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as He must liave known this tendency from the beginning, 
so we cannot suppose that means were not used to prevent its 
development, and thus secure the accomplishment of the de- 
sign. But by necessity of nature man cannot be ruled by 
physical force, but by appeals to his understanding and con- 
science. There must, therefore, be some way by which those 
appeals may come from a supreme source. Less than this, 
plainly, will not meet the case ; and less than a remembrance 
of the constant presence of the Divine King who inspects 
human action that “ He may give to every man according to 
his ways and according to the fruit of his doings,"” has never 
yet produced a true and consistent morality. But such a 
motive is sufficient to prompt to and maintain all good works. 
But this involves a revelation of the existence and character 
of the great God, “ in whom we live, and move, and have our 
being.” 
It must also be remembered, that man by nature is under 
law. Not only do we find Adam formally placed under law 
at the beginning, and all his children reminded of this con- 
dition by repeated commands and precepts of government, 
but we see that this condition corresponds with the profoundest 
principles of our nature, and requires to be reproduced by 
ourselves, in all our associations with each other ; so that it is 
impossible for human society to exist without law, even in a 
state of barbarism. But this condition of things has been 
instituted by the Creator, as it all springs out of the nature, 
and is only now maintained by an appeal to the Supreme Ruler. 
All kings of old claimed Divine authority for their position 
and laws, and the only attempts which have been made in 
modern times to rule without God have speedily and totally 
failed. But we have only to practise a little introspection to 
find, even in lawless practice, in the earlier stages at any rate, 
that we are unable to debauch the nature itself. When a man 
violates his obligations to his neighbour, he not only regrets 
the discovery of his misdeed, because of its immediate conse- 
quences of shame, suffering, or loss ; but, independent of all 
discovery, he is conscious that he is blameworthy, and that he 
is condemned by a higher tribunal than any human court. 
And, when a human court passes sentence contrary to the 
principles of righteousness which are involved in our mutual 
relations, the inward and higher tribunal overrules and re- 
verses the judgment, and enables the condemned to triumph 
in the condemnation. But this could not be unless men were 
conscious of being under superhuman, that is. Divine, rule. 
And it is equally impossible that man can have commenced 
his existence under such a sense of subjection, and yet have 
