spirit of these divine precepts? If our sovereign Lord require genuine benevolence and active love to our enemies; he certainly cannot be satisfied with a less degree of social regard and virtuous affection, toward those who are not our enemies— those who never did us any evil; who never had it in their power to injure us; and who, perhaps, never heard of us. To treat such persons as if they had notoriously injured us in our dearest interests, and as if they were our implacable enemies; must be absolutely contrary to the divine requisition in these precepts, and to every dictate of moral duty. Yet such are the Negro Trade and its consequences, that the most diabolical malice, which ever existed in the heart of man against his bitterest enemy, could scarcely contrive or wish more aggravated misery to befall him in this life, than that under which many thou sands of innocent, captured, and enslaved Africans groan.

Again: All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, is another of our Lord's precepts. This admirably just and comprehensive command, requires each of us to treat every man, as we might reasonably wish every one to treat us, were situations and circumstances reversed. It considers every man As a man, and requires that he be so treated. It impartially views every man, as having capacities, feelings, and rights, peculiar to his own species: and it forbids those capacities to be insulted by degradation, those feelings by unmerited pain, and those rights by injustice. But is not the horrid mantrade, and the detestable connections in which it

stands, a manifest outrage on this most salutary precept? Do not that inhuman commerce, and the consequent cruel slavery, treat vast multitudes of human creatures, as if they had no share in the capacities, the feelings, or the rights of men? as if they were mere brutes, made to be taken and sold, enslaved and destroyed? He, therefore, who dares to vindicate such conduct might, on his own principles, be justly kidnapped, bought, and sold, for a similar state of slavery. Because whatever arguments prove that any innocent man has an inviolable claim to personal freedom, will equally prove the same thing respecting every one of that character.

All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them. This has been frequently called, The Golden Rule. It recommends itself to every man's reason and conscience, as completely wise and good. Every one implicitly appeals to it as worthy of the highest regard, when his own rights are violated by his neighbour: nor must even the Negro merchants, or the slave-holders, be considered as insensible to the excellence of this moral precept, when their own persons, families, or interests, are considered. For who among all the traders in man, and holders of slaves, would think himself treated with equity, were he, after having been kidnapped by a villain, to find his bones and sinews, his bowels and blood, exposed to sale, and actually purchased by one whose profession it was to trade in the per sons of men?* Must not his indignation rise, and would he not prefer instant death to a life of

* Ezek. xxvii. 13.

slavery, if an apprehension of eternal fire did not forbid? Nay, would not his indignation and anguish be greatly heightened, if possible, were his affectionate wife and dutiful children in the same situation; just going to be separated, and never more to see one another? The very thought of such a catastrophe stings with distress; and yet if any man upon earth deserve to be so treated, it must be he who has made it his business to buy and to enslave his innocent fellow-creatures.

To the doctrine of Christ. This is denominated the gospel, or glad tidings, by way of eminence. Yes, my brethren, it is glad tidings of pardon, of peace, and of life eternal, through Jesus Christ, for perishing sinners. The gospel, strictly so called, is the doctrine of divine benevolence to man-of mercy to the miserable, and of grace to the unworthy. It reveals Jesus Christ coming into the world to save sinners. Its whole business is with those that are justly condemned by divine law, and who deserve to perish. In this gracious gospel the Lord Redeemer addresses Jews and Gentiles, Europeans and Africans, without any difference; and his charming language is, Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth-Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest-Him that cometh to me, I will in nowise cast out. Such are the benign import and the benevolent design of our Lord's doctrine; Consequently, its natural tendency must be to produce and promote love to God, and love to man. But nothing can be more inimical to that devout and kind affection, than the buying, the selling, and the enslaving of our innocent fellow-creatures. For

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that commerce and slavery originate in the basest avarice; are carried on by injustice and cruelty; and issue in the misery and murder of thousands, who have an equal claim to liberty and to happiness with ourselves.

Were you, my Brethren, maturely to consider the character of a slave merchant, it would be found, I presume, to include the following particulars. He is, by profession, a buyer and seller of men, women, and children. If not a kidnapper himself, he encourages, rewards, and rejoices in the practice: for without it his trade would be at a stand. Instead of delighting in the domestic happiness of others, universally, he makes it his business violently to separate the nearest and dearest relatives: for, conjugal, parental, and fraternal ties, are by him dissolved without the least remorse. So far is he from sympathizing with widows and orphans, as such, in their afflictions; that the distresses of multitudes under those characters arise from his rapacity. Such is the nature of his employment that it cannot succeed, without his fellow-creatures being deprived of their most sacred natural rights: because, for numbers to be divested of their personal freedom, their mental tranquillity, their social connections, their bodily ease, and their pittance of property, is essential to the joy of his gain. His profession is, as a man of business, to provide victims for abject slavery, for pinching want, for capricious cruelty, for dark despair, and for untimely death in its various forms. His trade, as well as his profits, must cease, except he diversify and propagate human misery. He may call himself a Christian, or a disciple of Him that went

about doing good; but the amiable character is profaned by his traffic in man: for it becomes none but a savage, or a votary of Moloch. He may, possibly, deserve commendation for the ex ercise of benevolent affections in his own family, and in the neighbourhood where he resides; but, considered as a trader in man, he declares war against the dignity and happiness of his own species; he insults the laws of his Maker; and sustains a character that is completely fitted for universal abhorrence. So enormously criminal are the trade and the slavery under our notice, that, had they commenced among Britons but a few years ago, and been practised only by five or six merchants and planters, the conduct of those concerned would have met with general execration; their characters would have been stigmatized with public infamy; and an intimacy with them would have been studiously avoided by every person of decent morals. -- Nay, had the man-trade, the slavery consequent upon it, and the execrable wickedness of both, been of so recent a date, practised by so few, and the iniquitous transactions laid open to public view, as they now are; there is reason to conclude, that various articles of commerce, produced by the sweat, and groans, and tears of the poor Negroes, would have been considered by Britons as tinged with human blood. Did the man after God's own heart, on a certain occasion say, Is not this the blood of the men that went and jeoparded their lives?* so, it is probable, the generality of our countrymen would have said, respecting certain species of West India

* 2 Sam. xxiii. 15, 16, 17.