911 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I say of Jehovah, My refuge and my fortress; my God, I will confide in him. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, [and] from the destructive pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou find refuge: his truth is a shield and buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, for the arrow that flieth by day, 6 For the pestilence that walketh in darkness, for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; [but] it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made Jehovah, my refuge, the Most High, thy dwelling-place, 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent. 11 For he shall give his angels charge concerning thee, to keep thee in all thy ways: 12 They shall bear thee up in [their] hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the adder; the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under foot. 14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him. 16 With length of days will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
921 A Psalm, a Song, for the Sabbath day. It is good to give thanks unto Jehovah, and to sing psalms unto thy name, O Most High; 2 To declare thy loving-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness in the nights, 3 Upon an instrument of ten strings and upon the lute; upon the Higgaion with the harp. 4 For thou, Jehovah, hast made me glad through thy work; I will triumph in the works of thy hands. 5 Jehovah, how great are thy works! Thy thoughts are very deep: 6 A brutish man knoweth not, neither doth a fool understand it.
7 When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity flourish, it is that they may be destroyed for ever. 8 And thou, Jehovah, art on high for evermore. 9 For lo, thine enemies, O Jehovah, for lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. 10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like a buffalo's: I shall be anointed with fresh oil. 11 And mine eye shall see [its desire] on mine enemies; mine ears shall hear [it] of the evil-doers that rise up against me. 12 The righteous shall shoot forth like a palm-tree; he shall grow like a cedar on Lebanon. 13 Those that are planted in the house of Jehovah shall flourish in the courts of our God: 14 They are still vigorous in old age, they are full of sap and green; 15 To shew that Jehovah is upright: [he is] my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
931 Jehovah reigneth, he hath clothed himself with majesty: Jehovah hath clothed himself, he hath girded himself with strength; yea, the world is established, it shall not be moved. 2 Thy throne is established of old; thou art from eternity. 3 The floods lifted up, O Jehovah, the floods lifted up their voice; the floods lifted up their roaring waves. 4 Jehovah on high is mightier than the voices of many waters, than the mighty breakers of the sea. 5 Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thy house, O Jehovah, for ever.
151 But we ought, we that are strong, to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each one of us please his neighbour with a view to what is good, to edification. 3 For the Christ also did not please himself; but according as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproach thee have fallen upon me. 4 For as many things as have been written before have been written for our instruction, that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.
5 Now the God of endurance and of encouragement give to you to be like-minded one toward another, according to Christ Jesus; 6 that ye may with one accord, with one mouth, glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Wherefore receive ye one another, according as the Christ also has received you to [the] glory of God. 8 For I say that Jesus Christ became a minister of [the] circumcision for [the] truth of God, to confirm the promises of the fathers; 9 and that the nations should glorify God for mercy; according as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among [the] nations, and will sing to thy name. 10 And again he says, Rejoice, nations, with his people. 11 And again, Praise the Lord, all [ye] nations, and let all the peoples laud him. 12 And again, Esaias says, There shall be the root of Jesse, and one that arises, to rule over [the] nations: in him shall [the] nations hope.
13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that ye should abound in hope by [the] power of [the] Holy Spirit.
(Read Romans 15:1-7)
Christian liberty was allowed, not for our pleasure, but for the glory of God, and the good of others. We must please our neighbour, for the good of his soul; not by serving his wicked will, and humouring him in a sinful way; if we thus seek to please men, we are not the servants of Christ. Christ's whole life was a self-denying, self-displeasing life. And he is the most advanced Christian, who is the most conformed to Christ. Considering his spotless purity and holiness, nothing could be more contrary to him, than to be made sin and a curse for us, and to have the reproaches of God fall upon him; the just for the unjust. He bore the guilt of sin, and the curse for it; we are only called to bear a little of the trouble of it. He bore the presumptuous sins of the wicked; we are called only to bear the failings of the weak. And should not we be humble, self-denying, and ready to consider one another, who are members one of another? The Scriptures are written for our use and benefit, as much as for those to whom they were first given. Those are most learned who are most mighty in the Scriptures. That comfort which springs from the word of God, is the surest and sweetest, and the greatest stay to hope. The Spirit as a Comforter, is the earnest of our inheritance. This like-mindedness must be according to the precept of Christ, according to his pattern and example. It is the gift of God; and a precious gift it is, for which we must earnestly seek unto him. Our Divine Master invites his disciples, and encourages them by showing himself as meek and lowly in spirit. The same disposition ought to mark the conduct of his servants, especially of the strong towards the weak. The great end in all our actions must be, that God may be glorified; nothing more forwards this, than the mutual love and kindness of those who profess religion. Those that agree in Christ may well agree among themselves.
(Read Romans 15:8-13)
Christ fulfilled the prophecies and promises relating to the Jews, and the Gentile converts could have no excuse for despising them. The Gentiles, being brought into the church, are companions in patience and tribulation. They should praise God. Calling upon all the nations to praise the Lord, shows that they shall have knowledge of him. We shall never seek to Christ till we trust in him. And the whole plan of redemption is suited to reconcile us to one another, as well as to our gracious God, so that an abiding hope of eternal life, through the sanctifying and comforting power of the Holy Spirit, may be attained. Our own power will never reach this; therefore where this hope is, and is abounding, the blessed Spirit must have all the glory. "All joy and peace;" all sorts of true joy and peace, so as to suppress doubts and fears, through the powerful working of the Holy Spirit.
