The Mirrour — Concord, N.H., 1795-03-27 00:00:00, page 1

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—'" NEWHAMPSHIRE PRINTED ANDPUBLISH SBY RUSSELL AND DAVIS, AT CONCORD.
to , — ———
[volume ill.
Mr OSGOOD's
THANKSGIVING SERMON.
'[continued.]
A SERMON, delivered on the Day of An
nual Thanksgiving, November zo, 1794-
BY DAVID OSGOOD, A. M.
Paflor ofa Church in Medford, Moffachujstts.
psalm, cxi, 4.
Hi hath „al his pstderfad marks to h&rtmtm
bered.
AT certain periods of time, through the
several ages and among the different na-.
tions of the world, God breaks forth in sig
nal and remarkable dispensations for the re
lief of the righteous, or for the punishment of
the wicked. His providence is seen juftify
ing its own procedure in vindicating and de
livering oppressed innocence, or in precipi
tating prosperous guilt from its lofty feats.
On these occasions, God is known by the
glory that surrounds him. Beholding these
extraordinary proofs ofhis presence and pow-,
er, men are constrained to fay, Verify there is
a reward for the righteous : Peril, there it a God
that judgeth in the earth.
And when we are once established in the
belief of such a great and glorious Being,
this faith will naturally prompt us to fear &
serve him. Convinced of his power and jus
tice by the awful manifeftations of them in
his works, we flhall be led to stand in awe of
him, and heedfully to shun whatever we ap
prehend to be offensive in his fight. Struck
with the more signal displays of his mercy &
goodness, and excited by them to the more
fixed contemplation of his unbounded bene
ficence we shall be fatisfied, that our happi
ness must consist in the enjoyment of his fa
vour.
, This persuasion will render us anxious to
know what the Lord our God requires of us ; and
solicitous to approve ourselves to him, by a
patient continuance in well doing.
Our prefenttnift in. the divine mercy is^al
fo encouraged by the remembrance of former
favors and deliverances. For this purpose,
among others, the Israelites were enjoined to
teach " their children the praises of the Lord
his ftrengih, and his wonderful works —that
the generation to come might know them
—even the children which should be born:
* Who Ihould^rife and declare 1 them to their
children ; that they might fettheir Hope in
God."
The honor of God, the interests of relig
ion, and the comfort and consolation of good
men, being all promoted by the memory of
the divine dispensations ; it is highly agree
able to reason, and consonant to scripture,
that public days should be set apart, on which
a whole people may unite in celebrating the
goodness of God ; recolleding the instances
of his providential care of, and kindness to
wards them ; and talking of his wonderful
works in their favor. Such institutions serve
^pillars of remembrance, to revive and perpe
tuate a sense of our obligations to Heaven.—
The thoughts of the great body of the peo
ple are so taken up about their own private
affairs, that they are prone to pay but little
attention to the concerns of the public. Af
ter the firft impression is worn off, they soon
forget, at least practically, national mercies
and deliverances, as well as national judg
ments. They need to have their minds Bir
red up, byway of remembrance. And when
God, by a long and continued series of re
markable interpositions, has multiplied, blel
fed, and prospered any people— has, on one
occasion & another, repeatedly refeued them
from great & threatening dangers, put them
in full possession of their rights and liberties,
laws and religion, and from year to year con
tinues them in the quiet enjoyment of these
privileges, together with the usual bounties
of his munificent providence, they cannot too
frequently recoiled, nor too fervently and
gratefully acknowledge, these signal instan
ces of the divine benignity. It sure becomes
Chilian magistrates, and is aduty they owe
to God, to cill upon their fubje&s to unite
in commemorating these wonderful woiks , of
heaven in their favor.
, Our forefathers, from the firft settlement
of the country, esteemed certain seasons of
the year as highly proper for special ads of
devotion. At the opening of the spring,
theyjudged it fit and fufrable, to set apart a
dav for humiliation and prayer ; that they
mioht imolore the divine blessing on the af
fairs ofthe enfiriog season—that it might be
; tendered fruitful, healthy and prosperous.-
the reception of these mercies, at
^^^ ^n, another was set
CO NCO R D, FRIDAY, March 27, 1795.
- m^J-J "~ _\"' : "•■•.~
apart for public thank (giving —To this cus
tom of our pious and renowned ancestors, the
\ proclamation for the observance of this day
expressly refers. To the friends of religion
among us it must be highly agreeable to join
in making this day a grateful memorial of,
God's providential kindness towards us; and
especially, in recording the more signal mer
cies of the lag revolving season.
He hath, fays the proclamation, been pleased
to favor us with a good measure of health, while
others, whom we ought to pit, and pray for, bawe
been lifted with contagious and mortal sickness.
In the Weftindia islands, in some of the fou
'thern states, and even in the neighboring
state of Connecticut, we have heard of an
unusual mortality. But among ourselves, the
instances of it have, as yet, fallen considera
ble short of the average number for the last
twenty years. It is rare, indeed, that a year
passes over us in which health is more gene
rally enjoyed. Life is the basis of all our en
joyment in this world ; and health is the
balm of life. It sweetens and enhances all
the comforts of life. It enables us to bear
our part in the affairs of the world, and to
partake of that rich profufion of good which
a bountiful providence lets before us. 'When
therefore we fee or hear of others from whom
this blessing is withdrawn, it ought to excite
our gratitude afrefh, that to us it is still con
tinued. On this day it becomes us, with in
creasing love and thankfulnefs, to pay our
vows to that Being who is the health of our
countenanceand the God of our lives ; whose
kind visitations uphold us in the land of the
living, while many others, cut off by pining
sickness, are continually finking into the
grave.O
Next to the blessings of health, the procla
mation mentions those of harvest : He hath
foiled on our agricultural labours, and caus
ed the earth to yield her increase.— For the
space of some weeks, at the opening of the
spring; our profped was melancholy. An
early drought and a later froft, unusually se
vere, alarmed our apprehensions. But from
that period, we have rarely known, in this
vicinity, a more fruitful season. Refreshing
Ihowers succeeding each other at Short inter
vals, preceded and followed with a warm fun,
have furnifhed a continued supply of graft
for the cattle,and rendered the latter harvest,
and the various produaions of autumn, plen
tiful and abundant. In this refpe& also we
record the rich bounty of Providence, and
are constrained gratefully to acknowledge,
that still " he leaveth not himfelf without
witnefe, in that he continueth to do us good
to give us rain from Heaven and fruitful Sea
sons, filling our hearts with food and glad
ness."
With the blessings already recounted the
proclamation goes on to inform us, that He
hath prospered our fishery, and in a great
measure our merchandize, notwithstanding
the depredation of unreasonable difpoilers.
The attack of the difpoilers upon our com
merce has undoubtedly been infamous, and
such as ought to be execrated by all civilized
nations. And were we to judge of the ex
tent of the mifehief which they have done us,
• from the representations in some of the pub
lic papers, and in the resolve of certain Self
created Societies, we might be led to con
clude, that the trade of the country was an
nihilated, and all its merchants bankrupts.
It is therefore, after such continued alarm
through the seasons, some consolation to hear,
from so high an authority, that notwithstand
ing all our losses, disappointments and vex
ations, a great measure of commercial pros
perity his been enjoyed. Os this indeed, we
have yet further evidence, even occular de
monstration, in the splendid and princely ap
pearance of many of our mercantile citizens,
and in the high price of country produce,
enhanced to a degree which (though oppres
sive ahd ruinous to a few individuals whose
sole dependence are upon a fixed Stipend) is
yet exceedingly gainful to the great body of
the community. Such prodigious exporta
tions would not, and could not, be continu
ed, did not the merchant, notwithstanding
every risk, find his account in them.
What a cl^m upon our gratitude then is
that, through the mercy of Heaven, we are
allowed toencreafe in wealth, in numbers
and strength, at a time, when thenations of
Europe are madly wafting, empoverilhing
and destroying each other, so; ft"
There the awakened jealonfy of tyrants,
tenacious of their usurped powers; and the
ferocious zeal^the desperate fury of a migh
ty, though long oppressed nation, have set
the world in flame. These lusts consume
&abundance of the feas/and the treasures
■■■■.. Ill■ll■■■ll llll■■ll■<l■■ ■■■l■■■ 11l a
of the dry land, the produdions of nature
and art : They lay waste the works and im
provements of ages, and so far as their power
extends, render all the elements subservient
to misery and ruin. What a blast do the
follies and vices of men bring upon the rich
blessings of Heaven ? For our continued ex
emption from these feenes of devastation and
luin, how fervent Should be our gratitude to
the Supreme Disposer ! In times part we
tye experienced them, and may Heaven
grant that we may know them no more !
As yet, we hail each of the contending na
tions as our friends ; and while they are mu
tually buffering such complicated evils from
one anoihet, these states present a common
asylum for the distressed of all parties, who
are almost daily arriving on our peaceful
Shores.;
The enumeration of the blessings in the
proclamation concludes with adding^He hath
continued to us the inestimable blessing of
the gospel, and our religious, as well as civil
liberties. For the former of thefe —the rich
blessings of the gospel and our religious priv
ileges—as they are primarily a supernatural
grant from Heaven, and comprise all our
hopes and profoeds for eternity ; so no pe
riod, Short of that endless duration, will be
fufficient for adequte returns of adoration
and praise, For the latter, our civil rights
and liberties we are under Providence, and
as the means by which Heaven has granted
and continues them to us, indebted to a cause
or Source which I am sorry to observe, is not
mentioned, nor even referred to, in the pro
clamation—l mean the general or federal
government. This omission is strange and
Angular, Beyond any thing of the kind, I
recoiled to nave seen, since the firft union of
the States, in the memorable year 1775. It
has, to fay the least, a strong appearance of
difeonnedion, with the general government,
and an air of separate Sovereignty and inde
pendence, as though we enjoyed not our civil
rights in union with the other states under
the ^mmon head.
H»e then I think it my duty, to remind
you, that of all our political blessings for
which we ought on this day, to make our
grateful acknowledgements to the Divine
Goodness, our federal government' is the
greatest, the chief, and in fad, the basis of
the whole. Its form and constitution are by
wife men universally admired. The wis
dom, integrity, ability and success of its ad
ministration have commanded the refped
and applause of the world. Its happy ef
feds and consequences to ourselves, which
we have known and experienced, have been
great and estimable, beyond any other po
litical good which we have ever enjoyed. By
guaranteeing to each of the states a republi
can form ofigovernment, and the enjoyment
of every right consistent with the rights of
the whole, it becomes to them all the great
est security against the attempts both of in
ternal fadion and external invasion. In this
view, it is their pillar of support and a bul
wark of defence.L
Previous to the adoption of this most ex
cellent form of government under the old
confederation, these states presented to the
world a many headed monster, frightful and
alarming to all the lovers of peace and good
order, each state claimed a negative on the
resolves of the whole in Congress assembled;
and the regulations of the several states re
fpedively were interfering and clashing with
each other. From this foundation of difeord,
parties and divisions were inevitable. In al
most every state, many were difaffeded to
wards their own immediate government. In
some of the states open rebellion existed.—
Things went on from bad to worse, till the
administration of justice was suspended, the
laws silenced—all public and private faith
left without a support, and the obligation of
promises and centrads set aside. Men could
neither confide in the public, nor in one an
other. Industry wanted encouragment—
trade languished—a general uneasiness pre
vailad ; and we tottered on the brink of the
most dreadful convulsions..
A Newyork Enigma.
ON the 31st January last the follow
ing perfoos dept together in one bed,
io the town of Union, state of Nefr
york, viz.
One grandfather, one grafaptber, twofa
&, two mothers, three brfttwe ft
LAWS of the United States.
PUBLISHED
Br HUTHORirr.
Third Congress of the United S tates,
At the Second Session,•
Begun and held at the city of Philadelphia;
in the state of Permfyfamh, on Monday,
the third of November, 1794.
-raiWß—
t AQ for the reimbnrfemtnt of a loan
authorized b, an aQ of the last fefr
fan of Congress.•
Sec. I. RE it enaaed b, the Senate
D and Hottfe of Representa
tives of the United States of America,
in Congress assembled, That the bank
of the United States be, and the fame
it hereby authorized to lend to the
United Statei, the whole, or any part
of the sum of eight hundred thousand
dollars (remaining unapplied) in pur
suance of the authority granted to bor
row one million of dollors, by the a#
entitled, " An ad making further
provision for the expenses attending
the intercoufe of the United States
with foreign nations ; and further to
continue in force the aft, intitled
" An aft providing the means of in
tercourse between the United States
and foreign nations."
Sec. 2. And be it farther enaaed.
That after reserving such sums as may
be fufficient to fatisfy prior appropri
ations, there be further appropriated,
in aid of the provision heretofore
made, out of the proceeds of the du
ties which have arisen, or may arise
upon carriages for the conveyance of
persons; upon licenses for felling wines
and foreign distilled fpiritous liquors
by retail ; upon fnuff and refined fa
gar ; and upon property fold at auc
tion ; which were imposed by afts
during the last session, and which
may be further continued, the pres
ent session of Congress, or from the
proceeds of such duties or revenues
as may be established in lieu thereof,
a sum fufficient to the reimbursement,
before the year one thousand eight
hundred & one, of any loan or loans,
which have been, or which may here
after be made, in virtue of the id a
fotefaid : And that the faith of the
United States be, and the fame is here
by pledged, to make good any defici
ency of the said duties.
Approved, March 21, 1795.
George Washington.
An Aa authorizing the ereaion of a
Light house near the entrance of
Georgetown harbour, in the state of
Soutbcarolina.
BE it enabled b, the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States
of America, in Congress afiembled, That
the Secretary of the Treasury be, and
he is hereby required to cause to be
ereded, as soon as may be, a light
house near the entrance of the har
bour of Georgetown, in the State of
Southcarolina, at such place, whea
ceded to the United States of Ameri
ca, as shall be most convenient for
the navigation thereof ; and that a
sum, not exceeding five thousand dol
lars, be appropriated for the fame, out
of any monies not otherwise appro-^
priaicu: /ina inac a ium no* excecu
[number 127.]