treated as he did his cattle;-whom he could punish and torture as he pleased, and put to death with or without reason, and even for his own amusement. It is true, indeed, that the vernæ, or home-born slaves, were sometimes treated with lenity, and even with tenderness and indulgence. But these favourites of fortune bore a very small proportion indeed to that immense multitude who were made to feel the utmost rigour of their condition. In general, these wretched beings were continually exposed to every evil that the most wanton tyranny could inflict. They were compelled frequently to till the ground in chains, or confined in subterraneous dungeons, and strained to labour beyond their strength, by the severest treatment. They were obliged to suffer every insult, and every injury, without resistance and without redress. They had no protection afforded them,—could have no justice done to them, no reparation made to them. They were subject to the cruelty, not only of their own masters, but of every one that met them. “They had no place to flee unto, and no man cared for their souls." The hurt that was done to them and to a beast, was estimated in the same manner. Nothing was considered but the diminution of their value, and the loss sustained by their master. The injury or the pain endured by the slave himself, never came into contemplation. Their evidence was scarcely ever taken but by torture; they were not supposed capable of being applied to in any other way. If their master happened to be found murdered in his house, every slave in the family, (which sometimes amounted to several thousands,) were frequently put to death, even those that were confessedly innocent. Nay, they were sometimes made the sacrifice of a youthful frolic, and murdered in the streets and roads, by thousands, for amusement. These are the effects which the possession of unlimited power over our own species has actually produced, and which (unless counteracted and subdued by religious principle) it has always a natural tendency to produce, even on the most benevolent and best cultivated minds.

"Such was the temper of paganism, towards a very large class of the human species; a class, too, which ought to have attracted pity and protection, instead of meeting with the bitterest oppression. The temper of the gospel was of a very different cast.

From the very first moment of its appearance, it gave every consolation, every support, to those who groaned under this heavy bondage, that was consistent with the peace and welfare of society, and with the avowed principles of the Christian religion."

Thus far this excellent prelate; and now, my friends, compare your state with those servants of old times, and then say whether you have not cause to bless God that you were born in a Christian country, and that you have known that Saviour who hath said, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light!"

It may be said, however, that the foregoing is an exaggerated picture—that the world is more civilized since that period; but, look at the Turks at this very day-Mahometans, who know not Christ, but deride his followers! Their territory extends even over the Holy Land itself and the most refined part of the ancient world, yet the treatment of their domestics has not improved; men and women are publicly bought and sold in the markets the latter are an article of great traffic among the merchants. The most trifling offence in a servant is visited with cruel punishment of different kinds; and men in power are so in the habit of ordering the execution of their fellowcreatures, that often they will not even give themselves the trouble to speak when an accused person is brought in, but just make a sign with the finger, whether he is to live or die!

Let us turn again to the enemies of Christianity in our own country, and see what they are aiming at. They know that if it were possible to prevail against the kingdom of Heaven, and to root out of the hearts of men every good principle, every Christian grace, that the same thing would again occur; murder, bloodshed, and rapine, would prevail throughout this happy land.

In such general wreck as this, would these demon-like characters delight and glory; and aim at the utter extinction of all that was good and holy, in the hope of reaping advantage, or of obtaining power.*

* We alluded to the Turks just now, but we had, a few years back, an illustration much nearer home, of what human nature is when divested of religion. The French Revolution, and all its horrors, must be familiar to every one. The principal leaders in that dreadful convulsion, far below the

But mark the difference,-theirs would be a rod of iron: mercy, that Christian grace, would find no admittance into the bosom of an infidel the callings of the Holy Spirit would find no responsive echo in the breast of such a man. In short, deriding that apostolical principle, a conscience void of offence, towards God and towards men; they would blaspheme the one, and indiscriminately sacrifice the other, in the attainment of their ends, together with every thing that is venerated by true and virtuous.

men.

Much more might be added on this subject; but enough, we hope, has been said, to make us all grateful for the many and great blessings we still enjoy, under Divine Providence, in this happy country. SERVANTS in a more especial manner, we trust, will be thankful for the great benefits they derive from Christianity! Oh! be not led away then, my friends, by these wicked men, these enemies, not only of the cross of Christ, but of you individually, both with regard to your happiness in this world, and that to come. Bear in mind the great advantages you now enjoy, in a twofold sense; think upon these things, and when the pernicious seed which the ungodly are now so industriously sowing falls in your way, let it be trodden under foot, and say to the sower, "Get thee behind me, Satan!" Should you waver, draw nigh to God; and if no other form of words suggests itself, use the following prayer.

Eternal God! who hast taught us, by the temptation of thy blessed Son in the wilderness, to baffle the wiles of the devil, by a steady adherence to thy holy word; give thy servant strength to follow his glorious example, and to resist the assaults. of ungodly men. Oh! shed abroad in my heart the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that I may feel and know that I live but by the word of thy mouth; so that in all trials and temptations, I may never bow down to the tempter, but with a pure heart and mind serve Thee, the only God, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

N.

Mahometans in principle, denied even a future state, and ridiculed everything connected with holy things. The effect of admitting these men into power, is too well known, viz., a scene of tyranny, bloodshed, and oppression, unparalleled in the history of nations.

126

ST. PAUL'S EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

MANY of the particulars of this Apostle's life, and of his miraculous conversion to the faith of Jesus, are recorded by his companion and fellow-labourer, St Luke, in the Acts of the Apostles. From him we learn, that the desire of St. Paul to come to Rome, that he "might impart some spiritual gift,”* was granted; for that, having been sent thither as a state prisoner, (vide Acts xxviii. v. 30,) he was permitted to reside there for two years, "in his own hired house," where he "received all that came unto him."

The exact period at which this Epistle was written, seems not to be ascertained, but is supposed to have been during the year of our Lord 58. It was therefore written after those to the Galatians, Thessalonians, Corinthians, and also that to Titus. The reason, then, for its being thus placed at the head of all the Epistles, is not because it was the oldest of them in point of time, but because it was addressed to the chief city in the world— Rome being at that time the mistress over all nations. Some have thought that the Church at Rome was not planted by any Apostle, at the time when this Epistle was written; but that St. Paul, "lest it should be corrupted by the Jews, who abounded there, and many of whom were converted to Christianity, sent them an abstract of the principal truths of the Gospel, and endeavoured to guard them against the erroneous notions which the Jews had of justification, and of the election of their own nation." But others, and among these the great and pious Hammond, have thought, that, as it is evident from several passages, that a church had been already planted at Rome, and that to so great a degree, as to lead the Apostle to affirm, in the 8th verse of the 1st chapter, "Your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world," some other Apostle, and particularly St. Peter, must, before this time, be supposed to have preached there; and he brings the known affirmation of the ancient fathers generally, "that the Church of Rome was founded and edified by those two Apostles, Peter and Paul;" and quotes Epiphanius and Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth, by name, as

* Romans, i. 10, 11.

asserting the same thing, and therefore supporting his opinion. Hammond thinks also, that from the circumstance of St. Peter being the Apostle of the circumcision, or of the Jews, as St. Paul was of the uncircumcision, or of the Gentiles, the Jewish Christians made up the majority of converts in that city, but not without some Gentile, or heathen converts also-expressed by the word Greeks-and barbarians: and the whole tenour of the Epistle seems to confirm the justice of this opinion. In what regards its composition, it has been observed, that "it is the only part of the Scripture, in which divine truth is delivered in a systematical method;" and this observation will appear to be just, if we consider the plan of this Gospel as excellently and briefly explained in Perry's Key to the New Testament. The Jews assigned three grounds for justification,—

1st. The extraordinary merits and piety of their ancestors, and the covenant made by God with these holy men.

2nd. A perfect knowledge, and diligent study, of the Levitical

law.

3rd. The works of the same law. Their doctrine concerning election was the promise of God to Abraham and his seed, which promise extended to their whole nation, and could not be forfeited even by the wickedness of his descendants. As the Gentiles could not possess this kind of righteousness, they could not, according to their Jewish notions, be justified or saved.

St. Paul's design in this Epistle, is to overturn these notions, and to prove that they were erroneous, not only as they regarded the state of the Gentiles, but also that of the Jews themselves; and to effect this, he declares that "the Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation unto every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."* The Gospel, therefore, according to this Apostle, reveals "a righteousness unknown before, which is derived solely from faith, and to which Jews and Gentiles have an equal claim."

In order to prove this, he shows that both Jews and Gentiles "are under sin;" i. e. that God will impute their sins to Jews as well as Gentiles. His arguments for this purpose may be thus stated:

:

The wrath of God is revealed against those who hold the

* Chap. i. v. 17.