follows. Pastor will preach here next Lord's Day at 10 30 and two o'clock also on Thursday evening at seven o'clock and there will be a prayer meeting here on Tuesday evening at seven o'clock. Let us commence our services today by singing together hymn 263 and the The tune is 369. Jesus, the glorious head of grace, knows every saint's peculiar case, what sorrows by their souls are born, and how for sin they daily mourn. Hymn 263, tune 369. You This was the glorious day, O praise God, our salvations with you again. What sorrows by their stones are brought, And how for sin they pay behold. He comes and the angel rings on, and on earth's hill-tops shines his light. ? Where comfort and interest ? ? And most adoring sojourneth ? And that our land was rich by grace, Gracely and merrily full of grace. That morn at day shall surely rise, To heaven's comfort in the strife. Therefore their mourning day shall cease, And they will rejoice in peace. ? Of those eternal days shall play ? ? And have forever been his law. ? O Lord, have I an honour here To have Thy children after Thee And when my golden days are o'er, Then join I come to thee. Let us read together from the Holy Word of God in the book of Genesis and chapter 24. Genesis chapter 24 and we'll read the first 31 verses. And Abraham was old and well stricken in age, And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, put I pray thee thy hand under my thigh. And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that thou shall not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell, but thou shalt go unto my country and to my kindred and take a wife unto my son Isaac. And the servant said unto him, peradventure, the woman will not be willing to follow me into this land, must I need therefore bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest. And Abraham said unto him, beware that thou bring not my son thither again. The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father's house and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that swear unto me, saying unto thy seed, will I give this land, he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence. And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath, only bring not my son thither again. And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham, his master, and swore to him concerning that matter. And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master and departed, for all the goods of his master were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia under the city of Nahal, And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee send me good speed this day and show kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water. Let it come to pass that the damsel to whom I shall say, let down thy pitcher, I pray thee that I may drink, and she shall say, drink, and I will give thy camels drink also. Let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac, and thereby shall I know that thou hast shown kindness unto my master.' And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Melchah, wife of Nahal, Abraham's brother, with her picture upon her shoulder, And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her. And she went down to the well and filled her pitcher and came up. And the servant ran to meet her and said, let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. And she said, drink, my lord. And she hasted and let down her pitcher upon her hand and gave him drink. And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also until they have done drinking. And she hasted and emptied her pitcher into the trough and ran again unto the well to draw water and drew for all his camels. and the man wondering at her how it is pieced, whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not. And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and drew bracelets for her hands of 10 shekels weight of gold, and said, whose daughter art thou? Tell me, I pray thee, is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in? And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Melchah, which ye bear unto Nahal. And she said, moreover, unto him we have both straw and provender, enough, and room to lodge in. And the man bowed down his head and worshipped the Lord, and said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth. I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren. And the damsel ran and told them of her mother's house these things. And Rebecca had a brother, and his name was Laban, and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well, and it came to pass when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hand, and when he heard the words of Rebecca, his sister, saying, thus spake the man unto me, that he came unto the man, and behold, he stood by the camels at the well. And he said, come in, thou blessed of the Lord, wherefore standest thou without? For I have prepared the house and room for the camels. May the Lord bless the reading of his own precious word and grant to us a spirit of real prayer. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which is an art, an art to come. We bow before thy glorious majesty. We come in all our need. We come, Lord, in all our filthiness, in all our sinfulness. But we come, Lord, with that hope, that desire, that longing to see no man save Jesus only, and to hear his voice. For my sheep, they know my voice and they follow me. And we pray that we may hear thy voice even this day, and that we may be given grace to follow thee, that we may be given grace to lay aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us, and that we might run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the majesty on high. Help us to look to Jesus in all our emptiness, in all our poverty, in all our sinfulness, in all our wretchedness, Help us to look to him. We think of those wonderful words of grace, O Lord. This man, receive his sinners and eateth with them. And may we prove that to be so today, that we may have thy sacred presence and thy blessing to rest upon us. And thy divine guidance and the opening of thy truth and the opening of our ears and our eyes and our hearts. We read of one whose heart the Lord opened. We read of another who was blind from his birth, and yet his eyes were open. And we read of thee, O Lord, thou art called Jehovah Rophi. I am the Lord that healeth thee. Heal us, Emmanuel. Here we are waiting to feel thy touch. Deep wounded souls to thee repair. and Saviour, we are such. Lord, do hear us, we pray, for thy great name's sake, and do bless us with thy presence, and do graciously direct our hearts into the love of God and the patient waiting for Christ Jesus. For they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, and shall mount up on wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. And we do pray that as we gather round thy word that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God our Father and the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit may rest and abide upon us. And Lord we are brethren and sisters in Christ because we have the same Heavenly Father. Oh we do pray that thou wouldst graciously make known thy love and thy grace as we gather around thy Word even today, that thou wouldst unite us together in love, in union, in communion, one with another. Lord, we pray that thou wouldst make the crooked things straight, that thou wouldst make the rough places plain, that thou wilt deliver us from the snares of the wicked one, deliver us from temptation, deliver us from the power and dominion of sin, deliver us from the corruptions of our own nature. We thank thee that our Lord Jesus Christ is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him, seeing the ever-living. And Lord, when sayest thou, come into a king, large petitions with thee bring. For his grace and power are such, none can ever ask too much. Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst deliver us from the snares of the wicked one. We think of that wonderful promise. He will deliver thee from the snare of the foul one and from the noise of pestilence. Lord, we do pray that we may see thy delivering grace day by day, that we may have thy divine direction day by day, and we read in thy word and he led them forth by the right way. We pray that it may be so today. We may know thy divine guidance. We pray that thy word may be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Guide us, O thou great Jehovah, pilgrims through this barren land. Bless our brethren, the deacons. Give grace, wisdom, and help in all their responsibilities. Bless each one of our brethren and sisters in church fellowship, and grant that we may know much of that sacred sense and realization of love and union and communion. By this shall they know that ye are my disciples, because ye have love one to another. Lord, may we know that love, and may we know it more and more. We pray that thou wouldst remember us as a church and as a congregation, that thou wouldst work mightily, powerfully, and effectually among us. We pray, most gracious Lord, Thy word may have free course, thy name may be honoured and glorified. We pray for the young of the flock, the little ones, the children, bless them. Bless them with the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom. Bless the dear young friends with faith in Jesus Christ and divine guidance in all matters. Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst graciously grant the fulfilling of that wonderful promise, instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. Lord, do so bless us to grant that the prodigals may return, and thy wonderful mighty grace may be seen in this. For Lord, what rejoicing there would be to see the prodigals return. to see the wonders of thy grace. Oh, do hear us, Lord. Remember this village. Send out the glory, light, and power of gospel truth into this village, and into the surrounding villages and hamlets, and grant that many, many precious souls may be gathered in, that we may see a building of the wall, a renewing, a reviving, that those add unto us, such as should be saying. And oh Lord, we pray that those graciously remember parents and give wisdom in all matters. Remember all in the midst of the journey of life and guide and direct them in all matters. Help us to commit our way unto the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. And our Lord, we pray that thou would remember those of us that are in the evening time of life's journey, that thou would guide us safely unto thy heavenly kingdom. And that Lord, we pray for any in trouble or trial or perplexity or sorrow or sadness or bereavement. We pray for Dougie Playfoot in the loss of his dear wife, Do be gracious unto him at this time. We do humbly beseech thee and the family. And O Lord, we do pray that thou would remember all thy servants as they lay their word and doctrine upon the wars of Zion today. Set them free, set them at liberty. Graciously grant light and life and power in the ministry of the Word and signs to follow the preaching of it, and the pulling down of the strongholds of Satan. Hear us, Lord, we humbly pray thee. As promised in thy Word, I will work and who shall let it? Let thy work appear unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children. O Lord, we do beseech thee, And O Lord, we do pray that thou wilt remember the hills of Zion, up and down the nation, O send out thy light and thy truth. We pray thee, the great Lord of the harvest, to send true labourers into the harvest. We see much declension, much falling away, the closing of chapels. Lord, we do pray that thou wilt arise, if it could be thy heavenly mind, and may bear thine holy arm in the gospel. Thou hast said, I will work, and who shall let it? Oh, do hear us, Lord, we humbly pray thee. Bring our sons from far and our daughters from the ends of the earth. Bring them from the north and from the south and from the east and from the west. Oh, Lord, let thy work appear. Let thy power be known. Let thy grace be made manifest. Lord, raise up preachers more with voice to raise the dead. The few run with trumpets in their hand to sound alarm by sea and land. Lord, we do pray for those that labour in the mission field, that labour among the nations of the earth. We think of Ian Sadler and that great work that he does through the Free Grace Evangelistic Association. Lord supply all his many needs, bless his labours and crown them with success. Bless the work of the Savannah Education Trust in Ghana. Bless it to the good of precious souls, to the glory of thy name, to the building of thy kingdom in that nation. Bless the Mombasa mission and my servants there. grant that they may dip their foot in oil and be made acceptable unto thee, brethren, and that thou wouldst supply all their returning needs, we do humbly beseech thee. Hear us, O Lord, in heaven, thy holy and thy blessed dwelling place. We thank thee, O Lord, for the day of the Lord. that we're able to meet together around thy precious word. We read of thy servants of old. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day. May that prove to be our blessed portion today. We thank thee for the wonderful glory of the incarnation of the Son of God. We thank thee for the holy life he lived and the holy law he fulfilled. and thereby bringing in everlasting righteousness for His people. We thank Thee for Calvary, where the Lamb was slain, where sin was put away, where divine justice was satisfied, where God and sinners are reconciled. O Lord, we do thank Thee for the sacred, sinatonic sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. We thank thee that he died for our sins, and rose again for our justification, and has bodily ascended into heaven, and that we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Oh, we thank thee that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. We thank thee for the wonderful glory of his name. We thank thee for every mercy of thy kind providence, We pray that thou would be with us now as we turn to thy holy word and open thy word to our heart and to our understanding. We ask for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn number 267 The tune is Theodora, 511. Children of the Heavenly King, as ye journey, sweetly sing. Sing your Saviour's worthy praise, glorious in his works and ways. Hymn 267, tune Theodora, 511. ? O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave ? Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing! ? In the way the fathers taught ? ? Gave the whole world freedom and peace ? ? In heav'n he'll sleep in heav'n ? ? Christ forever praise his name ? ? He'll sleep in heav'n he'll sleep in heaven ? ? And sing praise to God the great ? ? Newborn King Jesus shall reign ? ? Then you'll be well when we're gone ? ? Then you'll be well when we're gone ? ? On that moment of your birth ? ? Angels march to the Father's side ? ? God shall bless every man's kind ? ? When we give him all we've got ? ? All we've got, all we've got ? Greatly feeling to need the Lord's gracious help, I'll direct your attention to the chapter that we read, the book of Genesis chapter 24, and we will read verse 31. for our text. Genesis chapter 24 verse 31, And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord. Wherefore standest thou without? For I have prepared the house and room for the camps. Come in thou blessed of the Lord. We see the wonderful dealings of the God of heaven with his servant Abraham. And Abraham is called the friend of God. What a wonderful thing to be a friend of God. And there is a friend that sticketh close to their brother. Yea, a brother born for adversity. We see now when Abraham is old and well stricken in age, the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. Abraham had his promised son, who had now reached the age of 40 years old, and he desired that his servant would go and find a wife. And there was a great emphasis taken up of the daughters of the Kaylinites. And we see how he gave instruction unto his servant to go to his brother Nahor's house. And I love the beautiful trust that Abraham had in his God. And he says here in verse seven, the Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father's house and from the land of my kindred and which spake unto me and that swear unto me saying, unto thy seed will I give this land. He shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence. We see here, my beloved friends, the humble confidence of faith. He will send his angel before thee. He will guide you. And isn't that what the Lord's people feel to need, the Lord's guidance, the Lord's direction in the way that they should go. We read in Psalm 107, that Psalm of the many ins and outs, ups and downs, trials, etc. of the living family of God. And what do we read in that Psalm? and he led them forth by the right way he led them forth by the right way under a city of habitation and you know my beloved friends we worship the same God we worship the same God who works the same wonderful things in the day in which we live I know of a friend who was in other churches, some of the Dutch churches actually, and the Lord so blessed him that he went to see the minister and the elders, and when he told them how the Lord had so wonderfully blessed him, one of the elders said, the Lord doesn't work like that anymore. He used to work like that years ago, but he doesn't work like that anymore. My beloved friends, I, the Lord, change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. The Lord works the same today as he has always done. He's the God of all grace. He is God over all and blessed for evermore. He's the Lord God, the omnipotent reigneth. Heaven and earth at his command. He waits to answer prayer. He waits to answer prayer. He says unto his people, call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear thee and I will answer thee. These are wonderful invitations from the almighty God of heaven to poor, needy, helpless sinners. Call upon me in the day of trouble. And we see here, how the Lord led and guided and directed Abraham's servant. Now, it's very obvious that this Eliezer of Damascus, who was the chief servant of Abraham, Abraham entrusted everything he had into his hand. And what is so obvious? He was a godly man. We read twice in this chapter how he bowed and worshipped the Lord God of Heaven. He was a man of faith, there's no doubt about it. You see, it says the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master and departed, for all the goods of his master were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, quite quite a long journey under the city of Nahor and we see how the Lord prospered His way. Does it make us think, commit thy way, it's a word of direction from Psalm 37, commit thy way unto the Lord and He will bring it to pass. And the other word that comes to mind is commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. You see, my beloved friends, we need to pray and to pray our way along. And if we don't pray our way along, we'll make mistakes. We need to read the Word and ask the Lord to guide us by His Word and direct us by His Word in the way that we are to go. And, you know, David, he says, doesn't he, in Psalm 119, I think it's verse 105, let thy word be a lamp unto my path, a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Thy word. I often mention that somebody said of John Bunyan, prick him anywhere and he bleeds scripture. And you know, we need to be familiar with the Word of God. We need to constantly, habitually read the Word of God. So that we, as it were, are seeking to be led of the Lord, Direct me. That's the language of the true living soul. Guide me, O thou great Jehovah, pilgrim in this barren land. I am weak, but thou art mighty. Hold me with thy powerful hand. Guide me. Direct me. Doesn't the Apostle say, I think it's in the Thessalonians, the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and the patient waiting for Christ Jesus. That's what we need the Lord to do. And we notice how the Lord prospered his way when he came to the city of Nahor, but it was by prayer. In verse 12 he says, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water, and let it come to pass that the damsel to whom I shall say, let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink. And she shall say, drink, and I will give thy camels drink also. You see, my beloved friends, it is not wrong to ask for a sign. No. Gideon asked for the fleece wet and he asked for the fleece dry. He needed. It was a tremendous thing that he was undertaking. and he needed to be clear. I've heard some people say, well, when he asked for the fleece wet, that that was by faith, and when he asked for it dry, that was unbelief. I don't believe that for a moment, friends. The dear man of God had a tremendous battle to fight, and he needed to be clear from the Lord that the Lord was in it and that the Lord was with him. And here, with Abraham's servant, as he comes to the well, And he comes to the place where they come to draw water. And he asks for this sign. Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also. Let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac, and thereby shall I know that thou hast showed kindness unto my master. And it came to pass before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebecca came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Melchior, wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder." It makes me think of that word in Isaiah, and whilst I'm yet speaking, I will answer them. See, while they're yet in prayer, While they're yet asking the Lord, he answers immediately. And here, this is exactly what happened with the Lord's servant. He heard him, immediately. And the damsel was very fair to look upon. She, just as Abraham had required and asked, neither had any man known her. down to the well and filled her pitcher. And now we see the direct answer to prayer. And the servant ran to meet her and said, let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. And she said, drink, my Lord. She hastened and let down her pitcher upon her hand and gave him drink. You see how respectfully she treated him. Drink, my Lord. And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also until they have done drinking. And she hasted and emptied her pitcher into the trough and ran again unto the well to draw water and drew for all his camels. Now we know that he took with him 10 camels, she drew for all those camels and the man wondering at her. We read of Manoah and his wife and when the Lord worked so wondrously, it says in the angel of the Lord worked wondrously and Manoah and his wife looked on, they looked on, they wondered in amazement at the Lord's answer to prayer and it's same here with the Lord's servant and the man wandering up held his peace to whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not. Is this of the Lord? He wanted to to be very clear that this was indeed the Lord's doing and it came to pass as the camels had done drinking that the man took a Golden earring as I said to you Abraham was a very rich man a very wealthy man The golden earring of half shekel weight two bracelets for hands of ten shekel weight of gold Whose daughter inquires Let me I pray tell me I pray these their room in thy father's house for us to lodge in And she said, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milchar, which he bear unto Nahal. And she said, moreover, unto him we have both straw and provender enough and room to lodge in. And the man bowed his head and worshipped the Lord. He bowed his head and worshipped the Lord. You know, it's wonderful when the Lord brings to those spots and places in our spiritual experience when we bow our heads. He was amazed how the Lord had answered his prayer. We bow our heads and the man bowed down his head and worshipped the Lord and said, blessed be the Lord God of my master, Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth I, being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren. You see, the Lord led me. As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Great thing, my beloved friends, are you, am I, being led by the Spirit of God. That is the evidence that we are one of the sons or daughters of the Lord God Almighty. The Lord grants us divine leading and divine teaching. And I've been in the way. It's a mercy, you know, friends, when we're found in the way. And I've been in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren. to be led and taught and guided and directed unto the Lord by the Spirit of God, to know those drawings of a Heavenly Father, probably not aware, especially if you're young, in the way that is your Heavenly Father that is drawing you, but it is. It was heavenly father of Abraham that guided and directed his servant. He loved Abraham with an everlasting love and he guides and directs his servant for a wife, for Isaac his son. And what a mercy if we are truly exercised concerning a partner in life's journey. Lord, he directed Abraham's servant to Rebekah. This was to be the wife of Isaac, the heir of everything Abraham had. And you know friends, we see some beautiful spiritual lessons here in this narrative of the Lord's wonderful leading and guiding and directing of Abraham's servant unto the house of Nahor and the signs that the Lord gave him. And here we have in our text Laban, that is Rebecca's brother, come in thou blessed of the Lord wherefore standest thou without for I prepared the house and room for the camels. Come in thou blessed of the Lord. Wonderful thing, you know, if we're blessed of the Lord. This is a wonderful invitation. We look at it in the light of spiritual things. An invitation, come. We have many such words in scripture, do we not? Come. The Spirit and the Bride. The Spirit is the Holy Ghost. The Bride is the Church of God. The Spirit and the Bride say come. Wonderful word. Jesus Christ himself said, come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden. and I will give you rest, take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest for your souls. Again that beautiful word, come. When the Lord Jesus in the great day of judgment, when he speaks to his children, that he will say unto those on his right hand, come. Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Those beautiful words, come. In the first epistle of Peter in chapter two, and we read there in verse four, to whom coming? As unto a living stone. To whom coming? Where? To Christ. to whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. This is Christ, the living stone, chosen of God and precious. He also has life that is living stones, have built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. And it goes on in verse 7 and it says, unto you therefore which believe he is precious. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious. Is Christ precious? Is the Lord Jesus precious to you? Is the Lord Jesus the one thing needful to you? To whom coming? as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious. Never forget hearing the late Mr. Wood on that verse. He said, what God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. And he said in that verse, God has put two things together, Believing and precious. Unto you that believe, therefore, he is precious. But he put it this way, Mr. Wood. He said, God has joined those two words together. Now, it may be, if I was to ask you if you were a believer, you would perhaps not be able to say in some assurance that you were. And yet if we were to put the question another way round, is Christ precious? You would say yes. But dear Mr. Wood, he said those two things are joined together. If Christ is precious, you're a believer. And if you're a believer, Christ will be precious. They are joined together. Oh, the preciousness of our Lord Jesus Christ. to the believer, to the follower of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Is Christ precious? You see, to whom coming? Oh, that the Lord will enable you this morning hour to come in all your need, in all your emptiness. You think of those lovely words spoken in a derogatory way concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, yet they are full of precious gospel truth. This man, that is the man Christ Jesus, the eternal Son of God that was manifest in the flesh, this man receives his sinners and eats his wisdom. He does. He receives sinners and eats his wisdom. What a blessed, sacred truth that is. This man, this man Christ Jesus, this glorious, eternal God man, this man who is God over all and blessed forevermore, this man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. Oh, what a mercy. If you and I just know a little of that, that preciousness of Christ. that attraction to Christ, that desire to lay hold of Christ. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst, hunger and thirst, after righteousness. Now why is it that they hunger and thirst after righteousness? Because they cannot find any righteousness in themselves. and they cannot find any righteousness in this world. And therefore the Lord brings them to hunger and thirst after Jesus Christ. Righteousness. That perfect, everlasting robe of the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ. There's a longing for it. Oh, my beloved friends, We know what it is to come and to trust and to be drawn. Jesus draws the chosen race by his sweet, resistless grace. He draws them. Are you drawn to Christ? Do you see a beauty in Christ? Do you see a loveliness in Christ? Oh, that the Lord would open to you that wonderful fullness that there is in Jesus Christ. That wonderful fullness of grace, that He is full of grace and truth. He always has been, He always will be. He's full of grace and truth. It's an infinite supply of grace and truth. Sometimes you may feel yourself to be such a poor, needy, wretched, helpless sinner. And You say, I can't go to the Lord again. I've sinned again. I've wandered away again. And you think in your mind that you can't go again. And you know what that is, my beloved friends? It's pride. It's pride. You can't go again. I've sinned again. You feel ashamed. It's like Ezra. He says in one place, doesn't he, I blush before thee. He felt ashamed as he came before the God of heaven. He blushed in embarrassment. Oh, that the Lord would enable you to come. There's nowhere else, poor sinner. This is the only place that a poor sinner can meet with God. It's in Jesus Christ. Oh, that the Lord would enable you to come, come in. How blessed of the Lord. And you know the prophet Isaiah, as the godly or Puritans often used to say, they called it the gospel according to Isaiah. And we read there in the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the person and power and grace and love. of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we read in Isaiah chapter one and verse 18, come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Come now. Let us reason together. This is true spiritual reasoning, my beloved friend, not carnal reasoning. It's the Lord that is speaking to a poor sinner. Come now, let us reason together. See, though your sins be scarlet, understand to get the color scarlet, you have to double dye it. And that's maybe how you feel. You feel to be a double-dyed sinner. Let us reason together, saith the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. And you know, in the prophecy of Isaiah, it goes on in chapter 55 again, these wonderful invitations how everyone that thirsteth come ye to the waters he that hath no money that's he that is bankrupt he that hath no money come ye buy and eat they come by wine and milk without money and without price this is a gracious invitation to poor empty ruined sinners And he says, wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which satisfies not? Perhaps you're trying to please God by your works, by your doings, by what you don't do and what you do do. And you think that somehow you're going to please God in that way. Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which satisfies not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear and come unto me. Who's speaking? Jesus, my beloved friend. Incline your ear and come unto me. Here and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. It goes on, verse six, he says, seek ye the Lord, while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. You think the Lord is so holy, he'll condemn you, but he says, my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts and your thoughts. You see, my beloved friends, these wonderful invitations unto Jesus Christ, given by Jesus Christ, unto poor, lost, ruined, helpless, how deserving sinners. And he said, come in, thou blessed of the Lord, wherefore standest thou without? For I prepared the house and room for thee, camels, come in. There's a sense that this could be spoken of as somebody coming from with outside the chapel and this invitation come in our blessed of the lord wherefore standest thou without it could be spoken of in relation to uh one of the lord's little ones that is in the chapel that has been brought to jesus christ and desires to follow the Lord Jesus Christ in the way of his holy ordinances, and feels a love to him and a love to his people and a love to his ways and a love to his truth. And this word, come in thou blessed of the Lord, as to come into the church, come in thou blessed of the Lord, wherefore standest thou without? It's a right and proper thing. When I think of the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ as it is recorded in the third chapter of the Gospel of Matthew and how the Lord Jesus so beautifully speaks of that willingness Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptised of him. But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptised of thee, and comest thou to me? And this is the verse I was thinking of. And Jesus answering said, and suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. He suffered Him, thus it becometh us. It's a, the us, of course, is those that have been born of the Spirit. Those to whom Jesus Christ has been made precious. And therefore they desire to follow Him. They love Him and they desire to follow Him and to serve Him. And may it be a word of direction, may it be a word of encouragement, suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us, to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him. Then it's recorded, and when Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water, and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him lower voice from heaven saying this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased the father the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ speaks from heaven here and is well pleased with his son for being baptized in the river Jordan and that that's the meaning here in other words there is a Upon this sacred holy ordinance divine approbation It's it's a righteous thing to do to a believer To be baptized to one to whom Christ is precious So we have the person as a beautiful revelation of the Trinity here We have the person of our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God being baptized and then we have the Spirit of God in the form of a dove descending and alighting upon him. And then we hear the voice of our heavenly Father speaking from heaven. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. It's a profession of our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Come in, thou blessed of the Lord. Wherefore standest thou without? For I have prepared the house. The Lord's people are waiting for you, waiting to receive you. I have prepared the house and room for the cameras, for that it may reach into our hearts. The other sacred gospel ordinance and Believer's baptism leads into it is the ordinance of the Lord's Supper. And the Lord Jesus said, this do in remembrance of me, for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come. In the believer's heart, in love to the Lord Jesus Christ, They desire to do what He commands, what He commands. This do in remembrance of me. That is to believe us, those to whom Christ is made precious. Come in thou blessed of the Lord, wherefore standest thou without. And then of course, Lastly, it's when we come to the end of our days, we may not all have a deathbed, some are taken from time into eternity in a moment, but those that have been prepared, those that have been born again of the Spirit, Mark it, my beloved friends, you'll never get into heaven unless you're born again of the Spirit. You listen to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. It's an impossibility. But to those that are, they're made ready. They're made ready. They're made ready to depart this life and to be with Christ, which is far better. Then I shall see the King in his beauty, and thou shalt behold the land that is a very far off. The King in his beauty. Jesus said, didn't he, in those lovely words in John 14, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again. and receive you unto myself that where I am, there you may be also. I go to prepare a place, a place prepared, made ready, a place of eternal happiness, a place of eternal glory, a place of eternal life. You know, it's something that is rather difficult to portray we need to be very careful speaking about heaven and that we don't get fanciful of exactly what heaven is. But my mind it just goes to chapter 5 of those in heaven chapter 5 in the revelation verse 9 and they sung a new song saying thou worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and has made us unto our God kings and priests and we shall reign on the earth and behold I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands saying in a loud voice, worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. Worthy is the lamb. That's what they will sing in heaven above. And then if we just turn over to chapter seven, and there again in the seventh of the revelation, verse 13 and one of the elders answers saying unto me what are these which are arrayed in white robes and whence came they and i said unto him sir thou knowest that he said to me these are they which came out of great tribulation these are the saints of god and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb therefore are they before the throne of god and serve him day and night in his temple And he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them, and they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun lighten them, nor any heat. For the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. And he said, And this effectually will be the death of every single believer. And he said, come in, thou blessed of the Lord, come into those realms of eternal bliss and everlasting happiness. Come in thou blessed of the Lord. Wherefore standest thou without? For I have prepared the house and room for thee. I just want to look before we close at verse 58. And they called Rebekah and said unto her, wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn 144. The tune is Angelus 282. Jesus, my all to heaven is gone, he whom I fix my hopes upon, his track I see, and I'll pursue the narrow way till him I view. Hymn 144. Thune Angelus 282. ? His love ? ? He knew my need ? ? I was at war ? ? His charity and love ? ? Hail, Hail, O'Hail, Hail, Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O'Hail, O' O'er earth the King, O man his name, The King's high name, the glory name, This is the way I know. ? Her glory close I found it not ? ? My grief, my burden, oh, bless me ? because I could not see from sin. The hope I strove against is found ? My sin and sorrow ? ? Caught the moment ? ? Till late I heard my Savior say ? Come hear the song, I am awake. Awake, I come and love this land. O take me to the other side of Him, of Him that's near and more than me. ? How big a part shall I be to see? ? ? And when I tremble to see her smile, ? Lord of His favor I have found How point to Thy redeeming pow'r Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each Amen.