He That Ruleth Over Men Must Be Just

The Delight of Kings: A Compendium by A. Hayter From A Hind Let Loose -- Gen. 49.21, pp. 6-7:

The New Testament gives a definitive statement of civil government in Romans ch. 13 v. 1-9 and 1 Timothy ch. 2 v. 1-2; which is a summary of the pattern also found in the Old Testament. We shall first take in review these Old Testament passages where we have the epitome of kingship delineated. Thus the qualifications of those who exercise civil rule are that, They must be men of truth, fearing God and hating covetousness (Ex. 18.21); they must be just, and not deceitful, false or oppressive: He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God (2 Sam. 23.2-3); they must be men of understanding, they must be of the same nation, and not strangers (Deut. 13 v. 1 & 17; Jer. 30 v. 21). They are to be elected by all the people, that is, by the adult men among whom they are to rule: The men of Judah made David king (2 Sam. 2 v. 4) or again: The people made Saul King (1 Sam. 11.15) and as also in the words of Hushai: Whom the Lord and this people, and all the men of Israel choose, his will I be (2 Sam. 16.18). Any perversion of this order by those who thrust in upon the people however they accomplish it, is usurpation; as in Hos. 8.4: 'They made kings but not by me; that is, strictly and only in the way appointed by God, and which is said to be "by" him as if God himself had actually done it.

Duties of Christians Under National Judgments

Anthony Hayter, The Delight of Kings: A Compendium From A Hind Let Loose - Gen. 49.21 [ie., a compendium of A Hind Let Loose by Alexander Shields], pp. 26-27:

A people is bound to preserve the privileges and rights of their parliaments, which are but representatives of themselves, when they act according to the trust committed to them by the people. But when they betray that trust, and engage in conspiracy with the sovereign, the people cannot own such as their representatives, but must regard them as perjured traitors, and therefore as divested of that power and authority which is now returned to the hands of the people. In such case it is incumbent upon the people to secure themselves, their religion and their liberty, in the most efficient way Providence will permit. Their aim should be to extract themselves from the tyranny, and maintain their rights and adhere closely to the fundamental constitutions, laws and practices of their native realm. Evil laws bring in desolating judgments upon a nation; evil laws corrupt the whole body politic, demoralise the people and lay waste their heritage. Their duty, especially that of Christians, under such dispensations is --

• To acknowledge that God's hand is lifted in judgment against them: Who gave Jacob to the spoil and Israel to the robbers? did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? (Is. 42.24)
• To humble themselves under the hand of God (2 Chron. 12.7-8)
• To accept the punishment (Lev. 26.40)
• To repent and forsake their sin and their rebellion against God, as held forth in Solomon's prayer (1 King 8.46-48)
• To cry to the Lord for help and deliverance
• To strive earnestly for the righteous rule and dominion of Christ over that nation, and the extirpation of antichrist
• To bewail the abominations of their wicked rulers and to keep themselves separate from all their defilements, having no fellowship with works of unbelief and darkness, but rather reproving them
• To pray for such rulers as enemies and persecutors, to pray for their restraint and conversion, as did Stephen (Act. 7.60)
• To own subjection to them only as to a judgment (Neh. 9.36-38) and not confederate with them in any of their perversity: Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord (2 Chron. 19.2)
• To use all lawful means to be delivered from their violence and rapacity. Thus were the prophets hid in a cave from the malice of Jezebel; thus was Moses hid from Pharaoh (Heb. 11.23); thus did Christ withdraw himself out of the way of his enemies (John 8.59 etc); thus did Paul flee from Damascus; thus Joseph and Mary fled from Herod; and the wise men disobeyed his request and avoided him.