USA > New Jersey > Documents relating to the colonial history of the state of New Jersey, Vol. XII > Part 20
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That many Souls will God forever bless.
That has inclin'd his Servant for to come, From foreign Lands to drive his children home : And now the Work of GOD, it is begun,
Lord carry it on to a great Perfection. Let Ministers and People all take heed, To nourish and to cherish the good Seed, Which has been sown with so much Zeal and Fire, Least we return to wallowing in the Mire.
And since that thou no longer here must stay, Let Heav'ns Blessing follow thee we pray. Cambridge ten Times illuminated, by The flaming Rays that in thy Breast did lie. And now this Light from us is extinguish'd 'tis But yet a bright Light still continued is. When thou O Man of God hast took thy flight, Nathanael1 stays a bright and shining Light ; An Israelite indeed to guide our Way, Unto the heav'nly Canaan, there to stay ;
To sing our glorious Redeemer's Praise, Unto Eternity thro' all the Days.
-The New-England Weekly Journal, March 3. 1741. [1742.] No. 724.
TO be Sold above half a Mile about New-Bruns- wick, on Piscataway side near the Landing a small Farm or Tract of Land, containing 50 Acres of good
1 The Rev. Nathaniel Appleton, D. D., pastor of the church at Cambridge, Mass., 1717-1784; Fellow of Harvard College, 1717-1779 ; an able preacher and zealous pastor. He was a man of quick wit and ready resources, as illustrated by an incident in his courtship. Riding up one day to the house of the young lady who had won his love, he saw a rival's horse tied to the fence. Quietly dismounting, he tied his own horse securely, unloosed the other and with a cut of his whip sent him flying down the road. Then going into the house he coolly told the other gentleman that he had seen a horse running away down the road, and asked was it his? The other rushed out after his flying steed, while Appleton stayed, pressed his suit, proposed the momentous question and was accepted.
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up Land II Acres of Choice fresh Meadow, the best in that part of the Country, with a good and fashion- able Dwelling House a Store adjoining the same and a large separate Store, a good Orchard, Garden, Barn, &c. with many other Conveniencies, very Com- modious for a Store Keeper, or Farmer. Whoever inclines to Purchase the same may upon Application, to Mrs. Jane Dugdale, living on the Primises be in- formed of the Price and Conditions of Sale .- The New York Weekly Journal, March 16. 1741.
Boston, Feb. 28th 1740, I.
The following Lines are humbly Dedicated to the Rev. Mr. Gilbert Tennent, by Mrs. S. M. upon hear- ing. him display both the Terrors of the Law and blessed Invitations of the Gospel, to awaken Sinners, and comfort Saints.
See Heaven born TENNENT from Mount Sinai flies ; With flaming Targets, lightning in his Eyes.
Hear him with bless'd Experience tell,
The Law can do no more, than doom to Hell. He rends the covering off the infernal Pit, Least tho'tless Souls securely drop in it. Welcome, dear thund'ring Herald of the Lord ; God prosper in thy Hand the flaming Sword, It's office now is chang'd, our Jesus be ador'd. It once was set to guard Life's lovely Tree, But now sweet Christ, to drive home Souls to thee. Yet, O dear sacred TENNENT, pray beware, Least too much Terror, prove to some a Snare. Least stupid Scoffers be provok'd to say, They were by awful Curses drove away.
And while the snarling Dogs bark at the Whip,
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Some frighted Sheep shou'd in the Mire skip. By Love divine, draw them from black Despair, For 'tis hard rising, once we're plunged there. A cursed Nature, and a frowning GOD, A guilty Conscience, Oh most dreadful Load ! 'Tis Hell begun, when these sad Sights we see ; Without a precious Christ, the Remedy. O sacred Surgeon, ply the healing Balm, Least deep Incision, should weak Grace disarm. Thus does our Lord a blessed mixture use, He wounds and heals the Souls he deigns to chuse. Heroic Champion, mount Love's blazing Car, Brandish the Sword, where hardned Sinners are. Least they to their eternal sorrow know, All you can say, comes short of endless Woe. O where's the Mortal that has Eyes to see, More than a Glance of vast Eternity ? But O how can I bear to write or speak, Unwelcome News, my Thot's connexion break. That blessed TENNENT should so soon depart, Has rais'd a Palpitation in my Heart. A favourite Prophet of the blessed GOD, A Blessing purchas'd by the Saviour's Blood. O ! that I could his Vertues live and speak, For GOD couragious, to his Foes is meek. Tho' Demons rage, when ere he comes in Sight, Christ's Lambs surround his Feet, with bless'd Delight ; Repeat the awful Musick of his Tongue, And strike with Pleasure all the listning Throng. Let cursed Scoffers now with Anguish mourn, Alas from us he goes, but ah from you he's torn. You shall ·no more behold the slighted Prize ;
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GOD takes him now, in Justice from your Eyes. But GOD's dear Saints, throw Nature's Tears away, Tis Sin to mourn this Resurrection Day. 'Tis now a glorious Spring of blooming Joy, When Birds of Paradise, their Tongues imploy. Tho' all our outward Blessings should depart, We're ever near our dear Redeemer's Heart. LORD tune my Heart, accept my feeble Song, O that each Nerve were made a praising Tongue. Forgive these Lines, wash all that I profess, I'd praise thee with each Atom of my Flesh. Let Angel Bands dear Tennent's Guards appear, And strike his Foes with Blindness or with Fear. O now bless'd Champion, let thy Courage raise, Thou'rt safe in Christ, tho' many Hells should blaze. -The New-England Weekly Journal, March 17. 1741. No. 726.
William Atlee and Thomas Hooton, of Trenton, having left off Trading in Partnership ever since December 1739. and having affixed up Advertise- ments for any Person Indebted to them to come and settle their Accounts, and to give Bond, or pay such Ballances; but few having complied therewith : This is to give Notice (by Reason of the distance of many such Debtors) that every Person who shall neglect or refuse to pay the Ballance of their several Accounts, or clear off such Bonds, or penal Bills, owing to the said Atlee and Hooton, on or before the first Day of May next, 1741, may expect to be sued for the same, the said Atlee and Hooton having agreed after that time to deliver their Books ' to a Lawyer, to recover for them such Debts then
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outstanding, without distinction of any Person what- soever, or further sending after them.
N. B. The said William Atlee (until he can clear all Affairs relating to Partnership with Thomas Hooton) proposes with John Dagworthy, jun. to continue a Store at Trenton, to sell Cheap, and buy and sell only for ready Money .- The Pennsylvania Gazette, March 19, 1740-I.
New York, Feb. 17. We have the melancholly News from New Brunswick, in New-Jersey, That a few Days since, in the dead of the Night, a Fire broke out in the famous new House of Mr. Philip French,1 (a Gentleman of that City) which con- sumed the same, with all the rich Furniture therein ; Mr. French and his Family hardly escaped with their Lives, one of his Daughters (to save her Life) was forced to jump out of a Window two Story high. No other House took Fire from this, it being built at a small Distance from said City of Brunswick. It was one of the largest and most compleat Houses in the Province, and had been built but little more than one year .- The Boston Evening-Post, March 23. 1741. No. 294.
1 Philip French was a New York merchant. His father, Philip French or Franck, was a prominent merchant and sea captain, owner of much property, an Alderman, and a leading spirit in the anti-Leisler revolution, which brought him into much trouble. He married Annetje (daughter of Frederick Philipse by his second wife, Catharine, daughter of Oloff Stephanus Van Cortlandt, and widow of John Derval). The son, Philip, does not seem to have been active in affairs. He bought, perhaps about 1740, the extensive Inians property at New Brunswick, comprising much or most of the present site of that city, and, as stated, erected an elegant mansion. In 1745 he gave the site for Christ church, New Brunswick, He married Susanna, daughter of Major Anthony Brockholis, of Pompton, formerly Lieutenant-Governor of New York, and who had been driven out of that Province by Leisler. One of French's daughters, Susannah, married William Livingston, Governor of New Jer- sey, 1776-1790 ; anotlier, Mary, married William Brown, whose first wife, Mary, was a daughter of William Burnet, Governor of New Jersey and New York, 1720-28.
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The following Letter respecting the Rev. Mr. Tennent's Preaching, which was sent by a Rev. Gen- tleman to another Minister, being put into our Hands, that it may be made publick, we hope the same will be acceptable to our Readers.
Rev. Sir,
You promised me, when I saw you last, a speedy Answer to my Letter, which, since you have failed to do, you may please to Answer this and that both under one. The Occasion of the present is an unhappy Report, that you were extreamly uneasy at Mr. Tennent's Performances, insomuch that you could hardly bear to give your Attendance till he had done. Which Report I can't help believing ; it being confidently affirmed by And besides, it is natural to fear that Mr. Tennent must be lightly esteemed by all those who have an high value for Dr. Clark. The Grounds of your uneasi- ness were represented to be that Gentleman's con- signing so many over to Damnation ; and his sound- ing Damnation in their Ears, with so much Vehemence and Repetition.
As to the first, it is certain that he denounc'd the Wrath of God only upon licentious Livers; and those who content themselves with a round of Duties, and think to please God by the dead Works of Right- eousness which they do, while they are Strangers to a Life of Grace, being conformed to this World, and not transformed from it by the renewing of their Minds. And did not his and our great Master auth- orize him to pronounce his Curse upon these ; doth not the Wrath of God upon them ? Yes, my Friend,
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as sure as that there is a God in Heaven, or Men upon Earth. And if you dare to preach another Doctrine (as I wou'd hope you dare not) you preach another Gospel; such as you never learned from Christ, and such as doth not tend to lead poor Sin- ners to Heaven ; but only to help them on in their Journey to Hell, whether they are travelling apace of themselves.
And as Mr. Tennent's Matter was sound Speech that cannot be condemned ; so was his Manner, such as become God's Heralds, who being his Mouth, must cry aloud and spare not, but lift up their Voices like Trumpets, while they shew the House of Jacob their Sins, and the Infinite Danger of them.
I know that all the Sons of the Prophets, are not Sons of Thunder ; and that there is oftentimes more of God in a still small Voice, than in the most tem- pestuous Hallowings ; and therefore I am very far from judging of the Grace that is in the Preacher's Heart, by the Strength of his Lungs. But then, (as Cicero somewhere observes) an attentive Hearer may discern, whether the loudness and fervency of the Speaker, be genuine, and from the Heart, or only fic- titious, to move the Audience. And therefore as I abominate that Preacher, whose Noise & Confidence are fitly emblem'd by sounding Brass; so it is a singular Pleasure to me to hear any Messenger of the Lord of Hosts, deliver his Message with Vehem- ence, Importunity & Thunder, if it appears at the same Time, that his very soul is in the Sound. And was not this the Case, with Regard to Mr. Tennent in all his Thundrings and Lightnings? Did he not 6
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pour out his Soul before the Lord ? Did he not speak as in the Light of God ? Did it not seem as if the Heavens were opened to his View, as if he saw the Face of God; the Glories of the Blessed, and the Torments of the Damned ; which made him so pas - sionate after the Salvation of sinners, and even to scream out to them, not to fall into the fearful Gulph that was just before them.
Supposing, that you your self, Sir, saw a Child or blind Person groping towards the Fire, and ready to fall into it, would you tell them their Danger, and bid them Stop, with the same tone of Voice with which you read a News Paper ? Or speak to them but once or twice lest you should be clamorous and un- civil? No, you could not be so little of a Christian, so little of a Man : but would lift up your Voice very high, and think you could not say (nor do) too much to Keep them from the Flames. Now, so great, nay much greater is the Danger of unregenerate Persons ; they are, as it were upon the Brink of unquenchable Fire, and know it not. And shall the Man who sees it, and tells them of it, be blam'd be- cause he is not moderate enough, but begs, prays, and intreats them as if it were for his own Life, not to run into everlasting Burnings. For my Part I am fully of Mr. Baxter's Mind in this Matter ; viz. That for Ministers to speak of the amazing Wrath of God in an unfeeling Manner, is almost as bad as to say nothing about it. Nay I am persuaded, that when a poor Congregation are entertained with a Discourse upon Hell Torments, and the Minister speaks of Devouring Fire, as if he was not in the least afraid
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that himself, or one Soul of his hearers should ever be cast into it : it had been good for that People if that Meeting (like some of the Quakers) had been silent, and the Preacher had been dumb, and not open'd his Mouth. And yet it is undeniably evident, of most of your pretendedly polite Preachers ; that as they speak but seldom upon this ungrateful (tho' very necessary) Subject ; so whenever they do, it is with very little Reverence and godly Fear : Wrath from the Almighty is not a Terror to them. Neither their Fiesh nor the Flesh of their Hearers, tremble for fear of God, or his Judgments ; tis well if great Part of them are not in a sound sleep.
But why do they do the Work of the Lord deceit- fully ? Why, for two abominable Reasons, or rather Causes. THE ONE is, Because they are afraid of Men that shall die and the Sons of Men that shall be made as Grass, and are not afraid of the Lord their Maker. They know that these are Times in which Men will not endure sound & close Doctrine: That perhaps the generality of those that hear and main- tain them, don't love to hear much of Hell Fire ; especially to have it urg'd upon them that Hell Fire must be their Portion, unless they are very different Persons from what they are at present, or are willing to be. They know further, that if their Preaching be disagreable, their Persons will be so too ; and their Support probably very slender : for Men won't care to part with those carnal Things which they do like, for those spiritual Things which they do not like. And therefore they very wisely (that is with the Wisdom that is earthly, sensual, and devilish) speak
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but sparingly of the Terrors of the Lord, or else speak of them in such a cold dastardly manner, that scarcely any one is terrified at them. And the Peo- ple love to have it so. Thus Thousands drop into the fiery Furnace because they would not let their Ministers give them sufficient Warning : and be- cause their Ministers had not Courage to do them Good against their Wills.'
But the other, and principal Cause, is, that there is in themselves an evil Heart of Unbelief. Did they believe the Doctrine of eternal Judgment, and fiery Indignation from the Lord, to be poured upon his Adversaries, as firmly as they do their own Mortality, or any other unquestioned Truth, Love to the Souls committed to their Charge, would make them frequent, earnest, nay, I had almost said violent, in their warning Sin- ners to flee from the Wrath to come. I own that had Ministers the same Degree of Faith, they would be more or less fervent, according to the difference of their Tempers & Constitutions, but yet I doubt not, nay I know and am perswaded, that a clear view of the Vengeance of eternal Fire, would awaken the most Indolent of them all into some unfashionable Warmth & Importunity. You never in the Course of your Life, knew one so much of a Stoick but he had some Life out of the House of God. And yet how many are there that have no Life in it; which may be chiefly owing to their looking so much at the Things that are seen & temporal ; and so little at the Things that are unseen and eternal.
I say not these Things, Sir, to Reproach you for Formality and want of Devotion, for I never heard
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such a Character of your Preaching ; but only to shew you that Mr. Tennent's Zeal was a virtue and not a Fault ; that it answers the End of Preaching a thousand Times better, than that which is opposite to it ; and consequently that he deserves to be applauded and imitated (instead of being condemned) by us both. I was so far from being displeased at his Ser- mons, and the heavenly Devotions of that Day; that I am thankful to Almighty God for the opportunity of being present at them. I was before, by Nature, and I hope by Grace too, more alive in my publick Performances, than the most sleepy Ministers are : but then it seem'd as if I had been but comparatively in fest all my Days : And I have ever since loathed and abhorred my self therefor, as in Dust and Ashes.
To draw towards a Conclusion : Let what I have said be weighed in the Ballance of Reason and Relig- ion ; and I Question not, but you will be convinced that Mr. Tennent uttered nothing but the Words of Truth & Soberness : and that both his Matter and Manner were Things that cannot be spoken against. At least I hope you will grant me this ; that however you might disapprove of either or both; yet in as much as those that were present seem'd generally to be pricked at the Heart: and to have their Heads like Waters, and their Eyes as Fountains of Tears, by Reason of their Sins, it was great Imprudence in you, to give the least Notice of it ; this being a likely way to wear off their good Convictions ; and to make the Word of God of none Effect upon them.
Those that are carnally minded, are of themselves, too apt to be prejudic'd against those Ministers who
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are zealous for the Lord of Hosts ; and to call them the Troublers of Israel, because they make their guilty Consciences like the troubled Sea : And if they can but get others, especially the Sons of Levi to condemn them, it is a wonderful Remedy against their uneasy Qualms ; and serves to make them like the deaf Adder for the future, stopping their Ears against all such Charmers, charm they never so wisely.
I have written you this Letter also in the Integrity of my Heart, not being conscious of the least Guile or bad Motive : And therefore am not afraid that any Evil will come of it.
I finish by praying that the God of all Grace, and Fountain of Truth, would lead us both into all Truth ; and make us so happy as to save our own Souls, and the Souls of them that hear us .- The New-Eng- land Weekly Journal, March 24. 1741. No. 727.
THESE are to desire all the Proprietors, and Sharers in proprieties in the Eastern Division of New-Jersey, to meet at the City of Perth-Amboy, on the last Tues- day of April next ensuing in order to consult of Af- fairs .- The New- York Weekly Journal, March 30. 1741.
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WHEREAS ONE JOHN ABBERNATHY, being trusted by me the Subscriber, of Alenstown, Monmouth County, West-New-Jersey, with Effects to a con- siderable Value, has sold the said Effects, and made off with the Money : He is about 20 Years of Age, low of Stature, full fac'd, black Hair, has lost some of his Fore-Teeth, and lisps when he talks: Had on when he went away, a light colour'd nap Coat,
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green Jacket pretty much worn, and blue Breeches : He has a pass from under the Hand of the Mayor of Philadelphia.
Whoever takes up and secures the said Abber- nathy, so that he may be brought to Justice, and gives Notice to Benjamin Franklin, Post-Master in Phildelphia, or to me the Subscriber, shall have Three Pounds Pennsylvania Currency as a Reward, and reasonable Charges, paid by
Philad. March 31. 1741. -The Pennsylvania Gazette, April 2. 1741.
James Johnston.
New London, April 2. On Monday last the Rev. Mr. Tennent, in his return from Boston, made us a Visit in this Town ; when he came he tho't to tarry but about 24 Hours ; However, his Compassion for us was so great that he stay'd twice that Time, and pray'd and preach'd with us almost incessantly : He address'd the Auditories from Time to Time in so pathetic & fervent a manner, that it seemed to give the most stout & obdurate Transgressors, sensible and deep Compunction of Soul. Such Melt- ings, such Solemnity and Devotion appear'd in the Assembly, that I trust good and lasting Impressions are made on the Hearts of many .- The New Eng- land Weekly Journal, April 7. 1741. No. 729.
To the Reader,
The Author of the following Remarks is a true and hearty Lover of the Rev. Mr. Whitefield ; thinks that he has been Instrumental in awakening & stir- ring up People to a serious Concern for the salvation of their Precious Souls ;
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But before I leave the College, I beg leave to ob- serve that by Mr. Whitefield's and Tennent's Preach- ing, there, the Scholars in general have been won- derfully wrought upon, and their Enquiry now is, What shall we do to be saved ?- The Boston Gazette, April 13-20. 1741. No. 1026.
Newport, April 24. Entred In. Gibb from Am- boy Cleared Out, Davis and Sheldon for Amboy,
Custom-House Boston, April 25. Entred In. Bonner from Jersey,-The Boston Gazette, April 20- 27. 1741. No. 1027.
Boston, Cleared Out, Lockwood for Perth-Amboy, -The Boston Weekly Post-Boy, May 4. 1741. No. 369.
New-York. From Hackensack in Bergen County, East-New-Jersey, we hear that on Fryday last seven Barns were burnt, the Eighth was on fire several Times, but saved by the diligence of the Neighbours ; it is almost past Suspision that they were fir'd by a Combination of Negroes, for one was taken (as is said here) as he was putting fire to one of them .- The New York Journal, May 4, 1741.
Custom House, Boston, May 4. Cleared Out, Lockwood for Perth Amboy .- The New England Weekly Fournal, May 5. 1741. . No. 733.
E. N. Jersey, Feb. 2, 1740, I. Mr. Zenger,
The inserting the following in your next Journal
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without deferring it to another Oppertunity will oblige
Your very humble Servant,
PEACEABLE.
THE most dangerous and mischievous Creature call'd a Spunger or Hanger-on, with which most of the great Families are pester'd; they have little to recommend them, unless it be an out-dress, a few drunken Jests, or Scraps of Poetry, or perhaps some broken Characters of Men and Things, with a little of the intrigues and humours of the Times; and by Virtue of these Qualifications, they fancy themselves Companions fit [for] the greatest Man in the Province. And will be sure upon the smallest Invitation to croud themselves upon him, if they meet with any Encouragement ; and it's ten to one but by degrees grow Familiar, and after that impudent and at last intolerable.
In one Point indeed they're Philosophers, as carry- ing all they have along with them and truly that's little enough too; their Furniture in general is so wretched and Scandalous, that you may soon learn them by their Garb, an old open'd laced Hat, a Cockade, or a Velvet Jocky Cap, a Touper, a short black Bob, a laundry Waistcoat, a bawdy Song or two, a few drunken Healths, and about a dozen or two Puns, and Quibbles set 'em up; and with these they'll be perpetually grating and dinning your Ears, till they have worn them as Thread-bare as their Coats ; and after all, must be forc'd to be laugh'd or kick'd out of 'em, before they will quit them too.
As for Money they never have any, nor never pre-
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tend to any unless it be now and then a Five or Ten Shilling Bill Borrow'd, or the Fragments of a Tavern Reckoning .- To Heel piece a Pair of Shoes, or re- cruit the Snuff Box.
In short, these are drones in the strickest Sense and Definition. And if you once suffer 'em to crawl into your Hive (to Keep up to the Nature of the in- sect) they'll be sure to besmear, and disturb your Cell, devour your Honey, and in all respects as bothersome and pernicious to Servants, and Trades People, as well as to the Families they can fasten themselves upon as drones and Wasps, are to Bees.
The Town swarms with this sort of gentry; and a Man of Fortune cannot set his Foot into it, from his-Voyage or Travels, but there are several of them come instantly humming and buzzing about him ; I tell you that Idleness, with all its direful Conse- quences, being seen in every Corner of N. Jersey, that it's so scandalous and reproachful that neither Heaven, Earth or Hell itself will own, or patronize it.
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