941 O God of vengeances, Jehovah, God of vengeances, shine forth; 2 Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth, render the reward to the proud. 3 How long shall the wicked, O Jehovah, how long shall the wicked triumph? 4 [How long] shall they utter [and] speak insolence—all the workers of iniquity boast themselves? 5 They crush thy people, O Jehovah, and afflict thine inheritance; 6 They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless, 7 And say, Jah will not see, neither will the God of Jacob regard [it]. 8 Understand, ye brutish among the people; and ye fools, when will ye be wise? 9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see? 10 He that instructeth the nations, shall not he correct—he that teacheth man knowledge? 11 Jehovah knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.
12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Jah, and whom thou teachest out of thy law; 13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of evil, until the pit be digged for the wicked. 14 For Jehovah will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance; 15 For judgment shall return unto righteousness, and all the upright in heart shall follow it. 16 Who will rise up for me against the evil-doers? who will stand for me against the workers of iniquity? 17 If Jehovah had not been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. 18 When I said, My foot slippeth, thy loving-kindness, O Jehovah, held me up. 19 In the multitude of my anxious thoughts within me thy comforts have delighted my soul. 20 Shall the throne of wickedness be united to thee, which frameth mischief into a law? 21 They band together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn innocent blood. 22 But Jehovah will be my high tower; and my God the rock of my refuge. 23 And he will bring upon them their iniquity, and will cut them off in their own evil: Jehovah our God will cut them off.
951 Come, let us sing aloud to Jehovah, let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation; 2 Let us come before his face with thanksgiving; let us shout aloud unto him with psalms. 3 For Jehovah is a great God, and a great king above all gods. 4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also: 5 The sea is his, and he made it, and his hands formed the dry [land]. 6 Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before Jehovah our Maker.
7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. To-day if ye hear his voice, 8 Harden not your heart, as at Meribah, as [in] the day of Massah, in the wilderness; 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. 10 Forty years was I grieved with the generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways; 11 So that I swore in mine anger, that they should not enter into my rest.
961 Sing ye unto Jehovah a new song: sing unto Jehovah, all the earth. 2 Sing unto Jehovah, bless his name; publish his salvation from day to day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations, his wondrous works among all the peoples. 4 For Jehovah is great and exceedingly to be praised; he is terrible above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols; but Jehovah made the heavens. 6 Majesty and splendour are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 7 Give unto Jehovah, ye families of peoples, give unto Jehovah glory and strength; 8 Give unto Jehovah the glory of his name; bring an oblation and come into his courts; 9 Worship Jehovah in holy splendour; tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, Jehovah reigneth! yea, the world is established, it shall not be moved; he will execute judgment upon the peoples with equity. 11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; 12 Let the field exult and all that is therein. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy, 13 Before Jehovah, for he cometh; for he cometh to judge the earth: he will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.
14 But I am persuaded, my brethren, I myself also, concerning you, that yourselves also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. 15 But I have written to you the more boldly, [brethren,] in part, as putting you in mind, because of the grace given to me by God, 16 for me to be minister of Christ Jesus to the nations, carrying on as a sacrificial service the [message of] glad tidings of God, in order that the offering up of the nations might be acceptable, sanctified by [the] Holy Spirit.
17 I have therefore [whereof to] boast in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God. 18 For I will not dare to speak anything of the things which Christ has not wrought by me, for [the] obedience of [the] nations, by word and deed, 19 in [the] power of signs and wonders, in [the] power of [the] Spirit of God; so that I, from Jerusalem, and in a circuit round to Illyricum, have fully preached the glad tidings of the Christ; 20 and so aiming to announce the glad tidings, not where Christ has been named, that I might not build upon another's foundation; 21 but according as it is written, To whom there was nothing told concerning him, they shall see; and they that have not heard shall understand.
22 Wherefore also I have been often hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, having no longer place in these regions, and having great desire to come to you these many years, 24 whenever I should go to Spain; (for I hope to see you as I go through, and by you to be set forward thither, if first I shall have been in part filled with your company;) 25 but now I go to Jerusalem, ministering to the saints; 26 for Macedonia and Achaia have been well pleased to make a certain contribution for the poor of the saints who [are] in Jerusalem. 27 They have been well pleased indeed, and they are their debtors; for if the nations have participated in their spiritual things, they ought also in fleshly to minister to them. 28 Having finished this therefore, and having sealed to them this fruit, I will set off by you into Spain. 29 But I know that, coming to you, I shall come in [the] fulness of [the] blessing of Christ.
30 But I beseech you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in prayers for me to God; 31 that I may be saved from those that do not believe in Judaea; and that my ministry which [I have] for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints; 32 in order that I may come to you in joy by God's will, and that I may be refreshed with you. 33 And the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
(Read Romans 15:14-21)
The apostle was persuaded that the Roman Christians were filled with a kind and affectionate spirit, as well as with knowledge. He had written to remind them of their duties and their dangers, because God had appointed him the minister of Christ to the Gentiles. Paul preached to them; but what made them sacrifices to God, was, their sanctification; not his work, but the work of the Holy Ghost: unholy things can never be pleasing to the holy God. The conversion of souls pertains unto God; therefore it is the matter of Paul's glorying, not the things of the flesh. But though a great preacher, he could not make one soul obedient, further than the Spirit of God accompanied his labours. He principally sought the good of those that sat in darkness. Whatever good we do, it is Christ who does it by us.
(Read Romans 15:22-29)
The apostle sought the things of Christ more than his own will, and would not leave his work of planting churches to go to Rome. It concerns all to do that first which is most needful. We must not take it ill if our friends prefer work which is pleasing to God, before visits and compliments, which may please us. It is justly expected from all Christians, that they should promote every good work, especially that blessed work, the conversion of souls. Christian society is a heaven upon earth, an earnest of our gathering together unto Christ at the great day. Yet it is but partial, compared with our communion with Christ; for that only will satisfy the soul. The apostle was going to Jerusalem, as the messenger of charity. God loves a cheerful giver. Every thing that passes between Christians should be a proof and instance of the union they have in Jesus Christ. The Gentiles received the gospel of salvation from the Jews; therefore were bound to minister to them in what was needed for the body. Concerning what he expected from them he speaks doubtfully; but concerning what he expected from God he speaks confidently. We cannot expect too little from man, nor too much from God. And how delightful and advantageous it is to have the gospel with the fulness of its blessings! What wonderful and happy effects does it produce, when attended with the power of the Spirit!
(Read Romans 15:30-33)
Let us learn to value the effectual fervent prayers of the righteous. How careful should we be, lest we forfeit our interest in the love and prayers of God's praying people! If we have experienced the Spirit's love, let us not be wanting in this office of kindness for others. Those that would prevail in prayer, must strive in prayer. Those who beg the prayers of others, must not neglect to pray for themselves. And though Christ knows our state and wants perfectly, he will know them from us. As God must be sought, for restraining the ill-will of our enemies, so also for preserving and increasing the good-will of our friends. All our joy depends upon the will of God. Let us be earnest in prayer with and for each other, that for Christ's sake, and by the love of the Holy Spirit, great blessings may come upon the souls of Christians, and the labours of ministers.
