The notices for the coming week
are God willing as follows. Pastoral preaching next Lord's
Day at 10.30 and two o'clock. Also on Thursday evening at seven
o'clock. There'll be a prayer meeting
here on Tuesday evening at seven o'clock. Let us commence our
services today by singing together hymn number one to the tune Abridge
86. Great God, how infinite art thou,
what worthless worms are we? Let the whole race of creatures
bow and pay their praise to thee. Hymn number one, tune Abridge
86. Oh, how in my heart O'er the ramparts
we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red
glare, the bombs bursting in air, O'er the ramparts we watched
were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the
bombs bursting in air, Namo'valokiteshvaraya Eternally my faith in Thee, till
I give thanks a day. O come, let us adore Him, O come,
let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us
adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come,
let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come,
let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us
adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let
us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore
Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come,
let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore
Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come,
let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us
adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, When I lay dead, when I lay dead,
Shepherds, shepherds in the fields, And in the evening time, Lord,
all our prayers will be done. ? Christ her bed ? ? Through sin
is adorned ? ? And that red crown ? ? Enthroned ? ? The Holy Child
? O'er all the world's hard work
I have done, this I have done. ? And the rocket's red glare, the
bombs bursting in air ? ? Gave proof through the night that
our flag was still there ? Let us read together from the
holy word of God in the book of Ecclesiastes and chapter three. The third chapter in the book
of Ecclesiastes. To everything there is a season
and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to be born,
and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which
is planted. A time to kill, and a time to
heal. A time to break down, and a time
to build up. A time to weep, and a time to
laugh. A time to mourn, and a time to
dance, a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a
time to get and a time to lose, a time to keep and a time to
cast away, a time to rend and a time to sew, a time to keep
silence and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to
hate, a time of war and a time of peace. What profit hath he
that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? I have seen the
travail which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised
in it. He hath made everything beautiful
in his time. All she hath set the world in
their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh
from the beginning to the end. I know that there is no good
in them, but for a man to rejoice and to do good in his life. and also that every man should
eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the
gift of God. I know that whatsoever God doeth,
it shall be for ever. Nothing can be put to it, nor
anything taken from it, and God doeth it that men should fear
before him. that which hath been is now,
and that which is to be hath already been, and God requireth
that which is past. And wherever I saw under the
sun, the place of judgment, that wickedness was there, and the
place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. I said in
mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, For
there is a time there for every purpose and for every work. I said in my heart, concerning
the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them,
that they might see that they themselves are peace. For that
which befalleth the sons of men befalleth peace. Even one thing
befalleth them, As one dieth, so dieth the other. Yea, they
have all one breath, so that a man hath no preeminence above
a beast, for all is vanity. All go unto one place, or all
are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knoweth the spirit of man
that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward
to the earth. Wherefore I perceive that there
is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his own works,
for that is his portion. For who shall bring him to see?
What shall be after him? May the Lord bless the reading. of his own precious word and
grant unto us the spirit of real prayer. Almighty, most merciful
and eternal God, the high and lofty one that inhabiteth
eternity, whose name is holy, we desire to come before thee
in the attitude of prayer. We desire to bow before thy great
majesty, and we desire to worship thee in spirit and in truth. And we desire, O Lord, as we
come before thee, as the sweet psalmist of Israel declares, that thou knowest all about us,
our sinful nature, our corrupt, evil hearts, our unrighteousness,
all is known to thee. And as David says, I acknowledge
my sin is ever before me and that Lord we would as we come
acknowledge our sin and our wandering and we would acknowledge that
the truth of thy word that That which I would, I do not. That
which I would not, I do. I find a law within my members
that when I would do good, then evil is present with me. O Lord,
we do pray that thou wouldst visit us here this day with thy
great salvation. That wonderful salvation that
is in our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God our Father and the sacred
fellowship of the Holy Spirit may rest and abide upon us. That thou wouldst teach us thy
ways, that thou wouldst open thy word, that thou wouldst open
our hearts to receive it. We read, O Lord, of one in Holy
Scripture whose heart the Lord opened, and we pray that it may
be so even today that thou hast opened our hearts to receive
thy word and that the word of the Lord may have free course
and thy name be honoured and glorified. We pray to be washed
in that precious sinatoning blood of our Lord Jesus Christ to cleanse
us from all our sin. We pray to be clothed upon with
that glorious everlasting robe of the righteousness of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that we may stand complete in him, that we may
be accepted in the beloved. We confess, O Lord, our unworthiness
of the least of thy tender mercies. And, O Lord, we do pray that
thou wouldst graciously bless us as a church and as a congregation,
and that remember us for good, and grant that the glory and
light of the gospel may shine forth here among us as a church
and congregation, that thou wouldst open the hearts of sinners to
receive thy word, and that thou wouldst open our eyes to behold
wondrous things in thy law, and that we may indeed hear the word
of the Lord, and that we may Lord, have the eyes of our understanding
enlightened. For, Lord, the natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are spiritually
discerned. And we need to be given that
spiritual discernment so that we might understand and that
we might be led of the Spirit. Blessed, holy, divine Spirit
of truth, we pray for thy heavenly power for thy divine unction
to be known and felt. We pray that thou wouldst breathe
comfort where distress abounds, that thou wouldst give light
where there is darkness, that thou wouldst give liberty where
there is bondage, that thou wouldst make nigh where there is that
distance known and felt from thee. O most blessed Holy Spirit
of truth, do convince us of our sins, and lead to Jesus' blood,
and to our wandering eyes reveal the secret love of God. And, O Lord, we do pray that
we may know and feel the sacred presence of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that we may behold his glory, the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father, full of grace and truth, that we may touch
the hem of his garment and draw from that fullness that there
is in him, that virtue that is in him. Oh, that we might draw
from that sacred virtue even today, the virtue of his precious
blood, of his glorious righteousness, the virtue of his cross. Oh,
most gracious Lord, grant that we may lay hold of that hope
that is set before us in the gospel, And, O Lord, we do pray
that we may be favoured to feel that sacred spirit of adoption,
the love, the eternal love of our Heavenly Father. May we know the sacredness and
the power of those words. Yea, I have loved thee with an
everlasting love, that therefore with loving kindness have I drawn
thee. O most gracious Lord, do hear
us in heaven, thy holy dwelling place, and when thou hearest,
O Lord, forgive. We pray, most gracious God, that
thou would remember our brethren, the deacons, and bless them,
and guide and direct them. We especially think of our dear
brother laid aside in much weakness. We lovingly commend him to thee. and to the word of thy grace.
And, O Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst remember each one
of our brethren and sisters in church fellowship and undertake
for each one that thou wouldst graciously grant that we may
truly love each other, serve each other, and bear each other's
burdens, thereby fulfilling the law of Christ. Remember any Lord
in affliction and trouble and trial and perplexity. Oh, do
be gracious unto each one and do send deliverance and do grant
healing and restoring mercies. We do humbly pray thee. We pray
for any in the path of bereavement and sorrow and sadness and loss,
that thou would graciously draw near to them and breathe comfort
and consolation into their hearts. We do humbly beseech you. We think of those precious words,
I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you. Oh Lord,
we do pray that always bless the little ones, the children,
as they come into the sanctuary and bless them with that rich
grace that is in Christ Jesus. and graciously guide them by
thy counsel, and grant, O Lord, that the fear of the Lord, which
is the beginning of wisdom, may be given to the dear children,
and that thou wouldst graciously guide them and direct them, and
keep them to the truth. We pray for the young friends,
that thou wouldst be with them and undertake for them, and as
they stand on the threshold of life's journey, do be gracious
and do grant that they may be brought to living, vital, saving
faith in Jesus Christ and become true followers of Thee and of
those who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises. Pray for those, Lord, that would
seek a partner in life's journey, that Thou wouldst be gracious
unto them. Thou hast said it is not good that man should dwell
alone. And we do pray that Thou wouldst
grant a helpmeet for them Hear us, O Lord, we pray thee, with
our young friends in all the paths of providence and guide
and direct them in all matters. O Lord, we do pray to be delivered
from every wrong path, every simple path. We do humbly pray
thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel
it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, Lord, take and
seal it. Seal it from thy courts above. Lord, we do pray that thou would
remember all in the midst of the journey of life. We think
of parents, Lord, with their responsibilities with their families,
do bless them. We think of each and every one
in the midst of life's journey and we lovingly commend them
to thee and to the word of thy grace. which is able to build
them up and to grant them an inheritance among them that are
sanctified. Remember the prodigals and stretch
out their almighty arm, cause them to be in wonder, cause them
to return. For Lord, there is nothing too
hard for thee. Indeed, they are able to do abundantly
more than we can even ask or think. Lord, remember those of
us in the evening time of life's journey and graciously guide
us safely unto thy heavenly kingdom. Remember those, Lord, with great
things before them. We lovingly commend them to thee,
pray that thou would overcome their fears and support and sustain
them in all the path before them. And oh Lord, we do pray that
Thou wouldst graciously send the glory, light and power of
the gospel into this village, and the surrounding villages
and hamlets and precious souls may be gathered in. And the Lord
Jesus might be exalted as a Prince and as a Saviour, for to give
faith and repentance and remission of sins. O do hear us, O Lord,
we pray Thee, for Thy great name's sake. And, O Lord, we do pray
that thou wouldst remember all thy servants as they labour in
word and doctrine upon the walls of Zion. Set them free, set them
at liberty, grant that fresh anointing of thy Spirit and a
door of utterance. And we pray thee, the great Lord
of the harvest, to send true labourers into the harvest. O,
do hear us, in heaven thy holy dwelling place, and when thou
hearest, O Lord, forgive. We do pray that thou, in thy
great mercy, would remember thy Zion, the little hills of Zion,
up and down our nation, wherever thy servants stand, wherever
thy people gather. Grant the outpouring of thy Spirit,
grant a day of real prosperity in Zion. Let thy hand be upon
the man of thy right hand, the son of man whom thou madest strong
for thyself. Gather in thy people, build thou
the walls of Jerusalem. We do humbly beseech thee. Lord,
we pray for those that go forth from among us, among the nations
of the earth. We think of thy servant, Ian
Sadler, and the great work that he does. We pray that thou would
supply all his every need and graciously grant good success
to his labours in so many places upon this earth. We pray, Lord,
thy blessing upon the Savannah Education Trust in Ghana and
that great work in the Christian schools. May it redound to the
glory of thy great name. Remember the Mombasa mission
and grant thy richest blessing the outpouring of thy spirit
upon them there, and a day of real prosperity. And, O Lord,
we do pray that thou wouldst remember our nation, that thou
wouldst give wisdom to all in authority over us, and give guidance
and direction in all matters. And let us never lose sight,
O Lord, of that glorious fact that thou art God over all and
blessed for evermore, and that thou dost work all things after
the counsel of thine own will. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou wouldst bless our King and the royal household with
that rich grace that is in Christ Jesus. Lord, we see so much in
the nation of the powers of Antichrist wickedness and evil and we pray
that thou was the rise that we may see thy work and thy power
and thy glory that we may see the pulling down of the strongholds
of satan and the setting up of the kingdom of the lord jesus
in the hearts of sinners lord thou are able to do abundantly
more than we can even ask or think We thank Thee for every
favour and every blessing. Thy mercies to us, O Lord, are
new every morning and great is Thy faithfulness. We thank Thee
for Thy loving kindness. We thank Thee for the love of
our Heavenly Father in the sending of His only begotten Son, the
glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank Thee for that
wonderful, profound glory of the incarnation of thee, Son
of God. We thank thee for the holy life
he lived as a man and the holy law he fulfilled and honoured
and magnified on the behalf of his people and thereby bringing
in everlasting righteousness. We thank thee for the wonderful,
sacred glory of the cross where sin has been put away and divine
justice has been satisfied God and sinners are reconciled. O most gracious Lord, fill our
hearts with gratitude and with thanksgiving. We thank Thee for
our little house of prayer. We thank Thee for the supply
of all our many returning needs. We thank Thee for the gospel
of Thy grace. Gracious God, great God, how
infinite art Thou. What worthless worms are we.
O we do Bow, O Lord, in praise and thanksgiving and adoration
for the wonderful glory of our triune Jehovah. Come and touch
one's lips with a live coal from off the heavenly altar. Come
and breathe thy word into our hearts as we ask for Jesus Christ's
sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 64. The tune is Melchizedek 483. Sovereign ruler of the skies,
ever gracious, ever wise, all my times are in thy hand, all
events at thy command. Hymn 64 to Melchizedek. ? Heaven and earth and skies ?
? Heaven and earth and skies ?
? Heaven and heaven and skies ? ? Heaven and heaven and skies
? Glory, praise, and honor. Glory, praise, and honor. ? This we bring you, O Israel ?
? This our western checkerboard crown ? O God and Lord, give love again. O God and Lord, give love again. O God and Lord, give love again. O God and Lord, give love again. ? In the glory evermore ? ? Each
and every day and night ? ? O my soul ? ? I shall never leave ? ? O Lord
and I ? ? This I decree ? ? O Lord and I ? ? This I decree ? ? Light a ship in Santa Fe ? ?
Light a memory in Canberra ? ? The land of kings ? ? The place
of royal memory ? ? The place of heaven and earth ? ? Like the painted valley green
? ? Time to hate and shame us all ? ? Oh, look not ? Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave Let me in, let me go O'er the land of the free and
the home of the brave? greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I direct your attention to the chapter that
we read, the third chapter of the book of Ecclesiastes, and
we'll read the last clause of verse 15. Ecclesiastes chapter 3, reading
the last clause of verse 15, and God requireth that which is past. The whole verse reads that which
hath been is now and that which is to be hath already been and
God requireth that which is past. Solomon was a man of great wisdom and the Lord blessed him with
great wealth and he tells us here in the book of Ecclesiastes
how he experienced these things. He says in chapter 1 verse 13,
I gave my heart to seek out and search out by wisdom concerning
all things that are done under heaven. This sore travail hath
God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. I
have seen all the works that are done under the sun and behold
all is vanity and vexation of spirit. The book of Ecclesiastes
begins with vanity of vanities and it ends with vanity of vanities,
all is vanity. this was it's believed that Solomon
wrote Ecclesiastes in his old age when he was brought to repentance
because very sadly in his younger days he was wonderfully blessed
with the spiritual understanding. We've only got to read Solomon's
psalm to know the intimate relationship that he had with our Lord Jesus
Christ and how spiritually minded he was. And the Lord blessed him with
not only great wisdom but great wealth, great wealth. It was
what you might say the zenith of the kingdom of Israel when
Solomon was there. And peace and prosperity in his
days. We read in Nehemiah, even Solomon. Did strange women cause to sin? What a warning. What an admonition
to each one of us. Even Solomon, that godly, gracious
man, wrote most of the Proverbs, wrote
Ecclesiastes, wrote Solomon's Song, Solomon's Song often known
as the Holy of Holies of the Scripture. Even Solomon. You know friends,
it says in scripture doesn't it, let him that thinketh he
standeth, take heed lest he fall. Even Solomon. And he says, I
gave my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly.
I perceive that this also is vexation of spirit. what in much
wisdom is much grief and he that increases knowledge increases
sorrow and this is what the man proved he said I made me great
works building me houses I planted me vineyards I made me gardens
and orchards and planted trees in them of all kind of fruits
I made me pools of water so he goes on I gathered me also silver
and gold and the peculiar treasures of kings of the provinces. I
got me men singers and women singers and the delights of the
sons of men as musical instruments and that of all sorts. So I was
great and increased more and more than all that were before
me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with
me. whatsoever mine eye desired,
I kept not from them. You see, but then again and again
he comes back to this point. Vanity of vanities. All is vanity. All the rivers run into the sea,
he says. The sea is never full. So he had a wonderful understanding
But if you, what you might say, take an overall view of the Ecclesiastes,
the great thing that Solomon presses, or the Spirit of God
presses upon us, is the sovereignty of God. That's what led me to
our second hymn. Sovereign ruler of the skies,
ever gracious, ever wise. We read in Ephesians chapter
one, who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. And we read here in chapter three,
we read it together, to everything there is a season and a time
to every purpose under heaven, a time to be born, a time to
die. We read in Hebrews chapter nine, You think of this a time to be
born, a time to die. And what do we read in Hebrews
9? As appointed unto man once to die, so after death the judgment. It's divinely appointed. You
know, friends, we have appointments here which we seek to keep here
on earth. Appointments to in business appointments
to see the doctor appointments to go to hospital To the dentist
that their appointments and and sometimes we miss them sometimes
Circumstances out of our control or sometimes we completely forget But this appointment which God
speaks of Is divinely appointed and it is something you will
not miss, as it is appointed unto man once to die. So after death, the judgement. And you know friend, when we
consider these things, after death the judgement, we
know All of us know, because the evidence surrounds us, is
that every one of us is going to die. We know that. We know that whether we're young
or old. And it's divinely certain. It's appointed. Now to me, the
way the Holy Spirit has put those words together, as it is appointed
unto man once to die, now this we know. And we can be absolutely
certain of it. just as you are certainly know
that you're going to die it is most certainly sure that after
death the judgment and that is what is in our text and God requireth
that which is past. God requires it. He requires an answer. We have all sinned. Indeed, not
only we sin because we're sinners, that's how we're born. That's
what David means, born in sin, shapen in iniquity, that's our
state by nature. As in Adam or die. As in Adam or die. We're born spiritually dead.
And that is the result of the fall of Adam. Adam is the federal
head of the human race. And when Adam fell, we all fell
in him. One hymn writer says, and nothing
merely human's right. Because of the fall of Adam. We sin because we're sinners. because we're sinners, because
we're born that way. And I would that the Lord would
grant that you might lay these things to heart. And the holy
law of God declares, the soul that sinneth, it shall die. It shall die. That is a divine
solemn fact and reality. The soul that sinneth, it shall
die. And that is why there is this
divine appointment to die because we have sinned and come short
of the glory of God. And you see it goes through a
whole list here doesn't it? a time to love, a time to hate,
a time of war, a time of peace, there's a whole list. And it says in verse 11, he hath
made everything beautiful in his time. Also he hath set the
world in their heart so that no man can find out the work
that God maketh from the beginning to the end. No man can. no man ever has and no man ever
will and also that every man should
eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor it is the gift
of God and then speaking here of the sovereignty of God he
says I know this is verse 14 I know that whatsoever God doeth
It shall be forever. Nothing can be put to it, nor
anything taken from it. And God doeth it that men should
fear before him. That which hath been is now,
and that which is to be hath already been. You see, my beloved friends,
God lives in one eternal now. Men today, in particular, they
think they have such a vast knowledge and they talk about the planets
and the universe and they say, well, it's billions and billions
and billions of years old. It just happened. Evolved and
and met they think they're so clever. They understand all these
things supposedly and Their theories they bring forth a completely
opposite to what the Word of God declares in the beginning
God Created the heavens and the earth
at that term in the beginning God is speaking of the eternity
of God. It doesn't mean God had a beginning. God is without beginning and
without ending. The Word of God declares from
everlasting to everlasting thou art God. The name Jehovah, that
incommunicable name given to the eternal God, the Father,
the Son and the Holy Ghost, these three are one, the eternal God. from everlasting. As we often
point out to you the name Jehovah is spoken of in the New Testament
but it's paraphrased and that paraphrase of the name Jehovah
gives us a fuller understanding of the meaning of the name Jehovah
and why it's called the incommunicable name because it cannot be given
to anyone else but to the eternal God The Lord Jesus when he speaks
to John in Revelation. I am he which is, and which was,
and which is to come. I am he which is, that is now.
I am he which was, that is from all eternity. I am he which is
to come. Paul when he writes to the Hebrews,
he says, again it's a paraphrase of the name Jehovah, Jesus Christ. The same, yesterday, that's yesterday
eternal. And today, and forever. We began service today, didn't
we, with great God. How infinite art thou. What worthless
worms are we. Infinite. He lives in one eternal
now. Thus saith the High and Lofty
One, that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy. Whose name
is Holy. inhabits eternity we inhabit
time everything about us is measured
and that is what is meant by the word finite we're finite
but God is infinite there are no parameters there are no nothing
contains God he lives in one eternal now he always has been
I know it's a great deep but you know he knows he's just as
fully acquainted with things to come is it as he is things
past completely fully acquainted with everything to come God is He knows all things. Nothing
takes him by surprise. He knows all things. He sees
all things. Eternity with all its years stands
present in his view. It does. He sees everything. He knows everything. And God require it. That which is past. You know,
here in Ecclesiastes, and in the last chapter, the twelfth
chapter, we have that exhortation, an
exhortation to you children and the young friends. Remember now,
thy Creator, capital C, thy Creator, in the days of thy youth. While
the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt
say, I have no pleasure in them. And then after that we have a
description of old age, of man as he comes down to death, of
the breaking down of the human body. and it speaks here of it while
the sun or the light or the moon or the stars be not darkened
nor the clouds return after the rain I often think of that and
what it means is you know you get rain clouds come over then
a blue sky but then more rain clouds are blown in the clouds
return after the rain and in scripture clouds are it can be
spoken of in a metaphorical way as being affliction, trouble,
trial, perplexity. And the clouds return after the
rain. In other words, as we get older,
this breaks down. Perhaps we have a heart problem,
perhaps we have a problem with walking, perhaps. But one thing
comes after another. The clouds return after the rain. You get your foot out of one
thing and then you're in another. The clouds return. after the
rain. No sooner do you think everything
is going well then something else goes wrong. The clouds return
after the rain and surely it's seen more clearly in old age
as we get older. One affliction comes and then
we get over that and then another affliction comes and we get over
that and sometimes there's a multitude of afflictions, this goes wrong,
that goes wrong. And this is all spoken of here
in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble. Keepers
of the house are our arms and our hands. And it's well known
in old age how that we tremble. And the strong men shall bow
themselves. And we know that as we get older
we perhaps can't walk as uprightly as we used to. And the older
a person gets, the more pronounced that is. They bow down. And this
is what Solomon is describing here. Bow down themselves. And the grinders, that's the
teeth, cease because there are few. And those that look out
of the windows, that's the eyes, be darkened. The eyesight becomes
less clear. the doors shall be shut in the
streets when the sound of the grinding is low and he shall
rise up you know rise up at the voice of the bird the dawn chorus
that's what it's speaking of can't sleep soon as the dawn
chorus comes and the light shines he's awake can't sleep so soundly
as you used to sleep all the daughters of music be brought
low that is of course the hearing and we get deaf and it's a common thing in our
old age that we we lose our hearing and when they shall be afraid
of that which is high even naturally we're afraid as we get older
of going up a ladder, you're not so steady as you used to
be. Even myself now, it used to be I'd run up and down stairs,
now I always hold the banister. Why? Because you don't feel so
steady. You don't feel so steady. It's
describing here these things that come as we get older. And when they shall be afraid
of that which is high, As I say, naturally speaking, afraid of
that which is high, but surely there's a deeper spiritual meaning
here. Afraid of that which is high. Afraid of death. Afraid
of the day of judgment. Afraid of that which is high.
And fear shall be in the way. The almond tree which is white,
the almond tree shall flourish, the hair turns white. and the
grasshopper just that constant twittering of a grasshopper becomes
so irritating. The grasshopper shall be a burden
and desire that is even in all things whether it's food or whatever
it is desire shall fail. This is the description of old
age because man goeth to his long home that's his eternal
home and the mourners go about the streets each one of us will pass from
time into eternity and that is what happens in death
we pass from time into eternity And the mourners go about the
streets. Why? Because someone's died. Wherever
the silver cord be loosed, that's the spinal cord that runs from
our brain right the way down our spine. It's called the silver
cord. And it is a very white and silvery
color, the spinal cord. Or the golden bowl, that is the
head, our skull. or the golden bowl be broken,
or the pitcher broken at the fountain, that's the heart, which
pumps the blood around the body, or the wheel, that's speaking
of the circulation of the blood, the wheel broken at the system.
I haven't read it for a long, long time, but I remember reading
Dr. Gill on this particular scripture,
and when it speaks of the of the picture broken at the fountain
or the wheel broken at the cistern and he mentions William Harvey
we know that in Ashford there is the William Harvey hospital
where William Harvey was around he was a physician in the 1600s
and he supposedly discovered the circulation of blood around
the body that is why he's such a famous name. But Dr. Gill makes a point that Solomon
knew it far before he did because he speaks of it here so clearly
or the wheel broken the system. The heart stops and when the
heart stops we die, we die. Then shall the dust return to
the earth as it was and the spirit shall return under God who gave
him that's in death and it says here in the Ecclesiastes that
there is no discharge in that war there is no discharge in
that war it's appointed by God we must die we will die and the
great point my beloved friends here is are you ready to die
The Lord Jesus Christ, he says so clearly, doesn't he, in his
teachings? Be ye also ready, for at such
a time as ye think not, the Son of Man coming. He's speaking
there of the Son of Man coming, of course, the second time, but
he comes to each one of us in death. He does. We die. We are going to die. And Solomon,
he says, then shall the dust return. And the Lord said to
Adam, didn't he, in the dust thou art, and unto dust shalt
thou return. You might say, what does that
mean? Well, it's very clear that God made man from the dust of
the earth. He fashioned his body from the
dust of the earth. And he breathed into man, breath
of life and man became a living soul. That is what distinguishes
man from the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. He has a living soul. That is what is meant when he
says made in the image of God. Our physical body is not the
image of God. Our spiritual soul is. That's
the image of God. And we were made in God's image. We have a spiritual aspect that
cannot be said of the beasts of the field, the birds of the
air, the fishes of the sea. But it is said of man. And man
became a living soul when God breathed into him the breath
of life. And according to Holy Scripture,
it's often spoken of, isn't it, the Aaron article of death. What is death? According to Scripture, it's when the soul leaves the
body. That's death. James says in his
epistle, The body without the spirit is dead, being alone.
It's the soul of man that animates his body. The soul of man, the soul is
the seat of our reason. That's what, and this is another
aspect of the image of God. Man has the power of reason that
the beast don't have. power to reason, to understand,
a rational mind sometimes called a rational soul or in our articles
of faith it's called a reasonable soul because it's the seat of
our reason. That's why we can work out things
and understand things because we have an intellect and that
is all part of the image of God in man, his soul. It's the seat of our intellect. And men, with all their learning,
will never understand that. I remember when I used to work
in a hospital, speaking to a consultant one day, we were having a friendly
conversation. And he was speaking of the brain.
And he said to me at that time, he said, we know so little about
the brain. We just do not understand it. And we'll never fully understand
it. Because many of them don't even
recognize the soul of man. You can only understand the brain
if you realize it's the seat of man's intellect. It is. Now what does he say here? Vanity of vanities. Set the preacher
All is vanity. What does the word vanity mean? Well it means there is nothing. It's like a cloud or a shadow. Perhaps the shadow is a better
illustration. You can look from a distance
of whether it's a tall tree or a building and you can see the
shadow. Now it can look from a distance
that there's actually something there. But when you get there,
there's nothing there. It's a shadow. It's a reflection
of light. There's nothing of substance
there. And if I understand it correctly,
that is a similar meaning to the word vanity. There's nothing
there. Vanity of vanities All is vanity. You see, the vanity of all things
here below. What then is substance? Well, we all fell in Adam. Therefore we're all born in sin
and shaped in iniquity. And in that day that Adam fell,
spiritual death came upon him and upon Eve. So we're all born in sin and
shaped in iniquity because of that. We need, as the Lord Jesus puts
it, to be born again. We need to be born again. We
need to be given spiritual life and light. We're in darkness
by nature. Darkness and light are both used
in Holy Scripture. The works of Satan are the works
of darkness. And the works of man because
he's fallen and sinful are the works of darkness. But the works of God are works
of light. God is light and in him is no
darkness at all. The Lord Jesus Christ is likened
to the son of righteousness with healing in his wings. So light and darkness are set
before us in Holy Scripture as being good and evil. God is good and righteous and
holy. Satan is evil and unrighteous
and wicked. A man by nature is evil and wicked. We read in the Holy Scriptures
in the Prophet Jeremiah that the heart of man is deceitful
above all things and desperately wicked. That's our state and
our condition by nature, desperately wicked. That's what we are by
nature. And we need the Holy Spirit to
quicken our souls into life. We need to be prepared to die. Mr. Wood used to quote a verse
from a hymn in the ancient and modern hymn book. And now my
God prepare my soul for that great day. and wash me in thy
precious blood, take all my sins away. We need preparing. You know there
are only two places that we go to. It's either heaven
or hell. It's very clear from Holy Scripture
that it's only those two places. either heaven or hell. Heaven
is that place of eternal glory where the redeemed souls of the
Lord's people go to heaven. They go to that place, those
mansions in the skies, prepared. I go, says Christ, 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.
He's speaking to his people. Heaven is a prepared place for
a prepared people. And how does God prepare a poor
sinner for heaven? Well, he sends his Holy Spirit
into their heart to bring them from spiritual death into spiritual
life. In other words, they're born
again. And the Holy Spirit dwelling in their heart He convinces them
of their sin, He gives them faith, faith to believe in Jesus Christ
as the only Saviour of sinners. He gives them light, so they're
brought from darkness into light, from bondage into liberty. It's
the divine work of the Holy Ghost. He that hath begun a good work
in you shall perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. And in Matthew chapter 25, the
Lord Jesus very clearly, very emphatically sets before us the
day of judgment. When he shall come that second
time without sin unto salvation, he will judge the world in righteousness. And God requireth that which
is past. But we read in the teachings
of our Lord Jesus Christ and just think of this every idle
word. This judgment will be a very
intimate judgment. Every idle word shall be given
answer for and you think throughout your life how many idle words
you and I use. We just throw them away and we
forget them. In the day of judgment, we will
answer for every idle word. God requireth that which is passed. We shall answer in that great
day of judgment. You know the Lord Jesus in Matthew
25, he very clearly speaks there, doesn't he? He will separate. He will separate
the wicked from the righteous. Those that are righteous are
righteous in Christ. Those that are righteous have
been brought to living faith in Jesus Christ. They're made
believers in Jesus Christ. They're raised up to a hope in
the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. They hope in His
precious blood to take away all their sin. They hope in His glorious
righteousness to cover their nakedness. My hope is built on
nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. These, they will stand at His
right hand in the day of judgment. They're called the sheep. The
sheep of Christ's fold, they will stand. his right hand clothed
in that glorious everlasting robe of the righteousness of
Jesus washed in his precious blood and they shall enter into
heaven itself in and through the glorious person of our Lord
Jesus Christ who is the way the truth and the light. But then he says the those on
his left hand were not prepared. Depart from me ye cursed into
everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. You
know friends it's a terrible thing to die unprepared. It is. It's an awful thing. And here
in the last chapter, that twelfth chapter of the of Ecclesiastes,
how he speaks there, let us hear
the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every
work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good
or whether it be evil. And God requireth that which
is past. Oh that the Lord may impress
these things upon our hearts and minds, impress upon us the
brevity of life, what is often called the brittle thread of
life. We see it all the time, don't we? Car accident or accident
here or an accident there and a person taken from time into
eternity in a moment or that the words of the Lord
Jesus may as it were sound in our hearts be ye also ready for
it's such a time as ye think not the Son of Man cometh and
God requireth that which is past. May the Lord have His blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number seven. The tune is Hensbury 161. God
shall alone the refuge be and comfort of my mind, too wise
to be mistaken he, too good to be unkind. Hymn number seven,
tune Hemsbury, 161. I... O say can you see by the dawn's
early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last
gleaming ? In the midst of this open well
? ? It is time we leave the night ? ? To pursue the light of day
? ? To worship thee I rise ? ? To
worship thee I rise ? ? All it has been to me and you
? ? Is what's left of my life ? ? Do you know it's in vain
? Jai Jai Jai Jai Jai Jai ? Angels of the night ? ? It is
the hour I have longed for ? ? To my Saviour's side ? ? For you are true in the night
? ? Sacred to be your light ? O'er the land of the free and
the home of the brave? Sleep well, baby, sleep well,
baby, sleep well, baby. ? When on earth he will wake me
now ? ? And I shall surely find ? ? He knows where I stand ? Till earth, heaven, and earth,
to thee be glory. 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. Okay.