A Discourse Delivered Before the Lieutenant-Governor, the Council, and Two Houses Composing the Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, May 31, 1809

f^X^ ■»^^iif-Mm CORNELL UNIVERSITY LBRARY 3 1924 104 014 729 €n%t\\ %mm%\ii JilrOTg THE GIFT OF •--"*-^"* ^JTu£JUka^... A. TOST 2£?|. Ve/ S^/^19 9 Delivered BEFORE THE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR, AKt) THE sWO HOUSES COMPOSING THE LEiSlSCATURE OF THB Commoniseal^ tit #a£t£ac^usett£e, MAY 31, 1809. i Being the Day of General Election, BY 2Dat)to ^stgooD, D. D. Futor of the tiburch in Medfor^. FSOjr THE SBESS OF lN'SeN^TE,JvSBl, 1809, ORDERED, That the Hott. William Spooner, Peter C. Brooks and John Welles, Esquires, be a Committee to wait on the Rev. Datid Osgoob, j. u, and in the name of the Senate, thank him f^r the ESscourse deliyered yesterday by him before His Honor the -Lieu tenant-Goyernor, the Honourable Council, and the two branches of the General Court ; and also to request of him a Copy for the Press J' Attest. NATHANIEL COFFIN, Cler^k of Senate, # DISCOURSE. Judges ix. 56, 57. Thus Ood rendered the wickedness of AiimeUeh which he did unto his father, in staying his seventy brethren : And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon theiv heads; and upon them came the curse ofJotham, the son of Jerutiaal, IN these words the inspired wrsseFgives us his reflections upon the preceding history of the family of Jerubhaalj originally called Gideon. Like those old Romans who were called from the plough to the dictatorshipPGrideon was thrashing wheat at the time when he received his commission to head the armies of Israel. Among all the celebrated heroes of antiquity, none could have been entitled to greater respect, than is expressed by the angel of God in this salutation to Gideon, the lord is with thee, thou MIGHTY MAN OF VALOUR. Though he had not, as yet, advanced far in life, this greeting suggests the idea of an illustrious established character, that, by some prior achievements not recorded, his great taknts and heroic qualities had already been signalized, Many opportunities for his becoming thus distinguilhed^ must have occurred during, the overwhelming calamities under which his country had groaned for the last seven years. Through each revolving season, what the Israelites had sown, tlieir enemies had reaped ; and the pillaged inhabitants who had escaped with their lives, were left destitute of the means of subsistence^ Dispersed among the mountains, in dens, caves and strong holds ; they were languishing through want, while the combined forces of their enemies, numerous as grasshoppers, were spreading their ravages far and wide and destroying the country.

Such was the situation of the Israelites when their (God interposed by the hand of Gideon, to effect their deliverance. Never perhaps before or since, was so great and splendid a victory gained by such a hand-« fill of troops. With but three hundred men, through divine assistance, Qideon put to ingtant and total rout, an army of more than one hundred thousand. AU these and twenty thousand more, fell in the course of his success. He ceased not the pursuit till he had captured and slain the combined kings and chiefs of the enemy. Amid&t i^L^i^ eflS}rt9j»g«!Linst JPooEa^jaa— i»v£^deri>j he had to contend with the unfriendly views, the bases* ness and treachery of a numerous party among his own people, A great nation, is seldom, if ever, reduced to thecondition in which thelsra,elit^ are here started to have been, without its being occasioned in part^ at least, by disunion and discord among themselves, When they are destined t^ subjugation and conquest, their intestine divisions prepare the way and facilitate the event. The intrigues of their conquerors are usually as efficacious as their weapons. Among the Israelites at this time, whole cities, if not tribes, had taken uo decided a papt gainst the cause of their country ; and either through fear or corruption, were so attached to that of its invaders that, after Gideon'^s first great and miraculous victory, they would not admit the probability of his final success. Instead of the feelings of gratitude and the language of praise, they uttered that of contempt. To his demand of refreshment for his ^xhaus^d.^d fainting soldiers,. the magistrates of Succpth and Penuel returned this most insolent answer. Are Zehg^ and ZyJmunna now in thine handy that we should give bread unto thine army ? Jn the punishment of these faithless cities afterward^^ patriotism, as well as justice, was displayed, The, h common safety required an example of terror in such vile traitors. On various other occasions, Gideon exhibited the abilities and virtues of a great and good commander. While he was yet in pursuit of the flying enemy, he found himself unexpectedly involved in controversy with a part of his own forces. The succours from the powerful and warlike tribe of Ephraim, took ossence at their not having received au earlier summons to the war. Their anger was as unseasonable, as utterly unfounded ; yet for these very reasons, the more-wild «nd intracteWe. Had tSttdcon answered them as Jepthah did afterward, the consequences might have been equally lamentable. We cannot but admire his self-command, his superior wisdom and goodness in turning away their Wrath. Bypassing unnoticed the absurdity of their allegations, and by his modesty and humility in extolling their exploits as superior to his own ; he disarmed their insolence and so flattered their vanity, as prevented any detriment to the public service by so foolish an altercation. — In short, by his valour and good conduct, greatness of mind, soundness of judgment, moderation, prudence, and disinterestedness in serving the public ; he completely succeeded in breaking from the neck of his country, the yoke imposed by foreign powers, vanquishing and expelling those invaders, chastising their partizans among his own peonle, quelling sedition, reconciling parties and divisions, and, at, length, establishing the independence, peac« and prosperity of his nation.

So manifold, great and extensive were his services that, the Israelites, feeling the happiness derived from his administration, were constrained to the most grateful acknowledgments. Nay, their gratitude led them to offer much more than he was willing to accept. …