681 Rise doth God—scattered are His enemies! And those hating Him flee from His face. 2 As the driving away of smoke Thou drivest away, As the melting of wax before fire, The wicked perish at the presence of God. 3 And the righteous rejoice, they exult before God, And they joy with gladness. 4 Sing ye to God—praise His name, Raise up a highway for Him who is riding in deserts, In Jah 'is' His name, and exult before Him. 5 Father of the fatherless, and judge of the widows, 'Is' God in His holy habitation. 6 God—causing the lonely to dwell at home, Bringing out bound ones into prosperity, Only—the refractory have inhabited a dry place.
7 O God, in Thy going forth before Thy people, In Thy stepping through the wilderness, Selah. 8 The earth hath shaken, Yea, the heavens have dropped before God, This Sinai—before God, the God of Israel. 9 A shower of free-will gifts thou shakest out, O God. Thine inheritance, when it hath been weary, Thou hast established it. 10 Thy company have dwelt in it, Thou preparest in Thy goodness for the poor, O God. 11 The Lord doth give the saying, The female proclaimers 'are' a numerous host. 12 Kings of hosts flee utterly away, And a female inhabitant of the house apportioneth spoil. 13 Though ye do lie between two boundaries, Wings of a dove covered with silver, And her pinions with yellow gold. 14 When the Mighty spreadeth kings in it, It doth snow in Salmon.
15 A hill of God 'is' the hill of Bashan, A hill of heights 'is' the hill of Bashan. 16 Why do ye envy, O high hills, The hill God hath desired for His seat? Jehovah also doth tabernacle for ever. 17 The chariots of God 'are' myriads, thousands of changes, The Lord 'is' among them, in Sinai, in the sanctuary. 18 Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast taken captive captivity, Thou hast taken gifts for men, That even the refractory may rest, O Jah God. 19 Blessed 'is' the Lord, day by day He layeth on us. God Himself 'is' our salvation. Selah. 20 God Himself 'is' to us a God for deliverances, And Jehovah Lord hath the outgoings of death. 21 Only—God doth smite The head of His enemies, The hairy crown of a habitual walker in his guilt.
22 The Lord said: 'From Bashan I bring back, I bring back from the depths of the sea. 23 So that thou dashest thy foot in blood, 'In the blood of' enemies—the tongue of Thy dogs.' 24 They have seen Thy goings, O God, Goings of my God, my king, in the sanctuary. 25 Singers have been before, Behind 'are' players on instruments, In the midst virgins playing with timbrels. 26 In assemblies bless ye God, The Lord—from the fountain of Israel. 27 There 'is' little Benjamin their ruler, Heads of Judah their defence, Heads of Zebulun—heads of Naphtali. 28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength, Be strong, O God, this Thou hast wrought for us. 29 Because of Thy temple at Jerusalem, To Thee do kings bring a present. 30 Rebuke a beast of the reeds, a company of bulls, With calves of the peoples, Each humbling himself with pieces of silver, Scatter Thou peoples delighting in conflicts. 31 Come do fat ones out of Egypt, Cush causeth her hands to run to God.
32 Kingdoms of the earth, sing ye to God, Praise ye the Lord. Selah. 33 To him who is riding on the heavens of the heavens of old, Lo, He giveth with His voice a strong voice. 34 Ascribe ye strength to God, Over Israel 'is' His excellency, and His strength in the clouds. 35 Fearful, O God, out of Thy sanctuaries, The God of Israel Himself, Giving strength and might to the people. Blessed 'is' God!
691 To the Overseer.—'On the Lilies,' by David. Save me, O God, for come have waters unto the soul. 2 I have sunk in deep mire, And there is no standing, I have come into the depths of the waters, And a flood hath overflown me. 3 I have been wearied with my calling, Burnt hath been my throat, Consumed have been mine eyes, waiting for my God. 4 Those hating me without cause Have been more than the hairs of my head, Mighty have been my destroyers, My lying enemies, That which I took not away—I bring back. 5 O God, Thou—Thou hast known Concerning my overturn, And my desolations from Thee have not been hid. 6 Let not those waiting on Thee be ashamed because of me, O Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, Let not those seeking Thee Blush because of me, O God of Israel. 7 For because of Thee I have borne reproach, Shame hath covered my face. 8 A stranger I have been to my brother, And a foreigner to sons of my mother. 9 For zeal for Thy house hath consumed me, And the reproaches of Thy reproachers Have fallen upon me. 10 And I weep in the fasting of my soul, And it is for a reproach to me. 11 And I make my clothing sackcloth, And I am to them for a simile. 12 Those sitting at the gate meditate concerning me, And those drinking strong drink, Play on instruments.
13 And I—my prayer 'is' to Thee, O Jehovah, A time of good pleasure, O God, In the abundance of Thy kindness, Answer me in the truth of Thy salvation. 14 Deliver me from the mire, and let me not sink, Let me be delivered from those hating me, And from deep places of waters. 15 Let not a flood of waters overflow me, Nor let the deep swallow me up, Nor let the pit shut her mouth upon me. 16 Answer me, O Jehovah, for good 'is' Thy kindness, According to the abundance Of Thy mercies turn Thou unto me, 17 And hide not Thy face from Thy servant, For I am in distress—haste, answer me. 18 Be near unto my soul—redeem it, Because of mine enemies ransom me. 19 Thou—Thou hast known my reproach, And my shame, and my blushing, Before Thee 'are' all mine adversaries. 20 Reproach hath broken my heart, and I am sick, And I look for a bemoaner, and there is none, And for comforters, and I have found none. 21 And they give for my food gall, And for my thirst cause me to drink vinegar.
22 Their table before them is for a snare, And for a recompence—for a trap. 23 Darkened are their eyes from seeing, And their loins continually shake Thou. 24 Pour upon them Thine indignation, And the fierceness of Thine anger doth seize them. 25 Their tower is desolated, In their tents there is no dweller. 26 For they have pursued him Thou hast smitten, And recount of the pain of Thy pierced ones. 27 Give punishment for their iniquity, And they enter not into Thy righteousness. 28 They are blotted out of the book of life, And with the righteous are not written. 29 And I 'am' afflicted and pained, Thy salvation, O God, doth set me on high.
30 I praise the name of God with a song, And I magnify Him with thanksgiving, 31 And it is better to Jehovah than an ox, A bullock—horned—hoofed. 32 The humble have seen—they rejoice, Ye who seek God—and your heart liveth. 33 For Jehovah hearkeneth unto the needy, And His bound ones He hath not despised. 34 The heavens and earth do praise Him, Seas, and every moving thing in them. 35 For God doth save Zion, And doth build the cities of Judah, And they have dwelt there, and possess it. 36 And the seed of His servants inherit it, And those loving His name dwell in it!
81 There is, then, now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit; 2 for the law of the Spirit of the life in Christ Jesus did set me free from the law of the sin and of the death; 3 for what the law was not able to do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, His own Son having sent in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, did condemn the sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteousness of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are according to the flesh, the things of the flesh do mind; and those according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit; 6 for the mind of the flesh 'is' death, and the mind of the Spirit—life and peace; 7 because the mind of the flesh 'is' enmity to God, for to the law of God it doth not subject itself, 8 for neither is it able; and those who are in the flesh are not able to please God. 9 And ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God doth dwell in you; and if any one hath not the Spirit of Christ—this one is not His;
10 and if Christ 'is' in you, the body, indeed, 'is' dead because of sin, and the Spirit 'is' life because of righteousness, 11 and if the Spirit of Him who did raise up Jesus out of the dead doth dwell in you, He who did raise up the Christ out of the dead shall quicken also your dying bodies, through His Spirit dwelling in you. 12 So, then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh; 13 for if according to the flesh ye do live, ye are about to die; and if, by the Spirit, the deeds of the body ye put to death, ye shall live; 14 for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God; 15 for ye did not receive a spirit of bondage again for fear, but ye did receive a spirit of adoption in which we cry, 'Abba—Father.' 16 The Spirit himself doth testify with our spirit, that we are children of God;
17 and if children, also heirs, heirs, indeed, of God, and heirs together of Christ—if, indeed, we suffer together, that we may also be glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time 'are' not worthy 'to be compared' with the glory about to be revealed in us; 19 for the earnest looking out of the creation doth expect the revelation of the sons of God; 20 for to vanity was the creation made subject—not of its will, but because of Him who did subject 'it'—in hope, 21 that also the creation itself shall be set free from the servitude of the corruption to the liberty of the glory of the children of God;
(Read Romans 8:1-9)
Believers may be chastened of the Lord, but will not be condemned with the world. By their union with Christ through faith, they are thus secured. What is the principle of their walk; the flesh or the Spirit, the old or the new nature, corruption or grace? For which of these do we make provision, by which are we governed? The unrenewed will is unable to keep any commandment fully. And the law, besides outward duties, requires inward obedience. God showed abhorrence of sin by the sufferings of his Son in the flesh, that the believer's person might be pardoned and justified. Thus satisfaction was made to Divine justice, and the way of salvation opened for the sinner. By the Spirit the law of love is written upon the heart, and though the righteousness of the law is not fulfilled by us, yet, blessed be God, it is fulfilled in us; there is that in all true believers, which answers the intention of the law. The favour of God, the welfare of the soul, the concerns of eternity, are the things of the Spirit, which those that are after the Spirit do mind. Which way do our thoughts move with most pleasure? Which way go our plans and contrivances? Are we most wise for the world, or for our souls? Those that live in pleasure are dead, 1 Timothy 5:6. A sanctified soul is a living soul; and that life is peace. The carnal mind is not only an enemy to God, but enmity itself. The carnal man may, by the power of Divine grace, be made subject to the law of God, but the carnal mind never can; that must be broken and driven out. We may know our real state and character by inquiring whether we have the Spirit of God and Christ, or not, ver. 9. Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. Having the Spirit of Christ, means having a turn of mind in some degree like the mind that was in Christ Jesus, and is to be shown by a life and conversation suitable to his precepts and example.
(Read Romans 8:10-17)
If the Spirit be in us, Christ is in us. He dwells in the heart by faith. Grace in the soul is its new nature; the soul is alive to God, and has begun its holy happiness which shall endure for ever. The righteousness of Christ imputed, secures the soul, the better part, from death. From hence we see how much it is our duty to walk, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. If any habitually live according to corrupt lustings, they will certainly perish in their sins, whatever they profess. And what can a worldly life present, worthy for a moment to be put against this noble prize of our high calling? Let us then, by the Spirit, endeavour more and more to mortify the flesh. Regeneration by the Holy Spirit brings a new and Divine life to the soul, though in a feeble state. And the sons of God have the Spirit to work in them the disposition of children; they have not the spirit of bondage, which the Old Testament church was under, through the darkness of that dispensation. The Spirit of adoption was not then plentifully poured out. Also it refers to that spirit of bondage, under which many saints were at their conversion. Many speak peace to themselves, to whom God does not speak peace. But those who are sanctified, have God's Spirit witnessing with their spirits, in and by his speaking peace to the soul. Though we may now seem to be losers for Christ, we shall not, we cannot, be losers by him in the end.
(Read Romans 8:18-25)
The sufferings of the saints strike no deeper than the things of time, last no longer than the present time, are light afflictions, and but for a moment. How vastly different are the sentence of the word and the sentiment of the world, concerning the sufferings of this present time! Indeed the whole creation seems to wait with earnest expectation for the period when the children of God shall be manifested in the glory prepared for them. There is an impurity, deformity, and infirmity, which has come upon the creature by the fall of man. There is an enmity of one creature to another. And they are used, or abused rather, by men as instruments of sin. Yet this deplorable state of the creation is in hope. God will deliver it from thus being held in bondage to man's depravity. The miseries of the human race, through their own and each other's wickedness, declare that the world is not always to continue as it is. Our having received the first-fruits of the Spirit, quickens our desires, encourages our hopes, and raises our expectations. Sin has been, and is, the guilty cause of all the suffering that exists in the creation of God. It has brought on the woes of earth; it has kindled the flames of hell. As to man, not a tear has been shed, not a groan has been uttered, not a pang has been felt, in body or mind, that has not come from sin. This is not all; sin is to be looked at as it affects the glory of God. Of this how fearfully regardless are the bulk of mankind! Believers have been brought into a state of safety; but their comfort consists rather in hope than in enjoyment. From this hope they cannot be turned by the vain expectation of finding satisfaction in the things of time and sense. We need patience, our way is rough and long; but He that shall come, will come, though he seems to tarry.
