the fact that he created moral agents and then exercised over them no moral government.

20. The connection between moral delinquency and suffering is such as to render it certain that moral government does, as a matter of fact, exist.

21. The Bible, which has been proved to be a revelation from God, contains a most simple and yet comprehensive system of moral government.

22. If we are deceived in respect to our being subjects of moral government, we are sure of nothing.

REMARKS.

1. If God's government is moral, it is easy to see how sin came to exist. That a want of experience in the universe, in regard to the nature and natural tendencies and results of sin, prevented the due influence of motive.

2. If God's government is moral, we see that all the developments of sin are enlarging the experience of the universe in regard to its nature and tendencies, and thus confirm the influence of moral government over virtuous minds.

3. If God's government is moral, we can understand the design and tendency of the Atonement.

4. If God's government is moral, we can understand the philosophy of the Spirit's influences in convicting and sanctifying the soul.

5. If the government of God is moral, we can understand the influence and necessity of faith.

6. If God's government is moral, faith will produce obedience, with the same certainty as if it acted by force.

7. If God's government is moral, we can see the necessity and power of Christian example.

8. If God's government is moral, his natural or physical omnipotence is no proof that all men will be saved.

9. If God's government is moral, we see the importance of watchfulness, and girding up the loins of our minds.

10. If God's government is moral, we see the necessity of a well instructed ministry, able to wield the motives necessary to sway mind.

11. If God's government is moral, we see the philosophical bearings, tendencies, and power of the providence, law, and gospel of God, in the great work of man's salvation.

LECTURE. XXV.

MORAL GOVERNMENT.-No. 4.

WHAT IS IMPLIED IN THE RIGHT TO GOVERN.

1. The right to govern does not imply, that the will of the ruler can make law.

2. Nor the right to pass or enforce any arbitrary law. But― 3. It implies the right to declare and define the law of nature. 4. It implies the right to enforce obedience, with sanctions equivalent to its importance.

5. The right to govern implies the duty to govern.

6. The right of government implies, the obligations of obedience on the part of the governed.

7. It implies, that it is both the right and the duty, to execute penal sanctions, when the interests of the government demand the execution of them.

RECIPROCAL DUTIES OF THE RULER AND RULED.

1. They are under mutual obligation to aim, with single eye, at promoting the great end of government.

2. The ruler is under obligation to keep in view the foundation of his right to govern, and never assume or exercise authority that is not essential to the promotion of the highest good.

3. He is under obligation to regard and treat every interest according to its relative value.

4. He is never, in any case, to depart from the true spirit and principles of government.

5. He is invariably to reward virtue.

6. He is always to inflict penal evil upon transgressors, unless the highest good can as well, or better be secured in another way. 7. He is under obligation to pursue that course that will, upon the whole, result in the least evil, and promote the highest good. 8. The ruled are bound to co-operate with the ruler in this, with all their powers, with all they are and have.

9. They are under obligation to be obedient in all things, so far as, and no farther than the laws are in accordance with and promotive of the highest good of the whole.

10. They are bound to be disinterested; that is to discard all selfishness, and to regard and treat every interest according to its relative value.

11. Both ruler and ruled are under obligation to exercise all that self-denial that is essential to the promotion of the highest good.

12. As it is the ruler's duty to inflict, so it is the subject's duty to submit to any penal inflictions that are deserved, and important to the highest interests of the government.

In discussing this part of the subject, I shall show:

FIRST. What law is.

SECOND. Define moral law.

THIRD. That all moral law is a unit.

FOURTH. That no being can make law.

FIFTH. That the will of the ruler can be obligatory only as it is declaratory of what the law is.

FIRST. What law is.

Law is a rule of action, and in its most extensive sense, it is applicable to all actions, whether of matter or mind.

SECOND. Define Moral Law.

1. Moral law is a rule of moral action.

2. It is the law of motive, and not of force.

3. Moral law is a rule, to which moral beings are under obligation to conform all their actions.

4. Moral law is the law of nature; that is-it is that rule of action that is founded in the nature and relations of moral beings. 5. It is that rule which, under the same circumstances, would be equally binding on all moral beings. Its essential elements

are

F

(1.) A declaratory, but authoritative precept, as distinguished from counsel or compact.

(2.) The precept should forbid all that is naturally wrong, or in any degree inconsistent with the nature, relations and highest happiness of moral beings.

(3.) It should define and require all that is according to the nature, and relations, and essential to the highest happiness of moral beings.

(4.) Another essential element of law is, requisite sanctions. Sanctions are the motives to obedience. They should be remuneratory and vindicatory.

(5.) Moral law naturally and necessarily connects happiness

with obedience, and misery with disobedience; and thus far the sanctions of moral law belong to its own nature. But

(6.) In addition to this, there should be superadded, to obedience, the favor of the ruler, and to disobedience his displeasure.

(7.) The sanctions should be equivalent to the value of the precept.

(8.) Prescription, or publication, is essential to the binding obligation of law.

THIRD. Law is a unit.

1. The nature of moral agents is one.

2. The laws of their being are precisely similar.

3. That which will secure the highest good of one, will secure the highest good of all.

4. Perfect conformity of heart and life to the nature and relations of moral beings, will promote the highest good of all. 5. This course of conduct is universally obligatory.

6. It is, therefore, universal law.

7. It is and must be the only law.

8. It is the common law of the universe.

9. No enactment or statute of God or man, is morally obligatory, only as it is declaratory, and an application of this only law.

FOURTH. No being can make law.

1. God's existence and nature are necessary.

2. Moral law is that course of action which is in conformity with the laws of his being.

3. It is, therefore, obligatory upon him.

4. God could make moral agents, but not moral law; for when they exist, this rule is law to them, and would be, whether God willed it or not.

5. Law is that course of action demanded by the nature and relations of moral beings. Therefore

FIFTH. Neither the will of God, nor of any other being, can make law, or be obligatory any farther than it is declaratory of what the law of nature is..

1. The true idea of government is that kind and degree of control, the object and tendency of which is, to promote the highest good.

2. The rule, conformity to which is essential to the promotion of the highest good, is founded in the nature, and relations, and circumstances of all the parties concerned, entirely independent of the will of any being.

3. The business of the ruler, is to declare and enforce this rule. 4. Thus far his will is obligatory, and no farther.

5. All legislation, human or divine, not declaratory of and in ac

cordance with the law of nature, or with the nature and relations of moral beings, would be utterly null and void.

6. All positive legislation, except that which is declaratory of natural law is arbitrary and tyrannical, and therefore nugatory.

LECTURE XXVII.

MORAL GOVERNMENT.-No. 6.

LAW OF GOD.

FIRST. Show what is intended by the Law of God.

SECOND. That all the commandments, or specific requirements of God, are declaratory, and are but the spirit, meaning, and application of the one only law of love.

THIRD. That the ten commandments, or decalogue, are proofs and illustrations of this truth.

FOURTH. Consider the sanctions of the Law of God. **

FIRST. What is intended by the Law of God.

1. We are not to understand that the arbitrary will of God is law.

2. Nor that any thing is law, merely because it is his will. 3. Nor that he in any case creates or makes moral law. But 4. By the Law of God is intended that rule of universal benevolence, which is obligatory upon him as being in accordance with the laws of his own being.

5. The Law of God is that rule, to which he invariably conforms all his actions, or that law of his being which he himself obeys.

6. The Law of God is that rule of universal, perfect benevolence, which it is both his right and his duty to declare and enforce upon all moral agents for their good and his glory.

7. By the Law of God is intended that rule of universal benevolence to which himself and all moral beings are under immutable obligations, to conform their whole being.

8. The Law of God then is a unit. It is one, and only one principle. It is the one grand rule that every moral being shall regard and treat every being, interest, and thing, according to its relative value.

SECOND. All the commandments are declaratory, &c.

1. All God's moral attributes are modifications of one principle; that is benevolence. This we have already seen in a former lecture.