Exodus 18

Secondly, hence we may learn, that Magistrates which are to govern the people, ought to be men of courage in performing the duties of their calling. When too heavy a burden lay on Moses, in judging all the congregation himself; Jethro his father in law bids him provide among all…

They may threaten great things to us, but God threatens greater. See (Exodus 18:11): Now I know that God is greater than all gods, for in the thing in which they dealt proudly God was above them. There is a greater being we have to depend upon.

There was a similar reason for these seventy. We know that Moses, finding himself insufficient for the burden, took seventy judges to be associated with him in governing the people, (Exodus 18:22; 24:1.) But when the Jews returned from the Babylonish captivity, they had a counci…

Then further, the word Elohim, is used in Scripture, not only for the true God, for God himself: but it is applied sometimes to Angels, and sometimes to Idols, to Devil gods, to false gods. (Exodus 18:11). Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, namely, than all the I…

For, because kings cannot be omnipresent, nor omniscient, it is therefore necessary that they should hear with other men's ears, and see with other men's eyes, and act with other men's hands; and therefore they ought to make choice of such as are men of known fidelity and wisdom…

Carnal fear is an enemy to Religion. The Fear of God frights it away; it causes Courage, Exodus 18:21. Able men, such as Fear God: some Translations render it, Men of Courage.

The love of the world will make him altogether unfit for magistracy, ministry, the master of a family, or any such relation. In magistracy, who are the men that are qualified for that office (Exodus 18:22)? Such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness.

The greatness of his power is hereby discovered, and that he has laid salvation upon one that is mighty, that when all the power of darkness has proceeded to his highest pitch, when the subtleties of hell and all the venom of the corrupt heart of man furthered by all advantages,…

It made Martha forget that one thing necessary, being encumbered with many things (Luke 10:4) — this breeds care which distracts the mind (so the word signifies, as dividing it), and so causes wandering thoughts nothing more, so that the mind is not itself. For this weakens it,…

And that so he might learn to fear the Lord his God, and not to exalt himself above his brothers. Now if kings whose heads and hands are most full of business, continually employed from morning to night (Exodus 18). If they be to read in the word all the days of their lives, how…