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think they are not federalists.

But to what is this owing?

It cannot be owing to their education, nor to their long habits of thinking, nor to their adopting the principles of the revolution, nor to their change of sentiments; but it must be principally if not altogether owing to misinformation. They have been told, that republicans are friends, and federalists are enemies, to the constitution of the federal government. Taking this to be a fair and just representation of the two principal parties, many honest and virtuous citizens choose to join the republicans, whom they view as the sincere supporters of the federal constitution, which they ardently desire may be firmly maintained and established. All these men are true federalists, while they think and call themselves republicans. They ought to be viewed in their true light, and numbered among the friends of their country. There is no doubt but they will soon appear so. The eyes of some begin to be opened, and they begin to perceive, that the republicans are the real enemies of the constitution, and determined to destroy it; while the federalists are its true friends, and determined to support it. This is a truth which all honest and well-meaning republicans will soon discover; and the discovery will prompt them to appear openly on the side of uniform consistent federalists. The federal party is increasing, and the republican party is diminishing; and in all probability, the time is not far remote, when none will appear to be republicans, but those who have renounced the principles of the American, and adopted the principles of the French revolution. And if all the people in America were now to be distinguished according to this criterion, who can believe, that one in ten ought to be called a republican? The truth is, all the American people, except a few individuals who have been corrupted by French politics, are sentimentally federalists.

Permit me to observe, in the last place, that this anniversary properly belongs to the federalists, who ought to improve it, in promoting the best interests of their country. It is presumption in republicans to claim this day as their own. They are the men, who have uniformly applauded and justified the French revolution in all its turnings and windings, and who still pant after French liberty and equality. Can they have any just pretence to celebrate the American revolution? No; they are apostates from the true principles of the revolution, and of consequence, apostates from our federal government. It is absurd in the extreme, for their orators, on this day consecrated to commemorate the best moral, religious, and political principles, to trumpet the corrupt principles of democracy, anarchy, infidelity, and atheism, through our enlightened and well-indoctri

nated nation. Let true federalists expose such bare-faced abuse of this memorial of our national independence; and convert it to its proper end, which is to promote our national prosperity and happiness.

It is a part of the proper business of this anniversary, to enlighten the people into the pure principles of our federal constitution. If they could only be convinced, that our general government is founded upon the principles of our late revolution, almost every man would be entirely satisfied. All seem to be agreed, that all our politicians who brought about the revolution were true patriots, and meant to secure the rights and liberties of the people. If, therefore, the people in general could only be made to see with their own eyes, that these true patriots, who brought about the revolution, acted upon the same principles in forming and administering the federal government, all their groundless fears and complaints of the federalists would instantly cease. Let them improve, therefore, the happy opportunity which this anniversary affords them, to diffuse this necessary and useful instruction among the people at large; that they may duly appreciate, as well as cheerfully obey, the excellent government under which they live.

It is also very proper, on this anniversary, to examine the measures of those in the administration of government. They are liable, through ignorance or design, to commit great mistakes; and it belongs to the people to scrutinize their conduct, and prevent the subversion of the constitution, which is the grand palladium of their liberties. All our rulers in the federal government ought to be tried by the standard of the federal constitution. If they violate any of its fundamental principles, in the laws they make or the acts they pass, they stand condemned for the abuse of power. It is in the scale of the constitution they ought to be weighed; and if in that scale they are found wanting, they ought either to be dropped from office, or suffer some severer mark of public displeasure. If attempts have been made, of late, to warp our constitution, and by destroying its checks and balances, turn it into a monarchy or democracy, these attempts ought to be viewed as unconstitutional and arbitrary. Now, therefore, is the time to awaken the vigilance of all the true friends of their country, and excite them to guard and defend that excellent government, which cost them so much blood and treasure to obtain. This day calls to remembrance the bloody scenes of the late revolution, when the flower of our nation perished in the defence of their laws and religion; and when the die was cast by the Declaration of Independence, whether we should live as freemen, or die as rebels. If we only keep our eyes fixed upon the prin

ciples of the revolution, which were wrought into the very essence of our general government, we may easily determine, from time to time, whether our rulers pursue measures, which ought to alarm our fears, and rouse our exertions to defend our civil and religious liberties. Let us apply the rule; let us judge with impartiality; and let us eventually act as wisdom and duty shall dictate.

Above all, let us this day place an unshaken confidence in God, amidst all the dark and threatening aspects of our public affairs. Though our nation is divided into parties; though the wheels of government drag heavily; and though the very foundations of civil and religious order begin to tremble; yet let us realize and confide in that divine over-ruling hand, which conducted us through the storms and tempests of the late revolution, which established our present government, and which is still able to strengthen and preserve it. It is easy for God to raise up instruments and devise means for our public safety; and to avert the dreadful calamities which seem ready to overwhelm us. Let us this day set up our "Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." And while we gratefully recognize the wonders of his past goodness towards our rising nation, let us humbly hope that he will not cast us off; but for his name's sake, make us both holy and happy, under the influence of his holy spirit, and under the smiles of his powerful and watchful providence. Amen.

SERMON XVI.

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTERS USEFUL TO CIVIL SOCIETY.

ANNUAL FAST, APRIL 7, 1893.

Bur Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died. And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house. -2 CHRON. Xxxiv. 15, 16.

THIS venerable priest lived a long and useful life. He spent all his days in promoting the cause of God and the good of civil society. By a faithful discharge of the duties of his sacred office, during six successive reigns, he exercised a powerful influence over the hearts and consciences of both rulers and subjects, and in that way governed their public and private conduct. It is said, "Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest." And it appears from the representation in the text, that all classes of the people in the kingdom were deeply sensible of the great benefit which they had derived from his public labors and instructions. For "they buried him in the city of David, among the kings, because he had done good in Israel." Some have conjectured that these words were a part of an epitaph put upon his tomb; but whether they were or were not, they express the high sense which the nation entertained of his eminent usefulness in his sacred profession. There is nothing singular in this ancient opinion concerning the utility and importance of religious instructers; for the same sentiment has generally prevailed in all ages of the world. Accordingly, this will be the leading idea in the present discourse: That it has been the common opinion of mankind, that religious instructers are very useful in civil society.

To set this subject in a clear light, it will be proper to show in the first place, that this has been the common opinion of mankind; and in the next place make it appear that this opinion is well founded.

I. Let us consider the common opinion of mankind, respecting the usefulness of religious instructers, in civil society.

We may easily learn the opinion of the world upon this subject, by their uniform and immemorial practice. The Jews have always had an order of men, to teach the duties and perform the ceremonies of their religion. And though christians have been greatly divided in their religious sentiments and modes of public worship, yet they have universally agreed to support religious teachers. If we now turn our thoughts to the heathen world, we shall find that they have all gone into the same practice. The Egyptians were the first, or next to the first nation, who formed themselves into civil society, and laid themselves under the restraints of civil government. And as early as the days of Joseph, they certainly had religious instructers among them, who were treated with peculiar marks of respect. The sacred historian tells us, that when the seven years' famine prevailed in the land to such an extremity that the people in general were constrained to sell their persons as well as their property to procure sustenance, the priests were exempted, and "had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them." Profane his

tory assures us that the Babylonians, Persians, Greeks and Romans, all had their teachers of religion. And when Julius Cæsar first carried his arms into Britain, he there discovered the Druids, who were considered and treated as a sacred order of men by the Britons. Nor do we find by the best accounts, that there is at this day a nation on earth, who have not some form of religion, and some men to perform religious offices. Now this immemorial and universal practice of mankind, in maintaining religious teachers, is a strong evidence that they have considered them as very useful in civil society. For no nation have ever been so much attached to their religion, that they would be willing to sacrifice their temporal interests to support it. All civil communities, therefore, in maintaining religious instructers, have always acted upon the principle that they are a body of men really useful and necessary in civil society. If any people viewed their religious teachers as useless or burdensome, they would either suppress, or banish, or destroy them. This has been sufficiently demonstrated by the late conduct of a great nation, who, in a day of infatuation, looked upon their priests as a burden to society, and who accordingly either banished or destroyed the whole order. Human nature 30

VOL. II.

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