Week 3, Thursday

Psalm 16

Psalm 16, from the Scottish Psalter.

Lord keep me: for I trust in thee
To God thus was my speech,
Thou art my Lord, and unto thee
my goodness doth not reach:
To saints on earth, to th’excellent
where my delight’s all plac’t.
Their sorrows shall be multipli’d,
to other gods that haste:

Of their drink-offerings of blood
I will no offering make,
Yea, neither I their very names
up in my lips will take.
God is of mine inheritance
and cup the portion:
The lot that fallen is to me,
thou dost maintain alone.

Unto me happily the lines
in pleasant places fell;
Yea, the inheritance I got,
in beauty doth excel.
I bless the Lord, because he doth
by counsel me conduct:
And in the seasons of the night,
my reins do me instruct.

Before me still the Lord I set:
sith it is so, that he
Doth ever stand at my right hand,
I shall not moved be.
Because of this my heart is glad,
and joy shall be exprest
Ev’n by my glory: and my flesh
in confidence shall rest.

Because my soul in grave to dwell
shall not be left by thee;
Nor wilt thou give thine Holy One
corruption to see.
Thou wilt me show the path of life:
of joyes there is full store
Before thy face, at thy right hand
are pleasures evermore.

Nehemiah 8

Nehemiah, chapter 8.

¹ And all the people assembled themselves together, in the street that was before the water gate, and they spake unto Ezra the Scribe, that he would bring the book of the Law of Moses, which Yahweh had commanded to Israel.

² And Ezra the Priest brought the Law before the Congregation both of men and women, and of all that could hear and understand it, in the first day of the seventh month,

³ And he read therein in the street that was before the water gate (from the morning until the midday) before men and women, and them that understood it, and the ears of all the people hearkened unto the book of the Law.

⁴ And Ezra the Scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood which he had made for the preaching, and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Ananiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and on his left hand Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

⁵ And Ezra opened the book before all the people: for he was above all the people: and when he opened it, all the people stood up.

⁶ And Ezra praised Yahweh the great God, and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed themselves, and worshiped Yahweh with their faces toward the ground.

⁷ Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites caused the people to understand the law, and the people stood in their place.

⁸ And they read in the book of the Law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

⁹ Then Nehemiah (which is Tirshatha) and Ezra the Priest and scribe, and the Levites that instructed the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto Yahweh your God: mourn not, neither weep: for all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.

¹⁰ He said also unto them, Go, and eat of the fat, and drink the sweet, and send part unto them, for whom none is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: be ye not sorry therefore: for the joy of Yahweh is your strength.

¹¹ And the Levites made silence throughout all the people, saying, Hold your peace: for the day is holy, be not sad therefore.

¹² Then all the people went to eat and to drink, and to send away part, and to make great joy, because they had understood the words that they had taught them.

¹³ And on the second day the chief fathers of all the people, the Priests and the Levites were gathered unto Ezra the scribe, that he also might instruct them in the words of the Law.

¹⁴ And they found written in the Law, (that Yahweh had commanded Moses) that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month,

¹⁵ And that they should cause it to be declared and proclaimed in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and bring olive branches, and pine branches, and branches of myrtus, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.

¹⁶ So the people went forth and brought them, and made them booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street by the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.

¹⁷ And all the Congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sate under the booths: for since the time of Jeshua the son of Nun unto this day, had not the children of Israel done so, and there was very great joy.

¹⁸ And he read in the book of the Law of God every day, from the first day unto the last day. And they kept the feast seven days, and on the eight day a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.

Acts 18

Acts, chapter 18.

¹ After these things, Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinthus,

² And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italie, and his wife Priscilla (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome) and he came unto them.

³ And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them and wrought (for their craft was to make tents.)

⁴ And he disputed in the Synagogue every Sabbath day, and exhorted the Jews, and the Grecians.

⁵ Now when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul, forced in spirit, testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

⁶ And when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own head: I am clean: from henceforth will I go unto the Gentiles.

⁷ So he departed thence, and entered into a certain mans house, named Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house joined hard to the Synagogue.

⁸ And Crispus the chief ruler of the Synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household: and many of the Corinthians hearing it, believed and were baptized.

⁹ Then said the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Fear not, but speak, and hold not thy peace.

¹⁰ For I am with thee, and no man shall lay hands on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.

¹¹ So he continued there a year and six months, and taught the word of God among them.

¹² Now when Gallio was Deputy of Achaia, the Jews arose with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,

¹³ Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God otherwise than the Law appointeth.

¹⁴ And as Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong, or an evil deed, O ye Jews, I would according to reason maintain you.

¹⁵ But if it be a question of words, and names, and of your Law, look ye to it yourselves: for I will be no judge of those things.

¹⁶ And he drave them from the judgment seat.

¹⁷ Then took all the Grecians Sosthenes the chief ruler of the Synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat: but Gallio cared nothing for those things.

¹⁸ But when Paul had tarried there yet a good while, he took leave of the brethren, and sailed into Syria (and with him Priscilla and Aquila) after that he had shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had made a vow.

¹⁹ Then he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he entered into the Synagogue and disputed with the Jews.

²⁰ Who desired him to tarry a longer time with them: but he would not consent,

²¹ But bade them farewell, saying, I must needs keep this feast that cometh, in Hierusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. So he sailed from Ephesus.

²² And when he came down to Cesarea, he went up to Hierusalem: and when he had saluted the Church, he went down unto Antiochia.

²³ Now when he had tarried there a while, he departed, and went through the country of Galatia and Phrygia by order, strengthening all the disciples.

²⁴ And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, came to Ephesus, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures.

²⁵ The same was instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spake fervently in the Spirit, and taught diligently the things of the Lord, and knew but the baptism of John only.

²⁶ And he began to speak boldly in the Synagogue. Whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

²⁷ And when he was minded to go into Achaia, the brethren exhorting him, wrote to the disciples to receive him: and after he was come thither, he holpe them much which had believed through grace.

²⁸ For mightily he confuted publicly the Jews, with great vehemency, showing by the Scriptures, that Jesus was that Christ.

The Heidelberg Catechism

The Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 3.

Question 6. Did God create man thus wicked and perverse?

No; but God created man good, and after his own image—that is, in righteousness and true holiness; that he might rightly know God his Creator, heartily love him, and live with him in eternal blessedness, to praise and glorify him.

Question 7. From where, then, comes this depraved nature of man?

From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise, whereby our nature became so corrupt that we are all conceived and born in sin.

Question 8. But are we so far depraved that we are wholly unapt to any good, and prone to all evil?

Yes; unless we are born again by the Spirit of God.

Of Domestical Duties

From William Gouge, Of Domestical Duties, 1622.

A general duty tending to the good of all these is prayer. Saint Peter requireth such a carriage of man and wife one towards another, as their prayers be not hindered: whereby he taketh it for grant, that prayer is a mutual duty which one oweth to the other: which duty Isaac performed for his wife. Herein may man and wife be helpful each to other in all things needful to either of them: for it is the means which God in wisdom hath sanctified for the obtaining of every needful blessing for ourselves or others. By many it is counted but a slight duty and of small use; but the truth is, that to perform it aright, in truth and faith, is both difficult in the deed, and powerful in the effect. It is the best duty that one can perform for another, and the least to be neglected. We heard before, that Isaac prayed for his wife: and to show the good he did to her thereby, it is noted, that the Lord was entreated of him: so as she, being barren before, by that means conceived. All the physic in the world could not have done her so much good. Always therefore, without ceasing is this duty to be performed. Whensoever man and wife make any prayer, therein they must be mindful of one another: yea and oft must they of purpose take occasion to make prayers in special one for another: and that both in absence, and also in presence of one another.

This latter doth especially concern the husband, who is as a Priest unto his wife, and ought to be her mouth to God when they two are together: yet I doubt not, but that the wife may pray in the husbands presence when they two are alone, either for trial (that he may have knowledge of her ability and gift in that kind) or for help (if the wife be much better able to perform that duty than the man is, as many wives are.) Not without cause therefore have I reckoned this among common mutual duties.

Let us pray.

Let us pray. A prayer of John Calvin.

Grant, Almighty God, that as we do not, by due gratitude, respond to thy favours, and after having tasted of thy mercy, have willingly sought ruin to ourselves,—O grant, that we, being renewed by thy Spirit, may not only remain constant in the fear of thy name, but also advance more and more and be established; that being thus armed with thy invincible power, we may strenuously fight against all the wiles and assaults of Satan, and thus pursue our warfare to the end,—and that being thus sustained by thy mercy, we may ever aspire to that life which is hid for us in heaven, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tonight at your table

Tonight at your table, read Genesis 19 and Matthew 18 with your household.

This week’s question for your table. Did God create man thus wicked and perverse?