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 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 0QQEE3'=57fi37 
 
Class 
 Book, 
 
 p.' 
 

J 
 
 THE RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF SLAVE-HOLDERS, 
 
 -— ^ D C L 
 
 T^WO 1>ISC SUISSE S, -*-' ^Jt- >^-^^-'.-'-^*-' ■-' 
 
 DELIVERED 
 
 ON SUzVDAF, NOVEMBER 27, 1836. 
 
 IN 
 
 Christ Claiii'cli, ISitleig-ss, I^os'lSi-Cai'oSiaia* 
 
 BY GEORGE W. PREE>rIAN, 
 
 Rector of Tft£ church. 
 
 ^E-PUBLISHED BY TERMISSION OF THE AUTFOR, FOR 
 
 ** TAe Protestant Episcopal Society for thr. Advancemad uf 
 Christianity in Souih-CaroUna .^'' ». 
 
 CHARLESTON: 
 
 A. E. MILLER, PRINTER TO THE SOCIETY, 
 No. 4 Bro i(]-strcet. 
 
 1837. 
 
fb 
 
 
 If 
 
 TO THE VESTRY AND CONGREGATION 
 
 OF CHRIST CHURCH, RALEIGH, 
 
 THESE DISCOURSES W 
 
 ARE AFFECTIONATELY INSRIBED. f? 
 
 Ill BkjriiaiigQ 
 ilOlf 2 4 1916 
 
 M-i,- 
 
 4 
 
< Senate Chamber, Rahi!jr7i, Nov. 28 183fi. 
 
 Rev. and Dear Sir, — The undeisiijjned were present and heard 
 the ad;iiiral)!e Discourses, on tlie sul.ject of Shnery as it exists 
 ~' among us, and the relati\e duties of .\ias;ei' and Slave, delivered 
 
 "^ by you on Sunday last at Christ Churcii, in tliis City. Believing 
 
 that a disseniination of the very vaiu;ib!e information they contain, 
 would iiave a tendenev to aiiay the exeitcment existing on that 
 sui-ject, and alleviate the condition of our Slaves, as well as to 
 enlijiiten the pu.hiic mind, we respectfully solicit copies of them for 
 publication. Respectfully, your obedient servants, 
 
 THOS G. POLK, 
 JAx\3ES W. BPa'AN, 
 H. WADDRLL, 
 A. JOlNEil. 
 
 To the Rev. Geors;e W. Freeman. 
 
 Christ Churelt Rectory, Nov. 3Qth 1836. 
 
 GentJemeUy — Your very flattering letter requesting for publication 
 a cojn' of the Discourses delivered by me on Sunday last, should 
 have been earlier acknowdedged, l)ut for the desire I felt to give the 
 suijject suitable consideration. These discourses were prepared in 
 the ordinary course of panxdiia! duty, and with no expectation of 
 their attracting more than ordinary attention; and were I to consult 
 my own judgment alone, I should fee! constrained (not by any 
 distrust of the soundness of tlie principles advanced, but by a 
 different motive) to withhold them from the public. Confidmg, 
 however, in the opinion expressed by you, and by others with wiiom 
 I have conferred, and pjsrticularly tlie Rt. Rev. the Bishop of this 
 Diocese, (a co|)y of whose n.)te to me I take the liberty of sui)join- 
 ing,) that they will have "a tendency to allay the excitement 
 eKisting" on the suljject of which they treat, and "alleviate the 
 condition of our Slaves," I have, after much reflection, resolved to 
 place them at your disposal. I am Gentlemen, very respectfully, 
 your obedient servant, 
 
 GEORGE W. FREEMAN, 
 
 2'o RIessrs, Thos. G. Polk, James IV. Bryan, 
 
 H, VVaddell, and A. Joyner. 
 
 Raleigh, Nov. 30, 1836. 
 
 Rev. and Dear Brother, — I listened with most unfeigned pleasure 
 to the Discourses yon delivered last Siindav. on the character of 
 Slavery, and the duties of iVJaslers. And as I learn, a publi<;ation 
 of them is solicited, I l)eg, from a conviction of their bein<j urgently 
 called for at (he present time, that you will not withhold your 
 cou'^ent. With high regard, your afi'ectionatc friend, an i Brother 
 in the Lord. ' L. S. IVES. 
 
 Tq ih<? RaVt George W, Freeman, 
 
KJrOWlNG THAT WHATSOKVER GOOD THING A MAN DOKTH, THE 
 SAME SHALL HE RKCEIVE OF THE LOKU WHETHEU HE £S 
 
 BOND OR FREE. — Ejjkesians VI. J 8. 
 
BISCOUKSE I. 
 
 COLOSSIANS IV. I. 
 
 Maulers give unto your servants that ivhich is just 
 ami equal, knowing that ye also have a master 
 in heaven. 
 
 The strict meaning of the word here rendered ser- 
 vants, is bondmen or slaves. In this sense, particu- 
 larly when applied, as here, to a distinct class of men, 
 it is believed to be uniforml}' employed in the New 
 Testament, especially in the Epistles.* 
 
 Slavery, it appears, is of great antiquity. It has 
 existed in the world, in some form or other, even from 
 the times immediately following, if not before the 
 flood.t It may be regarded as one of the penal 
 consequences of sin — an effect of that doom pro- 
 nounced upon the human race in consequence of the 
 disobedience of our first parents, whereby perpetual 
 labour was entailed upon man as the only means of 
 sustaining life — " Cursed is the ground for thy sake ; 
 in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the da^^s of thy life. 
 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou 
 return unto the ground. "t 
 
 Though this sente/ice was passed upon mankind 
 generally, it was not to be expected, that its effects 
 would continue for any length of time to be felt by 
 all alike. There would, of necessity, ver\' soon arise 
 an in"quulity among men. The Father, as the head 
 of the family, would of course direct and command 
 
 * SeejCo -iuUiians xii 13 — Ephesian:^ vi.8 — Colossiaus iii, 11. 
 " Whether bjnd or frez^ t lIoriie'.s infraduction to the Study 
 of the Scri()t^'--is, vo!. iii. p. iv. ch. v. X Exodus iii. 17. 19. 
 
the labours of his children ; and as the number of 
 these increased, and the operations of the household 
 became, in consequence, extended, his time would be 
 more and more occupied in planning and superinten- 
 ding the labours of the rest, until, in process of time, 
 he would find it essential to the welfare of the whole, 
 that he should ivitlidraw entirely from manual foil, 
 and devote himself exclusively to cares and labours of 
 a different kind. 
 
 So also, as society advanced and the human race 
 multiplied in the earth, the idleness of some, the 
 incapacity of others, and the vices of a still greater 
 number, would lead to greater inequalities. The 
 wants of the idle and improvident, v/ould, after a 
 while, constrain them to enter the service of the more 
 industrious and prudent ; the incapable and wea^ 
 would naturally become dependant on the intelligent 
 and strong ; and a regard to the common safety, if no 
 other cause, would ultimately lead to something like 
 the enslaving o^ t\\e lawless and violent. 
 
 To such a state of things had the world advanced, 
 long before the establishment of the Mosaic Institu 
 tions. Suboidination in society existed every where. 
 Servitude was recognized as a necessary condition,, 
 and patiently, if not cheerfully, submitted to, in every 
 variety of form. Patriarchs, or heads of. families, 
 held in subjection to their authority, not only the 
 inferior branches of their respective tribes, together 
 with their hired labourers and menials, but also 
 servants '•'"bought with their money ^'"^ or *' horn in 
 their houses*' — that is, slaves.^ 
 
 Sucli was the case of Abiaham and his household, 
 when he was called of God. Su?h, from all that ap- 
 pears, continued to be the established oixlcr of things 
 not only down to the giving of the law, but through- 
 out the existence of the Jewish polity. Though the 
 
 * See Genesis xiv 14, 15— xvi. 6, 9— xvii. 12, 13. 
 
Israelites had themselves been bondmen for severaf 
 centuries in the land of Egypt, soon after their estab- 
 lishment as an independent nation, we find slavery 
 existing among them. It vi^as permitted and sanc- 
 tioned by the Divine law ; and this law continued 
 unrepealed, even to the times of our Saviour. Nor 
 was it, as some have supposed, a merely temporary 
 servitude which thus prevailed, and was sanctioned by 
 God, among that people. It is true, we read of the 
 Jubilee, at whose periodical return, every fiftieth year, 
 there was an emancijjation of slaves ; but this eman- 
 cipation extended only to those who were Hebrews, 
 descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It 
 applied not to the stranger bought icith their moneys 
 nor even to those of their own nation., who had once 
 declined to take advantage of the privilege allowed at 
 the Jubilee.* The bondage of both these classes 
 was pei'petual — they were regarded as the absolute 
 property of their masters, and might (the former at 
 least) be sold and transferred as such.t 
 
 This condition was still more extensively prevalent 
 among the heathen nations. In every age, and in 
 every country, so far as we are informed, the relation 
 of Master and Slave was known, and sanctioned by 
 the laws. In the times of our Saviour and his 
 Apostles, we know, it more or less prevailed in every 
 part of the Roman Emjjire. In Rome and throughout 
 Ital}^ the number of slaves was immense, exceeding 
 probably the amount of the free papulation. Some 
 wealthy individuals are mentioned as having several 
 thonsands.j^ 
 
 Men became slaves among the Romans in these 
 several ways ; by being taken in war, by way of 
 punishment, by purchase, and by being born in a 
 
 * Exodus xxi. 6. t Exodus xxi. 8 — Leviricus xxv. 44, 45, 46. 
 
 ; Gibbon informs us that "a freed-nian under the rtiiin 
 
 of Augustus, though his fortune had suiFered great Jos.scs 
 
8 
 
 state of servitude; and, in all these cases, their slavery 
 Avas liable to be perpetual.! Their bondage was in 
 all respects, as complete as that which obtains among 
 us at the present day ; while, on some accounts, it 
 must have been greatly more burdensome, and oppress 
 sive. There was, in general, no distinction of colour^ 
 no prevailing difference in the conformation of the 
 features and of the limbs, no striking dissimilar iti/ in 
 the intellectual powers^ to mark the line of separation 
 between the masters and their bondmen, and stamp 
 them as different races of men. No peculiarity 
 of this kind existed which would have prevented 
 those who were slaves, had they been placed in other 
 circumstances, from taking rank in society and 
 looking forward to the highest distinctions in the 
 community. Had they not been slaves, they would, 
 many of them, have been citizens, and might have 
 become magistrates, nobles, or n^/ers— respected by 
 the multitude as equals, or venerated as superiors. 
 Between them and the rest of the society in which 
 they lived, there was no barrier but the bonds of 
 slavery. This, it is manifest, must have greatly added 
 to the burden, and increased the galling pressure of 
 the yoke of bondage ; this must have continually 
 excited an irrepressible desire and longing for liberty, 
 of wiiich the bondmen of our times and country, 
 bearing, as they do, the stamp of inferiority, can 
 know little or nothing.* 
 
 Such were the nature and the extent of slavery in 
 
 in the civil wars, left behind him," among other articles of 
 property, which he mentions, '^foiir thonsand 0)1". hundred and 
 sixteen slaves.'' In a note he adds, "Athenseus boldly asserts 
 that he knew very many Romans who possessed, not for use, but 
 
 ostentation, ten and even twenty thousand." Decline and Fall 
 
 Vol. 1. c. 2. t See Adams' Roman Antiquities, Art. Slaves. 
 
 *The condition of free persons of colour among us, is seldom 
 
 recrarded by the slaves themselves as an inviable one. ]\ot 
 
 only here, but in those parts of the countw where slavery is 
 
the world, when our Saviour appeared, to protiairn 
 " peace on earth, and jj^ood will to men"— to preach 
 the <rlad titJings of salvation to a ruined world-— to 
 redeem us from sin and everlasting death, and to 
 *' open the kingdom of Heaven to all believers.''* 
 And how did lie regard it 1 What had he to say 
 of this insritutfon, as he found it existing among the 
 peo2:)!e lie came to save % Did lie condemn it as 
 anti-scriptural and unjust/? Did he enjoin on his dis- 
 ciples an inunediate emar.cipation of their slaves ? 
 Did he so much as caution his followers against 
 purchasing them in future % Not a word, disapproving 
 the practice, ever fell from his lips. As a settled 
 civil institution of the Empire, he meddled not with 
 it, of course — for his " kingdom^'" as he declared, 
 *■'' was not of this ivorll.^''] lie came not to remodel 
 the governments — he came not to reform the civil 
 institutions ol" the world— he came " to seek and to 
 save thai which was lost.''''\ But in the course of his 
 minisrry, he must have come in contact with many 
 indiuid;:als wlio \:n'Te holders of slaves ; and surel}^, 
 had he regarded them as living in the habitual com- 
 mission of a ''moral wrong,'' he would scarcely liave 
 forborne, on some occasion, to express l]is indignation. 
 And did he never rebuke them for holding their 
 fellow-men in bondage] Did he never give theni to 
 understand that, if they would be iiis disciples, they 
 must set their slaves at liberty'? jNo, Brethren, 
 nothing of the kind occurs in his wliole history. On 
 the contrary, it ap|>ears that he habitually inclined 
 to discountenance the dissevering of those ties which 
 
 not recognized, they are, and must, from the nature of things, 
 remain adistineland inferior cla^s — a soil ol' Pariahs, who can 
 nevrrhope to lise above their caste. Ol'this. the more consid- 
 erate of our shi\ es are well aware ; and hence, if offered their 
 liberly, would not accept it. 
 
 \ John xviii. 06. t Luke xlx. 10. 
 
10 
 
 he f(3iind binding- society toaotlier.* He souj^ht to 
 / reform the hearts and lives of men, and to fit tliem for 
 I Heaven; not to change their relative condition on 
 ' earth. Indeed, so far was lie from anathematizing 
 those who were owners of slaves, it seems he once 
 passed a very liiirh encomium on one of tliis class — 
 on a Heathen Slave-holder ! Of the Centurion — an 
 officer in the Roman arm}' — who ap])l!ed to him in 
 behalf of a sick servant, upon his declining the honor 
 of a personal visit from our Lord, and arauing, "Lord, 
 I am not worthy that tiiou shouldst come under mv 
 roof; but speak the word only, and my servant 
 (slave) shall be healed ; for I also am a man under 
 authority, having soldiers undei me ; and I say unto 
 one, go, and he gneth, and to another come, and he 
 Cometh, and to my servant (or slave) do this, and he 
 doeth it"-— of him, we are told, that Jesus "said to 
 them that followed, verily 1 say unto you, I have not 
 found so great faith ; no, not in Israel.] 
 
 Neither do we find any thing in the writings of the 
 Apostles condemnatory of slavery. The relation of 
 3Ia ster 'dnd Slave is irecjuently spoken of, hut never 
 with one word ofdisapjirohation. The relative duties 
 v\ each are inculcated with freedom and earnestness, 
 in the same manner as are those of other relations 
 subsisting among men, such as parents and children, 
 husbands and wives, magistrates and citizens; while 
 no intimation whatever is given that that partiadar 
 one is more inconsistent with the principles and sp'irit 
 of the gospel than the rest. Indeed we are furnished 
 with one remarkable instance, in which an Apostle 
 appears to have been instrumental, riot in setting at 
 hhcrfif, (as some over-benevolent j)ersons in our day are 
 forward to do) but in reclaiming and sending back to his 
 master, a fugitive slavk ! I allude to the case of 
 
 * See Matthew xxii. 2], xxiii, 2, 3, and Luke ?:ii, 14, 
 t Luke viii, 5 — 10, 
 
11 
 
 Onesimus. Philemon, it appears, was a Christian— -a 
 convert of St. Faui's — and a shiveholder. His slave 
 Onesinms had eloped from his master ; but meeting 
 St. Paid in his travels, he became a convert to the 
 Christian Faitli, and now, under the inlluence of 
 Christian principle set home to his conscience, doubt- 
 less by the faithful exertion of the Apostle, he resolved 
 on returning to his master's service. This occasion 
 seems to have led to the writing of the " Epistle to 
 Philemon," of which this very Onesimus was the 
 bearer.* 
 
 Thus we see that slavery existed in the world from 
 a very early ])eriod, down to the time of our Saviour 
 and his apostles; that it was sanctioned by God him- 
 self among the ancients under the Patriarchal dispen- 
 sation, and among the Jews his choien people under 
 the Mosiac Institutions; that it was found extensively 
 establislied in the Roman Empire, embracing nearly 
 all the civilized world, by our Saviour when he aj»pear* 
 ed on earth : and that neither he nor liis inspired 
 Ajjusths after him, ever expressed any disapprobation 
 of it or left on record a single precept directing its 
 
 *Some strenuous advocates of emancipation, the antiior is 
 aware, have sought to give this transaction a somewhat clitierent 
 aspect. From the expressions used by the Apostle (vs.lG — 21) 
 they have interred tliat he did not mean to consign Onesimus 
 again to bondage; contidtntly trusting that since his convtusion, 
 he would no longer be regarded by Philemon as a slave, but be 
 received and acknowledged not only as a Christian brolher, but 
 as an equal. A candid examination oi" the Epistle, however, 
 must, it is thougiit, satisfy every impartial mind thiit the view 
 given above is the correct one. Certainly, it is the one maintained 
 by the generality of commentators, jiloomtieid (nutcs on the 
 Greek Tcstanient) on the expression (v. 15) " that thou shou'tl.n 
 rcccipehim forcrcr,'" remarks, "this is not only meant to engsige 
 that he shal! not run away again, but to suggest another and affec- 
 ting consideration; 'for if,' as Dr. Burton observes, 'Onesimus 
 had coutiuueda heathen, Philemon might have had him a servant 
 for lifi:, biit after that they would have been scpaiatetl; now, 
 they would be companions /o/cter, in th'ia world and the next." ' 
 
12 ' 
 
 discontinuance. And what then is the conclusion ? 
 Why surely this much, if notiiing iiirther, that ?w man 
 nor set of men in uur day, iinliss they con produce a 
 new revelation from Heaven, are entitled to pronoimce 
 it WRONG : and that to brand them ivlio, in the Provi' 
 dence of (wod, are now hoi iers of slaves, with the 
 epithet of a nti -christian, is presumption in the 
 extreme* Regard slavery as an evil, if you will ; so 
 is servitude in every form ; so is poverty; so is im- 
 prisonment an evil— still, taking all things into consid- 
 eration, it cannot witii any semblance of reason, he 
 questioned that it is as agreeable to thiC order of God*3 
 Providence that some men should be the bond-slaves 
 
 * That slavery was, at least indirectly sanctioned by the Apos- 
 tles, the following language of St. Paul in his fir^st 1 pistle to Timo- 
 thy furnishes striiting evidence. ''Let as many servants (slaves) 
 as are under the yoke conn! llicir own masters uorthij of all fionor, 
 that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. And 
 thev that have Ifcliering masters, let them not dispise them be- 
 cause they are brethren ; but rather do them service becauss they 
 are faithful and beloved partakers of the benefit. These things 
 teach and e.xhort. Tf my man teach otherwise, and consent not to 
 toh'lcsome icords^ even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to 
 the doctrine trhich is according to Godliticss, he is proud, knovAng 
 nothing but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof 
 Cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings 
 of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, supposing 
 that gain is Godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But God- 
 liness with contentment is great gain." Ch. vi, 1 — 6. 
 
 "The admonitions of this passage, are (as appears in v. 3) 
 intended to correct certain contrary positions of the false teach- 
 ers, commonly supposed to have been Judaizcrs, who, as some 
 eminent commentators imagine, wanted to introduce into the 
 Christian Church the doctrine that, as no Jcic was to remain a 
 8la%;# for life, so ought no Christian ; thus releasing men from 
 civil duties, under the pretence of religious rights ; to the great 
 scandal of the Gospel." " The commentators do not sufficiently 
 advert to the strength of expression, 'as many servants as are 
 under the yoke,'' in which there is a Mending of two expressions, 
 and that as it seems to put the case in its stronge^l point of 
 view, (supposing even the harshest bondage) in order to make 
 the injunction to obedience the more decided." 
 
 Bloomjield — Notes on the Greek Testament, 
 
13 
 
 •of oihf-rs, as it is that there should he difierent condi" 
 tions at)d gr;ides in society, and that amono; these, 
 tlipre should be " hewers of wood and drawers of 
 Water "* 
 
 But it may he thought that there is sometliing^ecM- 
 liar in the institution of shivery, as it exists at tfie 
 present day— -that there are some extraorcHuary 
 circimistances of oppre,^sion and wrong accompanying 
 it which have materialiy changed its character, and 
 rendered it vastly more objectionable, than it could 
 have b"en as it existed in our Saviour's day, and 
 w\\\c\\ preclude the beliefs that the pi evidence of God 
 has had any thing to do with the establisiiment of it. 
 Let us examine wh{!tlier this he the case. 
 
 The country whence the slaves of this continent 
 
 * It may be, and perhaj's has been urged, thai thoUgh tbere is 
 no positive ])ro!iibit:oji of" slavery in tlse writings of the 1^,'ew 
 Testameii!:. yet it is opposed to the gPiieral spirit of tlie Gospel— ►- 
 ^specially to that goldeu rale of our Savioar's, ^' icludsocter 
 ye (rouhl that men iih:>id{l do unto you, do ye even so to iliein.^^ To 
 this, however, it is replied, that the oi)servaiice of the rule in its 
 spirit, is as compatible with the continuance of the relation of 
 vmsfcr dViii slave as that of any other, ercn of pa rait and chiUL 
 It does not require us to do to others as we, upon chavgivg con- 
 ditions with them, might wish them to do to us. This would lead 
 to the gratification of the most unrea.-:on;ibie and absurd desires, 
 to the brea!;ing up of all subordination in society — to the entire 
 destruction of all, even parental authority and descipliue. The 
 true meauin_» of the precept donbtiess is that we should always 
 demean onrselves towards otlu;r men in a manner every way 
 becoming the relation in which we staiKJ to tiiem, and sons to 
 entitle us to that hind of treat luent uhich ice cx'.ct in return. 
 
 Similar observations apply to t'le precept requiring us to 
 ^' love our nci:rhh(/nr as ours/ Ires " Interpret it literally, as soma 
 would have us, and we strike at the fomulatioa, not merely of 
 slarerji, bat of all distinctions ir'i/itsccvcr aiuong men. Carry it out 
 in practice, and society would he iuunedintely reduced to its 
 original elements. Let every man undertake to bring the con- 
 dition of his Jieigiibour into an exact eqaalitv, in all respects with 
 his own, and it would speedily be found, by wretchefl e.xpericncs, 
 that the doctrine of the Saviour had been wofully misappre- 
 hended and perverted, 
 
 2 
 
14 
 
 have been derived, it is agreed b}' tho most learned 
 and judicious authors, is that assigned in ti;e division 
 of the earth, to the descendants of Ham^ the repro- 
 bate, or at least, grievously offending son of Noah ; 
 upon whom and his posU^iity, the Patriarch, guided 
 by inspiration, pronounced the memorable sentence, 
 recorded in the ninth cliapter of Geriesis. I'he sen- 
 tence is this — " Cursed be Canaati ; a servant of ser- 
 vants shall he he unto his hrt.ihrcn. And he said, 
 blessed be the Lord God of Shem, and Canaan shall 
 be his servant. God shall ci, large Japheth^ and he 
 shall diocll in the tents of Sh<m ; and Canaan shall 
 be his servant.^''* And most wonderfully lias this 
 
 * Though the name ofCaiiaan alone, occurs in our version of 
 this prophecy, (i'or as siicli it is to be regarded,) yet most coiianen- 
 tatort; consider the prophecy as applying to the uhvie pOfitt/itTj of 
 Hum. 
 
 Some suppose {st-.e Pi,olc^s Synopiiii>) that Moses u-entioned Ca- 
 naan in pariicidar. to impress more stronHiy i7];o;i tl.e u'.inds of 
 the Israelites the belief, that (Jod had destined their erifcUiies, the 
 Caiir.anites to shivery. 
 
 Gibers, as the learned Fditor of Calmet and Newton, think 
 that the Arabic vcrclon contains the tiue reading, which mii^lit ea- 
 sily have become mutilated in transcribing:. According to that 
 version, in ail those places where, in our version the nanje of 
 Cantian occurs, the passage reads "7/ir/??/, tlic father oj Canaan.''^ 
 
 Dr. I Tales' (yl««/!,'&7S of Chroiiology) admits that "the most 
 learned expositors have implicitly adojjted the a]:proprJation df 
 the curse oT servitude to Ha7n aiuJ his pusterily. Kochart. he 
 adds, styles Ham aicvri-cd ; and represeiUs Noah ; s foretelling 
 ibiii his rhiliirea sitould be akires." It is true, the Itarned author 
 (Dr. H.) adopts, in the t;econd addition oi" his valuable Avork, a 
 difl'^ront exposition, limiiiuc the curse to (ana an sin;.'ly — foiiow- 
 »ng the '• iugoiiious cvrtjctr.larc of Mr. Tab-ir. that tlie 'youngest 
 son,'' who oiieirJed, was nut Hum but Canaan ; not the son but 
 the r^randson of Noah." But to the mind ol' the present writer, 
 the view taken of tlie sidject by the " learned expositors'^ re- 
 ferred to, is far Uiore satisfactory 
 
 Dr. Hale? fvutlier adds, that "according to the Armenian tradi- 
 tion, r«^corded i)y Abulf'uragi." whc^i-c ' curious and valuable 
 Geo/?;ra;ihical Chart," he quotes \n ith u|ipavent appnibation, 
 *'?Joah distiibutr.; the habitable earth hom North to South, be- 
 tween his sous, and gave to Hum the region of the blacks. '' In 
 
15 
 
 prophetic sente»:ce been fulfilled upon tlie inhabitants 
 of that hitid. It is, and, it would seem, it ever has 
 been einphati^Mily a connfn/ of slaves. To whatever 
 occasional chiinges the condition of the northern and 
 eastern provinces of Africa may have been subjected, 
 by means of conquef.i hy different nations, or the ad- 
 vancement from time to tinie of arts and civilization, 
 there is good reason to believe that the great body of 
 the natives, particularly in the interior^ have always 
 been suhject to bondao^e,* The petty states and trihes 
 into which they have, from time immemorial, been di- 
 vided, have uhvays been arrayed in hostility to each 
 other ; and the iiiiiform resuh of their wars, has been 
 the making slaves of their captives. Indeed, "in tliis 
 conditi')n of life," says the celebrated Mvngo Park^ 
 as quoted hv tlic Ediior of Cahuet, in his ''^Scripture 
 lUnslratcrl,''^ thk giu^iat numijer op the negu) in- 
 habitants OF Africa, have continued trom the 
 
 MOST KART-Y PERIOD OF THEIR HISTORY ; witll this 
 
 aggravation,, that tlieir children art horn to no other in- 
 heritancey The same author adds, " there are two 
 classes: i. Slaves by birth; and, 2. those who are 
 horn free,, but become slaves ; and these constitute, he 
 
 this chart it appears that " to the sons of Hnm were allotted 
 Teinian, Cor idurriea — Jer. x!ix. 7.) Africa, Nigntin. Egjipt, Am- 
 bia, Ethiopia, Sciridia and India." — See Editor ofCalinet; Scrip- 
 ture Id aslrated, p. i,ch. \y.. and Hales' Anal. Clirun.vol. \,pp 345, 
 34 ;^ 351. 
 
 That at least a portion of Africa was assigned to the descen- 
 dants of J Tarn, i:5 thus taught by tlie Psalmist: ^^ Israel came into 
 E'jypt, and Jt.ir,ob sojourned in the land of Hani. '^ " They slioiied 
 his si'rn.'i avmng tJierii, and loondcrs in the land of Ham."' — Psahu 
 cv. 23 and '2,1. 
 
 * The Editor of Calmet lays down, as capable of proof, the 
 following proposition's viz : " 1. Noah assigned Africa to Ham. 
 2. Wixoevor inhabits Africa becomes of a black comp'cxKm, from 
 the »!atare of the climiite. 3. Whoever inhabits Africa is liable 
 to si'icery. from the nature of the conntry ; so that to mention 
 Africa i« to incbidc 'die ;deas of Blackness and Slavery.'^ — 'Scrip- 
 u re lUusiiatbd,' p. 1, ch. 9, 
 
informs us, three-fourths of the pnpuhition. *'When 
 Mansong, King of Baiiil«jrra, took nine hvndred pri- 
 soners, only seventy-three were freemen ; the rest were 
 slaves. The causes of slavery are first, public wan', 
 and secon(\]y , plundering or stealing, wliicii arises Irora 
 hereditary feuds, maintained by one district against 
 another. Without notice given, they plan sclumes 
 of vengeance, conduct them with secrecy, surj)rise 
 in the night sonie unprotected village, and carry 
 off the inhabitants before their neighbours can 
 come to their assistance. — These are made slaves ; 
 retaliations make more slaves; and thus there is an 
 endless concatenation of passions, all of ivhich lead 
 to the maintenance and propagation of slavery. In 
 another place, he says, " slaves are commonly secured 
 by putting the right leg of one, and the left leg of ano- 
 ther, into the same pair of fetters. By supporting the 
 fetters with a string, they can walk, though very slow- 
 ly. Every four slaves are a'so iastened together by 
 the necks with a rope of twisted thongs ; and in the 
 night, an additional pair of fetters is put on their hands, 
 and sometimes a light iron chain is passed round their 
 necks." They are in a state of hopeless and h.ere- 
 ditary bondage ; and are " employed in cultivating (he 
 land, in the care of cattle, and in servile offices of alJ 
 kinds." In addition to this, he remarks that "ih.iMe 
 are many instances o^ freemen vvlmiturily surrender- 
 ing their liberty to save their lives. Durin<> a grt at 
 scarcity which lasted three y«^*ars in the countries of the 
 Gambi«, great nu?nbcrs of the people become slaves in 
 this manner. Dr. Laidiey, assured me, that at that 
 t'vAUi, many freemen came and begged, with great ear- 
 nestness, to be jHit upon hh slave chaijf, tf) save them 
 from PKRFSHiNo OF iiUNGBR ^ Large families are of- 
 ten exposed to absolute want, and very oftfv. the chil- 
 dren are sold to purchase provisiovs for the resi.'^'' — 
 "It appears," says the author beiore nieytioued^* 
 
 * The Editor of Calmet., 
 
17 
 
 **- from this clear and decisive evidence, that slavery in 
 Africa arises from two causes: the angry passions of 
 the natives ; and the infertility of the country. Let 
 us now revert to the Patriaich No^li. Metiiinks I hear 
 him saying, 'Alas, for my son Ham ! I forosee t'lat 
 the same irreverence for the relations of society v/i(l 
 pervade his posterity as he has recently exhibited i;i 
 his own behaviour ; they v/ill be, like him, rough, bru- 
 tal, ahnost savage ! 1 give him, therefore, as liis p(n'~ 
 tion, a country separated from his brethren, a conti- 
 nent by itself, v.diere those v/ho will labour^ may suh^ 
 sist by their labour ; but where those v/ho are impro- 
 vident, unsocial, disobedient, will suifer under the fa- 
 Riishiijg consequences of their conduct and character ; 
 and will oiten be obliged to sell their liberty to save 
 their lives His posterity will be servants of sen'a/ils 
 (slaves of slaves,) and 1 punisii his present arrogance 
 of tem!)er and conduct, by predicting what he may ex- 
 pect in his future gt^nerations.' Since, then, this pro- 
 phecy has been faJjilled., is fulfJiing, and, in j^piio of 
 the most benevolent inteuiious, loill eontinve to befuU 
 fillbff while nature rc.nains tJie same, I th.nk it fjrns 
 an undeniable, irreiragable evidence to the irutii of tiiHt 
 passage of Scripture which we are considering ;" and, 
 we iuay add, to tlie correctness of the posuion here 
 taken, that slavery as it exists oJ. the present day, is, 
 agreeable to ike order of Divine J^rovidcncc. 
 
 Bui lurther ; taken in connexion with these views- 
 of tile proj)iioiic senttnice of iNoali, and ilu\se state- 
 ments oftiie actual condition of the debased natives of 
 Africa for many ages, does it not appear that it was, 
 upon the whole, (to thein^ iiowii-ver it ma}' be consid- 
 ered in regard to us) a merciful Frovidenee, which led 
 to the removal of such large nuuihers of that wretched 
 people iVom tiielr own iidiospitabie and bhrbariuis C( un- 
 try, and their transplantation into this laud of pcaec^ 
 of security, of abundance, of civilization, and of c. isr^ 
 
fia7i tiglit ?* Is it not an incontrovertible fact, tliat 
 the condition of tliis people has been grcatli/, I Ivdd 
 almo2t said immtasurably , ameliorated and imj)rovcd, 
 both as respects time and eternity %] Compare the 
 condition ot" their forefathers in Africa, and even that 
 of the pi'esent generation of their descendants in that 
 land, with the one which has fallen to their own lot 
 here, and yon cannot but confess, that they have, all 
 things considered, great reason to be contented and 
 thankful — yea,, to bless God that He has thus brought 
 good out of evil, and changed tlie curse which rested 
 upon their fathers, into a hlessing to their posterity. 
 
 Had they remained in the country of their fathers, 
 they would, in all probability, have been no less slaves' 
 than they are now — iind under lioiv much more dread- 
 ful circumstances ! Slaves of slaves — ^the slaves of men 
 Jar more debased, in intellect, in liuoicledge, in the mo-' 
 ral perceptions, and. in the affections of the heart, than 
 tjje lowest of their own class here; subjected to the vio- 
 lent and unrestrained passions oi mere savages ; liahle 
 to be seized upon in war, and transferred IVom tribe to 
 tribe in endless succession ; exposed to the n>iseries of 
 a scanty and precarious subsistence at all times, and 
 occasionally to the horrors of famine ; but above all, 
 shut out almost from the jmssihilitii of Tiioralimprom- 
 Ttienf^ and from the cheering light of the Gosj)el, and 
 the glorious iiope of lii'e and immortality beyond the 
 grave ! Such was the condition of their forefathers \. 
 
 * Let it not be said that this position <;;oes ti> the justification of 
 the slave-strade and its uiany ati(;r;iues. By iHeaus of wicked 
 instniineut-;, God iias ofleii accomplished his benevolent purpo- 
 ses towards aniukind. To mention no other instance, the liistory 
 of our Hedetnption funiishes a striking exan)ple of this sort. 
 
 + "^Viih re-;j>ect to the inland part of Africa, they seem, in alt 
 a f.'S of the :rnr''> to iijivn !)pp;i in tbe same bin-harons and ntich'i- 
 lized stafc in which we find them at present/' 
 
 '' The Religion of the native Africans has been the grossest kind 
 «^ idolatry." — liees's Cyclopwdia, Article Africa. 
 
19 
 
 such is the state of a largo part of the inhal)itants of 
 Africa at the present clay : and such would now have 
 been theirs, had not the Providence of God interfered 
 to efiect their remov^al to a land where, though slaves, 
 they serve, for the. most part, humane and enlightened 
 masters, are secured the enjoyment of tlie necessaries 
 a7ul 7nost of the comforts of Ife, and, may become p«r- 
 takers of the blessings of the Gosjjcl of Salvation ! — 
 Like the bondmen of the Roman Em|)ire in the times 
 of the Apostles, they possess the privilege oi' living in 
 aland where the light of Christianity shines ; thej are 
 placed, througli the mercy of God, within the reach of 
 its heavenly iniluence; they liear the gracious invituion 
 of the Saviour of sinners: "Come unto me all ye that la- 
 bour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest ;" and 
 there is nothing i/j their condition to prevent their obey- 
 ing this invitation, and thus obtaining, if not di\\earthlyy 
 what is of vastly more consequence, a heaiwnly citizen^ 
 ship — yea, of serurinii to themselves " an inheritance 
 incorruptible, undejiled, and ihatfadeth 7iot away.^ 
 
 But, beloved brethren, though the situation in which 
 these peoj)le are thus providentially placed does not, of 
 necessity, imply any moral guilt in us, any breach of 
 the divine law or violation of th.e precepts and princi- 
 ples of the Gospel; though their being placed in it, is 
 to them, upon the whole, a dispensation of great mer- 
 cy, and one for which they have reason to be sincerely 
 thankful to God; yet this allotment of theirs has brought 
 us into a relation to them which has greatly enlarged 
 our sphere of duties, both as men and as Christians, 
 and which involves us in themost tremendous responsi- 
 hilities. As the Providence of God has made them 
 our slaves, subjecting them to our autliority and making 
 jt their duty to serve us faithfully all their lives ; so the 
 same Providence, let it be remembered, has, in thus 
 
 * 1, Peter, 1. 4, 
 
20 
 
 constituting us their masters, placed them under our 
 protection; made us their guardians ; the conservators 
 of their lives and Icappiness ; their guides and counsel- 
 lors ; their instructors , henc factors and jr tends. And 
 lieijce, you peixeive, the precepLs of the Apostles are 
 not confined to the duties of servants. JSLasters also, 
 are called upon to be mindful oi' theirs. " Servants," 
 says St. Paul in his Episde to the Ephesians, " be obe- 
 dient to them that are your masters, according to the 
 flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart 
 as unto Christ, not with eye-service as men-pleifsers, 
 but as the servants of Ciirist, doing the v/ill of God 
 from the heart ; whh good will doing service, as to 
 the Lord, and not to men ; knowing that whatsoever 
 good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive 
 of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. And ye 
 masters dothe san-je thing utito tliem," that is, perform, 
 your duty towards them, from t!je same motives, witli 
 singleness of heart as unto Ciirist, " forbearing threat- 
 ening ; knowing that your Master also is in Heaven, 
 neither is their respect of persons witii linn " So 
 also in the Epistle to the Colossians after similar in- 
 structions to Servants, the Aposde fails not to admon- 
 ish Masters of their duty, as in the^ text : " Masters^ 
 give unto your servants thai lohich is just and equal; 
 knowing that ye also have a Master in Heaven.'''' 
 
 My design was, to lay before you, in the sequel of 
 .his discourse, some of the duties implied in this pre- 
 cept of the Apostle, ivhich we, as masters, owe to our 
 servants and tf> enforce them by a consideration of the 
 motive which he offers for tlieir faithful observance. — 
 But as these preliminary remarks iiave been extended 
 too far to admit of the prosecution of die subject at the 
 present time, it must be deferred till another oppor- 
 tunity. 
 
 In the meantime, I bog you to reflect on the impor- 
 tance of this subject, and, by an honest examination of 
 
21 
 
 your hearts, and a carcfiil retros})C(:t of your past lives, 
 to (ucpare 30urselves tor a profitable iiisprovemciU of 
 it ; rt'ineniberiiig that for every tnsst coni;r;ittecl to you, 
 a ric:i{| reckoning will one day he exaeteti — yov r.iusT, 
 
 AT THE J.AST, GIVK AN ACCOUNT OF YOUU STF.WARU- 
 SlllP TO lilM, WilO IS YOLR MaSTER IN HeAYEN. 
 
DISCOURSE II. 
 
 COLOSSIANS, IV. I. 
 
 Masters, give unto your servants that wliicli is just 
 and equal, knoiving that ye also have a Master 
 in Heaven. 
 
 On presenting this passage of Scripture to you on a 
 former occasion, my broiiiren, and calling your atten- 
 tion to the fact that the word rendered Servants^ means 
 here, as in most other places in the New Testament, 
 slaves, I was led to a consideration of the subject of 
 slavery at large — its origin, its history, and the cliarac- 
 ter of it in a moral and religious light. My remarks 
 tended to show that servitude is but one of the natural 
 effects of the primeval curse, consequent on the diso- 
 bedience of our first parents ; tliat it lias existed in 
 some form or other, in every age of the world since 
 the flood ; that it was permitted without the Divine 
 rebuke, yea, 2vas sanctioned hy God hj nisei f, during 
 tliO Patriarchal and Mosiac Dispensations ; that it was 
 found prevalent tl.roiighoLU the Roman Empire by our 
 Saviour and his inspired A})ostles, wiio, nevcM'tJioless, 
 uttered no -vord of disap})robation concerning it, but 
 on the contrary, by laying down precepts for the go- 
 vernment of both Masters and Slaves, rather gave it 
 their sanction ; and that taking tliese facts into view, 
 it is as fairly entitled to be consider(;d consistent with 
 the settled order and design of God's Providejice, as 
 are any of tiie ordinary distinctions in human society. 
 
2S 
 
 Thence T drew the conclusion that the existence of sla- 
 very among us, does not neces;sarily involve us in guilt; 
 that lhr>re is nothing inconsistent with either the pre- 
 cepts or the spirit of tlic Gospel in maintaining it in 
 practice, and consequently, lor uninspired men to 
 charge them, whose lot it is to be owners of slaves, 
 with being guilty of a moral wrong, or destitute of a 
 proijer christian spirit, is nothing less than arrogant 
 presumption. In support of this conclusion, I direct- 
 ed your attention to the particular description oi" peo- 
 ple who aie held in bondage in tids country at the pre- 
 sent day ; to the country of their forefathers; an<l to 
 the ancient proj)hetic sentence pronounced by Noah, 
 upon ihoir great progenitor. Ham, of which their pre- 
 sent dfgraded condition is a manifest fulfilment. And 
 comparing tiie circumstances of their lot here, with 
 what those circumstances v/ould have been, had they 
 been left in th.e country of their failiers, 1 showed that 
 their condition is actually anieliorated by their transla- 
 tion 10 these siiores ; and that it was a merciful TProvi- 
 dence which led to their removal, and one for which 
 they had great reason to be thankful, in conclusion, I 
 remarked, that, though the condition of these t)eoplc is 
 thus providcntianij a/Iot('d, and does not, therefore, in- 
 volve us in guilt, yet it has pi'oduced a relation between 
 us and the7n, which multiplies exceedingly our duties, 
 and lays us under the most awful responsibilities. As 
 God, in his Providence, has made them our bondmen, 
 so he has made ?/* their protectors and guardian.>; and 
 hence the precepts of the Ajiostles are not confined to 
 the mere natural relations of life, but are rejjcaledly 
 and forcibly applied to that which subsists between 
 master and slave, the relative duties of which are in- 
 sisted on with great freedom and earnestness. 
 
 Upon some of the leading duties of ma.stc?-s, as im- 
 plied in the text, 1 then promised on another occasion, 
 to address you, and to urge upon you the observance 
 
24 
 
 of them by a consideration of ihe influential motive to 
 which St. Paul refers. The fulfihneni of this promise 
 is the object of the present Discourse. 
 
 The precept of the Apostle is, " McLsters give unto 
 your servants that which is just and equal." 
 
 The meaning and force of ti)is hmguage will be bet- 
 ter understood, if we observe the connexion with the 
 preceding context. The Apostle is addressing liim- 
 self, it should be remembered, to those who iiad re* 
 ceived, and who acknowledged the obligations of the 
 Qospel — to Christians, who believed in ihe religion of 
 Jesus, and admitted its sanctions. Having been pre- 
 viously discoursing of the glorious advantages and pri- 
 vileges of the Gospel, he takes occasion, in the third 
 chapter of his Epistle, to lemind the Colossians of the 
 inlhience which such a display of God's mercy ougin to 
 have upon the conduit of men who professed to em- 
 brace it, and especially to inculcate the relative duties 
 of husbands and wives, parents and children, and 
 masters and servants. Concerning the latter, he says, 
 *' Servants obey in all things your masters according 
 to the flesh ; not with eye service, as men-pleasers ; 
 but in singleness of heart, fearing God ; and what* 
 soever ye do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord, and not 
 unto men ; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive 
 the reward of the inheritance ; for ye serve the Lord 
 (the muster) Christ. But he that doeth wrong, shall 
 receive for the wrong which he hath done ; and there 
 is no respect of persons." Thus far proceeds the 
 Apostle concerning the duties of christian servants; 
 and then he adds, " Masters, yield ye m return''' — for 
 so the expression may be rendered* — " yield ye in re- 
 turn to your servants that ivhichis just and equal ;^* 
 that is, ' let your conduct towards your slaves be such 
 as, considering the relation in which you as Christian 
 
 • Bloomfield- Notes on the Greek Testament. 
 
25 
 
 masters stand to them, may fairly, and in the eye of 
 reason enligliteiied by the Gospel, be deemed uprigJit 
 and equilable. Consider that, as your servants are 
 bound to be obedient^ industrious^ honesty ^nd faith ful 
 in your service^ so there are correspondinG; duties 
 which you^ as their masters^ owe to them, and the vi- 
 gilant and faithful performance of which you cannot 
 withhold, without manifest and crying injustice, l^or 
 which you must expect to account to your ^faster in 
 Heaven /' 
 
 The duties which Ciu'istian masters owe to their 
 servants or slaves, mav be considered under two gen- 
 eral heads. 1. Those which relate to their temporal 
 condition. ; and 2. Those lohich have respect to their 
 future and everlasting state, 
 
 I. Of the former, I trust, it is not necessary that I 
 siiould say much. The common feelings of humanity, 
 an ordinary sense of justice, even a, regard for your 
 own reputation and your own interest, constitute, one 
 would think, motives powerful enough to ensure the 
 exercise of a nsild and merciful discipline over your 
 slaves, as well as an abundant provision for theirwants. 
 *' Thou shall not muzzle the mouth of the ox when he 
 treadeth out the corn,""* is a command, die reasona- 
 bleness and equity of which, have doubtless found for 
 it a ready approval in every bosom. And sure I am 
 that few or none among us are to be found so lost to 
 every just and kindlier feeling of our nature, as to be 
 in the habit of dealing less mercifully with human be- 
 ings than with cattle. No one here needs be in- 
 formed, or even, I trust, reminded, that it is the duty 
 of masters, not only to be merciful to their servants, 
 but to do every thing in their power to make their sit- 
 uation comfortable, and to put forth all reasonalde ef- 
 forts to render them contented and happy. And I 
 rejoice in being able to say, that there are few commu- 
 
 'Deuteronomy, ch. xxvi. 4, 
 
26 
 
 nities in which this class of people are, in general, 
 more kindl}^ and justly dealt with in these respects, 
 than the one in which we live. 
 
 Nevertheless, it may not be amiss to call your atten- 
 tion, Christian masters and mistresses, to some particu- 
 lars of your duties under this head, which are, it is to 
 be feared, but too liable to be overlooked everywhere. 
 
 Many persons are apt to tliink that they have done 
 enough for these their dependants, when they have 
 made ample provision for the su})ply of their bodily 
 wants — when they have ensured their being comforta- 
 bly lodged, well fed, and decently, or as tlie season 
 may require, warmly clad. These things, it must be 
 confessed, constitute important items in their sum of 
 eartlily good ; and by no humane^ surely, by no G/wis'- 
 tiaii master or mistress, will they be withheld, or even 
 gruduingly supplied. For " the labourer is always 
 worthy of his hire ;" and the just " hire'" of tliese peo- 
 ple is unquestionably, at the least, a complete and com- 
 fnrtable support. But, brethren, you owe them some- 
 thiuiT itioie than this. Remember, their whole time is 
 yours — they are your servants and labourers/or life. 
 If, therelbre, you would " yield them in return^ that 
 which is just and equal^^ you must take care, 
 
 1. That they be not over-worked. It is your duty 
 to see that the labour imposed upon them be neither 
 disproportioned to their strength, nor so long protract- 
 ed, as to encroach upon the hours required for their 
 needful rest. One of the most exquisite enjoyments of 
 hard labouring people, is the repose by which their dai- 
 ly toil is followed ; but if that toil have been exces- 
 bive in degree, or too long continued, their wonted re- 
 pose is sought in vain. The aching body being too wea- 
 ry to enter at once upon ihe enjoyment of rest, the 
 lime allotted is found too short for the full restoration 
 of its wonted freshness and vigonr against the renewal 
 of the morrow's labour ; and thus, the man goes forth 
 to his daily task, with diminished powers and a droop* 
 
27 
 
 m^ spirit. Perlnps no condition in life, is, npon the 
 whole, happier than that of the moderately labouring 
 man, whose mind is, at the same time, free from anx- 
 ious care. But push his labours habitually beyond his 
 strength, and there are few so wretched. 
 
 2. Another duty you owe your servants, is the ex- 
 ercise of patience and proper forbearance toicards 
 their faults — especiaUt/ those which are inadvertent 
 or involuntary. Recollect the peculiarities of their 
 condition, pu'ticularly their want of mental and moral 
 culture, and you will, perhaps, see cause to wonder 
 thnt their faults are so few, rather than to complain of 
 their number, and to give icai/ to passion^ because of 
 their frequent occurrence. That they should never 
 be reproved and punished for their delinquencies and 
 misconduct, I am far from insinuating. On the con- 
 trary I hesitate not to affirm, that the omission of pro- 
 per discipline, when obviously called for by the cir- 
 cumstances of the case, would constitute the violation 
 of a high and imperious duty. But that justice and 
 equity which the Apostle enjoins you to render unto 
 your servants, demand that you should make all due 
 allowances^ even for their voluntary ojfences ; but es- 
 pecially that you should spare them the pain and mor- 
 tification of reproach and punishment for their inad* 
 vertent ones. You should never forget that, low as 
 they are in. the scale of humanity, they are yet /m- 
 man beings, and have the feelings of human beings — 
 feelings too, with inany of them, as delicate and sen- 
 sitive as your own, and which demand to be respected, 
 and carefully preserved from outrage. 
 
 3. A further duty of this class is, to take care thai 
 they are not 7in duly punished ; that is, punished when 
 they ought not to be, or immoderately punished, when 
 punishment is necessary. Thougii you not only have 
 a right., but am under obligation, by a strict and con- 
 sistent discipline, to maintain your authnriti/ over 
 thcniy yet, if you would be observant of the Apostle's 
 
28 
 
 precept, you must not be indiscriminate in yovr chas- 
 tisements. You mutiiotbe forward to inflict punisli- 
 mcnt for every slight and trivial oH'ence ; neither should 
 you punish all offences with like severity, nor suffer, in 
 any case, the chastisensent to be disj^roportionatc to 
 the offence. And, especially, you must take care, lest 
 that which ouglil to be a simple act of (iisciplbu., per- 
 formed from a sense of duty alone, be dictated by jJas- 
 sion, caprice^ or a spirit of revenge. For, be 30U 
 assured, brethren, you can nev^er punish your servants 
 under the influence of caprice or passion, zrifJicvt do- 
 ing them palpable injustice, and thus grossly violating 
 your duty as Christian masters.. 
 
 4. In fine, you owe it to your servants to treat them, 
 at all times, with such a defiree of Jcindness and con- 
 sideration, as ivill make them sensible thai you have 
 their welfare and happiness at heart. In sickness^ 
 especially, you ought to make careful provision for 
 their being properly attended to, and supplied with all 
 needful comforts ; and to seek by all your actions, to 
 make them realize that, if tliey have r fast friend on 
 earth, that one, is their master, or their mistress. — 
 You require and expect them, when in health, to be 
 active and faithful in your service, and to stand by 
 ■you under all circumstances ; in prosperity and in ad- 
 versity, in health and in sickness ; and you are seldom 
 disappointed — you almost always find them at their 
 post. Is it not then ''''just and equal, ''^ that you should 
 show them a degree of condescension, kindness and 
 good will correspondent to the I'aithfulness of their ser- 
 vices .'^ particuhirly, when in the tr3Mng circumstances 
 attendant on sickness, which force them to feel, if o- 
 verlooked by their master or mistress, that tliey are 
 abandoned — alone in the world — left to die, unpitied, 
 friendless, forsaken ? Brethren, to many of our ser- 
 vants — to them who serve us faithfully, who are ever 
 attentive to our wants, v/ho clieeriully fulfl our com- 
 mands, wholabour abroad for us when we are in heahh, 
 
29 
 
 and who come at onr call to nurse us in our sickness, 
 and who, hiyii)g aside, as it werefall regard to their 
 own comt'orts, submit witiiout murmuring or impatience 
 to tiie most \\earying and exhausting of all employ- 
 ments, complying with our most unreasonable whims, 
 and meekly bearing with our fretfulness and caprices 
 — fa them — and I must.d^ this class of people the jus- 
 tice to say, there are many such among us — to such of 
 our domestics as these, we surely owe a debt of gratis 
 iude, tchich all our kindliest acts, should ice even live 
 beyond the age of man, loould scarce suffice to dis' 
 charge. Let us, then, in our dail}^ intercourse with 
 these people, never for a moment forget their claims 
 upon us ; and let us be always mindful of the Apos- 
 tle's precept, " Masters give unto your servants that 
 which is just and equal.''^ 
 
 II. But the class of duties towards our slaves, on 
 which 1 would lay the greatest stress — and that the 
 more especially, because there is reason to think them 
 most frequently neglected, are those which have reier- 
 ence, not merely to their present well-being, but to 
 their future and everlasting hajjpincss. 
 
 And here, brethren, 1 have approached a subject, 
 the contemplation of which, fills me with feelings of so- 
 lemnity and awe — nay, almost overwhelms me with ap 
 prehension and dismay. \\ hen I look at it in all its 
 bearings, I tremble for my countrymen, I tremble for 
 Christian masters and mistresses throughout the land, 
 1 tremble for you, my hearers. J\ay, looking into my 
 own domestic relations, and beholding the fearful 
 amount of responsibilities which there rests upon me, 
 I tremble for myself. Have you, have 1, have any 
 of us '-'• given''^ — to the full extent and meaning of the 
 Apostle's precept, in respect to this, the most imp>ortant 
 of all their interests — /i^t'c ive '''given unto our servants 
 that which is just and equal?" Alas, alas ! where is 
 the man or the woman ? where is even the Christian 
 master or the Christian mistress^ who can say '1 have 
 
 *3 
 
so 
 
 a conscience void of offence in this matter?' or, with 
 tlie Apostle, " I am pure from the blood of all men.* 
 Brethren, let us seriously consider what are our res- 
 ponsibilities in reference to this subject. And first, 
 let me ask, what is the relation in which we stand to 
 our slaves, in respect to their condition as immortal 
 and accountable beings, and our obligation to attend to 
 their religipus and spiritual culture, their training for 
 the kingdom of heaven ? Is it not a closer tie than 
 that which binds us to our fellow-men in general \ 
 Undoubtedly it is. As Providence has placed them 
 in a situation in which they are more immediately de- 
 pendant upon us, so are we made 'tnoj'e directly res^ 
 ponsihle for their moral and religious improvement. 
 Our children^ we all feel and acknowledge, have deci- 
 ded claims of this sort upon us. And in what respect, 
 brethren, does the relation which we bear in this 
 matter to our children^ differ from that in which we 
 stand to our slaves ? They are hoth providentially 
 placed under our protection. They are equally de- 
 pendant upon us — equally subject to our authoriiy— 
 and they alike stand in need of our help and guidance 
 in the all important concern of working out their sal- 
 vation. If 26'e coldly turn away from them, and sterrn 
 ly refuse them our help, to whom can they go ? Who 
 else on earth, holds in trust for them "^ the ivords of 
 eternal life V Our slaves, like our own offspring, 
 are weak and helpless in themselves, and must, in the 
 first instance at least, obtain support and direction from 
 us^ ttf be liable to wander in darkness, and to perish 
 for lark of knowledge. 
 
 The conclusion, then, is obvious-— 2(!5 cannot be a^ 
 voided. If we are in any measure responsible, as we 
 are taught to believe we are, for the souls of our chiU 
 dren^ we must be, in at least an equal degree, respon^ 
 
 *Acts, XX. 26. 
 
SI 
 
 sihle for the souls of our slaves. But we are actually 
 7nore responsible for the latter. Our children, whesi 
 they come to man's estate, leave the paternal roof, be- 
 come their own masters, and take their station as in- 
 dependent members of society. We have no further 
 actual authorit}^ or control over them, and our respon- 
 sibility for them is, in a measure, at an end. But as 
 for our slaves, their state of j)upilage never ceases ; they 
 are alivays with us ; they are ahvays members of our 
 families ; they are always subject to our authority and 
 control : and what is further and more to the point, 
 though ever so far advanced in years, they are, from 
 the very nature of their condition, always cJiUdren; 
 they are but children in intellect, children in wisdom^ 
 children in under staitding and judg'}nent ! 
 
 Now then, if we consider what are our aclcnowledged 
 duties in regard to the religious condition of our chil- 
 dren^we shall at once understand what those are, which 
 we owe to our slaves. 
 
 1. The first duty, brethren, which you as Christian 
 parents feel yourselves called on to perform towards 
 your children is, to hrivg them into the Christian cove- 
 nant hy Baptism. This jou believe, and justl}^, to be 
 the very first step towards a compliance with the Apos- 
 tolic injunction to " bring them up in the nurture and 
 admionition of the Lord^"** — a step too, the omission of 
 which, would involve you in no incansiderable degree 
 o( criminality in the sight of God. Instructed by the 
 reproving language of the Saviour, " Svffer the little 
 children to come unto me, and forbid them not,'"* and 
 his significant declaration, that '•'■ofsuchis the kingdom 
 of IIeaven^''\ you are persuaded that your little ones 
 have a right to be admitted to the privileges and bles- 
 sings of the Christian covenant, and you cannot but 
 strongly feel, that what it is thus their jrrivilege to en^' 
 joy, it is your bounden duty to help them to obtain^ 
 
 *Ephesiaiis^ vi. 4. tMark, x. 14. 
 
32 
 
 But why, beloved brethren, are you bound to give 
 this help to your own children, and not generally to the 
 children of others ? Is it not because you are their 
 natural guardians, on whom they are wholly depen- 
 dant, and to whom alone they have a right to look for 
 help*? Should an orphan child be providentially 
 thrown upon you for protection, would not its claims 
 and your obligation in this respect, be the same as in 
 the case of your own offspring? Doubtless, 3'ou would 
 so decide. And shall you not feel a similar obligation 
 towards your slaves — especially their children 1 Is it 
 *^ just and equal,''' that you should claim the disposal 
 of all their time, their labours and their scanty talents 
 here on earth, and yet withhold the benefit of those 
 blessed spiritual privileges, which they must, ordinarily 
 acquh'e through you alone 1 li'i/o?care not bound to do 
 that for them, which they (your slave children particu- 
 larly) cannot do for themselves — to iniroduce them, as 
 you take care to do your own offspring, to the bless- 
 ings of the Christian covenant, and thus, to pave the 
 way for their being " brought up in the nurture and 
 admonition of the Lord''' — if you, their masters and 
 mistresses are not under obligation to do this, wlio is ? 
 Will you refer me to their natural parents as the per- 
 sons on whom this duty rests X Alas, they are them- 
 selves, as we have seen, but grown children, needing to 
 be guided at every step. And are they generally ca- 
 pable of comprehending and fulfilling the duties of spon- 
 sors 1 And if they had the capacitT/, are they respon- 
 sible ? Are they free agents? Have they the power 
 or the means to dispose of, and to regulate, the time of 
 their children, and to take care that they "be virtuous- 
 ly brought up to lead a godly and a Christian lifel" and 
 especially, that having been duly " taught the creed, 
 the Lord's prayer and the ten Commandments, and suf- 
 ficiently instructed in the other parts of the Church 
 Catechism," they "be brought at length to the Bishop 
 to be confirmed by him 1" And yet the obligation to 
 
3$ 
 
 do all tliis, 772^/5^^, nccording to the toarhing of the 
 Cliiircli, rest somewlicre. BrcthrcMi, there ran be but 
 one answer to these questions; and God <i;rant that the 
 respon.^es ready to burst from youi hps may be echoed 
 bark u|)on your hearts and consciences, and produce 
 such an impression tliere, as siiall issue in the speedy 
 commencement, and the faithful and persev^ering prose- 
 cut ioi], of iliese your Christian duties ! 
 
 \l\\\ am I not uroing upon you a new and hitherto 
 unlieard oi" course of duty 1 No, my brethren,! am but 
 brinaingaeain to liiiiit, that which was once well unfier- 
 stood and uniformly practised, both under the old and 
 new disi>ensations ; but whicli has, I regret to say, 
 been greatly obscured, and, indeed, almost lost sight 
 of, in this our day. When God laid the foundation of 
 the Jewish Church, into which Circumcision was made 
 the right of initiation, as Baptism was, afterwards, that 
 into the Christian Church, he commanded Abraham to 
 administer the rite not only to !iis children and other 
 dependants, but to Vx^ slaves ; and accordingly, we read 
 that "«// tlic men of his house^ those horn in his hoKse, 
 and those hought ivith money of tJie strmiger were cir- 
 cumciscdy* And this became, thenceforward, a law 
 to the whole house of Israel — this continued to be the 
 uniform practice of that people down to the end of their 
 polity. So also, under the Gospel dispensation, the 
 same rule was observed. When the heads of a family 
 were converted to the Ciuistian Faith, we learn that 
 both they and their ichole households were invariably 
 Baptised. Aiid that m.aiiy of these households con- 
 sisted part!}^ oi' slaves^ is exiremeh' probable, if not al- 
 together certain. Such, we may well believe, were 
 those of Cornelius of Cesar ea, (f tlie Jailor at Pltillij-)- 
 j)i, and of Lydia of Thyatira. Indeed, tliat it was the 
 ancient j)ractice of the ChiTAtian Church, and lliat it 
 was regarded as a high Cliristian duty to extend the 
 
 ^Genesis, xvii. 27. 
 
S4 
 
 privileo^e of Baptism, to all the members of a family 
 without distinction^ tli'.; heads of which were believers, 
 may be fairly inierred from the fact, which we k-arn 
 from history, that, at an early period after Chrislianity 
 became the Religion of the Empire, " there were laws 
 of state, oblig-iiig all masters to take care of their fa- 
 milies, so far as to see that every individual iierson^ 
 slaves as well children loere made Christians.'''' " In 
 default of this," it is added by the author whom'I quote, 
 *' some penalties were annexed, depriving masters of 
 of certain priviloires in the commonv/ealrh, if they were 
 found eitlier remiss, or acting by collusion, in this part 
 of their duty. So that all imaginable obligation was 
 laid upon masters, both in point of interest, duty and 
 charity, to take care of the instruction of their slaves, 
 and hring them icith their own testiynonicds to Christian 
 Baptism^* 
 
 2. But in addition to this first step in your duty to 
 your children — the bringing of them ivithin the gracious 
 covenant of the Gospel, by Baptism — as Christian, pa- 
 rents, you are bound to instruct them also in the doc- 
 trines, principles and duties of Religion ; to endeavour 
 to bring them up under its benign influences, and in 
 such a manner as may lead them to be mindful of the 
 " profession" represented unto them by iheir Baptism, 
 and ready to " follow the example of their Saviour 
 Christ, and to be made like unto him." That such is 
 your duty, there is, I trtist, no need that I should go in 
 search of proof. You all, with one accord, admit the 
 obligation. And if you have any proper sense of the 
 value of your children's souls, when you think of your 
 responsibility for them, you feel that your wilful nejjlect 
 of this duty, would bring down upon you a weight of 
 guilt and condemnation, too heavy to be borne. 
 
 But here again, let me ask you to consider, whether 
 this obligation does not, in like manner, extend to the 
 
 *Biugham's Antiquities, b. xi. ch. v. §. 4. 
 
35 
 
 mtigious instruction of your slaves. Have they not 
 iniinortal souls as vv<.*ll as your children] — souls 
 which must he saved or lost forever 1 Partaking of 
 the corruption and sinfulness common to our nature, 
 are they not as liahle to perish for lack of religious 
 culture, as your own offspring? And W they sliould 
 thus perish, through your neglect, where, I ask, will 
 the guilt of their blood lie ? 
 
 But you may be ready to inquire, is this thing prac- 
 ticable % Can we convey religious instruction to our 
 slaves^ as well as to our childien ] 1 answer yes, you 
 can, to a very considerable and satisfactory extent. 
 It is not necessary, of course, that they should be 
 educated^ in the common acceptation of the term, like 
 yo<\r children ; it is not necessary that they should 
 be taught eren to read. All the instruction essential 
 to their u-ell-heing, both here and hereafter, may be 
 given to them orally — by word of mouth. In this 
 way they may easily be "taught the Creed, the Lord's 
 Prayer, and the Ten Conimandnients"' — yea, the 
 whole of the Church Catechism. Tliey may be made 
 sufficiently acquainted, and even familiar with the 
 most important parts of the sacred Scriptures; espe- 
 cially, if, in addition to the pains bestowed upon them at 
 home, they be caused to attend the regular services of 
 the Church; and by plain and familiar expositions oftea 
 repeated, they may, to a very gratifying degree, be 
 brought to understand henj. In a word, if begun with 
 at a proper period, and faitlifully attended to, they 
 may, under the influence of that grace which is pledged 
 to accompany the Divine Truth rightly applied, be con- 
 ducted to a suitable understanding, of " all things 
 which a Christian ought to know and believe to his 
 soul's health;'* yea, «^o such a degree of Christian 
 hnowledge and Christian faith., as shall, with the 
 blessing of God, issue in the salvation of their souls. 
 
 Here, however, I am met with an objection. ''All 
 this,' says one, ^may possibly be done by a man whff 
 
S6 
 
 has ttoo or three or half a dozen slaves ; hut it is al- 
 together out of the question with him who has hun- 
 dreds!' Let us consider this matter. Sup[)ose, breth- 
 ren, the question were, not icheiher it is a master'' s 
 duty to give religious instruction^ but whether he 
 ought to furrdsh comfortahle food and clothhig to his 
 slaves. Would this objection in that case be allowed 
 any weight among reasonable and humane ment 
 Could the owner of five hundred slaves expect to jus- 
 tify his conduct in withholding an adequate s'.i{)ply ot 
 their wants, by the plea that he had too many to 
 feed and clothe 1 I trow not. And yet it does not 
 appear why the objection oi numbers is not as availa- 
 ble in the one case as the other. The truth is, ii'any 
 one is the owner of mor*^ slaves than he can faithfully 
 instruct himself, it is his duty^ and however anxious 
 be may be for profit, he nmst feel himself ;ible to 
 employ suitable helpers in the work of instruction. 
 When we have clogged ourselves by undertaking a 
 vastly greater amount of duty than we are -dSAa pcrsow 
 ally to perform, does not reason, does not justice, 
 teach that we should hasten to employ all necessary 
 assistance, rather than violate our obligations] What 
 would you say of that schoolmaster, who, in pursu- 
 ance of a greedy, avaricious spirit, should assemble 
 and receive pay for twice or three times as many schol- 
 ars as he could properly instruct, and still refuse to 
 employ an assistant? Would you not instantly con- 
 demn him as fraudulent and unjust? And are not we, 
 brethren, in an important sense, God's Schoolmasters y 
 employed to rule over and instruct our respective 
 families and households, and charged with the high 
 duty of training uj^ children for his kingdom! And 
 can we hope to be acquitted before him, if we so disre- 
 gard our obligations as to take no care of the immortal 
 souls under our trust, but suffer them to grow up ia 
 ignorance and vice, and fitted for the kingdom, not oj 
 Heaven, but of everlasting darkness and wot 
 
37 
 
 I hear another objection. ^Our slaves,'' it is said, 
 'win not receive the instructions of us their masters — 
 They are jealous of our interference with their relU 
 gious matters, and are inclined to suspect us of inter- 
 ested motives,* There Is, I dare say, much of truth in 
 this statement ; but what has brought about this state 
 of thingrs ] May it not be legitimately traced to the 
 past neglect of the duty, of which I am speaking ? If 
 the adult slaves of the present generation had been 
 properly trained and taught in infancy and childhood, 
 this diflflculty would not have existed. As it does, 
 however, now exist, let it be allowed its full weight, 
 as an objection to the course insisted on. And what 
 does it amount to, brethren? Why, after all, to noth- 
 ing more than this; that the undertaking of this duty 
 now will be attended with great labour and many dis- 
 couragements! And was ever an error, which had 
 long continued unchecked to exercise its unhappy- 
 influence, corrected and fully repaired without much 
 pains-taking and some sacrifices'? Suppose that, on 
 setting about the discharge of this duty now, we should 
 find, as doubtless would be the case, that we could 
 not accomplish all that loe desired; ought we, there- 
 fore, to give over our efforts ? No, certainly ; on the 
 other hand we should increase our exertions ; and, at 
 all events, persevere in the continuance of them, de- 
 termined, whatever may be the success of our labours, 
 fully to acquit our consciences, and satisfied to leave 
 the result to God. 
 
 But a large portion of our efforts would be directed 
 in a quarter, where there would be none of those diffi- 
 culties to encounter, and where consequently, there 
 would be more hope of fruit. Among the children 
 and youth, our work of instruction tvoukl chiefly, 
 though not altog^her, lie. And what might not be 
 expected as the beneficial result of such labours 
 judiciously begun, wisel}'^ ordered, and perseveringly 
 carried on to the age of manhood 1 Who can estimate 
 the amount of blessings, which such a course, exten 
 
 4 
 
38 
 
 sive^y pnrsup(1, woiilcl bring down upon our land ? 
 *''Trair> up a chid in the 7ray he should go and when 
 he is old he will not depart from it^'' is a maxim as 
 triK- now, as it was in the days of Solomon. And if, 
 after all, we should fail of making our slaves sincere 
 and humble Christians, still we might well hope to 
 succeed in making them more useful servants and 
 better mm. So that, independently of a sense of 
 duty in the matter, and of an earnest desire to pro- 
 mote the salvation of their souls, there is encourage- 
 ment to make the attempt, even from a regard to 
 interest alone. 
 
 There are other important points of duty in relation 
 to this subject, which it might be insiruetive and profi- 
 table to consider ai^d to urge, did time permit : 
 particularly \\\G obligations which rest upon Christian 
 masters, to select the religious teachers of their slaves; 
 to require their regular and exclusive attendance on 
 the instructions of the teachers thus chosen ; to fre^ 
 serve them, by wholesome restraints^ from the contami- 
 nating sway of profligate and wicked associates ; and 
 to bring continually to bear upon them, the influence of 
 good and salutary example. At a future time, I may 
 resume the subject. At present, enough has been said 
 to put you into a train of proper reflections; to 
 enable you to judjre, brethren, how far you have been 
 in the practice, hitherto, of ''''giving to your servants 
 that tvhich is just and equal^"* and to induce you, if 
 you be wise, to give renewed diligence to have, in this 
 matter, a conscience void of offence towards God and 
 towards men. 
 
 In conclusion, permit me briefly to draw your 
 attention to the consideration presented by the Apos- 
 tle as a motive for compliance with the precept of the 
 text. " Masters give unto your servants that which 
 is just and equal ; knoiving that yetilso have a master 
 in heaven.''^ 
 
 This consideration is, or ought to be, brethren, an 
 influential one. *' Ye also have a master in heaven'''' — 
 
39 
 
 ye, who are masters here on cart7i, and, by Divine 
 permission, possess uncontrolled authority over your 
 servants, ye also have a Master to whom ye are ac- 
 countable — a Master in heaven, even Jesus Christ — 
 who, though now your '•'"advocate with the Father^"* 
 will one day appear as your Judge, before whom ye 
 will be required to give a strict account of ymir stew- 
 ardship! Wherefore, remember that it belioves you 
 to be careful that ye discharge rightly your trust, and 
 to see that ye ''''give unto your servants that which is 
 just and equal,''^ Sudi appears to be the reasoning 
 of the Aposile in the passage before us. 
 
 And ought not this consideration to influence you, 
 brethren, to look well to your ways ; to examine care- 
 fully and seriously into the manner in which you have 
 conducted yourselves as masters on earth ; and where- 
 insoever you shall find you have omitted your duty, 
 to commence zealously the work of amendment ? 
 Recollect, that He who is here called your "Master 
 in heaven," is, in the same sense, the Master of your 
 slaves also. We are all his j^foperty — we are none 
 of us our own — for he has bought us *' with a frice^''* 
 even the price of his own precious blood. Both 
 we and our slaves have been redeemed by the same 
 merciful Lord; we belong therefore, to the same 
 common Master, and shall receive our final award 
 from the same tnouth. 
 
 If any of you persist, then, brethren, in the neglect 
 of your duty, and in the abuse of your trust as mas- 
 ters on earth, it is easy to see what your doom must 
 be at that trying hour, and before that awful tribunal, 
 when, you are told, every work will be brought into 
 judgment, and where "there is no respect of persons 
 with God." " The kingdom of heaven," said our 
 Saviour, "is likened unto a certain King which would 
 take account of his servants. And when he had 
 begun to reckon, one was brought unto him which 
 
 * 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. 
 
40 
 
 owed him ten thousand talents ; but forasmuch as he 
 had not to pay, liis Lord commanded him to be sold, 
 and his wife and children, and all that he had, and 
 payment to be made. The servant therefore fell 
 down and worshiped him, sayings Lord, have patience 
 with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the Lord of 
 that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed 
 him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant 
 went out, and found one of his fellow-servants which 
 owed him an hundred pence; and he laid hands on him^ 
 and took him hy the throat, saying, pay me that thou 
 owest. And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet and 
 besought him, saying, have patience wifh me and I 
 will pay thee all. And he would not ; but loent and 
 cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So 
 when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were 
 very sorry, and came and told unto their Loid all that 
 was done. Then his Lord, after that he had called 
 him, said unto hira, " O thou wiched servant, I forgave 
 thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me; shouldst 
 not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow- 
 servant even as I had j^ity on thee ? And his Lord 
 was wroth and delivered hhn to the tormentors till 
 he should p)0,y all thcd loas d^ie %into him^ 
 
 This parable, independently of its oriijinal design, 
 manifestly teaches the great duty of forbearance 
 and kindness of disposition, towards those who are 
 in our power; and enforces its performance by the 
 authoritative declaration, that cruelty, selfishness and 
 even indifference towards them, will be visited by 
 Almighty Justice with exact and unsparing vengeance. 
 In this sense, its application to the subject before 
 you, brethren, is too obvious to require further 
 remark — the warning it conveys, too useful and im- 
 pressive to demand particular enforcenient. To its 
 salutary influence nothing is is necessary but serious 
 thought. To your own reflections I leave it, and the 
 whole subject to which it is here applied, with this sin- 
 gle injunction of the Saviour — "he that hath ears 
 
 TO HEAa LET HIM HEAR." 
 
/