the Lord God, &c. I will bring strangers upon thee, &c. and they shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them, &c. but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee. -Ezek. xxviii. 2. 6–9.

Nebuchadnezzar the king, in the height of his pride, driven out among the beasts.-Dan. iv. 30—33.

There is no respect of persons with God. Rom. ii. 11.

The spirits of devils working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth, to gather them, &c. Rev. xvi. 13-16.

The kings of the earth committed fornication with the great whore.— Rev. xvii. 1, 2.

SECT. 3.-What are the Duties of Magistrates: and what they should be negatively, and affirmatively. I CONSIDERED all the oppressions that are done under the sun and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter: and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. Eccles. iv. 1.

Thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God: men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers. -Exod. xviii. 21.

Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of the poor in his cause, &c. and thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, &c.-Exod. xxiii. 6. 8; Deut xvi. 19.

Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness thou shalt judge thy neighbour. Levit. xix. 15; Prov. xxxi. 9.

Moses, when the people had sinned, prayed earnestly for them, &c.Numb. xiv. 13, &c.; Deut. ix. 25, &c.; Josh. vii. 7, &c.

and I will make them rulers over you, &c. And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him ye shall not respect persons in judgment: but ye shall hear the small as well as the great: ye shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God's; and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, &c.-Deut. i. 13. 15–17.

The Lord your God is God of gods, &c. which regardeth not persons nor taketh reward; he doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow. -Deut. x. 17, 18.

Judges and officers shalt thou make, &c. and they shall judge the people with just judgment: thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind your eyes, &c. that which is altogether just shalt thou follow.-Deut. xvi. 18. 20.

Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee whom the Lord thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee; thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother; but he shall not multiply horses to himself, &c. And it shall be when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book, &c. and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law, &c. that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment.— Deut. xvii. 15, &c.; Josh. i. 8.

If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous and condemn the wicked.-Deut. xxv. 1; Prov. xvii. 15.

Samuel's sons walked not in his

and took bribes, and perverted judgment.-1 Sam. viii.1.3; Prov. xvii. 23. Samuel said, Whose ox have I taken? Whom have I oppressed? &c. -1 Sam. xii. 3, 4.

And David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.-2 Sam. viii. 15.

There was a famine in the days of David, three years, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord, (or sought his face.) And the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites, &c. Now the children of Israel had sworn unto them, and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah, &c. David endeavoured to make the atonement, and effected it.—2 Sam. xxi. 1, &c.

He that ruleth over men must be (or be thou the ruler over men) just, ruling in the fear of God.-2 Sam. xxiii. 3.

When the plague was upon Israel for David's sins, he said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly but these sheep what have they done? Let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house, &c.-2 Sam. xxiv. 17.

Solomon said, Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern. between good and bad, &c. And the speech pleased the Lord.-1 Kings iii. 7-10.

They set up false witnesses against Naboth, against Stephen, and sought for such against Christ.-1 Kings xxi. 10. 13; Matt. xxvi. 59; Acts vi. 11. 13.

Amaziah, &c. as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, slew his servants which had slain the king his father: but the children of the murderers he slew not, according to that which was written, &c. Every man shall be put to death for his own sin.-2 Kings xiv. 5, 6.

Rehoboam took the counsel of the young men, and rejected the old men's advice and answered the people

:

Jehoshaphat, &c. sent to his princes, even to Ben-hail, and to Obadiah, &c. to teach in the cities of Judah: and with them he sent Levites, even Shemaiah, &c. and they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them: and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.-2 Chron. xvii. 7—9.

Jehoshaphat said to the judges, Take heed what ye do; for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment; wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed and do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.-2 Chron. xix. 6, 7.

Jehoshaphat, in a time of danger, stood in the congregation in the house of the Lord, and prayed himself with them, and for them there.-2 Chron. xx. 2-13; 1 Sam. xii. 23; 2 Chron. xxx. 18-20; Ezra ix; x.

Hezekiah sent letters throughout all Israel and Judah, to invite them to turn to the Lord.-2Chron. xxx.6-9.

Nehemiah saith, From the time that I was appointed to be their governor, &c. I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor : but the former governors, &c. were chargeable unto the people, &c. yea, even their servants bare rule over the people; but so did not I, because of the fear of God, &c.-Neh. v. 14—16. 18.

I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah, &c. charge over Jerusalem; for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.-Neh. vii. 2.

Ahasuerus the king forbade any to compel another to drink, but according to his pleasure.-Esth. i. 8.

I was a father to the poor; and the

Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning; blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness.Eccles. x. 16, 17.

Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards; they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them, &c. Ah! I will ease me of mine adversaries, &c.— Isa. i. 23, 24; Jer. v. 28.

I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them; and the people shall be oppressed every one by another. What mean ye, that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? &c.-Isa. iii. 4, 5. 15.

Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, &c. to turn aside the needy from judgment, &c. what will ye do in the day of visitation? &c.-Isa. x. 1-3.

In that day shall the Lord of hosts, &c. for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment. Hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people, &c. because ye have said, &c.-Isa. xxviii. 5, 6. 14, 15. 18.

He that despiseth the gain of oppressions, who shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, &c. he shall dwell on high.--Isa. xxxiii. 15, 16.

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?-Isa. lviii. 6— 8: Zech. vii. 5, &c.

Judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.-Isa. lix. 14.

Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, &c. Thus saith the Lord, Execute ye judgment, and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor; and do

no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, &c. neither shed innocent blood in this place, &c. Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? Did not thy father eat, and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him? he judged the cause of the poor and needy, then it was well with him, &c. but thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence to do it.-Jer. xxii. 1-3. 15-17; Ezek. xxii. 27.

O princes of Israel, remove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and justice: take away your exactions from the people, saith the Lord God. -Ezek. xlv. 9; Zech. viii. 16.

King Nebuchadnezzar, for his great pride, was driven from men, to eat grass as oxen.-Dan. iv. 30-34.

When the princes had procured a wicked law, and Daniel was taken upon it, the king, Darius, was troubled, and would have delivered him.— Dan. vi.

I hate, I despise your feast days, &c. Let judgment run down as waters, &c.-Amos v. 21. 24; Zech. vii. 9.

O heads of Jacob, and ye princes! Is it not for you to know judgment, who hate the good, and love the evil? &c. Hear this, ye princes, &c. that abhor judgment, &c. The heads thereof judge for reward.-Micah iii. 1-3. 9. 11; vii. 3.

The law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth the wicked doth compass about the righteous, therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.Hab. i. 4.

Judge not according to the appearance; but judge righteous judgment. John vii. 24.

Refrain yourselves from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it.—Acts v. 38, 39.

Ye ought to be quiet, and do nothing rashly, &c. the law is open, let them

Paul said, For sittest thou to judge me after the law; and commandest me to be smitten, contrary to the law?-Acts xxiii. 3.

It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself, &c. It seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and withal not to signify the crimes laid against him.-Acts xxv. 16. 27. Rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil, &c. for he is the minister of God to thee for good, &c. a revenger, to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil, &c. They are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.-Rom. xiii. 3, 4. 6.

Governors, &c. for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.-1 Pet. ii. 14.

The great whore, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication. The ten horns shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate, and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire; for God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will.-Rev. xvii. 1, 2. 16, 17.

SECT. 4.-The Duties of Subjects to Magistrates, with respect both to their Persons and Decrees.

FIRST. What they may not do: when, and wherein they may not obey them. ISRAEL sinned, &c. in walking in the statutes of the heathen, &c. and of the kings of Israel, which they had made, &c.-2 Kings xvii. 7, 8. 19.

Render to Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's; and unto God, the things that are God's.-Matt. xxii. 21.

The king of Egypt commanded the midwives to kill the men children of the Hebrews. But they feared God, and obeyed not the king: and God took it well of them.-Exod. i. 15— 17. 20, 21.

Hezekiah, the Lord was with him, &c. and he rebelled against the king of Assyria.-2 Kings xviii. 7.

Mordecai bowed not to Haman, notwithstanding the king's commandment.-Esth. iii. 1-3; v. 9.

When king Nebuchadnezzar had commanded the worshipping of an image, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to obey; and said, Be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image, &c.-Dan. iii. 15-18.

When Darius had established the decree, that none should ask any petition of any God or man for thirty days; Daniel went into his house, after his wonted manner, and prayed three times a day.-Dan. vi. 7—10.

When the apostles were forbidden to preach in the name of Christ, they answered, &c. Whether it be right in the sight of God, to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.-Acts iv. 18-20.

When the council charged them. with preaching contrary to their commands, &c. Peter, &c. said, We ought to obey God rather than man. Acts v. 27-29.

Moses was hidden three months of his parents, &c. and they were not afraid of the king's commandment, &c. He feared not the wrath of the king.-Heb. xi. 23. 27.

SECONDLY. What they ought to do, or wherein they should acknowledge and obey them.

I. Submit to, and obey them in
all lawful things.

MIRIAM and Aaron spake against Moses, and God smote Miriam with leprosy.-Numb. xii. 1. 9-11.

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