Well, as has been mentioned, the subject for this evening is in light of the upcoming council elections here in this city, and also there are bound to be elections soon in other parts. Concerning God's will for us in these matters, and the subject heading is only vote for God-fearing men to be rulers. And we'll be considering particularly the teaching of God's Word in 2 Samuel 23. 2 Samuel 23, we'll read from verse 1 to 7, considering how the Lord would have us to be thinking about these things. 2 Samuel 23 verse 1. Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel said, the spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds, as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Although my house be not so with God, Yet He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure. For this is all my salvation and all my desire, although He make it not to grow. But the sons of Balael shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands. The man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear, and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place. So particularly considering verse three, the God of Israel said, the rock of Israel spake to me, he that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. So we have here in these words that we've read, the last words of David, we're told. The words of King David at the end, the very end of his life. Don't know who he was speaking to, who was at his deathbed in that sense. But certainly they're recorded in scripture for our benefit and in ages to come. And we see here David makes reference to the Lord speaking by him. Verse 2, the Spirit of the Lord spake by me. The reference there to, particularly to the Psalms that the Lord gave by David, by His Holy Spirit. He is the sweet Psalmist of Israel. But also, in verse 3 and 4, what the Lord spoke to him. And then also in verse five to seven, David's response of gratitude for the Lord's goodness to you. And so we want to ask this morning, or this afternoon, what did God speak to David about? And he spoke to him about a ruler, about being a ruler. We must understand this firstly as being the Lord speaking to David concerning what a ruler should be like. David, one who had, we don't know when the Lord did speak this to David, He's certainly recounting it at the end of his life that the Lord had spoken it to him, but he's speaking of the standard that God had set before him. He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And then the blessings that come when a man rules in this way. And these things were realized in some way in David's own kingship. Not perfectly. He had many faults. He was a fallen man. He was a man after God's own heart. He loved the Lord and confessed his sins. But we do see in descriptions of his reign that he was such a man. In 2 Samuel 8 verse 15 we are told, And David reigned over all Israel, and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people. We should also see here in God's word to David something of a prophecy of the ruler who is to come, who was to come and who now has come, Jesus. We see David referring to God's promises 5 He hath made with me an everlasting covenant. God had promised David that he would always have a son upon the throne and that would be realised only ultimately in Jesus Christ. of a just ruler, of this One who would be as the light of the morning, the sun rising, this description of blessing. This language is used through the prophets, through the Psalms, to describe the rule of Jesus, of Jesus Christ as the King who would reign forever and ever. We have in Jeremiah 23 such a description, profitable for us to read. A prophecy of Christ, behold, Jeremiah 23 verse 5, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely. And this is his name whereby he shall be called the Lord our righteousness. So there's also something of a prophecy here of Christ in these words to David. But we are considering this evening, this afternoon, particularly the instruction to David as regards what a ruler must be like, what God requires of those who would rule over men. and particularly it's concerning civil rulers. There are rulers God has set in different spheres in life, in the family, in the church, in the nation, but here the context is of civil rulers, rulers in the city, in the nation. And it's applicable for us particularly, for these next few weeks, as we think about council rulers at a council level, but any level of civil rule, whether it be state or federal, that is national. Now before I address the subject, I just want to make some observations. Firstly, as to what I won't be dealing with, there's things that I won't be dealing with maybe on another occasion. Firstly, I won't be dealing with the issue of who should be voting. We're not going to be speaking about that tonight. Also, I'm not going to be dealing in detail with why only men should be rulers, according to God's word. God willing, in a few months' time at the fellowship nights, as we look at what the Bible says about the roles of men and women, will consider the roles of men and women in the nation. For now just some words to consider from Isaiah 3 verse 12 where the Lord speaks of the situation of his people Israel and it is not a positive situation. He says, as for my people Children are their oppressors and women rule over them. That's not a situation of blessing that he is describing. So there are three points today in considering our topic and from this verse. And that is, firstly, the duties of civil rulers. Secondly, the qualifications of civil rulers. And thirdly, the responsibilities of Christian people. Firstly, the duties of civil rulers. God said to David, he that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. Why must the ruler be just? Why must he be a man who fears God? Because of what he is called to do. If being a ruler in the civil realm was only about economics, then someone with economic qualifications would do. If it was only about social activities, then someone with such qualifications might suit. But the duties that God has set for a civil ruler at whatever level require the qualifications that God sets forth. and that firstly his duty is to uphold and enforce God's moral law in the public realm. His duty is to uphold and enforce God's moral law in the public realm. God has written his law upon the hearts of men. He is from the beginning. This is summed up for us in the Ten Commandments. And this is what all men will be judged by, because it's written on our hearts. And a civil ruler, a magistrate, a civil government is required to uphold this law in the public realm. In 1 Peter 2, we have reference to the duties of the civil ruler, the magistrate. 1 Peter 2, verse 13 and 14. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the king as supreme or unto governors as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of them that do well. Clearly the instruction is to citizens, to the people, as to how they are to respond to those in authority over them, but we see what is the duty of the governors in what they are required to do by God. To punish evil-doers, to praise them that do well. Who are they to punish those who do evil? Who are they to protect, to reward, in that sense, those who do good? Who defines good and evil? God. God's law, God's moral law, risen from our hearts, summed up for us in the Ten Commandments, defines good and evil. This is the standard by which the governors are to govern. Also in Romans 13, which we read, Romans 13, She said much of the same, but expand. And speaking of duties, in verse 3 and 4, we'll just read now. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. What the scriptures are saying here is that the civil ruler is serving God in the nation or in the city. He's in the place of God, just as a minister of God in the church is in the place of Christ, speaking on the behalf of Christ, an ambassador for Christ, the civil ruler is a minister of God. And so the authority that he has to exercise is from God when he's ruling and doing what God wants him to do, Again, he is not a terror to good works, but to the evil. He doesn't set the standard of good and evil, but follows God's standard. And furthermore, we see here he's given a sword to help him in this task. Now a sword, what is a sword for? For defense, for execution. He has a role of justice. The Civil Magistrate is not an office of mercy, but of justice, to administer justice as regards God's law. Coming closer to what our text is talking about. Also in 1 Timothy 2, I exhort therefore that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. So we are to be praying for our rulers that they may rule in such a way that we, Christians, may live and serve God quietly in peace. They had to rule in such a way as to promote godliness, to promote honesty, to promote quietness, to promote peace. And so we see that from this person, as well as in terms of how the scriptures define what is good and evil, that it is not just what is often referred to as the second table of the law, offences that the civil magistrate is required to uphold in the public realm, but also the first. Not just murder and adultery and lying and theft, but also blasphemy, also Sabbath-breaking, also idolatry. that the civil magistrate is required to exercise justice in regards to people's property and lives, but also in regards to the true religion, what is the truth, and to the honour of God. We also, in Isaiah 49, see something of The role of rulers in this regard, Isaiah 49 and verse 22 and 23, the Lord describes rulers in such a way. Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people, and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders, and kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers. They shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord, for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. So kings and queens, civil rulers, to be nursing fathers, nursing mothers, helping, protecting, promoting the true religion, promoting, protecting the church. And we have many examples, particularly in the Old Testament, when nations are being dealt with, of kings exercising this role in Israel, both kings that were in Israel and kings from outside Israel in regards to the church. Also, lastly on this matter, Psalm 82. Psalm 82 has regards the upholding of God's law and keeping justice. The Lord speaking to the rulers, and He calls God's, as God's authority in the nations. Verse 2, how long will ye judge unjustly and accept the persons of the wicked? defend the poor and fatherless, do justice to the afflicted and needy, deliver the poor and needy, rid them out of the hand of the wicked. So the duty of the civil ruler is to uphold and to enforce the moral law of God, which is the standard of justice of good and evil in the public realm. The second part of his duty is submission to Christ, as the King of Kings, as the Mediator King, the Mediatorial King. He is the one between God and men. And He is reigning now as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You can see this in Psalm 2. Psalm 2, where there is a warning given to all civil rulers who would rebel against Christ, who would ignore Him, who would cast off His law and His rule. Be wise now, therefore, O ye kings! Be instructed, ye judges of the earth, serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, and his wrath is kindled by the little, lest it are all they that put their trust in him. So all the kings and rulers of the earth are obligated, morally obligated, to serve Christ, to follow Him, to submit to Him as the Great King. This was also prophesied about, Psalm 72 verse 11, Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him. All nations shall serve Him. This is, the Bible says, this is inevitable. It will happen. Those who do not will perish. And also we see this in the New Testament in fulfillment that this duty is required because as Christ says, Matthew 28 verse 18, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. He has all the power and he must be acknowledged as so. Those who do not acknowledge Christ's authority are underlings who will only perish if they don't turn. Revelation 19 verse 16 says of Christ, He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. So civil rulers have a moral duty to uphold and enforce God's law and to submit to Christ as the King. And so we would come with some understanding then to the qualifications, secondly, of civil rulers. God's Word sets out the duties, but also gives the qualifications. To fulfil the duties, civil ruler must be thus. He must be just. He must be just. Because justice is the keeping of God's law. Justice is defined by the word of God. And a man cannot keep and enforce and uphold God's law if he is not just. He that ruleth over men must be just. This is the type of man He must be, and we see this pre-eminently in Christ. He is the great King, perfect in all His ways. He rules with perfect judgement, perfect justice, always making the right and true decision. And this is so because He is just in Himself. Psalm 45 verse 6 and 7, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of Thy kingdom is a right or a just scepter. Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness. So a man must love justice, therefore he must know and love the law of God as the standard of justice, to be a ruler pleasing to God. Which leads to the second qualification given here, that he must fear God. He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. If a man does not fear God, he will not uphold his law. And he will not uphold his law if he doesn't fear God. To be able to uphold and enforce God's law, there must be a knowledge of God in this law. So if someone's basic starting position is, there is no God, he's immediately disqualified from being a ruler that is according to God. Because the fear of the law is the beginning of knowledge. Proverbs 1 verse 7. And in Psalm 111 verse 10 expands, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A good understanding have all they that do his commandments. So if a man will not do the commandments of God, doesn't want to do the commandments of God, and will not seek to uphold the commandments of God, he does not have good understanding, he does not fear God, he is disqualified. These qualifications are brought together and fleshed out in various passages. I want to read from a few. Proverbs chapter 8. Proverbs chapter 8 and verse 15 and 16. This is the voice of wisdom. It was our Lord Jesus. By me kings reign. And princes decree justice by me. Princes rule and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. So the way that any would rule justly on the earth is with wisdom. And where will they find wisdom? From God. The year of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Also Exodus chapter 18. Exodus chapter 18 verse 21. And here we have the situation of Israel as a nation. God had recently brought them out of Egypt and Moses was the ruler. He was the chosen ruler and he was governing by himself, it seems, over this vast people of which there were 600,000 fighting men. But the number of the actual nation was in the millions. And he was wearing himself out. And his father-in-law, a priest of Midian, came to give him counsel, and this is what he said. Verse 21. Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating, covetousness, and placed such over them, to be rulers of thousands and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties and rulers of tens. And let them judge the people at all seasons. And it shall be that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge. So shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace. And it says that Moses went on to do this, and so we know that this was commanded to Moses by God. But we see there those qualifications, the same as what we've considered, also mentions there those that hate covetousness We need rulers who are not seeking to their own ends, who are not seeking to build their own kingdom, but to serve the people, who hate covetousness and rule justly. Also, which is a record of the same incident, Moses looking back to it in Deuteronomy 1, 13 Where Moses now says to the people, Take you, wise men, and understand it, and know it among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you. And he answered me and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do. So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men, And no, they made them heads over you, captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes. 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 judgments. 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, and I will hear it." So again, the same things. Wisdom, understanding, the necessity of judging justly, righteously. according to the law of God, without respect of persons, without partiality, not showing favouritism either to rich or to poor. Justice. And so we should see that the role and the duties required by God of the civil ruler dictate the qualifications that are necessary. As I said, if the duties were only economic, or social, or organisational in some way, then those qualifications would match. But they're not, because God requires justice. He requires His law to be upheld, and so the duties have to do with God and His law, and with Christ. And so the qualifications do too. I do want to read, before moving on, just a summary of such things from the Westminster Confession of Faith. Again, not as authority over or on par with the Scriptures, but as a summary of sound doctrine. In chapter 23, in verse 1 and 2, a very helpful summary of the Scriptures' teaching. God, the Supreme Lord and King of all the world, hath ordained civil magistrates to be under him, over the people, for his own glory and the public good, and to this end hath armed them with the power of the sword, for the defence and encouragement of them that are good, and for the punishment of evildoers. It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the office of a magistrate when called thereunto, in the managing whereof they ought especially to maintain piety, justice and peace according to the wholesome laws of each commonwealth. So for that end they may lawfully under the New Testament wage war on just and necessary occasion. So that's the duties and qualifications of civil rulers. Now thirdly, to the responsibilities of Christian people, of Christian citizens. Firstly, before we would come to think about voting, we must be very clear that the scriptures require submission to all lawful rulers even if they are unbelieving, if they are ungodly. Because there are some Christians who would say that if a civil ruler, if a ruler is not a Christian, that yes, we might obey them, we might submit in that sense, so we won't get punished, but we're not required by God to submit to them. But that is plainly wrong. The Scriptures, as we read in Romans 13, it is not qualified by whether the ruler is a believer or not. We are required to submit to those who are lawfully in rule over us. honour and obedience and all things lawful is due to unbelieving, even wicked men. Not because of who they are, but because of the office that they hold. We see this in the scriptures. We see in the example of David, as he, before he became king, when he was being persecuted and hounded by King Saul, that David, He yet honoured him. He honoured his office. He had opportunities to kill him, but he would not. He left that in the hands of God, even as we read in the passage earlier, that the Lord took him in another way, and that other man answered for it. We see it in the example of Prophet Jeremiah to King Zedekiah as well as an honour for the office of Daniel to King Nebuchadnezzar, not There's honour, not absolute obedience, not absolute obedience, not obedience to whatever someone may require. No one, God has not given to anyone on earth absolute or arbitrary authority, whether they are in the family, as parents, as husbands, or in the church, as elders and ministers, or in the civil realm. No one has absolute or arbitrary authority. What the apostles said in Acts 5.29 is true for all situations. We ought to obey God rather than man. All authority is limited by God's moral law. that as soon as we would be asked to do something that would either be breaking God's law or preventing us from keeping God's law, that we must obey God rather than men. and all authority is limited by the jurisdiction that is given. So a father has authority in his family, not in the church as a father. A minister has authority in the church, but not in the nation as a minister. He has no authority to execute a man. A civil ruler has authority in the nation, but not in the family in that way. There's obviously overlap in this. We are under under various authorities in our lives, but there are limitations. These are the duties and qualifications given by God, required of civil rulers. That doesn't mean that we don't submit to anyone who doesn't meet them. Again, I just want to read some very helpful and wise words from the Westminster Confession of Faith and summarising these things in Article 4 this time. It is the duty of people to pray for magistrates, to honour their persons, to pay them tribute and other dues, to pay taxes, to honour, sorry, to obey their lawful commands and to be subject to their authority for conscience sake. Infidelity or difference in religion doth not make void the magistrate's just and legal authority, nor free the people from their due obedience to them, from which ecclesiastical persons are not exempted." That means a minister cannot say, well, I'm not under the authority of the civil magistrate because I'm a minister in Christ Church. This is what particularly the Roman Catholic priests and bishops thought to exempt themselves from underneath the authority of the rulers of the land. But God says, let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. But then, as we continue in the responsibilities of Christian people, it is our responsibility, secondly, to support and approve only God-fearing men to be civil rulers. The Bible shows that all rulers are from the hand of God. All that comes to us is from the hand of God. God is sovereign in raising up and bringing down every ruler. Daniel 4 verse 17, the most high ruler from the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth it up over the basis of men. So if we see someone in the office, if we see someone on the throne, God put them there ultimately. God's in control. What this doesn't mean, by the way, is that anyone who happens to have power is a lawful ruler. I'm not talking about any particular government or magistrate, but just the example is just because someone comes to you in the street with a gun and wants you to do something doesn't mean they have a lawful authority over you. They are not an authority that God commands you to submit to just because they have power over you, or potential power over you at the time. And it's the same with civil rulers. But we should see that God sets up every ruler that is there is there according to the decree and in the providence of God. But also that the Bible shows that there is a right and responsibility with the people in appointing rulers. Now for us, and we would speak of that as the voting, voting for a particular person to be a ruler over us. And the Bible shows there is a responsibility in appointing and in holding to account. Just because ultimately God decides, and it's in God's plan, doesn't mean we don't have responsibility before God as to who are our rulers. We see that in some of the passages we read. There, as regards Israel, God, in Exodus 18, verse 21, who said, moreover, thou, Moses, shall provide out of all the people able men such as fear God. In Deuteronomy 1, verse 13, Moses said to the people, take you wise men and understanding, and I will make them rulers over you. He was saying to them, who are those men who should rule you? We see it also as... in the nation of Israel as regards the kings. Now we would think kings, a line of promise that it was to be the father and the son and from generation to generation being the king. What did the people have to do with that situation? Surely they were just to submit. But no, what we see in the nation of Israel, which even had this promise of a king and a line of kings that would follow, that the people were involved in setting aside that man to be king and in holding that man to account, we would see that the people, even at times, resisting that appointed king when he would be in sin, in great folly, as we see that in 1 Samuel 14, 45, as regards Saul. I won't read that now. But as regards to the people being very much involved in affirming and approving and providing accountability to the rulers, in 2 Kings 11 verse 17 says there, in Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the King and the people. that they should be the Lord's people between the King also and the people. Now as a covenant went both ways. That means the King had responsibilities that he said he would carry out as regards to people and the people had responsibilities that they would carry out as regards to King and that they were both accountable obviously to God but accountable to one another. So if the king didn't do what he was supposed to do, the people on the other side of that covenant would be holding him to account. There was no divine right of kings in that way. He couldn't just do what he wanted. They were responsible as well. He was accountable to them. Also in 2 Kings 21 verse 23 and 24, There was a wicked king, Ammon in Judah, and it says, the servants of Ammon conspired against him and slew the king in his own house. And the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Ammon. And the people of the land made Josiah. his son king in his stead. This isn't an uprising or anarchy. This is justice being served to the wicked. Even though King Ammon was wicked, he should not have been slain in this way by conspirators. These people are dealt with and then they took his son, who was yet a young boy and made him king in his stead. So we see that even though God is the one who sits a king on his throne and takes him off it, and any ruler underneath, yet there is a right and responsibility for the people in appointing rulers. Lastly, on this matter, it's considering that we have a duty to support and approve only God for a man to be rulers That is that we should only vote for God-fearing men to be our rulers. We must follow God's precepts and God's pattern and leave the ends, leave the results to God. So we could think, well, we must fix this situation. What must we do? But God is God. God will place on the throne or in the office whom He will. Sometimes He will do that as a judgment on the nation. But we are under God. We are under His law. We are under His Word. God's Word shows us what He requires of civil lords. What they must do. God's Word shows us what those civil rulers must be like, their qualifications. Our moral duty is to pray to God to provide such, to seek out such, to encourage such, to approve of such, those who are just and God-fearing. This is our moral duty. to think God's thoughts after him, to see the office of a civil ruler as God has defined it, to understand that those who would be in that office must be a certain type of man, to seek after, seek for such to be our rulers. There is no, we have no moral duty to vote, full stop, there's no moral duty to vote for someone, for anyone, It's a moral duty to support, to approve of, to promote godly men to be our rulers. There's a temptation that we can have to take matters into our own hands, to say, well, there are no godly candidates. We've looked at them all. We've read their profiles. We've asked the questions. There are no godly candidates. And if we don't support the best out of the rest, then we'll be responsible if the worst gets in. And this is a very common argument, and many will make it, that we should go really for the lesser of two evils. Okay, neither of them are really good, or none of them, we should choose just the one who's going to do the least damage. But again, Well, we are called to do what pleases God and leave the results to Him. I wonder, this way of thinking, is this how we approach the matter of voting for a husband or wife? Or for an elder, or for a minister? That while we can't find just the right person, These other people are left, we'll just take the one who will do the least amount of damage. It's the same thing, we have a responsibility before God in these various areas to do the right thing. We must lead the results to God, the all-wise God, the God who knows all, who knows what is best for us and for the nation and for the city. told us what he requires and if none of the candidates qualify according to scripture, none of them get a vote. And furthermore, because the further reality is that whoever you vote for, you're responsible for before God and before your neighbour. You'll be held accountable. The man and woman that you help put in, you'll be asked by God, why did you put this man in power? In 2 John verse 11, there is this instruction as regards slightly different situations regarding not providing support to a false teacher, to an heretic, who would come perhaps door to door and seeking to spread their false teaching. But it applies as well here. For he that biddeth him Godspeed is partaker of his evil deeds. So to this false teacher, you wish God's blessing on him and to go on his way. Even though you're not the one spreading that false doctrine, you're a partaker of his evil deeds. And so you can see the parallel with, in terms of our voting and rulers. You're distancing, you're trying to distance yourself from that candidate that you're putting in there, who is not just and God-fearing. but you are a partaker of his evil deeds. Also in 2 Corinthians 6, some appropriate teaching, which regards all areas of our life and whom we would be working together with, who we would have to represent us, who we would be yoked together with, as it were. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion hath light with darkness? What concord hath Christ with Balliol? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? In voting for a man you must be sure that he will represent you and what you believe and what God says in His law, else you'll partake of His evil deeds. So we've considered something of the duties of the civil magistrate to uphold, to enforce God's moral law, to submit to Christ as the King of kings and Lord of lords, of His qualifications set forth in the scriptures, to be a man who is just, who fears God, because this is only if he is just and fears God can he do what God has required in the duties set before him, and also the responsibilities and duties upon us to be submitting to those lawfully in rule over us and to be approving and supporting those whom God says are qualified to be our rulers. that we may see his glory, not only in our congregation, not only among us and our families, but in this society, in this city, in this nation. Let us be praying that God will raise up such men to rule wisely, to rule justly, men who fear God and are just. Amen. Let us stand up and pray together. Lord God Almighty, Thou hast commanded us to pray for all men, those in low places, those in high places, those in wants, those in prosperity. We uphold before Thee our rulers at a local level, the states and the nation, and we know that there are for those who would be sincerely wanting to do what is good for the people under them. But we know that so many of them deny thee and deny thy rights and thy law. And we confess that we are a part of a nation, we live in a city which is running headlong away from any sense of fearing God. and any lawfulness. There is great wickedness around us. We confess the sins of our own hearts. We confess our own complacency. We confess that we are not often in prayer, that we are just giving up, as it were, and leaving in a way, leaving the world to the devil, as is sometimes said. We confess that these things can be true of us. We ask that thou would teach us, enable us to think thy thoughts after thee, to have right and true thoughts of the duties of our rulers, also of the qualifications that thou dost set forth for them to have, and of our responsibilities as to submission, as to prayer, as to paying taxes, as to honouring as to supporting and approving those whom thou would approve of. We pray thou be merciful to this city, merciful to this nation, that thy judgment would be stayed, and that yet our rulers would kiss the sun, would submit to King Jesus, and live. And our nation would be led along the ways of righteousness. We ask these things in seeking Thy mercy, for Jesus' sake. Amen.