101 Why, Jehovah, standest thou afar off? [Why] hidest thou thyself in times of distress? 2 The wicked, in his pride, doth hotly pursue the afflicted. They shall be taken in the devices that they have imagined. 3 For the wicked boasteth of his soul's desire, and he blesseth the covetous; he contemneth Jehovah. 4 The wicked [saith], in the haughtiness of his countenance, He doth not search out: all his thoughts are, There is no God! 5 His ways always succeed; thy judgments are far above out of his sight; [as for] all his adversaries, he puffeth at them. 6 He saith in his heart, I shall not be moved; from generation to generation I shall be in no adversity. 7 His mouth is full of cursing, and deceit, and oppression; under his tongue is mischief and iniquity. 8 He sitteth in the lurking-places of the villages; in the secret places doth he slay the innocent: his eyes watch for the wretched. 9 He lieth in wait secretly, like a lion in his thicket; he lieth in wait to catch the afflicted: he doth catch the afflicted, drawing him into his net. 10 He croucheth, he boweth down, that the wretched may fall by his strong ones. 11 He saith in his heart, God hath forgotten, he hideth his face, he will never see [it].
12 Arise, Jehovah; O God, lift up thy hand: forget not the afflicted. 13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? He hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require [it]. 14 Thou hast seen [it], for thou thyself beholdest trouble and vexation, to requite by thy hand. The wretched committeth himself unto thee; thou hast been the helper of the fatherless. 15 Break thou the arm of the wicked, and as for the evil man, seek out his wickedness [till] thou find none. 16 Jehovah is King for ever and ever: the nations have perished out of his land. 17 Jehovah, thou hast heard the desire of the meek, thou hast established their heart: thou causest thine ear to hear, 18 To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed one, that the man of the earth may terrify no more.
111 In Jehovah have I put my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee [as] a bird to your mountain? 2 For behold, the wicked bend the bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may in darkness shoot at the upright in heart. 3 If the foundations be destroyed, what shall the righteous do?
4 Jehovah [is] in the temple of his holiness; Jehovah,—his throne is in the heavens: his eyes behold, his eyelids try the children of men. 5 Jehovah trieth the righteous one; but the wicked, and him that loveth violence, his soul hateth. 6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone; and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. 7 For righteous is Jehovah; he loveth righteousness, his countenance doth behold the upright.
121 To the chief Musician. Upon Sheminith. A Psalm of David. Save, Jehovah, for the godly man is gone; for the faithful have failed from among the children of men. 2 They speak falsehood every one with his neighbour: [with] flattering lip, with a double heart, do they speak. 3 Jehovah will cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaketh proud things, 4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail, our lips are our own: who [is] lord over us? 5 Because of the oppression of the afflicted, because of the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith Jehovah, I will set [him] in safety, at whom they puff. 6 The words of Jehovah are pure words, silver tried in the furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7 Thou, Jehovah, wilt keep them, thou wilt preserve them from this generation for ever. 8 The wicked walk about on every side, when vileness is exalted among the children of men.
191 And it came to pass, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper districts, came to Ephesus, and finding certain disciples, 2 he said to them, Did ye receive [the] Holy Spirit when ye had believed? And they [said] to him, We did not even hear if [the] Holy Spirit was [come]. 3 And he said, To what then were ye baptised? And they said, To the baptism of John. 4 And Paul said, John indeed baptised [with] the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on him that was coming after him, that is, on Jesus. 5 And when they heard that, they were baptised to the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And Paul having laid [his] hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 And all the men were about twelve.
8 And entering into the synagogue, he spoke boldly during three months, reasoning and persuading [the things] concerning the kingdom of God. 9 But when some were hardened and disbelieved, speaking evil of the way before the multitude, he left them and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. 10 And this took place for two years, so that all that inhabited Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. 11 And God wrought no ordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even napkins or aprons were brought from his body [and put] upon the sick, and the diseases left them, and the wicked spirits went out.
13 And certain of the Jewish exorcists also, who went about, took in hand to call upon those who had wicked spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, I adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches. 14 And there were certain [men], seven sons of Sceva, Jewish high priest, who were doing this. 15 But the wicked spirit answering said to them, Jesus I know, and Paul I am acquainted with; but ye, who are ye? 16 And the man in whom the wicked spirit was leaped upon them, and having mastered both, prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who inhabited Ephesus, and fear fell upon all of them, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 18 And many of those that believed came confessing and declaring their deeds. 19 And many of those that practised curious arts brought their books [of charms] and burnt them before all. And they reckoned up the prices of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 Thus with might the word of the Lord increased and prevailed.
(Read Acts 19:1-7)
Paul, at Ephesus, found some religious persons, who looked to Jesus as the Messiah. They had not been led to expect the miraculous powers of the Holy Ghost, nor were they informed that the gospel was especially the ministration of the Spirit. But they spake as ready to welcome the notice of it. Paul shows them that John never design that those he baptized should rest there, but told them that they should believe on Him who should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. They thankfully accepted the discovery, and were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. The Holy Ghost came upon them in a surprising, overpowering manner; they spake with tongues, and prophesied, as the apostles and the first Gentile coverts did. Though we do not now expect miraculous powers, yet all who profess to be disciples of Christ, should be called on to examine whether they have received the seal of the Holy Ghost, in his sanctifying influences, to the sincerity of their faith. Many seem not to have heard that there is a Holy Ghost, and many deem all that is spoken concerning his graces and comforts, to be delusion. Of such it may properly be inquired, "Unto what, then, were ye baptized?" for they evidently know not the meaning of that outward sign on which they place great dependence.
(Read Acts 19:8-12)
When arguments and persuasions only harden men in unbelief and blasphemy, we must separate ourselves and others from such unholy company. God was pleased to confirm the teaching of these holy men of old, that if their hearers believed them not, they might believe the works.
(Read Acts 19:13-20)
It was common, especially among the Jews, for persons to profess or to try to cast out evil spirits. If we resist the devil by faith in Christ, he will flee from us; but if we think to resist him by the using of Christ's name, or his works, as a spell or charm, Satan will prevail against us. Where there is true sorrow for sin, there will be free confession of sin to God in every prayer and to man whom we have offended, when the case requires it. Surely if the word of God prevailed among us, many lewd, infidel, and wicked books would be burned by their possessors. Will not these Ephesian converts rise up in judgement against professors, who traffic in such works for the sake of gain, or allow themselves to possess them? If we desire to be in earnest in the great work of salvation, every pursuit and enjoyment must be given up which hinders the effect of the gospel upon the mind, or loosens its hold upon the heart.
