of the next, and for Chrift our common hope, peace, joy, wisdom, righteousness, falvation, and all. In him I meet, love, and embrace you. God bless you all, and crown you with loving-kindnefs and tender mercy all the day long! I live, if you ftand. Don't let me want the reviving cordial of hearing, that you ftand together firm in the faith, broken in humility, and rejoicing in the loving hope of the glory of God. Look much at Jefus. Blefs God much for the gift of his only begotten Son. Be much in private prayer. Forfake not the affembling yourselves together in little companies, as well as in public. Walk in the fight of death and eternity; and ever pray for your affectionate, but unworthy minifter, J. F. To Mr. Thomas York and Daniel Edmunds. My dear Friends, Bristol, Nov. 1777. Have received Mr. York's kind letter, and am encouraged, by the fpirit of love and kindness which it breathes, as well as by your former offer of helping me off with my burdens, to beg you would fettle fome temporal affairs for me. The debt of gratitude I owe to a dying fifter, who once took a very long journey to fee me, when I was ill in Germany, and whom I juft ftopped from coming, laft winter, to Newington to nurfe me; the unanimous advice of the phyficians, whom I have confulted, and the opportunity of tra velling with ferious friends, have at laft determined me to remove to a warmer climate. As it is doubtful, very doubtful, whether I fhall be able to ftand the journey; and, if I do, whether I fhall be able to come back to England; and, if I come back, whether I fhall be able to ferve my church, it is right to make what provision I can, to have it properly served while I live, and to fecure fome fpiritual affiftance to my ferious parishioners when I fhall be no more. I have attempted to build a house in Madeley Wood, about the centre of the parish, where I fhould be glad the children might be taught to read and write in the day, and the grown-up people might hear the word of God in the evening, when they can get an evangelift to preach it to them; and where the ferious people might affemble for focial worship when they have no teacher. This has involved me in fome difficulties about difcharging the expence of that building, and paying for the ground it ftands upon; especially as my ill health has put me on the additional expence of an affiftant. If I had ftrength, I would ferve my church alone, board as cheap as I could, and fave what I could from the produce of the Living to clear the debt, and leave that little token of my love, free from encumbrances cumbrances to my parishioners. But as Providence orders My agreement with Mr. Greaves was to allow him 40 guineas a year, out of which I was to deduct 12 for his board; but as I cannot board him while I go abroad, I defign to allow him, during my abfence 50l. a year, together with the ufe of my houfe, furniture, garden, and my horse, if he chufes to keep one; referving the use of a room, and stall in the ftable, to entertain the preachers who help us in their round; not doubting but that the ferious people will gladly find them and their horfes proper neceffaries. But I know fo little what my income may come to, that I am not sure whether it will yield Mr. Greaves 50l. after paying all the expences of the living. Now, I beg that you will confult together and fee, whether the vicar's income, i. e. tithes, &c. &c. will difcharge all the expences of the living, and leave a refidue fufficient to pay a ftipend of 50l. I except the royalty, which I have appropriated to the expence of the room. If it be, well; if there be any furplus, let it be applied to the room; if there be any thing fhort, then Mr. Greaves may have the whole, and take his chance in that refpect, as it will be only taking the vicar's chance; for I doubt, if fometimes, after neceflary charges defrayed, the vicars have had a clear 50l. I beg you will let me know how the balance of my ac count flands, that, fome way or other, I may order it to be paid immediately, for if the balance is against me, I could not leave England comfortably without having fettled the payment. A letter will fettle this business, as well as if twen ty friends were at the trouble of taking a journey; and talking is far worfe for me than reading or writing. I do not fay this to put a flight upon my dear friends. I fhould rejoice to fee them, if it was to answer any other end, than that of putting on a plaifter, to tear it off as foon as it flicks. Ten thoufand pardons of my dear friends, for troubling them with this fcrawl about worldly matters. May God help us all, fo to fettle our eternal concerns, that when we fhall be called to go to our long home and heavenly country, we may may be ready, and have our acquittance along with us. I am quite tired with writing, nevertheless, I cannot lay by my pen, without defiring my beft Chriftian love to all my dear companions in tribulation and neighbours in Shropshire. I heartily thank Daniel both as church-warden and as receiver and houfe-fteward, and I beg Mr. York again to pay him a proper falary. I am in the best bonds, your affectionate neighbour, friend, and minifter, J. F. The NEGRO - TRADE. A Fragment. A Sea-faring man made his appearance. He was fur rounded by multitudes of perfons, who perfecuted him with interrogatories. This perfon was the captain of a fhip in the Negro-trade. From the converfation which palled between the Captain and thofe who furrounded him, I difcovered, that the cruelties incidental to the Slave trade, were not confined to the unhappy Negroes; but affected alfo the inftruments who carried it on. The Captain before me had gone out mate: the crew had been thirty, of whom only three returned. He had a long fcroll in his hand. It was a lift of the briginal crew. "Where is my daddy ?" asked an infant. Dead. "My hufband ?" inquired a matron. Dead. "My brother?" interrogated a girl. Dead. In this manner he ran through the lift. One had died of a fever. Another had been murdered on fhore. Several had been killed by flaves who had mutinied. When the friends of the deceafed had retired, the captain gave his employers an account of his voyage. Three fhips had gone out together. They had each taken in their quantity of flaves, when a hard gale drove two of them on fhore. One was boarded by the Negroes, and the crew maffacred. On board the other, a fimilar attempt was made by the Negroes in the hold. But the Whites having got command of the fmall arms, fired into the hold, and made dreadful flaughter. Thus circumflanced, one of the Negroes, who had discovered where the powder lay, rufhed into the room, fet fire to a powder-barrel, and blew the veffel to pieces. The captain ran over thefe occurrences of horror with a ftoical calinnefs: but it was no fo with his employers: they frequently interrupted his detail with imprecations against the damned Blacks. And why is this cruelty practifed? That we may have Sugar to fweeten' tea, which debilitates us: Rum to make punch, to intoxicate us: And Indigo, to dye our clothes. În fhort, myriads are made wretched nations are dragged into flavery: to fupply the luxuries of their fellow-creatures! Continuation Continuation of DR. COKE'S JOURNAL through the WEST INDIA Islands. [From Page 549, Vol. XVI.). N the 22d of March, 1793, I fet fail, in the Duke of Cumberland Packet, from the Ifland of Barbadoes for Kington in Jamaica. A French Count, an English Officer, and myself, were the Paffengers. The Count was a very pleafing man, and, like his countrymen in general, all life and fpirit, even in the midst of misfortunes. He informed us that he had been a Member of the Affembly of the States General in France, and confequently of the first National Affembly; but his fervent Loyalty for the King obliged him to fly to England; and his eftates in France, which were confiderable, were confifcated. He had two eftates in St. Domingo, and was going to Jamaica in hopes of procuring fome information concerning them. But he was dreadfully frightened when he came within fight of Hifpaniola, and could neither eat, drink nor fleep, for fear of being taken by a French frigate or privateer. At our first meal on board, he turned round to me, and with all the pathos of the Frenchman, cried out, "Sir, they have murdered my King!" Then he addreffed the company and faid, "I beg your pardon that I have been born a Frenchman!" When we were near the Ifland of St. Vincent's, which lay in our way to Jamaica, the English Officer defired to be fet on fhore, in order to fee a friend, to which the mafter of the packet, John Long, immediately confented; I carneftly intreated the fame favour, but the furly man refufed, although the boat was along fide our vessel, and I was deprived of the opportunity of taking another farewell of my friends in the Ifland. On the 29th, we arrived at Kington, with the news of war. Our Society in this town is fall, in proportion to the fize of the place. It hardly exceeds 200: many of them, however, are much devoted to God. We have alfo fome Local Preachers here, both among the Whites and Blacks, who promife to be ufeful. Mr. Forzbrook, a Merchant's Clerk, (whofe mother was a member of our Society in Caft eDunnington, Leiceflerfhire,) is well qualified to be a Travelling Preacher. I hope, the impediments which his prefent fituation throws in his way, will foon be removed. Mr. Guirey, alfo, a young man from America, is, I believe a tolerable Exhorter: his Father had been a refpectable Merchant in Philadelphia, but met with misfortunes in life, which the greateft integrity, and moft genuine piety, could not prevent. O how difficult is it, and yet how comfortaule, to beneve that " all "all things work together for our good:" Mr. Guirey, the Father, did thus believe; and though reduced from affluence to a low eftate, continued to truft fully in the Lord. Young Mr. Guirey arrived lately from Cape Francois, the Capital of the French part of the Ifland of Hifpaniola. Soon after he landed at Cape Francois, he was informed, that, being an American, he might fafely vifit the Negro-Army. He accordingly went; and, being furrounded by a body of troops, was brought before the General. The General was a Samboy, i. e. the offspring of a Mulatto and a Black, with whom he dined. Several of the General Officers dined with him: and when one of them, whofe face appeared perfectly black, accidentally opened his breaft, Mr. Guirey juft obferved that the fkin was white: fo that his face must have been painted. The defcription which Mr. Guirey gave of the state of the Country was dreadful indeed. The whole feemed to be utterly laid wafte. When the Cane-grounds were fet on fire, many of the Planters were feized by the Negro-Soldiers, and thrown into the fire, and burnt alive. Indeed, the deAtruction of property, and lofs of lives, is hardly to be defcribed. And is it to be wondered at? For Mr. Guirey informed me, that the inhabitants of Cape Francois were arrived at fuch a height of wickedness, that Fornication was frequently practifed in the corners of the streets, and in the open day, without the leaft infamy attending it. Agreeable to this account, was that of a Counfellor in the Ifland of Tortola, who had received his education at Brazen-Nofe College in Oxford, and had taken the Degree of Doctor of Civil Law in that Univerfity. This Gentleman had refided for a few years at Cape Francois, and informed me, that Father and Daughter were frequently known to live together in an incestuous manner; and yet not the leaft cognizance was taken of it by the ruling powers. Is it furprizing that God fhould fo fignally judge fuch a people as this? On Monday, April 1, I fet off with Mr. Fifh and Mr. Guirey, for Montigo-Bay, in order to improve the opening, which I was favoured with about two years ago. After riding in the heat of the fun for a whole day, we came to a place called Old Harbour. When we entered the inn, I perceived that I had never been there before. On enquiry, I found that we had got to the very oppofite fide of the Ifland to what we intended; that we had travelled leeward, inftead of windward However, from the Landlady's account, and from a map of the Ifland, it appeared, that we had loft nothing; it being impoffible to go through the Ifland in a direct line, on account of the fteep and lofty Mountains; and we only took one fide of it instead of the other. |