NEXT to life is liberty, and when oppression and tyranny are violent they cause the parties oppressed to make some resistance, let them be ever so feeble. The government and au­thority of kings are almost as old as the crea­tion, and if we look back to antiquity, we will find the good old patriarch Abraham engaged in a war with five kings, which he defeated, retook his brother and all his spoil, and at his return from the slaughter, had the approbation and be­nediction of Melchizedeck the priest of the most high God, who congratulated him on his victory, and regaled him with bread and wine. The force that Abraham had was but small, yet with that force he overcame all his enemies.—So may America and her allies overcome all their enemies. But before we proceed, let us take notice why those words were spoken by the children of Israel to Rehoboam their rightful sovereign, and then apply the case to America and Great-Britain, with some remarks.

Disobedience is the general cause of all earthly calamities, and sometimes meets with immediate vengeance from the hand of the [Page 6] Lord and from the hand of man. Solomon's disobedience was the cause of the ten tribes revolting, as you will find it record­ed in the preceding chapter; which points out the revolution of the ten tribes, as it came to pass in the first year of the reign of Solomon's successor.—Thus you see the children visited with the [...]ins of the fathers.—Rehoboam being the hereditary prince repairs to Shechem to be placed on his father's throne, and accordingly all the heads of Israel assemble to the coronation: But the children of Israel were apprised of Rehoboam's designs, and they sent and fetched Jeroboam the usurper, for he had fled through fear from the land, during the reign of king Solomon; for had he remain­ed there he m [...]st undoubtedly have lost his life. Whilst they were thus assembled they with one voice petitioned the young prince to redress their grievances; remove their arbitrary taxe [...] which his father obliged them to pay during his reign: But i [...] the interim the wise Israelites secretly elect Jeroboam to be their sovereign; but his promotion to the throne of Israel came from the mouth of the Lord, whose decrees none can countermand.— This scheme of the children of Israel is similar to the conduct of that nation who caused Charles Stuart to be crowned in the time of their rebellion, which happened in the year 1745.—

But America has no such views, she wants no titles nor king [...], she is struggling for nothing but liberty, peace and independenc [...] and the quiet possession of that country which their ancestors hel [...] ed to win from the hands of barbarous savages.—But l [...] return to Rehoboam and the heads of Israel. The distresse [...] [...] raelites demand an answer; their prince bids them depart, a [...] would answer them in three days; during their absence he [...] his father's counsellors together to advise with them what answer should return his urgent subjects. The counsel of the wise is hea [...] to the soul. These hoary sages advise [...]im to speak mildly to [...] subjects, redress their grievances, and remove his father's arbitra [...] laws which he had enacted, and then would they be willing su [...] jects, and would serve him as their rightful sovereign.—But word [...] [...]eing young, vain, proud and arrogant, refused the old men [...] counsel, and preferred such counsellors as himself, which was th [...] [...]in of his kingdom, as you will find in the ensuing discours [...]. Bad counsellors are a hurt to kings, and when the wicked bear r [...] the righteous must suffer: Kings ought to be governed by the la [...] as well as subjects, for they are but men, and they ought [...] have their thrones established in righteousness.

Rehoboam peremptorily re [...]es to remove those enormous bu [...]then [...] that his subjects compl [...]ned of, and what was the issue? T [...] t [...] tribes re [...]ed and made Jeroboam their king; but there ne [...] [Page 7] no wonder, the irreversable decree came from the mouth of the Lord of hosts, who is the king of kings and the Lord of Lords. [...]ings sometimes rush on their own destruction by tyranny and violence, and the ruin of a kingdom is always near when the sove­ [...]eign and ministers are both wicked. I wish the once illustrious sovereign of Britain could say as the pious David did,—That he and his kingdom were guiltless before the Lord from the blood of [...]bner the son of N [...]r, who was slain by the blood thirsty Joab.— [...]. Samuel iii. 28.

But who will answer for the blood that has been spilt in America when the Lord maketh enquiry for it, I know not.—But I am afraid I have deviated from the point in view.—

So when all Israel saw that the king would not hear nor redress their grievances, they all with unanimous voices said, What portion have we in David, or what inheritance in the s [...]n of Jesse, to your tents, O Israel! and thou David see to thine own house.—Thus the grand separation takes place between the unfortunate son of king Solomon, and the whole kingdom of Israel. The people are now resolute, since the laws cannot be repealed nor the burdens removed, they would be no longer subjects.—Thus it was with the Americans and Britain—When the laws of the land are subverted the subjects are discontented and ready for a revolt.

King Rehoboam is now confined to the small government of the tribe of Judah only. How mortifying, yet how just, was his pu­ [...]hment! In this terrible dilemma he sent Adoram who was his tribute officer to conciliate and pacify a revolted and an enraged people; but how vain and useless was this messenger. The en­raged Israelites took this as a new insult and they all stoned him with stones that he died! What will not men do that have been [...]wlessly insulted and aggrieved? The execution of this principal officer alarmed the son of Solomon, that he hurried and made all possible speed to get him up to his chariot that he might flee to [...]erusalem. Thus you see how fear accompanies guilt even in [...]ings, and when they do amiss they ought to be punished as well as the meanest subject; and when they reign well it is the duty of every subject to acknowledge them as their sovereign. After this retreat of Rehoboam's the children of Israel crown Jeroboam and [...]ets him on the throne of David. Now as the kingdom of Israel was established in the hands of Jeroboam—what portion had they in David, and what inheritance in the son of Jesse? every man to his own house and thou Rehoboam to your petty government of Judah. How pride and ambition gilded with avarice can [...]lind the eyes and minds of the best of men.

Rehoboam could not relish the revolution of his subjects, it mortified his pride to that degree that he was mad with rage. [Page 8] He assembles all the chief of his warriors together, even an hundred and eighty thousand men, to fight against the children o [...] Israel, to see if it was possible to bring the kingdom back again t [...] himself. But whilst this vast army was preparing to go out to battle, the word of the Lord came unto him by the mouth of t [...] prophet, saying, Ye shall not go, nor shall ye fight against yo [...] brethren the children of Israel, for the destruction of your kin [...] dom is from me, saith the Lord.—What mortal or what sera [...] can reverse the decrees of Omnipotence? Who can tell what in the womb of futurity? That which was in embryo is no [...] ready to be brought forth,—I mean the peace and the indepe [...] dence of America.

H [...]g imperfectly run over Rehoboam's fall, and the revolutio [...] of the [...]sraelites, let me t [...]rn my thoughts to America.

America! a name [...]ich I hope will be remembered while [...] sun and moon endure: An empire which, in my opinion, in spi [...] of all oppos [...], will be one of the greatest in the world! O [...] fat [...]d Brit [...]in▪ if thou hadst known in this thy day the thi [...] that belonged to thy peace, thou wouldst never have pretended [...] [...]ave America! O unhappy was that morn, when the word w [...] given to charge a bayonet! on a brother American! O unnat [...] ral, unchristian war!

But why do I mention christianity, it has taken its flight fro [...] Bri [...], as well as all other honourable, and truly virtuous pursu [...] and [...].—VVhen the parents provoke the children are d [...] couraged!

When [...] commenced the Americans were at quie [...] When they [...] with new laws and taxes, they appea [...] [...] for [...] but [...] of receiving any, the murd [...] [...] to the vir [...]o [...] sons of Boston.

They will [...] for [...], but all in vain, the most sen [...] [...] as well as [...] were spurned from the thro [...] [...]

[...] I join you, my fellow citizens, and y [...] [...] say, What portion have we [...] in George the Third; to your diffe [...] [...] and thou Britai [...] [...]e to your own territories.

[...] takes place between Great B [...]it [...] [...] herself independent.—Brit [...] [...] colonies no more than Solomo [...] [...]:——Assembled warriors can [...] their most skillful gener [...] [...] or [...] forces—Have yo [...] [...] to fight them, rise and de [...] [...] of Col [...]mbia.

[Page 9]O Britain how art thou fallen! fallen from the zenith of glory to the low abyss of tyranny and despotism, your sovereign is a tyrant, and his generals and commanders butchers.—What you could not do by the force of your arms you have attempted to compleat by treachery and bribes.

What portion have we then in so perfidious and despotic a go­vernment—Where is the former courage, virtue and national ho­nour of Britain—humanity seems extinguished in the British breast. A nation once renowned for humanity, generosity and valour. — But now bereft of all these natural feelings—callous, and lost indeed!

Notwithstanding all their boastings, they have been fought with bravery equal to that of Romans, by the raw and undisciplined Americans.—There is no need to recount the battles that have been fought; they know, and America also knoweth, that her arms have in many actions shone with resplendent lustre; one of her best generals, with his army, has been taken alive in the face of day, by those men that they branded as cowards.—Since we can look veterans in the face, and Britains too; let us not be dis­mayed, but be of good courage and the Lord will be our helper. The conduct of the British generals now in America is so infa­mous, that the most uncivilized and ferocious savage would blush at such barbarities.

Nothing but superiority has given them any victories that they have ever gained; not their valour — And these victories have been oftentimes so dearly bought, that they have been almost equal in their consequences to a total defeat.—They have armed do­mestics to fight against their masters, contrary to the laws of civilized nations.—They have hired foreign mercenaries to accom­plish their base designs; but their most vigorous efforts have proved abortive.

Blessed be God, may America say with one voice, that though they have been chastened sore they are not given over unto death, and that he has raised up for us an American Joshua to lead our armies into the field, whose virtuous person I hope heaven will preserve.

However inveterate Great-Britain may be against the indepen­dency of America, it shall be established and built on the ruins of British tyranny; and blessed be the grand Arbiter of nature, that we are supported by our good ally Louis the Sixteenth, the sup­porter of the rights of mankind —And now my virtuous fellow citizens, let me intreat you, that, after you have rid yourselves of the British yoke, that you will also emancipate those who have been all their life time subject to bondage.

[Page 10]Were I to trace the proceedings of the British army since they have been in America, it would be more than my situation and time will allow, and would be also robbing the historian as well as the di­vine. Let what has been said suffice with a few remarks. What need have we to have any portion or dependence upon Great Bri­tain? what good have they done for us? and what evil have they not done? The churches of God have been burnt and defaced, and nothing but devastation, rapine and plunder have marked the footsteps of the British generals in America; to enumerate them would be needless. Let me excite and admonish you with all the affection of a fellow-citizen, though a descendant of Africa, that you be no more afraid of them, but rather if possible to follow the example of good Joshua, when he defeated the kings of Canaan, when he called his captains and his warriors together, and said, Come near and put your feet upon the necks of those kings, and be not dismayed, but be strong and of good courage, for thus shall the Lord do unto all your enemies against whom ye fight.— The blood of the innocent that has been shed, as well as the cries of the [...]at [...]e [...]ess and widows, shall reach the propitious ears of heaven, and call for vengeance on their devoted heads —O retaliation, why shou [...]dst thou sleep when the virtuous suffer! America has been a grave-ya [...]d for Britons and Americans, the blood that has been spilt will one day speak as loud as the blood of Abel did, at that impartial bar, where even kings must appear and tremble.

Perhaps you may think me severe when I [...]ay retaliate. Has not one of your virtuous fellow citizens ^* been recently executed by or­ders of British authority, and executed on a gibbet, notwithstand­ing all the petitions that were presented to save his life?

If you do not retaliate, the cries of his fatherless and motherless children will reach the ears of heaven, and it will be against you, and the ghost of their deceased parents will stare you in the face in the day of battle and cause you to flee before your ene­mies. Let me for once use the language of Semphronius, when he said, "Rise and revenge your slaughtered citizens or share their fate." If you are still timid and afraid of them, your allies will withdraw their armies and navies from among you, and leave you to be a prey unto your enemies, whose tender mercies are cruelties. You have now no portion in them, therefore be not afraid of them, but fight for your liberty, your peace and your independence, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses, and remem­ber the Lord who is great and terrible. Ye Americans, ye Geor­gians, ye virtuous Carolinians, ye who have experienced the vio­lation of British faith, and been the c [...]f objects of ministerial vengeance, unto you I address myself; ye who have been eye-witnesses [Page 11] of the most solemn engagements scandalously broken, it behoves you to seek for vengeance, and join your fellow-citizens, that are now hazarding their lives in the high places in the field.— Ye banished exiles, that have been driven from every domestic happiness to suffer in East Florida, and there to be circumscribed to certain limits, to suffer the insults of British authority; now you are released, be vigorous in your exertions, and be instrumental in stopping the wounds of your bleeding country.

But where am I going! I shall enter into an inextricable labyrinth! Pardon me, I cannot conclude before I address myself to the virtu­ous daughters of Carolina, whose courage, perseverance and forti­tude are equal to the daughters of ancient Rome and Sparta. After being deprived of the companions of their lives, and insulted by the enemies of America, they still maintained their ground, and have followed their exiled partners across the mighty deep.—O ye virtuous daughters, many daughters have done well, but ye ex­cel them all.

Fear not ye brave sons of Columbia, though some of your bre­thren the citizens of America have by treachery deserted you and your cause for avaricious purposes, they with their accomplices will never be able to hinder the republican American establishment. I hope the day is not far off, when America shall cause Britain to know, that virtue has well rewarded her virtuous sons; when her inde­pendency shall be acknowledged by all the powers of Europe, whether armed or neutral, and even Britain herself must acknowledge the approaching event. — What success through heaven has our arms been crowned with towards the southwa [...]d! What military atchievements has been performed by our gene [...]als, and what suc­cess has the navy of our ally met with here of late on the southern coasts!

Blessed be the Lord of hosts, the God of battles, for all the glorious things done for America —

May all the enemies of America perish or be conquered, but all those that are anxious for her liberty and independence be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might, and may we be a free people for ever!

Which may God grant, through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever! AMEN.