The notices for the week. If
the Lord will, pastor will preach here next Lord's Day at 10.30
and 2 o'clock. There will be a prayer meeting
on Tuesday evening at 7 o'clock. There will be no service here
on Thursday evening as we join with friends at Hanover Tunbridge
Wells at 7 o'clock for their meeting in aid of the Trinitarian
Bible Society. May the Lord help us to commence
our services today with hymn number 370, the tune Rangely
393. Great God, While Zion sings the joy that
from thy presence springs, to spend one day with thee on earth
exceeds a thousand days of mirth. Hymn 370, Tune Rangely 393. Faithful to a thing of science, And I have found
Thy presence here, Just as Thou didst receive me. ? And Jesus comes a days apart. ? ? Glory to the Son, He reigns
again. ? ? What is a child in God's love
made? ? ? What is a child in God's
love made? ? ? Comes with clouds and falls with
rain ? ? Only your praise will drop this
sun ? Praise with glory true. O come, O come, all ye faithful joyful and triumphant, The glorious house in the clouds
above This we from God's Word in the
book of Daniel and the second chapter Daniel chapter 2 Daniel chapter 2 and in the second
year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams
wherewith his spirit was troubled and his sleep break from him.
Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers,
and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to show the king his dreams.
So they came and stood before the king. And the king said unto
them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to
know the dream. Then spake the Chaldeans to the
king in Syriac, O King, live forever, tell thy servants the
dream, and we will show the interpretation. The king answered and said to
the Chaldeans, the thing is gone from me. If you will not make
known unto me the dream with the interpretation thereof, you
shall be cut in pieces and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
But if ye show the dream and the interpretation thereof, you
shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor therefore
show me the dream and the interpretation thereof they answered again and
said let the king tell his servants the dream and we will show the
interpretation of it the king answered and said i know of certainty
that you would gain the time because you see the king the
thing is gone from me but if he will not make known unto me
the dream, that is but one decree for you. For ye have prepared
lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed. Therefore tell me the dream,
and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof.
The Chaldeans answered before the king and said, there is not
a man upon the earth that can show the king's matter. Therefore
there is no king, Lord, nor ruler that asked such things at any
magician or astrologer or chaldean and it is a rare thing that the
king requireth and there is none other that can show it before
the king except the gods whose dwelling is not with flesh for
this cause the king was angry and very furious and commanded
to destroy all the wise men of Babylon and the decree went forth
that the wise men should be slain, and they sought Daniel and his
fellows to be slain. Then Daniel answered with counsel
and wisdom to Ariok, the captain of the king's guard, which was
gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon. He answered and said
to Ariok, the king's captain, why is the decree so hasty from
the king? Then Ariok made the thing known
to Daniel, Then Daniel went in and desired of the king that
he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation.
Then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known to Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they would desire mercies
of the God of heaven concerning this secret, that Daniel and
his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men
of Babylon. Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night
vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered
and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever. For
wisdom and might are his. He changeth the times and the
seasons. He removeth kings and setteth
up kings. He giveth wisdom unto the wise
and knowledge to them that know understanding. he revealeth the
deep and secret things, he knoweth what is in the darkness, and
the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee and praise thee,
O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might,
and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee. Thou
hast now made known unto us the king's matter. Therefore Daniel
went in unto Ariok, whom the king had ordained to destroy
the wise men of Babylon he went and said thus unto him destroy
not the wise men of Babylon bring me in before the king and i will
show unto the king the interpretation then ariok brought in daniel
before the king in haste and said thus unto him i have found
a man of the cactus of judah that will make known unto the
king the interpretation And the king answered and said to Daniel,
whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto
me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? Daniel answered in the presence
of the king and said, The secret which the king hath demanded,
cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers,
show unto the king. But there is a God in heaven,
that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king, Nebuchadnezzar,
what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream and the visions of
thy head upon thy bed are these. As for thee, O king, thy thoughts
came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter.
And he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall
come to pass. As for me, this secret is not
revealed to me for any wisdom that I have, more than any living,
but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation
to the King, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.
Thou, O King, sawest and behold a great image. This great image,
whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee, and the form
thereof was terrible, This image's head was of fine gold, his breast
and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his
legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest
till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the
image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and break them
to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay,
the brass, the silver, and the gold broken to pieces together,
and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors,
and the wind carried them away. Then no place was found for them,
and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain
and filled the whole earth. This is the dream, and we will
tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king,
art a king of kings, For the God of heaven hath given thee
a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the
children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of
the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee
ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another
kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass,
which shall bear rule over all the earth. The fourth kingdom
shall be strong as iron, for as much as iron breaketh in pieces
and subdueth all things, and as iron that breaketh all these,
shall it break in pieces and bruise. Whereas thou sawest the feet
and toes, part of potter's clay and part of iron, the kingdom
shall be divided, but there shall be in it of the strength of the
iron, for as much as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
And as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay,
so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken. And
whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle
themselves with the seed of men, that they shall not cleave one
to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days
of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which
shall never be destroyed. And the kingdom shall not be
left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume
all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. For as much as
thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without
hands, and that it break in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay,
and the silver, and the gold, the great God hath made known
to the king what shall come to pass hereafter, and the dream
is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. Then the king Nebuchadnezzar
fell upon his face and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they
should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him. The king
answered unto Daniel and said, Of a truth it is that your God
is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets,
seeing thou couldst reveal this secret. Then the king made Daniel
a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler
over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over
all the wise men of Babylon. Then Daniel requested of the
king, and he sent Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs
of the province of Babylon. But Daniel sat in the gate of
the king, O Lord, have mercy, help us now
to approach the eyes of Thee in prayer. Grant, Lord, that
we might be given, as only Thou canst give it, that access to
Thy throne of grace. O Lord, we do pray that there
might be some real prayer from our hearts this day. Thou knowest,
Lord, what is in the hearts of those who have gathered. Lord,
Thou knowest what is in my own sinful heart. Lord, we feel our
inability to pray except Thou dost draw us. O Lord, do draw
us to the throne of grace. Draw us, Lord. Cause us to feel
our need. Cause us to cry unto Thee. O
Lord, where Thou dost give prayer, Thou dost answer it. O Lord,
Thou art able to do these things. Lord, we feel our inability to
do anything ourselves. Lord, we pray to come this day.
Be with us, gather with us, Lord, here. Do grant, Lord, Thy presence
might be known and felt. Lord, we do desire Thy presence
and Thy help. Lord, without Thee, we can do
nothing. Lord, without Thy presence, we will not be able to worship
Thee as Thou has commanded us to do so. We pray that we might
be found here, those true worshipers who desire who long and who shall
worship God in spirit and in truth. Lord, we pray then be
with us this day. Grant, Lord, that breath of real
prayer. Grant to the people, Lord, that
prayer, even and for me, that utterance
might be given to make known the mystery of the gospel, to
speak boldly, the things that I ought to speak. O Lord, only
thou canst direct us to speak, and we pray, Lord, thou givest
us that mouth, matter, and wisdom. O Lord, thou shalt show us, Lord,
what to speak, and help us in doing so, for all that it might
be, that Christ might be first, and last, and all in all. Lord,
do get to thyself the honour and glory, as it adjoins thy
holy name. We pray then, Lord, Aware there
has been that right desire to gather in thy house to worship
thee this day, a hungering and a thirsting after righteousness.
O Lord, may there be those that are filled. Do bless, Lord, longing,
seeking souls. Thou knowest, Lord, what they
long and seek after. We pray, Lord, that those who
knock might have that door opened, that those who ask might receive.
O Lord, there might be those answers to prayer, that there
might be that also a giving of thanks for that which thou hast
done, even for thy own great name's sake. O Lord, where thy
people whom thou hast quickened into life, in our feeling sleepy
spiritually and perhaps naturally, we pray, Lord, do work mightily
and turn them again. Speak of Mary or of Thomas unto
us. Grant, Lord, that it might be
turned from unbelief and hardness of heart, or it might be turned
on to a risen saviour, the one who we desire to worship this
day, or it might see and know something of the power of that
resurrection in our hearts, in our souls, in our lives. It might
be kept, Lord, from death. It might be kept, Lord, from
all that is within us. It might be kept, Lord, from
the old man of sin. O Lord, we pray then, keep our
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. or it might be kept in
that right spirit, in that right worshipping frame. Do bless thy people with the
word and season, Lord, I please thee. May there be something,
Lord. May there be a gleaning amongst
the sheaves. May there be those handfuls of
purples let down this morning, throughout the day, if it could
please thee. Lord, we pray for those whose hearts remain cold
and as hard as stone. We pray, Lord, that Thou would
break the stone and melt the hard heart. Lord, only Thou canst
do it. Thou knowest, Lord, those of
Thy elect people here in this chapel. Lord, those of Thy election
of grace that are yet dead in trespasses and sins. We plead,
Lord, by Thy Holy Spirit that there might be that beginning
of a work of grace. Lord, that might be a true softening,
a contrite heart before Thee, and they might be crying out
for mercy. Lord, do remember us, then we
pray for good. Be with those, Lord, who would
be here in this, Thy house, if they could. Those in affliction,
Lord, Thy people pass through many afflictions. Many are the
afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth them
out of them all. Lord, may they prove it. It be thy will. Do remember them, Lord, and grant
them a portion in their own soul. Lord, where there are those who
know to enter into thy house on thy day, there are those,
Lord, who know that thou art a God to be worshipped. Lord,
through the hardness of their hearts, thou wilt not come. Lord, we pray, Lord, do turn
them. Lord, do soften them. Lord, do
work mightily. May they know something of the
precious blood. May they be blessed with tender conscience and the
fear of the Lord. More so, do appear for thy people.
Appear, Lord, for Zion in general, that thou know'st our low state,
Lord, that thou know'st, Lord, those things which have grieved
thee. O may thy Holy Spirit, O may we know it, that pouring
out, Lord, that might be that reviving. Only that reviving,
Lord, can come from thee. in vain the efforts of man, we
pray to appear. Lord, we thank Thee for all Thy
goodness and mercy that has not cut us off as our sins deserve.
Lord, that has brought us on safely thus far. We thank Thee, Lord, for the
blessings that this church here enjoy. Lord, we pray that Thou
wilt yet build them up graciously and mercifully in their most
holy faith. There might yet be a growing in grace and the knowledge
of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We pray, Lord, that there
might be that true thanksgiving of Thy goodness and mercy to
them, and granting them a pass to these years. We pray, Lord,
that Thou be with him this day, that Thou would bless him in
all his pathway, a pathway much unknown to the people, but known
unto Thee. O Lord, Thou help him through.
Help him, Lord, in preaching amongst the people here, in season
and out of season. Help him, Lord, to be faithful,
to preach the whole counsel of God, to approve rebuke with all
long-suffering and meekness. Lord, may he truly feel to be
upheld by the prayers of the brethren. May there be a blessing
at times, an abundant blessing of his own soul. Lord, the sweetness
of the gospel, he might be filled with it. There might be that
overflowing, There might be that feeling of the sheep and of the
lambs. We pray, Lord, that Thou grant him souls for his hire.
Lord, that Thou grant him a sustaining grace to continue until Thou
shalt come. Be with him where he is at loose
in this day. Help him, Lord, in preaching there. And be with
those too who, according to Thy commandments, walk through the
waters of baptism. Help them in it. and bless them
in their souls. May they be faithful unto death. May they truly be able to fight
that good fight of faith. May they not be found as those
who turn back and walk no more with thee. Lord, may they be
coming up out of the wilderness, leaning upon their beloved. So, Lord, have mercy on each
one. Lord, heal up, Lord, the breaches. Heal up, Lord, the
divisions in Zion. or that they would unite their
church together in Christ Jesus. All we pray, Lord, for thy help
and for thy blessing upon the churches. We pray, Lord, for
this church here that would build them up in their membership,
those who have professed to know and to love thy name and thy
saving grace. Lord, do indeed bless them together.
May there be that unity and peace felt amongst them. Lord, may
they know thy presence and blessing as they meet together. Lord,
do in mercy then hear our poor cries. Thou knowest, Lord, how
much there is that we ought to ask for. Yet, Lord, how poor
and how weak we are in prayer. Lord, we have no ability to pray
of ourselves. Thou seest, knowest the desires
of our very heart. Lord, we pray that that I would
then hear an answer for thy great name's sake. Lord, we plead that
thou do these things for thy own honour and glory, whatever
thou dost do. Lord, may we be resigned to thy
sovereign will, may we be able to pray all things with faith,
saying, thy will be done from the heart. Lord, we pray, whatever
thy will be. Oh, we beg each one of us, Lord,
especially those taught by the Spirit. Our cry will be this,
O God, be merciful to me, a sinner. We pray, Lord, prepare us each
for eternity. You might be found ready and
willing in that time when thou shalt call us from time into
eternity. May that be our one desire, to
be found in heaven, to be with Christ, which is far better.
Grant it, Lord, to thy people, we pray. You might be living
with some measure of that blessed assurance, that thou hast indeed
died for thy people, risen again, now exalted, set down at the
right hand of the throne of God, from henceforth expecting to
his enemies be made his footstool. Also our prayer is this, Lord,
even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus, and do appear for us. Grant us,
Lord, that which we do not have. O Lord, we so feel to lack. We
pray, Lord, make up in giving what we've found in asking. We
would ask for Christ's sake, Amen. Hymn 694, tune Edmurston 640.
Lord direct thy own sent servant Teach him how and what to speak. Make him humble, wise and fervent. Skill the bread of life to break. Let each child enjoy a portion. Feel their souls alive to God. Freed from pride and empty notion. Eat thy flesh and drink thy blood. Hymn 694, tune Edmurston 640. Oh, I ran my own ten-seventeen's
in hell and gone to sleep. Make them come, O wise and confident,
Till the purple night to break. Let each child enjoy a portion,
fill their souls the life to go. Make of life an empty notion.
Eat by mouth and drink by flow. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
dwell thou sensibly in us. Our Lord is very great. We keep thee, and hail thy glory, Open, oh, our hearts to Thee. Sing, O peace in story, May the Holy Spirit to guide
us, teach us each, May ye so help us, turning to
his word, in the epistle of James, chapter 1, verse 5. James, chapter
1, verse 5. If any of you lack wisdom, let
him ask of God, and he giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth
not, and it shall be given him. but let him ask in faith nothing
wavering. See that wavering is like a wave
of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that
man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded
man is unstable in all his ways." Verse 5, particularly, I feel
I have to try to speak as the Lord will help me If any of you
lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally,
and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. If any of you lack wisdom, if
there is any here who are taught by the Spirit, by the grace of
God, to know that there is in them a lack of wisdom. There must be, we suppose from
this verse, that there are those who feel to lack wisdom. And
if there are those who feel to lack wisdom, what are the rest? What do they have? What do those have who say like
the Pharisee, those who look upon those crying out for wisdom,
those who look like the Pharisee looking on the publican, I thank
God I'm not as other men are. What is it that those self-righteous,
pharisaical souls have? Or those souls who perhaps profess
to have no religion, perhaps Seek only that religion which
is all self, whatever it may be called. What is it they think
their wisdom consists of? If there are those who lack wisdom,
there must be some who feel no lack of it. Where does that lead
us to? There is a way which seeth right
unto a man, but the end of that way is destruction. Where are
we by nature found? As we're born into this world. We turn to Job, the 11th chapter. Zophar speaking, he says, for
vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's
cull. A vain man or empty man, a man
who has nothing, he's born into this world, came into this world,
brought nothing into this world, it's certain we can take nothing
out. And if we brought nothing into this world, if we're born
as just a helpless being with no wisdom, then where is it that
we have got that wisdom from? There is two sorts of wisdom,
I believe, in the world. There is that God-given wisdom
which is of grace and grace alone. And there is that wisdom that
which man calls wisdom, which is nothing but that worshipping
of self. That wisdom which a man seeks
after is always for his own profit, for his own benefit, for his
own ends. Yes, a man would be wise, though
he's born as a world as is come. Think of the Proverbs as much,
they're spoken of wisdom there. see'st thou a man wise in his
own conceit, see'st a man wise in his own thinking, his own
planning, there is more hope of a fool than of him. Where
does that leave us? May we be as helped by the spirit,
may we be able to search our hearts, see where we are left
by the light of scripture, where we align with God's word and
that which we call wisdom. Man's wisdom is this, to seek
after that earthly gain. Man's wisdom is to say, I'll
pull down my barns and build a grater. Man's wisdom is always to break
through hedges, to cut corners. Where does man's wisdom leave
us? It leaves us in a terrible place. unless the grace of God
intervenes, it will take us to an even more terrible place,
and that place is hell. The wisdom of the world is that
which is really of the devil. We follow after like blind slaves,
the devil from the moment of our birth, born into sin, shape
and iniquity. run after that so-called wisdom
of the world? Or is that wisdom of our tongues? Perhaps you feel to fall at that
stumbling block many times. The tongue of that unruly member
set on fire of hell, or the mystery of iniquity, sin flowing forth
from the temptation of the devil. Where does it end? It ends in
misery and hell. What a terrible place, as we
left to our own wisdom. The Lord was gracious to Daniel.
We read of it. The Lord granted him wisdom.
We read of other men whom the Lord granted wisdom. Do we not
sing, if Solomon for wisdom prayed, the Lord before had made him
wise? Else he another choice had made,
and asked for what the world links prize. Oh, what a Blessing
it is to have that God-given wisdom. Notice, as we read this passage
in Daniel yesterday, the Lord gave Daniel that wisdom.
In verse 21, he giveth wisdom unto the wise. Or do you say,
well, that leaves me out? Because you've just said, that
we don't have any of that God-given gracious wisdom by nature. And if we never have any wisdom,
how can we be given that wisdom? Well, it's God that begins the
work. God plants the fear of the Lord in the hearts of his
people, which is the beginning of wisdom. The Lord teaches his
people, he gives them that wisdom, though they don't realise it.
What wisdom Daniel spoke to that man, at Ariok. Then Daniel answered
with counsel and wisdom to Ariok, the captain of the king's guard.
The Lord gave him wisdom in that moment. The Lord gives his people
wisdom and yet they feel a lack of it still. They seek more. The Lord is gracious to his people. It's only his people that will
ever receive anything of that wisdom. Try to return to that verse 21.
He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know
understanding. Where is it we read of it? In
the New Testament. He giveth grace, but he giveth
more grace. All those who are possessors
of that true grace of God, he gives them more grace. Those
in whom he has once begun that work of the Spirit, fills them
with the Spirit. Every blessing the Church of
God has, He increases for their benefit and for His glory. He
is the giver, He is the author. He's the author of all true and
living religion. He's the author and He's the
finisher. That means it must be everything in between. Christ
first and Christ last and all in all. Or if the Lord has given
you wisdom, Yes, it will cause you to cry out for wisdom still.
It will increase that wisdom. He won't take it away from you.
And the Lord once gives that spirit to the Holy Spirit of
promise. He never removes it from them. That indwelling of the spirit.
And so we see that in whom the Lord once begins that work of
grace, He never forsakes them. over what he wrote to the Philippians,
Paul. For I am persuaded that he which hath begun that good
work in you will perform it on the day of Jesus Christ. Or has
the Lord given you wisdom to cry unto him? Who is it that
has first given you that cry? Or is the Holy Spirit working
in you? When is it that you, child of
God, were first given the interest in the things of God? Was it
you who first brought about that desire in your heart after God
and after the things of God? The Lord, he works in various
ways, in various people, by various means and by various degrees
over various periods of time. But who can point to when the
Holy Spirit first came? All those first movements within
the heart and soul I don't believe any can know the Holy Spirit
turning one unregenerate soul, that regenerating of the Holy
Spirit, that work. In that moment, the soul cannot
say, I now have faith. Oh, but they have something that
is God-given. Oh, God has begun the work and he will continue
it to the day of Jesus Christ. If any of you lack wisdom, Let
him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth
not, but it shall be given him. All that work then must be of
God. Or maybe, or certain, where the
Lord has begun, there feels to be a lack of those spiritual
gifts and graces. It is so with each of the Lord's
people. I don't believe any of the Lord's people as they are
ripened as it were for glory, it will say to have less of a
lack or a desire of those spiritual graces and yet the Lord speaking
to his disciples when he sent them out to preach, they returned
to him lacking anything, nothing or they have no lack, those that
are in Christ Jesus have all things, it is because they are
in him is only those who are in Christ Jesus who can possess
any of this true wisdom, this grace of wisdom and prudence
and knowledge that goes with it. It's not their own wisdom
which they possess, it is that which is seemingly imputed to
them. You can see in the first chapter
that Paul wrote to the Corinthians in his first epistle, much there
Paul speaking of wisdom, unto them which are called both Jews
and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God.
And if Christ has been blessed to you, if Christ is yours, then
he must have all things and abound. Possess every blessing, great
and small, which dwells in him forever. You possess something
of those heavenly blessings in Christ Jesus. The 30th verse
puts it so well. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification
and redemption. I see there where the work has
begun. where the work is carried on,
of Him, of God, of Him the Father, i.e. in Christ Jesus, and who
of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification
and redemption, or we cannot rightly comprehend it in our
natural minds, or how we need the Holy Spirit to reveal these
great mysteries to us, or how the Lord graciously granting
his people that wisdom, so that they are found walking in those
right ways. All the grace of God that makes
the change. Before, found with their own
fleshy wisdom, found with the wisdom which King Nebuchadnezzar
had left to himself. Did you not read that in Daniel,
that when Daniel spoke to him there, he said he It was revealed
to him that he might know what was in his own heart, and that
thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart. Oh, what a mercy,
what a grace, if the Lord has revealed to us something of the
foolishness of our own wisdom. The foolishness of our own wisdom.
Oh, that entrusting to our own wisdom, we go after the things
of the world, break through hedges, and end up spending more time,
as it were, licking our souls. He that breaketh a hedge, a serpent
shall bite him. We bring destruction upon ourselves,
we walk in sparks of our own kindling, but for the Lord's
people, as grace is found working in them, and as they're living,
resting wholly upon him, and upon his finished work, walking
in newness of life with him, there'll be this found in them,
which was not there before, this which is unexplainable to our
natural minds. Or they're given that wisdom
which is of God, that wisdom which is Christ Jesus. Yes, even
this, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Or they become those who are brought to that place where they're
found in the very image of God. That which we read in Romans
8 is there somewhere. Them he also called, and whom
he called, them he also justified, them he also glorified. Oh no,
sorry, the verse before. For whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. All the Lord's
people are found possessors of the image of God once more. What a massive, what a huge statement
that is, to be found in the very image of God. That's where Adam
and Eve were, in the Garden of Eden, created in God's image,
and yet sin, entering in, causing them to fall from that image. What a terrible place they were
then in. But those whom he did foreknow,
those whom he did predestinate, those elect people. He chose them that he might conform
them, he might bring them back, he might recreate them. As we
found that image which is Christ and thus being in that image,
possessing that wisdom which is from above, that wisdom which
can only come from above. That wisdom which can only be
found with all the other blessings which are in Christ Jesus. Or the new creation of the Holy
Spirit, that regenerating work in the soul. In 2 Corinthians,
the Lord makes known something of the power of that work for
God. who commanded the light to shine
out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give the light
to the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And as he works mightily, that
light is shining. There's that new creation. Old
things have passed away, but all things have become new. They're new created. They're
in Christ Jesus. They're found in him. That wisdom
is given them. the wisdom from above, and so
they see with that clearer light, and so they can walk with that
clearer light, even as Christ walked. It's one thing to know
something of it in the head, it's another thing to feel it
in the heart, walk it out in the experience, what a precious
place it is to be given wisdom, to first ask of God, and to receive
wisdom of God, or what situations the Lord's people have come to.
the Lord, he graciously is with them still. And yet the devil
is ever at their right hand to resist them. That adversary of
the devil which goeth about is a roaring lion, seeking whom
he may devour. He has gone before you, he has
set some trap for your feet. Or is there that prayer for wisdom
then in that matter? Or you see some pathway before
you Oh, you fear that there is that uneasiness about it, whatever
it may be. Unsure whether to take the left
or the right. Oh, but the Lord knows. Oh, there's
to be a looking up to Him then. Oh, the Lord, He will direct
our ways. Commit thy way unto the Lord.
Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. Oh, that is
that seeking of wisdom. Seeking that the Lord would guide
and direct us. Oh truly, neither know we what to do, but our eyes
are upon thee, upon Christ. There's one place a Christian
has to keep looking, is have our eyes fixed on Christ, as
Christ is gone before, so as people follow on. And they'll
prove this, but he knoweth the way that I take. When he hath
tried me, I shall come forth as gone. What a precious way
that trial of faith is. The verse is just before the
verse we've announced our text. My brethren, counter all joy
when you fall into divers temptations. Knowing this, the trial of your
faith will give patience, but let patience have her perfect
work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. It does not pay to speak, but
also in that way manifold temptation. there seems to be so much set
against us and yet this truth again from Romans 8 stands sure,
if God before us, who can be against us? What do we cry out
then in those moments, that wisdom to be given us? If any of you
lack wisdom, let him ask of God. What is it then to have something
of this wisdom? What effect does it have? It gives us that light to see
that which is right and that which is wrong. is to be given
the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of all wisdom.
The men that fear the Lord, in every state are blessed. The
Lord shall grant whatever they want, that their soul shall dwell
at rest. It gives religion life, it's
that light to all that's right and a bar to all that's wrong.
Or to come to some places, providentially, much more so spiritually, or
to know what's right, Lord, what will Thou have me to do? Where
will Thou have me to go? What will Thou have me to speak? I have no wisdom, I lack wisdom
in the matter. Oh, but God, as He gives that
wisdom, it will be in this way, that light is given, a light
to the eyes, and His word is a lamp to our feet, a light to
our path, all is revealed. The will of God is revealed.
That's where the wisdom of Christ will lead his people to see what
God will have them to do. Yes, if any of you lack wisdom,
let him ask of God. What wisdom do we have? Nothing. But what is God's wisdom? It
is light, it is pure light. It's only God who can give that
light. It's that same work, that same power that is needed. at
first begun the work in our soul for God, in the beginning God,
or if our religion is not bringing us back to the work of God, if
our hope is not bringing us back to rest entirely upon that work
which He has begun, or if our daily life is not bringing
us to such places has caused us to cry out to Him and look
to Him for help. Oh, then you'll be sure of this,
we're in a wrong place, you're in a dangerous place, you're
on a slippery slope. Oh, for God, who commanded the
light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. Oh, as the Lord made known His
will in the matter through the Word, Oh, Christ is precious
to his people then. Is Christ going before them?
Is Christ going before them as that cloudy, fiery pillar? He
led them forth by the right way. They might go to a city of habitation. Oh, what a difference there is
between the right way and the wrong way. Oh, to be led in it,
in the right way, that fiery, cloudy pillar. It was a light
by night for the Israelites. and it was darkness all night
to the Egyptians so that one came not near the other all the
night. Also this God-given wisdom, it must be Christ. It is the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is all the heavenly blessings,
all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus to the
believer. All those who have something
of the wisdom of God, You can't be a possessor of partial faith. You know, if the Lord has given
you a measure of faith, it will grow as that grain of mustard
seed. It gives then the Lord's people
that discernment, a discernment between that right and wrong. They might walk right, they might
walk worthy of the vocation we are with them called. Notice in reading in the book
of Revelation a few days ago, these words, the end of chapter
13. Here is wisdom. Let him that
hath understanding count the number of the beast, for it is
the number of a man, and his number is 600, three score and
six. Oh, the Lord, he's given his
people that word there at the end of the chapter of their instruction
for our profit. Many may laugh and joke about
that number, but if the Lord has left it in his word as wisdom,
how can we treat it lightly? Or the Lord, when he gives his
people wisdom, they will desire to flee from sin. When that wisdom,
that pure light, that gracious discernment is given, how exceedingly
sinful sin will become. Where will it bring us to? Where
will that wisdom bring us to? Where will that light which shines
upon our pathway, that light which shines upon our dark heart
by nature, where will it bring us to? It's a crying out for
Christ, for more of Him. All that self might be brought
down, all that sinful self might be brought down. The cry of John
the Baptist might be found in our heart. He must increase,
but I must decrease. All that wisdom which is that
light, to give us that discernment. We'll see the wickedness of our
heart. We'll see our poor futile attempts
at keeping His holy law. The law will become that schoolmaster
to bring us to Christ. What a precious place it is to
be brought. Not to trust still in the law. No, ye have dwelt
long enough in this mountain. O turn ye. What a turning we
need. To be found turning from self.
What a What a terrible dark place it is to be found under the law,
to be found under the curse still. The Lord, He gives His people
this wisdom, that light which shines, they might be turned,
turned unto Him. It's not their own work though,
the Lord works, the Lord works mercifully, the Lord works graciously,
it's His work from beginning to end. But when the Lord gathers
something of that light, we see how great the darkness was before. So dazzling is the brightness
of the light which is in the Gospel, and that glory which
accented. Oh, we see the darkness and the
dimness of our own views by nature. Oh, how dark we are, how corrupt,
how barren we are. Oh, the Lord, I trust, has given
me this word to come to speak here. Lambethurst, if any of
you lack wisdom, let him ask of God. I'll say it carefully,
I feel he's giving it to one of the least wise men who's ever
stood in the pulpit to have come to try to speak, to try to sit
to dwell on this word yesterday and throughout the day. Oh how
bound up I felt, how unwise, oh how terrible O the plague
of sin within me, O the darkness, O the lack of wisdom, the lack
of spiritual life. But where does James carry on?
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God. Yes, as it giveth
to all men liberally, of all blessings in Christ Jesus, O
they are those eternal blessings. There is that in him which is
that fullness of God which filleth all things, that fullness which
is that overflowing, crammed in, packed together. Yes, he
gives it as those that lack wisdom, or with the grace that is found
with him. If he upbraideth not, if he upbraideth not, or does
the Lord upbraid you, sometimes of your unbelief, yes, he may
reprove, yes, he may chasten, but yet not as our sins deserve.
or the one feeling to lack so much, the one feeling such an
impossible burden laid upon him, or the impossibility for one
to preach of wisdom, who feels so bound up, so dark, out of
season, the Lord knows, or be upbraideth not, as such is the
love of God to man, those whom he had chosen, for whom He's
chosen. In Corinthians, in that last
chapter, in that first chapter story, those last verses, God
has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise. And God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound
the things which are mighty. All the grace of God in the Gospel.
He's chosen the most unlikely to save by His grace. He's chosen
the most wicked, the most sinful, the darkest, He's chosen the
weakest and the foolish things to make known his grace, to make
known his mercy. Give us to all men liberally
and upbraideth not. Oh no, you see, all the time we're pleading
something of creature strength. We cannot enter into heaven.
No, for except our righteousness exceed the righteousness of the
scribes and pharisees, you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Where was I when trying to meditate on this text and seeing my lack
of wisdom, yet so unable to ask for it? May the Lord help me
to stop speaking of self. Where was I? Where are you? Perhaps you're upbraiding yourself,
reproving yourself. No, we're doubting God's great
grace, we're doubting his mercy. We're trying to mix something
of our own works with his. that hymn, the precious hymn,
what think ye of Christ is the test, to try both our state and
our scheme, ye cannot be right in the rest unless ye think rightly
of him. Now in a hymn that says that
some men will try to mix works with his name, rather they trust
on their works and to make up full measure when they cast his
name in the balances. No, that's not the way the Lord
have his people to walk. Not the way the Lord have his
people to walk. It's the way the church at Galatia turned
back. Turned back. Tell me ye that desire to be
under the law. Or they desire to have some works of the flesh.
There were those who desired to have them circumcised and
make glory in their flesh. Now where does that first chapter
of Corinthians end? According as it is written. He
that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Oh yes, the Lord
is gracious indeed. And he'll take away all the work
which is of the flesh. He'll take away all our supposed
works of righteousness, for all our righteousnesses are as filthy
rags. Yes, he'll take Joshua the high
priest, take the filthy garments from him. And he'll give that
a new robe. Oh, it's only that wisdom which
is of Christ. It's only that grace which is
of Christ which is saving. If your religion is anything
else this morning, you're not right to stand before God. Or
there still needs to be much of that praying. Prepare me,
gracious God, to stand before thy face. Or how is it we can
stand before him? With boldness, a holy, a holy
boldness to stand before the judge of all the earth, the maker
of heaven and earth, he who should judge every man according to
his works, whether they be good or bad. How is it we can stand
before him? Or as we plead his precious blood? Or as we plead his spotless righteousness? Or to be in such a place as to
try to gather together something of your own wisdom? Or perhaps
even to shed your own blood? Or it would not be saving? No,
not all the blood of beasts. And would a man, give his soul, give his body,
give his life, a prayer adventure, a man would even dare to die
for a righteous man. Oh no, but God commendeth his
love toward us, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us. Yes, you who feel to be so unwise,
you who feel to be so destitute of every God-given grace, while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. There's no works no righteousness
of self that caused the Holy Spirit to first come and dwell
in your breast. Oh no, the Lord having chosen
his people in that covenant of redemption in eternity past,
all mystery of mysteries, wonders of wonders, who can ever get
into that, not to delve into the hidden things of God. Go
and read Psalm 131, not exercise yourselves in matters too high
for you, but it will take an eternity, an eternity to sing
the praise of God for that which he has done, for that which he
has wrought, for that which he has, use words carefully, thought
out, all the wondrous plan of salvation, that God should save
sinners, that God should save rebellious man, to show forth
his grace. Yes, and all of Israel must of
glory go to show forth his grace. Not one that feels to lack wisdom
shall be left out. No, not one that pleads with
the Lord for wisdom shall be left out. Not one that pleads
with the Lord for anything for his great name's sake shall be
left out. But let him ask in faith, nothing
wavering, yes and it shall be given him but let him ask in
faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a wave
of the sea driven with the wind and tossed or having tried to
consider just a little of this uh wisdom this god-given wisdom
what does the next verse lead us to cry out from the bottom
of our hearts this lord increase our faith oh what a need we have
We are as those have to be, as those babes crying out, crying
out for food, crying out the Lord should sustain us. Yes,
the Lord's people feel to be like that babe in Ezekiel 16,
cast out, lying in their own blood, helpless, hopeless case. Oh, it seems a daily struggle.
It seems to be a daily thing with the Lord's people. They're
crying out for faith, they're crying out for wisdom. and have
cried out for grace. All those graces of God might
be given to his people. It shall be done. The Lord will
yet have his people ask for them, or yet be inquired of by the
house of Israel to do it for them. Oh, how great our God is. He is he that asketh and receiveth. He that knocketh, it shall be
opened. All these things are to be proved. These things have
to be proved, tried and proved, that God might have the glory.
When was it that you were last brought into a situation that
you knew not how to go on? Or do you know something of what
we've been trying to speak about? This God-given grace of wisdom?
The Lord going before you? The Lord helping you in some
matter? Or do you look back and say, if it was not for grace,
There go I but for the grace of God. Or you feel the Lord
has helped me indeed in some matter, or given the praise for
it. He does these things for His
own glory. He does these things that they
might praise Him the more. Or He does these things to encourage
us in the way. He brings us low. Look at Psalm
107. They went down to the dams. Then
they cried unto the Lord in their trouble. He delivered them. Oh
that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and for His
wonderful works the children of men. It's the way the Lord
works. He takes all our own fancied
wisdom away, that we might be possessors of that which is of
Christ. He takes all our supposed faith
and goodness away, our own head knowledge to give us that which
depends alone upon Him. we have to be found dependent
upon God and God alone. But of him are you in Christ
Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and
sanctification and redemption. May the Lord ever keep us pleading
that he would continue that work he has begun and it might be
even continued as the day of Jesus Christ. If any of you lack
wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally,
and upbraideth not, when it shall be given him. Amen. We close with hymn 500 to the
tune Ebenezer Chapel 638. May the grace of Christ our Saviour
and the Father's boundless love, with the Holy Spirit's favour,
rest upon us from above. Thus may we abide in union with
each other and the Lord. and possess in sweet communion
joys which earth cannot afford. Praise the praise of Christ our
Savior, and the Father's heaven-blessed love. With the Holy Spirit's favor,
rest upon us, O God. Thus may we abide in union with
each other and the Lord. Oh Lord, do bless thy own world. Do forgive everything that's
been of man. Take it away, and do wash us, Lord, in Thy precious
blood, and prepare us for never-ending eternity. O, may we prove and
know the grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and the
love of God the Father, and the leading and teaching of the Holy
Spirit, with this now and evermore. Amen.