both Civil and Religious, are so far preserved to us, notwithstanding all the Attempts of our barbarous Enemies to deprive us of them.

And to offer up humble and fervent Prayers to Almighty GOD, for the whole British Empire, especially for the UNITED AMERICAN COLONIES:-That he would bless our Civil Rulers and lead them into wise and Prudent Measures in this dark and difficult Day: - That he would endow our General Court with all that Wisdom which is profitable to direct: That he would graciously Smile upon our Endeavors to restore Peace, preserve our Rights and Privileges, and hand them down to Posterity:-That he would give Wisdom to the American Congress equal to their important Station: - That he would direct the Generals and the American Armies, wherever employed, and give them Success and Victory: That he would preserve and strengthen the harmony of the UNITED COLONIES:-That he would pour out his Spirit upon all Orders of Men through the Land, bring us to a hearty Repentance and Reformation; purify and sanctify all his Churches: - That he would make Ours Emanuel's Land:-That he would spread the Knowledge of the Redeemer through the whole Earth, and fill the World with his Glory. All servile Labor is forbidden on said Day.

GIVEN under our hands at the Council Chamber in WATERTOWN, this Fourth Day of November, in the Year of the LORD One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy-five.

By their Honors' Command,

PEREZ MORTON, DEP'Y SEC'RY.

So the clouds of war gathered rapidly and heavily, and the Declaration of July Fourth sundered the colonies from the mother country, and they became a nation.

Boston having been evacuated by General Howe, March 17th, the present Legislature was convened, as in former days, in the old Town House, or State House, as it then began to be called. The sermon was preached, as of old, in the "old brick meeting-house" near by, on the site which had been dedicated to the worship of God ever since 1640. It is now occupied by "Joy's Building."

The preacher, Samuel West, minister of Dartmouth, was not behind his professional brethren in zeal for the welfare and liberty of his country, nor in vigorous defence of her rights, both in the pulpit and by the press. He was an able and acute reasoner, and distinguished in metaphysical speculations with the Edwardses, father and son. The present Discourse was specially devoted to a consideration of the true principles of government, and a close application of them to Britain and her colonies. He was a member of the convention for forming the Constitution of Massachusetts, and of that of 1788, which ratified the constitution of the United States. With him the patriot Otis

"Favored man, by touch ethereal slain"

resided for a while after his retirement. Dr. West was born at Yarmouth, on Cape Cod, March 4, 1730, a subject of George II., graduated at Harvard College in 1754, and died September 24, 1807, aged seventy-seven, a citizen of the United States.

The texts on the title-page of the sermon admirably exhibit the political hopes of that day, the wish for reconciliation and the reëstablishment of the old relations to the mother country, and the intensity of the times.

The councillors elected for the memorable year 1776 were

For the late Colony of MASSACHUSETTS BAY:

Hon. JAMES BOWDOIN, Esq.;

ARTEMAS WARD, Esq.;
BENJ. GREENLEAF, Esq.;
CALEB CUSHING, Esq.;
JOHN WINTHROP, Esq.;
RICH. DERBY, JUN., Esq.;
THOMAS CUSHING, Esq.;
JOHN WHITCOMB, Esq.;
ELDAD TAYLOR, Esq.;

Hon. BENJAMIN LINCOLN, Esq.;

SAMUEL HOLTON, Esq.;

JABEZ FISHER, Esq.;

MOSES GILL, Esq.;

BENJ. WHITE, Esq.;

WM. PHILLIPS, Esq.;
BENJ. AUSTIN, Esq.;

EBEN. THAYER, JUN., Esq.;
FRANCIS DANE, Esq.

Hon. WM. SEVER, Esq.;

WALTER SPOONER, Esq.;

For the late Colony of NEW PLYMOUTH:

Hon. DAN. DAVIS, Esq.;
Jos. CUSHING, Esq.

Previous to the election the following gentlemen, who were of the

last Council, resigned their seats at the Board, viz.:

Hon. JAMES OTIS, Esq.;

JOHN ADAMS, Esq.;

JEDEDIAH FOSTER, Esq.;

Hon. ENOCH FREEMAN, Esq.;

CHARLES CHAUNCY, Esq.;

JOSEPH PALMER, Esq.

DISCOURSE VI.

ELECTION SERMON.

PUT THEM IN MIND TO BE SUBJECT TO PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS, TO OBEY MAGISTRATES, TO BE READY TO EVERY GOOD WORK. — Titus iii. 1.

THE great Creator, having designed the human race for society, has made us dependent on one another for happiness. He has so constituted us that it becomes both our duty and interest to seek the public good; and that we may be the more firmly engaged to promote each other's welfare, the Deity has endowed us with tender and social affections, with generous and benevolent principles: hence the pain that we feel in seeing an object of distress; hence the satisfaction that arises in relieving the afflictions, and the superior pleasure which we experience in communicating happiness to the miserable. The Deity has also invested us with moral powers and faculties, by which we are enabled to discern the difference between right and wrong, truth and falsehood, good and evil: hence the approbation of mind that arises upon doing a good action, and the remorse of conscience which we experience when we counteract the moral sense and do that which is evil. This proves that, in what is commonly called a state of nature, we are the subjects of the divine law and government; that the Deity is our supreme magistrate, who has written his law in our hearts, and will reward or punish us according as we obey or disobey his commands. Had the

human race uniformly persevered in a state of moral rectitude, there would have been little or no need of any other law besides that which is written in the heart, for every one in such a state would be a law unto himself. There could be no occasion for enacting or enforcing of penal laws; for such are "not made for the righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly, and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for men-stealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to" moral rectitude and the happiness of mankind. The necessity of forming ourselves into politic bodies, and granting to our rulers a power to enact laws for the public safety, and to enforce them by proper penalties, arises from our being in a fallen and degenerate state. The slightest view of the present state and condition of the human race is abundantly sufficient to convince any person of common sense and common honesty that civil government is absolutely necessary for the peace and safety of mankind; and, consequently, that all good magistrates, while1 they faithfully discharge the trust reposed in them, ought to be religiously and conscientiously obeyed. An enemy to good government is an enemy not only to his country, but to all mankind; for he plainly shows himself to be divested of those tender and social sentiments which are characteristic of a human temper, even of that generous and benevolent disposition which is the peculiar glory of a rational creature. An enemy to good government has degraded himself below the rank and dignity of a man, and deserves to be classed with the lower creation.2 Hence we find that wise and good men, of all nations and religions, have ever incul

1 See pp. 72, 75-77. — Ed.

2 See pp. 69-74, and notes. - Ed.