51 Call, I pray thee! Is there any that answereth thee? and to which of the holy ones wilt thou turn? 2 For vexation killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the simple. 3 I myself saw the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his habitation. 4 His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, and there is no deliverer: 5 Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh even out of the thorns; and the snare gapeth for his substance.
6 For evil cometh not forth from the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground; 7 For man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upwards. 8 But as for me I will seek unto God, and unto God commit my cause; 9 Who doeth great things and unsearchable, marvellous things without number; 10 Who giveth rain on the face of the earth, and sendeth waters on the face of the fields; 11 Setting up on high those that are low; and mourners are exalted to prosperity. 12 He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, and their hands carry not out the enterprise. 13 He taketh the wise in their own craftiness; and the counsel of the wily is carried headlong: 14 They meet with darkness in a the daytime, and grope at midday as in the night. 15 And he saveth the needy from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty. 16 So the poor hath what he hopeth for, and unrighteousness stoppeth her mouth.
17 Behold, happy is the man whom +God correcteth; therefore despise not the chastening of the Almighty. 18 For he maketh sore, and bindeth up; he woundeth, and his hands make whole. 19 He will deliver thee in six troubles, and in seven there shall no evil touch thee. 20 In famine he will redeem thee from death, and in war from the power of the sword. 21 Thou shalt be hidden from the scourge of the tongue; and thou shalt not be afraid of destruction when it cometh. 22 At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh, and of the beasts of the earth thou shalt not be afraid. 23 For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee. 24 And thou shalt know that thy tent is in peace; and thou wilt survey thy fold, and miss nothing. 25 And thou shalt know that thy seed is numerous, and thine offspring as the herb of the earth. 26 Thou shalt come to the grave in a ripe age, as a shock of corn is brought in in its season. 27 Behold this, we have searched it out, so it is; hear it, and know thou it for thyself.
61 And Job answered and said, 2 Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances! 3 For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas; therefore my words are vehement. 4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, their poison drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of +God are arrayed against me. 5 Doth the wild ass bray by the grass? loweth an ox over his fodder? 6 Shall that which is insipid be eaten without salt? Is there any taste in the white of an egg? 7 What my soul refuseth to touch, that is as my loathsome food.
8 Oh that I might have my request, and that +God would grant my desire! 9 And that it would please +God to crush me, that he would let loose his hand and cut me off! 10 Then should I yet have comfort; and in the pain which spareth not I would rejoice that I have not denied the words of the Holy One. 11 What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should have patience? 12 Is my strength the strength of stones? is my flesh of brass? 13 Is it not that there is no help in me, and soundness is driven away from me?
14 For him that is fainting kindness [is meet] from his friend; or he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty. 15 My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a stream, as the channel of streams which pass away, 16 Which are turbid by reason of the ice, in which the snow hideth itself: 17 At the time they diminish, they are dried up; when heat affecteth them, they vanish from their place: 18 They wind about in the paths of their course, they go off into the waste and perish. 19 The caravans of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba counted on them: 20 They are ashamed at their hope; they come thither, and are confounded. 21 So now ye are nothing; ye see a terrible object and are afraid.
22 Did I say, Bring unto me, and make me a present from your substance? 23 Or, rescue me from the hand of the oppressor, and redeem me from the hand of the violent? 24 Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; and cause me to understand wherein I have erred. 25 How forcible are right words! but what doth your upbraiding reprove? 26 Do ye imagine to reprove words? The speeches of one that is desperate are indeed for the wind. 27 Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and dig [a pit] for your friend. 28 Now therefore if ye will, look upon me; and it shall be to your face if I lie. 29 Return, I pray you, let there be no wrong; yea, return again, my righteousness shall be in it. 30 Is there wrong in my tongue? cannot my taste discern mischievous things?
71 Hath not man a life of labour upon earth? and are not his days like the days of a hireling? 2 As a bondman earnestly desireth the shadow, and a hireling expecteth his wages, 3 So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me. 4 If I lie down, I say, When shall I rise up, and the darkness be gone? and I am full of tossings until the dawn. 5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and suppurates. 6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.
7 Remember thou that my life is wind; mine eye shall no more see good. 8 The eye of him that hath seen me shall behold me no [more]: thine eyes are upon me, and I am not. 9 The cloud consumeth and vanisheth away; so he that goeth down to Sheol shall not come up. 10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him again. 11 Therefore I will not restrain my mouth: I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. 12 Am I a sea, or a sea-monster, that thou settest a watch over me? 13 When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; 14 Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions; 15 So that my soul chooseth strangling, death, rather than my bones. 16 I loathe it; I shall not live always: let me alone, for my days are a breath.
17 What is man, that thou makest much of him? and that thou settest thy heart upon him? 18 And that thou visitest him every morning, triest him every moment? 19 How long wilt thou not look away from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle? 20 Have I sinned, what do I unto thee, thou Observer of men? Why hast thou set me as an object of assault for thee, so that I am become a burden to myself? 21 And why dost not thou forgive my transgression and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I lie down in the dust, and thou shalt seek me early, and I shall not be.
81 And Saul was consenting to his being killed. And on that day there arose a great persecution against the assembly which was in Jerusalem, and all were scattered into the countries of Judaea and Samaria except the apostles. 2 And pious men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into the houses one after another, and dragging off both men and women delivered them up to prison.
4 Those then that had been scattered went through [the countries] announcing the glad tidings of the word. 5 And Philip, going down to a city of Samaria, preached the Christ to them; 6 and the crowds with one accord gave heed to the things spoken by Philip, when they heard [him] and saw the signs which he wrought. 7 For from many who had unclean spirits they went out, crying with a loud voice; and many that were paralysed and lame were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city. 9 But a certain man, by name Simon, had been before in the city, using magic arts, and astonishing the nation of Samaria, saying that himself was some great one. 10 To whom they had all given heed, from small to great, saying, This is the power of God which is called great. 11 And they gave heed to him, because that for a long time he had astonished them by his magic arts. 12 But when they believed Philip announcing the glad tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptised, both men and women. 13 And Simon also himself believed; and, having been baptised, continued constantly with Philip; and, beholding the signs and great works of power which took place, was astonished.
14 And the apostles who were in Jerusalem, having heard that Samaria had received the word of God, sent to them Peter and John; 15 who, having come down, prayed for them that they might receive [the] Holy Spirit; 16 for he was not yet fallen upon any of them, only they were baptised to the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands upon them, and they received [the] Holy Spirit. 18 But Simon, having seen that by the laying on of the hands of the apostles the [Holy] Spirit was given, offered them money, 19 saying, Give to me also this power, in order that on whomsoever I may lay hands he may receive [the] Holy Spirit. 20 And Peter said to him, Thy money go with thee to destruction, because thou hast thought that the gift of God can be obtained by money. 21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not upright before God. 22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and supplicate the Lord, if indeed the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee; 23 for I see thee to be in the gall of bitterness, and bond of unrighteousness. 24 And Simon answering said, Supplicate ye for me to the Lord, so that nothing may come upon me of the things of which ye have spoken. 25 They therefore, having testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and announced the glad tidings to many villages of the Samaritans.
(Read Acts 8:1-4)
Though persecution must not drive us from our work, yet it may send us to work elsewhere. Wherever the established believer is driven, he carries the knowledge of the gospel, and makes known the preciousness of Christ in every place. Where a simple desire of doing good influences the heart, it will be found impossible to shut a man out from all opportunities of usefulness.
(Read Acts 8:5-13)
As far as the gospel prevails, evil spirits are dislodged, particularly unclean spirits. All inclinations to the lusts of the flesh which war against the soul are such. Distempers are here named, the most difficult to be cured by the course of nature, and most expressive of the disease of sin. Pride, ambition, and desire after grandeur have always caused abundance of mischief, both to the world and to the church. The people said of Simon, This man is the great power of God. See how ignorant and thoughtless people mistake. But how strong is the power of Divine grace, by which they were brought to Christ, who is Truth itself! The people not only gave heed to what Philip said, but were fully convinced that it was of God, and not of men, and gave up themselves to be directed thereby. Even bad men, and those whose hearts still go after covetousness, may come before God as his people come, and for a time continue with them. And many wonder at the proofs of Divine truths, who never experience their power. The gospel preached may have a common operation upon a soul, where it never produced inward holiness. All are not savingly converted who profess to believe the gospel.
(Read Acts 8:14-25)
The Holy Ghost was as yet fallen upon none of these coverts, in the extraordinary powers conveyed by the descent of the Spirit upon the day of Pentecost. We may take encouragement from this example, in praying to God to give the renewing graces of the Holy Ghost to all for whose spiritual welfare we are concerned; for that includes all blessings. No man can give the Holy Spirit by the laying on of his hands; but we should use our best endeavours to instruct those for whom we pray. Simon Magus was ambitious to have the honour of an apostle, but cared not at all to have the spirit and disposition of a Christian. He was more desirous to gain honour to himself, than to do good to others. Peter shows him his crime. He esteemed the wealth of this world, as if it would answer for things relating to the other life, and would purchase the pardon of sin, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and eternal life. This was such a condemning error as could by no means consist with a state of grace. Our hearts are what they are in the sight of God, who cannot be deceived. And if they are not right in his sight, our religion is vain, and will stand us in no stead. A proud and covetous heart cannot be right with God. It is possible for a man to continue under the power of sin, yet to put on a form of godliness. When tempted with money to do evil, see what a perishing thing money is, and scorn it. Think not that Christianity is a trade to live by in this world. There is much wickedness in the thought of the heart, its false notions, and corrupt affections, and wicked projects, which must be repented of, or we are undone. But it shall be forgiven, upon our repentance. The doubt here is of the sincerity of Simon's repentance, not of his pardon, if his repentance was sincere. Grant us, Lord, another sort of faith than that which made Simon wonder only, and did not sanctify his heart. May we abhor all thoughts of making religion serve the purposes of pride or ambition. And keep us from that subtle poison of spiritual pride, which seeks glory to itself even from humility. May we seek only the honour which cometh from God.
