[previous CHAPTER]CHAPTER VIII. Of the Ruler’s Duty in Particular, as to the Manner of the Discharge of his Trust, viz. 1. Courageously in the fear of God. Thus shalt thou do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully and with a perfect heart. Deal courageously, and the Lord shall be with you, 2 Chron. 19:11. Ye shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God’s, Deut. 1:17.
2. Justly and righteously. Wherefore let the fear of the Lord be upon you, take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the Lord, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts, 2 Chron. 19:7. Judges and officers shalt thou make in all thy gates, and they shall judge the people with just judgment, Deut. 16:18. That which is altogether just shalt thou do, verse 20. Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him, Deut. 1:16. You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, weight or measure, just balances, weights, and measures, a just ephah and hin shalt thou have, Lev. 19:35,36. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was a robe and a diadem, Job 29:14. Not pervert judgment, Deut. 24:17, nor wrest it, Exod. 23:6; Deut. 16:19,20.
3. Impartially. Thou shalt do no unrighteousness in judgment, nor respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour, Lev. 19:15. You shall not respect persons in judgment, but you shall hear the small as well as the great, you shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s, Deut. 1:17. God accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich, Job 34:19.
4. Mercifully. Mercy and truth preserves the king, and his throne is upheld by mercy, Prov. 20:28. And therefore David said, he would sing of mercy and judgment, Psal. 101:1. Defend the poor and the fatherless, do justice to the afflicted and needy, Psal. 82:3. The king’s strength doth love judgment, thou dost establish equity, thou executeth judgment an righteousness in Jacob, Psal. 99:4. Forbear not to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain, Prov. 24:11. He judgeth the cause of the poor and needy, then it was well with him; was not this to me? saith the Lord, Jer. 22:16. I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had no helper. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. I was eyes to the blind and feet was I to the lame, I was a father to the poor, and the cause which I knew not, I searched out, Job 29:12,13,15,16.
5. Equitably. All things whatsoever that you would that men should do unto you, do the same unto them; for this is the law and the prophets, Matth. 7:12. Our Law judges no man before it hear him, and know what he doth, John 7:51. For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox or for ass, &c., and it die, and be hurt or driven away, no man seeing it, then shall an oath of the Lord be between both parties, Exod. 22:9,10,11. The cause which I knew not, I searched out, Job 29:16.
6. Truly. One witness shalt not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin that he sinneth; at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall every word be established, Deut. 19:15. At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall he that is worthy of death he put to death, but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death; the hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, Deut. 17:6.
7. Warrantably according to law, not arbitrarily. According to the sentence of the law, and according to the judgment they shall tell thee, shalt thou do. Thou shalt not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, Deut. 17:11,20.
8. Uncorruptly, withholding the hands from bribes. And thou shalt take no gift, for a gift blindeth the eyes, and perverteth the words of the righteous, Exod. 22:8. Thou shalt not respect persons, nor take a gift, for it blindeth the eyes, Deut. 16:19. The king by judgment establisheth the land, but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it, Prov. 29:4. Her rulers with shame do love, Give ye, Hos. 4:18. Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards; therefore thus saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, Ah! I will ease me of my adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies, Isa. 1:23. Wo unto them who justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him, Isa. 5:23. Fire shall consume the tabernacle of bribery, Job 15:34. And Samuel’s two sons walked no in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment, 1 Sam. 8:3. They afflict the just, they take a bribe, and turn aside the poor in the gate, from their right, Amos 5:12. He that despiseth the gain of oppression and shaketh his hands from the holding of bribes, he shall dwell on high, Isa. 33:1.
9. Humbly. And he shall read in the law all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his god, &c. That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, Deut. 17:19,20. Shalt thou reign because thou closest thyself in cedar! did not thy father eat and drink, and do justice an judgment, and then it was well with him? Jer. 22:15. But he shall not multiply horses, nor mules unto himself, Deut. 17:16,17. And I will punish the princes and king’s children, and all that are clothed with strange apparel, Zeph. 1:8. And the king said, is not this great Babylon that I have built or the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty? Whilst the word was in his mouth, the voice came from heaven against him, and he was driven from man, and did eat grass as the oxen, Dan. 4:30, 31. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and those that walk in pride he is able to abase, verse 37. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him; And thou his son hast not humbled thy heart, though thou knowest all this, Dan. 5:20,22. And Herod was arrayed in royal apparel, and sitting upon his throne made and god, and not of a man, and immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not god the glory, and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost, Acts 12:21,22,23.
10. To stand far off from violence and oppression. Wo to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds; when the morning is come, they practice it, because it is in the power of their hands: and thy covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away; so they oppress a man and his house, a man and his heritage, Mic. 2:1,2. Thus saith the Lord, execute judgment, shew mercy and compassion every man to his brother; oppress not the widow nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor, Zech. 7:9,10. I have not taken on ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them, Numb. 16:15. Behold here I am, witness against me this day before the Lord: whose ox or ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed, or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind my eyes? I will restore it, 1 Sam. 12:3. And they said, thou hast not defrauded us, nor taken ought of any man’s hand, verse 4. Rob not the poor because he is poor, neither oppress the afflicted in the gate, Prov. 22:22. Hear this word ye king of Bashan, which oppress the poor, and crush the need: the Lord hath sworn by his holiness, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fish hooks, Amos, 4:1,2. The prince that wanteth understanding is a great oppressor, &c. but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days, Prov. 28:16. The Lord by the prophet Samuel se the oppression of the kings of the nations, as an argument to deter them from that government, 1 Sam. 8. I will be a swift witness against them that oppress the hireling widow and fatherless, and turn aside the stranger from his right, Mal. 3;5. They are God’s servants for good, not hurt, Rom. 13:4.
11. To attend diligently and constantly upon his trust. And let them judge the people at all seasons, Exod. 18:22. He that ruleth with diligence, Rom. 12:8. For this cause pay we tribute also, for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing, chap. 13:6. [next CHAPTER]
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