Week 1, Monday

Psalm 1

Psalm 1, from the Scottish Psalter.

That man hath perfect blessedness,
who walketh not astray
In counsel of ungodly men,
nor stands in sinners way,
Nor sitteth in the scorners chair.
But placeth his delight
Upon Gods Law, and meditates
on his Law day and night.

He shall be like a tree that grows
near planted by a river,
Which in his season yields his fruit,
and his leaf fadeth never:
And all he doth shall prosper well.
The wicked are not so:
But like they are unto the chaff
which wind drives to and fro.

In judgment therefore shall not stand
such as ungodly are,
Nor in th’ assembly of the just
shall wicked men appear.
For why? the way of godly men
unto the Lord is known:
Whereas the way of wicked men
shall quite be overthrown.

Ezra 1

Ezra, chapter 1.

¹ Now in the first year of Cyrus King of Persia (that the word of Yahweh, spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah, might be accomplished) Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia, and he made a Proclamation through all his Kingdom, and also by writing, saying,

² Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia, Yahweh God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he hath commanded me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

³ Who is he among you of all his people with whom his God is? let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of Yahweh God of Israel: he is the God, which is in Jerusalem.

⁴ And every one that remaineth in any place (where he sojourneth) let the men of his place relieve him with silver and with gold, and with substance, and with cattle, and with a willing offering, for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.

⁵ Then the chief fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the Priests and Levites rose up, with all them whose spirit God had raised to go up, to build the house of Yahweh which is in Jerusalem.

⁶ And all they that were about them, strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with substance and with cattle, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.

⁷ Also the King Cyrus brought forth the vessels of the house of Yahweh, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his god.

⁸ Even them did Cyrus King of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and counted them unto Sheshbazzar the Prince of Judah.

⁹ And this is the number of them, thirty basins of gold, a thousand basins of silver, nine and twenty knives,

¹⁰ Thirty bowls of gold, and of silver bowls of the second sort, four hundred and ten, and of other vessels, a thousand.

¹¹ All the vessels of gold and silver were five thousand and four hundred. Sheshbazzar brought up all with them of the captivity that came up from Babel to Jerusalem.

Acts 1

Acts, chapter 1.

¹ I have made the former treatise, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began to do and teach,

² Until the day that he was taken up, after that he through the holy Ghost, had given commandments unto the Apostles, whom he had chosen:

³ To whom also he presented himself alive after that he had suffered, by many infallible tokens, being seen of them by the space of forty days, and speaking of those things which appertain to the kingdom of God.

⁴ And when he had gathered them together, he commanded them, that they should not depart from Hierusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which said he, ye have heard of me.

⁵ For John in deed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the holy Ghost within these few days.

⁶ When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?

⁷ And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times, or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power,

⁸ But ye shall receive power of the holy Ghost, when he shall come on you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Hierusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

⁹ And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up: for a cloud took him up out of their sight.

¹⁰ And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven, as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,

¹¹ Which also said, Ye men of Galile, why stand ye gazing into heaven? This Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come, as ye have seen him go into heaven.

¹² Then returned they unto Hierusalem from the mount that is called the mount of Olives, which is near to Hierusalem, being from it a Sabbath days journey.

¹³ And when they were come in, they went up into an upper chamber, where abode both Peter and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartlemew, and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas James brother.

¹⁴ These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women, and Marie the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

¹⁵ And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said (now the number of names that were in one place were about an hundred and twenty.)

¹⁶ Ye men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before of Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.

¹⁷ For he was numbered with us, and had obtained fellowship in this ministration.

¹⁸ He therefore hath purchased a field with the reward of iniquity: and when he had thrown down himself headlong, he brast asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.

¹⁹ And it is known unto all the inhabitants of Hierusalem, in so much, that that field is called in their own language, Aceldama, That is, the field of blood.

²⁰ For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be void, and let no man dwell therein: also, Let another take his charge.

²¹ Wherefore of these men which have companied with us, all the time that the Lord Jesus was conversant among us,

²² Beginning from the baptism of John unto the day that he was taken up from us, must one of them be made a witness with us of his resurrection.

²³ And they presented two, Joseph called Barsabas, whose surname was Justus, and Matthias.

²⁴ And they prayed, saying, Thou Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen,

²⁵ That he may take the room of this ministration and Apostleship, from which Judas hath gone astray, to go to his own place.

²⁶ Then they gave forth their lots: and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was by a common consent counted with the eleven Apostles.

The Heidelberg Catechism

The Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 1.

Question 1. What is your only comfort in life and in death?

That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ, who with his precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and redeemed me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready henceforth to live unto him.

Question 2. How many things are necessary for you to know, that you in this comfort may live and die happily?

Three things: First, the greatness of my sin and misery. Second, how I am redeemed from all my sins and misery. Third, how I am to be thankful to God for such redemption.

Of Domestical Duties

From William Gouge, Of Domestical Duties, 1622.

The private vocations of a family, and functions appertaining thereto, are such as Christians are called unto by God, and in the exercising whereof, they may and must employ some part of their time. For can we think that the Holy Ghost (who, as the Philosophers speak of nature, doth nothing in vain) would so distinctly set down these private duties, & so forcibly urge them, if they did not well become, and nearly concern Christians? All the places in Scripture which require family-duties, are proofs of the truth of this doctrine.

The reasons of this doctrine are clear; for the family is a seminary of the Church and common-wealth. It is as a Bee-hive, in which is the stock, and out of which are sent many swarms of Bees: for in families are all sorts of people bred and brought up: and out of families are they sent into the Church and common-wealth. The first beginning of mankind, and of his increase, was out of a family. For first did God join in marriage Adam and Eve, made them husband and wife, and then gave them children: so as husband and wife, parent and child, (which are parts of a family) were before magistrate and subject, minister and people, which are the parts of a Common-wealth, and a Church. When by the general deluge all public societies were destroyed, a family, even the family of Noah, was preserved, and out of it kingdoms and nations again raised. That great people of the Jews which could not be numbered for multitude, was raised out of the family of Abram. Yea even to this day have all sorts of people come from families, and so shall to the end of the world. Whence it followeth, that a conscionable performance of domestical and household duties, tend to the good ordering of Church and common-wealth, as being means to fit and prepare men thereunto.

Besides, a family is a little Church, and a little commonwealth, at least a lively representation thereof, whereby trial may be made of such as are fit for any place of authority, or of subjection in Church or common-wealth. Or rather it is as a school wherein the first principles and grounds of government and subjection are learned: whereby men are fitted to greater matters in Church or commonwealth. Whereupon the Apostle declareth, that a Bishop that cannot rule his own house, is not fit to govern the Church. So we may say of inferiors that cannot be subject in a family; they will hardly be brought to yield such subjection as they ought in Church or common-wealth: instance Absolom, and Adoniah, Davids sons.

Let us pray.

Let us pray. A prayer of John Calvin.

Grant, Almighty God, that as thou hast once adopted us, and continuest to confirm this thy favor by calling us unceasingly to thyself, and dost not only severely chastise us, but also gently and paternally invite us to thyself, and exhort us at the same time to repentance,—O grant that we may not be so hardened as to resist thy goodness, nor abuse this thine incredible forbearance, but submit ourselves in obedience to thee; that whenever thou mayest severely chastise us, we may bear thy corrections with genuine submission of faith, and not continue untameable and obstinate to the last, but return to thee, the only fountain of life and salvation, that as thou hast once begun in us a good work, so thou mayest perfect it to the day of our Lord. Amen.

Tonight at your table

Tonight at your table, read Genesis 1 and Matthew 1 with your household.

This week’s question for your table. What is your only comfort in life and in death?