Week 2, Friday

Psalm 11

Psalm 11, from the Scottish Psalter.

I in the Lord do put my trust:
how is it then that ye
Say to my soul, flee as a bird
unto your mountain high?
For lo, the wicked bend their bow,
their shafts on string they fit:
That those who upright are in heart
they privily may hit.

If the foundations be destroy’d,
what hath the righteous done?
God in his holy Temple is,
in heaven is his throne:
His eyes do see, his eye-lids try
mens sons. The just he proves:
But his soul hates the wicked man,
and him that violence loves.

Snares, fire and brimstone, furious storms
on sinners he shall rain:
This, as the portion of their cup,
doth unto them pertain.
Because the Lord most righteous doth
in righteousness delight,
And with a pleasant countenance
beholdeth the upright.

Nehemiah 2

Nehemiah, chapter 2.

¹ Now in the month Nisan in the twentieth year of king Artahshashte, the wine stood before him, and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the King. now I was not before time sad in his presence.

² And the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing, but sorrow of heart. Then was I sore afraid,

³ And I said to the King, God save the King forever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city and house of the sepulchers of my fathers lieth waste, and the gates thereof are devoured with fire?

⁴ And the King said unto me, For what thing doest thou require? Then I prayed to the God of heaven,

⁵ And said unto the King, If it please the King, and if thy servant have found favor in thy sight, I desire that thou wouldest send me to Judah unto the city of the sepulchers of my fathers, that I may build it.

⁶ And the King said unto me, (the Queen also sitting by him) How long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou come again? So it pleased the King, and he sent me, and I set him a time.

⁷ After I said unto the King, If it please the King, let him give me letters to the captains beyond the River, that they may convey me over, till I come into Judah,

⁸ And letters unto Asaph the keeper of the Kings park, that he may give me timber to build the gates of the palace (which appertained to the house) and for the walls of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the King gave me according to the good hand of my God upon me.

⁹ Then came I to the captains beyond the River, and gave them the Kings letters. And the King had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.

¹⁰ But Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah a servant an Ammonite heard it, and it grieved them sore, that there was come a man which sought the wealth of the children of Israel.

¹¹ So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.

¹² And I rose in the night, I, and a few men with me: for I told no man, what God had put in mine heart to do at Jerusalem, and there was not a beast with me, save the beast whereon I rode.

¹³ And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, and came before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, how they were broken down, and the ports thereof devoured with the fire.

¹⁴ Then I went forth unto the gate of the fountain, and to the Kings fishpool, and there was no room for the beast that was under me to pass.

¹⁵ Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and coming back, I entered by the gate of the valley and returned.

¹⁶ And the rulers knew not whither I was gone, nor what I did, neither did I as yet tell it unto the Jews, nor to the Priests, nor to the noble men, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that labored in the work.

¹⁷ Afterward I said unto them, Ye see the misery that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire: come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.

¹⁸ Then I told them of the hand of my God, (which was good over me) and also of the Kings words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise, and build. So they strengthened their hand to good.

¹⁹ But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant an Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian heard it, they mocked us and despised us, and said, What a thing is this that ye do? Will ye rebel against the King?

²⁰ Then answered I them, and said to them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us, and we his servants will rise up and build: but as for you, ye have no portion nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem.

Acts 12

Acts, chapter 12.

¹ Now about that time, Herod the King stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the Church,

² And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

³ And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further, to take Peter also (then were the days of unleavened bread.)

⁴ And when he had caught him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to be kept, intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people.

⁵ So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer was made of the Church unto God for him.

⁶ And when Herod would have brought him out unto the people, the same night slept Peter between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the keepers before the door, kept the prison.

⁷ And behold the Angel of the Lord came upon them, and a light shined in the house, and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

⁸ And the Angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. Then he said unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

⁹ So Peter came out and followed him, and knew not that it was true, which was done by the Angel, but thought he had seen a vision.

¹⁰ Now when they were past the first and the second watch, they came unto the iron gate, that leadeth unto the city, which opened to them by it own accord, and they went out, and passed through one street, and by and by the Angel departed from him.

¹¹ And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know for a truth, that the Lord hath sent his Angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the waiting for of the people of the Jews.

¹² And as he considered the thing, he came to the house of Marie, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together, and prayed.

¹³ And when Peter knocked at the entry door, a maid came forth to hearken, named Rhode,

¹⁴ But when she knew Peters voice, she opened not the entry door for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the entry.

¹⁵ But they said unto her, Thou art mad. Yet she affirmed it constantly, that it was so. Then said they, It is his Angel.

¹⁶ But Peter continued knocking, and when they had opened it, and saw him, they were astonied.

¹⁷ And he beckoned unto them with the hand, to hold their peace, and told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go show these things unto James and to the brethren: and he departed and went into another place.

¹⁸ Now as soon as it was day, there was no small trouble among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.

¹⁹ And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded them to be led to be punished. And he went down from Judea to Cesarea, and there abode.

²⁰ Then Herod was angry with them of Tyrus and Sidon, but they came all with one accord unto him, and persuaded Blastus the Kings Chamberlain, and they desired peace, because their country was nourished by the Kings land.

²¹ And upon a day appointed, Herod arrayed himself in royal apparel, and sate on the judgment seat, and made an oration unto them.

²² And the people gave a shout, saying, The voice of God, and not of man.

²³ But immediately the Angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not glory unto God, so that he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

²⁴ And the word of God grew, and multiplied.

²⁵ So Barnabas and Saul returned from Hierusalem, when they had fulfilled their office, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.

The Heidelberg Catechism

The Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 2.

Question 3. How do you know your misery?

Out of the Law of God.

Question 4. What does the Law of God require of us?

This Christ teaches us in sum, Matt. 22: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first and great commandment; and the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.—On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Question 5. Can you keep all this perfectly?

No; for I am by nature prone to hate God and my neighbor.

A Christian Directory

From Richard Baxter, A Christian Directory, 1673.

1. Remember the Lords day before it cometh, and prepare for it, and prevent those disturbances that would hinder you and deprive you of the benefit: For Preparation: 1. Six days you must labor and do all that you have to do: Dispatch all your business, that you may not have it then to hinder and disturb you: And see that your Servants do the same. 2. Shake off the thoughts of worldly things, and clear your minds of worldly delights and cares. 3. Call to mind the doctrine taught you the last Lords day, (and if you have servants, cause them to remember it) that you may be prepared to receive the next. 4. Go seasonably to bed that you and your servants may not be constrained to lye long the next morning, or be sleepy on the Lords day. 5. Let your meditations be preparatory for the day. Repent of the sins of the week past as particularly and seriously as you can: and seek for pardon and peace through Christ; that you come not with guilt or trouble upon your Consciences before the Lord.

2. Let your first thoughts be not only Holy, but suitable to the occasions of the day. With gladness remember what a day of mercies you awake to; and how early your Redeemer rose from the dead that day; and what excellent work you are to be employed in.

3. Rise full as early that day as you do on other days. Be not like the carnal generation, that sanctify the Lords day but as a Swine doth, by sleeping and idleness and fullness. Think not your worldly business more worthy of your early rising, than your spiritual employment is.

4. Let your dressing time be spent in some fruitful meditation, or conference or hearing some one read a Chapter: And let it not be long to detain you from your duty.

5. If you can have leisure go first to secret prayer: And if you are servants or have any necessary business to do, dispatch it quickly that you may be free for better work.

6. Let Family-worship come next, and not be slubbered over slightly, but be serious and reverent: and suit all to the nature or end of the day. Especially awaken yourselves and servants to consider what you have to do in public, and to go with prepared sanctified hearts.

Let us pray.

Let us pray. A prayer of John Calvin.

Grant, Almighty God, that as we are already by nature the children of wrath, and yet thou hast deigned to receive us into favor, and hast set before us a sacred pledge of thy favor in thine only-begotten Son, and that as we have not yet ceased often to provoke thy wrath against us, and also to fall away by shameful perfidy from the covenant thou hast made with us,—O grant, that being at least touched by thy admonitions, we may not harden our hearts in wickedness, but be pliant and teachable, and thus endeavour to return into favor with thee, that through the interceding sacrifice of thy Son, we may find thee a propitious Father, and be for the future so wholly devoted to thee, that those who shall follow and survive us may be confirmed in the worship of thy Majesty, and in true religion, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tonight at your table

Tonight at your table, read Genesis 13 and Matthew 12 with your household.

This week’s question for your table. How do you know your misery?