m 1091 i N72+ ( 1789a ^H. i^^^^^^^^^^H #5 Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924020456657 THE CAPACITY OF ISfEGROES 7 O R Religious and Moral Improvement CONSIDERED: WITH CURSOR,Y HINTS, TO PROPRIETORS AND TO OOVERNMENTj roR THE IMMEDIATE MELIORATION "or THE CONDITION OF SLAVES I tt T H S SUGAR COLONIES: TO WHICH ARE tCBJOINID SHORT AND PRACTICAt DISCOURSES to NEGROES, OK THE PLAIN AND OBVIOUS PRINCIPLES o r RELIGION AND MORALITY. Br RICHARD NISBETy or the' island or nevii. .I ) : ' T TieXi^ht'.th'at |>as> ' '. • : TnoMson'* ScAsoitt. • L O N D a N: rRIHTED SY JAMEt rulLl-IPl, OSOP.OI>VAIlP) LOMBAKD-tTRKET. Hr i 3 9 PREFACE, THE following humble attempt to lead to the inveftigation of truth, and to promote the caufe of religion and humani- ty, confifts partly of fome obfervations which once made their appearance in the Gazette of the ifland of St. Chriftopher in the Weft Indies ; but as the author was precluded from continuing to difclofe his fentiments through that channel, by unex- pected and unforefeen impediments, he has thought it incumbent on him to avail himfelf of an occafional vifit to his native country, tp; complete his ;in:tended publica- 1 tion; that 6pinions may • hot be fupprefled which he beiie.veis>t<). .Be founded in truth, and thinks -mij^/rbe/ia" fome meafure ufe- ful. '" as It IV Jf K FACE. If will probably appear fomewhat extra* ordinary to the reader who has never vi- iited the fugar colonies, that any reafoning fhould be enforced, to prove what appears fo evident as ** The capacity of negroes for religious and moral improvement, in com- mon with the reft of mankind. " But the author is fully perfuaded, from fome obfervation and experience, and (he will candidly add) from having heretofore felt, in this inftance, the force of evil cuftom upon the mind, that the extreme inat- tention of mafters to cultivate virtuous principles among their flaves, and to govern them as man ought to be governed, arifes, in a great meafure, from a rooted opinion againft their talents for receiving inftrudion. He has therefore made it his principal aim to combat this opinion with fuch obvious arguments and proofs, as fiave long ago fa- tisfied him that every prejudice again ft thi» unfortunate people is a mere ulufion, pro- ceeding from the errors of tiie human paf- fions, and from the. natural ^u,t pernicious abufes which follow an unlimited power of tyrannizing PREFACE. V tyrannizing over our fellow-creatures. Af- ter the difcuflion of this part of the fubje<5t, he has proceeded to point out a plan for the melioration of the condition of flaves, without hazard and without expenfe; and has further intimated what may be eiFcdted on the part of government, to aflift in ren- dering their fituations more comfortable, until a better and more confolidated fcheme ^n be adopted in their favour. It is about three years ago, fince the author firft determined to undertake the religious inftrudlicn of a icvf domeftick * flaves of his own. After fome confidera- tion upon the moft probable means of fuc- cefs, he concluded that fhort and eaiy dif- courfes, gradually unfolding the moft plain and obvious principles of Religion and mo- rality, in a manner fo as not to confufe the ignorant and uncultivated mind, nor fatigue the attention, were the bcft adapted to the purpofe} and therefore he compofed and de-. livered thofe which now form a part of this work. They abound with repetitions, be- , b caufe VI P R E F A C E. caufe repetitions were neceflaryi and were written with fomc attention to a flile and method fuitable to the dialedt and conceptions of the hearers. But though the author has to lament the want of fuf- ficient leifure, and the preflure of many cares ind avocations of bufinefs, which prevented him from allotting to them that time and fludy, which the importance of their objedt both required and defervedj he is yet fuUy convinced, from the effedls they have produced, that it requires no- thing but a rational mode of inftrudion, fe- duloufly purfued, to lead a negro to compre- hend and to follow the path to a better world, as clearly and ftridtly as the reft of mankind. Further, he has fatisfied himfelf, that a plan of religious inftrudion for ne- groes, which is to operate cautioufly and progreffively, by imprefling their minds with a clear and flrong fonfe of the general and praftical principles of the Chriftian re- ligion, is better adapted to their improve- ment, than any premature attempts to in- culcate the myfteries of a doftrine, which, however PREFACE. vii however excellent and true, they cannot at once comprehend. For it is indeed indif- penfably neceflary, in their prefent depraved and perverted condition, firft to teach them that there is an Almighty Being, v/ho creat- ed them for goodnefs and happinefs, before they can be induced to believe, that the Son of that Being was facrificed for the redemp- tion and falvation of mankind. And fo far is this plan from being at all incongruous with the moft orthodox tenets of Chrittia- nity, that one of the moft learned and able divines of the church of England, has pro- ceeded upon a fimilar foundation, to prove the truth and certainty of the Chriftian re- velation.* The author trufts, therefore, that he will not incur the charge of prefumption, by having adopted the plan which he novf ventures to recommend; ftill keeping in view the end to which it is to lead, which he has faithfully done; haying, fince the difr ufe of his difcdurfes, gradually unfolded to his negroes the principles pf tjie Chriftian * Dr. Samuel Clf^r^e, b 2 religion. VIU P R E F A C E. religion, with fome fuccefs, and advantage from the manner in which he firfl began to inftrud them. It now only remains for the author to folicit the candour and indulgence of the reader, towards the defeds of the following fheets, which he thinks he may in fome mea- fure claim, as well in confideration of their defign, as that they are written by one who, from the age of puerility, has pafled his life in an ungenial climate, chiefly in thofe fcenes of painful viciffitude and adverf ty, which leave the mind to languifli in vain for know- ledge and improvement. The fubjedt itfelf, not the moft entertaining at beft, and ably treated as It has been by men of literasy abi- lities, is, at leaft, a fufficient proof, that he has not taken up the pen with a view to reputation or profit : and he will therefore perhaps be believed, when he aflerts that, in thus committing his fentlments to the publick, his greatefl concern is, that the execution of his little work is far jQiort of its intention i and his moft fanguine wi^h is> that PREFACE. IX that it may pleafe Providence fo to diredl his opinions, as that they may, in fome meafure, contribute to Introduce thofe relations, with- out which no authority over fuch a being as man, can be morally or politically fup- ported, into that fyftem of flavery, whicK now prevails in our fugar colonies, to pre- pare it for that final difiblution, to which true religion and philofophy muft look for- ward with hope and expectation. London, Nov. 1789. CONTENTS. CONTENTS. ESSAY ON THE CAPACITY OF NEGROES. I I ] DISCOURSES TO NEGRO SLAVES. I. On Belief In God ycf I 11. The Subjedt ofaBelicfin God i continued — — • 84 III. On doing to others as wc wiih . them to do to ourfelves 90 IV. Of a Life to come, and various Branches of Duty •— , 97 V. Catechetical, with a /hort Forni of Prayer — — 104 VI. On the Corredlion of a Slave, who had behaved ill, introduced with fome Religious Remarks 108 YII. On the Neceffity of being in- duftrlous and obliging 117 VIII. Re- « xu CONTENTS. Difcourfe l^ase VIII. Recapitulatory, and againft Swearing and Lying 124 IX. Of Happinefs confifting in do- ing our Duty — i^^ X. Of Mercy and Kindnefs 142 XI. Of Honefty — 147 XII. Againft Malice, Hatred, and Slander — jr^ XIII. Againft Drunkennefs and Ex- cefs — • — J eg XIV. Againft Hypocrify and Pre- fumption, and of a good Con- fclence — — i65 XV. Againft Heart-burnings and dif- refpeftful Behaviour ly^ XVI. Recapitulatory and Admonitory 179 XVIT: Of Prayer — — 185 XVIII. Admonitory of the Lapfe of Time, and fuited to the Return of Chriftmas — 191 ESSAY THE CAPACITY OF NEGROES FOR R E L I G I O US AND MORAL IMPROVEMENT CONSIDERED. WHETHER a negro be capable of equalling a Newton or a MUton, or whether his faculties be limited fo as to qualify him only for the fcrvile ftations of human life, have been queftions of long, but of fruitlefs difcuffion. They appear to remain as undecided as when they were at A firft [ 2 1 .„ iii'fl propofed, -vhlle a truth which is more' eafy to be difcovered, The negroes ability to be aBuated by religious and moral principles, has been too little noticed in the extremes of oppofite parties : one of which is, perhaps, felicitous to attain more than can be imme- diately conceded, confiftently with either policy or utility; the other, unwilling to part with authority, and therefore inclined to fuifer flavery to remain as it is, deftitute of thofe relations and caufes which arc in- difpenfable to the improvement and happi- nefs of mankind. Hence it is my intention to introduce thofe refledtions which have oc- curred to me upon the fubjedt, with an hy- pothefis, I'hat a negro is created ivitb the poiacr of confciemioujly dif charging his duty towards God and man J and to proceed to prove it, by bringing it to the ilaadards of reli- gion, reafon, and experience. Thefe are the furefl means of convidion ; and if that con- vidtion be once attained, it is not all the fui)- / tilty of fophiftry, that can excufe the iyilem of African flavery, as it at prefent jftands, ot ^ evade or oppofe its reformation. When [ 3 ] When I mention religion, I hold it need- lefs to appeal to the real follower of the Chiillian faith, who mufl necefTarily con- clude, from the tenets of that dodtrine, that a negro has a foul to be faved as well as himfelf, and of courfe a capacity for falva- tion. But as there are many who call them- felves Chriflians, without being abb to aflign any reafon " for the faith that is in *' them," and many whofe opinions incline more to natural than revealed religion, fuch mufl be reafoned with, and, if poflible, fatis- fied. As for the Atheift, if there be fuch a perfon, I fhall have but little to obferve to him J for to a man who believes that he came into exiftence by chance, and that in a few years his exiiience is to terminate, the only channel of perfuafion is, to appeal to his immediate intereft, enjoyment, and eafe. This appeal, however, is not likely to fall within the compafs of my defign ; too limit- ed as it is to extend to the inveftigation of that increafe of profit, convenience and com- fort, which would accrue to the proprietor, A 2 from [ 4 ] from the communication of improvement to his flaves, and his adherence to the princi- ples of a juft form of government in all that concerns their management and direftion. I muft, therefore, refer the man, whofe hopes and fears arc limited to this fide of the grave, and whofe only objedls are prefent wealth and pleafure, to that fund of infor- mation and of reafoning, which is to be dif- covcred in the produdtions of thofe abler ad- vocates for Afric's unfortunate offspring, who have treated the fubjcdl in a more ela- borate and mafterly manner, than I have either the leifure, or the powers of doing. To return then from this .(hort digreffion. That there is an uncontroulable difpo{\tion throughout human nature to believe in the txiflence of the Deity, is too trite an obfer- vation to need being enlarged upon at pre- fent. But there is alfo a difpofition to be- lieve fomething mor?. There is a difpofi- tion to believe, that his excellence furpa^es all that humanity can form an idea of, and in' particular^ that he is the efTence of bene- volence. [ 5 ] volence, and of mercy, towards his creatures. Hence we cannot concei^ve him to ad with malevolence and inconfiftency, becaufe they would imply weaknefs and defed ; and in confequence, we cannot conceive that he has created a rational being, without making him at the fame time, a moral and account- able agent, according to his degrees of know- ledge and opportunities of improvement. It is with this difpofition that we univer- fally forrn our opinions of the adion of the Supreme Being j and it is by this, that we ihall invariably be governed, fo long as man confiders himfelf as an animal endowed with reafon, for adive and for elevated purpofes, in fpite of every attempt to queftion our right of exerting it. Our firfl confideratlon there- fore is. Whether it be pofiible t.> cherifh this exalted temper of mind, and withal to conceive that the Divine Creator of the uni- verfe, has formed a fourth part of the human race, with the aftedions, the attachments, and the diftindions of rational beings, and has fent them into the world under the in- furmountable prcfTure of a fentence, evi- A 3 dently [ 6 ] dently as unjuft as fevere and vindldtlve ? ** I have endowed you with fufficient under - *' Jianding to difcern good ft om evily but with- ** out the free will and power to make your ** own ele£lion. Youjhall be completely via- ** ous, and completely wretched. Tour lives ** Jhall be /pent in mifery here, and you p.mll *' be unable to lay a foundation for happinefs ** in a future fate." The queflion admits not of a moment's paufe. It is, in fad, impoffible that two fuch oppofite impref- lions, one of which is confiflent with the pureft principles of theology, and the hopes and belief of all the enlightened world; the other, fatal to every idea of piety or virtue, could ever exiil in the fame breaft. Muft we then abandon the former to make room for the latter, and endeavour tc cancel that facred and av/ful impreflion, which the Deity hath flamp^d of himfelf upon our hearts; to conceive that he is capable of cruelty and injuftice, becaufe it gratifies our avarice, our vanity, or indolence ; to keep an ignorant African without a knowledge of his God, and to eilablifli neither reli- gious. r 7 1 ■gious, moral, or civil relation, in that fyftem to which he is fubjugated. O fla- very ! much haft thou to anfwer for ; but it is not the leaft of thy defeds, that,, in corrupting many a benevolent heart, and perverting many a found underftanding, thou haft implanted in them prejudices, which lead to fuch abfurd and impious con- clufions as thefe ! . But admitting, for argument's fake, it were poffible, without departing from our ideas of the goodnefs of Divine Providence, to conceive, That the whole African race has been created deftitute of a capacity for religious and moral improvement, we fhould ftill be at a lofs to difcover upon what rational prin- ciples we confider ourfelves fo greatly dif- tinguiftied above them. For after every ob- fcrvatiou which has been made upon the fubjed, by men of different and very oppofite opinions, there is confefTedly fo great a fimilarity between ourfelves and the -African, that, if we once difpute his right to reafon and free-will, we fhall have caufe A 4 ^° [ 8 ] to be very doubtful of our own. Nay, we may venture to go further, and to pronounce, that if we proceed to examine the moral conduft of each, we fhall find no adequat". foundation for that exceffive fuperiority, which it is our boaft to aflert above him. When we advert to thofe various channels of improvement and of fcience, which it is our pride to engrofs, but from which he is precluded ; when we confider how few there are of us who occupy them with effedt, or apply thofe acquirements to which they have conducted us, to their proper end j when we refledl how much we are immer-> fed in the indulgences of fenfe, to the de- gradation and prejudice of that reafon which God has implanted, and education has culti- vated ; and how large a portion of civilized mankind, are not fo much under the re- llraint of morality, as of the dread of thofe punifhments which the laws of fociety have inftitutcd ; we fhall probably have fufficient caufe to infer, that there is comparatively as little virtue in our ftate of refined and polifh- cd life, as there is in the negro's rude Aatc C 9 3 gl^-government in Africa, or in his ftate of perverfioiTiiTthe Weft- Indies. A few ob- fervations upon each of thefe conditions will corroborate the truth of this aflertion. We knov/ too little of Africa, and the real condition of its inhabitants, to reafon with much precifion concerning an African, un- Til^thTperiod^ his flavery in the colonics be commenced. We learn indeed, that upon the borders of its ocean, where an inter- courfe with foreigners is frequent, and where fome faint fketches of European art and fcience have been conduced, chiefly by the refufe of our own focieties, there is a degree, of civilization and fuperior intelligence, which gradually decreafes in its interior parts, in proportion as the caufe diminifhes or ceafes in its operation. This, however, is a proof, among many others, that the na- tives are endowed with a capacity for im- provement, which, when left to the exer- tion of their own powers, they do not fail to make ufe of. From the African enflaved, we only find that he regrets the lofs of kin- dred [ 10 ] dred and of friends, and of a country where he lived in plenty, without any extraordi- nary exertions of labour; our firft adual view of him being after he has been fcduced by fraud, or torn by violence, from thefe dear and natural rights and poiTeflions, and tranfportcd to the colonies under coercion and imprifonment. Here then we may contemplate the condition of the African, whofe exiftence is now to be faOiioned to our purpofes, and for ever wrefled from the purfuit of his own. We find him then in a flate, little differing from a flate of nature ; Jmmerfed in that ignorance of refinement and of fcience, in which it pleafed the Su- preme Creator of us all, to fuffer countries now the mod: exquifitely polifhed, to remain for ages in the earlier date of the world. It muft ftill be obferved, that we find him with all the feelings and attachments of a rational being, nor with any peculiar marks of de- pravity about him, however the vanity of an extreme civilization (which is incapacitated by its own habits and prejudices, from form- ing a juft and impartial opinion of mankind^ in [ II ] in a rude and fimple ftate) and the fuggef- tions of a felfifhncfs, which cannot be fup- pofcd capable of a difintereiled decifion, may naturally conceive a prepofieflion againfthim. But if fuch ideas of the agency of the Deity as may be reafonably expedled in an unin- formed mind ; if a natural modefty, not ex- ceeded by that of the moil poliflied focieties of men j if a perfecfl fenfe of the principles of felf-love, and felf-prefervation, thofe fprings of adtion to ail mankind; if affec- tion to parents and kindred; if a cultiva- tion of acquaintance and friendfliip, upon principles fimilar to thofe, on which they are formed among ourfelves ; if fidelity in that acquaintance and friendfliip ; if regard and gratitude towards thofe who are kind to him, and averfion and refentment towards thofe who injure him ; if a ftrength of idea, and force of expreflion on many occafions, which mark a confiderable acutenefs of un- derftanding J if all thefe be lineaments of humanity, without depravity, they are linea- ments which charafterize the African. Dif- covering then thefe indications of rational powers. ( 12 ] powers, and natural fenlibility in him, it would be as inconfiftent with found reafon and philofophy, as with the ends of fair inquiry, were we to infer from conjedlurcs and affertions fo much to be fufpcdted as thofe of vanity and avarice, that a ftate of nature to the African, is a ftate of depravity more than to the reft of mankind : much lefs is it juftifiable to cherifli fo prefumptu- ous and impious a thought, as that he was formed by his Creator for the purpofes of our convenience, without any condition to be obferved on our part, to his temporal cafe and comfort, and his religious and moral conduft. But let us now impartially examine the cuftomary catalogue of the African's crimes, accufed as he is of infenfibility and depra- vity of heart; This defrauded Efau then fteals a mefs of pottage from the Jacob who has deprived him of his birtb-right, by ap- plying his cxiftence to labour for his own purpofes, and negleding in return to con- tribute to his improvement and happinefs. Tq [ 13 ] To efcape detedion and punifliment, he ufes artifice and falfchood to one who ha« no claim upon him for candour and ve- racity; but who, fo far from having la- boured to cultivate thcfe, or any other vir- tues ia hfs mind, is continually dcbafing and perverting him uiider a fyftem of flave- ry, whicli muft in its own efifedts tend to deftroy every embryo of moral fentiment. He has yet another fault: — he will abfcond and conceal himfelf in the mountains, to evade an unremitting ferlcs of drudgery, which is coercively impofed upon him, which he has barely the needful intervals of reft to relieve, and in which there is no animating principle of reward and encou- ragement to cheer and to alleviate. Hence to his mafter he is frequently a robber and deceiver; but he is rarely fo depraved as to plunder his fellow-fufferers, or to be treacherous to his friend or companion. They who confider that the aftions of men, in a rude and uncivilized ftate, will generally be fquared by the treatment they receive from others, and behold yur African, pre- cluded [ H ] eluded as he is from the advantage of any moral improvement, and ignorant of the refinements of a beneficent religion^ which diredls us to return good for evil, will be prepared by the didates of reafon as well as of humanity, to judge favourably even of his faults. They will difcover that they are neither unnatural, unjufti- fiable, nor other than may be in con- fcquence expedted ; and they will find caufe to be furprized at the integrity and fentiment, which frequently prevail in his intercourfe with his fellow-Haves. Let us then endeavour for a while to fet all unreafonable prejudices afide, all the vanities of a fair outfide, and of an under- ilanding ftored with ideas, which more fre- quently contribute to mere amufement, than to the only valuable purpofe of improvement in rational piety and virtue. And if, in the propenfity of mankind to evil, we frequently perceive inftances in improved fociety, where great abilities and much refinement of education, have only ferved [ 15 ] ferved to render vicious chara&ers .more confpicuous J what caufe then have we not to regard with compafiion and remorfe, the errors of an ignorant flave, who has been perverted in the fchool of depravity ? If we were to take our children from their, mother's bieafts, and commit them to tljc care of galley-Haves, or of conviifls, thc^ voice of nature would cry aloud within us, that we were forming monftcrs of de- pravity and wickednefs : and all thofe idle opinions which • fpripg from the natural vanity of mankind, attributing to certain human beings, who have been foftered in the arms of art, of luxury and pride, a na- tural pre-eminence and purity above the reft of their fellow-creatures, v/ould be fi- lenced and confuted. Yet fuch is the cul- ture and the care to which we uflier the friendlefs and unfortunate flave, before we can charge him with any other crime than that of being obnoxious to our power. We introduce him among thofe accuftomed to a flavery from which all mental improve- ment is precluded, in which an allotment of [ i6 ] of the coarfeft food and cloathlng is all the reward, and the dread of the whip and the chain the only infligation to the perform- ance of duty. It may perhaps be argued, that the parent's duty towards his children differs from that of a mailer towards his flaves } but this fubjedt will never be pro- perly underftood until we have fufficient candour to confefs, that though dijiant, they are not dijimilar; and that the faith- ful difcharge of the latter is, at leajly equally indifpenfable in the determination of con- fcience with that of the former. Indeed, the exiflence of a flave is more abfolutely under the controul of the mafter, than that of a child under his parent; with this dif- ference in the origin of that controul : That children are a natural good, the confequence of an union ordained by our Creator for our happinefs, and the propa- gation of the fpecies. If the parent exerts his authority over them improperly and un- juftly, he abufes a right -, but he does not create an original and active wrong. He is not more than half fo wicked as he who enflaves [ ^7 ] enflaves his fellow- creature, and afterwards negledts or opprefTes him ; for flayery is in itfeif an artificial evil, introduced by the imperfed: (late of mankind ; and where it is totally deficient in beneficent qualities, it becomes in the higheft degree criminal and unju/l. If it muft be tolerated, the only juftification it can meet with before the tribunal of religion and morality, is where a relation of a liberal and affectionate ten- dency is eflablifhed by the mafler, as a principle of condu(5l which is to govern him towards his flaves; and where, as a com- penfation for the time, the labour, in fhort, the exiflence of the latter, the former con- fiders himfelf bound to promote his im- provement and happinefs. It mufl alfo be further obfervcd, that thoi'.gh in both the preceding inflances, the duty commences with him who is in pofleflion of the au- thority i yet where there is a negleft on the part of the fuperior in the difcharge of that duty, a very material difference mufl be expeded in the condud and behaviour of ch of the fubjeded : for nature demands B from [ i8 ] from the child a certain degree of affedlon and obedience even towards the worfl of parents; whereas, in the artificial relation of flavery, which nature difowns and re- jects, there is no other principle to impofe love and obedience on the part of the flave, than a previous attention to his happinefs and improvement on the part of the niafter. It is therefore evident, that fo long as there is a total inattention to the proper difcharge of the mafter's duty, it is in the higheft degree unphilofophical and unreafonable to anticipate a degrading fentence againil the talents and the virtues of an human being, of whom we are entirely ignorant until we fubjedl him to our yoke, and difleminatc thofe baneful feeds in his difpofition, the natural produce of which he neceiTarily re- turns to us. But it is now time to- advert to the con- dition of the Creolian negro flave, and to beflow one or two curfory obfervations upon that trivial difference, which can be difcovered between the African and him. The t 19 ] The fate of this laft then is certainly, in fonie inftances, lefs fevere than that of the former; yet it is by no means fufficiently meliorated to effedt any ftriking diftindion in his favour, except in mere external ap- pearance. He Is, indeed, generally exempt from the pangs of being torn from his kin- dred and his native land, by thofe he does not know, to be borne he knows not whi- ther. He feels not that barbarity, feverity, and injuftice, which the African becomes fubjedl to, at the inflant he is fecured to be brought to a market. He knows none of that anxious and painful fufpenfe, which many of them are under concerning the lot which awaits them, when they are expofed to fale in a flave-yard. He does hot ex^ pcrience a cruel feparation from thofe he is attached to, on arriving among a people with whofe language he is unacquainted, and where he has not a friend to commife- rate or fhare in his diftrefs. In lieu of thefe affli<5lions, he has the hard advantage, of being born and brought up beneath the trammels of that flavery to which he is B 2 deftined : [ 20 ] deftined ; and of learning, at an early period of life, that his exiftence is devoted to la- bour, without reward; and to exertions, not to be repaid by confidence or afTedion. No generous germ of fentiment Is fufFered to make its appearance In his mind. The inattention and rigour of the fyftem pur- fued towards him deflroy It in Its embryo. Hence the parent often treats the child With neglett -, the child regards the parent with IndiiFerence. The male unites with the female for the convenience of a drudge; the female to the male to fliare the profits of his diflionefty. They conncifl: without af- fediion, and they part without regret, to make fome other choice which caprice or convenience may dIvhich have fo long prevailed,, and which are ftill increafing and extending them- felves through all the enlightened world, in order that we may fofter fo horrid and baneful an idea, as that the human race in Africa were created to be an obje£i of the averfion and anger of the Deity ^ and of the avarice and rapine of mankind. Thus far the fubjedl has been confider- cd chiefly in a theological point of view, a principle of reafoning, which how- ever unfafhionable and contrary to the fpirit of the reigning philofophy, ought jiot to be defpifed or rcjeded, when we refleft that the facred impreflion from which all theology proceeds, has never failed to communicate itfelf forcibly, in fome fliape or other, to every rational and fufceptible mind. Opinions, [ 29 3 Opinions, on any fubjedt, however, ar-c of but little force or utility, until tkey have been proved to bear inveftigation. They are therefore tried by certain acknowledged ftandards of right, and of truth, that their proper value may be difcovered and impref- fed upon them. Of thefe flandards, in every queflion which concerns religion and morals, thofe inferences which we have been, accuftomed to admit of the goodnefs and wildom of the Deity j and that fenfe which we entertain of an original equity, antece- dent and paramount to any of the artificial reftraints of focicty, may be confidered as the chief J and perhaps it forms part of the , condition, and of the felicity of beings fu- perior to ourfelves, that thefe are fufficient for their guide. But man is evidently too imperfeft a creature, either to deduce fuch inferences, or to enjoy fuch a fenfe pure and unobfcured ; and therefore we require fome- thing more; fomething better adapted to our grofler conceptions, to be effedual to the purpofe of producing conviftion. It is not then Missing Page Missing Page [ r-,1 inftrucled African, 'in one of the American flates ; nor will it be improper to confider the clear and connected evidence which free and civilized negroes have been known to give at publick trials, in the courts of jufiice in the Weft-Indies, which profeffional men, who attend thofe courts, muft in many in- ftances recolleft. Now while thefe qualities and powers are fufficient to vindicate the claim of their refpedtive poflefTors to com- plete rationality, they alfo vindicate that of the whole negro race ; for it would be high- ly abfurd and unreafonable to infer, that a few individuals fliould be formed with par- ticular diftindlions, and that the relidue of the fame people, fliould be an inferior order in creation. Indeed, neither philofophy or common fenfe would warrant fuch aftrained and far-fetched conclufion. But it would be needlefs to enlarge upon this topick of difcufllon : for as reafon would be ufelefs without frce-ivill, and as free-will is the power of making our own election between good and evilf the idea of a rational agent is infeparable f ZZ ] infeparable from that of a moral ont. Every argument, therefore, and every proof which can be adduced to place the African in the rank of the latier, will equally tend to fup- port his pretenfions to that of the former. ■ As in trod uftory, however, to fuch arguments and proofs, it may perhaps be expedient to endeavour to remove one obftacle out of the African's way, by a few impartial reflec- ' tions on that very trite and frequent obfer- ■ vation among us, T&at a negro is rarely P^JPilf^d of a fenfe of gratitude. If gratitude were a quality exifting in' perfection among mankind, and if we were not accuftomed fo to value our own claims upon the attention of others, as feldom to receive a fufficient impreffion of thofe bene- fits which are conferred upon us, we /hould ftill have to inquire whether fuch favours as - are ufually beftowed upon a negro flave, ' would beget in ourfelves, in a fimilar condi- tion, a greater or more lafting fenfe of them, than that which he difcovers : and in order C to [ 34 ] to make this inquiry fairly, we muft endea- vour to fuppofe ourfelves in the African's fituation. We muft not pidure to our ima- gination, fome poor and friendlefs orphan, received and cherifhed by a charitable and benevolent protedor, inftrufted in his du- ties to God and to mankind, and brought up in the habits of honeft induftry; but an ' human being deprived of freedom, contrary to his own will and confent, and perceiving the whole labours of his exiftence devoted to the profit and advantage of a felf-created fu- perior, who acknowledges no other relation towards him than that of the power which he has aflumed. Could we conceive ourfelves to be thus circumftanced, we fhould at once conclude, that nothing but the moft invaria- ble and decided attention to our intereft, improvement and happinefs, could poifibly render the perfon, to whofe authority we were fubjugated, an objediof our permanent gratitude. We {hould feel that it was not the capricious fmile, or trifling donation,. beilowed upon the Have in fome favourable. moment^ f 35 J moment, when the mafter's heart was di- lated by fenfations of pleafure, that could ^ elevate principle, which had been fubdued by oppreffion, or reftore underftanding perverted into cunning. Every flave is indeed ccca- fionally liable to receive favours of this na- ture; J-nd it may as generally be remarked, that every flave receives them with all the' gratitude they deferve. The '* Thank you, " mafter; God blefs you, mafter!" which the flave pronounces, while his heart is' warmed with the indulgence he has met' with, appears to be a full return for that mdulgence itfelf. If his fenfation' of gratitude be but momentary, the boon which is conferred upon him, is ina- dequate to a more durable impreflion, and the impulfe which renders him an ob-i jeft of favour, is as fliort lived and tranfi- toryashisfenfeofit. But let us proceed to fearch more minutely into the nature and quality of tJiof^ favours beftowed upon' the African, which are prefumed to merit, ^^ch a Arpng and lafting fenfe of gratitude. <^2 Do [ 36 ] Do they bear any refemblance or proportion to thofe eflential benefits, which lay a per- fon,who is highly aflifled and relieved, under a permanent obligation to another, who has ferved him with much pains and expenfe ? Do they even extend to what would be but equitable conceffions on the mailer's part } and dare the African, for inflance, aik tq have his condition improved, fo ^s that he may enjoy, without moleftation, a.ny of thofe comforts, advantages and rights,* which are open to the meanefl: free perfon in the colo- ny ? No: but he may beg for a pint of corn, rice, or flour, when he is pinched by hun- ger; he may folicit an afternoon, or perhaps^ a day, to attend the funeral of fome near rc- "? Among thefe may be claffed the right of property, that thofe few profits which a flave can derive from his induftry, flioiild not be taken from him upon bare fufpi- cion, on account of ofFences committed by unknown per- foiis i the r4'/;.' to a certain fixed and due proportion of time, to be appropriated to the flave's own ufe and advant- age J the right to be feirly tried before he is fentenced to fcyere punifliments. All thefe are but fair and equitable claims, which, however, are not admitted under the pje- ient fyftem of flavery. lation [ 37 ] latloii or friend; he may occafionally beg for a day to draw his "l-cafrava, or to thatch his houfe; for which latter purpofe he may obtain a fufHci^nt quantity of J: woula, brought by the gang, to thatch it with ; and a bottle of rum and a little melafles to give to drink to thofe who affift him. Thefe, and fimilar bounties to thefe, are all that he can venture to look up to; and even fcr thefe he muft not be very frequent in his applications. Thefe too are often diminifh- ed in value, by the manner in which they are beftowed, which but rarely partakes of that benevolence and cheerfulnefs, with which the moderate wifhes of a good flave, Ihould be even anticipated, if known to his mafl:er. It is eafy to be perceived, that fa- vours thus limited and thus conferred, are but little adapted to infpire and to cherifli fuch a virtue as gratitude. ■ t A root which is maniifailured into a kind of bread. X The leaf which grows from the root and fides of the fugar cane, and which anfwers the purpofe of ftraw for thatching, C 7 But [ 38 ] But we muft carry our inquiries ftill fur- ther, and make fome obfervations upon the condudt of flaves towards thofe mafters, who are termed good-natured, indolent men. Charadters of this defcription have frequent- ly been quoted as proofs of the ingratitude of the negro race ; although it is obvious to common fenfe, and confirmed by univerfal experience, that men who concede indul- gences, merely to get rid of importunity, and relax in all order and difcipline, to fave a little momentary pain to their feelings, muft naturally expedl difregard and con- tempt from thofe who are fubjedted to their authority, even where they are highly ad* vanced in civilization and knowledge. And the reafon of a return apparently fo ungrate- ful, is evident enough. It univerfaHy re- quires a marked defign and attention to beftow a favour upon an individual, to excite in him a complete lenfe of gratitude j but thefe qualities muft be ftill more appa- rent and iyftematic in the benefadto. before they can produce the fame effedt upon any bodyof men, who depend upon his judg- ment t 39 ] ment and conduft to be governed in fuch a manner as may beft contribute to their gene- ral good. Without this exertion, we may indeed frequently indulge^ but rarely can . ejfentially ferve our fellow creatures. In- dulgence alfo to fome, is often injuftice to others, particularly where thofe gratifica- tions are beftowed upon importunity, which ought to be referved as the reward of merit; and hiftory fo ftrongly corroborates the truth of thefe obfervations, that we have rarely found the ealy, good-natured, and indolent ruler of a people, to be pofrefi"ed of their genuine affedtion and veneration. Indeed the adminiftration of government in the hands of fuch men, is much too partial and negh'gent, to beget attachment and gratitude; nor can we conceive why an ignorant Afri- can, who ftands fo much in need of fyftem and perfeverance, to improve and to make him happy, (hould fo far differ from, the v general charadter of mankind, as to make an unreafonable return of gratitude towards one, who, though he may have indulged him with fome accidental gratifications, has never made C 4 hir [ 40 ] his intereft and happinefs the objedl of his pains and attention. So far then, examining the fubjeft nega- tively, there is no reafon to draw a conclu- iion favourable to the common remark, ** T^bat a negro is rarely pojfejfed of ajenfe of ** gratitude." Let us now proceed to pofi- tive examples and argument, and obferve, ** Whether negroes have been known to mani- ** feji a proper degree of gratitude, infucb ** cafes as may naturally be fuppofed to de- ** manditr To enter then into the ftile of narrative, the firft general example which I have to quote,' is as follows : There is a refident proprietor, with whom I have the pleafure of being acquainted, liberally educated, hu- mane, intelligent, and induftrious. He has fenfibly and benevolently confidered, that it is the firft and moft important part of every planter's duty and intereft," to be careful of the welfare and comfort of his flaves. He feduloufly applies himfelf to this laudable purpofe. L 41 ] purpofe. He not only gives to his flaves an allowance of food and clothing equal to what is given by the moft liberal pro- prietors; but alfo has diftributed among them, certain properties of fertile provifion- ground, from which they derive many fup- plies and conveniences of life. But it is not the bare diftribution of the provifion-ground. that is of fo much utility as the judicious means he has adopted to ' encourage his flaves to cultivate them; the time which he occafionally allots them for that pur- pofe ; the pains which he has taken to ren- der the produ(£l of the land both profitable and fecure to them; and his own conftaht infpeflion and obfervation. In fliort, with- out relaxing in that authority which is necefliary to be adhered to for the prefer- vation of order and good government, he treats them with an unufual care and con- fideration to their real good and advantage. The confequence of this attention to his duty as a mafter is, that he has a tribe of cheerful, contented, and laborious flaves; who are at all times willing to exert them* felves r 42 ] felves in his fervice; among whom the lafli of the whip is very rarely applied, and fuch a charadler as a runaway has not been known for years. It is worth while to mention alfo, that feveral of the heft and moft able flaves upon the plantation had been notorious runaways before this gentleman bought it, and indeed were then abfent, but came in immediately when they heard that he had become their mafter, and have never fince abfconded. Now, to what principle is this general good be- haviour of flaves to be afcribed, differing fo widely as it does from the conduct of thofe who are ill treated and negledted ? Is it any thing more than fair and reafon- able to attribute it, in a great degree, to a fenfe of their mafter 's confideration for their welfare, vi^hich has eftabliflied an im- preflion of duty on their part, exciting an adequate return of gratitude ? The foregoing is an inftance of the be- haviour of a certain tribe of plantation flaves in one of our fugar colonies j flaves who C 43 ] who arc yet uninftruded in the principles of religion and morality, and yet remain- ing in their native ignorance, except fo far as they may have acquired fome diftindions from the attentions, which have been al- ready recited, of a benevolent and confider- ate mafter. In addition to this I may be permitted to intimate, by the way, from the convidion of my own immediate ex- perience, that the gratitude and afFe(ftion of negro flaves toward their mafter, will increafe in proportion to his care for their improvement and welfare. To fupport, however, this principle ftill farther, as well as to corroborate the prefent hypothefis, I will proceed to mention certain inftances of gratitude and redtitude of heart, feledled from among negroes who are either free, or confiderably improved in a ftate of flavery; only obferving, left thefe inftances ftiould appear to be but few and Angular, that, on the one hand, I have not been fufficient- ly difengaged from other cares, to devote my time to more extenfive or particular inquiries; and on the other, that the num- ber [ 44 ] ber of negroes who partake of civilizatibh and liberty in our fugar colonies is very fmall in proportion to that of the ignorant and enflaved: befides, fo feldom are the menial faculties of negroes cultivated ih our fugar colonies, and fo much are they under the influence of their abjed con- dition, and its confequent vicious habits, that one infl:ance of virtue among them fhould, in candour, be admitted as equal to an hundred among thofe, to whom free- dom is an inviolable birthright, and re- ligion and morality the regular and com- mon principles of education. The tragical fate of the African rivals and friends, with that of the objedt of their mutual afFedlion, which are ^elated at length •in the Spedtator, and remarked by Mr. Ramfay in his Eflay on the Treatment and Converfion of Slaves, and the no lefs tra- gical and afFedling ftory of Quaflii (as re- lated by Mr. Ramfay in the fame eflay) though no particular proofs of gratitude, muft yet be noticed as undeniable infl:ances of [ 45 ] of that * delicacy of pajjion, \vhich however unfortunate to its poflTeflbrs, is an infallible criterion of complete humanity. But. the charader of Joseph Rachel as alfo de- fcribed in the Efl^ay on the Treatment and Converfion of Slaves, exhibits an unequi- vocal inftance of negro gratitude. It now becomes my part to inflance another Joseph equally grateful with himfelf, Joseph Herbert was formerly a ne- gro flave belonging to an aged lady of the ifland of Nevis -, his fidelity and good be- haviour rendered him deferving of his free- dom, and her circumfl:ances were fo low and reduced as to render it necefliary for her to provide for her future fupport. She had x\o other means of making this provifion than by fetting her faithful flave at liberty, ^nd depending upon him for her own * If Mr. Hume, who has written with much inge- nuity upon the delicacy of tafle a d pajfton, had been ac- quainted with thefe different inflances of delicacy ofpajfun in negroes, he would have found caufe Xq have been doubtful at leaf(, of an opinion concerning them, wiiiclv. ^ppeurs to have been too haflily fornied. maintenance. I 46 ] maintenance. This (he accordingly did; and in fo doing, flie has never been de- ceived or difappointed. He built her an houfe in the town of Charleftovi^n in the ifland of Nevis; and has ever fince con- tinued to ferve her vt'ith the moft dutiful and unremitting attention ; even anticipate ing her virants, and providing her with little delicacies, fo far as the fmall profits of his trade, which is that of a cooper, wilj enable him to purchafe them. She is i^ill living, though very old and infirm, and he has never diminifhed in his care and re- fpedt towards her. There are alfo fimilar inftances of grateful behaviour among inr dividual negroes in that ifland, which, though lefs confpicqous, would yet be fufficient to prove to any unprejudiced mind, that a negro is not deficient in a fenfe of gratitude. But it is not in our fugar polonies, where* there is fo feldom any principled relation be- tween matter and flave, or any eifen^ial benefit ^conferred by the former, that in- flances [ 47 ] ilances of gratitude, attachment, and redll- tude among negroes, are to be frequently expeded. Thefe are fuch as the mafter does not look for j and indeed lie muft be fenfible, upon an impartial review of the prefent fyftem of flavery, that he has no title to claim them. . The following fadls are taken from a colony where flavery wears a milder and more beneficent afpeftj and they are offered not only as a proof of gra- titude in negro flaves, but alfo of integrity, and fidelity : — a proof fufficient as well to, lead us to a juff: and favourable conclufion, in the negro's behalf fo far as concerns the quality of gratitude, as alfo to vindicate and confirm the truth of the prefent hypothcfis- in general. ** Some years ago, three negroes, the " property of an inhabitant of the ifland' f' of Bermudas, were taken on board ** a yeflTel, which being detedled in ** fome illicit trade, was captured by " the Portland fliip of war. The vef- *,* fcl being condemned as a lawful prize,' «* the tt €t f€ tt (( (( €t tt tt tt tt tt tt tt tt tt ft tt tt tt tt tt tt tt tt tt [ 48 ] the negroes had alfo become liable to in- cur a fimilar fentence -, but, though their owner had forfeited his own right to them as a property, yet the benevolent, and equitable fentiments of the com- mander of the Portland, would not ad- mit of a proceeding againft: the Haves, which appeared to him to be repugnant to every principle of humanity and juf- tice. Perhaps he was well aware, that one of the moft hordd and iniquitous evils of flavcry is, that the moft valuable and improved flave has not a right le- ferved to him more than the moft worth- lefs j that he is equally liable to be fold, and to be feparated from his family, his little property, and his friends, for the' misfortune or folly of his owner; and that he is frequently thus doomed to be, the innocent viftim of the impru- dence, or ill fuccefs of another. At all events, he took the neceffary meafures to prevent his captives from being fold, and employed them . immediately on board the Portland, .where fuch -vvere th?ir ftdivity, ^ilj, and good condudt, ♦* that [ 49 ] ** that they were foon diflinguiflied, and ** indeed rewarded; a mark of merit which " ought of itfelf to be fufficient to raife " this now abjed and degraded being, a *• negro Have, in the fcale of our eftima- ** tion and opinion. They continued in ** fervice a confiderable time, ftill con- ** ducfling themfelves with equal propriety, " till at length the time approached for " the fhip's return to England, and fhe *• was refitted at Antigua for that purpofe, *' when their patron and benefaftor ad- *• dreffed them to the following effed: :— ** My lads, you have now been nvith me for *' fome time, and have uniformly conduced *' yourfelves fo much to my fatisfaSlion, that *' I have refolved to allow you your full *' proportion of wages and of prize money, ** which Jhall be paid until the prefent hour \ *' but it is never thelefs my wijb that you ** Jliould proceed with me in the Jhip to Eng- '* land, by doing which you will not only aC' *' quire a further profit to yourfelves, but *' will alfo pofj'efs yourfelves of that freedom, " which you appear to be well deferving of, *' The negroes iiftened to his propofal with D ** attention (C <( << ft 41 it tt €t f« 7 ] precepts, which are calculated to wean the heart from luxury and diflipation, and to cherifh thofe habits of frugality and in- duftry, which are the fureft and the hap- pieft means of wealth. In fhort, on what- ever ftde we view the fubjedl, it is equally obvious that every rational attempt for the improvement of flaves, and the melioration of the fyftem of flavery, is pregnant with the moft eflential benefits. An unprincipled flavery, which has, in its own confequences, hardened the hearts, and corrupted the un- derftandings of its fupporters j — which has led to every thing that is irreligious, and to every thing that is immoral, — has hitherto been the fcourge and the curfe of our fugar colonies. From every meafure tending to its reformation, we might anticipate the exertions of both publick and private vir- tue; the reform of thofe abufes and defefts both in law and police, which now exift in the colonies ; and a fuccefsful ftruggle againft thofe difficulties under which they are at prefent labouring. E 2 In - [ 68 ] In the mean time, it is incumbent upon the mother country to confider how much her Weft India colonies require a foftering hand. That they form one of the fources of her commerce, her wealth and her re- venue is indifputable; and while they are adverted to as an objedl of her taxation, re- ftridlion, and reform, they ought in equity and found policy to be equally remembered as an objedl of her favours and accommo- dation. In particular, the mother country ought to take the lead, and to aflift the fugar colonies in every facrifice which hu- manity may require of them, for the melio- ration of the treatment of flaves; otherwife her regulations will be oppreflive, and the principles of them difgraceful and fuf- picious. Now, fuch are the fentiments which at prefent prevail in the Weft Indies, that there are but few proprietors, who would not afford their flaves an ample allow- ance of food; but there are no means of procuring it upon any tolerable terms, efpecially among the fmaller and lefs fer- tile iflands : for no regular dependence can be placed upon railing a fufGcient auxiliary ftock [ 69 J ftock of ground provifionsj and importa- tions from the American ftates in Britifh bottoms, are both inadequate and too much enhanced in price to hold forth any other than a refource precarious in itfelf, and be- yond meafure, expenfive. Is it not there- fore worthy the confideration of govern- ment, whether an importation confined to the articles of Indian corn and peafe onlyt from the American ftates in their own bottoms, to the fugar colonies ; and the ex- portation by the fame bottoms of the rum received in barter, be not a meafure which ought to be adverted to at this jundlure for the accommodation of the planter, and the eafier and more ample fuftcnance of flaves ? The injury which our own navi- gation might receive from fo partial an en- croachment upon a trade, in which a great part of the feamen at prefent employed are negro flaves, would pofllbly be more than compenfated by the facility with which we fliould obtain fupplies of American fea- men in cafe of future emergencies, if a fyftem of commerce, fomewhat more libe- ral than the prefent, were eftablifhed be- E 3 tween [ 70 ] tv/een the two countries. But further, if upon a fair comparifon, the balance (hould feem fomewhat againil: us, furely political fyftems are not fo delicate in their texture as to admit of no facrifice to what is right, and what is equitable ; and in this inflance is it not incumbent upon the mother coun- try to fubmit to one, in order to manifeft that humanity towards Haves, the obfervance of which is fo flrongly and properly de- manded from their proprietors ? If, however, the fpirit of our navigation ads fhould be thought liable to danger, un- der the fufferance of fuch a commerce as this, there is yet another, though a lefs operative and remedul plan, for the relief of the fu- gar colonies ; which would require only a partial facrifice of revenue, to the interefts and claims of humanity ^ — a facrifice too, ■which would be amply counterbalanced, by its caufing almofta monopoly to Great-Bri- tain, of the fupplies of her Weil- India iflands. It is well known that the article of rum forms no inconfiderable part of the produce of a fugar plantation. It is indeed upon this article [ 71 ] article that a great number ot fugar planters depend, for the purchafe of provifions for their flaves, as well as of other contingent fupplies J but the procefs of making it being tedious, uncertain and expenfive, it will not in the Leeward-Iflands repay the planter for labour and charges (although the ftrengthof the fpirit there is inferior to that of Jamaica) unlefs it yield him a neat price of i8d fter- ling per gallon. At about this medium he frequently delivers it to the merchant in the colonies, in payment for fupplies he has purchafed; but as the merchant always re- ceives it with reludlance, knowing that he in general incurs a lofs of nearly 20 per cent, upon it, before he can realize it in money, he charges a proportionate price for the com- modities he has fold to the planter. Indeed it often happens, that the merchant refufes to deal for it : — at all events, it is an unde- niable fact, that there is, at leaft, an average diiference of 20 per cent, between the price of articles purchafed with money, or bills of exchange, and thofe purchafed with rum; which difference is againft the latter. Here then is indifputably an heavy, additional ex-, £ 4 penfe [ 72 ] penfe of 20 per cent, to the planter, in pur- chafing provifions for his flaves, and other occafional fupplies, owing to the lofs which mufl ever be anticipated upon the article which is paid to the merchant. But if the duties upon this article in England were fo far lowered, as to open a market for it, in which, after all dedudlions for freight, in- furance, leakage, and other incidental charges, it would promifc to neat a price, equal to what it bears in the Wefl-Indies, the fugar colonies would be proportionably relieved j the merchant would be glad to receive an article, by which he could eftetft his remit- tances, and the neceflitous, or embarrafTed proprietor, whofe cuflom is often rejeded becaufe he has not the command of money, pr bills of exchange, and who thence is fre- quently compelled to contradl his flaves al- lowance, fbrely againft his inclination, would then be enabled to procure them food upon equal and advantageous terms. Larger quantities of provifions and ftorcs would be imported into the colonies from the mother country, when a new and obvious article of remittance could be returned to pay for them ; [ 73 ] them ; Britifli navigation would be eflential- ly benefited and extended, in acquiring a confiderable addition of freights, both out- ward and homeward for our (hipping j and the grand objedV of humanity towards flaves would be greatly promoted, by the proprie- tors being enabled to fupply them with food, more eafily and plentifully, than he has the means of doing at prefect. A word alfo, with deference, to a wife and upright adminiftration, upon a diftin and to make him love you, by doing all you can for him. For fuppofe any one of you was a mafter and had 9. Have, and was a bad mafter to that flave, ■ ■J yet [ 96 J yet you would not like that ^ave to be bad to you : and as I have already told yoii fo^ to do good, and to pleafe God, and to make him blefs us, we are to do to others as we ivipj them to do us — not as they may do to us. If then a flave is not to behave badly to a bad mafter, I hardly need to tell you your duty to a good one. If you have a mafter who feeds you, who clothes you, who takes care of you when you are fick, and endeavours to make you good and hap* py, you muft know that you will be doubly bad, if you are not honeft and true to him; if you do not mind his bullnefs, and if you eve; run away from him. However do not i;hink I tell you this for any good that you are to do to myfelf, any farther than as it will be good for you to do fo to any mailer. No : I have but one end in all thefe things that I tell you j that is to lead you to goodnefs, that God may look upon you in his mercy and make you happy. Remember then what I have told you, and do not let it go out of your minds. Believe r 91 3 Believe in God ^nd pray to him to blefs you and to make you gop4. 3e honeft in ail your dealings. Tell nothing but the truth, and make no ftories againft gny body. Give what you can afford to yowr poor fel- low-creature, who may be \n wgnt. Do good even to thofe who may do bad to ypu; always keeping thefe few plain words in jour hearts, that, if we would be good, ^nd pleafe God, we muft not only believe jn him, fear him, love him and pray to him ; but muft alfo ** Do to otherjs as we >yiih ** them to do to ourfelves." DISCOURSE IV. Of a Life to come, and various Branches of Duty. I H AV E already told you a great many gopd things, wjiich you muft do, if ypu wifli to be happy, and to pleafe God, and ^•BSlinE G make [ 98 ] make him blefs you. I hope you will keep them in your minds, and try to do what you have been told, as much as lies in your power; becaufe if you will not do good, now you are told it, you may be aflured, ' Godwin punifli you ; and when God becomes the punifher, he puniflies worfe than I am able to tell you: and therefore you ought always to be greatly afraid how you do any • thing to make him angry with you ; for God will not punifh you as a man punifhes you. When you do any badnefs, and your mafter punifhes you, it is foon over; and many of you are too apt to forget it in a few days afterwards. But God punifhes bad people, one way or other, as long as they live; and if they do not leave off their badnefs * and come good, will punifli them worfe than they can think of after they die. You may perhaps indeed wonder how God is to punifli you after you die; * The author has ufed the word badnefs^ the phrafe come good^ and feveral others, as being moft agreeable to the diale£l of his auditors, and confequently moft intelli- gible t» them. for [ 99 ] for I am afraid many of you think that, when you die every thing is at end with you ; but if you do, you think what is very wrong, and what may lead you to a great deal of harm and wickednefs. It is true, your body muft die and crumble into dufl, when it pleafes God to call you from this world. But then your foul, which makes your body to move, and do as it does while you are alive, muft go into another world and live for ever. Now, one's foul is what we call one^s felf; and only think how fad a thing it will be to us, when God calls us into another world, if we fhould go befote him ftained and fpot- ted with all manner of wickednefs; — before him, who being all goodnefs himfelf, can love nothing but goodnefs ; and who hating every thing that is wicked, will put forth his dreadful anger and punifli it. On the other hand, think how happy we fhall be if we have done all thofe good things that will pleafe him in this world, and can go before him with fouls full of that goodnefs which he loves, to receive his bleffing and G 2 be [ 100 1 be made happy for ever. And never for- get that God takes notice of every thing we do, whether good or bad. His great power, by which he made the world, the fun, the moon, the flars, and every thing I have told you of, makes him able to look into every thing he has made. There is nothing can be hid from him ^ and though you may impofe upon men by telling what is falfe to them, yet God fees it and will punifli it. It is of no ufe to go into the darkeft corner that ever was, where we think nobody can fee, to do any thing that is wicked; for the eye of God is upon us every where alike : and it is the greateft happinefs to them that are good that it is ^o; for God takes notice of all the good- nefs they do, and will blefs them for it, as furely as he will punifh bad people for their wickednefs. Now I have already told you, as well as I can, how to be good, Firft, to pray to God to make you fo, and then to try to do all other good things which I have told you of; but when you pray to God, mind hovr you [ loi ] you do it ; do not think that faying a few words in a hurry, without thinking of what you are about, will be pleafing to him. No: You mufl think well of what you are do-» ing when you pray to God. You mufl: try to put all other thoughts out of your head, and give yourfelf up at that time to God alone. You muft then kneel down to hiiii and pray to him flowly and ferioufly to look upon you in his mercy, to forgive you for the faults you have done, to wafh away alj badnefs from your hearts, and to blefs you and make you good; and in the fame manner you mufl thank him for all the good he hath done to you. You muft not aik him for every thing you may wifli for, but aik him to make you good; for he only knows what is befl: for you to have ; and whether he gives, or takes away, we muft be fatisfied that it is for our good, a^d wait with patience upon his will. There is yet another thing that I have to tell you, God did not make men and women to mix together in the fame G 3 mannejT C 102 ] manner as cattle, and other creatures j but to live decently with one another, and if they have children, to take care of them between them j therefore you may fee from this, that for any man to have more than one woman, or any v/oman to have more than one man, is a wicked thing, and is not pleafing to God ; and if a man and wo- man live together, it is their duty to be conftant to each other, and not to go to other people ; for if they do, it is a wicked thing, which God will furely take notice of. This is what I have to fay upon this matter to you that are grown up. As for you who are fo young that you ought not to have any thing to do with thefe mat- ters; it is your duty to keep yourfelves from them until you grow up to be men and women ; and therefore I fhall not only punifli you, but what is a terrible thing to be thought of, God will punifli you if you fuffer any perfon to entice you with money, or in any other manner, tp ufc any freedoms with you. If I find you in any badnefs pf this kind, I certainly ihall no| [ 103 ] riot fuffer you to live in my family, but. fhall fend you away fomewhere or other i whereas, if you behave as you ought to do, modeftly and decently, and have nothing to do with any wickednefs of this fort, I fliall take care, as far as lies in my power, that you fliall be properly provided for ac- cording, to your ages and flations. I tell you this in time, that you may not get into wickednefs, and be miferable all your lives afterwards. It is an eafy thing for every body to keep out of wickednefs, if they will not liften to it at firft j or even if they have done any thing wrong, to take care and leave it off before they go too far : — for God will forgive them who are forry for the wickednefs they have done, if they leave it off, and live as they ought to do afterwards. But we are not to try God's mercy and good- nefs fo far as to do bad things, becaufe we hope that he will forgive us j for this is like impofing upon his goodnefs, and mak- ing ufe of it to make us wicked, inftead of jnaking us better, which we , muft eafily fee that Qod will npt fuffer j therefore, G 4 wbca [ 104 ] when people .are told what is good aftd pleaftts God, they muft know that it is their duty to try to become better and betterj, and to keep away from wickednefs inftead of doing it) and if for want of knowing, or thinking as they ought> they fhould do any thing wrong j if they are truly forry for it, and take care hot to do it again, they riiay then hope for God's forgivenefs. DISCOURSE V. Catechetical^ with a Jhort Form of Prayer, I HAVE already told you, in as flrort and plain a way as I can, what is good and right for you to do, that you may live con- tented in this world, and eJfped: to be happy in the next. I hope you all Un- derftand what I have faid to you ; and that firice I have been telling yOu about what is good and right, you have been trying tO follows [ 105 ] follow it, and to do as I have deflred you for your own good and happinefs : for if you know thefe things, and will not do them, remember, God will no longer look to me concerning you (for I have done my part in telling you whr'.t is good and right) but he will look to yourfelves for your wicked doings, and will bring his dread- ful anger upon you to punish you worfe than I can fpeak of, at a time when per- haps you little think of it. I however iliall not leave off with you here"; but as Sunday is a day which ought to be particu- larly fet apart to think of thefe things, as often as I can on that day, I fhall put you in mind of your duty to God, to every body, and to yourfelves. But firft, as it is pro- per that I fliould know if you underftand what I have already told you, and if it has been of any ufe to lead you to goodnefs ^ I am going to aide you a few queftions, which you are to anfwer as well as you can, according to what you thiwk of them: after which I will teach you how to anfwer ^hcm, I. Do [ io6 ] I . Do you believe in God ? AnfweT'* Yes. 2d. Why do you believe in God? Anfiver, Becaufe, when we look round us, and fee every thing that is made, the fun, the moon, and ftars, always going in the fame order; and every thing that lives and grows in this world that we live in; and when we think upon ourfelves and . what we do, we are fure all thefe things could not come out of nothing; and there- fore we know that they muft have been niade by fome great being who had power to do it, and to order them as he pleafed. 3d. Why do we believe God is able to do every thing ? Aiipwer. From what we fee ihe has done- already, and is always doing, keeping every thing in order, and making it always an- * The anfwers here publiflied were written by the au- thor, in order to affift his hearers in fixing and exprcffing their ideas ; for though their minds began to be fufceptiblc of religious impreiHons, their notions, as muft naturally l^e expelled, were yet confufed ; nor could they eafily give an account of them, fwer [ 107 ] fwer the fame end — witnefs the fun, tho, moon, and the ftars. 4th. Why do we believe God to be all goodnefs. Anfwer. Becaufe of that order in which he keeps every thing for the ufe of the creatures he has made, and becaufe of that happinefs which he makes us all feel wheni we do good, and that fear, and uneafinefs^ which he makes us feel when we do any thing wicked. 5th. Do you pray to God ? Aiifwer, Yes . 6th, What do you pray to God for? An/wer. To make us good. To help you in praying to God, I will now try to teach you a fliort prayer, which i think will beft fuit you at prefent. You will fay it aloud after me; and I beg you will try to remember it, fo as to fay it every night when you go to bed, and every morn-- ing when you get up ; faying it upon your Jcnees, ap4 tbjnking well of 'what you are the; [ io8 ] HE PRAYER. tt <( 4< €t tt tt «t tt tt Great and good God, Father and Maker of all things, look upon us in thy mercy and goodnefs. Forgive us our wickednefs. Wafli away all badnefs from our hearts, that we may be wicked no more. Help us to do the good things that are told us. Hear our prayers, and accept our thanks, for all thy mercy and goodnefs to us." DISCOURSEVI. Oft the Corre^ion of a Slavey who bad be- haved ill, introduced with fame Religious Remarks, YOU will remember that I firft began to read to you at Chriftmas, thinking tJ[>at a proper time and a proper occafion to try io open your hearts to that goodnefs, without which no perfons can pleafe God, or de^ ferve [ 109 ] fcrve his care of them. And firft, as all goodnefs comes from God alone, who may be faid to be the Father of it ; and as no perfon can be good without believing truly in him, I therefore told you as much as I thought you were fit to hear concerning him, and the great things he hath made and kept in order. To believe as you ought to do in thofe things which 1 then told you, you need only look about you, and afterwards think upon every thing you have feen. The more you do this, the more you will have reafon to believe that what I have faid to you about thefe things was true and right : for were it not that every thing that we fee be* comes fb common to us, that we do not mind it as we ought, there is not a bufli or tree that grows but is fufficient to make us believe in God. Can wc then fail to believe in him when we fee that mighty globe of light the fun, which as I have told you before is ninety times as big as this whole world, though it appears fo fmall to us, becaufe it is fo far from us ; when vre fee it, I fay, rifing in the fame place every [ no ] every morning, and fetting every evening, where it has done, from the beginning of the world ; or can we fail to believe in him, when, in thefe delightful moon-light nights, we turn our eyes up to heaven, and fee the moon, and the ftars without number, beau* tifully fhining, and giving us a light more pleafantthan day itfelf ? The moon, which is nearly as large as this world, and the ftars many of which are a great deal larger^ though they feem fo fmall from their dif- tance from us ? Thefe and numberlefs other things equally wonderful and furprifing, mufl, at the firft fight, convince us, that there is a God greater in his power, in his wifdom, and goodnefs, than we poor mor- tals can poffibly think of. But when we go farther and think of the wonderful order in which . they all are kept, always doing the iame things at the fame times and fea-^ fons, is it pofHble that we fhould do other- wife than believe in him, praife him, and fear him ? Iftiould [ "I ] I (hould not have told you of thefe things in particular fo often, but that the firft thing to make you good and happy is, that you fliould believe in God, fear him and love him truly. After what I , have fo many times told you, I hope you by this time believe in him as you ought, and that you will go on to fhew your fear and love of him, by pray- ing to him with a true heart, by doing to every body as you wiHi they (hould do to you i by being faithful, diligent and honed in your maP.er's fervice ; by conflancy to each other among the old, and by the young keeping from wickednefs : all which I have before told you of, and will again repeat to you as I find occafion ; for it is by minding thefe things, and doing them, that you will beft fliew your fear and love of God, who will then look upon you in his mercy, and make you good and happy. This I hope, and am willing to think, that mofl of you are fenfible of, and. will behave yourfelves accordingly ; and indeed fo much did I cx- pe(5t that you would all have rninded what. I have faid to you for your own good and hap- pinefs. [ 112 ] pinefs, that 1 pleafed myfelf with the thought, that I fliould not be obliged any more to make ufe of punifliment among you. But I am forry to fay that there ftands One^ who, though he knows as well as any of you, what is good, having been told it in the fame manner with your- felves, and being able to underftand it, yet will not leaveofFhis badnefs, without punifli- ment, which I never wifli to ufe, if I can avoid it. You know that he went away from the yard fometime ago, and (laid out a whole night, leaving every thing expofed to be picked up by thievifh negroes. You know that I forgave him for it, upon a promife of better behaviour, and not going out again without mine, or his miftrefs's leave. You fee now how he has kept this promife. He went away on Friday night, and ftaid out till this morning, when he was brought home; having had the affurance to afk fome- body to beg for him, though I have fo often forgiven him, that he muft know I can do it no longer, for his own fake as well as for mine. mine. You know how much I am in want of a npgro to attend about the kitchen; and in particular, how great a fault it is, for a negro to leave his mailer's yard at night, when his mafter fuppofes that he is there, and when he may be wanted for many things. You muft: remember too, what I have told you of the duty of flaves to their mafters, how they ought to be honeft, ioduflrious, and fober, and never to run away or abfent themfelves. You know alfo that if he had afked either me or his mif- trefs, for leave to go, we (hould never have any objedlion to give him two or three hours, whenever he could be fpared. Againft: this all he has to fay is, that he was obliged to go out to look for victuals, though he has the fame weekly allowance paid him as yourfelves, with a part of what can be fpared from the table ; and I have offered him a piece of ground, and time to plant it, for his own ufe, and though allowing that he wanted to go, he knows that it was his duty to a^. I mention thefe things to you, be- caufe I would not have you think, that while H I am [ "4 ] I am trying to lead you to goodnefs and hap- pinefs, I punifh any of you out of anger or paffion, or for any other reafon but to do juftice, and to preferve that order as your mafter, which it is necellary that I fhould keep up, as well for your own good as my own. For in refpedt to that man, you know it is a long time ago fmce I have puniflied him, and how often I have forgiven him ; and if I were to let him go on any longer, I fliould be obliged to fell him to fomebody oft the ifland (for nobody would buy him here) and then he would fee his wife and children no more, and would be abandoned to all manner of wickednefs ; for few would take the pains to tell him what is good, as I have done ; and when he was thus given up to wickednefs, after being told what is good, it is to be feared that God Almighty would punifh him, and make him miferal)le for ever. You fee therefore hov7 neccfTary it is that he fhould be punifh- ed ; but to fhew you all that I do not punifh him out of anger, but only for the reafon I have mentioned, I now leave him to be tried by [ "5 1 by yourfelves, and you are to tell me freely what puiiifhnient you think he deferves. I mufl however remind you, that a negro vvho abfents himfelf, or runs away, is guilty of a fault againfl his fellow flaves, as well as againft his mafter; becaufe he obliges them to do his work while he is away, as well as their own ; but this you are to confider or not, as you like.* It * The negro here alhtded to had been a notorious mi- rauder and runaway, and the property of different mafters before he came into the author's hands. With fome bad qualities, he had alfo fome good ones : he .vas kind heart- ed and obliging, acute, and capable of diftinftlon. He made one obfervation in particular, which the author thinks it necefTary to take notice of, becaufe it confirms the opi- nion, that it is but of little purpofc to inftru£l negroes in the forms of religion, without taking pains to explain to them die principles of it. This poor fellow (alluding to the author's difcourfes) remarked, that " he could now " plainly fee, that his mafter was doing good for his ne- " groes ; for," faid he, " I once belonged to a mafter «' who taught me to ixy my prayers, but they were of no " ufe to me, becaufe he never told me the meaning of *' them. Now I know why I ought to pray to God and " be good." For his prefent delinquency he was fairly tried by his peers, who fentcnced him to a mild and mode- rate punilbment. He reformed confiderably from the H 2 time [ 'i6 J It is not pleafing to me to be obliged to fay fo much upon this matter; but you will find it is necefiary for all your good that I fhould do fo. I fliall now clofe with telling you, that when punishment is fo neceiiary to any of your fellow flaves, you fhould add to it by fhaming them, and taking no other notice of them, until they fhall them- felves be truly forry for their faults, and mend their behaviour. time when the author firft began to inftruft him, but his conftitution being broicen and impaired, he died about fif- teen months afterwards. Among domefticlc flaves, who, in general, are in a ftate of higher improvement than thofe upon a plantation, this mode of trying a delinquent, by his peers, may be eafily adopted : and it is commendable, becaufe it teaches the flave a moral diftintSlion, iji the example which the matter fets of equity and moderation towards him. Upon planta- tions indeed it will not be altogf.ther fo prafticable, until Ibme reform has been efFe£led ; but in the mean time, it is entirely in the mafter's power to proportion punifliments to offences, upon the principles of juftice tnd humanity, fo far as flavery will admit of them ; to make thofc punifh- ments known to his flaves ; to keep within the bounds of them himfelf, and not to fuffer them to be inflided, with- out due proof of the fad. DISCOURSE [ 117 ] DISCOURSE VII. On the NeceJJity of he'ing Indujlrious and obliging. THERE is a notion which I fear is too apt to prevail among feme of you, upon your mafter's taking pains to read to you, and to teach you what will make you good and happy ; which is, that you often think of ito ■'y in hopes that it may be the means of your taking more pleafure, and doing lefs work than before. Now, if any of you think of the good advice I have given you, no further than this, you not only deceive yourfclves, but you do me wrong, and like- wife behave ill towards God, in making a bad ufe of the good things that are told you. To put a flop therefore to any bad thoughts of this kind, and to fet you all right in this matter, I muft point out to you the neceflity of being induftrious, as a part of your duty to God, to yourfelves, and to your mafter. H 3 Whea [ ii8 ] When God Almighty made men and wo- men to live in this world, he made them all to work, and to be employed in feme way or other ; that fo they might become ufeful to one another, and by doing their duty in their ftations in this world, they might de- ferve greater happinefs in another. To prove that this is true, we need only look upon thoie people wjip are idle and lazy ^ and we fliall find, that thejr idlenefs and lazinefs are puniftied by God Almighty, in being the caufe of making them both wicked and unhappy; for when people are idle, their hearts are too often open to all manner of wickednefs, and wherevef v/ickednefs comes in, trouble is fure to follow it. Be- lides, lazy people are a plague to themfelves, and of no ufe to their fellow creatures ; and therefore, as they do not anfwer the purpofe that God has made thepi for, fo God canr not love them ; whereas, they who are induftrious, will fopn find a pleafure in do- ing their duty, and in doing it, they will pleafe God, who will blefs them for it. Not that I mean by this, that people are to be [ 119 ] be always at work, for that would be unreafonable, and what no perfon would be able to bear. There muft therefore be fome time allowed for reft, fome for fieep, fome for meal times, and fome, when it can be fpared, to take a little innocent pleafure in moderation; and above all, there fhould be fome time fet apart of every day, to think how we have behaved ourfelves, and to pray to God, to forgive rs if we have done any thing wrong, and to lead and ftrengthen us in goodnefs. All this time is what God Almighty intended that people niould have to themfelves; and befides this, he fet apart Sunday as a day of reft, but not to be paffed in quarrelling, drunkennefs, or any manner of wickednefs ; but to be pafled in goodnefs, in lifting up our hearts in prayer unto him, in thanking him for his great mercies, and in being inno- cently cheerful and happy ; doing no more work .on that day than what we cannot help, in order to affift ourfelves or others. At other times, it is plain that he vncant people ftiould work and do their duty, whe^ ^ H 4 ther [ I20 ] thermafters or fervants; and that they ftiould do it cheerfully and willingly, with a goc4 heart, and without grumbling or ill tem- per; and that fervants, when they fee any thing that they know ought and fliould be done, fhould do it, without waiting for their mafter's or miftrefs's orders -, and fhould be as careful, as faithful, and as diligent in every thing that belongs or con- cerns their mafter or miftrefs, as they would be of what belongs to, or concerns them-* felves.. There is another thing that I have to tell you : that is, never to give huffifh, or fhort anfwers, or put on four looks to your mafter and miftrefs. This is what you fliould not do to any body, much lefs to your mafter or miftrefs, who you muft know cannot put up with thefe things, without putting an end to that proper order which muft be kept up among you. Be- iides^ this fulky and rude way of behaviour muft turn out againft yourfelves in the end; Ibr though your mafter and miftrefs fhould " "" be [ 121 1 be angry with you, (whether they have rea- fon to be fo or not,) ftill you muft know that any fliort or rude anfwers from you will only ferve to make them ftill more angry; whereas, if you give them a civil and proper anfwer, with that fubmiffion and foftncfs which becomes a fervant, their anger will begin to cool, they will confider and think properly upon the matter ; and fliould you be even deferving of punifli- ment, you certainly will receive lefs than if after doing any thing wrong, you had made it worfe by giving faucy anfwers, and provoking your- mafter or miftrefs. Therefore let me advife yju for your own fakes, to be civil and good tempered ; and if your mafter or miftrefs fliould de- fire any thing of you which you may think a hardfliip, not to fulk or grumble upon it, but to fpeak to them civilly, and as you ought to do, about it. Fur- ther, if you want any thing at any time, which your mafter or miftrefs can give you, ^r do for you, never get another perfon to aflt for it for you, but always apply for [ i22 ] for it yourfelves -, for a good mafter or miftrefs will never like their negroes to be afliamed or afraid to afk them any thing that is reafonable and right, and will be much better pleafed to give any thing at the defire of the perfon who wants it, than if they fend another perfon to afk for it for them. I do not tell you thefe things for any good that is to come to me from your doing as you ought to do, becaufe you well know that if you do not behave well, after being fo often told what is right, it is necefTary that I fliould make you do fo, by proper Gorredion, however it may be againft my wifh and inclination to give it. I tell them to you becaufe, working as I am for your good, and taking up my time and my thoughts in writing and reading to make you good and happy, I fliould be very forry for your fakes, if my good advice were thrown away upon you, and you were no better after it than thofe poor negroes who Jiave npbody to inftruft them about God Almighty, [ 123 ] Almighty, and the goodnefs which we muft do to pleafe him and to be happy. And indeed you muft now be able to fee yourfelves how juft and reafonable it is, that the more you are told, and the more you know, the more goodnefs God will expert of you. It is therefore your duty to try to become better and better in every refpedl, and to behave in a very different manner to what thofc negroes do who have nobody ro teach them. As well as being conflant in your prayers to God Almighty, and in endeavouring to do thofe other good things which I have told you, you fliould alfo be more induf- trious in your own affairs, and the fame in mine, watching over your mafler's intereft honeflly and carefully. Your becoming better and better from all thefe things that I have tpld you, will prove to me that my advice is not thrown away upon you; and I fhall always be happy in every thing that I pan do to make you good and happy, provided you fhew yourfelves fenfible of it, by im- proving yourfelves, and going on to behave |he tje^ter for it. Further it is your duty who [ 124 ] who have children, to teach all thefe things to your children; and to keep a ftridt hand over them, while they are yet young, and bring them up in the fear and love of God, arid the conftant ufe of prayer unto him ; and to keep them out of all wicfcednefs. DISCOURSE VIII. Recapitulatory, and agalnjl Swearing and Lying. FROM what I told you lafl Sunday, I hope you now think as you ought to do of the good work 1 am doing for you, in teaching you your duty towards God, to- wards every body, and yourfelvesj that is, that inftead of fuffering yourfelves i.> look upon the pains 1 am taking for you only as it may lead to your taking, more plea^ fure, or being more able to indulge an in- clination to be idle \ inflead of this I fay, I hope* [ 125 ] I hope you think it is yo«r duty to be more induflrious and careful both in your own bufinefs and in mine j and in this, and in every other good thing, to improve your- felves, and fliew how much better you can and will be, from being taught what is good, than thofe poor flaves who have no- body to teach them, and who have fome cxcufe for their badnefs, becaufe often when they do wrong, they do it for want of knowing or thinking better. Now, it is your duty to remember that if you do wrong, you do it with your eyes open; you are told what is good for you to do, and you fee it J and therefore what is good will be cxpedled from you ; not by me alone, who being but a human creature like yourfelves, am liable to be deceived and impofed upon, but by the great God of all things, who feeth and fearcheth all our hearts, and who knows even what we intend or think of, as well as what we do. It is He that will cxpedt that goodnefs from you which I told you ; and that will puniih "you if you are wicked after being told whjt is good. It i ii6 ] It will make me happy therefore, ^or your own fakes, to find that you make a proper ufe of all that you have heard, which will be beft proved to me by an alteration in your manners and behaviour, and by your becoming fo much better than thofe Haves who are yet left in the dark as to what ^ is good, fo as that you may be quite a dif- ferent kind of people, I hope foon to fee this happy change among you, and that, being fenfible of your duty to God, to every body, and yourfelves, you try to do that duty, as much as lies in your powder, ac- cording to thofe plain and eafy rules which I have often told you of, and which as you cannot be too often put in mind of, I fliall again repeat to you. They are, I ft. To believe in God, to fear him, and to love him with all our hearts and minds j to pray to him to forgive us our fins, to make us good, and to caufe us to put our truft in him j and to return him our true aud hearty thanks for all his mercy and goodnefs. zd. To [ 127 ] 2d. To do to every body as we wifh every body to do to ourfelves; that is, to do good to every body, becaufe we wifh every body to do good to ourfelves. 3d. Not to think that we come into this world to lead a life of idlenefs, or pleafure, but to be induflrious, and do our duties in the different ways of life in which God hath placed usj and to take all opportuni- ties of doing all the good that lies in our power, as well by telling others what is good, as by helping them in their wants> when we can fpare them any thing. By thefe rules, and in them, we fee and know our duty to God, our fcllow-crea- tures, and ourfelves -, all which if we try to do to the beft of our power, we fliall then be good, and anfvver that great end for which God made us and placed us in this world : that is, to try us, if we will walk iii that good way which he hath pointed out for us, fo as that we may become better and better, and deferve that happincfs which he has [ 128 ] has in ftore for the good, after their deaths, in another world. But there are fcveral wicked things, which people do from having got into bad ways, and which they mufl: be forry for, and try to get the better of, as being plaini^ ly againll thofe rules of goodnefs which are laid down for us. Taking the name of God in vain, and curfing or fwcaring are very wicked things j which are too common among usj and which are fufficient to provoke God's anger againft us, to punifli this wickednefs, unlefs we try to leave it off^ and fhew our forrow for it. With refpe(St to the firil, we muft plainly fee that it is npt right for them, who believe in God, fear him, and love him, to make ufe of his name in common talk, or in any difpute that happens ; for this is not paying that refpe(5t to it which his creatures ought to feel for it J befides, by making ufe of his holy [ 129 ] holy name in common, as we would do of any other nam", we, by degrees, get into a bad habit of thinking lefs of it, and fet- ting lefs value upon it; whereas, we ihould always think of the name of God as a moft precious thing, which is not to be made ufe of, or called to witnefs, unlefs it is in a very particular or ferious matter; and then we muft be very careful indeed that we fpeak nothing but what is true. For to fay what is falfe is very bad in itfelf; but to fay what is falfe, and call God to wit- nefs it, is fo very wicked, that we muft be fure it will draw down God's dreadful anger upon it. Indeed, there are very few things (if any) that can happen to us, in which it would be right to call God to witnefs, for we fhoulJ lock up the name of God as a treafure in our hearts, to call upon when our minds are troubled, to make ufe of in our prayer when we rtturn him thanks for all the good he fends us; at which time our hearts fhould be given up, if poflible, to him alone, and nothing elfe fhould be in our thoughts. I It [ 13° ] It is in this ferious and particular man- ner, which I have told you of, that the name of the great God and Father of all things is only to be made ufe of. To ufe it in any other manner is, at beft, but taking his name in vain, which is in itfelf a very bad thing. A like wickednefs to this is that of curfing people and fwearing at them. This is in itfelf an idle and vicious habit, which it is by no means a fufficient excufe for, that we do not mean, or wifli, that what we fay {hould happen to others ; but if we poffibly could mean it, it would then be a very wicked thing indeed : for, in the firfl place, it is very wicked in us (as being contrary to that rule of doing good to every body, which I have told you of), to wifh any badnefs to any body, or any thing what- ever. In the next place, it is a great fin againft God, who alone knows who deferve bad or good to be fent to them, and who alone has the right and power of fending it. Such curfes therefore, if meant in earneft, only return back upon the heads of thofe who made them, to plague themfelves, and to [ 131 ] to make them wicked and miferable. If not meant in earneft, but only fpoken in paffion, or from any bad habit which we may have got, they are ftill bad, as people can have no right to ufe fuch expreflions to one another. I have already told you at different times, that " To tell lies" is another wickednefs j and certainly it is, and a great one, both to- wards God, and to our fellow-creatures ; and it is alfo hurful to ourfelves in the end. It is a fin towards God, becaufe it Is told before him, although, from knowing our hearts, and all their fecrets, he knows it is falfe. It is a fin towards our fellow- creatures, be- caufe it may make, and often does make, a great deal of mifchief among them; and, at any rate, it deceives, impofes upon, and leads them wrong ; and it is hurtful to the perfon telling It, becaufe a liar never comes off fo well in the end as he that fpeaks truth. Even if any perfons have done wrong, and be charged with it, it muft be better to confcfs it than to deny it j for if they con- I 2 fefs [ 132 ] fefs it, they have a chance of being for- given for telling the truth ; and if they Ihould not be forgiven, they will only be punifhed for the bad thing they have done, and then all is over; whereas, if they tell lies, it will always lie upon their minds, and it will mofl: probably be found out at laft, when they will receive double punifli- ment. Befides, after being once found out to be liars, they cannot exped: that any per-* fon will believe them afterwards; fo that if at any other time, they {hould be charged v/ith a fault, of which they are innocent, ilill they will not be believed. Thus they are not only fure to fuffer more than thofc who fpeak the truth j but they alfo make God angry with them, and will receive pu- nifliment from him for their wickednefs; and as, to fave themfelves, they either accufe fome innocent perfons, or are the means of their being punifhed unjuflly, this is fo bad a thing, that they muft expedt that God will feverely punifli it. Liars therefore muft every way bring unhappinefs upon themfelves. Nobody can place any truft in thofe r ^33 ] thofe who are given to this wickednefs : they do fo much mifchief that every bcdy is con- cerned in bringing them to (hame and pu- nifhment, which generally fall upon them. and that the more heavily, becaufe, adding one wickednefs to another, and ftiU telling lies to excufe themfelves, the whole comes out and falls upon them at once. If this be the cafe with thofe who tell lies only for their own excufe, it is eafy to fee how much worfe it is with them who do it out of fpite and malice, and to bring badnefs upon innocent people. Thefe are fo very wicked that the anger of God and his dreadful punifliments will be more par- ticularly fet againft them than for other lies, as well as the hatred and contempt of all their fellow-creatures. In the fubftance of what I have read to you this day, you will find that I have not only put you in mind of what I before told you of your duty to God, to your fellow- creatures, and yourfelves, but alfo have fliewn you what refpeft ought to be paid to ^ 3 the [ 134 ] the name of God, that you are never to take his name in vain, that is, to make ufe of it on any but the moft ferious occafions : that you are not to curfe, or to fwear any wicked oaths againft any perfon, or to wifli any badnefs to happen to them ; and that you are never to do fo wicked a thing as that of telling lies. I purpofe next Sunday to aik you a few queftions concerning your belief in God, and your reafon for believing in him ; and what it is to be good, to which it cannot be hard for you to make proper anfwers, if you think of what I have void you. You will therefore recolledt what I have read to you, that you may give fome proper account of thofe good thoughts which I have endeavoured to fix in yoqr minds *. * Thefe queftions were propofed on the following Sunday, but as they were much of the fame nature with thofe printed in a former difcourfc, the author thought it vnneceilary to infert them. DISCOURSE [ US ] DISCOURSE IX. Of Happinefs, conjijivig in doing our Duty. WHEN I examined you all laft Sunday, about what you thought of God Almighty, and thofe good things which I have told you of, I was forry to find fome of you not fo ready to anfwer as I expedted. This leads me to fear, that you do not think fo much as you ought to do, of that goodnefs which I have been trying to learn you, but which your hearts will never be properly open to, without you take great care and pains on your part, to remember as much as you can of what you hear from me, and to fet afide your fpare time, to think well of it. Nov/ if you think it worth your while to take care and pains to get meat for your bellies, and clothes for your backs, to make you live comfortably in this world, furely you can- not be fo blind to your own good and hap- pinefs, as not to know how much it is worth I ^ your [ 136 ] your while to take care and pains to learn all thofe good things, the doing of which will bring God's love and bleffing on you, and make you happy for ever. To be happy for ever — to go where no pain, no forrovv, no want, no trouble can come upon us j where our hearts will be filled with all manner of goodnefs, and the blefilng of God Almighty, is the pleafing and comfortable hope which all good people have, who believe in God, fear him, love him, and ferve him, by doing all thofe good things which I have fo often told you of. Not that the bell of us, poor weak creatures as we are, can ever deferve all this happinefs from God Almighty, in any thing that we do i but becaufe his mercy and goodnefs are fo great, that he is pleafed to bring all this goodnefs upon us, for our trying to obey his commands and to pleafe him. And after all what is dcfired of us ? Nothing more than what is necefTaiy for our own happi- nefs, even in this world. In doing what is truly good for ourfdves, and for our own eafe [ 137 ] eafe and quiet, we perform our duty to God and to our fellow creatures. It furely is for our own eafe and quiet, that, when we rife in the mcrning, before we begin our daily bufinefs, we can kneel down and pray to God Almighty for his help and fupport. It furely is for our own eafe and quiet that, after our daily work is over, we can^hink upon God before we go to lleep ; thank him for his mercies, and pray to him for his help, if we be troubled and afflifted. This wipes the tear from the eye of forrow, and bring.'! comfort to the heart of the unhappy. It furely is for oar own eafe and quiet, to be kind and to do good to every body, becaufe it makes every body love and befriend us. Thus we may plainly fee, that to mind truly our own good and happinefs, is all that God Almighty delires of us, to caufe him to iLower down his bleffinjgs upon us. So far from deliring us to negleft our bufinefs, he commands us to be indullrious, and to get an honeft liveli'iood for our own fupport and our families, and to help our fellow crea- tures. All that he defires of us is, that we ihould [ 138 ] fliould not fo far mind the bufinefs of this world, as to forget him who made it, and made ourfelves, and from whom every thing comes } but that we fhould fet apart a cer- tain /hare of our time, to open our hearts to him alone, in praife, in thankfulnefs, and in prayer. Such are the eafy and juft commands of our great Almighty God. There is no other God but him. Every thing that is made is the work of his hands. Every thing that lives, lives by the breath of his mouth. His feat is in the heavens above, and his ey« and his power are over all things. TJie fun, the moon, and the ftars, without number, together with this world, he has hung in the air, in a wonderful manner, and diredled them to move in the fame order and the fame courfe, which they always keep, for the good of all his creatures. His mercy, his juftice and his kindnefs, mod clearly fliine, in making our own happinefs confift in our obedience and duty to him, and our duty to our fellow creatures. According as we do thefc. [ 139 ] thefe, or negledl them, fo he will reward or punifh us, not only in this world, but alfo in the world to come. It Is true, your hearts have long remained in blindnefs and darknefs, as to thefe truths, and therefore it can only be expeded, that you fl:ould become fenfible of them by de- grees. Yet there are fome among you, who feem to have thought of them more than the reil, having given proper anfwers to the queftions that were alked them, while others of you remained filent. Now as moft of you are equally able to think upon what I have told you, and to tell me what you think of it, fo of courfe I muft be beft pleaf- ed with them, who have been moft ready to anfwer me, becaufe they prove to me that the pains I have taken to teach them what is good, have already been of fome ufe. To thefe I have to fay, that as they begin to be fenfible of what is good, and to feel how much better and happier they arc for it, fo I hope they will continue in it, and thmk ppon it more and more, fo as that they may become [ 140 ] become better and better, which will bring the love and blefling of Almighty God upon them, and make them happy. And it is fit alfo for them to remember, that if they fhould again turn to badnefs, after being told what is good, and fliewing themfelves fenfible of it, they mufl not only expedh corredion and punifhment from their maf- ter, but what is much worfe, the anger of God Almighty, and that he will take from them his love and his bleffing. To the reft of you, who, I fear, think too much of the bufinefs or pleafure of this world, and do not allow yourfelves that little time which you may cafily fpare, to think of God Almighty, and to pray to him, I hope what I have read to you this day, will be fufficient to put you in mind of your duty . towards God, and your fellow creatures, and to caufe you to attend to it. By it you will plainly fee, how eafy that duty is, which God has required of you, and how much it is for your own good and happinefs, that you ihould conflder and think of it properly, and fix [ HI ] fix it In your minds, fo as to give a proper account of it, and to make it the way for you to walk in. In this, and in all that I have read to you, I have endeavoured to ufe fuch words as I thought you would beft underftand; but if I either have told you, or fhould tell you any thing, that you may not know the meaning of, it is my wifh that you iTiould always afk me, and I will try to make it plain to you. May God, the Father of all goodnefs, fend his light and his grace into all your hearts ; to keep thofe who begin to be fenfible of what is taught them, in the right way ; to caufe thofe to think more about it, who have not taken proper care and pains ; to bring you all to know and to do that good- nefs which is fhewn to you, and to make you all deferving of his love and his blef- fing upon you. DISCOURSE [ H2 1 DISCOURSE X. Of Mercy and Kindnejx. I HAVE been trying to fliew you all, the plain path you ought to walk in to be- come good and happy. In doing this, I have alfo made you fee that we never can be happy, without we are good; and there- fore that your own eafe and quiet is in your own power, as you will feel in your hearts, according as you keep in thofe good ways which I have been working to fmooth be- fore you. The great line to goodnefs and happinefs I have already marked out to you, and in fomc meafure cleared the road before you j but I wilh to make it plainer Aill, by telling you yet more of your duty, efpecially that part of it which belongs to the great rule of ** Doing to others as we *' widi to be done by." After having faid fo much to you about God Almighty, the Father and Maker of all [ 143 ] all things, whofe goodnefs, wifdom, and power are feen in all his works, and are much greater than we can tell or think of, I hope I need not again tell you your duty to him. You mufl know how you are to fear him, to love him, to truft in his mercy and goodnefs j to honour and refpedl his name, and not to put it to any common or bad ufe; and in what manner you are to pray to him and give him thanks. If you know this your duty towards him (which you muft now do, as it has been fo often told you) it will be youf own faults if you do not think of it properly, and apply yourfelves at all times to it. Your own good and happinefs for ever depends upoa it; and if you negledl or flight it, you are "without excufe, and cannot expedl the fa- vour and love of God Almighty. I need fay no more concerning your duty towards God; but in the great line of your duty to others, there are a number of good things to be taken in, which you may not yet [ M4 ] yet be fo fenfibleof as you ought, and there- fore it is my duty to point them out to you. , ' . ' . i ' - . And firfl, it ought to lead you to be very different from legroes in common, who, in general (as others would be if they were bred up in the fame manner) are a cruel people to every thing which comes under their power. They are hard hearted to each other, and they cut and flafli the poor, brute creatures that fall into their hands. .This you mufl plainly fee is not only againft that great law of God — of doing to others as we wifli to be done by ; — but is alfo a very un- grateful and wicked behaviour towards God, from thofe who believe in his goodnefs. It is faid in the great bible, of which I pur- pofe to tell you more at a proper fc3ifoa : — *' Be ye merciful , as your Father in heaven is " merciful," that is to fay, that as God has been good and kind to us in giving us life, in making this world and the creatures in it for our ufe; in forgiving us our fins, and in making out for us an eafy way to be good and happy for ever; fo ought we to be good f H5 ] good and kind to every living creature whatever. Wb fliould ihew this kindnels^ even to a horfe, a dog, or cat, or any other brute beaft under our care; and the more fo, becaufe thefe poor dumb creatures can- not cpmplain, and cannot help themfelves. This good and merciful difpofition in us will make us " to do to others as we wifli to be done by;" and will alfo be pleafing to God Almighty, who is too good and too merciful in himfclf, to have made fo many creatures to be of fervice to us, for us to abufe and ill treat them. I do not however mean by this, that we are never to puni/h, or corred: any creature that is under our care; becaufe if they were not punifl^ied and t:or- redled when neceflary, they would be of no ufe to us : but we fhould never punifli and corred: them barbaroufly, or more than is according to juftice ; and we fhould be as kind and good to them as we can. If, therefore, God Almighty requires that we fhould be kind and merciful to the brute beail that is under us, how much more K will [ 46 ] will he expedl that people fhould be kind and good to one another. This is the great duty which he has ordered us to do, and in doing it he has placed our own good and happinefs. Every body muft: know how much eafier and happy they are, when they are kind, good natured, and obliging, by which they make all people love them, than when they are fpiteful, ill natured, and grudging, by which they get nothing but hatred and ill-will, and bring trouble upon themfelves. The perfon who is kind and good tempered, and willing to ferve and to help another as much as he can, makes all people his friends and well- wlfliers, the thought of which in itfelf, muft give him a great deal of happinefs ; while the bad tempered, cruel, and fpite- ful perfon can never be at reft, becaufe he knows that every body diflikes him. This helps to prove what I before told you ; that Is, that God Almighty has made our duty fo eafy to us, that, in doing it, we do nothing more than what we muft do, to make ourfelves truly happy. Let f H7 ] Let me advife you, therefore, to pray to God Almighty, who is all kindnefs and good- nefs himfelf, to make you deferve his mercy and his love, by fliewing all the kindnefs and goodnefs in your power, to every body, and to every creature whatever :— to weed all malice, fpitefulnefs, ill nature, and co- vetoufnefs out of your hearts; and, in the ftead, to plant good nature, goodwill, af- fedion, and mercy ; that thus learning to do all the good in your power, that you may fulfil the great law of God, of ♦* doing ** to others as you wifli them to do unto ** you." DISCOURSE XII. Of Honejly, I TOLD you all laft Sunday, that one part of the great duty of doing ; to every body, as we wifh every body to do to our- K. 2 felvcs. [ H8 ] fclves, was to be good natured and kind- hearted to every creature that we have any thing to do with ; to help them, and to do them all the good we can j and to mind this fo much as. even to be merciful and kind to the poor brute beaft that is in our power, as well as to our fellow-creatures. Now, I hope you will all think well of this, and mind to do it, becaufe there is no good thing that God Almighty will love people more for, and blefs them, than for being good natured and kind-hearted. He has been all mercy and goodnefs to us himfelf, in giving us life, in filling this world with alT things fit for our ufe; and laying before us an eafy road to goodnefs and happinefs ; and therefore, in return, he expefts from us that we will be as good and kind as we can to our fellow-creatures, and to the poor beaft that is of ufe to us ; befides, we muft remember that it is doing nothing more than what we wifh others to do to our- felves, which certainly is, that they fhould be kind-hearted and good to us. Now, [ H9 J Now, another part of the great duty of doing to others as we wifli others to do to ourfelves is, that we fhould be honeft and juft in all we have to do with every body whatfoever. This is nothing more than what you muft know you wifh every body to be to yourfelves. You would not like any ■ body to ftcal from you, or to cheat you; and therefore you fliould never fteal from any body, or cheat them, even in the fmalleft thing whatever. Whoever takes what does not belong to him, if it is only a bit of bread, or a bit of meat, is certainly z thief; and if he ufes himfelf to it, he will go on in his badncfs till he takes more, and brings himfelf to great fliame and puni/hment. It is the fame in cheat- ing. The perfon who cheats another of a * i>/ack dog will foon be brought to cheat another of a dollar, and fo will go on until brought to fome bad end : for no thieves or cheats can ever hope to come to any good, or to die peaceably, and with' a good heart like other people. Though they think * The lowcft piece of money in. the Weft. Indies. K 3 they [ 150 ] they can fteal or cheat Co cunningly as that nobody can find them out, yet God Al- mighty fees all their badnefs, and will fure- ]y bring it to light, and bring them to Ihame and punifhment. I beg you will all of you remember this and keep it in your hearts i for if, when people are going to do any manner of badnefs, they would but think well of what they are about, and that the all-feeing eyes of God himfelf are upon them, they would then be afraid of doing what is wrong, and would fave themfelves that trouble, fhame and punifhment, which God always brings upon all wickednefs. But as to what I was telling you of the badnefs of flealing and cheating. Some of you, I am willing to hope and believe, know your duty fo well, as not to do fuch wicked things. You fee that it is wrong to fleal what belongs to another, or to cheat ano- ther, which is the fame thing (as cheating is ftill taking away what belongs to another, though in a different manner), and as you would have reafon to be very angry, if any body were [ 151 ] were to ferve you fo, you will take care not to do it to others. Yet 't Is proper to put you in mind of your duty in this matter, that you may keep in it, and become more and more faithful and honefl. And as for any of you who may not have minded it be- fore it was told j'ou, God Almighty will for- give you for what pad before you knew better, if you take care never to do fo again } but to leave off fuch bad things as flealing and cheating, artd to live honeRly, as God Almighty orders that people' fhould do, which, if they mind, he will love and blefs them for. And here let me tell you all, not to be too covetous, or hard in your bargains one with another, which often is not much better than cheating ; but rather to give up little matters, and deal kindly and friendly by one another, as all good people ought. ■ • What I have read to you this day, has been to fhew you all, that if we wifh to be good, we mufl be honefl: you mufl flill keep this in mind, and do it, and never take any thing that does not belong to you, or K 4 cheat [ 152 } cheat another perfon, however much you may be in wanti for wanting, pr wifhing for a thing ever fo much, is no excufe for doing a bad thing to get it. You mufl eafily fee, that if this was fuffered, there would be no goodnefs in the world, for people often want and wifli for many things, which cannot be got but by doing wipkednefs. When this happens, it is the duty of every good perfon to get the better of fuch wants and wishes, and put them out of their minds, rather than do any badnefs to fatisfy them. It is not therefore the want of any thing that will be any excufe before God Almigh- ty, or with our fellow-creatures, for fteaU ing, cheating, or doing any other bad thing. Whenever we want any thing that we can- not get at, without going through badnefs for it, we piuft make ourfelves fatisfied without it. This is true goodnefs ; for this is getting th? better of vvhat we defire, ra- ther than do any harm for it, and this God Almighty will love and blefs us for. ; may he therefore fhevv his mercy and his grac^ to* wards us, fo as to make u§ able to get the better t X53 ] better of our defires, rathe^ t^^^n 4o any thing bad to fatisfy them. DISCOURSE XIII. Againji M^alice, Hatred, and Slander, YOU have been fully told, how grtat a part of your duty it is, in doing to every body as you would wi/h to be done by, that you fhould be kind-hearted, obliging and merciful in all you have to do with your fellow-creatures, or even to tho poor beaft that is ufeful to you. And alfo, that you muft, in all things, be honeft in all your dealings, and never wrong any body, in any manner whatfoever. The next part of your duty which I have to fhew to you, and which you muft mind to do, if you would wiHi God to blefs you, is, that you fhould bear no malice or hatred in your hearts^ agaiait any body^ fo.as tc do them aoy badr nefs. [ 154 ] nefs, but fo far from it, that you muft even do good to thofe who hate you, and may wifli to do you harm ; for this is the word and the law of God Ahnighty, as written in the great bible, of which more at a proper fea- fon. And though it may feem odd to you at iirft, that it is our duty to do good to thofe, who would do bad to ourfelves, yet when you come to think of it as you ought to do, you will find that no perfon can be good without forgiving. thofe that bear ma- lice againft them, and even do them wrong. For all malice and all wrong are wickednefs in themfelves, and therefore, if another per-, fon be wicked enough to bear malice againft me, and to do me wrong, yet if I were to keep malice in my heart againft him, and to do him wrong, I fhould thereby become juft as wicked and as bad as himfelf. . And it would be no excufc for me to be wicked, becaufe he was fo before; for we are not to be led into badnefs becaufe other people do it. They who know what goodnefs is, are bound to follow it, whatever other people may choofe to do. And when God Almigh- ty [ M5 ] ty tells us, that we are in all things to do to others as we wifli them to do to us, he tells us alfo that we muft mind this and follow it, as well to thofe who do not love us, as to thofe who do ; for, according as we wifh good to come to ourfelves, fo muft we try to do good to every perfon whatever. This be- ing what we are diredled and ordered to do by God Almighty, who is all forgivenefs and goodnefs to us, we are not then to think of bearing malice in our hea'-ts. And doing wrong, becaufe another perfon may be wicked enough to do fo to ourfelves ; but we are to pray to God to turn his heart, and to make him better ; we are to try to fliew him where he is wrong, and perhaps our good and forgiving temper towards him, may make him afliamed and forry for his badnefs, and bring him over to that good- nefs which we fliew him. If, however, he fhould ftill be obftinate, and continue to bear malice and hatred againft us, all we can do is to keep ourfelves away from his company and acquaintance, not tc put ourfelves in bis power, and ftill to forgive him, fo far as { 156 1 as to do him any good that he may be in want of, when it lies in our way to do it. For this is that kind of forgivenefs which God Almighty defires us to fhew. He does not expedt that we are not to feel any wrong that a perfon tries to do us, or even that we are not to be angry ; but that we (hall not fuffer this wrong to make us do any wrong or wicked nefs in return, or to keep us from doing any good which may happen to be in our power, even to the perfon who would wrong ourfelves. This being another part of our duty, of doing to others as we would wifli them to do to us, you may plainly fee from it, that if God Almighty orders that we Should ever do good to thofe that hate us, he certainly orders at the fame time, that we are to keep ourfelves from doing them any wrong what- ever ; and this it is my duty to fliew to you, and yours to mind, becaufe it is but too common, when people fall out, or have any difpute, in the anger, the malice, and hatred of their hearts, they fay all manner of bad things of one another, which neither of them [ 157 ] them deferves, and which, if neither of them had faid, they might foon have made up the quarrel between them. Now there is no excufe for telling lies at any rate, much lefs for that wicked kind of lies, which do other people wrong, fpreading bad ilories about them, which they do not deferve. There is hardly any fault, which God will more feverely punifli than this, becaufe it is fo bad in itfelf, and breeds fo much mif- chief. Mind therefore, that however any perfon may bear malice againft you, hate you, or do you wrong, it is your duty never to accufe them wrongfully, or to fay any thing falfe of them. If you have occafion to fpeak of them, tell all the good of them that you know, but fiy nothing bad of them if you can help it, and, at any rate, nothing that is not true. When the perfon with whom you have quarrelled, and who may have anger and malice againft you in his heart, hears how well you have fpoken of him, and that you have faid nothing falfe of him, perhaps it will turn his heart towards you» and lead him to do you good alfo, and fo [ ^58 ] ib be the means of making you friends. But whether it does fo or not, you may be fure of what is a great deal better than the iove of any perfon, that is, that God Almighty will love and blefs you for it, for having kept his word and his law, which he order- ed you to follow. And this is what we ought to look to, and what ought to be the end of all our goodnefs, that is, that we may pleafe God and deferve his bleffing ; which if we do, we may be fure that we can always depend upon his mercy and goodnefs. For his eyes are always upon ihofe who are good, and keep his word ; and fuch are his mercy and his kindnefs, that though he may and does forgive many of the bad things we do, if we are truly forry for them and leave them off, yet he takes an account of all our goodnefs, and never fails to fhew us his love and bleffing for every good thing we do, however trifling it may be. And this we muft be fenfible of, for the more good we do, the happier we feel ourfelves, which happinefs God fends down upon us ; be- fides, the great and pleafing hope which he puts [ M9 ] puts into the heart of all them who love him, fear him, and keep his law and his word, that after tliis life he will make them happier than words can tell, and that for- ever. You may fee, therefore, how much it is for your own good, that you iliould mind every good thing that is told you ; that you ihould liften to it with your ears, and draw it into your hearts ; that you fhould be care- ful to remember it, and to lock it up there, that you may turn to it, and think upon it as often as you can, for the more you think of it, and the more you do it, the more truth and the more happinefs you will find in it. , DISCOURSE XIV. Againji Drunkennefs and Excefs. THERE is one wicked thing, which is too common with many people, and which, though [ i6o ] though I cannot fay I can charge you with it, it yet will be very right to tell you about, to give you warning never to fall into it, be- caufe it is againft the word of the law of God, and is not only hurtful to ourfelvesi as bringing ficknefs and pain upon us, but alfo is the caufe of our often doing a great deal of msfchief to other people. The wickednefs I mean is drinking too much ilrong drink, fo as to become drun'^ardsj which not only puts it out of people's power to do their duty as they ought to do, but at the fame time puts it into their heads to do every thing that is mad, foolifli, and wick- ed : fo that in one hour, nay, in one minute's time of drunkennefs, they may do as much badnefs, as may make themfelves and others miferable for ever afterwards. As it fires the blood, and gets up into the head, it puts people out of their proper fenfes, fo that no man, let him be ever fo good when he is fober, can poffibly tell ^hat vvickednefs he may not do when he is drunk. This has been proved in a great many inflaaces, where it has been known that people of the beft of charaftcrs [ i6i ] • charadters when fober, have been hurried on to fiich adls of wickednefs when drunk, that before they knew what they were about, they have even killed their beft friends or near- eft relations. Now let us only think what a perfon muft feel, who perhaps could not bear to hear of fuch wickednefs when fober, much lefs to think of doing it, when he finds, after coming to his fenfes, that he has taken away the life of his fellow-creature, and one whom he moft loved, in a fit of drunkennefs ! Is it poflible that he can for- give himfelf for it, or ever be happy after- wards ? And after all, what is it for, that he brings all this mifery upon himfelf? Is it for the pleafure of getting drunk ? A mighty pleafure truly, that puts a man out of his fenfes, and makes him behave himfelf like a beaft ; that expofes him to be laughed at and ridiculed by every body, and' brings him to ttumble and wallow about in his own filth, like a hog rolling in the mire. 1 have told you of this wickednefs for two reafons; firft, becaufe it docs-fo much mif- L chief [ i62 ] .c)iief and harm in the world, that you can- not be put too much upon your guard . againft it : next, becaufe, though you may be fpber enough in common, yet atone time of the year, which is Chriftmas, it is a prac- tice apipng you to ta}ce more ftrong drink than is ufual to you, and enough to lead you into drunkennef§, and all the badnefs that follows it. What is the proper meaning of Chriftmas, and of its being fet apart for ■people to make themfelves happy, I fhall tell you when your hearts are better pre- pared to hear of it. But in the mean tinae, .you may be fure of this, that God Almigh- ty never intended that we fhould pafs any time whatever in drunkennefs. And as I have been trying to bring you intp the know- ledge of God, and of the law of his word, foit is your duty on your; part, to leave oft all bad ways whic^i you might have had, laefore you were told 'of him* and of v^^l^a; is good. , Further, U 1% a p^^pf the word of the law. Qf :G94 th%t we fi«mld aot think too much f 163 ] much of eating, drinking, or fine clothes • and this for a very good reafon, becaufci they who fo much mind their bellies and their backs, will bring themfelves to believe that they live for no other pui'pofe than to , provide for them^ But God Almighty made people for a much better end than this. He made them that they fhould believe in him, fear him, love him, and worship him, that they fhould be good, kind, and chari- table i that they fhould keep his laws and his word, that fo, being tried and proved by him in all manner of goodnefs, he may bring them into that better worid for which he firfl made them. This is what we are always - to think of and look forward to; and there- fore, as the world we arc in now is only meant for a trial to us, and for a pafTage tof a better if we defcrve it, we are not to fet our hearts too much upon any thing that is in it,, whether it be meat, or drink, of clothes, money, or smy thing elfej for to be covetous of thefe things, and to fix our defires upon them, mufl: certainly carry awayi pur thoughts from the fear of God L 8 Almighty, [ 164. ] Almighty, and from that goodnefs which we muft follow to pleafe him. But we are not to fuppofe from this, that God Almighty has forbid us the ufe of any thing in this world, which may belong to us, and which we want, to nourifli and comfort us. No : He, in his goodnefs, has made them all for our ufe and our happi- nefs, and he is highly pleafed with us when we partake of them as we ought to do, that is with a thankful heart to him as the giver of them, and with decency, cheerful- nefs, and moderation, fo as to take no more of them than will fatisfy nature, and do us good, preferring us in health and fpirits to go through our duty as we ought to do. If we have any thing more than this, as it has been freely given to us by God Al- mighty, fo vre ought freely to give to thofe who are in want. This is goodnefs. This will make us happy, and God Al- mighty w\l take pleafure in feeing it; for our happinefs was the end for which he made [ 165 ] made us, and if we do not follow the way to it, it is our own faults. May he therefore fend his heavenly grace among us, that in this, and in every thing elfe, we may endeavour to live as we ought to do ; not in rioting and drunkennefs, which will weaken and hurt our health, make us commit mifchief and wickednefs, and bring mifery upon ourfelves and others; not in greedinefs and feafling our bellies, which only brings ficknefs and pain upon us, while fo many of our poor fellow-crea- tures are in want of what it would do us good to fpare them ; not in covering our- felves with finery, while, if we were to buy. .good plain clothes which would be more ufeful and lefs expenfive, we might have fomething to fpare to clothe fome poor and . naked objedt who has nothing to buy him a covering; but in enjoying the bleflings which God Almighty fends to u£, with decency and moderation, with charity and gratitude, by taking no more to ourfelves than we Aand in need of, and by iharing L 3 them [ i66 ] them wifh thofe who are in want; which will bring the love of God upon us, an^- caufe him never to fufFer us to be in want ourfelves. DISCOURSE XV. Againjl Hypocrijy and Prefumf'tion, and of a ^ood Confcience. YOU have all Teen the way that I have fallen upon, and the pains I have taken, to teach you that which is good. I have fet apart my Sundays for this particular pur- pofej and I regularly pray to Almighty God that ycu negroes may know his word, and become better people, fo as to deferve. his love, and the happinefs which he has in ilore for thofe who ape good. What I mean c to be a. blefling to you, let it not be turned- into a curfe upon your heads., which it fure^ ly will if you do not mind v/hat i have told VQU, ^d try to leave oiF every bad way which [ 167 ] which you might have had, while your hearts were in the dark, and you knew nol better. All I afk from you', all I wi(h' for, in return for the pains I ani taking with you, is, that you fhould be good for your own fakes, that you may be happyy and that God may blefs you. It takes up my time and my thoughts to tell you alf thefe things, which I fhall willingly give, fo long as you will ht mindful of them, and make them properly ufeful to yourfelves / but if yott only make an outfidc fhew of being gbbd^ and flill keep any old badnefs in your hearts, without trying to get the bett'er 6i it, the evil will be upon your owil' head^, arid the pains I am taking will then become ad tirfe to you. God will furely punifh thofe who know what is good artd will' nbt try to do it, and he will punifli thofe ftill more who pretend to any goodinef: which' they have not J' for this is making a mock and a ganie of goodnefs. and is lying,' aijd' falfehoti^ before God. t 4 ■ iBut [ i68. ] But let not what I am faying to you be the means of driving any of you back into any of your former wickednefs, or prevent you from trying to get the better of it. God Almighty, as I have often told you, is all goodnefs, mercy, and juftice; and never de- iires from us more than we are eafily able to do. He therefore alJows to all people who have been bad, for want of being brought up in the right way, and of being told what is good, a fufficient time to re- pent, and to become better and better by degrees. And if, through the weaknefs of their hearts, not yet become ftrong in good- nefs, they fhould now and then fall back in- to their old bad ways without thinking of it, if it be not any very great wickednefs that they do, God Almighty will forgive them for it, if they are truly forry for it, and tell the truth about it j only they mufl take care to be more upon their guard afterwards, and to keep out of all manner of wickednefs as much as they can. Nor muft they fuffer themfelves to do any thing that they know to be wrong, in hopes that God in his good- nefs [ 169 ] nefs will forgive them afterwards; for this would be ufing his nr.crcy and kindnefs to make us worfc, which are given to us to make us better; and we may be a flu red that God Almighty will never allow of this, without punifhing it. It is fomething very odd that people who have tailed the fweets of goodnefs, and the bitternefs of wickednefs, ihould not try to leave off all their old bad ways. When a perfon is good, he is afraid of nothing. He knows that nobody can find fault with him or accufe him with truth, that every body- ought to love him, and he is happy and ealy in his own heart. How different is the cafe with the perfon who is doing badnefs ? He is afraid of his own fhadow. He always fuppofes that his badnefs will be found out, and is always thinkingofthepunifliment that is coming upon him for it; fo that his mind can be never at eafe. This alone ought to be enough to prevent people from ever be- ing wicked, but how much more reafon have they to try to keep out of it, when they [ 17° 1 they think upon God Almighty, who fees every thing that we do, and always puniflies wicked people in fome way or other. What goodnefs is, you have all of you been fully told many times over. It is do- ing -our duty to God, to them with whom wc have any thing to do in this world, and behaving as we ought to do in our different flations of life. Our duty to God, as I have already told you, is to believe truly in him, to fear him, to love him, to pray to him, and to think on him as we ought, as the great Father and Maker of all things, who looks into all things, and from whom all goodnefs comes. Our duty to every body in this world is to be honeft and juft in all our dealings; neither to cheat, or to take any thing which does not belong to us J to do harm to nobody, but to do every body all the good we can j and our duty in the different ways of life we arc placed in, is to behave as is fuitable to them, and d J all the good we can in them. If maflers, we are to be kind to and careful of thofe who are i 171 J are under us, both In fickneis and in health j being of as much ufe to them as we can, and giving them what is necefTary and rcafonablo for their fupport; not to require of them more than they can well go through with, teach- ing them what is good, and keeping them in proper order, and under proper govern- ment. If fervants, it is their duty to obey all their maflers and miftreffes reafonable and proper orders, to be honeft and true to them, and to take care of every thing that belongs to them ; not to go away from their duty without leave ; not to impofe upon them, or tell them what is falfe; nor to fee them wronged either -by a fellow- fervant, or any one'elfe, without informing them. So th't it is plain from this, that we have three different duties which we ought to fulfil to be good and happy. The firfl and grcateft is our duty towards God Al- mighty, the Father and Maker of us all, whofe law and whofe word dired:s us to every thing that is good, fo' that when we flp any thing that is bad, we like wife fin [ 172 ] againft our duty to God. The next is, our duty to all people living in the world, and to every poor brute creature: this duty orders us to be true, honeft, kind, and charitable in all our a not to mock or make game of him, but to go to him and fpeak properly as you ought to do, when you are told to call him, and not to give him fharp or rude anfwers whea he fpeaks to you. And I hope he, on his part, will learn to mind his duty, and tcx behave fo well, as to deferve that civil and good treatment, as well by being good, as from his age. What I have read to you all this day, while it again tells you of your duty to every body, muft particularly put you in mind of your duty to one another, as fellow-fer- vants, called together every Sunday by your mafter, to offer up your prayers to God, and to hear his word. You therefore ought to look upon yourfelves as one family, and in- ilead of q[uarrelling and difputing with each other. t ^79 i other, as it is your duty to be of a forgiving and kind temper in your behaviour with every body, fo you ought to be particularly kindj obliging, and forgiving among your- felves, and as it is alfo the duty of the young to pay refped to the old peopleevery where, fo they ought to fhew it particularly to their fellow- fervants in the fame family; for by thefe means, people who are together, become ufeful to one another, and are good and happy in themfelves, anfwering the great end for which God Almighty made them. I hope, therefore, you will for the future, mind to behave towards one another, as I have told you. DISCOURSE XVII. Recapitulatory and Admonitory, WHAT I told you of laft Sunday, was in particular to fhew you your duty to one M 2 another. [ i8o ] another, as fellow-fervants living in the fame family, and called together at the fame time to join in prayer and thankfgiving to God Almighty, and to hear the word of good- nefs. From this you will know, that if any quarrels or difputes (hould at any time hap- pen among you, you are to have the matter talked over diredtly, and made up, fo as that there may not be time for any malice or ill- will to breed in your hearts, which are great (ins and wickednefs, and are againfi: the word and the law of God, as written in the great bible j where to make people good and happy, they are told to love one another as brothers and fiflers ; to forgive even thofe that hate them and treat them ill, and to do them good only in return. The fame good book, the bible, alfo (hews the duty of the young to the old: In particular, that children (hould love and honour their fa- thers and mothers, and obey their orders in every thing that is good and right; and it alfo fays in many places, that young people ihould not be forward, nor rude, nor talka- tive, but (hould be modeft, decent, and iilent ; [ i8r ] filent ; and, in particular, (hould always b« civil and refpediful to thofe who are old. Now you muftobferve, that what is good for people to do in their behaviour to one another, as living in the fame family, is juft as good for them to do in their behaviour to every body in the world ; only people who are more often together, have more often occafion to do thefe duties to each other. Therefore you are to fee from this, that if it is our duty to make up any quarrel or dlf- pu>e immediately with thofe with whom we live, to prevent the breeding of any ill-will or malice in our hearts againfi them, it is no lefs our duty to try to make up our quarrels and difputes immediately with every other perfon, and to be forgiving and kind to them, even though they may hate us, and try to do us harm. In the fame manner, it is the duty of the young, not only to be civil and refpedful to the old people among whona they live, but alfo to every old perfon what- ever. Indeed, as I have before told you, fo I now repeat to you, that the ways of good- nefs, which God Almighty has laid down to M 3 us^ [ l82 ] us, and which are particularly fpoken of in the great bible, are plain and eafy, and every where the fame to be obferved towards every body. In one place we are told, that God Almighty himfelf has declared it, in faying : " And now, what do I afk of thee O man, *' but to do juftice, to love mercy, and to " walk humbly before God." To do jttftice ■I have often told you is to be honeft, true, and juft in ail our dealings j not to fleal, nor to cheat, nor fay what is falfe on any account vvhatfoever. jf o love mercy ^ is to be kind- hearted, to do to others all the good we can i to bear no malice, and to do no ill even againfl: thofe '.vho hate us. To wci/k humbly before God, without which no perfon can be good, is to love him, to fear him, and to honour him above all things ; to open our hearts to him often in prayer and thankf- giving ; to liften to his word, and to obey his commandments. They who live in this manner pan never be unhappy. Whatever misfortunes, whatever troubles, whatever croffes come upon them, they will bring their minds to think, that God Almighty Ji^s fcnt them for (heir |ood;, to clean their hearts [ 183 ] hearts from wickednefs, to try them, and to bring them to happinefs in the end. From doing all thefe good things, they will always find peace and comfort fpringing up in the bottom of their hearts : and though they may be poor, though they may be in want and in dillrefs, yet their hope in God Al- mighty will fupport them under it, and make them much happier than thofe who have every thing elfe they can wifli for. For it is not money, it is not nice meats, rich wines, fine clothes, that we are to look for, among thofe bleflings which God Almighty will bring upon thofe who are good; thefc things we often fee the worfl of people have themoftofj but if we were to look into their hearts, we fliould find that all this outfide (hew of being happy, was nothing • but a cover to fears, troubles, and miferies within, which a good perfon would not feel for all the riches in the world. Belides, thefe things themfelves are not what we actually want ; for he who can juft get enough to put plain coarfe clothes upon his back, and to get plain and wholefome meat and drink to fatjsfy his hunger and his thirft, M 4 has [ 184 ] has all that Is of ufe to him, all that can' keep him in health and in fplrits, and if he had more, would probably only bring fick- nefs and pain upon himfelf, by taking too much of them. No, the good things which we are to look for from God Almighty, are far above all thefe. They are patience to bear the evils of this world ; ftrength and refolution to fight againft them ; fubmiffion to God Almighty's will to be contented un- der them ; the whole crowned with a never failing hope and belief in him, that he will ]ead us through our trials and diftreffes, into a better world at laft. I cannot too often tell you, that it is your duty to mind all thefe good things in every way of life, and in every place you may be in. Among the many changes and misfortunes of this life, there is no telling what may happen to part us from each other ; and you may not always be with a mafter, who will take pains to teach you, to make you good and happy. At all times therefore, when goodnefs is laid before you, you ihould open your hearts to receive it; and lock it up there ; [ 185 ] thercj that in all fituations, and In all con- ditions of life, you may make yourfelves content, by fixing your hopes In Almighty God, and looking up to him as your Father and Protei^tor, which he certainly will be, if you try to ferve him as you ought, and to keep his word. DISCOURSE xviir. 0/ Prayer. I HAVE for fomi: time pafl been teaching you to fay a fhort prayer to God Almighty, every Sunday before I read to you, in hopes that God, who fees and knows all that we do, will be pleafed to hear, and to accept it, fo as to fend his grace into your hearts, to clean them from wickednefs, and to make them ready to receive and mind every thing that Is good. This he will certainly do. If you only pray to him with a true heart, trying at the fame time to do every thing that is good, and to keep yourfelves out of all man- ner f i86 3 ncr of badnefs. You muft, therefore, fee how much it is in your power to bring down God's love and blefling upon you; for as the eyes of God Almighty are every wluTc, lit all times looIJiif,' upon all the great works he has made, though we cannot fee him, fo whenever we pray to him he is always ready to hear and to take notice of it, and will do foj punifliing us as we fhall deferve, if we dare to be fo wicked as to pray to him with a falfe heart, and fending down his goodnefs upon us if we pray to him with that love, fear, and truth towards him which we ought. Indeed, if we would but bring ourfelvcs to think as we ought to do of God Al- mighty, and all that he hath done — how, from his great power, he is able to look into every thing that is done by his crea- tures, and does look into it, we fliould then find what it is to pray to God; wc fhould be afraid to pray to him with a falfe heart, or in a carelefs idle manner, as know- ing he would fee fuch wickednefs and pu- jiifli it J and it would be our greateft plea- fure and happinefs in this world, to pray to [ 187 ] to him ferioufly and in truth as we ought. For, poor weak creatures as we all are, and not able to do any thing of ourfclves with- out his help and his permiiTion, who made us Hfi we are wnd gave us life, only think what a fatisfaiSion it ought to be to us to lift up our hearts to him, who is always looking over us, either to thank him for hia goodnefs, or to beg him to help us, when we know not what to do ourfelves. To thank him for his goodnefs, is the lead re- turn that his creatures can offer for it, and he will receive it of them willingly, fo as to fhower down more goodnefs upon them : befides, to a perfon believing properly in. God Almighty, and loving and fearing him, can there be a greater pleafure than feeling his kindnefs, and pouring our thanks from the heart for it ? If we want his help, tho hope and the belief that he will take care of us, and bring us out of our troubles, makes our prayers to him the greateft com-» fort we can feel in diftrefs, Accordingly,- fuch is the great ufe and fcrvicc of prayer, that there never was a perfon yet, in any fi- tuation^ who prayed truly to God, but wh» immediately [ i88 ] itnmedlately found his heart comforted. I beg you will all of you attend to this, and think how good a thing it is for you to believe in God, to love him, and to fear him, and to pray to him with a true and good heart as you ought. But, though fuch is the great ufe and fervice of prayer, there is yet fomething very particular that we ought to mind alfo ; that is, to try to keep from all wickednefs, and to do every thing that is good, by which we fhall pleafe God, who will then be always difpofed to hear our prayers, and not to fhut his ears againfl us } for though he may flaew his mercy to the wicked, on their being truly forry for what they have done, and bendingtheir hearts before him, yet wicked people are always in this great danger, ** of lofing the grace *' of God entirely from their hearts, and be- ** ing given up by him to that mifery and ** dcftru(ilion which they have deferved." Next, as I have told you on a former oc- cafion, we are not to pray to God for trifles, or to point out to him what we want, who only knows what is good for us. If we are in trouble, we are to pray to him truly and fincerely [ [ "89 ] fincerely to help us, but to leave the man- ner of doing it to his wifdom and goodnefs. He may do it by comforting our hearts fo as to make our troubles lefs than we have fuppofed them, and by putting into our thoughts the way to get the better of them. He may do it by railing up friends to us in the time of our diftrefs, to aflifl us and relieve us from our difficulties. In ihort, the ways arc without number, by which the goodnefs of God can bring us out of our troubles, in any fituation, or under any circumflances : and knowing this, it is our duty to bear our prefent evils with patience, and while we do all that is right to get the better of them, to depend upon God Al- mighty to fhew us his help in good time. After all that I have now told you con- cerning praying to God, and giving him thanks for his goodnefs, I hope you will think properly of it. Firft, It is a duty we owe to him who is the Father and Maker of all things, and who diredeth all things by his power, his wifdom, and goodnefs. Next, it is a fpring of never failing happinefs to open ( 190 ] open our hearts to him, who is our God^ our parent, our comforter, and preferver. It will give us flrength and fpirits to do our duty in this world, without valuing it more than we ought; and it will fill us with the fnoft pleafing hopes of that hap- pier world to come, where the good will be all blefTed alike in the prefence of their God, and \yhere trouble, forrow, ficknefs, and pain, will be for ever at an end. Chriftmas [ J91 I Chriftmas Day, 1787. DISCOURSE XIX. Admonitory of the Lapfe of Timet and fuited to the Return of Chrijlmas, I T was on lalt Chriftmas day that I firfl began to read to you, that I might fhew you the way to goodnefs und to happinefs, by leading you to believe in God, who is the Father and Maker of all things j ta fear him and to love him with all your hearts ; to pray to him, and to thank !iim for all his mercies, and to obey his com- mandments, by doing good to every body, as you would wifh every body to do-to you. A whole year has pafled over our heads fince that time, and Chriftmas is come round again. That whole year is now gone out of our reach for ever; and we are of <;ourfe fo much nigher the time we fhall die [ 192 ] die and go into anotiier v/orld, than we were before it begun. Now, all the years we are to live are fo very few, being even with thofc who live to the greatefl: age, feldom more than three or four times twenty years at beft:, that when we find one year is taken away from them (as that has pafled fince I firft began to read to you) we may truly f^y that no fmall part of our lives has made to itfelf wings and flown away like a bird : for only let us think how quickly it is gone ; to look back upon the times, fince I firil began to read to you, it feems to be little more than a dream which we have had in our fleep ; and yet it is perhaps a twentisth part, or at leafl: a thirtieth of what moil: of us have yet to live, even if no accident happen to us, and we come to a good old age. In this manner are we all drawing on to- wards our graves ; and, what is the worlt of all, I fear, without thinking of it as we ought to do. Having therefore already put you in mind of the Ihortnefs of the time which we have to ftay in this world, I purpofe. I 193 ] purpofe, with God's help, to take the pre- fent opportunity to fpeak of fuch things, as may lead us to get ready for that other world, to which we muft all go fooner or later : after which, I fhall end what I have to fay by telling you fomething of the meaning of Chrillmas, and the manner in which you ought to behave yourfelves dur- ing that time. And firft, the fhortnefs of the time we have to live in this world, is a very good reafon why we /hould not give ourfelves too much trouble about what happens to us in it : for we all of us know that we cannot look upon it as a refting place; and' that whether we live in eafe and plcafure, or fuffer hardfhip, pain and uneafinefsj whether we be fervants and ilaves to the reft of mankind, or whether we be kings and rulers over them, we muft all die alike in the courfe of a few years. The grave is the common houfe which is made for us all i and the only certainty we know of, is that wc muft all go to it. There, thcfe bodies which we at prefent make ufe of, N muft I 194 ] muft return to duft again. We ourfelves fhall be called before God who made us, to receive- his blefling, and to be made happy for ever, jf we have endeavoured to deferve his fa- vour, by paffingour lives ingoodnefs ; or to be punifhed according to his dreadful and juft anger, if we have lived in wickednefs, after being taught that which is good. Now, how foolifh, how abfurd, how wrong will it be in us, to give all our thoughts, and our care, to the things of this world, in which nothing elfe is certain than that we muft foon leave them j and at the fame time, to forget, and to negleft to get ready for, the time of our departure to another world, where we are all to remove in fo Ihort a time. Accordingly, we find that the bcft and the wifeft of men whom wc either know, or have read of in books, have made it their chief care how to pafs their time in this world as they ought; that is, not to fet their hearts too much upon the things of this world, but to 'try to keep away from all wickednefs, and to do every thing that is good, that they might •be i 195 ] be ready for the only certainty, which is death. Thus prepared, they have waited with patience for the will of God Al- mighty; and when it has pleafed him that the time of their deaths ftould come, in- ftead of being afraid and unhappy at the thoughts of dying, they have felt more happinefs in leaving this world, than in the enjoyment of any thing which they have found in it. Such are the fweets which the good man taftes in his laft moments ; and fuch we fhall alfo partake of, at that cer- - tain hour which muft come upon us, if we endeavour to follow their example. But there is yet another very found and good reafon, why we ftiould not be too fond of the things of this world, and fuffer them to take up too much of our time and our thoughts ; that is, that as well from the fhortnefs of our lives, as from the mix- ture of evil, of pain, and of trouble, which is always more than the good we can enjoy in it, we have a right to believe that this life is intended as nothing more than a kind of trial to us as a ftate or condition in N 2 which [ 196 ] which we are placed by God Almighty, to be made ready for happinefs in another. For, according to our underftanding, it is impoffible for us to think that one, who is fo wife as we believe God to be, would make us in fueh a wonderful manner as he has done with all thefe thoughts, fenfes, :md feelings, hopes, and fears about us f every thing were to be at an end with IS in the courfe of a few years, and we •>vere to perifh for ever in the duftj yet, if ve could even fuppofe this, it would be natural for us to fuppofe too, that we fhould oe made to partake of nothing but pleafure and happinefs, for the few years we have to live, that the life we were placed in, mij^^t at leaft be a bleffing to us while it lafted i but when we find it diredlly the contrary of this, as v/e do ; when we fee that every perfon's fhareof forrow, pain, and uneafinefs in this world, is a great deal more than his fliarc of pleafure and hap- pinefs J it would be harbouring wicked thoughts of God Almighty ; it would be charging him not only with a want of mercy, but of juilice, could we believe or think [197 ] think that, after going through this ftate of fuffering and of forrow, we were not to live egain in a better. Therefore, it is highly reafonable for us to judge, that the life we are placed in at prefent, is nothing more than a ftate of trial for us, in order to make us ready, and to lead us forward to a better. Having once fixed our belief as to this matter, what remains to be done, becomes eafy and plain to us. We both learn to fet no higher a value upon life than we ought, and to make a proper ufe of our time in it. In fliort, we fhould confider it as a journey upon a road, where, though we muft take fome neceffary refrefliment, as well as put up with fome troubles and inconveniences, yet we /hould think but little of either, on account of the home we are going to, where our hearts ought to fet up their reft. Such are the thoughts which we ought to ufe ourfelves to, concerning the life we are now placed in ; but on the prefent occafion there are alfo others, which I could wi/h to N 3 take [ 198 ] take root as well in your hearts as my own. I have already told you, that it is now a whole year finee I firft began to read to you, and that, as fo much of our lives is gone, we are : of courfe fo much nigher the end of it. The nigher we are to the end of it, in the greater readinefs we ought to be, to meet that time, when it may pleafe God to call us from it. It is therefore the duty of us all, to inquire truly into this matter, that is, to examine bur hearts, without cheating our- ielves by any notions of our own goodnefs, that we may find out if we are better people now than we were a year ago. And now to apply this particularly to yourfelves, for whofe good it is chiefly in- tended. Before laft Chriftmas you had lived as it were, in darknefs. From the way of life you had been ufcd to, you thought but little, if at all, upon God Almighty, who made you j and no perfon hi».d held out a light to fhew you that good way, which you ought to walk in. I thought a good deal, andtoften, upon your unhappy condition in ■ this [ »99 ] this refped, before I faid any thing to you about it. The more I thought of it, the more I was fure, that though your fkins were black, and it was the lot of mofl: of you to be flaves and fervants in the world, yet God Almighty made you with the fame good and wife end, as he did the reft of man- kind ; that is, he had made you able to learn what is good, and to become good, if you choofe it, that you may deferve thofe blef- fings which he will hereafter give to thofe who do their duties in this life as they ought. Indeed, I could not think other- wife of the purpofe for which God Al- mighty made you, without thinking both wickedly and fooli(hly. From this time, I no longer troubled my- felf to find out, whether you could learn to read and write, and to do all other fuch things, fo well and fo foon as white peoplcj it was enough for me to know that God is too merciful, too juft, and too kind to us all, to put it out of your power to become good, if you were properly taught. Indeed, not N 4 only [ 200 ] only my own reafon, and my own belief have convinced me of this, but alfo what I have feen of negroes, in different places and ways of life, who have had pains taken with them to teach them to be good. I then deter- mined to endeavour to teach you to be good, and the way that I took for that purpofe, was fuch as I thought moft likely to work upon your hearts, in the ftate of darknefs and wickednefs you then were in. To this end, as there is no goodnefs but what comes from God alone, who is the Father and Giver of it, it was the firft part of my duty to ihew you why you ought to be- lieve truly in him. This I did by pointing out to you the great and wonderful things .which we fee every where around us, the way which they always move in, and the order which they conftantly keep. Thefe, as they made you believe that there was a God, and in his great power to do every thing, fo did they alfo prove to you his goodnefs and his wifdom, in making, order- ing, and taking care of thejn, as he hath done. [ 201 ] done. While I endeavoured to make you fenfible of this, I did not negleft to fhew you, in what manner you were to return thanks to God for his mercies ; and how you were to pray to him, fo as to aflc for nothing that might not be proper for you j how you were to fear him, and to love him, to keep his name holy, to try to pleafe him above all things, and therefore of courfe to keep out of all wickednefs, as he loveth no- thing but goodnefs. What this goodnefs was I alfo endeavoured to fhew you, in as plain a manner as pofTible ; and among other things, that to pleafe God, you ought to make yourfelves as contented as poflible in the way of life you are placed in, and I gave you many reafons why you fhould do fo, drawn from the fliortncfs of this life, and the little real difference there is, however great it vavj feem to be, between the lot of one perfon and another. From this I went on to fhew you what that goodnefs was, which would be pleafing to God, and ac- cording to his commandments, in your be- haviour and condu(3: towards other people ; and [ 202 ] and how it confifted in that plain and eafy rule, which is laid dpwn in the great bible ; that we fhould do to every body, ^s we wifh every body to do to ourfelves. After this I took different opportunities of fhewing you, that thefe few words went fo far, and took in fo much of what was good, that if man* kind were but to mind them, and to live up to them, they would need to be told nothing clfe to make them good and happy ; for I pointed out to you at different times, that if we were lo do to every body, as we wifh every body to do to us, we fhould, on all oc- cafions, be merciful, kind, and charitable to one another; forgiving, and not bearing malice, or ill-will in our hearts j honeft in all our dealings, neither flealing from any one, or cheating them ; always telling the truth when called upon, even ifagainft our- felves ; doing juflice to every body as far as lieth in our power, and induflrious and faithful in the fervice of thofe who employ us i treating them who are older than our- felves with due refpe