The New Hampshire Gazette

Extracts from a Thanksgiving Sermon, for the important and astonishing Victory obtained on the fifth of December 1757, by the Glorious KING of Prussia, over the united and far superior Forces of the Austrians, in Silesia. Preached on the Sabbath of the 10th of the said Month, at the Synagogue of the Jews in Berlin, from Psal. xxii. 23, 24. By David Hirschel Franckel, Arch Rabbi. That Strain of sincere Piety, and good Sense, which runs thro' it, will, we hope, recommend it to every candid Reader.

We have already on another occasion, put you in mind, dearly beloved brethren of the house of Jacob, that rejoicing on any extraordinary favour of God, does not consist in sumptuous entertainments and revels, in wild acclamations, and much less in gratifications which disgrace human nature; no, the joy, which becomes the man of holiness, and which alone will be approved of by God, must be a spiritual joy, penetrating into our inmost heart, and prompting us to shew forth his praise, to meditate on his loving kindness, and to offer to him the sacrifice of good works, and vows of benevolence.

... We rejoice, that our remonstrance has not been without its proper fruit. Ye have made vows, for the relief of the poor; and particularly, of the widows and orphans of those brave soldiers, who have laid down their lives for their country and the just cause of their prince: And these vows, you may be assured, are of much sweeter savour to God, than thousands of rejoicings, as they are called; but as the fondness for extravagant festivity is deep rooted in the human heart, and to overcome these allurements, is a severe and arduous work; on this joyful opportunity, we shall briefly remind you of those Reasons which then convinced us of the above mentioned truth.

1: The sacred prophets frequently inculcate to us, that God rejoices not in the death of the wicked. To specify the several passages, would be superfluous. There is none of you who can be unacquainted with them.

Our rabbies, and doctors of the oral law, go further. They tell us, that on the overthrow of Pharaoh and his host, in the Red Sea, thro' which the children of Israel had passed dry shod, the Lord spoke unto them, saying, The works of mine hand sink in the sea, and ye are singing before me. Consider, my beloved friends, if it was so when only heathens perished; heathens, who had no knowledge of the Supreme Being, and who polluted the whole earth with their idolatries, what shall we say in our days, when such a light has been diffused among all civilized nations, that they worship the Creator of the Earth, and his Name is holiness among them?

We are all children of the one Living God. They who declare themselves our enemies, are equally the works of his Hands, and love and fear him, were they not seduced by perverse passions, to disturb the tranquility of our dear sovereign. Can we then shout, and give ourselves up to the frantic excess of a sensual joy, at the destruction of the works of God's hands!

It may be objected: It is not from the defeat of the enemy, that our joy arises. God forbid that we should be pleased with slaughter, or that our eyes should be delighted with the streams of human blood; which, to the disgrace of mankind, are incessantly flowing. But truth and justice bear witness against our enemies, as it is manifest that our mild sovereign is perfectly innocent of these vast effusions of blood; and that it is only absolute necessity, derived from perfidious machinations, that he has drawn that victorious sword, which otherwise, tho' possessed in such pre-eminence, of all military qualities, he would have wished, might have rested in peace: Shall we not rejoice, that justice triumphs; that the sagacity of our king, baffles the devices of the enemy; that his heroism, and the intrepidity of our countrymen, will shine in history, and be the admiration of latest posterity.

I answer: If your joy springs from so pure a Source, see that it be not only blameless, but commendable, and pleasing to God: But my beloved brethren, forget not also, that the primary cause of our deliverance is to be sought for in something higher than the prudence of man; than worldly experience in war, or habitual valour. Behold, the eyes of the Lord are on them who fear him, who hope in his goodness; that he may deliver their souls. Acknowledge