Undoubtedly he will. "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that fhall come upon you.' Behold the provifion of the poor negroes which have reaped down your fields, which is by you denied them, crieth, and the cries of them who reaped, are entered into the ears of the LORD of Sabaoth. We have a remarkable inftance of GOD's taking cognifance, and avenging the quarrel, of poor flaves, 2 Sam. xxi. 1. "Then there was a famine in the days of David, three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul and his bloody house, because he flew the Gibeonites." Two things are here very remarkable; firft, that these Gibeonites were only hewers of wood and drawers of water; or, in other words, flaves like yours. Secondly, that this plague was sent by GoD, many years after the injury, the cause of the plague, was committed. And for what end was this and fuch like examples recorded in holy fcripture? Without doubt for our learning, upon whom the ends of the world are come: for GOD is the fame to-day, as he was yesterday, and will continue the fame for ever. He does not reject the prayer of the poor and deftitute, nor difregard the cry of the meanest negroes their blood which has been spilt, for these many years in your respective provinces, will afcend up to heaven against you; I wish I could fay, it would speak better things than the blood of Abel. But this is not all. Enflaving or mifufing their bodies, comparatively fpeaking, would be an inconfiderable evil, was proper care taken of their fouls: but I have great reafon to believe, that most of you on purpose keep your negroes ignorant of chriftianity; or otherwife, why are they permitted through your provinces openly to profane the LORD's day, by their dancing, piping, and fuch like? I know the general pretence for this neglect of their fouls, is, that teaching them chriftianity would make them proud, and confequently unwilling to fubmit to flavery. But what a dreadful reflection is this upon your holy religion? What blafphemous notions muft thofe have, that make fuch an objection, of the precepts of christianity! Do you find any one command in the gospel, that has the least tendency to make people forget their relative duties? Do you not read, that fervants, and as many as are under the yoke of bond age, are required to be subject in all lawful things to their mafters, and that not only to the good and gentle, but alfo to the froward? Nay, may not I appeal to your own hearts, whether deviating from the laws of JESUS CHRIST, is not the cause of all the evils and miferies mankind now univerfally groan under, and of all the vices we find both in ourselves and others? Certainly it is. And therefore the reafon why fervants generally prove fo bad is, because fo little care is taken to breed them up in the nurture and admonition of the LORD. But fome will be fo bold perhaps as to reply, "That a few of the negroes have been taught christianity, and notwithstanding have been remarkably worse than others." But what christianity were they taught? They were baptized, and taught to read and write: and this they may do, and much more, and yet be far from the kingdom of GOD.; for there is a vast difference between civilizing and chriftianizing a negroe. A black as well as a white man, may be civilized by outward restraints, and afterwards break through thofe reftraints again; but I challenge the world to produce a fingle inftance of a negroe's being made a thorough chriftian, and thereby made a worse servant: it cannot be. But further, if the teaching flaves christianity has fuch a bad influence upon their lives, why are you generally defirous of having your children taught? Think you, they are any way better by nature, than the poor negroes? No, in nowife. Blacks are just as much, and no more, conceived and born in fin, as white men are: both, if born and bred up here, I am perfuaded are naturally capable of the fame improvement. And as for the grown negroes, I am apt to think, whenever the gofpel is preached with power amongst them, that many will be brought effectually home to God. Your present and paft bad ufage of them, however ill-defigned, may thus far do them good, as to break their wills, increase the fenfe of their natural mifery, and confequently better difpofe their minds to accept the redemption wrought out for them by the death and obedience of JESUS CHRIST. Not long fince, God hath been pleased to make some of the negroes in New-England, veffels of mercy; and fome, I hear, have been brought to cry out "What shall we do to be faved?" in the province of Penfylvania. Doubtless there is a time, when the fulness of the Gentiles will come in; and then, I believe, if not before, these defpifed flaves will find the gospel of CHRIST to be the power of GoD to their falvation, as well as we. But I know, all arguments to prove the neceffity of taking care of your negroes fouls, though never fo conclufive, will prove ineffectual, till you are convinced of the neceffity of fecuring the salvation of your own. That you yourselves are not effectually convinced of this, I think is too notorious to want evidence. A general deadnefs as to divine things, and not to say a general profaneness, is difcernible both in paftors and people. Most of you are without any teaching prieft. And whatever quantity of rum there may be, yet I fear but very few bibles are annually imported into your different provinces. GOD has already begun to vifit for this, as well as for other wicked things. For near two years last past, he has been in a remarkable manner contending with the people of South-Carolina: their houses have been depopulated with the small pox and fever, and their own flaves have rifen up in arms against them. Thefe judgments are undoubtedly fent abroad, not only that the inhabitants of that, but of other provinces, fhould learn righteoufnefs and unless you all repent, you all must in like manner expect to perish. GOD first generally corrects us with whips: if that will not do, he must chaftife us with scorpions. A foreign enemy is now threatning to invade you; and nothing will more provoke GOD, to give you up as a prey into their teeth, than impenitence and unbelief. Let these be removed, and the fons of violence shall not be able to hurt you: no; your oxen fhall be ftrong to labour; there fhall be no decay of your people by epidemical fickness; no leading away into captivity from abroad; and no complaining in your streets at home. Your fons fhall grow up as young plants, and your daughters be as the polished corners of the temple: and, to fum up all bleffings in one, "Then fhall the LORD be your GOD." That you may be the people who are in such a happy case, is the earneft prayer of, Your fincere well-wifher and fervant in CHRIST, G. W. |