of earthly wisdom and human policy, we are in dan-
ger of making errors in judgment, and of viewing
the agents of distress, as the primary cause of evil.
But by tracing effects to their causes, and weighing
actions in the equal and unalterable scales of justice
and truth, I believe we shall centre in prospect with
the inspired penman, “Affliction cometh not forth
of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the
ground." Is there not a cause? Consider, yea,
awfully contemplate the announced decree of Him
"who weigheth the mountains in scales, and the
hills in a balance, and meteth out the heavens with
a span, and measureth the water of the seas in the
hollow of his hand; and before whom, all nations
are but as the drop of a bucket," — "Such measure
as ye mete, to you it shall be measured again."

When I view the dreadful scenes of barbarity, at-
tendant on the African slave trade, and its train of
concurrent circumstances, my soul is almost over-
whelmed with discouragement. Judgment is the
Lord's, and he surely will repay. Have the Indians
burned houses; murdered men, women, and chil-
dren; betrayed their friends; carried away into cap-
tivity and bondage, old and young, male and female;
and cruelly burned and tortured others; lurked pri-
vily for prey; shot down men at their ploughs, and
travellers on the road? Yea, they have; until the
rehearsal of many of their horrid scenes of barbar-
ity, has agitated, shocked, and almost convulsed
every nerve.

But what shall I say? How are my feeling
wounded, on being constrained to contrast these
reproaches to humanity, with the conduct of civi-
lized, professing Christian nations? In which I la-