conduct might not difcredit his new religion; and it appeared to thofe with whom he converfed, that there was no perfonal facrifice which he was not ready to make for the fake of Chriftianity. To have the honor of becoming himself a teacher of it, seemed to be the fummit of his wifhes.

In the month of June, 1793, he embarked on board of one of the Sierra Leone Company's veffels, called from him, the Naimbanna after having taken an effectionate leave of his friends in England.

During the paffage, his mind was almost conftantly employed in pondering over thofe diffi. culties which he thought he should have to com. bat on his return to Africa, and in devising the means of overcoming them. Numberless were the plans which he formed for the purpose of spreading the light of the golpel among his rude countrymen; though he feemed at the fame time to fuffer much uneafinefs, from a fear of disappointment, which became ftronger as he approached his native fhores. He had left England in perfect health, but on reaching a warmer climate, he was much affected by the heat, and caught a violent cold, which began with pains in his throat and head, and ended in a fever, which the continual working of his mind had probably contributed much to produce. He was frequently light-headed, and his intervals of fenfe were fhort and few, but they afforded to. those around him ftriking proofs of a humble,

trust in the mercies of God through Chrift, and of a perfect refignation to his will. During one of these intervals, he called to his bed fide a fellow paffenger, and obferving to him, that he began to think he fhould be called hence, before he had an opportunity of telling his mother and friends what mercies God had fhewn him, and what obligations he lay under to the Sierra Leone Company, he begged of the gentleman to write his will, the fubftance of which was, that his brother fhould take charge of his property, till his fon, then a child, came of age; and, in the mean time, fhould reimburse the Sierra Leone Company for the fums advanced by them on his account.

To this he fubjoined a strong request that his brother should, as far as in him lay, oppofe the flave trade, and for the fatisfaction of his friends, he added, "That nothing may be imputed to the Sierra Leone Company by any evil-minded men, whofe intereft may oppofe that of the worthy Company, I here declare, in the prefence of that God, in whom I place my truft, that during my ftay in England, I always enjoyed very good health, and received the greatest civilities from all thofe under whofe care I was, and at my leaving England I was in perfect health."

When the veffel got to Sierra Leone, he had become infenfible to every thing that paffed around himn except for very fhort intervals. He* was taken afhore to the Governor's house at Freetown, where his mother with a brother and

fifter of his, and fome other of his relations, to whom notice of his dangerous ftate had been fent, foon after appeared. The diftracted looks of his mother, and the wildness of his fifter's grief, on feeing him, affected every one; but when at length they perceived that he breathed no more, their fhrieks and cries were diftreffing beyond measure. He died about twelve hours after coming on shore."

Thus ended the days of this amiable and enlightened African, from whofe labors extensive good might have been expected. But before we proceed to make a few reflections on hist ftory, it will be well to notice two memorandums which were found in his pocket-book after his death, and which ferve to confirm what has been already faid of the tenderness of his confcience, and the purity of his manners.

This firft was written in confequence of hist falling into fome company where profane and obfcene converfation had paffed, and was as follows:

"I fhall take care of this company, which I now fall into, for they fware a good deal, and talked all manner of wickedness and filthy. All these things-can I be able to refift that temptation? No, I cannot, but the Lord will deliver me."

The other was written after he had been fome time at fea, and had made fome unavailing remonftrances to the Captain on the profaneness of his crew; and in it, he declared, that "if

the crews of other veffels fhould be like the crew of the Naimbanna, he fhould never think of coming to England, though he had friends there as dear to him as the laft words of his father."

May we not conclude, from the above story, that God has given to the most rude and favage people, minds capable of knowing, loving, and ferving him? And may we not learn hence, to cherish sentiments of kindness and affection towards all men, whatever be their color, or however low they may ftand in the fcale of human beings? Thofe, efpecially, who know how to estimate the bleffings of religion, and who have a regard for the everlafting happiness of their fellow-creatures, will be encouraged by it, to promote, with zeal, every plan which tends to introduce Chriftianity among the favage nations of the earth, or to remove the hindrances of its introduction. Happy, if through their inftrumentality, those who now fit in darkness, fhould be brought, like Naimbanna, to know God and themfelves, and to rejoice in hope of his glory.

Let us alfo learn from this ftory, that God's ways are not as our ways. Short-fighted as we are, we were ready to conclude, that this young man had been fent by heaven to be a bleffing to, Africa, and to fpread the Chriftian religion among his own countrymen. But God, who fees and knows all things, determined otherwife. He faw it right to take Naimbanna from the evil

to come; thus difappointing our hopes, but, at the fame time, teaching us to check the difpo. fition we are too apt to indulge, of prying into the fecrets of heaven, and to conduct all our plans and enquiries, under a fenfe of our own ignorance, and in a full dependence on the overruling providence and righteous government of God.

not to pro

May we not alfo draw a leffon from the conduct of the old king on this occafion? It was not the wealth, the grandeur, the learning, or the arts of England which struck him as defirable, but the religion of England. He fent his fon thither, not to make a fortune, cure an infight into trade, not to form. great connexions, but to learn the chriftian religion. How many parents are there in this country, where it is fo eafy to attain the means of learning the chriftian religion, who takes no pains to make their children acquainted with it?

But a ftill more inftructive leffon, and one which applies more generally, may be drawn from the conduct of the black Prince, whofe ftory has just been told. He comes among us rude and ignorant, with no juft ideas of religion, and after having been accustomed for twentythree years to indulge all his paffions without any restraint. No fooner, however, is chriftianity placed before him, than he is ftruck with its truth and beauty, and embraces it with a child like fimplicity. As he views himself in the glafs of fcripture, he perceives its account