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Show 66 TilE 1\IONTHLY OFF.ERJNG. terests of each one of our fellow creatures, as if they were our own. This involves the duties of doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God. It embraces the self-evident duties of universal, disinterested benevolence, compassion, condescension, kindness, forbearance, charity, and whatever is pure, lovely, and of good report But slavery, both in principle and practice, is a plain violation of both these cardinal and comprehensive divine precepts, upon which hang all the law and the prophets. No system which ever assumed the form of law, was ever a more palpable violation of the law of Ged. Slavery is exceedingly offensive to the f eelings of God. The injustice of slavery is offensive to his love of righteousness. The selfishness of slaYery is offensive to his infinite benevolence. The cruelty of slavery is offensive to his tender compassion. The lewdness of slavery is offensive to His infinite purity. The sophistry of slavery is offensive to His love of truth. And the degrading tenden• cy of slavery is abhorrent to His love of knowledge, holiness and happiness. Both in principle and practice, in its nature and tendencies, it is abomination to the Lord. His soul abhors it, and it grie1•es him at his very heart to see such havoc made with the beauty and glory of a part of his intelligent creation. Slavm·y is dishonorable to God. By assuming his pre• rogative to give supreme law to creatures, slaveholderg dishonor His supremacy. By wresting it in favor of slave• ry, they dishonor His word. They mar the works of God, by transforming His rational offspring into chattels. They reproach their Maker, by representing him as the author or approver of the system of slavery. In its nature, tenJ dencies and appendages, slavery is highly dishonorable to God. If any thing is malum in se, slavery is a flagrant, impious and palpable sin against the rights, the law, the feelings and the honor of God. Slavery is also a bold and ,-eckless invasion of 1, uman rights. It tal<es away the right of its victims to th r. r own per8ons; to enjoy civil and religious liberty ; the-ir right Sl~ OF SLAVERY. 67 to give a supreme attention to the Bible, and to qualify themselves to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creat.ure;" to worship God according to the dictates of conscrence; to form and enjoy domestic relations and happiness; to cont~o_l and train up their offspring in. the nurture and atlmonltwn of the Lord, for the kin"uom of heaven; to possess and enjoy the fruit of their o1;n industry ; to prove all things and hold fast that which is good; to ~ebuk~ and reprove others for their transgressions, not suffenng sm upon a brother; to preserve their own health and lives; and in short, it takes away their right to make strenuous and successful efforts to rise to a state of knowledge, holiness, usefulness and happiness. These are some of the prin c ip~l rights which God has o-iven to t~e hu~a~ race. The possession and enjoyment ~f these nghts. IS vHal to the useft1lness, dignity and happiness of' man_lo~d, and essential to our properly worshipin" and glonfymg God; while the invasion of them tends to the ruin of the whole man, soul and body. It tends to inflame the worst passions of our nature. What is better adapted to provoke to anger, wrath, strife, hatred, reveno-e and othe~ dire passions, than slavery 1 To take away 'these· cardmal human rights, tends powerfully to sap the foundation of all virtue, order, and happiness; and to subvert eve-ry thmg that is near and dear to man. 'Vho can conceive· a greater ou_trage upon human rights than slavery? Slavery ts a most cruel outmge upon ltuman feelin"s. It t~amples upon conscience-makes nothing of natural ':tf. fectwn-crushes the tender sympathies of the soul to the e~rth; and neithes regards the sighs for mental and cord tal happiness, or the cries and groans of human suffering. Every species of human feeling, however sacred or valuable, are immolated by the cruel system of slavery. It is perhaps impossible to conceive a greater outrage upon the feelmgs of humanity. Of what avail is it for the slave to constder his rational and moral nature,formed in the image of God-or to rellcctupon the native dignity of his deathless soul, capable of endle~s and accelerated improvement in |