5. WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO GOVERN?

     We have just seen, that necessity is a condition of the right and duty to govern--that the highest well-being of the universe demands, and is the end of moral government. It must, therefore, be his right and duty to govern, whose attributes, physical and moral, best qualify him to secure the end of government. To him all eyes and hearts should be directed, to fill this station, to exercise this control, to administer all just and necessary rewards and punishments. It is both his right and duty to govern.

     That God is a moral governor, we infer--

     1. From our own consciousness. From the very laws of our being, we naturally affirm our responsibility to him for our conduct. As God is our creator, we are naturally responsible to him for the right exercise of our powers. And as our good and his glory depend upon our conformity to the same rule, to which he conforms his whole being, he is under a moral obligation to require us to be holy, as he is holy.

     2. His natural attributes qualify him to sustain the relation of a moral governor to the universe.

     3. His moral character also qualifies him to sustain this relation.

     4. His relation to the universe as Creator and preserver, when considered in connexion with the necessity of government, and with his nature and attributes, confers on him the right of universal government.

     5. His relation to the universe, and our relations to him and to each other, render it obligatory upon him to establish and administer a moral government over the universe.

     6. The honour of God demands that he should administer such a government.

     7. His conscience must demand it. He must know that it would be wrong for him to create a universe of moral beings, and then refuse or neglect to administer over them a moral government, since government is a necessity of their nature and relations.

     8. His happiness must demand it, as he could not be happy unless he acted in accordance with his conscience.

     9. If God is not a moral governor he is not wise. Wisdom consists in the choice of the best ends, and in the use of the most appropriate means to accomplish those ends. If God is not a moral governor, it is inconceivable that he should have had any important end in view in the creation of moral beings, or that he should have chosen the best or any suitable means for the promotion of their happiness as the most desirable end.

     10. The conduct or providence of God plainly indicates a design to exert a moral influence over moral agents.

     11. His providence plainly indicates that the universe of mind is governed by moral laws, or by laws suited to the nature of moral agents.

     12. Consciousness recognizes the existence of an inward law, or rule of action, together with a knowledge of the moral quality of actions.

     13. This inward moral consciousness, or conscience, is proof conclusive of the existence of a rule of duty which is obligatory upon us. Indeed, this consciousness is only the mind's direct beholding this law, as affirmed by the reason. This rule implies a ruler, and this ruler must be God.

     14. If God is not a moral governor, our very nature deceives us.

     15. If God is not a moral governor, the whole universe, so far as we have the means of knowing it, is calculated to mislead mankind in respect to this fundamental truth.

     16. If there is no such thing as moral government, there is, in reality, no such thing as moral character; but we as certainly know that we have moral character, as that we exist.

     17. All nations have believed that God is a moral governor.

     18. Our nature is such, that we must believe it. The conviction of our moral accountability to God, is in such a sense the dictate of our moral nature, that we cannot escape from it.

     19. We must disapprove the character of God, if we ever come to a knowledge of 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.

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