Religion the Only Sure Basis of Free Governments

To form and cwry into operation a fystem ofgovernment, and habituate a newly emancipated people to rule and order were important objests to be accompliflied. In these, as in the deliverance of the Hebrews, Mofes was under the immediate fupernatural direstion of Heaven. The government was a theocracy j religion the bafis on which the whole struclure refted. Their institutions, civil and religious, happily combined to improve the nation, and to guard it against being corrupted by admitting strangers to an equal participation of all its privileges. In its advancement from boijdage to an independent rank among the nations of the earth, the people were led by the hand of Mofes and Aaron 5 by the civil magiflirate and the minifter of religion. Each was a chofen instrument to carry on the merciful defigns of Providence in refpest to ancient Ifrael ; and each the world hath ever found neceflary to promote the peace, order and improvement of society. Arrived at the borders of the promifed land, and apprized that he fliould not be permitted to pafs Jordan, Mofes, give the people a new edition of the law in the book^before us ; and, to aid their memory, rehear fed the mercies and judgments of God, and the duties and dangers of Ifrad, in a divine fong J in which, with an eloqueiiee worthy of his fubjed, he celebrated the praises of Jehovah, and warned the nation against departing frooi the statutes he had appointed unto them. Having concluded his sbng, the prophet said to the congregation, assembled to hear his last instruction, " Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day j which ye stiall. com. mand your children to obferve and do» all the words of this law." The two great commandments in this law, on which all the reft depend, according to our Savior, are to love the Lord our God with aU the heart, and our neighbor as ourselves,(|^ It therefore related to religious, moral and focial duty. In this view of it the people were directed by their gteat deliverer, whole character and achievements, fituation and profpeds, gave weight to his counsel, fin* cerely to regard its rules and precept;?, and to teach and command their cjluldren to obferve them.

The reafon aiSgned for the injunstion we have in these words : "For it is not a vain thing for you ; becaufc it is your life ; and through this thing ye (hall prqlong your days in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possefs it." Bv the life of a community we understand its political exigence, independence, freedom and happiness. In the prefervation, or lofs, of these, whatever may be afcribed to natural caufes, we often obfer've the powerful cfFedl of moral caufes. To ihow the influence of these upon national freedom and profperity is more particularly the duty of the ministers of religion. To this the fubjest direAs our attention. The importance of the injunstion in the text will appear from the truth aixd weight of the reafon by which it is enforced. Our main obje3;, therefore, will be to illufirate this general truth, viz. That religion, and the moral and focial virtues, of which that is the great spring, are, under God, the life and fecurity of a free people. In attempting tlus, the speaker must rely on the candor of our civil Others, and of this numerous and refpestablc afTembly. What he propofes is, briefly to hint at the neceility and end of civil government J then Ihow that religion is the only fure bafis of good government ; that its influence upon communities is falutary ; that it is the only rational ground of mutual confidence ; and that the Christian fystem is rnofl: favorable to liberty and focial order. The necessity, or at least the expedieney, of civil government might be inferred from the univerfal adoption erf it among all nations whose history is known. But we perceive for ourielves that it is , impoisible for society to exifl: without it ; and conclude, as man is a focial being, the Creator defigned he fliould be a fubjest of law and government. The end of government is the protestlon, improvement and happiness of the community. To accomplifh this end, as in the natural, so in the political body, there must be a head, or governing power, which fliall direst the operations of the members, combine their strength for the common defence,and unite their exertions for the public good.

That is the best government which most essectually restrains the dissocial paflions, prevents crimes, and, with the least restridion of natural liberty, preferves order, difpenfes justice, and procures to the whole the greatest happiness. To these ends the fundamental principles of every government, and all the laws of the statc, ihould be adapted. The government, whose objed''or tendency is any other than the public good, or whose administration is guided by other motives than the general interest, neithencomports with the defign of Heaven, nor merits the esteem and confidence of men. But such is the imperfedtion of man, that nothing depending on human authority only is adequate to the propofed end of civil government. The language of experience is, that to control the paflions, and habituate men to the love of order, and to aft for the public good, some higher authority than that which is merely human must influence their minds. Their views are often too limited to comprehend the reafonableness of yielding private interest and inclination to public utility, or the connexion between furrendering a portion of their natural liberty, and enJOTing civil liberty, under the protedlion of law. The institution of government many feem to imagine defigned, not for their own, but the benefit of a chofen few ; and though they may dread the fandlions of the law, and the power of the magifl:rate ; yet, feeling no moral obligation to obey, and hoping to evade legal justice, they have but flender motives to obedience while unrestrained paflion, or perfonal interest, impels them to counterast the establifhed fystem of rule and order ; or, if they have corred notions of the general defign and tendency of good government^ yet viewing it merely as an ordinance of man, and reflesting on the imperfestion of legiflators, they have but a feeble fenfe of obligation to obferve laws, which oppose their immediate advantage. Fond of self government, they reludlantly delegate the necessary power to others ; and when they have <;onfented to it, a jealoufy of their rulers often renders them hostile to their administration. Some higher and better establifhed principle of adlion, than a view to public interest and convenience, must operate on the minds of most men, to render them good members of a civil community.