For he beareth not the sword in vain— This strongly intimates the lawfulness of inflicting capital punishments; to deny which, is in effectsubverting the chief use of magistrates; though sanguinary laws should be as much as possible avoided. Bengelius reads the first clause of this verse, For he is the minister of God, for good to thee; and the last clause, For he is God's vindictive minister, for a terror to the evil-doer. See Heinsius and Wetstein.

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