Qass. 
 Book- 
 
 
37 
 
 I 
 
THE DUTY OF 
 
 Union in a juft War, 
 
 DISCOURSE, 
 
 DELIVERED IM 
 
 SfONEHJM, (MJSSJ JprilS, 1815- 
 
 BEING 
 
 THE DAY OF THE STATEr! 
 
 J^y JOHN H. STEVENSy V. D. M. 
 Paftor of the Church in faid Town. 
 
 FUBLISHiD BY DESIRE OF THE HEARERS. 
 
 AUBURN,. 
 
 CATVGA COUNTr, 
 1814. 
 
h 
 
 
r )' 'F^^imaamm^nammKm^Kfi^KKmmmmmmmmmmmimmmmmmmmmmmmmrmgggggggf^ .jiwii.» 
 
 DISCOURSE. 
 
 5K 
 
 mmmmmmm. 
 
 JUDGES, r. 23. 
 
 Curfe ye, Meroz, faid the Angel of the Lord; curfe ye bitterly the in- 
 habitants thereof; becaufe they came not to the help of the Lord, to 
 the help of the Lord agiiinll the mighty. 
 
 ALL Scripture is given by infpiration of God, and is 
 profitable for dodrine, for reproof, for corrcdioii, (or ia- 
 ftrudion in righteoufnefs. 
 
 The paflage 1 firft read, wc find recorded in the fong 
 C(^mpofed by Deborah, an infpired prophctefs, and judge 
 injllrael. She compofed and fung this fong in confe- 
 qiience of a fignal victory gained over the enemies of If- 
 ralei, in riaie of war; a war in which God himfelf had 
 Cf^mmandcd them to engage in, for the defence of their 
 rilghts, liberties and biclfings. 
 
 Ifraei, for whom God had done great thing;;, finned 
 wich a high hand againft him; and to puniih them for 
 their idolatry and wickednefs, the Lord fuffered Jabin, a 
 powerful king of Canaan, to opprefs them and bring them 
 into bondage, and afflid them twenty years. This hum- 
 bled them, and they cried unto the Lord, and he directed 
 Deborah to call upon Barak to colledt an army, and march 
 againft the army of Jabin, commanded by Sifera, and the 
 Lord promifed to deliver them into his hand. When the 
 requifiiion for men was made, fome of the governors of- 
 fered themfelvcs and the people willingly; others held 
 back and rcfufcd their aid; however, Deborah, the pro- 
 phetefs, and Barak, the general, with his little army^ 
 rrmrched, and attacked the mighty hoft of their cnemichj^ 
 and overthrew thcm^ and fo delivered their nation Irooi 
 
4 
 
 ©pprefiion: for the Lord was with them, and fought for 
 Ifrael againft their enemies. This one battle was To de- 
 cifive that it put an end to the war, and the land had reft 
 forty years. Deborah and Barak celebrated this vidory 
 in a divine fong, in which they call upon kings, and all 
 people to confider what wonderful things God had done 
 for Ifrael. They defcribe the fin and mifcry of the na- 
 tion; they render praifc to God; they give commenda- 
 tion to feme of the Ifraelitcs, and pafs cenfures on others, 
 fe'fpecially the inhabitants of Meroz, mentioned in the 
 text : Curfeyey MeroZy /aid the angel of the Lord, curje ye 
 bitterly the inhabitants thereof -^ becaujs they came not to the 
 helf) of the Lord, to the help cf the Lord agaivfi the migh-^ 
 
 This paiTc]ge of fcripture contains the following general 
 tnitlis: — 
 
 i . One nation may be fo opprefTed by another, that 
 it may be the wiii of the Lord for them to take up arms, 
 and go to war with their opprefiors. 
 
 1!. \v\ fucha cafe, it is the duty of the whole nation t^> 
 unite againft the common enemy. \ 
 
 3. If any part of t\\^ nation, in thefe circumRancesl, 
 withhold their aid and help from their own nation, and 
 fide wifh the enemy, it is highly difpleafing to God.-^-j.,^ 
 This was the condu(!^ of the inhabitants of Meroz, ancjl 
 the angel of the Lord ordered them to be curfed with ai 
 bufer curfe. 
 
 4. A nation engaged in a jufl: war, a war for the de- j^ 
 fence of their jufl rights; a war that God approves; fuch W^ 
 a war God confiders as his own caufc, and to help in fuch 
 
 a caufe is to come to the help of the Lord; and if the na- 
 tion, in thefe circumftances, humble themfelves for their 
 fins, and cry unto the Lord, he will be with them, and 
 whatever difficulties may be in the way, however power- 
 ful the enemy may be, if they have nine hundred chariots 
 of war, or a thoufand (hips of war, yet the Lord will give 
 victory to the opprefled, who humbly truft in him. 
 
 In order to iilultratc and make application of this fub- 
 jed, for our benefit on this occafion, I Ihall confidcr the 
 fimilarky between t4ie character and condud of Ifrael, and 
 
that of our own nation; and the fimilarity of God's deal- 
 ings towards Ifrael, and that of our nation. 
 
 I , W hat great things the Lord did for Ifracl, in bring- 
 ino- them out of bondage into Egypt, conduding them to 
 Canaan, calling out the heathen and planting them in the 
 good land. llVael, the feed of Abraham, God*s friend, 
 were enflavcd in Egypt; Pharaoh, a cruel tyrant, op- 
 preflfd rbem, »nd let tafk-mafters over them, and made 
 them ferve with rigor, and prevented their worihipping 
 God agreeably to the dilates of their own conlcienccs. 
 They cried unto the Lord in their diRrefs, and he heard 
 them, and fent Mofcs to deliver them. God wrought 
 wonders in Egypt by the hand of Mofes; and at length 
 he brought his people out, and led them on to the Red 
 Sea, which the Lord divided, and led them through on 
 dry (ground: their enemies attempting to follow were 
 fwepraway by the returning billows. He led them in the 
 \\ildernefs forty years, wich a pillar of cloud by day, and a 
 riillar of fire by night. He wrought many wonderful 
 rkiracles on their behalf, and at lal> divided Jordan, and 
 I* Id them over into Canaan. And ^^hcn r.he hear hen ccm- 
 Vjined againft them, the Lord fought for them, and gave 
 them the vi(51:ory, and fettled thcro quietly in that good 
 nnd, flowing as with milk and honey, and they fpread 
 aS^ro.d, and became a great nation. 
 
 "^ What a pidure this exhibits of the great and marvel- 
 
 Icjus things God has done for our nation. Our fathers 
 
 wWe in bondage in England, affiicled wi:h the hard hand 
 
 of tyranny and'oppreffion: they were pcrfecuted, oppreii- 
 
 cd and profciibed, and notfulTered the free enjoyment of 
 
 their holy religion. They werelopprcffed wich enorm<;US 
 
 taxes, were profccuted, impiifoned and fined, for v/or- 
 
 fnipping God agreeably to the didtates of their own con- 
 
 fcicnce."^ They cried unto the Lord in their dillrefs, and 
 
 he heard dicm, and put it into their hearts to emigrate 
 
 from their native country, to this then howUng wildcr- 
 
 refs. The Lord took our fathers under his protection, 
 
 ard brought rhem acrofs the wide ocean, and planted 
 
 them in this American land; and when the heathen, who 
 
 were numerous, Cv^mbined againft them, the Lord was on 
 
 A 2 
 
their fide. He weakened and dcftroyed the enemy by 
 pedilencc, and in various ways, and gave our fathers vic- 
 tory; he caufed them to take root, increafc aed ipread 
 abroad in this land; he bleffed them in their bafket and 
 ftore, and raifed them up to a great people. And when 
 the mother country faw their profperity, Ihe envied them, 
 and fought to opprefs them here as fhc had done at home; 
 fhe fent over her fleets and her armies to enforce her un- 
 juft mandates. Our fathers, trulting in the Lord, took up 
 arms, determined to defend thtir rights; and the God of 
 armies was wich them, and defeated the enemy, and led 
 them on to vidlory, independence, and a rank among the 
 nationsof the earth. The Lord has, fmce that period^ 
 greatly blefied and profpered this nation, and favored us 
 with every temporal and fpiritual, civil and religious pri- 
 vilege; he has caufed us to become a great, rich, and pow- 
 erful nation. God has done great and marvellous things 
 for us as a people. 
 
 2. After God had done fuch great things for Ifrael, ar^d 
 had fettled them in the good land of Canaan in pcac^, 
 where they enjoyed his word and ordinances, and cvel/ 
 blefllng, we friOiild have fuppofed they would have fo; 
 faken all other Gods, and feared, worfhipped and fcrvtr 
 the Lord Jeh<^vah with all the heart. But infbcad of *J^is 
 they finned againft him; they for fook the rock of tllS it 
 falvation, and went after ftrange Gods and worfliippe 
 them, as it is faid in ^our coniext — ^hey choje them fiez^ 
 Gcds, and did evilin ihe fight of the Lord,^ 
 
 And has not our aaiiony in this particular, done as Ifrael 
 did, forfaken Gvd, and done great evil in his fight? 
 When vye conhder what great things God has done our 
 nation, in planting it in this good land, increafing and 
 proujering it, and v. hen its enemies rofe up, and came in 
 like a flood, the Lord lifted up a Randard, and arrefte 
 their progrefb, and gave us victory, gave us peace, and! 
 tilabiifhed us a nation, and blcHed us on every hand, and ' 
 gave us his wnrd, his fabbath, his gofpcl and orcUnanceSa 
 Vv hen we confidcr how much God has done for u««, might 
 it not have b^cn expeded that we (hould have been an 
 cbfditnt people; that we fhuuld have choien God (ot 
 
eur portion, and feared, loved, and ferved him, wlrh ill 
 the heart ; that our enquiry v/ouid have been, IVbat Jhall 
 we render unto the Lord for alibis benefits unto us as a peo- 
 ple ? But of this humble, pious, obedient, holy condudb, 
 we have, Jefhurun like, waxed fat., and kicked againji the 
 Lord', we have, as a people, forfaken the Lord God of 
 our forefathers, and lightly eilimated the rock of our fal- 
 vation. Like Ifrael, we have done great evil in the fighc 
 of the Lord, and provoked the Holy One to anger. All 
 kinds of iniquity have abounded in this nation, and been 
 crying to heaven for vengeanee. We have been un- 
 grateful to God, the giver of all our mercies : we have 
 been ungrateful for our health and {^rength i ungrateful 
 for our food and raiment ; ungrateful for our civil and 
 religious liberty; ungrateful for peace that we have en- 
 joyed fo long; ungrateful for the fabbath, the gofpel and 
 its ordinances; ungraceful for Jefus Chrii^ and his crrcac 
 faivation ; ungrateful for the Holy Spirit and his graci- 
 cious influence in the converfion of fumers. 
 
 Fiide is a fin which has greatly prevailed in this na- 
 tion. We have been lifted up with pride; we have 
 been proud of our independence; proud of our liberty; 
 proud of o!ir conlHcutions of g jV':rnraent; proud of 
 our rulers, our numbers and weakh. Some have been 
 proud of their religion, and others of their wickednefs, 
 glorying in their Ihame. Fride is a hateful, dangerous 
 fin. Pride goes before defiru^ioUy and a haughty fpirit be- 
 fore a fall, God is [aid to know the proud afar ojf] to hate 
 p'ide-y and he has laid be will (lain the pride efatlflejjj. 
 
 Profanenefs is another awful fin in our land. We 
 have become a profane nation : thoufands and thoufandjs 
 every day, bhfphcming the holy name of God, uttering 
 horrid oaths and imprecations upon themielves and 
 others. All ages and lexes are ucteang this profane lan- 
 guag.e ; even ittilc children, curfing and fwearing, and 
 taking the h. ly and reverend names o\ God and Cijrilt in 
 vain. Thou frjalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in 
 "jaihy is ihc divine command : by reafm of iwearin?' the land 
 mcurtteth^ and the pestfaii folates of ihe zviicliniefs are dried 
 
 ■'h 
 
8 
 
 Intemperance Is another prevalent fin in this nation i 
 the intemperate ufe of fpirituous liquors has become aw- 
 fully alarming. It is thought by fome> that ardent fpirirs 
 confumtd in this nation, cofi: more than to maintain go- 
 vernment. Many arc given up to intoxication, fpending 
 their property, deflroying their health, bringing diame 
 and poverty upon their families, and fitting their fouls for 
 perdition. This vice leads on to many others, fuch as 
 idlenefs, gaming, lewdnefs, and the like. This fin has 
 becorne lo prevalent and alarming, that ferious people 
 through the (late and nation, are uniting together and 
 forming focieties for the exprcfs purpofe of fuppreffing 
 ic. 
 
 Falfehood is another great fin, which incrcafes the 
 guilt of this nation. A lying fpirit has taken pofieflion 
 of the hearts of many. What falfehoods are uttered by 
 many to cover their own wickednefs ; to deceive and 
 cheat their fellow -men in their dealings, and to injure the 
 charader of men both in an out of office ; How arc our 
 public prints, which ought to be vehicles of truth, turn- 
 ed into channels of falfehood and mifreprefcntation ? 
 
 Gaming and vain amufements are prevailing fins which 
 many live in, and many profefled Chriftians too, to the 
 difhonor of God and difgrace of religi-m. Sabbath- 
 breaking is another great fin in our land j how is the 
 Lord's day vi<)lated, and turned by many into a holiday 
 for feafting, and drinking and vificing, and riding abroad, 
 and doing worldly bufinefs ? God faid to Ifraei, If ye wilt 
 not hearken unto me to hallow the Jahhath day^ and not to 
 hear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerujalemy en 
 thejabbath day^ then will I kindle afire in the gates thereof y 
 and it Jh all devour the palaces of Jerufalemj and it fo all not 
 he quenched, 
 
 Levvdnels, perjury, and opprefTion, are great fins in this 
 land. Divifion, ilrife, and contention, are abounding fins, 
 which threaten the rijin of our nation, for the Lord has 
 laid J a kingdom divided againft itjelf cannot ft and. An in- 
 ordinate thirlt for property and love of money, is to be 
 found am-.^ng the previiiling fins in this nation. We are 
 told in the word uf Gud, Jhe love of money is the root of 
 
all evil. Perhaps there never was a nation that mani- 
 fefled greater love of money, and zeal to acquire wealth, 
 than this nation has for many years. It has been fpoken 
 of by other nations, what lovers of money Americans 
 were ! Many have made a God of wealth and worfhipped 
 Mammon. It is owing to this .cupidity in many, that 
 the noble flame of pp-triotifm. that burnt in the hearts of 
 their fathers, is quenched in them, and they are difpofed 
 to fupply the enemy for the fake of gain. Idolatry has 
 been no'fmall fm in this land; we have fet up idols in our 
 heart and worfhipped them. Theft, robbery, and mur- 
 der are great fins, which not a few in this nation have 
 been concerned in perpetrating. The Lord faid to I fracl. 
 Will a man rob God ? 2>/ ye have robbed me, even this 
 whole nation. This has been our criminal condu6t ; we 
 have robbed God of that love, homage, praife, and ado- 
 radon, which was his due, and our duty to render. Ma- 
 ny great and awful errors have been euibraced by many 
 in this nation, fuch as Arminianifm, Antinomianiim, So- 
 cinianifm, Univeifalifm, Deifm, and Atheifm.^ Jefus 
 ChriR-, the eternal fon of God, has been called an impoll- 
 or; the bible has been ridiculed as prieftcvaft and delulion i 
 experimental religion has been denounced as enthufiafm, 
 and the work of the fpirit of God afcribed to Satan by 
 many. A preached gofpel and holy ordinances have 
 been dcfpifed and negledted, and oppofition to God, to 
 Chrift, and his wholly kingdom, has greatly abounded in 
 this nation. O 1 what a finful people we have been ; 
 what evil we have done in the fight of the Lord, to pro- 
 voke him to anger, and to pull down judgements upon us, 
 as it is at this time! Our fins have been the primary 
 caufe of all our fufFerings, and our calamity at tlie prcfent 
 day; I fear and deprecate them more than all the ene- 
 mies that have, or can come -againfl us, 
 
 S, God was angry with Ifraei for their idolatry, ingrari- 
 tude, profanenefs and wickednefs, and to punifa them he 
 fold them into the hands of Jabin, a powerful king of 
 Canaan, as appears from our context. Jabin was a great 
 king in thofc days -, he had nine hundred chariots of iron 
 
 A iil 
 
10 
 
 for war, and his army was equal. It is written, twenty 
 years he naightily opprefled the children oflfraelj hedif- 
 armed rhem and made them tributary j he had his fol- 
 diers ftationed through the land, and by the highwaysj 
 and their opprelTions were fuch, that it is faid by Deborah 
 in her fong, That the villages were dejerted by the inhabit^ 
 a?2ts ', the highways were unoccupiedy and the travellers 
 walked through bye-ways, to avoid the enemy. When 
 even the women went out to draw water, their archers 
 would wantonly flioot their arrows at them. Thus the 
 Lord for twenty years fuffcred this tyrant Jabin to opprefs 
 Ifracl, to punifh them for their wickednefs, to humble 
 them, to caufe ihem to feel cheir dependance upon him. 
 Now the Lord has been treating our nation in the fame 
 way, and for the fame reafons. To punifli us for our 
 many and great fins againlt the Lord, he has fufTercd the 
 king of England, for about twenty years mightily to op- 
 prefs us. It is about twenty years (ince England began 
 to imprcfs our feamen and take our vefl'eis, under one 
 pretext or another, and infult us and make depredations 
 upon us ; and there is no doubt we have been plundered 
 of vaftly more property, and fufFered more perfonal in- 
 jury, in the courle of twenty years, from the king of 
 England and his nation, than Ifrael did in the fame time 
 from Jabin and his nation. Jabin was a powerful king; 
 he had nine hundred chariots of iron. George the ^d 
 has been a powerful king ; he has had a thoufand (hips of 
 war, and by them he has commanded the ocean, and 
 claimed it as his property; by them he has plundered the 
 nations, flaughtered thoufands and tens of thoufands, re- 
 duced cities to afhes, and fpread death and defolation far 
 and wide. With his thoufand fhips he has committed 
 every outrage and cruelty, and robbery, and murder, 
 man-ilealing and depredation, that the moft barbarous 
 nations have been guilty of England has taken from 
 us^, in time of peace, without any juft provocation, about 
 a thoufand vellels, wiih their rich cargoes, carried them 
 into her own ports, condemned and loid them, and put 
 the money into her own coffers, to the amount of many 
 miilions of dollars. All this we have borne without re- 
 
i I 
 
 fitlancc for m?iny years. We have complained and re- 
 moniUated, and pkad with them by negociation, to ccafe 
 their plundering and takir;g our veiltis, and do us juilicc. 
 They have amufed us with fair words, but continued the 
 pradice. Can the annals of hiftory furnilh an inftance, 
 where a nation at peace with another nation, and without 
 giving any juft caule of offence, has been plundered to 
 the amount our nation has ? Not one, I prefume. There 
 never was, and I trull there never will be, fuch a cafe 
 while man inhabits the earth. 
 
 But this opprcffion, great and long as it has been, is 
 not to be compared to another we have endured; that is, 
 imprefling, holding in cruel bondage, Ilarving, whipping, 
 and fometimcs putting to death our native citizens, who 
 are fcamen. For twenty years they have continued the 
 pradice of imprefling our fcamen out of our merchant 
 velTels, aboard their fliips of war; this I confider to be 
 manftealing, which the word of God ranks among the 
 greateft crimes. It is impoffible to afcertain the cxaft 
 number they have imprefled; but from the public docu- 
 ments I have feen, from the numbers found aboard their 
 fhips we have taken, and the ftatement of their own muf- 
 ter books, which have fallen into our hands, from the 
 bcft information I have been able to obtain on this fub- 
 jc61, it is my opinion chat in the courfe of twenty years, 
 Great Britain has imprelTed more than twenty thoujand of 
 our fcamen, multirudes of whom were native-born A- 
 mcricans. Thus the hufband has been torn from his be- 
 loved wife and children; the fon from his parents, his 
 brothers and fillers; the citizen from his home, and na- 
 tive land, and been wafted to diftant climes, and held in 
 cruel bondage, one, five, ten, and eighteen years. To 
 hear the (latement of fome, under oath, who have lived to 
 return, defcribing their fuffcring, is enough to fill the foul 
 with horror. Some depofe and fay, when they were im- 
 prefled becaufe they would not enter, they have been put 
 in irons, kept on bread and water, and whipped a dozen 
 lafhes every week, until wore down by hunger and 
 fcourging, they were forced to enter. One depofed, 
 that after he was imprciTed, he attempted to efcape; was 
 
12 
 
 retaken, carried back, and whipped fixty lafhes, and 
 then imnierfed in cold water one hour. This is the way 
 our native citizens have been tortured aboard of their 
 floating badiles. Who that has American blood running 
 in his veins, can hear of thefe cruelties infiided upon our 
 own citizens without indignation? Yet we are told by 
 fome, that this is a fmall affair, not worth contending for 
 a moment i but let fuch unfeeling fouls be placed under 
 the difcipiine of a Britifh man-of-war, for one year, and 
 they would no longer fpeak with fo much apathy about 
 the fufferings of our feafaring brethren. 
 
 England has come into our waters with her fliips, fired 
 upon our citizens, and killed them. She has fent fpies 
 among us to ftir up divifion, withdraw the people from 
 their governments and difmember the union; (he has 
 armed and excited the barbarian of the wildernefs to make 
 war upon us, lay walle our frontiers, to butcher and fcalp 
 men, women, and children ; and the fcalp, reeking in 
 blood, I have underftood they have been in the habit of 
 purchafing at fix dollars a piece. But am I ftating the 
 horrid conduct of a Chriftian nation, or that of Turks 
 and Arabs ? Yes, that of a Chriftian nation. I have 
 been noticing fome of thofe evils and opprciTion we have 
 been fuffering from that government which has been 
 fly led, " The bulwark of our rcIigicH, and the world's lai 
 hope,'' But from fuch a bulwark, may the Lord in mercy 
 fave us and our pofterity. 
 
 However pious and godly many of the people in Eng- 
 land may be, and I believe God has many dear children 
 there, who are groaning under the opprefTion of their ru- 
 lers; yet I do believe, in my heart, that there is not a 
 more corrupt and wicked government on earth than the 
 Britifh government. They have, in my opinion, caufed 
 more v/ars, bloodfhed, mifery, and defolation in the earth 
 than any other government. I believe they have been 
 the caufeof moft of the wars Napoleon has been engaged 
 in, which have caufed rivers of blood to flow. No doubt 
 they were the caufe of the late war between France and 
 Rijflla, which the laft year fwept (probably) three hun- 
 dred thoufand fouls. into eternity. 1 believe the blood 
 
1 
 
 <*. 
 
 6f millions is crying to heaven for vengeance upon this 
 corruDt government J and undoubtedly the tioie is not 
 far di'dant, when the Lord in his anger will overturn it, 
 and in anfwer to the prayers of the good people of Eng- 
 land, blefs them wirh a better government. The crucU 
 ties which have been perpetrated by this government, on 
 her own fubjeds in England and Ireland; on the Danes, 
 and in many parts of Europe; in the Eaft and Weft In* 
 dies; in Africa and America, are enough to aftonifh 
 heaven and earth, were they fully known; but enough i» 
 known to fill the foul with horror ! ^ 
 
 What wanton waftc of property did they caufe in this 
 land, in the former war 1 Falmouth, Charleftown, Dan- 
 bury and many other fine towns, were wantonly burnt to 
 afhes. But this was nothing compared to the /avagc 
 cruelties committed on our poor prifoners that the for* 
 tune of war put in their power. More than eleven thou- 
 fand, it has been faid, were poifoned, ftarved, and by 
 other cruel treatment, deftroyed aboard their piifon fhips 
 at New York. And William Cunningham, who was 
 provoftmarihal to the royal army at New- York, (after- ^ 
 wards executed for forgery) confefTed before his cxecu- 
 tion, th^twitb, and without the orders of his government, 
 more than twothoufand American prifoners he had ilarv- 
 ed to death in the different churches of New- York, where 
 they were coniined ; and that he had caufed two hundred 
 and feventy-five to be hung in the dead of the night, and 
 buried 1 Give ear, O heavens ! and be aflonifhed, O 
 earth I This v/as the way our poor fathers and brethren 
 were facrificed by this government and its agents jn the 
 lad war; and they have begun the fame horrid pradicc 
 again the prefent war. They allow their favage allies to 
 murder and fcalp our poor wounded prifoners, and then 
 leave them unburied for the fwine to feed upon, as was 
 the cafe at the river Raifin; and all this, too, in violation 
 of folemn articles of capitulation. Other prifoners they 
 have Ihutup in infcded jails and prilbn-ihips, and kepc 
 them on rotten, damaged provifions, undl difcafe has 
 ended their days. But mv heart iickens, and my nerves 
 
 ' B 
 
14 
 
 trcmolc, in the recital of thefc barbarities and cruelties 
 which we have fufFcred from this nation. Now fay tny 
 hearers ; fay an impartial world, have we not caufe of 
 war with this nation ? Is not the war in which wc arc en- 
 gaged juft ? and may we not believe a God of jufticc 
 approves ofit ? 
 
 4. Ifrael was fo oppreflcd by Jabin, and had borne his 
 tyranny fo long, even twenty years, that it was the will 
 of the Lord that they fhould take up arms, and go to v/ar 
 and fight their opp re (Tors: And the Lord revealed his 
 mind and will to Deborah, a prophctcfs. The people 
 cried unto the Lord in their diftrefs, and he heard them ; 
 he faw that they had borne the oppreflion of this haughty 
 tyrant long enough without refinance ; hence he diredl- 
 cd Deborah to call for Barak, and order him to colledt 
 an army and fight their oppreflbrf. Here is one inftance, 
 among many others, recorded in the bible, where it was 
 the will of God for a nation to go to war with their op» 
 prcflbrs for the defence of their juft rights j and I as fully 
 believe that it is the will of the Lord God of our fore- 
 fathers, that our nation fhould take up arms aud go ta 
 war with Britain, our opprefTor* For aught I can fee, 
 as great caufes exifted in our cafe as did in Ifrael's. 
 They had been opprelTed for a long time, even twenty 
 years; fo have we. Their opprefTors were powerful ; 
 they kad nine hundred chariots of war. Our opprefTors 
 are powerful j they have a thoufand fhips of war^ Ifrael 
 had been robbed and plundered, and their pcrfons cn- 
 flaved. We have been plundered of millions, and many 
 of oi;r citizens enflaved. Their efTential rights were af- 
 failed i fo are ours. They undoubtedly rcmonftrated 
 againfl the condu<5t of their opprefTors ; wc have done 
 the fame. We have rcmonftratcd, negociated, implored, 
 and increatedour opprefTors to ceafc their depredations, 
 leave off imprefTmg, abufing and enflaving our citizen 
 feameni but all to no purpofe. Now, if we have been 
 opprcffed as long as Ifrael was ; if we have been plunder- 
 ed as much as they were; if we have been enflaved, and 
 the perfons of our citizens injured as much as they were ; 
 if we have given the enemy no juft caufc to opprefs and 
 
15 
 
 injs!ir€ us ; \t wc have i ought for years, in the mofl fair 
 and honed way, to obtain rcdrefs of our grievances in ^ 
 peaceable way, why is it not juft and right for us now to 
 draw the fword, and defend our right ? And have J we not 
 evidence that it is the will of God ? and that he approves 
 of the war in which we are now engaged againil Great 
 Britain— -I believe we have. 
 
 In this age of the church and the v;orld, we tre not to 
 - cxpe£t the Lord to make known his mind and will by 
 fj^ecial revelation, as he did to Ifrael; neither are wc to 
 look for his miraculous interpolition in our favor, and the 
 deftrudlion of our enemies, as he granted to Ifrael. But 
 wc are to judge of God's mindand will, from a view of his 
 moral charader, which is eternally the i^me ; and from 
 parallel cafes, where God has declared expreflly or im- 
 plicitly, his approbation of a nation's going to war for the 
 defence of the rights and bleflings he has beftowed upon 
 them. Now judging by this rule, I think it is a clear 
 cafe, that God approves of the war in which we are nnvr 
 •engaged for the defence of our jufl rights.-- I am far froai 
 fuppofing it would be juft and right tor a nation to go co 
 war for every infuk 6c injury that they might receive from 
 another nation. No, to make a war juft and righteous, 
 and have it approved by heaven, the injuries muH: be 
 many and great, and long perfiftcd in ; they mufl be with- 
 out any juft provocation, and the injured nation muft 
 make all fuitablc exertions, amicably and peaceably, to 
 obtain rcdrefs of their grievances. Now I believe in my 
 heart, all this is true of our nation ; I have in my poftei- 
 fion all the printed documents laid before Congrefs, of 
 all the negociation for years, between our government and 
 that of Great Britain, and cannot fee what could have bc^n 
 faid or done more by negociation, to convince the enemy 
 of their wrong, and prevail with them to ceafe their de- 
 predations and opprcffions, and do us julticc. For years 
 diplomatic language has been exhaulted, but in vain; 
 hence the inference is clear as the fun in the firmamtnc 
 of heaven, that the war in which our nation is engaged, is 
 
 A JU^T AND A RIGHTEOUS WAR, AND THAT GOi^ 
 
 APPROVES ITo 
 
16 
 
 5. As we have evidence the war in which we are now 
 ^np-iged, is a jull and righteous v;ari a war which God 
 approves, it is r.hc duty of ihe whole nation to unite in ie* 
 It was the duty of all Ifrael to unite, and grant all their 
 aid and help in the war sgainfl Jabin, their opprefibri 
 every tribe, city, town, and family, belonging to the fame 
 nation, were all bound together in the fame family corn- 
 pad, were liable to the fame oppreflion from the enemy, 
 and would reap mutual benefit in cafe of vidory; hence 
 it was the duty of ail to come up to the help of the Lord; 
 to the help of the Lord againft the mighty. And, my 
 hearers, it is equally the duty of our whole nation, to 
 unite and help in the war we are forced into, for the de- 
 fence of our jud and violated rights. It is the duty of 
 every (late, every city, every town, every family and per- 
 fon in this nation, to unite all their wifdom, all their wealth, 
 all their power, and all their energies, againfl the com- 
 mon foe, v/ho has fo long and fo wantonly opprelTed us. 
 We all belong to the fame nation j the dates are all con- 
 federated and bound together in the mod folemn manner, 
 under one and the fame conftitutionj we are a great body 
 poiiricj and, as in the natural, fo in the political body, if 
 ine member Juffer^ all the member sjuffer with it \ ur cnemem^ 
 her he honored^ all the members rejoice with it. 
 
 We have all been infulted, we have all been opprefied, 
 we have all been injured, we have all felt the efFedts of the 
 plunder and robbery of the enemy; it has increafed the 
 price of mod foreign articles one third, which we all help 
 confume; we are all hurt by the imprelTment of our poor 
 feamen; we are all concerned in the injuries heaped upon 
 our nation, and we (liall all be beneficted by compelling 
 the enemy to ceafe her depredations, and make a jud and 
 honorable peace with us. Hence it is the imperious du- 
 ty of every fedion of the country, of every part of the 
 nation, to unite againd our great and common enemy, 
 
 6. I am led to obferve, that fomc part of Ifrael refufed 
 
 their aid and help in the war againd Jabin, their cruel 
 
 opprefibr, and the Lord was exceedingly difpleafcd with, 
 
 \nd the angel of the Lord ordered them to be curfcd with 
 
 a\>itter curfc. When it was determined to take up arras 
 
17 
 
 tigainft Jabin, there was undoubtedly an exprefs fent to 
 all the tribes, to every town and city, to come up to the 
 help of the Lord and afford their aid, in fome way, againfi: 
 the enemyi and we Ihould have fuppofed they would all 
 have united as one man, to defend their violated rights, 
 and obtain fatisfaftion for twenty years opprelTion. But 
 this was not the cafe ; fome, it feems by the facred ac-^ 
 count, turned out and offered their fervices willingly; 
 they were true patriots. This was the cafe with the 
 tribe of Zebulon and Napthali, and fome others. Ifrael 
 was divided into tribes, much as our nation is into dates, 
 & each tribe had a head or chief, called a govcrnorasour 
 flares have. Some of thefe governors offered themfelvcs 
 and their people willingly, to help in the war: fee the 
 9th and 18th verfe of the context, — My hearty faid Deb- 
 orah, is towards the goverfisrs §f Ifrael who offered themjelves. 
 willingly among the 'people i hlejs ye the Lord. Zebulen and 
 Napthali were a 'people that jeoparded their lives unto tha^ 
 deaths in the high places of the field, Jffachar and Benja- 
 min, arc celebrated as turning out and helping in this 
 conteft, and fome from other tribes; but fome of the 
 tribes and people would not help their brethren in this' 
 war ; they (laid at home and \\ould nor go; fome of the 
 governors v^ould not let the people go ; fome thoughr 
 they had better tamely bear their fufferings than co wage 
 war with fuch a powerful enemy ; they feared the nine 
 hundred chariots of iron ; others thought the war would 
 coft fo much, that they had better be flaves than engage 
 in it; that probably they fiiould lofc their lives, or fome 
 of the ir friends. They had loft their fpirit and former 
 patriotifm, and were prepared to bear the yoke of tyran- 
 ny; others (undoubtedly) had been favored by the ene- 
 my, and perhaps had grown rich by trailicking with them- 
 and fupplying their armies with provifion. Thofe of this 
 clafs were, from thefe or fome other fordid motives, in 
 fa^or of the enemy, and probably jullificd their horrid 
 opprelfjon and cruelty in the land; fornc of them might 
 Bavc intermarried with the enemy, and formed fpecial 
 connexions, and were on terras of intimacy, and probably 
 became worlhippcrs of their heathen Gods. Hence: the v 
 
15 
 
 were utterly oppofed to the war; thev had rather their 
 nation fhould be oppreffed twenty years longer than go 
 to war. Such characters as thcie, were then, what in 
 modern times are called torieSy enemies to their own 
 country, and friends to t\\Q enemy, fuch, undoubtedly, 
 were the inhabitants of Meroz, mentioned in our text. 
 
 Now, the condud of all in Ifrael who withheld their 
 aid, was difpleafing to God, but cfpecially the condud of 
 Meroz; all who refufcd their help were rebuked, but 
 Meroz was curfed ; fee the context. Fcr the diviftons of 
 Reuben there ijoere great thoughts of heart. Why ahodeft 
 ihou among the peep folds to hear the hleatings of the flock ? 
 For the divifisns of Reuhen there was great Jearching of 
 heart. Gilead abode beyond Jordan ; and why did Dan re- 
 fnain in fhips f Afber continued on the fea Jhore, and abode 
 in his breaches. Ail thefe v\ere cenfured for not joining 
 in the war; but it feems their motives were not fo bad, 
 and they were not fo criminal as the inhabicants of Me- 
 roz ; fee the text : Curje ye Meroz ^ /aid the angel of the 
 Lord, ciirfe ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof \ becauje they 
 came not to the help of the ILord, to the help sf the Lord a- 
 gainji the mighty. Dr. Scott, in his noie upon this pafa- 
 age, obfervtr.-., *^ That Meroz had been a fijurifhing cirv, 
 but in confcqucnce of this curfe, it became fo obfcure that 
 its fituation is at prcfent unknown. He obferves, the in- 
 habitants of Mercz, though Ifraelites, feared the power, 
 Rnd valued the friendiliip of the enemy more than they 
 dreaded the power iand defircd the favor of God, and 
 therefore were joined with the accurfed Canaanites.'* 
 
 Now, my brechren, this condud in Ifrael exhibits a 
 piflurc of the condu6c of our nation fince the declaration 
 of war. When we take into view the length and mag» 
 nirade of our iufFeriiig from Great Britain -, when we con- 
 Hder cur independence, bought Vvith the bcfl: blood and 
 treafure of our fathers, our eflcntial rights, and every 
 thing we hold cL*,r in life, affailed and threatened to be 
 torn from us ; when all pacific rreans failed, and our go- 
 vernment, after fevcn months cool deliberation, refolved, 
 28 tbe laft effort of an injured nation, to take up arms and 
 defend our perfons, property, and violated rights, VvC 
 
19 
 
 might have reafonably expedcd to have ieen the nation 
 ri(e en majfe^ and unirc, as one m.-in, againft the common 
 foe ; to lee patriotirm burn in every heart, as it did in 
 '74j and run like lightning from Maine to Georgia, frain 
 the Atlantic to the wefteni boundary of the nation, and to 
 fee the ftates emulous which ihould be moft prompt in 
 furnifhing their quota, and granting their aid in tjiis moft 
 righteous war. But, alas! we niull tell the world we are 
 a divided people, for the world knows itj like Ifrael of 
 old, in like circumftances, many are averfe to the war, 
 and come not to the help of the Lord againft the mighty^ 
 Some of the governors withhold the people, arjd prevent 
 their comiing to the help of the Lord, fo that whole ftates 
 have widiheld thdir aid ; fome of rhe people withhold 
 their aid from one motive, and (bme from aaother. Some 
 are afraid of the great coft the war will be ; they had ra- 
 ther the nation fhouid continue to bear all the oppreffions 
 of the enemy than to be at the coft of a war; fome arc 
 afraid of che thoufand iiiips of the enemy, and confjder it 
 prcfumption to go to war widi fuch a gigantic power -, 
 they feel we had better be ealy and pay tribute, and be 
 plundered, and have a few thoufand of our feamen en- 
 ilaved, and fome of them die under their [ufierings, than 
 to encounter the ev:ls of a v/ar. 
 
 Others there are who are boiom friends to the edemyj 
 who worfhip the fame idol, monarchy, whi have been 
 diftinguiftied by her favors, and enriched by her com- 
 merce, and by fupplying her with provifions both law- 
 fully and unlawfully. Thefe men are violent againft the 
 warj they brand it with twtxy epithet ; they fay ic is un- 
 ]u\\y impolitic, a'ld wicked. Some of them juftify all the 
 plunder, and rntjrder, and manfteaiing, and oppreffjon of 
 tlic enemy, and fay wc cijght to bear ic wiihouc com- 
 plsint, for England is fighcing for the liberties of the 
 world. Men of ihis dclcription will give no aid them- 
 fjlves to the war, and do all thev can to prevent others. 
 They lejoicc in the defeats ot our own arms, and mourn 
 at the defeat of rhe enemy. Now, I believe this conduct 
 i? very oftcnfive to a holy God. I fully believe the con- 
 dud of ail who vvichhold their aid and help in this ri^^hcc- 
 
20 
 
 eus conteft, in which our nation is engaged, is repreHcn- 
 fible. But thofc who are taking fides with the cnemyv 
 palliating and jullifying all their injuries, heaped and 
 heaped upon us, froni love of BritiOi gold, orloveofBri^ 
 tiih monarchy, and hatred to our republican ff)rms of 
 government, and will not come themfelvcs, and try to 
 prevent others from coming up to the help of the Lord 
 againft the mighty. I bciicvc in my heart fuch- men are 
 tories, and obnoxious in the fight of heaven.. And was. 
 there an infpired Deborah among u«5 fhe would undoubt- 
 edly pronounce a bitter curfe upon them, as ihe did upon 
 the inhabitants of Meroz. 
 
 A curfe will follow fuch charaiflers. For look, my 
 brethren, to the fate of the torics of our revolution. Like 
 Cain, whom God had curfed, they wandered as exiles, and 
 vagabonds in the earth, H^iunned and abhorred by every 
 one i a curfe purfued them to the grave, if not further; 
 and it ever will traitors and t cries. But as it was in- 
 Ifrael, fo it is in our nation, when called to arms, many 
 of the governors and people have offered themlelves willr 
 ingly, yea, fome of the ftates have done nobly, and parti* 
 cularly the people of Kentucky and Ohio, like Zebuioa 
 and Napthaii, have jeoparded their lives unto the deaths 
 in the high places of the field. Notwithfl:andingthe faint 
 heartcdncfs of fome, and oppofition of others, yet the 
 great body of the nation, of its real and phyfical flrengthj^ 
 are true patriots, are hearty in the caufe, and are determ- 
 ined to die free, before they will live flaves; many of 
 them offer themlelves willingly, and are coming up to the 
 help of the nation againft the mighty. 
 
 7. I obierve once more. A nation that engages in a 
 juft war, a war for the defence of their jull rights, which is 
 a war that God approves, fuch a war he confiders as his 
 Gwn caufe, and to help in fuch a v/ar is to come to the 
 help of the Lord 5 and if the nation humble themfelvcs 
 for their fin, and cry unto the Lord, he Vr^ill be with them, 
 and grant them fuccels. He did Ifrael ; aixi 1 Irave no 
 doubt he will our nation. The Lord v;.cnt out before the 
 little army of Ifrael, when they marched againft the nine 
 hundied chariots of war, and difcooifittcd the enemy. 
 
£1 
 
 'And has not the Lord gone out before our little navy when 
 ^they have gone out to fight t\\t thoufand iliips of the ene- 
 my ? And what exploits have they done ? What vidlories 
 , have they atchieved, to the lailing honor of the nation, 
 and the aftoniiliment of the world ? 
 
 It is admirable what our few fhips of war have effected 
 when they have come in contaft with the enemy. Two 
 ofthtir largeft frigates have been funk, and another taken 
 and brought into our ports. One floop of war has been 
 funk, and feveral taken. In the mod of thefe afes the 
 enemy were equal, in forr.e fuperior, yet they were 
 dreadfully cut to pieces, their veflels made wrecks, and 
 many of their men killed and wounded; while our veffels 
 have received but little injury, and bur few men either 
 killed or wounded. This cannot be accounted for upon 
 any other principle than the fpecial intcrpoficion of heav- 
 en. On the fca the enemy has opprefTed us for twenty 
 years; there they have plundered our property; there 
 they have enflaved our cicizens. From their (liips of war 
 the cry of our poor feamsn (covered with biood and 
 woundii) has gone up to heaven. The Lord has been 
 wicnefs to their cruelty and oppreflTion on the ocean ; and 
 there he has given us fuccefs. Great Britain, for twenty 
 years, in all her wars, has never met with fo much on the 
 fca to ftain her pride as flie has experienced from our few 
 gallant ihips. Let the name of the Lord be praifed, wha 
 giveth us the vidory. 
 
 And our private armed fhips have met with great fuc- 
 cefs. Niles* Rcgiller Hates, that we have taken from the 
 enemy, fince the war, SGQ vedels, in about nine months. 
 Surely many of our valiant feamen have caufe to exclaim 
 with Dfborah, in the context, O mv/oulj thou hajl trodden 
 dcwnjlrengih. 
 
 But our fuccefs hitherto on the land has not been equal 
 to that on the ocean. The failure of the North-weftern 
 army, in thcoutfet, deranged tiie whole cariipaign on the 
 frontiers, the lail feafon. By the governors* withholding 
 the men, and many of the militia refufing to come up to 
 the help of the Lord aginft the mighty, defeat and iol's at- 
 
tended our arms In Canada. But there our ti^bops always- 
 fignalized thenifelvcs wheu led to a6lion. The enemy 
 there have fulFercd about as maich as we have. Many of 
 the Indian towns have been litid wafte, and many of the 
 favagc barbarians have met the juft reward oftheir bloody 
 deeds. It is cafy to account for the want of fuccefs on 
 land. There has been want of men, of regular troops, 
 want of difcipline and fubordination, if not want of fyf- 
 tem. All thefe, I truft^ will be remedied the coming 
 feafon, if the war continues, and the enemy will not liftea 
 to overtures for peace. And I have no doubt of the fi- 
 nal iffue; for I am fully convinced the war on our part is 
 juft and righteous J that the Lord approves of it j that he 
 v^ill be on our fid-c, and enable us to bring the enemy to 
 juft and honorable terms of peace. 
 
 But, my brethren and friends, we, as a nation, as a (late,,, 
 as a town, as families and individuals, have a great duty 
 to do. And this day calls upon us to enter upon it with 
 all the heart. It is our duty to faft and pray, and hum- 
 ble ourfcivcs before the great God. We fliould realize*^^ 
 God's srcat goodnefs to us and our nation, and be thank- 
 ful; wc fhouldtake into view the number, greatnefs, and 
 aggravation of our fins, and be humbled before God, and 
 repent i» in duft and afhes. Our fins are many, they 
 have gone up over us as a thick cloud i they have reached 
 heaven; they have provoked God to anger, and he has 
 fuffcred our enemies to opprefs us, and bring war upon 
 us^ to punifti us. We have caufe to adopt the language of 
 Daniel, the prophet, and fay, ** Lord, we havejinned, 
 and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly y and 
 have rebelled^ even by departing from thy precepts ^ and frcrrt 
 thy judgments, O Lord-, right coujsnejs belongeth unto thee ; 
 and unto us confufton of faces, as at this day,, But to the 
 Lord our God belong mercies and forgivennejs^ though we 
 have rebelled againjl him. 
 
 With humiliation, confefilon and repentance of our fin, 
 v/e Ihould idd fervent prayer. If wc are a praying nation 
 and people i if we pray in faith, and cry to God, he will 
 hear and anfwer, and help us in this rime of war. Wc 
 Ihould pray to God to turrr uSj, as a nation to himfelf, ai^d 
 
25 ™ 
 
 blefsus. That he would blefs the Prclident ar. 
 grefs, and give them wifdom, fidclicy and pat.. 
 That he would unite the people, cement the confc 
 tion, and dilpofe the rulers and people in each ftate r' 
 their duty, and come up to the help of the Lord agait. 
 the mighty. We would pray the Lord to give wifdom, 
 valor and prudence to our commanders i healch and cou- 
 rage to our foldicrs and mariners; Ihield them in the day 
 of battle, and crown our arms by fea and land with fuc- 
 cefs, until our enemies arc difpofed to make a iuft and 
 honorable peace. We ftiould pray to God to flay the 
 pcftilence, and give us health in all our borders. We 
 lliould implore him to blefs the labors of the hufbandman, 
 make the earth fruitful, and favor us with a plentiful har- 
 vcft. We Ihould pray the Lord to pi« an end to defo- 
 lating war, and blefs all nations with peace and righteous- 
 nefs. O ! let us pray God to pour his fpirit upon us, and 
 make us holy, and prepare us for all fufFerings upon earth, 
 and the enjoytncnt of himfelfin heaven. 
 
 O ! may the Lord hear our prayers, and fave our na- 
 tion, and all the glory Ihall be given to the Father^ Sony 
 and Holy Ghoft^ world without end. Am^n. 
 
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