The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1774-11-21 00:00:00, page 1

Courteous Reader,
^HQU mayejl perchance wonder to fee a sermon publijh
ed in a News-Paper. Have patience, and 1 will
tell thee the reason profefs to be a son of liberty upon
cool, rational, and. coniiilent principles. Therefore upon
the approaching of the faft appointed on occasion of the late
cidis of Parliament, I fat down and wrote the following
sermon, which at the time I thought was as good andfuit
able pafure, as any I could afford my flock upon the occafi
en. However, when I came to revise it, the principles of
prudence and got the better of my love of liber
ty and just ice. For thou must know, reader, t hat we
clergymen are careful to fay nothing either upon spiritual
or temporal matters, which may give offence to any of our
parifhoners. Yet being loth that the world should re
ceive no benefit by these my lucubrations, I determined to
convey them to thee, in this prudent channel of the news
paper.
So hopingthat thou mayest reteive much edification from
them, I rest, Tbine,&c.
Benevolus
Isaiah Iviii, 4. Behold, ye fail forftrife and debate,
and to finite with the fift of wickedness; ye shall
not fall as do this day, to make your voice be
heard on high.
HE prophet If? iah was favoured with a very
long, cnv/UgO aJJ liioß liap
py life. He prophecied in the reigns of no less
thahtoUr Kings. See chap, iv, i.
During this period, many calamities befel the
nation and state of the Jews. Under these calami
ties, it seems, they fought to God, in the way of
prayer and falling for help and deliverance; but
met not with that favourable answer, nor those gra
cious returns, which they expefted. And of this,
they had the confidence to complain to God, in
diredt and explicit terms, at the fame time, calling
him to an account for treating them and their fall
ings with such neglect. See the context, v. 3,
« Wherefore have we failed, fay they, and thou
«« feell not ? Wherefore have we afflifted our fouls,
r< and thou takell no knowledge ?” Although
Jehovah for this their unparallelled impudence,
without any answer, might have lifted up the arm
of his vengeance, and llruck them dead by thou
sands in a moment; yet such was his forbearance
and condescension, that suspending the execution
of deserved wrath, he in gentle yet plain terms
■paints out to them, the reason why he did not hear
their prayers, nor regard their humiliations. This
he does in several verses of the context, but especi
al Iy in the text. Behold ye faft for (I rife and debate,
and to smite with thefift of wickedness.
But how are we to underiland these words? that
they failed with an express design to contend and de
bate, and smite with the till of wickedness? No,
this is hardly fuppofeable; but the evident sense
of this is, ye so fait, as Rill amidst all your worlhip
and humiliation, topraclife injustice, violence, and
oppression ; and after all your falling and pretend
ed repentance, the effeft upon your lives and man
ners is no better, than if you had failed with an ex
press design, to prepare and devote yourselves more
abundantly to these vices. This is the sense given
by Grotius, and other commentators, as you may
fee in Pool’s Synopsis.
It ought to be particularly noticed, upon what
occasion it was, that the Jews failed, and fought
the Lord, and yet received this answer: It was pro
bably upon occasion of these dillreffing calamities,
which befel Judah in the reign of Ahar. We are
told, that in the days of Jothani, the Lord began
to fend against Judah, Rezin the King of Syria,
and Pekah, the son of Remeliah, King oflfrael. (3
Kings, XV, 37.) But these neighbouring princes,
A Fast Sermon, occasioned by the A&s of Parliament
lately passed, refpeding Boston, the province of
the Maffachffelts-Bay, Quebec, and all America.
Epistle to the Readers
MO ND AY, RoviMm 21, 1^74 T H E [NUMBER 51).]
CONNECTICUT COURANT,
A N D HARTFORD
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER.
Containing the Freshest ADVICES, both FOREIGN and DOMESTIC.
Open to all PARTIES—not under the influence of ANY,
who began even then to have the advantage of Ju
dah, distressed him much more in the lucceeding
reign of Ahar. In 2 Chron. chap. 28. We are in
formed that the Lord his God delivered him into
the hand of the King of Syria, who smote him, and
carried away a great multitude captive, and brought
them to Damascus-That he also delivered him
into the hand of the King of Israel, who flew in Ju
dah, an hundred and twenty thousand, all valiant
men, in one day‘-—that Zichri a mighty man of
Ephraim flew Maafeiah the King’s son, and Elka
nah who was next to the Kingand that the chil
dren of Israel carried away captive of their bre
thren two hundred thousand women, sons and daugh
ters, and took also away much spoil from them, and
brought the spoil to Samaria.
Again in the fame chapter we are informed, that
about the fame time the Edomites came and smote
Judah, and carried away captives-; that the Philis
tines also invaded the cities of the low country, and
of the south of Judah, taking Beth-Remilh, Ajalon,
Gedercth, and Gimzo, also with the villages there
of, and that they dwelt there : That the Lord bro’t
Judah low because of Ahaz their king ; that Ahaz
applied for help to Tiglethprlefer; that he came
to Ahaz, yet flrengthened him not, but flill more
distressed him.
In Isaiah chap. 7. we have an account,that Rezin
and Pekah, not contented with the victory they had
obtained over Ahaz, the slaughter and captivity of
so many thousand Jew's, nor yet with the spoil which
they had carried off; formed *-e design of dethron
ing him, who was t>f the house of David and of set
ting upon the throne one of another faritily the son
of Tabeal; and that they had so far executed their
design, and had such fair prbfpedts, that the heart of
Ahaz, and of all the people was moved, as the tree^
of the wood are moved with the wind.
On the occasion of these great, dillreffing and re
peated calamities it doubtless was, that the Jews
failed and afflided their fouls, as they profefs in the
context, and yet God saw not and took no know
ledge. They were vanquished, enslaved and cruel
ly oppressed by their enemies, having a profpeft of
still greater oppression and cruelty. Under these
calamities they fought the Lord, they failed and afr
Aided their fouls. Yet the Lord had rio regard to
them or their humiliations,but flill left them to bear
all their burdens, and tofufferall that their oppres
sors saw cause to inflid upon them. ^\.nd all this
for what reason ? Why, because they failed for
flrife and debate, and to smite with the fill of wick
edness ; while they fafted and prayed for deliver
ance from the hand of their oppreflbrs, they them
selves were guilty of the like violence and oppression,
towards one another ; particularly towards the poor,
the widow and the fatherlefs ; towards those who
were dependent upon them, without friends, and
confcquently without protedion.
This being the charader and condition of these
Jews, I dare fay, brethren, you will all join with me
in the opinion that the dispensations of divine pro
vidence towards them in this case were entirely just.
It was just that those who were guilty of violence,
tyranny and oppression, Ihould fuffer the effeds of
the like violence, tyranny and oppression from the
hands of others. It was just and suitable that they
Ihould be puniflied in a way thus correspondent to
their fins. It was an holy, righteous and wife dis
pensation of God, that they ihould eat the fruit of
their own ways,and be filled with their own devices:
and this notwithstanding their fafting and pretended
humiliation.
[The remainder will be in our next.]
From the LON DO N MAGAZINE,
The llriking Fate of GUILT, An Eallern Tale.
Tranftatcd from the French of the celebrated Author of
Les Saisons, Poeme.
^HREE inhabitants of Balck, travelled together.
They found a treasure, and they divided it e
qually amongst them. They continued their jour
ney, and entertained each other with their different
fthemes of employing the riches which they had
thus suddenly acquired. The provisions which they
had along with them were consumed : they there
fore agreed that One of them should go to a town
and buy feme, and that the youngest should exe
cute that commission. He accordingly went.
As he was upon the road, he laid to himfelf,
<f Now indeed lam rich ; but I should have been
much richer if I had been alone when the trea
sure was sound.——These two men have carried
off my riches. Cannot I fall u£on a tvay of re
covering them ? That I think may be very ea
sy.—l have only to poison the provision which I am
going to buy, and on my return, to fay that I have
dined in the town. My companions will eat with
out suspicion, and die. 1 have at present but the third .
of the treasure ; I (hall thus have the whole of it.”
In the mean time, the two other travellers con
ferred together in these terms: “ We had little oc
casion for this young fellow’s company at such a
junfture. We have been obliged to give him a share
of the treasure. His part of it would have encreafed
ours, and we should have been truly rich.—-He will
be back to us soon.—-We have good poignards.”
The young man returned with the poisoned provi
sions; His companions assassinated him : they then
eat and died, and none of the three enjoyed the
treasure., . . . . •
LEVI ALLEN,
BEGS leave to acquaint the public that he has a
traft of land fix miles square, lying on the east
fide Lake Charnplaift, north of Omor Ri cc'- adj mt .
ing on the \yater. This land has a smooth furface,
fine rich foil, pure healthy air, free from stones, no
high mountains in the whole trad, the Lake and the
streams that empty into it abounding with divers
kinds of good fifti ; there is a number of good honest
farmers already purchased of me and some already
fettled on said land, and many more that have view
ed the fame like it well, and have contraded with
me to go and fettle there next Spring, any inclining
to purchase, may have 500 acres or more at a very
moderate lay.—-For particulars inquire of the sub
scriber at Salilbury, or of Ira Allen on the premises,
or of CoL Thomas Chittenden, at Onion River.
LEVI ALLEN.
N. B. Ready calh Given for Sufquehannah
rights by said ALLEN.
Salisbury, Nov. 15, 1774;
Ten Dollars Rew ar di
RUN-away last night from the fubferiber, a
Negro servant, named BRISTOL, about 34
years of age ; carried with him two suits of Cloaths,
two pair of Leather Breeches, one pair mill drefs’d ;
a red Great Coat, a Castor Hat, and a Violin.---
The above reward and neccffary charges shall be paid
to any person that shall return him, to
ROBERT BRECK.
N. B. All masters Of vessels are forbid harbour
ing or carrying off said Negro.
North-Hampton, November 14, 1774.
To be Sold-, a Farm of about 130
Acres of good Land, lying in the Society of Middlefield, in
Middletown, situated upon a good road, within a.bout a
Mile of the Meeting-House, with a House and Barn, and
near one hundred Acres of the Land under improvement.
Forfurther Particulars enquire of Williams ‘John Warm r,
living on the Premises.
Middletown, November 2, 1774.
Strayed or stolen from the fub
feriber of Hebron, a dark chestnut coloured Mare,
about 13 hands high, a star in the forehead, a spot
on the near fide, paces and trots, about 5 years old.
Whoever will take up said Mare, shall have Two
Dollars reward and all neccffary charges paid, b'
PHEBE FINNEY. '
Hebron, November 9, 1774.