the safety, honour, and welfare of our Sovereign and his kingdoms, than the utter abolition of that execrable commerce, which has been so long the disgrace of every king, of every nation that have permitted it? A commerce, which, if longer persisted in, may draw down the vengeance of an offended God to visit, not only Great Britain, but all Europe, with every calamity which they justly deserve who even connive at the destruction, or permit the captivity, of HIS OFFspring. that civilization should always either precede or accompany conversion. How much the benevolent intention of the Society abovementioned has been impeded, if not absolutely prevented, not only by the Slave-seller but the Slave-buyer, may be gathered from a most judicious discourse of the present Bishop of Bangor, preached before that Society in the year 1787, which I earnestly recommend to the reader, as he will there find arguments against the Slave-Trade, that will make him ample amends for any deficiency of them in these few and hastily-written pages. SERMON XV.. St. John iii. 8. THE WIND BLOWETH WHERE IT LISTETH, AND THOU HEAREST THE SOUND THEREOF, BUT CANST NOT TELL WHENCE IT COMETH AND WHITHER IT GOETH; SO IS EVERY ONE THAT IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT. THIS is part of the remarkable conversation, which our Saviour held with the Pharisee, Nicodemus; and a text usually cited by those persons who hold the doctrine of a new-birth in a literal sense, and suppose that Christian regeneration is a certain miraculous impulse communicated in a sensible manner, by the Holy Ghost, to such peculiar favorites of Heaven, as are supposed to constitute the elect. In consequence of which, they believe that without some such self-convincing circumstance, which they denominate an internal feeling, no Christian can be assured that he is in a state of Grace, that his Salvation is secured, or his Sins pardoned. Now, as this opinion has frequently been productive of the worst consequences, and led its mistaken adherents |