Liberty Without Virtue Would Be No Blessing

Now If The Study Of The Scriptures Be Necessary To Our Happiness At Any Time In Our Life, The Sooner We Begin To Read Them, The More We Shall Be Attached To Them.

The Gospel Of Jesus Christ Prescribes The Wisest Rules For Just Conduct In Every Situation In Life. Happy They Who Are Enabled To Obey Them In All Situations!

Patriotism Is As Much A Virtue As Justice, And Is As Necessary For The Support Of Societies As Natural Affection Is For The Support Of Families. The Amor Patriae Love Of Ones Country Is Both A Moral Duty And A Religious Duty. It Comprehends Not Only The Love Of Our Neighbors But Of Millions Of Our Fellow Creatures, Not Only Of The Present But Of Future Generations. This Virtue We Find Constitutes A Part Of The First Characters Of History.

The Only Foundation For . . . A Republic Is To Be Laid In Religion. Without This There Can Be No Virtue, And Without Virtue There Can Be No Liberty, And Liberty Is The Object And Life Of All Republican Governments.

I Shall Be Better Satisfied If The Same Can Be Said Of Me As Was Said Of The Prophet Of Old, "that I Walked In The Fear Of The Lord, And Begat Sons And Daughters" [genesis 5:22], Than If It Were Inscribed On My Tombstone That I Governed The Councils Or Commanded The Arms Of The Whole Continent Of America.