181 To the Overseer.—By a servant of Jehovah, by David, who hath spoken to Jehovah the words of this song in the day Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul, and he saith:—I love Thee, O Jehovah, my strength. 2 Jehovah 'is' my rock, and my bulwark, And my deliverer, My God 'is' my rock, I trust in Him: My shield, and a horn of my salvation, My high tower. 3 The 'Praised One' I call Jehovah, And from my enemies I am saved. 4 Compassed me have cords of death, And streams of the worthless make me afraid. 5 Cords of Sheol have surrounded me, Before me have been snares of death. 6 In mine adversity I call Jehovah, And unto my God I cry. He heareth from His temple my voice, And My cry before Him cometh into His ears. 7 And shake and tremble doth the earth, And foundations of hills are troubled, And they shake—because He hath wrath. 8 Gone up hath smoke by His nostrils, And fire from His mouth consumeth, Coals have been kindled by it. 9 And He inclineth the heavens, and cometh down, And thick darkness 'is' under His feet. 10 And He rideth on a cherub, and doth fly, And He flieth on wings of wind. 11 He maketh darkness His secret place, Round about Him His tabernacle, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. 12 From the brightness over-against Him His thick clouds have passed on, Hail and coals of fire. 13 And thunder in the heavens doth Jehovah, And the Most High giveth forth His voice, Hail and coals of fire. 14 And He sendeth His arrows and scattereth them, And much lightning, and crusheth them. 15 And seen are the streams of waters, And revealed are foundations of the earth. From Thy rebuke, O Jehovah, From the breath of the spirit of Thine anger. 16 He sendeth from above—He taketh me, He draweth me out of many waters. 17 He delivereth me from my strong enemy, And from those hating me, For they have been stronger than I. 18 They go before me in a day of my calamity And Jehovah is for a support to me. 19 And He bringeth me forth to a large place, He draweth me out, because He delighted in me.
20 Jehovah doth recompense me According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, He doth return to me. 21 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not done wickedly against my God. 22 For all His judgments 'are' before me, And His statutes I turn not from me. 23 And I am perfect with him, And I keep myself from mine iniquity. 24 And Jehovah doth return to me, According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, Over-against his eyes. 25 With the kind Thou showest Thyself kind, With a perfect man showest Thyself perfect. 26 With the pure Thou showest Thyself pure, And with the perverse showest Thyself a wrestler, 27 For Thou a poor people savest, And the eyes of the high causest to fall. 28 For Thou—Thou lightest my lamp, Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.
29 For by Thee I run—a troop! And by my God I leap a wall. 30 God! perfect 'is' His way, The saying of Jehovah is tried, A shield 'is' He to all those trusting in Him. 31 For who 'is' God besides Jehovah? And who 'is' a rock save our God? 32 God! who is girding me 'with' strength, And He maketh perfect my way. 33 Making my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth me to stand. 34 Teaching my hands for battle, And a bow of brass was brought down by my arms. 35 And Thou givest to me the shield of Thy salvation, And Thy right hand doth support me, And Thy lowliness maketh me great. 36 Thou enlargest my step under me, And mine ankles have not slidden. 37 I pursue mine enemies, and overtake them, And turn back not till they are consumed. 38 I smite them, and they are not able to rise, They fall under my feet, 39 And Thou girdest me 'with' strength for battle, Causest my withstanders to bow under me. 40 As to mine enemies—Thou hast given to me the neck, As to those hating me—I cut them off. 41 They cry, and there is no saviour, On Jehovah, and He doth not answer them. 42 And I beat them as dust before wind, As mire of the streets I empty them out. 43 Thou dost deliver me From the strivings of the people, Thou placest me for a head of nations, A people I have not known do serve me. 44 At the hearing of the ear they hearken to me, Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me, 45 Sons of a stranger fade away, And are slain out of their close places. 46 Jehovah liveth—and blessed 'is' my rock, And exalted is the God of my salvation. 47 God—who is giving vengeance to me, And He subdueth peoples under me, 48 My deliverer from mine enemies, Above my withstanders Thou raisest me, From a man of violence dost deliver me. 49 Therefore I confess Thee among nations, O Jehovah, And to Thy name I sing praise, 50 Magnifying the salvation of His king, And doing kindness to His anointed, To David, and to his seed—unto the age!
191 The heavens 'are' recounting the honour of God, And the work of His hands The expanse 'is' declaring. 2 Day to day uttereth speech, And night to night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech, and there are no words. Their voice hath not been heard. 4 Into all the earth hath their line gone forth, And to the end of the world their sayings, For the sun He placed a tent in them, 5 And he, as a bridegroom, goeth out from his covering, He rejoiceth as a mighty one To run the path. 6 From the end of the heavens 'is' his going out, And his revolution 'is' unto their ends, And nothing is hid from his heat.
7 The law of Jehovah 'is' perfect, refreshing the soul, The testimonies of Jehovah 'are' stedfast, Making wise the simple, 8 The precepts of Jehovah 'are' upright, Rejoicing the heart, The command of Jehovah 'is' pure, enlightening the eyes, 9 The fear of Jehovah 'is' clean, standing to the age, The judgments of Jehovah 'are' true, They have been righteous—together. 10 They are more desirable than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; and sweeter than honey, Even liquid honey of the comb. 11 Also—Thy servant is warned by them, 'In keeping them 'is' a great reward.' 12 Errors! who doth understand? From hidden ones declare me innocent, 13 Also—from presumptuous ones keep back Thy servant, Let them not rule over me, Then am I perfect, And declared innocent of much transgression, 14 Let the sayings of my mouth, And the meditation of my heart, Be for a pleasing thing before Thee, O Jehovah, my rock, and my redeemer!
17 And from Miletus, having sent to Ephesus, he called for the elders of the assembly, 18 and when they were come unto him, he said to them, 'Ye—ye know from the first day in which I came to Asia, how, with you at all times I was; 19 serving the Lord with all humility, and many tears, and temptations, that befell me in the counsels of the Jews against 'me'; 20 how nothing I did keep back of what things are profitable, not to declare to you, and to teach you publicly, and in every house, 21 testifying fully both to Jews and Greeks, toward God reformation, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 'And now, lo, I—bound in the Spirit—go on to Jerusalem, the things that shall befall me in it not knowing, 23 save that the Holy Spirit in every city doth testify fully, saying, that for me bonds and tribulations remain; 24 but I make account of none of these, neither do I count my life precious to myself, so that I finish my course with joy, and the ministration that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify fully the good news of the grace of God. 25 'And now, lo, I have known that no more shall ye see my face,—ye all among whom I did go preaching the reign of God; 26 wherefore I take you to witness this day, that I 'am' clear from the blood of all, 27 for I did not keep back from declaring to you all the counsel of God. 28 'Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit made you overseers, to feed the assembly of God that He acquired through His own blood, 29 for I have known this, that there shall enter in, after my departing, grievous wolves unto you, not sparing the flock, 30 and of your own selves there shall arise men, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 'Therefore, watch, remembering that three years, night and day, I did not cease with tears warning each one; 32 and now, I commend you, brethren, to God, and to the word of His grace, that is able to build up, and to give you an inheritance among all those sanctified. 33 'The silver or gold or garments of no one did I covet; 34 and ye yourselves know that to my necessities, and to those who were with me, minister did these hands; 35 all things I did shew you, that, thus labouring, it behoveth 'us' to partake with the ailing, to be mindful also of the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.'
36 And these things having said, having bowed his knees, with them all, he did pray, 37 and there came a great weeping to all, and having fallen upon the neck of Paul, they were kissing him, 38 sorrowing most of all for the word that he had said—that they are about no more to see his face; and they were accompanying him to the ship.
(Read Acts 20:17-27)
The elders knew that Paul was no designing, self-seeking man. Those who would in any office serve the Lord acceptably, and profitably to others, must do it with humility. He was a plain preacher, one that spoke his message so as to be understood. He was a powerful preacher; he preached the gospel as a testimony to them if they received it; but as a testimony against them if they rejected it. He was a profitable preacher; one that aimed to inform their judgments, and reform their hearts and lives. He was a painful preacher, very industrious in his work. He was a faithful preacher; he did not keep back reproofs when necessary, nor keep back the preaching of the cross. He was a truly Christian, evangelical preacher; he did not preach notions or doubtful matters; nor affairs of state or the civil government; but he preached faith and repentance. A better summary of these things, without which there is no salvation, cannot be given: even repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, with their fruits and effects. Without these no sinner can escape, and with these none will come short of eternal life. Let them not think that Paul left Asia for fear of persecution; he was in full expectation of trouble, yet resolved to go on, well assured that it was by Divine direction. Thanks be to God that we know not the things which shall befall us during the year, the week, the day which has begun. It is enough for the child of God to know that his strength shall be equal to his day. He knows not, he would not know, what the day before him shall bring forth. The powerful influences of the Holy Spirit bind the true Christian to his duty. Even when he expects persecution and affliction, the love of Christ constrains him to proceed. None of these things moved Paul from his work; they did not deprive him of his comfort. It is the business of our life to provide for a joyful death. Believing that this was the last time they should see him, he appeals concerning his integrity. He had preached to them the whole counsel of God. As he had preached to them the gospel purely, so he had preached it to them entire; he faithfully did his work, whether men would bear or forbear.
(Read Acts 20:28-38)
If the Holy Ghost has made ministers overseers of the flock, that is, shepherds, they must be true to their trust. Let them consider their Master's concern for the flock committed to their charge. It is the church He has purchased with his own blood. The blood was his as Man; yet so close is the union between the Divine and human nature, that it is there called the blood of God, for it was the blood of Him who is God. This put such dignity and worth into it, as to ransom believers from all evil, and purchase all good. Paul spake about their souls with affection and concern. They were full of care what would become of them. Paul directs them to look up to God with faith, and commends them to the word of God's grace, not only as the foundation of their hope and the fountain of their joy, but as the rule of their walking. The most advanced Christians are capable of growing, and will find the word of grace help their growth. As those cannot be welcome guests to the holy God who are unsanctified; so heaven would be no heaven to them; but to all who are born again, and on whom the image of God is renewed, it is sure, as almighty power and eternal truth make it so. He recommends himself to them as an example of not caring as to things of the present world; this they would find help forward their comfortable passage through it. It might seem a hard saying, therefore Paul adds to it a saying of their Master's, which he would have them always remember; "It is more blessed to give than to receive:" it seems they were words often used to his disciples. The opinion of the children of this world, is contrary to this; they are afraid of giving, unless in hope of getting. Clear gain, is with them the most blessed thing that can be; but Christ tell us what is more blessed, more excellent. It makes us more like to God, who gives to all, and receives from none; and to the Lord Jesus, who went about doing good. This mind was in Christ Jesus, may it be in us also. It is good for friends, when they part, to part with prayer. Those who exhort and pray for one another, may have many weeping seasons and painful separations, but they will meet before the throne of God, to part no more. It was a comfort to all, that the presence of Christ both went with him and stayed with them.
