a single American who is friendly to any good government should be unfriendly to his own, and wish to alienate the affections of the people from it. But it is very natural to conclude, that the framers of the Constitution, and those who were personally concerned in adopting it, should cherish an uncommon attachment to it, and labor to support it with distinguished ardor and zeal. Upon this ground, the people have a just right to expect that His Excellency will never mar the production of his own hands, nor renounce those political principles which he has publicly and solemnly sanctioned, and which have had their proper influence in raising him to the head of this commonwealth. His Honor the lieutenant-governor, and the principal members of the council, of the senate, and of the house of representatives, have not only gained the suffrages, but what is far more honorable and desirable, the confidence of the people, who sincerely esteem them for their able and faithful services. May this operate as a powerful and endearing motive to future fidelity and zeal in the discharge of their important trusts. The greatest of all the men of the East was highly gratified and animated by the sincere affection of his grateful and dutiful subjects. "When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street, the young men saw me and hid themselves; and the aged arose and stood up. When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and diadem. I broke the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth." Such, sincerely respected rulers, are the consoling reflections which naturally flow from fidelity in public life. If therefore you have begun to be faithful in your various departments, be not weary in well-doing; but be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the service of God, and of your generation. Cherish a warm attachment to the government which you are called to administer, and do all the public good which both the state and federal constitutions require and enable you to do. Guide this people in the integrity of your hearts and by the skilfulness of your hands. Exhibit before them a shining example of piety and virtue, and employ all your honor and influence to promote their spiritual as well as temporal good. This wise and faithful discharge of your public trusts will finally put you into the full possession of that transporting promise, which is emphatically yours: They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that 66 turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever." But if any of you should be conscious to yourselves that you have been unfaithful, unjust, and unholy, let Daniel's counsel be acceptable to you, and "break off your sins by righteousness and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, that it may be a lengthening of your tranquillity." For it is most certainly true, that if you cast off fear and restrain prayer before God, and despise all his warnings and admonitions, the day is coming, when that invisible hand which is now recording all your deeds will write on the table of your hearts, in a language which will need no interpreter, this final and fearful sentence: "You are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting." SERMON IX. OBEDIENCE TO CIVIL MAGISTRATES. NATIONAL FAST, APRIL 25, 1799. PUT them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work. - TITUS, iii. 1. HEATHENS and infidels have always been disposed to represent the friends of revealed religion as enemies to the peace and order of civil society. The nations bordering upon Jerusalem basely insinuated that "it was a rebellious city, hurtful to kings and provinces." The unbelieving Jews accused our Saviour of being opposed to Cæsar and to the laws of his country. And it was a very common practice among the pagans to cast the odium of their own seditions and insurrections upon the peaceable and harmless christians. To wipe off this aspersion from the followers of Christ, the apostle Paul, who was a Roman citizen, and well understood the nature and importance of civil government, abundantly inculcated the duty of submission to those in authority. Nor did he stop here, but exhorted other preachers of the gospel to inculcate the same duty upon all the professors of religion. Knowing the general reluctance of mankind to legal restraint, and the peculiar prejudice of the Jewish converts against pagan princes, he expressly enjoined it upon Titus, " to put his hearers in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, and to obey magistrates." By these appellations he meant to denote all orders and ranks of civil officers, under all forms of civil government. This therefore is the plain and practical truth which falls under our present consideration: That ministers ought to inculcate upon subjects the duty of obedience to civil rulers. Here it may be proper to show, I. Who are to be understood by civil rulers. II. That it is the duty of subjects to obey them: and I. Let us consider who are to be understood by civil rulers. Though God has not seen fit, under the gospel dispensation, to institute any particular form of civil government, yet he has prescribed the qualifications and duties of civil rulers. And we can hardly suppose that he would delineate the duties and qualifications of a certain order of men, which he neither approved nor intended should exist. It is therefore evidently the will of God, that there should be civil government, and that there should be a certain order of men to administer it. In this sense, we may consider civil government as the ordinance of God, and civil rulers as the ministers of God, though they derive all their authority from their fellow citizens. But the question before us is, who are to be understood by civil rulers, to whom submission is due? This seems to be a plain question, though it has been much agitated by the greatest statesmen and divines. Reason and scripture concur to teach us, that the powers that be, or those who are in peaceable possession of civil authority, are the magistrates whom we ought to obey. There are three ways of men's coming into possession of civil power. One way, and indeed the best way, is by the free and fair election of the people; who, in every republican government, enjoy the right of choosing their own rulers. This right generally is and always ought to be restricted to persons of a certain character and interest. Those who are so dependent as to have no will of their own are totally disqualified to give their suffrages for civil magistrates. Such men however as are fairly chosen into office by the people are properly civil rulers, and to be acknowledged and treated accordingly. Another way in which men may become clothed with civil authority is by hereditary right. Any people may make their government hereditary if they please. And after they have adopted such a form of government, men may come into power by succession, without any formal election. The eldest son of a king, for instance, may be the rightful heir to the throne, and upon his father's decease, abdication, or removal, may take possession of it without the voice of the people. The last and worst way of men's coming into the seat of government is by usurpation. This method of obtaining power has been much practiced in all ages of the world. Å son has often usurped the throne of his father. A prime minister or a peculiar favorite has often usurped the throne of his A master. An enterprising and successful general has often turned his arms against his sovereign, and placed himself in his room. Though the conduct of usurpers is to be condemned and detested, yet after the people have through fear or feebleness acknowledged their supremacy, they are to all intents and purposes civil rulers, to whom obedience and subjection belong. It must be supposed that the apostle meant to include sovereigns of this description among "principalities and powers" in the text. For it is well known that many of the primitive christians lived under the government of usurpers. Most of the sovereigns in the first ages of christianity had unrighteously seized the thrones which they filled. And if christians were to obey the principalities and powers then in being, they were to obey those who came into power by unjust and unlawful means. Indeed, there seems to be an obvious reason why such men should be obeyed. After usurpers are peaceably established in their dominions, the people explicitly or implicitly engage to submit to their authority. Though they promised submission with reluctance, yet, having promised, their promise is morally binding. Besides, those who have violently seized the reins of government may afterwards be very good rulers. And it matters not whether they rule by written or verbal laws, provided they rule in wisdom and equity. So long as they employ their power to promote the public good, the people have reason to lead peaceable and quiet lives in all godliness and honesty. As Augustus Cæsar used his usurped power with great moderation during his long and gentle reign, so the Romans were as much obliged to obey his authority as if he had come to the throne by the free and general voice of the empire. But not to enlarge upon this topic at present, I would say in a word, that by civil rulers in the text and in this discourse, are to be understood all those who are in the peaceable possession of civil power. I proceed to show, II. That it is the duty of subjects to obey their civil rulers. And this will appear, if we consider, 1. That the scripture expressly enjoins this duty upon subjects. The apostle Paul requires them to "be subject to principalities and powers, and to obey magistrates." The apostle Peter in his first epistle, exhorts believers to be good subjects of civil government, in order to adorn their christian profession, and recommend their religion to those who were strongly prejudiced against it. "Dearly beloved," says he, "I beseech you to have your conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good works which they shall behold, glorify |