by singing together hymn number
961. The tune is Alsemere 329. Be still my heart, these anxious
cares, to thee are burdens, thorns and snares. They cast dishonour
on thy Lord and contradict his gracious word. Hymn 961. and
61, tune Ellesmere, 329. May still my heart these anxious
cares, To hear of the Lord's own answers. Thank Thou, still,
O Lord, our God, ? And God's bounty is great as
well ? ? Hosanna in the highest, Hosanna in the highest ? ? And the sun, and the sun, and
the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the
sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and
the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the
sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the
sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun,
and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun,
and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the
sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and
the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and
the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun, and the sun,
and I love you. All is calm, all is bright, Heaven
and earth are one, love and lust He heard a child sing with a
cheer, with a cheer I will be able to rest, You have
released us too. Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God, two portions. The first is Psalm 27 and then
Psalm 91. Psalm 27. The Lord is my light
and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is
the strength of my life. of whom shall I be afraid? When
the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to
eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should
encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise
against me, in this will I be confident. One thing have I desired
of the Lord, that will I seek after. that I may dwell in the
house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty
of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. For in the time of
trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion. In the secret of his
tabernacle shall he hide me. He shall set my feet upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted
up above mine enemies round about me. Therefore will I offer in
his tabernacle sacrifices of joy. I will sing, yea, I will
sing praises unto the Lord. Hear, O Lord, when I cry with
my voice. Have mercy also upon me and answer
me. When thou said, seek ye my face,
my heart said unto thee, thy face, Lord, will I seek. Hide
not thy face far from me. Put not thy servant away in anger. Thou hast been my help. Lead
me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father
and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. Teach
me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path because of
mine enemies. Deliver me not over unto the
will of mine enemies, for false witnesses are written up against
me, and such as breathe out cruelty. I had fainted, unless I had believed
to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait
on the Lord. Be of good courage, and he shall
strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. Now let us read together Psalm
91. He that dwelleth in the secret
place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the
Almighty. I will say of the Lord, he is
my refuge, and my fortress, my God, in him will I trust. Surely
he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from
the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his
feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall
be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for
the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flyeth by day.
nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction
that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy
side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not
come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou
behold and see the reward of the wicked, because thou hast
made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most high thy habitation. there shall no evil befall thee,
neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling, for he shall
give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways.
He shall bear thee up in their, they shall bear thee up in their
hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread
upon the lion and adder, the young lion and the dragon, shalt
thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love
upon me, therefore will I deliver him. I will set him on high,
because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I
will answer him. I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honour him with long life. Will I satisfy
him and show him my salvation. 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 desire to bow before thee,
the only true God. We come to thee in that wonderful
name, of thine only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. For through him we have access
by one Spirit unto the Father. 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. We
pray to be drawn, those sacred drawings of a heavenly Father,
drawing us unto his Son. I will draw thee with the cords
of a man. O most gracious Lord, that we read in thy word that
none come except the Father draw. And we think of those wonderful
words of grace. Yea, I have loved thee with an
everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. O we do pray for the divine power
for the heavenly unction of the Spirit, the blessed, divine person
of the Spirit of truth. Oh, do come, most blessed Spirit,
and work powerfully and effectually in our hearts, in our assembly,
and grant that thou wilt give ears to hear, eyes to see, hearts
to receive thy precious word, and that we may take heed unto
thy word. and that we may be led of them,
for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, that they are
the sons of God. And may we enter, Lord, into
the sacred experience of that word, for God has sent forth
the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. All we do pray, Lord Jesus, that
thou wouldst come and stand in our midst, that thou wouldst
come and permit poor sinners to come unto thee, and to touch
the hem of thy garment, and to draw from that sacred fullness
that is in thee. O gracious God, do so bless us
here this afternoon, that we may behold his glory, the glory
as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. We thank thee for the incarnation
of the Son of God, that wonderful profound mystery of godliness,
God manifest in the flesh. We thank thee that he was made
of a woman, made under the law, that he might redeem them that
are under the law. And we thank thee for those wonderful
words of grace. I come not to destroy the law,
but to fulfill it. Lord Jesus, thou hast fulfilled
the law in behalf of thy people. Thou hast stood in their room,
place and stead, and we do desire to thank Thee for that holy life
and for the bringing in of everlasting righteousness in Thy glorious
person. We thank Thee that Thou wouldst
lay down Thy life on the behalf of Thy church and people, and
that Thou wouldst make sin for us. be led of the Spirit into those
wonderful truths of our most holy faith, and that the glory
of the person of Christ may be open to our heart and to our
understanding, and that we may grow in grace and in the knowledge
of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. For we do thank thee
that he died for our sins, and rose again for our justification,
and has bodily ascended into heaven, and made a new and living
way into the holy place, for such an high priest have we who
is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. Oh, we do thank
thee for the glory of his person. I am the way, the truth, and
the life. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me. Oh, Lord Jesus, what wonderful
words of grace. No man spake like thee. We do
pray that this afternoon we may truly worship thee, bless us
as a church and as a congregation, work mightily, work powerfully,
and worship effectually amongst us. We do humbly beseech thee
and grant that we may feel thy power in the pulpit and in the
pew, and that thou wouldst graciously guide us, O thou great Jehovah. Pilgrims in this barren land,
We are weak, but Thou art mighty. Hold us with Thy powerful hand. Lord, we do pray that Thou wouldst
come and spread the gospel table, that Thou wouldst bid poor sinners
come and eat and live. We do humbly beseech Thee. And
may poor sinners be found looking unto Thee, looking unto Jesus,
the author and finisher of our faith. Oh, help us to look to
thee, help us to cleave to thee, help us to cast all our cares
upon thee. We do humbly beseech thee, make
us more spiritually minded and set our affections on things
above and not on things of the earth. Bless our beloved brethren,
the deacons, and bless them with needed grace, wisdom, and help
in all their responsibilities. We thank thee for them. Beloved
brother here that has come as a hearer this afternoon, we lovingly
commend him to thee. And as to all that he stands
in need of, we pray that thou would bless and be with him.
We pray, Lord, that thou would grant good success, bless all
thy servants, anoint them with that fresh anointing of the Spirit,
and that we may be able to witness for our gospel came unto you
not in word only, but in power. in the Holy Ghost and with much
assurance. Lord, grant that it may be so.
Grant signs to follow the preaching of the word. Remember the little
ones and the children. Bless them indeed. Bless them
with that rich grace that is in Christ Jesus. Bless them with
the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom. Bless
the dear young friends. 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.
Lord, do then bless them with that rich grace, with clear believing
views of our Lord Jesus Christ, and do guide and direct them
in all the paths of providence. In whatever way they stand in
need of, Lord, grant thy divine direction. We do humbly beseech
thee. remember them for good, grant
them a partner in life's journey, one that shall fear thy name,
we do humbly beseech thee. Lord, we do pray that thou, in
thy great mercy, would remember parents, give them wisdom and
grace and help to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition
of the Lord, and work mightily and powerfully and effectually.
Bless the families as they gather for divine worship, we do humbly
beseech thee. Remember the prodigals, Lord,
that have wandered away. Stretch out thy almighty arm.
Cause them to be in one. Cause them to return. There's
nothing too hard for thee. Grant us that rejoicing, Lord,
over that one sinner that repenteth. We do humbly beseech thee. And,
O Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst remember all in the midst
of the journey of life and undertake for each one. Deliver us from
temptation. Deliver us from the power and
dominion of sin. And deliver us from an evil heart
of unbelief. O Lord, we do humbly beseech
thee. Remember those of us in the evening
time of life's journey and graciously grant thy rich blessing. Guide us safely unto thy heavenly
kingdom, we do humbly beseech them. Remember, Lord, we pray
thee, all thy servants, and remember those that labour in different
countries in the earth that go out from among us. We would remember
the Savannah Education Trust and that great work they're doing
in Ghana. Continue to supply their many returning needs. Remember
the Mombasa mission and thy servant that labours there. Grant, Lord,
we humbly beseech thee thy richest blessing and signs to follow
the preaching of the word. Remember Ian Sadler as he travels
to so many different nations of the earth in the distribution
and exposition of thy holy word to gird him with all sufficient
grace and supply his every returning need. O Lord, we do beseech thee. Be with us, Lord, we pray, as
we turn to thy holy word. Come and open thy word to our
heart and to our understanding. Come and bless us with light
and understanding. Come and touch one's lips with
the live coal from off the heavenly altar. We ask for Jesus Christ's
sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 277. The tune is St. B's, 494. Now I see what e'er be tide,
all is well if Christ be mine. He has promised to provide, may
he teach me to resign. Hymn 277, tune St. B's, ? Now I see for the very first
time ? ? Who lives and reigns mighty high ? ? He has won his
silver crown ? ? Praying each day to raise high ? ? Heaven
sent a savior ? ? God sent a helper ? ? In us pray ? ? Thee we pray to
and in awe ? ? I know we can't do this alone ? ? Thou see'st heaven o'er thee,
my God ? ? And this day, my God, and I am one ? ? I will go, I
will go, I will go, I will go, I will go ? ? I will hold thy feet, Jeremiah
? ? Lord, I know you will answer me ? O my lips, shall Jesus taste,
As He surely tastes for me. Only when the day is nigh, And
the calv'ry measures are done, Then for you is heaven done. Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I direct your attention to Psalm 91 and we
will read verse one for our text. Psalm 91, reading verse one for our text. He that dwelleth in the secret
place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the
Almighty. He that dwelleth in the secret
place. In this psalm, there is very much of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Indeed, there are some scriptures
here that are quoted in the New Testament regarding our Lord
Jesus Christ. And he shall give his angels
charge over thee, Verse 11, to keep thee in all thy ways, that
is quoted in the New Testament as a prophecy concerning our
Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. And also, he shall tread upon
the lion and the adder, the young lion and the dragon, shalt thou
trample under feet, as a prophecy concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. And It says in verse 15, he shall
call upon me. It's wonderful how we have recorded
in Holy Scriptures the prayers of our Lord Jesus Christ. I know
it's a great deep, and I know it's something quite hard to
understand, because Jesus is the Son of God. But as the Son
of Man, which refers to his human nature, he lived by faith. Now that may be quite difficult
for you to understand but our Lord Jesus Christ lived by faith
when he was a man here upon earth. We read that he spent whole nights
in prayer and in this verse 15 again it speaks of Christ. We know it speaks of the Lord's
living family too but surely we must give Christ the preeminence
in all things. he shall call upon me, and I
will answer him. I will be with him in trouble.
I will deliver him and honour him with long life. You know,
I know it refers to the Lord's people as well, but let us look
at Christ first. When he was led as a lamb to
the slaughter, and as a sheep before a shearer's
was done, He opened not his mouth. He died. He gave his life of
ransom for all to be testified in due time. But you know in
that same lovely chapter, Isaiah 53, the language changes, doesn't
it? He shall see of the travail of
his soul. he shall see of the travail of
his soul. See, with long life will I satisfy
him. He died, my beloved friends,
for the sins of his people. But death had no claim upon the
glorious person of Jesus, the Son of God, manifest in the flesh,
because he was holy, because he was righteous altogether,
because he did no sin. And as we read in Romans, The
wages of sin is death. He did no sin. Death had no claim
upon his glorious person. He's holy, he's pure. Is there
something in the person of Christ? There is to me, there is a sacred
beauty and loveliness. It's called in Holy Scripture
the beauty of holiness. Where is it? It's in Christ.
The beauty of holiness. In his holy person. His sinlessness. There's something to me, my beloved
friends, that is so precious and so sacred in that. And, you
know, as he's titled in Holy Scripture, Jehovah Sidkenu, the
Lord, our righteousness. We spoke this morning of his
righteousness. The Lord, our righteousness. Isn't that something that is
so precious to the living child of God? Not just the Lord, His
righteousness, the Lord, our righteousness. He's our righteousness. He's our perfection. He's our
holiness. It belongs to the Church. When
He came to this sin-cursed world, when He lived as a man here upon
earth, that when he fulfilled and honoured and magnified God's
holy righteous law, how did he do it? As a man. As a man. The eternal Son of the Father,
as a man, fulfilled the holy law of God, honoured and magnified
the law that you have broken, that I have broken. We cannot
fail to break it because we're born in sin and sin is any transgression
of the law of God. he did no sin. I love, I know
I often refer you to it, but I absolutely love that beautiful
word in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, how that he was made sin. The last verse of that chapter
5, speaking of our glorious person, of our Lord Jesus Christ, for
he hath made him who hath the Father, He has made Him to be
sin for us, who knew no sin, He knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in Him. What an exchange,
isn't it? He was made sin for us, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. And that is where
our hope is, friends, it's in Him, in the glorious person,
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, it's very clear from Holy
Scripture that He became obedient unto death. It's abundantly clear. He submitted to death. Death
had no claim on Him, but He did it as the great Saviour, Redeemer
of His people. He entered into the grave. Because,
you know, in the Garden of Gethsemane, that wonderful and solemn and
sacred transaction took place. He made Him to be sin for us. He laid upon Him the iniquity
of us all. You know, we mustn't lose sight
of the infinite love of our Eternal Father. He made Him to be sin. It pleased the Lord, that is
His eternal Father, to bruise Him. Why? Because He loved His
people. He loved them with an everlasting
love. Let us not run away with this strange idea that the Father
is some austere person sitting in heaven scowling down upon
the sons of men. He's full of love to His church,
to His people. He's loved them. I always feel
that that word in Jeremiah I have loved thee with an everlasting
love. The reason I feel it is because of the language, it's
the father that's being spoken of there in a very distinct way.
None come except the father draw. And what does it say there? Yea,
I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. You think of the father's eternal
love, in that holy covenant before
the world began in eternity past that holy covenant that was made
between the father and the son to redeem the church and that
he agreed in that eternal covenant to be made sin for them he agreed
to be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief he agreed to suffer
bleed and die He agreed that he would take into union with
his divine nature, a sacred, holy human nature, and he would
live upon this earth as a man for 33 years, and he would fulfil
and honour and magnify that holy, righteous law that man has broken.
The second Adam, our Lord Jesus Christ, has fulfilled and honoured the
law on the behalf of his people. He has delivered His people from
the curse of the law, from the bondage of sin and corruption. No, you know, He that dwelleth
in the secret place of the Most High. What is this secret place? Well, in the chapter that we
read together, in Psalm 27, it says there, in verse 5, For in
the time of trouble, he shall hide me in his pavilion. In the
secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me. He shall set me up
upon a rock as Christ, as the glorious person of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the eternal rock of ages. And this is the secret place.
This is the secret place. He shall hide me in his pavilion.
in the secret of his tabernacle he shall hide me his tabernacle
the son of god tabernacled on earth as a man and in in the
first chapter of john's gospel it says and the word that refers
to the divine nature of the son of god the word was made flesh
and dwelt among us and elsewhere in scripture that word dwelt
there is translated tabernacled he tabernacled among us how in
human nature what a mystery isn't it what a profound mystery that
the eternal son of god co-equal and co-eternal with the father
took into union with his divine nature a sacred holy human being My mind, in thinking of this
text, was much drawn to Exodus chapter 33. And there in Exodus
33, Moses himself was in great trouble and great trial, and
with the great burden of the children of Israel upon him.
And he said unto him, if thy presence go not with me, carry
us not up hence. You see, the Lord had said, my
presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And
then the Lord said, Moses desired to see him. And he said, I beseech thee,
show me thy glory. And he said, I will make all
my goodness pass before thee. And I will proclaim the name
of the Lord before thee. That's Christ, all my goodness,
all the goodness of God to the church is in Christ. I will proclaim
the name of the Lord. He hath given him a name which
is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow. And will be gracious to whom
I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show
mercy. And he said, thou canst not see
my face, for there shall no man see me and live. And the Lord
said, and this is what drew me to this portion, behold there
is a place by me and thou shalt stand upon a rock. That place by me, he that dwelleth
in the secret place to dwell in Christ, to dwell in Christ
and it it shall come to pass while my glory passes by I will
put thee in a cliff to the rock our last hymn, Rock of Ages cleft
for me, Christ, the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the cleft of the rock. I know we've said it before about
when the top lady wrote that hymn he was in the Cheddar Gorge
and a great thunderstorm and he went up into a cleft of a
rock with his horse sheltering from that great thunderstorm
and it was while he was there he composed in his mind That
hymn, rock of ages, cleft for me. Let me hide myself in thee. Let the water and the blood from
thy riven side which flowed be of sin, a double cure, cleanse
me from its guilt and power. And I will put thee in a cleft
of the rock. He that dwelleth, where? In the
cleft of the rock. I will cover thee with my hand.
You know, again, my hand. Christ is spoken of in a number
of places as the hand of God. And when he says, I will cover
you with my hand, cover you, what in that glorious everlasting
robe of the righteousness of Christ, cover you in that precious
sin atoning blood that cleanses from all sin. This is the hiding
place. And I'll take mine hand away
and thou shalt see my back parts, but my face shall not be seen. You see, my beloved friends,
these wonderful things are recorded in Holy Scripture for our instruction. He that dwelleth in the secret
place of the Most High. And the other portion of Scripture,
of course, is that beautiful, I often would like to call it
the Lord's Prayer in John 17, I think it has more of a resonance
to that than what is called the Lord's Prayer. And what does
our Lord Jesus Christ say in John 17 in his prayer, so full
of sacred doctrine? Verse 21, that they all may be
one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee. that they
also may be one in us, that the world may believe that Thou hast
sent me. In the glory which Thou gavest
me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one,
I in them, and Thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one,
and that the world may know that Thou hast sent me, and has loved
them as Thou has loved me. You see, I in them, that they
all may be one. He that dwelleth, he that tabernacles,
he that lives, he is our life. He is our life. Christ is our
life. Christ in you the hope of glory. But here it's put in
that way, he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most
high, shall abide, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. What a hiding place, isn't it?
Didn't David say that thou art my hiding place? And the Lord's
people, they need a hiding place. Sometimes they're afflicted with
an evil heart of unbelief. I must call it what it is. an
evil heart of unbelief. I've heard some people sometimes
over the years and they seem to speak of unbelief almost as
if it were grace and that if you've got an unbelieving heart
well you can't help it and it's part of our afflicted condition
and I've actually heard people say well it's actually an evidence
that you're a child of God. It's an evidence of just the
opposite. It's an evidence that we've got a sinful fallen nature.
an evil heart of unbelief. You know, in the epistles of
the Hebrews, the apostle there, he speaks by the spirit of that
hardness of heart, and that of the children of Israel in the
wilderness. There's only two men, It's a very solemn word
and the Apostle takes it up there in the Hebrew. There was only
two men that left Egypt that were 20 years old or above that
entered the promised land, Joshua and Caleb. All the others perished
in the wilderness and we're told in Holy Scripture that the reason
they perished in the wilderness, because of their unbelief. They
had to traverse that wilderness for 40 years until the whole
of that generation had died. And then the Lord permitted them
to go into the promised land. And the apostles said, so we
see that they entered not in because of unbelief, or that
the Lord would give us that spirit of living faith that we spoke
of this morning. Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ,
faith in his precious blood, faith in his glorious righteousness,
faith in him as the glorious person of the Son of God. Not just a man, not just a good
man, not just a righteous man, not just a holy man, he's the
God man. I love the way the Athanasian
Creed puts it, very God, very man, that's what Christ is. Verily
God, verily man, And this is where the Lord's living family
dwell. They're a poor and a needy people.
And they dwell here in Christ. And their hope is built on nothing
less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. That's what their hope is built
on. What Jesus has done, what he's accomplished. But sometimes
they, like we read of in Psalm 107, They sail through rough
seas. They do. They stagger to and
fro like a drunken man. They're at their wits end. Then
they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them
out of their distresses. Maybe there's one and another
here today, and that's where you are. The Lord's servant spoke
on last Lord's Day afternoon, didn't he? And he made that point,
let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed
from the hand of the enemy and gathered them out of the lands
from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
Now listen, they wandered in the wilderness. This world, once
the Spirit of God has entered your heart, once the Spirit of
God has quickened your soul, this world will become a wilderness. It will become a wilderness. They wandered in the wilderness
in a solitary way. Do you often feel alone? They found no cities to dwell
in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they
cried unto the Lord in their trouble. You know, friends, It
speaks throughout this psalm of the experiences of the Lord's
family, their rebellion. How they rebelled. Because they
rebelled against the words of God and contend the counsels
are the most high. Therefore he brought down their
heart with labour. They fell down and there was
none to help. Then they cried. Then they cried
unto the Lord in their trouble. He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness.
You see all the different pathways of the Lord's living family.
Solitary, darkness, bondage. It's all spoken of in Holy Scripture. He brought them out of darkness
and the shadow of death. break their bands asunder. How
does he break our bands asunder? By revealing Christ. By, you
can see the glory of Christ. The fullness of Christ. You know,
unless you brought down your heart with labour, we wouldn't
desire these things. If this world was so good to
you and you didn't need, and instead of that it's a wilderness
to you. It's a wilderness. It speaks here of the mariners
going to sea. And it says in verse 23, they
that go down to the sea in ships that do business in great waters,
these see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep. But it's a stormy pathway. I remember reading a piece on
Psalm 107 and the man that was commenting it said if this was
one of the great Greek writers or poets that this would be elevated
as being one of the most beautiful poetry that you could ever read.
But of course because it's Hebrew and because it comes from the
Lord Jehovah men don't want to know about that. It's the most
beautiful language describing the experience of the living
child of God. They that go down to the sea
in ships, that do business in great waters, these see the works
of the Lord and his wonders in the deep. He commandeth. Notice, he commandeth. That storm
you're in now, he commanded. When the disciples were constrained
to go over the Sea of Galilee, It was the Lord Jesus that constrained
them. It's almost to me as if they
were reluctant to go. Perhaps they could see a storm
coming or something like that because he constrained them to
go. And then they came into that
great storm. That great storm. There are of
course a number of occasions when the disciples were on the
Sea of Galilee. But let us think of that occasion
when he was asleep in the ship and there was this great storm
and they were taken on water and they were afraid. I understand
the Sea of Galilee is prone to great storms at different times
and they were afraid that the ship was going to sink. They
woke up the Lord Jesus, Master save us or we perish. He arose. Who? The Lord Jesus. You know, there's two things
in that narrative there. On the one hand, he was asleep
in the hindermost part of the ship. That shows us the reality
of his human nature. He knew what it was to be weary
and tired. He did. He was weary and tired. That was his human nature. So
he was asleep in the hindermost part of the ship. And they come
and wake him. Master, save us or we perish. And he arose. And he rebuked
the wind and the sea. And there was a great calm. And
the disciples were stood in awe of him. What manner of man is
this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him, the Son of
God. There you see the reality on
the one hand of His humanity, that He knew what all the sinless
infirmities of our nature were, weariness, tiredness, hunger,
thirst, He knew all those things. But then when He arises, you
see the Son of God and the wind and the sea obey Him. What manner
of man is this, that even the wind and the sea And that storm that you're in,
the wind and the sea obey Him. They're in His hand. They're
in His hand. Whatever that may be that you're
passing through at this time, for He commanded the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heavens,
they go down again to the depths. You see the way that it explains
a ship on the waves of the sea? He commanded. They mount up to
the heavens, they go down again to the depths. Their soul is
melted because of trouble. Maybe you've come to chapel this
afternoon and your soul is melted because of trouble. They reel
to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and at their wits end they
come to the end of everything. Do you know what it is to be
there? When you come to the end of everything, you feel absolutely
desolate. I remember my late pastor, Mr.
John, preaching on Psalm 107. I remember it so distinctly. He said, which end corner? Jesus
Christ lives there. He does. They're at their wit's
end. Then they cry unto the Lord in
their trouble, and he bringeth them out. of their distresses. He, this is all what God does
and he does it for his people. He maketh the storm a calm so
that the waves are lost still. Then are they glad, because they
be quiet. So he bringeth them unto their
desired haven. He brings his people. You know, dwelling in Christ, He that dwelleth
in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow
of the Almighty. The Almighty God of Heaven. The
Almighty God of Heaven. With Heaven and Earth at His
command, He waits to answer prayer. He does. He's the Almighty God
of Heaven. Jesus is the Almighty God of
Heaven. Yeah, he was a real man. Touched with the sympathy within,
he knows their feeble frame. He knows what sore temptations
mean, for he has felt the same. As the scripture says, he was
tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. I've
often felt that is the most profound, deep word there is in Holy Scripture.
our Lord Jesus Christ there's nothing where the child of God
can come where he has not been before and you think of the places
where you get there's nowhere where the child of God gets that
Jesus hasn't been there before he was tempted in all points
like as we are yet without sin what a dwelling place what a
place of refuge Thou art my rock and my fortress. He goes on to
hear, He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High
shall abide under the shadow, under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge, a refuge for sinners. The Gospel makes known, it is
found in the merits of Jesus alone. The weary, the tempted,
the burdened by sin were never exempted from entering therein.
I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my
God. In Him will I trust. In Him will I trust. It says
here, surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler
and from the noisome pestilence. I've often felt the snare of
the fowler is the temptations of Satan. whether he comes as
a roaring lion or whether he comes as an angel of light it's the snare of the fowler and the noise and pestilence
is this world that lieth in wickedness and the noise that comes from
this world that lieth in wickedness but here we have a wonderful
promise surely that means certainly Surely he shall deliver thee
from the snare of the fowler. You know, friends, if you know
something of the temptations of Satan, if you know something
of the subtlety of Satan and the power of Satan, sometimes
it brings temptations that are so powerful, you almost despair
of life. But hear this wonderful promise.
Surely he shall deliver them from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
That there is no temptation that overtaketh man, that Lord is
not able to deliver them. You may be ensnared at this time
in something, and you fear that it will be your utter ruin. There
is no temptation. that God is not able to make
a way of escape from that temptation that you're passing through.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, who is God over all and blessed forevermore,
who knows all things, sees all things, understands all things. The day and the night are both
alike to him. They are. You know, friends, there's that
beautiful psalm Psalm 139, in that the psalmist was given very
sacred meditation on the omnipresence of God and that God is in all
places at all times. You may have come to some dark
and dismal place at this time and you wonder, you feel to be
completely alone David, he says, O Lord, thou
hast searched me and known me, thou knowest my down-sitting
and mine uprising. Thou understandest my thought
afar off. Thou compassest my path and my
lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. Wherever you
are, child of God, the Lord is there. The Lord is there. He's with you. I will never leave
thee nor forsake thee. Maybe you feel to be forsaken.
I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. For there is not a word
in my tongue. This is where he's given this
meditation on the omnipresence of God. There is not a word in
my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. That is
more or less, the Lord knew it when it was in your mind, before
it even reached your tongue, before you'd spoken it. There's
not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon
me. Such knowledge is too wonderful
for me. It is high. I cannot attain to
it. I cannot grasp or understand the infinity of God and the omnipresence
of God that is in all places at all times. Such knowledge
is too wonderful for me. It is high. I cannot attain unto
it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I free
from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou
art there. If I make my bed in hell, behold,
thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there, even
there, is that where you are? Even there shall thy hand lead
me and thy right hand shall hold me. You see, I will never leave
thee nor forsake thee. If I say, surely the darkness
shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me. Yea,
the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as
the day, and the darkness and the light are both a light to
thee. You see, my beloved friends,
it doesn't matter where we are or where we get to, the Lord
is there. I will never leave thee. You
may feel forsaken, But you know, sometimes we feel things, but our feelings can be completely
wrong. They can be completely wrong. And that is the danger of following
just feelings. We shouldn't build all our hopes
on our feelings, on our experience at any particular given time.
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. Jeremiah was a godly prophet
of the Lord. And in the closing verses of
Lamentations, he says in the last verse, but
thou hast utterly rejected us. Thou art very wrath against us.
That was his feelings. because we enter straight into
the prophet Ezekiel, which was in the land of Babylon. Now it
came to pass in the 30th year, in the fourth month in the day,
first day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river
Cheba, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.
In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of King
Joachim's captivity, the word of the Lord came expressly unto
Ezekiel the priest, the son of Beusai, in the land of the Chaldeans,
by the river Chebah. And the hand of the Lord was
there upon him." In other words, the Lord had not utterly rejected
his people. That was Jeremiah's feelings.
Don't misunderstand me, friends. We can understand Jeremiah's
feelings. He saw the destruction of Jerusalem. He saw tens of
thousands of the Israelites slaughtered. We can understand how he felt,
but we see the Word of God. It's very clear the Lord will
never reject his people. He'll chastise them. He won't
cast them away. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth
and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. He does. He that
dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide
under the shadow of the Almighty. Says in verse four, he shall
cover thee with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou
trust. His truth shall be thy shield
and buckler. He shall cover thee with his
feathers. The Lord Jesus, when he wept over Jerusalem and he
speaks of the hen, she takes her little chicks under her wings
to protect them. I'm sure you're all aware of
that story of a fire in a chicken house and all the hens were destroyed and the farmer went through his
chickens and he kicked one of the hens and from under her wings
came all these little live chicks. The mother died in the fire but
she protected her, and this is the illustration used here. And
the Lord Jesus as he wept over Jerusalem, as a hen gathereth
her chicks under her wings, so would I gather thee. You see,
my beloved friends, he shall cover thee with his feathers,
and under his wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall be thy
shield and buckler. It is. Those wings are Christ. It speaks in the book of Ruth,
doesn't it? Boaz speaking to Ruth, and he's speaking of the
Lord God of Israel, and he says, under whose wings thou art come
to trust. You see, and he said to her,
didn't he, fear not my daughter, fear not my daughter. You see,
under whose wings thou art come to trust. All that thou requirest,
Boaz is that they're a type of Christ. Fear not, my daughter,
all that thou requirest, I will do for them. Jesus has done everything,
poor sinner. He's done everything. He lived
for you. He suffered for you. He died
for you. He rose again for you. He ascended
into heaven and made a new and living way into the holy place
for you. Jesus has done everything. There's
nothing for the poor sinner to do. Everything's done, it's all
in Christ. Cast not away therefore your
confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. He that
dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High. Oh, to dwell
in Christ and to abide in Christ. That's what the spouse desired,
wasn't it? In Solomon's soul, to abide in Christ. She desired and she did on a
number of occasions I said my beloved is mine and I am his. He that dwelleth is to dwell
in Christ. It's to live in Christ. That's
the thing. It's to live in him. He that dwelleth in the secret
place You know, this secret place is revealed unto the Lord's chosen
people. It's revealed, Christ is revealed. The blessed spirit, he takes
of the things of Jesus and he reveals them unto the living
family of God. In those lovely verses we read
in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, And it says there, a quotation from
Isaiah, I hath not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into
the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that
love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit. For
the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the Spirit of
man which is in him, even so the things of God knoweth no
man. but the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the
Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that
we might know the things that are freely given to us of God,
which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom
teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches, comparing spiritual
things with spiritual. The natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto
him, Neither can he know them because they are spiritually
deserved. You see, it's the Spirit working faith in the heart, revealing
Christ, revealing the secret place of the Most High. And that
is where the living child of God dwells, in Christ. He that dwelleth in the secret
place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the
Almighty. and they'll abide there for a
never-ending eternity to be with Christ, which is far better. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 143. The tune is Wells, 517. Rock of ages cleft for me, let
me hide myself in thee. Let the water and the blood from
thy riven side which flowed be of sin the double cure. Cleanse
me from its guilt and power. Hymn 143, tune Wells 507. ? O'er the land of the free and
the home of the brave ? ? And the home of the brave ? ? From thy heaven's high victor
? ? Be of good cheer, and have no fear ? Let it come, it is, at last. ? Cannot depart ? ? Goodbye, dear
? ? Goodbye, sweetheart ? ? Goodbye, tears of rest ? Love nor sin could thou deter,
Thou art safe and well. God be with you, my love, my
dream, Stiffness to thy cross I cling, ? Break and come to me, Lord rest
? ? Love master, take me, Lord rest ? ? Far I turn to thee,
Lord rest ? O come, let us adore Him O come,
let us adore Him ? All this we pray ? ? Oh, when
by Christ's grave ? ? Trembling in death ? ? When I saw the threatened
one ? ? Steady now my heart and mind
? ? Long for ages ever for thee ? ? Wait me nigh ? 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, both now
and for evermore. Amen.