Week 1, Wednesday

Psalm 3

Psalm 3, from the Scottish Psalter.

O Lord, how are my foes increas’d?
against me many rise.
Many say of my soul, for him
in God no succor lies.
Yet thou my shield, and glory art,
th’uplifter of my head.
I cry’d and from his holy hill
the Lord me answer made.

I laid me down and slept, I wak’d,
for God sustained me.
I will not fear though thousands ten
set round against me be.
Arise, O Lord, save me, my God;
for thou my foes hast stroke
All on the cheekbone; and the teeth
of wicked men hast broke.

Salvation doth appertain
unto the Lord alone:
Thy blessing, Lord, forevermore
thy people is upon.

Ezra 3

Ezra, chapter 3.

¹ And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in their cities, the people assembled themselves as one man unto Jerusalem.

² Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the Priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God,

³ And they set the altar upon his bases (for fear was among them, because of the people of those countries) therefore they offered burnt offerings thereon unto Yahweh, even burnt offerings in the morning, and at even.

⁴ They kept also the feast of the Tabernacles, as it is written, and the burnt offering daily, by number according to the custom day by day,

⁵ And afterward the continual burnt offering, both in the new months and in all the feast days that were consecrate unto Yahweh, and in all the oblations willingly offered unto Yahweh.

⁶ From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto Yahweh: but the foundation of the Temple of Yahweh was not laid.

⁷ They gave money also unto the masons, and to the workmen, and meat and drink, and oil unto them of Zidon and of Tyrus, to bring them cedar wood from Lebanon to the sea unto Japho, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus King of Persia.

⁸ And in the second year of their coming unto the house of God in Jerusalem in the second month began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the Priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem, and appointed the Levites from twenty year old and above, to set forward the work of the house of Yahweh.

⁹ And Jeshua stood with his sons, and his brethren, and Kadmiel with his sons, and the sons of Judah together to set forward the workmen in the house of God, and the sons of Henadad with their sons, and their brethren the Levites.

¹⁰ And when the builders laid the foundation of the Temple of Yahweh, they appointed the Priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise Yahweh, after the ordinance of David King of Israel.

¹¹ Thus they sang when they gave praise, and when they gave thanks unto Yahweh, For he is good, for his mercy endureth forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised Yahweh, because the foundation of the house of Yahweh was laid.

¹² Many also of the Priests and the Levites and the chief of the fathers, ancient men which had seen the first house, (when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes) wept with a loud voice, and many shouted aloud for joy,

¹³ So that the people could not discern the sound of the shout for joy, from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud cry, and the noise was heard far off.

Acts 3

Acts, chapter 3.

¹ Now Peter and John went up together into the Temple, at the ninth hour of prayer.

² And a certain man which was a cripple from his mothers womb, was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the Temple called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the Temple.

³ Who seeing Peter and John, that they would enter into the Temple, desired to receive an alms.

⁴ And Peter earnestly beholding him with John, said, Look on us.

⁵ And he gave heed unto them, trusting to receive something of them.

⁶ Then said Peter, Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, that give I thee: In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.

⁷ And he took him by the right hand, and lift him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

⁸ And he leaped up, stood, and walked, and entered with them into the Temple, walking and leaping, and praising God.

⁹ And all the people saw him walk, and praising God.

¹⁰ And they knew him, that it was he which sate for the alms at the Beautiful gate of the Temple: and they were amazed, and sore astonied at that, which was come unto him.

¹¹ And as the cripple which was healed, held Peter and John, all the people ran amazed unto them in the porch which is called Salomons.

¹² So when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so steadfastly on us, as though by our own power or godliness, we had made this man go?

¹³ The God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers hath glorified his Son Jesus, whom ye betrayed, and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had judged him to be delivered.

¹⁴ But ye denied the Holy one and the Just, and desired a murderer to be given you,

¹⁵ And killed the Lord of life, whom God hath raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses.

¹⁶ And his Name hath made this man sound, whom ye see, and know, through faith in his Name: and the faith which is by him, hath given to him this perfect health of his whole body in the presence of you all.

¹⁷ And now brethren, I know that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your governors.

¹⁸ But those things which God before had showed by the mouth of all his Prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath thus fulfilled.

¹⁹ Amend your lives therefore, and turn, that your sins may be put away, when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

²⁰ And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you,

²¹ Whom the heaven must contain until the time that all things be restored, which God had spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began.

²² For Moses said unto the Fathers, The Lord your God shall raise up unto you a Prophet, even of your brethren, like unto me: ye shall hear him in all things, whatsoever he shall say unto you.

²³ For it shall be that every person which shall not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed out of the people.

²⁴ Also all the Prophets from Samuel, and thenceforth as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

²⁵ Ye are the children of the Prophets, and of the covenant, which God hath made unto our fathers, saying to Abraham, Even in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

²⁶ First unto you hath God raised up his Son Jesus, and him he hath sent to bless you, in turning every one of you from your iniquities.

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.

3. Let children be catechized constantly from day to day: rehearse them continually unto thy children, saith the Law. That which is daily done, is in Scripture said to be done continually: as the sacrifice which was daily offered was called a continual offering. Here let this caveat be noted, that in giving this spiritual food, parents deal with their children, as skillful nurses and mothers do in feeding infants: they will not at once cram more into their mouths, than their stomach is able to digest, but they will rather oft feed them with a little: so it is not meet, that parents be too tedious; that will but dull a childs understanding, and breed wearisomeness, and make it loath to be again instructed: but precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, and there a little. Thus shall they learn with ease and delight: and this being oft performed, in time a great measure of knowledge will be gained thereby. If a vessel have a little mouth, we use not to fill it by pouring whole pailfuls upon it, for so all may be spilt, and it receive little or nothing: but we let the liquor fall in by little and little, according to the capacity of the mouth; so is nothing lost, and the vessel filled the sooner. Thus are children to be dealt withal.

4. To the set times of catechizing children, let other occasions of teaching them piety be added: as at table, by resembling the spiritual food of their souls, to that corporal food, whereby their bodies are nourished: when they are walking abroad, by showing them the stars, how they remain steadfast in their course; the trees, how they bring forth fruit in their season; how all things are for the use and benefit of man, and thereupon make spiritual uses: note the direction which for this purpose the Law giveth to parents, Thou shalt talk to thy children of my words, when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Let us pray.

Let us pray. A prayer of John Calvin.

Grant, Almighty God, that inasmuch as we are so dull and slothful, that though often admonished, we yet consider not our sins, yea, though chastised by thy hand, we yet return not immediately to a right mind,—O grant, that we may hereafter profit more under thy rod, and not be refractory and untractable; but as soon as thou raisest thy hand, may each of us mourn, know our own evils, and then, with one consent, surrender ourselves to be ruled by thee; and may we, in the meantime, patiently and calmly endure thy chastisements, and never murmur against thee, but ever aspire to the attainment of true repentance, until, having at length put off all the vices and corruptions of our flesh, we attain to the fullness of righteousness, and to that true and blessed glory which has been prepared for us in heaven by Jesus Christ. Amen.

Tonight at your table

Tonight at your table, read Genesis 3 and Matthew 3 with your household.

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