Year: 1861

The following is the substance of the dis
eourse preached last Sunday morning, at the
Salem street church, by Rev. Merrill Richard
|son -


Fec. 1O:16, "Woe to Thee, o Land, when
Thy king is a child"


"King" stands for the ruling power and
"child' is used as an emblem of weakness.
And when the governing power of nation de-
generates into childish imbecility, then woe to
the land. Any nation or people is open to the
greatest calamities when the government is
foolish or false. Ability, justice, and firmness
in its ruling powers are indispensable to ma
tons well being. Defeat or failure here af.
iects every interest, and touches every citizen
of the land. Not only is business deranged
and the nation checked in its material prosper
ity, but everything grand and lovely in social
and religious life suffers.


"Woe to the land in all its interests when its
king is a child"


When we consider what power rulers have
had to bless or curse whole people, and how
much depends upou the wisdom and efficiency
of the government, we see why the Bible is so
full in its Instructions on this SUBJECT Some
of its teachings are appropriate to the present
time, and specially the idea of the text, viz
the curse ,ohich comes upon nation from the imJe.
ciity Of its government.


remark first, that as nation becomes
populous and civilized, and varied in its inter.
ests, the greater the necessity of efficiency in
its administration.


The idea is often advanced that the less a
government gove,nS the better. Very true,
if the people take care of themselves and each
citizen conforms 10 the laws established.
Government is not an arbitrary thing, but the
administration of state or national affairs,
according to constitution formed, and laws
passed, and usagcs settled, by competent au-
thority. The governing power is committed
to men whose SOLE business it is to do that
work. The executive authority, whether con-
stitutional king or president, has no option in
the matter. He is to execute the laws, and in
the prescribed methods. He is in the place
Of power for that very end, and the means
placed at his command. II, through weakness
or any other cause, he fails, then woe to the
land There is no other power that can
legally do his work, and the government
stops, or becomes an anarchy--a no-govern.
ment-the worst of all evils. There is no
supreme control, no safety, and no protection
for any one And when there is no king in
Israel, no power to control, but each left to
do what is wise in his own eyes, then society
is destroyed.


The executive authority has nothing to do
with the question What or hoW many the laws,
but to erecute them. Recreant Or faithess
here, he is the guilty cause OF confusion and
anarchy. And the curse will be great in pro-
portion to the interests involved. For exam
pie, the sachem of tribe of Indians can do
little mischief, act as he may. He is easily
removed by some gust of passion; or the will
derness is broad enough for the freedom of
those who can take up their bed, and even
their house, and all real estate and personal
property, and go where they please.


Man there is reduced to the lowest terms
Of manhood, and can share a continent with
| the wolf and the buffalo. No government is
| unp6p1 vhpra mn info