131 Will you for ever put me out of your memory, O Lord? will your face for ever be turned away from me? 2 How long is my soul to be in doubt, with sorrow in my heart all the day? how long will he who is against me be given power over me? 3 Let my voice come before you, and give me an answer, O Lord my God; let your light be shining on me, so that the sleep of death may not overtake me; 4 And he who is against me may not say, I have overcome him; and those who are troubling me may not be glad when I am moved. 5 But I have had faith in your mercy; my heart will be glad in your salvation. 6 I will make a song to the Lord, because he has given me my reward.
141 The foolish man has said in his heart, God will not do anything. They are unclean, they have done evil works; there is not one who does good. 2 The Lord was looking down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there were any who had wisdom, searching after God. 3 They have all gone out of the way together; they are unclean, there is not one who does good, no, not one.
4 Have all the workers of evil no knowledge? they take my people for food as they would take bread; they make no prayer to the Lord. 5 Then were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the upright. 6 You have put to shame the thoughts of the poor, but the Lord is his support. 7 May the salvation of Israel come out of Zion! when the fate of his people is changed by the Lord, Jacob will have joy and Israel will be glad.
151 Lord, who may have a resting-place in your tent, a living-place on your holy hill? 2 He who goes on his way uprightly, doing righteousness, and saying what is true in his heart; 3 Whose tongue is not false, who does no evil to his friend, and does not take away the good name of his neighbour; 4 Who gives honour to those who have the fear of the Lord, turning away from him who has not the Lord's approval. He who takes an oath against himself, and makes no change. 5 He who does not put out his money at interest, or for payment give false decisions against men who have done no wrong. He who does these things will never be moved.
21 Now after these things were ended, Paul came to a decision that when he had gone through Macedonia and Achaia he would go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I have a desire to see Rome. 22 And having sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, into Macedonia, he himself went on living in Asia for a time.
23 And about that time a great outcry took place about the Way. 24 For there was a certain man named Demetrius, a silver-worker, who made silver boxes for the images of Diana, and gave no small profit to the workmen; 25 Whom he got together, with other workmen of the same trade, and said to them, Men, it is clear that from this business we get our wealth. 26 And you see, for it has come to your ears, that not only at Ephesus, but almost all through Asia, this Paul has been teaching numbers of people and turning them away, saying that those are not gods who are made by men's hands: 27 And there is danger, not only that our trade may be damaged in the opinion of men, but that the holy place of the great goddess Diana may be no longer honoured, and that she to whom all Asia and the world give worship, will be put down from her high position. 28 And hearing this, they were very angry, crying out and saying, Great is Diana of Ephesus. 29 And the town was full of noise and trouble, and they all came running into the theatre, having taken by force Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia who were journeying in company with Paul. 30 And when Paul was about to go in to the people, the disciples did not let him. 31 And some of the rulers of Asia, being his friends, sent to him, requesting him seriously not to put himself in danger by going into the theatre. 32 And some said one thing, and some another: for there was no order in the meeting; and most of them had no idea why they had come together. 33 Then they took Alexander out from among the people, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander, making a sign with his hand, was about to make a statement to the people in answer: 34 But when they saw that he was a Jew, all of them with one voice went on crying out for about two hours, Great is Diana of Ephesus. 35 And when the chief secretary had got the people quiet, he said, Men of Ephesus, is any man without knowledge that the town of Ephesus is the keeper of the holy place of the great Diana, who was sent down from Jupiter? 36 So then, because these things may not be doubted, it would be better for you to be quiet, and do nothing unwise. 37 For you have taken these men, who are not doing damage to the holy place or talking against our goddess. 38 If, then, Demetrius and the workmen who are with him have a protest to make against any man, the law is open to them, and there are judges; let them put up a cause at law against one another. 39 But if any other business is in question, let it be taken up in the regular meeting. 40 For, truly, we are in danger of being made responsible for this day's trouble, there being no cause for it: and we are not able to give any reason for this coming together. And when he had said this, he sent the meeting away. 41 []
(Read Acts 19:21-31)
Persons who came from afar to pay their devotions at the temple of Ephesus, bought little silver shrines, or models of the temple, to carry home with them. See how craftsmen make advantage to themselves of people's superstition, and serve their worldly ends by it. Men are jealous for that by which they get their wealth; and many set themselves against the gospel of Christ, because it calls men from all unlawful crafts, however much wealth is to be gotten by them. There are persons who will stickle for what is most grossly absurd, unreasonable, and false; as this, that those are gods which are made with hands, if it has but worldly interest on its side. The whole city was full of confusion, the common and natural effect of zeal for false religion. Zeal for the honour of Christ, and love to the brethren, encourage zealous believers to venture into danger. Friends will often be raised up among those who are strangers to true religion, but have observed the honest and consistent behaviour of Christians.
(Read Acts 19:32-41)
The Jews came forward in this tumult. Those who are thus careful to distinguish themselves from the servants of Christ now, and are afraid of being taken for them, shall have their doom accordingly in the great day. One, having authority, at length stilled the noise. It is a very good rule at all times, both in private and public affairs, not to be hasty and rash in our motions, but to take time to consider; and always to keep our passions under check. We ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly; to do nothing in haste, of which we may repent at leisure. The regular methods of the law ought always to stop popular tumults, and in well-governed nations will do so. Most people stand in awe of men's judgments more than of the judgement of God. How well it were if we would thus quiet our disorderly appetites and passions, by considering the account we must shortly give to the Judge of heaven and earth! And see how the overruling providence of God keeps the public peace, by an unaccountable power over the spirits of men. Thus the world is kept in some order, and men are held back from devouring each other. We can scarcely look around but we see men act like Demetrius and the workmen. It is as safe to contend with wild beasts as with men enraged by party zeal and disappointed covetousness, who think that all arguments are answered, when they have shown that they grow rich by the practices which are opposed. Whatever side in religious disputes, or whatever name this spirit assumes, it is worldly, and should be discountenanced by all who regard truth and piety. And let us not be dismayed; the Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters; he can still the rage of the people.
