as far as they are known and regarded; and the universal prevalence of Christianity must annihilate slavery, with many other evils, which in the present state of things cannot be wholly avoided.

In the wisdom of God, the apostles were left to take such matters as they found them, and to teach servants and masters their respective duties, in the performance of which the evil would be mitigated, till in due time it should be extirpated by Christian legislators. And after various instructions, as to the manner in which servants or slaves should be governed by the principles of Christianity in doing their duty, he remarks, on the other hand, believing masters ought to act from the same principles, and in the same conscientious manner toward their servants, whether these were Christians or not; exercising their authority with humanity and gentleness.

Col. iii, 22-25. Thus the poor slave who singly aimed to please God, even in obeying the unreasonable commands of a harsh and severe master.

1 Tim. vi, 1-5. The apostle next directed, that Christians who were "under the yoke" of slavery, should quietly attend to the duties of their lowly situation; counting their own masters entitled to all the respect, fidelity, and obedience, which that superior relation demanded, and not supposing their religious knowledge, privileges, or liberty, gave them a right to despise their heathen masters, to speak or act disrespectfully to them; to disobey their lawful commands, or to expose their faults to their neighbours. This they ought to attend to, that the name of God might not be blasphemed, and his truth and worship reviled among the Gentiles, by means of the failure of Christian servants in acknowledged duties. And such of

them as enjoyed the privilege of believing masters, ought by no means to despise them, or withhold from them due respect and obedience, because they were brethren in Christ, and so upon a level in respect to religious privileges; but rather to do them service with double diligence and cheerfulness, because of their faith in Christ, and their interest in his love, as partakers of the inestimable benefits of his salvation. This shows that Christian masters are not required to set their slaves at liberty; though they were instructed to behave toward them in such a manner as would greatly lessen and nearly annihilate the evils of slavery. It would have excited much confusion, awakened the jealousy of the civil powers, and greatly retarded the progress of Christianity, had the liberation of slaves by the converts been expressly required by the apostles; though the principles of the law and the gospel, when carried to their consequences, will infallibly abolish slavery. These things Timothy was directed to teach and enforce, as matters of the greatest importance; and if any persons taught otherwise, and consented not to such salutary words, which were indeed the words of Christ speaking by him, and an essential part of the doctrine according to godliness, he must be considered as a self-conceited, ignorant man, who, being puffed up with an opinion of his own abilities, was ambitious of distinction and applause, though entirely unacquainted with the real nature and tendency of the gospel. The picture here drawn of the great body of the croakers, so far as we have heard them on this subject, is to the life; the likeness is perfect.

1 Peter ii, 18-25. The apostle Peter exhorted servants to obedience, even in stronger language than his beloved brother Paul had done. These were general

ly slaves, and many of them to heathen masters, who used them very cruelly.

Next we quote from the Comprehensive Commentaries.

1 Tim. vi, 1,2: "Let as many servants," &c. If Christianity finds servants under the yoke, it continues them under it; for the gospel does not cancel the obligations any be under, either by the law of nature or mutual consent. If servants that embraced the Christian religion should grow insolent or disobedient to their masters, the doctrine of Christ would be reflected on for their sakes, as it had made men worse livers than they had been before they received the gospel. Or suppose the master was a believer and the servant a believer too; would not that excuse him; because in Christ there is neither bond nor free? No, by no means: they that have believing masters let them not despise them, because they are brethren; for that brotherhood relates only to spiritual privileges, not to any outward dignity or advantage; nay, rather do them service because they are faithful and beloved. They must think themselves the more obliged to serve them, because the faith and love that bespeak men Christians, oblige them to do good, and that is all wherein their service consists.

We will now introduce to the attention of the reader the views of Dr. Adam Clarke on this subject. Gen. xvii, 13. "He that is bought with money slave.

money"-a

Isaiah lviii, 6: "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke ?" The Dr. commences his notes on this chapter, "Cry aloud, spare not. Never

was there a louder cry against the hypocrisy, nor a more cutting reproof of the wickedness of a people, professing a national established religion, having all the forms of godliness without a particle of its power." And then on the sixth verse he "How can any says: nation pretend to fast, or worship God at all, or dare to profess that they believe in the existence of such a being, while they carry on what is called the slavetrade, and traffic in the souls, blood, and bodies of men? O, ye most flagitious of knaves, and worst of hypocrites; cast off at once the mask of religion, and deepen not your endless perdition by professing the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, while ye continue in this traffic."

1 Cor. vii, 21: "Art thou called being a servant? care not for it; but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather." Art thou converted to Christ while thou art a slave; the property of another person, and bought with his money? care not for it. This will not injure thy Christian condition; but if thou canst obtain thy liberty, use it rather: prefer this state for the sake of freedom, and the temporal advantages connected with it.

Verse 22: "For he that is called "the man who, being a slave, is converted to the Christian faith,—“ is the Lord's free man ;" his condition as a slave does not vitiate any of the privileges to which he is entitled as a Christian. On the other hand, all free men who receive the grace of Christ, must consider themselves the slaves of the Lord, i. e. his real property, to be employed and disposed of according to his godly wisdom.

In these verses the apostle shows that the Christian religion does not abolish our civil connexions; in re

ference to them, where it finds us there it leaves us. In whatever relation we stand before our embracing Christianity, there we stand still our secular condition being no further changed than as it may be effected by the melioration of our moral character, &c. As the reader can see by reference to his commentaries. In his general remarks at the close of the chapter, we find the following paragraphs :

The conversion which the Scriptures require, though it makes a most essential change in our souls, in reference to God, and in our works, in reference both to God and man, makes none in our civil state : even if a man is called, i. e. converted in a state of slavery, he does not gain his manumission in consequence of his conversion; he stands in the same relation, both to the state and his fellows, that he stood in before; and is not to assume any civil rights or privileges, in consequence of the conversion of his soul to God. The apostle decides the matter in this chapter, and orders that every man should abide in the same calling wherein he is called."

"I have entered the more fully into this subject, because it, or allusions to it, are frequently occurring in the New Testament. And I speak it here once for all. And to conclude, I here register my testimony against the unprincipled, inhuman, anti-christian, and diabolical slave-trade, with all its authors, promoters, abettors, and sacrilegious gains, as well as against the great devil, the father of it and them."

Eph. vi, 5-8: "Servants, be obedient," &c. Though the original frequently signifies a slave or bondman, yet it often implies a servant in general, or any one bound to another, either for a limited time or for life. Even a slave, if a Christian, was bound to serve him