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 THE DUTY OF 
 
 l7wio« m a Ji/sit War. 
 
 DISCOURSE 
 
 DELIVERED IK 
 
 STOJTEHJJI, (M.1SS.) ATniL 8, 1813, 
 
 BEIRO 
 
 THE DAY OF THE STATE FAST, 
 
 »•>:*« 
 
 BY JOHN H. STEVENS, V. D. M. 
 
 Pastor qf the ChuTch in said Tonn. 
 
 »*f« 
 
 Pl'BLISIISD BT DESIRE OF THS HEAa£MB> 
 
 ^tWi^i^i)U^W^e>i)^ 
 
 From the Second Boston Edition. 
 
 NEW-YORK : 
 
 FBIXTED BF E. COMldB^ 
 
 IfO. 4, FRANKFORT-STBKET. 
 
 I 
 

 I 
 
 
DISCOURSE. 
 
 JUDGES, V. £3. 
 
 Cunc ye. Mcror, said the angel of the Lord, curse yc 
 hittcrly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to 
 the help of the Lordy to the help of the Lord against the 
 mighty.. 
 
 ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God, and in 
 profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for 
 instruction in righteousness. 
 
 The passage 1 first read, we find recorded in the song 
 composed by Deborah, an inspiied prophetess, and 
 judge in Israel. She composed and smig this song in 
 consequence of a signal victory gained over the ene- 
 mies of Israel, in time of war ; a war which God himself 
 had commanded them to engage in, for the defence of 
 their rights, liberties and blessings. 
 
 Israel, for whom God had done great tilings, sinned 
 with a high hand against him; and to punish them for 
 their idolatry and wickedness, the Lord suffered Jabin, 
 a powerful king of Canaan, to oppress them, and bring 
 them into bondage, and afflict them twenty years. This 
 humbled them, and they cried unto the Lord, and he di- 
 rected Deborah to call upon Barak to collect an army, 
 and march against the army of Jabin, commanded by 
 Sisera, and the Lord promised to deliver them into his 
 haiitL AVhen the refj^uisition for men was made, ijomt? 
 
of the governors offered themselves anci the people wil- 
 Jini^ly ; others held back and refused their aid: however, 
 Deborah the prophetess, and Barak, the general, with his 
 little army, marched and attacked the miglity host of 
 tlieir enemies, and overthrew them, and so delivered 
 their nation from oppression ; for the Lord was with 
 them, and fought for Israel against tlieir enemies. This 
 one battle was so decisive, that it put an end to the war, 
 and the land' had rest foily years. Deborah and Barak 
 celebrated this victory in a divine song, in which they 
 call upon kings and all people to consider what won- 
 <lerful things God had done for Israel ; they descril>e 
 the sin and misery of the nation ; they render praise to 
 God ; they give commendation to some of the Israelites, 
 and pass censures on others, especially the inhabitants 
 of Meroz, mentioned in the text. Curse yc JJero^, aaid 
 Ihc ans;el of the Lordy curse ye bitterly the inhabitants 
 ihcreofj because thty came not to the help of the Lordy to the 
 help of the Lord au^eiinst the mif^hty. 
 
 This passage of scripture contains the following gen- 
 eral truths: 
 
 1. One nation may be so oppressed by another, that 
 't may be the will of the Lord f<»r them to take up arms, 
 :tnd go to war with their oppressors. 
 
 2. In such a case, it is the duty of the whole nation to 
 unite against the common enemv. 
 
 3. If any part of the nation, in these circmnstances, 
 "vithhold their aid and help from their own nation, and 
 side with the enemy, it is highly displeasing to God. 
 'I'his was the conduct of the inhabitants of iMeroz, and 
 Ihe angel of the Lord ordered them to be cui-sed, with a 
 bitter cursse. 
 
 4. A nation engaged in a just war, a war for the de- 
 fence of their just rights; a war, that God approves — 
 such a war God considers as his own cause, and to help 
 in such a cause, is to come to the help of the Lord; and 
 if th«' nation in these circumstances humble themselves 
 i\)Y their sin-, and cry unto the Lord, lie will be w ith 
 them, and whatever dillicullies may bo in the way, how- 
 ever powerful the enemy ma^ be, if they have uiiie 
 
hiinilred chariots of war, or a thousand ships of war, yet 
 tlic Lord will sjive victory to the oppressed, who lium- 
 bly trust in him. 
 
 In order to illustrate and nialvc application of this 
 subject, for our benefit on this occasion, I shall consi- 
 der the similarity between the character and conduct of 
 Israel and that of our nation, and the shnilarity Ixitweeu 
 God's dealings towards Israel and that of our nation. 
 
 I. What great things the Lord did for Israel in bring- 
 ing them out of bondage in Egypt, conducting them to 
 Canaan, casting out the heathen, and planting them in 
 the good land. Israel, the seed of Abraham, God's 
 friend, Avere enslaved in Egypt; Pharoah, a cruel tyrant, 
 oppressed them, and set taskmasters over them, and 
 made them serve with rigor, and prevented their Avor-. 
 shipping God agreeably to the dictates of their own 
 consciences. They cried unto the Lord in their distress, 
 and he heard them, and sent Moses to deliver them. 
 God wTought wonders in Egypt by the hand of Moses; 
 and at length he brought his people out, and led them 
 on to the Wed Sea, which the Lord divided, and led 
 them through on dry ground; their enemies attempting 
 to follow, were swept away by the returning billows. 
 He led them in the wilderness foiiy years, with a pillar 
 of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night ; he wrought 
 many wonderful miracles on their behalf, and at la<t di- 
 vided Jordan, and led them over into Canaan. And 
 when the heathen combined against them, the Lord 
 fought for them, and gave them the victory, and settled 
 them quietly in tlmtgood land, flow ing as with milk and 
 honey, and they spread abroad, and became a great na- 
 tion. 
 
 What a picture this exhibits of the great and marvel- 
 lous things God has done for our nation. Oui- I'atliei^ 
 were in bondage in England, afflicted witli the hard 
 hand of tyranny ajid oppression; they were persecuted, 
 oppressed and proscribed ; and not suffered the free 
 enjoyment of their holy religion. They were oppressed 
 with enormous taxes, were prosecuted, imprisoned, and 
 lined, for worshipping God agreeably to the dictates of 
 
tilt'ir own conscience. They ciied unto the Loixl in 
 their distress, and he iieard them, and put it into tlieir 
 hearts to emigrate from their native country, to this the» 
 houiinii; wilderness. The Lord took our fathers under 
 hii; protection, and bronii;littheni acro.sstlie wide ocean, 
 and planted them in tliis American huid ; and when the 
 heathen, who were numerous, combined asjainst them, 
 the Lord w as on their <ide ; lie weakened and destroyed 
 the enemy by pestilence, and in various ways, and gave 
 our fathers victory ; he caused them to take root, in- 
 crease, and si)read abroad in this land; he blessed them 
 in their basket and store, and raised them up to a great 
 people. And when the mother country saw their pros- 
 perity, she envied them, and sought to oppress them 
 riere as she had done at home ; she sent over her fleets 
 and armies to enforce her unjust mandates. Our fathers, 
 trusting in the Lord, took up arms, detc^rmined to de^ 
 fend their rights ; and the (lod of armies was Avith them, 
 and defeated the enemy, and led them on to victory, in- 
 dependence, and a rank among the nations of the earth- 
 The Lord has, since that peric^d, greatly blessed and 
 prospered this nation, and favored us with every tempo- 
 ral and spirituid, civil and religious privilege; he has 
 caused us to become a great, rich, and powerful nation. 
 God has done great and nrarvellous tilings for us as a 
 pe(»[;Ie. 
 
 '2. After (iod had done sueh great things for Israel, 
 and had sett hid them in the good land of Canaan hi 
 peaee, where they enjoyed his word and ordinances, and 
 every blessing, we should'have supposed they would 
 have for.-akeii all other gods, and feared, worshipped, 
 and served the Lord Jehovah with all the heart. But 
 in.-tead of this thev sinned against him, thev forsook the 
 rock of Iheir salvation, and went after strange gods, and 
 vvoi; hipped tht'Di, a< it is said in -our context, Thcji 
 chose till in nciv i^oih, and did nil in the sii^ht of the Lord, 
 
 A\\n\ \n\< luil our nation in this particular, done as 
 Israrl did, forsaken (iod, and done great evil in his 
 sight.' When we consider what great things God has 
 done for our nation, in plantini^ it in this good liuid, in- 
 
croasinw; ami pro«:perin2; it; and wlion itr> enemies ro?^ 
 up, and came in likc^ a flood, the Lord lifted up a stand-< 
 aid, and arrested their proi^ress, and jrave us victory, 
 gave us peace, andestablisiied us as a nation; and bless- 
 ed us on every hand, and gave us his word, iiis sabbath, 
 liis gospel, and ordinances. When >ve consider how 
 inucii God has done for us, might it not have lx3en ex- 
 pected that we should have been an obedient people, 
 that we should have chosen God for our portion, and 
 feared, loved and served him, with all tlic heail; that oup 
 inquiry would have been, JJliat shall we render unto the 
 Lord, for all his benefits vnto us, as a people ? But in- 
 stead of this humble, pious, ol)edient, lioly conduct, we 
 liave, Jeshurun like, waxed fat, and kicked against the. 
 Lord ; we have as a people, forsaken the Lord God of 
 our forefiithers, and lightly esteemed the rock of ouc 
 j^alvation. Like Israel, we have done great evil in the 
 sight 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 vengeance. We have been 
 imgratcful to God, the giver of all our mercies; we 
 liave been ungrateful for our health and strength; un- 
 grateful for our food and raiment; ungrateful for our 
 civil and religious liberty; ungrateful for peace, that 
 we have enjoyed so long"; ungrateful for the sabbath, 
 the gospel, and its ordinances; ungrateful for Jesu*^ 
 Christ, and his great salvation; ungrateful for the Holy 
 Spirit, and his gracious influences in the conversion of 
 sinners. 
 
 Pride is a sin 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 lilx^rty ; 
 proud of our constitutions of government ; proud of our 
 rulers, our numbers, and wealth. Som<' have been 
 proud of their religion; and others of tlieir wickedness, 
 glorying in their shame. Pride is a hateful, dangerous 
 sin. Pride goes before destruction, and a havrrhty spirit 
 before a fall. God is said to know the proud afar off, to 
 hate pride ; and he has said he will stain the pride of all 
 flesh. ^ ^ 
 
Profaneness is another awful «in in our land. We 
 have become a profane nation; thousands and thou- 
 sands, every day, blaspheniin«i; the holy name of God, 
 utterino; horrid oaths and imprecations upon themselves 
 and others. All asjes and sexes are uttering this pro- 
 i\ine languafije; even little children, cursing and swear- 
 ing, and taking the holy and reverend names of God 
 and Christ in vain. Thou shall not take the name of the 
 Lord thy God in vain, is the divine command ; by reason 
 of snearing the land moiirneth, and the pleasant places of 
 the nilderness are dried up. 
 
 Intemperance is another prevalent sin in this nation; 
 the intemperate use of spirituous liquors has become 
 awfully alarming. It is thought by some, that ardent 
 spirits,' consumed in this nation, cost more than to main- 
 tain government. Many are given up to intoxication, 
 spending their property, destroying their health, bring- 
 ing shame and poveily upon their families, and fitting 
 *hcir souls for perdition. This vice leads on to many 
 others, such as idleness, gaming, lewdness, and the like* 
 This sin has become so prevalent and alarnung, that 
 t^erious people through the state and nation, are unhing 
 together, and forming societies for the express purpose 
 of suppressing it. 
 
 Falsehood is another great sin, wliich increases the 
 guilt of this nation. A lying spirh has iiiVen jw-ses- 
 sion of the hearts of many. What falsehoods are utter- 
 ed by many to cover their own wickedness; to deceive 
 and cheat their fellow-men in theii- dealings, and to in- 
 jure the characters of men, both in and out of oHicef. 
 How are our public prints, which ought to be vehicles 
 of truth, turned into channels of falsehood and misre- 
 presentation? 
 
 Gaming and vain amusements are prevailing sins 
 wliich mnny live in, and many professed Christians too, 
 U) the dishonor of God and disgrace of religion. Sab- 
 bath breaking is another great sin in our land: how is 
 tlie Lord's day violated, and turned by many into a ho- 
 liday for feasting, and drinking, and visiting, and riding 
 abroad, and doijig worldly buoinc^s? God said to Israel, 
 
If i/c nil! not hearken unto me to hallow the Seihbath dag, 
 om! not to bear a hiinien, neu entirin^ in at the i^ates of 
 JerusaJew, on the Sabbath <iai/ ; then nill I kindle a fire 
 in the spates thereof y and it shall devour the palaces of Je- 
 rusalem , and it shall not be quenehed. 
 
 Lewdness, perjury, and oppression, are great sins in 
 this land. Division, strife, and contention, are abound- 
 irjc; sin«:, which threaten the ruin of our nation; for the 
 I^ord has said, a kingdom divided against itself cannot 
 stand. An inordinate thirt^t for property and love ot 
 money, is to be found among the prevailing sins in this 
 nation. We are told in the word of God, The love of 
 money is the root of all evil. Perhaps there never was n. 
 nation that manifested greater love for money, and zeal 
 to acquire wealth, than this nation has for many years. 
 It has heen spoken of by other nations what lovers of 
 money Americans were ! many have made a god of 
 wealth, and worshipped mammon. It is owing to this 
 cupidity in many, that the noble flame of patriotism, 
 tliat burnt in the hearts of their fathers, is quenched in 
 them, and they aie disposed to supply the enemy, for 
 the sake of gain. Idolatry has been no small sin in this 
 land: we have set up idols in our heart, and worshipped 
 them. Theft, and robbery, and murder, are great sin-, 
 which not a few in this nation have been concerned iu 
 perpetrating. The Lord said to Israel, Will a man rob 
 GoeU Yet ye have robbed jnc, even this ivholc nalioi:. 
 This has been our criminal conduct ; we have robbed 
 God of that love, homage, praise and adoration, which 
 was his due, and our duty to render. Many great and 
 awful errors have been embraced bv manv in this na- 
 tion, such as Arminianism, Antinomianism, Socinian • 
 ism, Universalism, Deism, and Atheism. Jesus Christ, 
 the eternal Son of God, has been called an impostor ; 
 the bible has been ridiculed as priestcraft, and delu- 
 sion ; experimental religion has been denounced as 
 enthusiasm, and the work of the spirit of God ascribed 
 to Satan by many. A preached gosi)el and holy ordi- 
 nances have been despised and neglected, and opposi- 
 tion to God, to Christ and his holy kingdom, ha« greatly 
 
lb 
 
 ^bounded In Ihis nafion. O ! nhat a ^ln^ul jH'ojde wr 
 have been; what, evil we have done in the siiiht of the 
 i.ord, to provoke him to anger, and pull down judg- 
 ments upon us, as it is at tliis time ! Our sins have been 
 the primary eau<^e of all our s>iiirerin2;s, and our ealami- 
 ty at the present day ; I fear and deprecate them more 
 than all the enemies tliat have, or can come against us, 
 .*}. God was angry with Israel for their idf)latry, in- 
 <5;ratitude, profaneness, and wickedness, and to punish 
 them, he sold them into the hand of Jabin, a powerful 
 king of Canaan, as appears from our context. .Tabhi 
 was a gi'eat king in those days; he had nine hundred 
 chariots of iron for war, and his army was equal. It is 
 written, tAventy years lie mightily oppressed the chil- 
 dren of Israel ; he disarmed tlieni, and made them tri- 
 Tiutary ; he had his soldiers stationed through the land, 
 and by the hiirhways : and their oppressions were such, 
 tliat it is said by Deborah in her song, That the villas^es 
 jvere deserted by the inhabiictnts ; the highnays ivcre unoc- 
 aipicd, and the travdlers nailed through hy-nays, to 
 avoid the enemy. When even the women went out to 
 draw Avater, the arcliers would wantonlv shoot their ar- 
 rows at them. Thus the Lord for twentv vears sutler- 
 ed this tyrant Jabin to oppress Israel, to punish them 
 for their wickedness, to humble them, and cause them 
 to feel their dependence upon him. Psow the Lord 
 lias been treating our nation in the same way, and for 
 the same reasons. To punish us for our many and 
 great sins against the Lord, he has suffered the king of 
 England, for about twenty years, mightily to oppresf^ 
 lis. It is about twenty years since England began to 
 impress our seamen and take our vessels, under one 
 pretext or another, and insult us, and make depreda- 
 tions upon us ; and there is no doubt we have been 
 plundered of vastly more property, and have suffered 
 more personal injnry, in tlie course of twenty years, 
 from the king of England and his nation, than Israel did 
 in the same time from .labin and his nation, .labin was 
 a powerful king ; he hnd nine hundred chariots of iron. 
 Cieorge the 3d has l>een a powerful king ; he has had a 
 
11 
 
 (Jiou^-aiul ships of >yar, and by them lie has conimaiideJ 
 (he ocean, and claimed it as liis property ; by them lie 
 lias plundered the nations, slauij;htered thousands, and 
 tens of thousands, reduced cities to ashes, and spread 
 death and desolation far and >vide. With his thousand 
 bhips he has committed every outraoc; and cruelty, and 
 robbery, and murder» manstealing and depredation, 
 that the most barbarous nations have lieen sjuilty of. 
 England has taken from us, in time of peace, without 
 any just provocation, about a thousand vessels, with 
 their rich cargoes, carried them into her own ports, 
 condemned and sold tliem, and put the money into her 
 own coifers, to the amount of many millions of dollars. 
 All this we have borne without resistance, for many 
 years. We have complained and remonstrated, and 
 plead with them by negociation, to cease their plunder- 
 ing, and taking our vessels, and do us justice. They 
 have amused us with fair words, but continued the prao- 
 tice. Can the annals of history furnish an instance, 
 where a nation at peace with another nation, and with- 
 out giving any just cause of ofience, has been plunder- 
 ed to the amount our nation has ? Not one, I presume. 
 There never was, and I trust there never will be, such 
 a case wliile man inliabits the earth. 
 
 But this oppression, great and long as it has been, k 
 not to be compared to another we have endured ; that 
 is, impressing, holding in cruel bondage, starving^ 
 whipping, and sometimes putting to death our native 
 citizens, who are seamen. For twenty years they have 
 continued the practice of impressing our seamen out 
 of our merchant vessels, aboard their ships of war ; this 
 I consider to be manstealing, which the word of God 
 ranks among the greatest crimes. It is impossible to 
 ascertain the exact number they have impressed ; but 
 fi-om the public documents I have seen, from the num- 
 bers found aboard their ships we have taken, and the 
 statement of their own muster books, which have fallen- 
 into our handt?, from the best information I have been 
 able to obtain on this subject, it is my opinion, tliat in 
 the course of twenty yeai-s, Great Britain has iinprc««=* 
 
td more than tivcnty thousand of our 6f amen, multi- 
 ludes of whom were native born Americans. Thus the 
 husband has been torn from iiis beh)ved wife and chil- 
 dren ; the son from his parents, his brothers and sisters; 
 the citizen from his home, and native land, and been 
 wafted to distant climes, and held in cruel bondage, 
 one, five, ten, and eighteen years. To hear the state- 
 ment of some, under oath, who have lived to return, 
 describing their sufferings, is enough to fill the soul wiUi 
 liorror. Home depose and say, when they were im- 
 pressed, because they would not enter, they have been 
 put in irons, kept on bread and water, and whipped a 
 dozen lashes every week, until, worn down by hunger 
 and scouiging, they were forced to enter. One depos- 
 ed, that after he was impressed, he attempted to escape ; 
 was taken, carried back, and whipped tjixty laslje^-, and 
 then immersed in cold water one liour. This istlic way 
 our native citizens have been tortured aboard their float- 
 ing Bastiks. Who that has American blood running irt 
 bis veins, can hear of these cruelties inliicted upon our 
 own citizens, without indignation ? Yet we are told by 
 r;ome, that this is a small afl'air, not worth contending 
 for a moment; but let such unfeeling souls be placed 
 liueler the di:-cipline of a British man-of-war, for one 
 year, and they would no longer speak with so much apa- 
 thy about the suflerijigs of oui- seafarinij brethren. 
 
 England has come into our waters with her ships, 
 fired upon our citizens, and killed them. {?he has sent 
 ^pies among ua, to sth- up divi>-ion, whhdraw the peo- 
 ple from their government, and dismember the union; 
 t^hc has armed and excited the barbarians of the Avilder- 
 nch-s to make war upon us, lay wasli^ our frontiers, to 
 l.'uteher and scalp men, women, and children ; and the 
 ; Culj! reeking in h'ood, I have understood they have 
 been in theiiabltof pureha?ii!?g at six dollars a piece — 
 but am I stating the honld conduct of a Christian na- 
 tion, or tliat of Turks and ArabsT Yes, that of a Chris- 
 lian iralion towards a Christian nation. 1 have })ecn no- 
 licing some of those evils and oi)presrions we have been 
 viflering from tliat government, wliichharb' been fctyled 
 
13 
 
 *' The hnlivark of our rdis^ion, and the norl(rs last hupe.^* 
 But fioin such a bulwark, niav the Lord in niercv save 
 lis and our jmstcrily. llowi'vcr pious and i^odly many 
 of tiie people in En<;lan(l may he, and I believe God 
 has many dear children there, who are irroaninji under 
 the oppression of their rulers ; yet I do believe in my 
 heart, that there is not a more corrupt and wicked gov* 
 t'rnment on earth than the British government ; tney 
 have, in my oj)inion, caused more wars, bloodshed, mi- 
 sery, and desolation in the earth, than any other gov- 
 ernment : I Ix'lieve they have been the cause of most 
 of the wars Napoleon has been engaged in, which have 
 caused rivers of blood to How. iNo doubt they were 
 the cause of the late war between France and Jiussia, 
 which the last year swept (probably) three hundred 
 thousand souls into eternity. I believe the blood of 
 millions is crying to heaven for vengeance upon this 
 corrupt government ; and undoul)tedly the time is not 
 far distant, when the Lord in his anger will overturn it; 
 and in answer to the prayers of tlie good peo})le of Fami- 
 land, bless them with a better government. The cruel- 
 ties which have been perpetrated by this government; 
 on her own subjects in England and Ireland, on the 
 Hanes, and in many parts of Europe, in the East and 
 West Indies, in Africa, antl America, are enough to atr- 
 tonish heaven and earth, were they fully known ; but 
 enough is known to iill the soul with horror ? 
 
 ^^'hat wanton waste of property did they cause in 
 this land, in the former war.' Falmouth, C'haileston, 
 .Danbury, and many other line towns, were wantonly 
 burnt to ashes. But this was nothing comyiared to the 
 tavai^e cruelties committed on our poor prisoners, that 
 the fortune of war had i)ut in their i)ower. IMore than 
 eleven thousand, it has been said, were poisoned, stan- 
 ed, and by other cruel treatment, de.-.troved aboard 
 their prison ship, at New-York. And A\'*illiam Cun- 
 ningham, who was j)rovost marshal to the royal anny 
 at New York, (afterwards executed for forgery) con- 
 fessed before his execution, that nil/i, and without the 
 ordti-nofh.bgciinimcrcf, more than two thousand An:c- 
 
rican prisoners lie bad starved to death in the different 
 chureiies of ISew-York, where they were confined; and 
 that he had caused two hundred and seventy-five to bt^ 
 hung in the dead of tiie night, and buried ! Give ear, O 
 heavens ? and 1)e astonished, O earth ! ! Tiiis w a^i the 
 way our poor fathers and brethren were sacrificed by 
 this government and its agents, in the last war; and 
 they have begun the same liorrid practice again in the 
 present war. They allow their savage allies to nnirder, 
 and scalp our poor wounded prisoners, and then leave 
 them unburied for the swine to feed upon, as was tlie 
 case at the river Raisin ; and all this too in violation of 
 solemn articles of capitulation. Other prisoners they 
 have shut up in infected jails and prison ships, and kept 
 them on rotten, damaged provisions, until disease liae 
 ended their davs. But mv heart sickens, and mv nerves 
 tremble, in the recital of these barbarities and cruel- 
 ties,, which we ha^e sufit^red from this nation. IV ow 
 say, my hearers — say an impartial world — have we not 
 cause of war with this nation? Is not the war, in which 
 we are engaged, just I and may we not believe a God 
 of justice approves of it ? 
 
 . 4. Israel was so oppressed by Jabin, and had l)orn(; 
 his tyranny so long, even tw enty years, that it was tlie 
 will of the Lord, that they siiould take up arms, and go 
 to war, and fight their oppressors. And the Lord re- 
 vealed his mind and will to Del)orah, a prophetess. The 
 people cried unto the Lord in their distress, and he 
 heard them ; he saw that they had borne the oppression 
 of this haui>hlv tvrant lona enouiih without resistance : 
 hence he dii ected Deborali to call for Barak, and order 
 lihn to collect an aniiy and fight their oppressors. Here 
 is one instance among many others, recorded in the Bi- 
 ble, where it was the will of God for a nation to go to 
 war with their oppressors, for the defence of their just 
 rights; and I as fully believe, that it is the will of the 
 Lord God of our forefathers, that our nation should take 
 up armsi and go to war with Great Britani, our oj)pres- 
 sor. For auglit I can see, as great causes existed for 
 war in our cak', as did in L^rael's. They had been op 
 
±9 
 
 prc^cf^d for a lonc; time, even twonly years; so have 
 \\(\ Their ojipro^jvois were powerful, they had nine 
 hundred chariots of war ; our o])j)ressors are powerful, 
 ;hev have a thousand ships of war. Israel had been 
 rol)hed, and {)lun(hre(!, and their persons enslaved. We 
 have h(;en plundered of mil/ions, and many of our citi- 
 zens enslaved. 'I'lieir essential rights were assailed; 
 ?o are oui*s. They undoubtedly remonstrated asjainst 
 the conduct of their oppressors ; we have done the 
 same. We have remonstrated, negociated, implor- 
 ed, and entreated our opj>ressors to cease their depre- 
 dations, leave otl' impressing, abusing and enslaving our 
 citizen seamen; but all to no purpose. Now if we 
 have been oppressed as long as Israel was — if we have 
 been ]>lundered as much as they were — if we have 
 bwn enslaved, and the persons of our citizens injured 
 as much as tliey were — if we have given the enemy no 
 just cause to oppress and injure us — if we have sought 
 for years in the most fair and honest way to obtain re- 
 dress of our grievances in a peaceable way — why is it 
 not just and right for us now to draw the sword, and 
 defend our rights ? And have we not evidence that it 
 is the will of God ? and that he approves of the war in 
 "which we are now engaged against Great Britain? I 
 believe we have. 
 
 In this age of the church and the world, we are not to 
 expect the Lord to make known his mind and will by 
 special revelation, as he did to Israel; neither are we 
 to look for his miraculous interposition in our favor, 
 and the destruction of our enemies, as he granted to 
 Israel. But we are to judge of God's mind and 
 will, from a view of his moral character, wliich is eter- 
 nally the same, and from parallel cases, where God has 
 declared expressly or implicitly his approbation of & 
 nation's going to war, for the defence of the rights and 
 blessings he has bestowed upon them. Now, judging 
 by this rule, I think it is a clear case, that God approves 
 of the war in which we are now engaged for the defencfc- 
 of our just rights. I am far from supposing it would 
 +>c4ust and ri^rhtfor a nation to go to war, for e.very 
 
in.-iwll and injury i'lvdi they might receive froiu another 
 nation. No, to make. ;i war ju^t and riirhteous, and 
 liuve it approved by heaven, tlie injuria':-; must hf many 
 and ^n^at, and lon<x pfrsisled in ; they must be without 
 any just pix)vocation, and the injured nation mu<t make 
 all suitable exertions, amicably and peaceably, to ol>- 
 tain redress of their <j;rievances. Now I believe in my 
 heart, all this is true of our nation; J have in my \}o.'- 
 se-ision all the printed documents laid before Conjures*', 
 of all the neo;oeiation for years between our jjovern- 
 ment and Great Britain, and I cannot sec what could 
 have Ix'cn said or done more by negociation, to con- 
 vince the enemy of their wrong, and prevail witli them 
 to cease their deprcdiitions and oppressions, and do us 
 justice. For years, diplomatic language has been ex- 
 hau-ted but in vain; hence the inference is clear as the 
 sun in the firmament of heaven, that the war, in which 
 our nation is engaged, is a just and a righteous war, 
 and that God approves of it. 
 
 5. As we h.ave evidence the war in which we are now 
 engaged, is a just and righteous war, a war which God 
 a]>provor, it is the duty of the whole nation to unite in 
 it. It was the duty of all Israel to vmite and grant all 
 tlieir aid and help in the war against .labin tijeir oppres- 
 sor; every tiibe, city, town and family, belonging to 
 ihe, fia;no iinlion, were all bound togetlier by the same 
 national compact, were liable to the same op])res.>5ioa 
 iVom the enemy, and would reap mutual bcncllt incase 
 of victorv ; hence it Avas the duty of ail to come np to 
 the help of the Lord, tlie help of the Lord against tlu 
 .Tiiglit} . A nd, m} hearers, it is equally the duly of our 
 nlifde' nation, to unite and help in the war w(; are for- 
 . c.edinto, for the defence- of our just and violated rights. 
 It i". the duty of c^ery state, every city, every town, 
 oyery lamily'and person inthi; nation, to unite all their 
 \Yisdom, all'thoir wealtli, all their power, and all their 
 <^neigie9, against the conuTion foe, who has so long and 
 so wantonly oi)pres?;ed us. We all belong to the same 
 jmlion : the stales aieall confederated and ])0un4 toge- 
 tlier in the i/iost -^olejim iinmner, r.ndcr one and the .sauic 
 
17 
 
 cnn-titution ; wo afo a crvcni body polilir, and, as in the 
 iiatural, fo in the political bodVy if one mfinbcr suffer, 
 all the mcinhers sufftr nith it ; or am member be honored^ 
 ail (he members rijoiee nith it. 
 
 ^Ve have all Inn'n insulted, we have all l>een oppress- 
 ed, we have all been injured, we have all felt the ellLcts 
 of the plunder and robbery of the enemy ; it has in- 
 creased i\w price of most foreign articles one third, 
 which we all help consume ; we are all hurt by the im- 
 pn\ssment of our poor seamen ; we are all concerned 
 in the injuries heaped upon our nation, and we shall all 
 be benetitted by compelling the eneniy to cease her 
 depredations, and jnake a just and honorable peace with 
 us. Hence it is the imperious duty of every section 
 of the country, of every part of the nation, to unite 
 against our great and common enemy. 
 
 t). I am led to observe, that some part of Israel re- 
 fused their aid and help in the war against Jabin, their 
 cruel oppressor, and the Lord was exceedingly dis- 
 pleased with them, and the' angel of the Lord ordered 
 them to be cursed with a bitter curse. When it was 
 determined to take up arms against Jabin, there was 
 undoubtedly an express sent to all the tribes, to every 
 town and city, to come up to the help of the Lord, and 
 atford their aid in some way against the enemy ; and 
 we should have supposed they would all have united as 
 one man, to defend their violated rights, and obtain sa- 
 tisfaction for twenty years oppression. But this was 
 not the case ; some, it seems by the sacred account, 
 turned out and offered their services willingly : they 
 were true patriots. This was the case with the tribe of 
 Zebulon and Napthali, and some others ; Israel was di- 
 vided into tribes, much as our nation is into states, and 
 each tribe had a head or chief, called a governor, as our 
 slates have. Some of these governors otiered theni- 
 I selves and their people willingly, to help in the war : 
 [see the 'Mix and 18th verse of the context — Mi/ heart. 
 Said Deborah, is tonards the governors of Israel, nho of- 
 \fered themselves nillingli/ amons; the people ; bless yc flic 
 Mord. Zehalon and Napthali tvere a people that jrf^- 
 
pardtd ihiir lias unto the death, in Ihc !iii:h places xyf thf^ 
 field. Issacliar and Benjamin are ceUhialLcI as tuniin<^ 
 out, and helping in \\m content, and some from other 
 tribes ; but some of the triljes and people would not 
 help their brethren iii this Avar; they s-taid at home, and 
 would not go ; some of the governors would not let the 
 people go ;^ some thought they had better tamely bear 
 their bullerint^s, than'to waore war wiih sueh a pimerful 
 enemy, they leared the nine hundred chariots of iron ; 
 others thought the war would cost so much, that they 
 liad better be slaves than engage in it ; that probably 
 they should lose their lives, or some of their friends. 
 'I'hey had lost their spirit and former patriotism, and 
 were prepared to bear the yoke of tyranny ; others, 
 (undoubtedly) had been favored }>y the enemy, and 
 perhaps had grown rich by trafficing with them, and 
 .supplying their armies with provision. Th(3se of this 
 class were, from th''-;f or some other sordid niotives, in 
 /iivor of the enemy, and probably justified their horrid 
 oppression and cruelty in the' land: some of them 
 might have intermarried with the enemy, and formed 
 special connexions, and were on terms of intimacv, and 
 probably became worshippers of their heathen' gods. 
 Hence they were utterly opposed to the war ; they had 
 rather their nation should be oj)pressed twenty yeai-s 
 longer than go to war ; such characters as these, were 
 then, what in modern times are called iorits, enemies to 
 their own country, and friends to the enemy ; such, un- 
 doubtedly, were the inhabitants of IMeroz, mentioned 
 in om- text. Now the conduct of all in Ismel who 
 withheld their aid, was displeasing to God, but especi- 
 ally the conduct of Meroz ; all who refused their help 
 were rebuked, but Meroz was cursed— see the context: 
 For the divisions of R(uhcn, there were f^rcat thouirhts of 
 heart, ^fhi/ ahodest thou nmons; the sheep folds, to hear 
 the bleat inirs of the flock / For the divisions of Jieitben 
 there nets ^reat scarehin:jr of heart. (Ulead abode be- 
 yond Jordan ; and ivhy did Dan remain in ships / Asb- 
 cr continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches. 
 All Uiese were censured for not joining in tlie wax; 
 
Id 
 
 but it seems Iheir motivce were not so had, and they 
 were not ho criminal, as the iriliabitants of Meroz — see 
 the text: Oirs( yi Miro.7, saUf the armel of the Lord ; 
 ritrsc ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, heeausc they came- 
 not to the help of the Lord, the help of the Lord a<^ainsf 
 the miirhty. I^v. Scott, in his note upon this passage, 
 observes, " I'hat Meroz had been a flourishing; city, 
 but in consequence of tliis curse, it became so obscure 
 that its situation is at present unknown. He observes, 
 the inliabitants of Aleroz, tliough Israelites, feared tlie 
 power, and valued the friendship of the enemy, more 
 than they dreaded tlie power, and desired the favor of 
 God, and therefore were joined with tlie accursed Ca- 
 naanites." 
 
 Now, my brctliren, this conduct in Israel exhibits a 
 picture of the ( onduct of our nation since the declara- 
 tion of war. Wjion we take into view, the leni^th and 
 magnitude of our suflerings from Great Britain ; when 
 we consider our independence, bought with the best 
 blood and trea'jure of our fathers, our esnential rights, 
 and every thins we hold dear in life, assailed and threat- 
 ened to be torn from us ; when all pacific means failed, 
 and our government, after seven months cool delil)era- 
 tion, resolved, as the last resort of an injured nation, to 
 take up arms^ and defend our persons, property, and 
 violated rights ; we might have reasonably ex{X}cted to 
 have seen the nation rise en masscy and unite, as one 
 man, against the common foe ; to see patriotism bum 
 in every heart, as it did in '75, and run like lightning 
 from Maine to Georgia, from the Atlantic to the west- 
 ern boundary of the nation, and to see the states emu* 
 lous, Avhich should be the most prompt in furnishing 
 their quota, and granting their aid in this most righte- 
 ous war. But alas ! we must tell the world we are a 
 divided people, for the world knows it ; like Israel of 
 old, in like circumstances, many are averse to the war» 
 and come not to the help of the Lord against the migh- 
 ty. Some of the governors withhold the people, and 
 prevent tlieir coming to the help of the Lord, so that 
 whole btateghave withheld theii' aid; some, of the pco- 
 
20 
 
 pic withhold their aid from one motive, end some from 
 another. .Some are afiaid of the threat cost the Avar will 
 be ; they had rather the nation should continue to hear 
 ail the oppressions of the enemy, than to he at tlie co.vt 
 of a war ; some are afraid of tlie tliou-rand ships of the 
 enemy, and consider it presumption to go to war with 
 tiich a gigantic power ; they feel we had better be easy 
 and pay tribute, and be plundered, and have a few 
 thousand of our seamen ensLived, and son^e of them die 
 under Iheir sutlerings, than to encounter the evils of a 
 war. 
 
 Others there are who are bosom friends to the ene- 
 my, who worsliip the same idol, monarchy, who have 
 been di>tinguislied by her favors, and eniiched by her 
 commerce, and by supph ing her with jHovisions,* botli 
 lawfully and unlawfully. Tiiese men are violent 
 against' the war ; they brand it with every ej>ith<.t ; 
 they say it is unjujst, impolitic, and wicked. i!?ome of 
 them justify all the plunder, and murder, and maiifcteal- 
 ing, and oppression of the enemy, and say we ought to 
 bear it without a complaint, for England is lighting for 
 the liljurties of the world. Men of thi>; descrij)tion 
 will give no aid themselves to the war, and do all they 
 can to i)rcvent others. They rejoice at the defeats of 
 our own arms; and mourn at the defeat of the enemy. 
 ?Vow 1 believe this conduct is very ollensive to a holy 
 ('iod. I fully believe the conduct of all who withhold 
 tlieir aid and help in this righteous contest, in which 
 our oation is engaged, is reprehensible. But those, 
 who are taking si<'es with the enemy, palliating and 
 justifying all their injuries, heaped and heaped upon us, 
 from lo\e of British gold, or love of British monarchy, 
 a! d hatred to our own republican forms of government, 
 ;u.d will not come themselves, and try to prevent others • 
 'U)\n coming u]) to the help of the Lord against the 
 iuighty — i believe in my heart, such men are tories, 
 .'Uid obiK)\ious in tlie siglit of heaven. And was there, 
 an inspirt d Ijchorah among m, slie \\ould uiidoubtodly 
 pj-onoimce a bitter cur^e upon them, as she did upon 
 the inhabitants of 3-Ktoz. A curse will. follow £uch 
 
21 
 
 '-characters. For look, my hrctliron, to tlie fate of the 
 lories of our revolution. Like Cain, \vhoiii (iod had 
 cursed, they wandered ;is e\iles, and vai:abonds in the 
 earth, t^lnnined and abhorred ])y every one ; a curse 
 pursued them to tiie crave, if not furtlier; audit ever 
 ^viIl traitors and toriis. But as it wa^ in Israel, so it is 
 in our nation when called to arms, many of the j^overn- 
 ors and ])eople have ollered themselves willingly, yea 
 some of th^* states have done nobly, and particularly 
 the jK'oi»le of Kentucky and Ohio, like Zebulou and 
 IVapthali, have jeoparded tlieir lives unto the death, ia 
 the hiii,h places of the field. Notwithstanding the faint 
 heartedness of .some, and opposiiion of others:, yet the 
 great body of the nation, of its real and physical 
 strength, are true patriot^', are hearty in the causc, and 
 are determined t4) die free, before thev will live 
 slaves ; many of them ofier themselves willingly, and 
 are coming up to the help of the nation against the 
 mighty. " 
 
 l.li observe once more. A nation that engage? in 
 a just war, a war for the defence of their just rights, 
 which is a war that God ap[)r()ves, such a war he consi- 
 ders as his own cau.se, and to help in such a war is to 
 come to the help of the Lord, and if the nation humble 
 tiiemselves for tlieir sins, and cry unto the Lord, he will 
 be with them, and ijrant them success. He did Lracl i 
 and I have no doubt he will our nation. The Lord 
 went out before the Httle army of Israel, when th«*y 
 marched against the nine hundred chariots of war, and 
 discomfited the eneiny. And has not the Lord gone 
 out before our little navy when tliey have gone out to 
 light the thousand ship^ of the enemy .' And what cx- 
 pk)its have they done ? AN'h.at victories have they 
 achieved to the lasting honor of the nation, and the 
 astonishment of the world / 
 
 It is admirable what our few ships of war have cffecl- 
 ed when they have come in contact with the enemy. 
 Two of their iarjrest frigates have been sunk, and ano- 
 tlier taken, and brought into our ports. One sloop of 
 war has been sunk, aud sevcTal taken. In the m%l of 
 
these cases the enemy were equal, iu some superior, >et 
 they were dreadfully cut to pieces; their vessels made 
 wrecks, and many of their men killed and wounded^ 
 while our vessels have received but little injury, and 
 but few men either killed or wounded. This cannot be 
 accounted for upon any other principle, than the special 
 interposition of Heaven. On the sea the enemy has 
 oppressed us, for twenty years : there they have i)lun- 
 dered our property ; there they have cn.'^laved our citi- 
 zens. From their ships of war the ciy of our poor 
 seamen, (covered with blood and wounds,) has gone up 
 to Heaven. The Lord has beert witness to their cru- 
 elty and oppression, on the ocean ; and there he has 
 given us success. Great ]5ritain for twenty years, in 
 all her wars, has never met witli so niuch on the sea to 
 stain her pride, as she ha>i experienced from our few 
 gallant ships. Let the name of the Lord be praised, 
 who giveth us the victory. 
 
 And our private armed ships have met with j^rent 
 success. Nilea' l{egit:ter states, that we have taken from 
 the enemy si'cc the war, 3(i9 vessels, in about nine 
 months. Surely many of our valiant seamen have cause- 
 to exclaim with Deborah in the context, O nti/ soul, 
 thou hast trodili n doivn afrcuiith. 
 
 liut our succetis on the land hitherto ha?> not been 
 equal to that on the ocean. The failure of the north- 
 western army in the outset deranged the whole cam- 
 paign on the frontiers, the last season. By the gover- 
 nor's with-holding the men, and many of the militia re- 
 fusing to come up to the help of the Lord against the 
 mighty, defeat and loss attended our arms in Canada. 
 But there, our troops always signalized themselves, 
 when led to action. The enemy there have suffered 
 about as much as we have. Many of the Indian towns 
 have been laid waste, and many of the savage barbari- 
 ans have met the just reward of their bloody deeds. It 
 is easy to account for tjie want of success on the land. 
 There has been want of men, of regular troops, want of 
 discipline, and subordination, if not want of system. 
 All theb^ I tnist will l>e remedied the coming season, if 
 
ihc war rontiniiCR, an»l the enemy will not listen to over- 
 tures lor peace. And I have no doubt of tlie final 
 issue. For I am I'uli y convinecd the war on our part is 
 just and rii;li1eous ; that the Lord approves of it ; that 
 he will he on our siide, and enable us to bring the enemy 
 to just and honorable terms of peaee. 
 
 i^if, my brethren, and fiiends, we as a nation, as a 
 gtatc, a>^ a town, as families, and individuals, have a 
 i^reat duty to do. And this day calls upon Us to enter 
 upon it with all the heart. It is our duty to fast and 
 pray, and humble ourselves before the sjreat God. AV'c 
 should realik^e (ind's gi-cat goodness to us and our na- 
 tion, and be thankful ; we should take into view the 
 number, great ne-^s, and aggravations of our sins, and 
 be humbled before God, and repent as in dust and 
 ashes. Our sins are many, they have gone up over us 
 as a thick cloud ; they have readied heaven ; they have 
 provoked God to anger, and he has sullered our enemies 
 to oppress us, and bring war upon us, to punish us. We 
 have cause to adopt the language of Daniel, the pro- 
 phet, and say, *'0 Lord, ivc have sinned, and have com- 
 muted inifjiiiti/, and have done niekedlij, and have rchcl- 
 kd, even hi) dej}arlin<s from thy preeepts, and from thy 
 judi^menls. O Lord, rij^hteousness helongcth unto thee ; 
 but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day. But to the 
 Lord our (rod heloni^ mercies and forgiveness, though ne 
 ftave rebelled ai^ainst him. 
 
 y\\i\\ huiuiliation, confession, and repentance of ou? 
 hin, we should add fervent prayer. If we arc a pray- 
 ing nation and people ; if we pray in faith, and cry to 
 tiod, he will hear and answer, and help us, in this timf> 
 of war. \Ve should pray God to turn us, as a nation 
 lO himself, and bless us. That he would bless the Pre- 
 sident and Congress, and give them wisdom, fidelit}\ 
 and pntriotism. That he would unite the people, ce- 
 ment the confederation, and dispose the rulers and 
 people in each state to do their duty, and come up to 
 the help of the Lord against the mii^hty. We should 
 pray tlie Lord to give wisdom, valor and prudence, to 
 «auv commanders, healtli and courage to oux holdiei^ 
 
ana ir.arir.ors; ?iij<-ld Ihcm in thr- clay of haltle, ni]«l 
 CTov.'n our arms by sea and ]rind -vvilh fuccoss, until 
 our enemies aro dispcv ed to make a just and honorable 
 peace. We sliould pray to God to stay the j)egti- 
 ir-nce, and j^ive U9. licallli in all our border, 
 should implore him lo bles:^. the labors of ih^ »i....- 
 bandmar., make the earth fniiUuj, and favor u ^vith 
 a pjonijlliij* harvest. We should })ray the Lord to put 
 an end to de.solatint; wai.-, and bless all nations with 
 peace and righteouines;;. O ! let U5 pray God to pour 
 Ilia spirit upon us, and make us lioly, and prepare us 
 for ail .sMflerini^s on earth, and tiio enjoyment of himr- 
 self in iieaven. 
 
 O ! may 1hf> Lord he:;r oiiJ- prayers, and save our na- 
 tion, and alJ the glory shall be ji,i\ en to the FaUitr, Son^ 
 arid Hd^ GhosUy^orhi without end. Amah 
 
 
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