Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-02-07

pitcher, and ran again unto the well, and
drew for all his camels." Laban, the
brother Of Rebekah, prepared the house
j for his reception, 9RgiTdid has cansels
and brought him "sDateT to aoash his feet
and the mems feet that scere Nth him p
! In the 9th chapter of Samuel, we
have an account of a high festival in the
city of Zuph, at which Samuel. the chic
Judge and ruler in Israel, presided. None
sat down at the feast but those that were
hidden. And only about thirty persons
were invited. Quite a select party -
the elite of the city Of Zuphl Saul and
his servant arrived at Zuph just as the
party was assembling and both of them,
at Samuel's solicitation, accompany him
as invited guests. "And Samuel tool
Saul and his SERVANT, and bToxghtrHE
into the PARLoR and made THEM sit
IN tie cHIEFEsT SEATS among those thai
ioere hidden" A servant invited by the
chief judge, ruler, and prophet in Israel,
to dine publicly with a select party, in
company with his master, aobo vds at the
same time Gn0inted King of Israel; and
this servant introduced by Samuel into
the PARLoR, and assigned, with his mas
ter, to the ehiefest seat at the table This
was one of the servants" of Kish, Saups
father; not the ste,oGrd or the chief of
them-not at all picked man, but one
ofthe servants; any one that could be
most easily spared, as no endowments
specially rare would be likely to find
scope in looking after asses.
Again: we learn from Kings xvi.
8, 9, that Elah, the King of Israel, was
slain by Zimri, one of his chief officers,
at festive entertainment, in the house of
ARA, his steward, or head servant, with
whom he seems to have been on terms of
familiarity. Without detailing othercases,
We refer the reader to the intercourse be-
tween Gideon and his servant-Judges
vii 10, l1.-Jonathan and his servant
l Samuel xiv. 1-l4.-Eiisha and his
servant
3. The condition of the Gibeonites, as
subjects of the Hebrew commonwealth,
shoes that they 1Oere neither articles of
property, nor eUen INVOLUNTARY servants
The condition of the inhabitants of Gibe-
on, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriathiear-
i'm, under the Israelites, is quoted in tri-
umph by the advocates of slavery: and
truly they are right welcome to all the
crumbs that can be CLEANED from it. Mil
toms devils made desperate snatches at
fruit that turned 10 ashes on their lips,-
The spirit Of slavery raves under tor
menting Cravings, and casts about in
blind phrenzy for something to ease, or
even to mock them. But for this, it would
never have clutched at the Gibeonites, for
even the lncantations Of the demon caul-
dron, could not extract from their case
enough to tantalize starvation's SELF
But to the question. What was the con-
dition of the Gibeonites under the Is
raclites!
U.) II soGs voluntary. 1t was their
own proposition to Joshua to become SER
wants. Joshua tx. 8, III. Their PROPOSE
ton was accepted, but the kind of service
which they should perform, was not spe-
cited until their gross imposition came to
light; they were then assigned to mental
Offices in the tabernacle.
(2) They toere not domestic servants in
the families of tie Lsraelites. They still
continued to reside in their own cities,
cultivating their own fields tending their
flocks and herds, and exercising the func-
tons of a distinct, though not independent
community. They were subject to the
Jewish nation as tributaries. So far from
being distributed among the Israeliles,
their family relations broken up, and their
internal organization as distinct people
abolished, they seem to have remained a
separate, and, IN some respects, an indie
pendent community for many centuries.
When they were attacked by the Amor
ties, they applied to the Israelites as con-
federates for aid-it was promptly render
ed, their enemies routed, and themselves
left unmolested in the occupation of their
cities, while all Israel returned to Gilgal. |
Joshua <. 6-l8. Long afterwards, Saul |
slew some of them, and God sent upon
Israel a three years. famine for il. David |
said to the Gibeonites, What shall | do |
for you, and wherewith shall | make the
atonement that ye may bless the inherit
ance of the Lord :" At their demand, he
delivered up to them, seven of the royal
family, five of them the sons of Michal,
his own former wife. 2Samuel xxi. 1-9.
Phe whole transaction was formal re-
cognition of the Gibeonites as separate
people. There is no intimation that thew
served families, or individuals of the Is
raelites, but only the "houss of God" or
the Tabernacle. This was established
first at Gilgal, days journey from the
cities of the Gibeonites; and then at Shi-
lob, nearly two days journey from them
where it continued about $50 years.
During all this period, the Gibeonites in:
habited their ancient cities and territory
Only few, comparatively, could have
been absent from their cities at anv one