indiana. Upon arrival at the university, he was asked to choose a room. He replied, “If there is a room nobody else wants, give it to me.” This answer profoundly impacted the president of the university. Samuel’s gentle and humble spirit pervaded the university campus and the presence of God was felt as never before.
On his first Sunday he found a church to attend. Arriving late, he approached the pastor and said that he had a message for the congregation. Because of the glory of heaven on Samuel’s face the pastor could not resist. In response to the message and the divine presence of God, the entire congregation went to their knees and many were weeping and repenting of their sins. There were more meetings like this and newspapers spread the story. People from all over the country came to see this revival and were touched and changed by the presence of God.
During the winter, Samuel fell sick. The Lord showed him that his mission on earth had been accomplished and Samuel accepted this with joy. He went to be with his Father in May, 1893, at the tender age of 20. Yet his impact continued after his death as many took up Samuel’s burden and became missionaries to Africa. Those that had come in contact with Samuel were changed by the presence of God that radiated through him. He came to America to learn about the Holy Spirit and how to bring the gospel back to Africa. Instead, his prayers became the lectures to teach a Spirit-filled life to America, and his life planted on US soil brought a harvest of workers for Africa. ❏
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