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Melic Tálút h had two fons, one called Berkia, and the other Irmia, who ferved David, and were beloved by him. He fent them to fight against the infidels; and by God's affiftance they were victorious.

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The fon of Berkia was called Afghan, and the son of Irmia was named Ufbec. Thefe youths diftinguished themfelves in the reign of David, and were employed by Solomon. Afghan was diftinguished by his corporeal ftrength, which ftruck terror into demons and genii. Ufbec was eminent for his learning.

Afghan ufed frequently to make excurfions to the mountains; where his progeny, after his death, established themfelves, lived in a state of independence, built forts, and exterminated the infidels.'

"To this account we fhall fubjoin a remark of the late Henry Vanfittart, Efq. He obferves, that A very particular account of the Afghans has been written by the late Há Fiz Rahmat Khàn, a chief of the Rohillas, from which the curious reader may derive much information. They are Muffulmen, partly of the Sunni, and partly of the Shiah perfuafion. They are great boafters of the antiquity of their origin, and reputation of their tribe; but other Muffulmen entirely reject their claim, and consider them of modern and even bafe extraction. However their character may be collected from hiftory. They have diftinguished themselves by their courage, both fingly and unitedly, as principals and auxiliaries. They have conquered for their own princes and for fo reigners, and have always been confidered the main ftrength of the army in which they have ferved. As they have been applauded for virtues, they have alfo been reproached for vices, having fometimes been guilty of treachery, and even acted the bafe part of affaffins.'

A fpecimen of their language (the Pushto) is added; and the following note is inferted by the prefident.

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This account of the Afghans may lead to a very interefting discovery. We learn from Efdras, that the ten tribes, after a wandering journey, came to a country called Arfareth, where we may fuppose they settled. Now the Afghans are faid by the best Perfian hiftorians to be defcended from the Jews; they have traditions among themselves of fuch a defcent; and it is even afferted, that their families are diftinguished by the names of Jewifh tribes, although, fince their converfion to the Iflám, they ftudiously conceal their origin. The Pufito language, of which I have feen a dictionary, has a manifest resemblance to the Chaldaic; anda confiderable diftrict under their dominion is called Hazárch, or Hazáret, which might eafily have been changed into the word used by Efdras. I strongly recommend an inquiry into the literature and history of the Afghans.'

That after the space of more than 2500 years the ten tribes of Ifrael fhould be first restored to notice juft at this period, when fo many figns indicate the approach of their refloration, may be defigned as a hint to us to be ready for what is coming. Let the trifling think what they may, 1 am fure that the diligent ftudent in the writings of the prophets will be far from efteeming this fingular circumstance unworthy of attention; and especially as it appears in company with fo many others which press upon us, and urge us to watch.

Among other figns of the fpeedy gathering and restoration of Ifrael, this is not the leaft, that we are threatened with troubles fuch as have not been fince there was a nation. Never did fuch animolity prevail in any war as has manifefted itself in this. And if we confider the flaughter of human beings in this one campaign, befide the wretchedness to which thousands of unhappy fugitives, who had long been used to all the accommodations and elegancies of life, have been reduced, the profpect is melancholy indeed, and feems to befpeak fome vifitation more than common. It appears that a greater number of men have perifhed in little more than one year, than in both the late wars which raged in America and Europe for more than fourteen. Should the destruction and calamity go on with an accelerating devaftation, as we have reason

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to expect, if it be that day of troubles which we are taught to look for, who can calculate the quantum of human mifery to be endured before the ceffation of this tempeft in which we have fe unhappily mingled!

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CONCLUSION:

BEING AN

ADDRESS

TO THE

PEOPLE OF GREAT BRITAIN.

THUS, my countrymen, we have confidered fome of thofe figns of the times which, at this feason of general agitation, folicit our attention with fingular urgency. Signs which intimate nothing less than the general shaking and renovation of things. It becomes us therefore to attend to them with peculiar ferioufnefs, that we may know the measures which we ought to purfue, and avoid precipitating ourselves into the dreadful confequences of oppofing the providence of God, who in his word has forewarned us of his purposes, and by his dispensations is indicating their speedy accomplishment;-it becomes us to obferve them with devout attention, that we may hereby be excited to turn to God by a fincere and general repentance, and thus be hid until the indignation be overpaft: "For behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth also shall disclose her blood, and no longer cover her flain."t Now therefore confider your ways.

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I acknowledge that my apprehenfions refpecting our prospects are not fo much from the opinion I may entertain of the wifdom or folly, the justice or injustice, the piety or impiety, of the prefent war, in a detached view, as from the impreffion which the general appearance of things, compared with the writings of the prophets, produces on my mind; for, did I believe the present war (according to the general rule of estimating things) to be, be

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yond all doubt, both politic and juft, even this would not much leffen my apprehenfion of danger. When we look back on ancient hiftory, and trace the progrefs and fall of thofe empires and states which Inspiration has noticed, we shall find that the long threatened judgments which fell upon them were not for the blame of thofe particular wars in which they perifhed, but forthe accumulated guilt of fucceffive ages, and for the general corruption of their manners. Thote wars might be perfectly juft, becaufe defenfive. If we examine the predictions of the prophets which refer to the chaftifement of the nations, and the deftruction of Babylon the Great, in the latter days, we fhall find that thofe dreadful judgments which are then to be inflicted, are to be for the fins of centuries-for blood which has never been avenged. The fovereigns and rulers of that day may, perhaps, be among the mot mild and juft that have ever exercifed power; but we must be ftrangers to the history of nations if we do not know that this will be no certain fecurity. To inftance only the cafe of Ifrael': Hofhea was the beft prince that ever reigned over that people;the only one that had any mixture of good; yet, in his days their ruin came. If the great body of the nation be corrupt; if we approve the deeds of our fathers, and our iniquity be full ; ́it is not the piety, or virtue, or juftice, of our princes and rulers that can fecure us.

But though this is the cafe, yet our obligations and our intereft, as they refpect both the policy and the morality of the war, remain the fame. And if it be found that we are acting contrary to the principles both of policy and the eternal obligations of morality, we are certainly precipitating our fate, and aggravating our ruin. It becomes us then, with great ferioufnefs, to confider our ways: for it is not what the French are that afcertains the fafety or danger of our fituation: they may be all that they are reprefented to be, and yet our cafe be never the better: the worle they are, the nore fit are they, in fome relpects, to be the inftruments of God's threatened judgments.

The wifdom or folly, the policy or impolicy, of the present war certainly deferves the molt ferious confideration of all who

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