Let us commence our service this
afternoon by singing together hymn number 920. The tune is
Triumph 691. When to worship saints assemble, let
the song to Jesus flow. He forsook his ancient glory,
groaned and bled for worms below. Ransomed mortals join to swell
the sacred song. Hymn 920, tune Triumph 691. And to worship saints assemble,
Let the song to Jesus flow. He forsook his ancient glory,
Ransomed mortals Ransomed mortals Going to spell the sacred song Ye who find yourselves bounded
here, fill your hearts and think of sin. Ye shall have, by God
in heaven, Righteousness that fight and flee, Tis the covenant,
tis the covenant, Worth by everlasting vow. Tis Jehovah's own providing,
That's the wisdom of divine. From His side, forever hiding,
? Sings of every name and sign ? ? He that wears it, he that
wears it ? ? Is by God exalted high ? Adam, when the tempter foiled
him, his bright robes were quickly gone. But this righteousness
of Jesus, answer my tears always on. Tis the title, tis the title,
to the mansions of old day. Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in the Psalm 110 and Psalm 132. Psalm 110.
The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand until I
make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of
thy strength out of Zion. Rule thou in the midst of thine
enemies. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power. In the beauties of holiness,
from the womb of the morning, thou hast the dew of thy youth.
The Lord has sworn and will not repent, thou art a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek. The Lord at thy right hand shall
strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge
among the heathen. He shall fill the places with
the dead bodies. He shall wound the heads over
many countries. He shall drink of the brook in
the way. Therefore shall he lift up the
head. Now, Psalm 132. Lord, remember David and all
his afflictions, how he swear unto the Lord and vowed unto
the mighty God of Jacob, surely I will not come into the tabernacle
of my house, nor go up into my bed, I will not give sleep to
mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, until I found out a
place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.
Lo, we heard of it at Ephrata, we found it in the fields of
the woods, we will go into his tabernacles, we will worship
at his footstool. Arise, O Lord, into thy rest,
thou and the ark of thy strength, Let thy priests be clothed with
righteousness, and let thy saints shout for joy. For thy servant
David's sake, turn not away the face of thine anointed. The Lord
hath sworn in truth unto David. He will not turn from it. Of
the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. If thy children
keep my covenant and my testimonies, that I shall teach them, their
children shall also sit upon my throne forevermore. For the Lord hath chosen Zion.
He hath desired it for his habitation. But this is my rest forever.
Here will I dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly
bless her provision. I will satisfy her poor with
bread. I will also clothe her priests
with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. There
will I make the horn of David depart. I have ordained a lamp
for mine anointed. His enemies will I clothe with
shame, but upon himself shall his crown flourish. May the Lord
bless the reading of his own precious word and grant unto
us a spirit of real prayer. Holy and gracious God, for we
do desire to bow before thee. Thou art the only true God, and
Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent We come to worship thee in his
name. We come to plead his precious
blood and righteousness as our only hope of salvation. We come
to confess our sins, our wanderings, our backslidings. We leave undone
things that we ought to do. We do things that we ought not
to do. We find a law within our members that when I would do
good, then evil is present with me. And so, Lord, we continue
along with that great conflict in the heart, in the soul of
thy people. The flesh lusteth against the
spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, for the one is the
contrary to the other. And Lord, we find this battle
in our hearts. And thou hast said in thy word,
behold the Shulamite, in whom there is, as it were, a company
of two armies. Gracious God, we pray for grace. Grace to fight the good fight
of faith. Grace to lay aside every weight
and the sin that does so easily beset us. Grace to be found looking
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Grace, O Lord,
to endure all things for Christ's sake, and grace to follow Thee
and to serve Thee in our day and in our generation. Hear us,
O Lord, we humbly beseech Thee. Show me Thy ways, O Lord, and
teach me Thy paths for Thy great name's sake. And we pray that
Thou wouldst be with us here this afternoon and show us the
things of thy covenant, those precious things of the gospel,
of the grace of God in Jesus Christ. For we pray, most gracious
Lord, that we may be led and guided and directed by the Spirit
of God. For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Oh, that we might know
the true leading of the Spirit, true guidance and direction in
that right way, and that we may be enlightened, the eyes of our
understanding may be enlightened, and that we may be made more
spiritually minded, and our affections set upon things above and not
on things of the earth. We think of the language of the
dear Apostle, that I may know him in the power of his resurrection,
in the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his
death, to know my Jesus crucified by fire excels all things beside,
gracious God. Oh, that we may have that knowledge
of Jesus, the Son of God, that knowledge of his great salvation,
that knowledge, O Lord, of his everlasting righteousness, and
that knowledge of His holy sacrifice on Calvary, and that knowledge
of the law fulfilled and honoured and magnified in His glorious
person. Lord, we do pray that we may
touch the hem of His garment, that we may draw from that fullness
that is in Him. We pray that we may know Him
in the power of His resurrection, in the fellowship of His Son,
Gracious God, do incline thine ear, we do humbly beseech thee.
Do show us thy ways and teach us thy paths. We pray for our
brethren, the deacons, that grace and help may be given them in
all their responsibilities. We pray for each one of our brethren
and sisters in church fellowship, those able to gather with us
today and those not able. Lord, we lovingly commend each
one to thee and to the word of thy grace. We pray for grace
to love each other, serve each other, bear each other's burdens,
thereby fulfilling the law of Christ. We pray for the whole
of our congregation, from the youngest to the eldest, that
thy rich blessing, that thy divine favour may be granted unto each
one. We pray to be prepared to die
to be prepared to leave this world. And as one says, but when
I launch through worlds unknown, see thee on thy judgment throne,
rock of ages cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee. Oh, do grant, Lord, that it may
be so. We do humbly beseech thee. And that we pray, most gracious
Lord, that thou by thy good spirit would guide us in the way that
we should go, and that grant that thy word may be a lamp unto
our feet and a light unto our path. Gracious God, we do pray
that thou in thy great mercy would remember the little ones,
the children, to bless them indeed, to put thy holy fear in their
hearts, in their young and tender years, to bring them to Jesus
Christ. Oh, we often think of those lovely
words. Suffer, little children, to come
unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of
heaven. Oh, gracious God, do incline
thine ear, and do have mercy, O Lord, we do beseech thee. that
we pray that there may be a generation that shall follow on to know
the Lord here in this little sanctuary, a generation that
shall put thee on in an open profession of religion and a
profession of the name of Jesus Christ. Hear us, Lord, we humbly
pray thee. We pray, O Lord, for the young
friends and always have mercy upon them and richly bless them,
guide them, direct them. And we pray for those that have
wandered from the ways of truth and righteousness that thou wouldst
lay hold of them. Oh, do hear us, Lord, we humbly
beseech of thee. The appointed time may roll on
apace, not to propose, but call by grace to turn their feet to
Zion's here. Lord, there is nothing too hard
for with God nothing shall be impossible. Gracious God, we
pray that we may see that generation that shall follow on. Thou didst
say to thy servant Timothy, I will that thou commit these things
to faithful men. Gracious God, we pray that it
may be so among us here. And O Lord, we do pray that the
glory and light of the gospel may shine into this village and
the surrounding villages and hamlets. Bring our sons from
far, our daughters from the ends of the earth, even as thou hast
promised in thy word. We plead thy precious promise,
Lord, that thou wouldst fulfil it, that thou wouldst arise. Arise, arise, O God of grace. Thou in the ark of thy strength,
and let thy priests be clothed with salvation, and thy saints
shall shout aloud for joy. Abundantly bless the provision
of thy house, and satisfy her poor with bread. O Lord, we do
beseech thee for thy great name's sake. We pray, most gracious
Lord, grant signs and wonders to follow the preaching of the
word. We pray for parents that thou wouldst give them grace
and help to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition
of the Lord, to lead them in that good and that right way.
And we pray, most gracious God, that thou in thy precious mercy
wouldst deliver us from the world that lieth in wickedness, from
the spirit of it and the power of it, There is those things within
our hearts, O Lord, that love the world, and the things of
the world, and the ways of the world, we pray to be delivered
from it. We pray for real repentance and
godly sorrow for our sin, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And that, Lord, we pray that
we may be delivered from any hindrances as we come together
around the Word. what various hindrances we meet
when coming to the mercy seat. Gracious God, deliver us from
those hindrances. We read of the dear apostle in
thy word how that Satan hindered him in his journeys to various
of the churches. We pray that we may be enabled
to press on and to press forward and to persevere Hear us, O Lord,
we do beseech of thee. Remember all in the midst of
the journey of life, be gracious, have mercy, and bring them unto
thyself to follow thee, to serve thee in their day and in their
generation. Remember that those of us that
are now in the evening time of life's journey and remember us
with that favour that thou bearest unto thy people and visit us
with thy great salvation. And Lord, we do pray that while
our days on earth are lengthened, may we give them Lord to thee,
all do hear us. Oh Lord, we do beseech of thee
for thy great namesake. We pray that most gracious Lord
for our dear aged sister Ina that thou has blessed her And
in the remaining steps of life's journey, may she see thy goodness
pass before her in the way. And may there be those sweet
glimpses of the heavenly kingdom. She may behold the land that
is afar off, and the king in his beauty. We pray, most gracious
Lord, for all thy servants as they labor in word and doctrine
upon the walls of Zion, that thou would set them free and
set them at liberty. We pray that where there are
those that are so diminished in their congregations that thou
would build them up, thou would revive them, thou would gather
in. Lord, there's nothing too hard for thee. Indeed, thou are
able to do abundantly more than we can even ask or think. Remember,
O Lord, our little group of churches the charities to which we affiliate.
We would remember the editors of our magazines, the secretaries
of our societies, and the various committees. Lord, we pray for
grace and wisdom and help to be given unto them. But above
all, we pray for a reviving, a renewing, a replenishing. We
pray for our sister churches in the USA, in Canada, in Australia,
Lord, graciously bless them, support them, sustain them. We
do humbly beseech Thee, undertake for them, revive them. Oh, do hear us, O Lord, we humbly
beseech Thee. We pray, most gracious God, that
Thou in Thy precious mercy would remember our government, raise
up those in high places that fear Thy name, that love Thy
name, subdue by thy gospel and by thy grace, the powers of Antichrist,
the wickedness and the evil that surrounds us. We think also of
Ukraine and that terrible war and thousands being taken from
time into eternity. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou in thy great mercy would put a stop to war, bring
to naught the counsels of the ungodly in Israel as well. Hear
us, Lord, we do humbly pray thee. Grant that these things may be
used of thee to the good of precious souls, to the glory of thy great
name, and to the return of thy ancient people unto thyself.
Again, Lord, there is nothing too hard for thee. Thou indeed
are able to do abundantly more than we can even ask or think.
We thank Thee for every favour and every blessing. O Lord, we
thank Thee for Thy free grace, Thy free grace and mercy. We
thank Thee for Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of the Eternal
Father, manifest in the flesh. We thank Thee for the glory of
His person and the fullness of His grace, the inexhaustible
supply of grace, of Him that is full, of grace and truth. We thank thee for that holy life
and that holy law that he has fulfilled and honored and magnified
on the behalf of his people bringing in everlasting righteousness.
We thank thee for Calvary, Gethsemane. Sin has been put away in that
precious sacrifice of Calvary. His precious blood has been shed,
paid the redemption price to redeem thy people. O gracious
God, what a fullness resides in Jesus our head and ever abides
to answer our need. We thank thee for a saviour that
has swallowed up death in victory and brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel. We thank thee that he's now sitting
at thy right hand, a man there is, a real man, with wounds still
gaping wide. We do bless thee, most gracious
Lord, for the fullness and the glory of our great High Priest,
our Lord Jesus Christ. Be with us now, Lord, as we turn
to thy holy word. Come, O Lord, Touch one's lips
with a live coal from off the heavenly altar. We ask for Jesus
Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 624. The tune is Diademata, 77. The Lord Jehovah is our Father
and our Friend. Immortal majesty is His, nor
can His glory end. He guards His children well,
nor shall they starve for want. When they their needs unto Him
tell, He'll answer their complaint. Hymn 624, tune Dida Marta, ? Ever changes ? ? Our God and
our God ? ? He holds no boundaries ? ? He is the truth and the life
? ? His glory forevermore ? Keep God still, still and well,
Nor shall they struggle at all. When they lay me down to enter
The answer thereon came to me. It is said to one Lo, with the old age comes, And
the weary gentleman, He who sits on the bench, Is still her heart devoted, Filled
for ever in this place. I love Thee, O Thee, very much,
which can have righteousness. In his bed I will sleep. And heav'nly hosts in excelsis
Deo, with praise proclaim. ? This generation of light ? ?
Will through the ages live ? ? We will preach the faith's red light
? ? When I dream of you ? ? Should
I wake with heaven's joy ? ? Should I wake with dreams unbreakable
? ? The Lord their God and Savior ? ? Keep away in His ways ? ?
Will always be your light ? In a way He's never known. This love, in every way I find,
Is some way gracious kind. greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, we'll continue with our meditation in the Psalm
132. Psalm 132. We spoke really of
the things contained here, those longing desires of
David for the Ark to be brought into its rightful
place at the very heart of the children of Israel. In Jerusalem,
He prepared a place. And we explain that the Ark was
beautifully typical of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, setting
forth both the glory of His divinity and His humanity. and how that
the Lord said to Moses, there will I meet with thee, there
will I commune with thee. And so, David, he says here,
arise, O Lord, into thy rest. In verse eight, thou in the ark
of thy strength, let thy priests be clothed with righteousness
and let thy saints shout for joy. For thy servant David's
sake, turn not away, the face of thine anointed. And then we
have this in verse 11, which I wanted to particularly come
to this afternoon. And the Lord has sworn in truth
unto David, he will not turn from it. Of the fruit of thy
body will I set upon thy throne. This is a wonderful promise of
the coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. As we're informed
in the Word of God that he was born of the seed of David, we
notice in Revelation chapter 22 how the Lord Jesus Christ
is said that he was of the root and offspring of David, Christ
the eternal Son of the Father. In that statement, I am the root
and offspring of David, we see both the divinity and the humanity
of Christ. As the eternal son of God, he
was David's root and David drew all his strength and all his
wisdom from Jesus Christ, from the eternal son of God. And yet he says the root and
offspring. According to his human nature,
he was the offspring of David. Mary was of the seed of David
and that was promised, wasn't it? Then of course we have those
very beautiful words of promise in the well-known words of promise
in Isaiah chapter 9 concerning our Lord Jesus Christ and concerning
being born of a virgin, Isaiah 9, verses 6 and 7. For unto us
a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government
shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace. This is the glorious person of
our Lord Jesus Christ, of God manifest in the flesh, the increase
of his government and peace there shall be no end upon the throne
of David and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish
it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever
the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this upon the throne
of David and upon his kingdom so this wonderful promise contained
here in verse 11 is fulfilled in the incarnation of the Son
of God. The Lord has sworn in truth unto
David, he will not turn from it. Of the fruit of thy body
will I set upon thy throne. You notice we read together in
that beautiful messianic psalm, Psalm 110, and how beautifully is the person of
our Lord Jesus Christ set forth. And the first verse is repeated
on a number of occasions, both by Christ himself and by the
apostles in the New Testament. The Lord said unto my Lord, you
notice The Lord is in capitals, that means Jehovah the Father. Unto my Lord, that is our Lord
Jesus Christ. God manifest in the flesh. Sit
thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. And so we see the fulfilling
of that in the Lord Jesus Christ when after he had suffered and
bled and died for the sins of his people and he rose again
from the dead and then he and it's recorded in numbers of places
how he ascended up into glory. Joseph Hart he puts it so beautifully
a man there is a real man with runes still gaping wide from
which rich streams of blood once ran in hands and feet side that
glorious ascended Savior I love the way the hymn writer puts
it tis he instead of me is seen when I approach to God a mediator
there is one God and one mediator between God and man the man Christ
Jesus who gave his life a ransom for all the Lord said unto My
Lord, sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy
footstool. And that is happening now, my
beloved friends, and it will happen in its fullness in the
second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, until I make thine enemies
thy footstool. And he speaks here so beautifully
of Zion, the Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of
Zion as the church of God here upon earth. Roll thou in the
midst of thine enemies. The church on earth is always
surrounded with enemies. The church on earth is always
spoken of as a remnant, which means a small part of. It's never
a majority. It's a small part of. Sometimes
it's greater, sometimes it's smaller. But it's never the majority,
not here on earth. And he promises here, these promises
to Zion. Through Zion's king, the Lord
shall send the rod of thy strength, that's Christ, out of Zion. Roll
thou in the midst of thine enemies. Lord has promised to, as we have
in our psalm, I will abundantly bless her provision. I will abundantly
bless her, that's the provision of Christ. And you notice here
in the latter part of our psalm, it says I will abundantly bless
her provision, that's Zion, I will satisfy her poor with bread.
And what seemed to stand out so beautifully in reading this
on Friday is these, I will, I will, I will. It's the will of God
and the purpose of God will be fulfilled. I will abundantly
bless her provision. I will satisfy her poor with
bread. I will clothe her priests with
salvation. That means he will anoint the
Lord's servants to preach the everlasting gospel. I will clothe
her priests with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud
for joy when the Lord pours his Spirit upon his servants, and
when the savour and sweetness and power of the truth is experienced
in the soul. I will shout aloud for joy. There
will I make the horn, a horn in Scripture represents power,
I'll make the horn of David to bard, that's Christ. I have ordained
a lamp for mine anointed. His enemies will I clothe with
shame, but upon himself shall his crown flourish. If we just
look back at Psalm 110, he says in there in verse 3, thy people
shall be willing. Thy people, what does he mean?
means those whom the Father has given him. All those that were
chosen by the Father, redeemed by the Son, will be sanctified
by the Spirit and they will be made willing to follow Jesus. Whatever it costs them, they
will follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power, in the beauty of holiness from the womb
of the morning, Zion is the womb of the morning. It says in Psalm
87 that this and that man was born in her. Thou hast the dew
of thy youth. How we need that dew, my beloved
friends. My doctrine shall distill as
the dew. Isn't that what we so need in
the day in which we live? What does it mean, distill as
the dew? What does the dew represent? The Holy Ghost. my doctrine the
doctrine of truth when preached under the power of the holy ghost
will be like dew that softens and penetrates that's what the
holy ghost does penetrates into the innermost parts of the soul and then then we have this beautiful
sacred word the lord has sworn and will not repent thou art
a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek was
that mysterious character who appeared to Abraham after the
slaughter of the kings in the book of Genesis. And Abraham
gave him a tenth part of all that he had. That Melchizedek
is a type of Christ. It wasn't Christ himself, it's
a type Christ. He says in Hebrews that he was
made like unto the Son of God, without father, without mother,
without descent, nothing was known of his parentage. Hence
he said without father, without mother, without descent, nothing
was known of this Melchizedek. But then the Apostle says but
made like unto the Son of God. The Son of God is without mother
according to his divine nature. He's from everlasting to everlasting. He's the eternal son of the eternal
father and he's without father according to his human nature.
It was a most mysterious and act of grace when the Holy Ghost
overshadowed the womb of the Virgin. And the angel said, that
holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son
of God. We see then the meaning, without
father, without mother, without descent, but made like unto the
Son of God. The Lord hath sworn and will
not repent, thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. The Lord at thy right hand shall
strike through kings in the day of Israel. He shall judge among
the heathens, Christ. He shall fill the places with
the dead bodies. He shall wound the heads over
many countries. He shall drink of the brook in
the way. I used to be quite mystified by this last verse. He shall
drink of the brook in the way, therefore shall he lift up the
head I feel quite sure, my beloved friends, the brook, being a little
river of water, is the Holy Ghost. Christ was anointed with the
Holy Ghost without measure. And that's what it means when
it says, he shall drink of the brook. And he said, if I by the
finger of God, if I by the finger of God cast out devils, the finger
of God, of course, is Christ. It's the Holy Ghost, rather.
Christ, by the finger of God, by the power of the Holy Ghost,
he cast out devils. He was anointed with the Spirit
without measure, that glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. It says in Isaiah chapter 61 concerning our Lord Jesus Christ,
in the first three verses of Isaiah 61, The Spirit of the Lord God is
upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach, as the
prophet, good tidings unto the meek. He has sent me to bind
up the brokenhearted, that's the priest. Christ is the prophet,
the priest, and the king of his people. To proclaim liberty to
the captives, that's the king. And the opening of the prison
to them that are bound. You see the Spirit of the Lord
God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me. That sacred
anointing of the Spirit that was on Christ. When he preached
it was under the power of the Holy Ghost and it had a tremendous
effect on the hearers. It entered into their heart with
divine We mentioned this morning of Matthew Levi at the receipt
of custom. And Christ walking past, he said,
follow me. And that entered with power into
the heart of a tax collector. And immediately left everything
and followed Christ. See the wonderful power of the
Holy Ghost. How we need that power today. You know, again, you know, in
the in the prophet Jeremiah in chapter 33. It speaks there so
beautifully of our Lord Jesus Christ by way of prophecy. You look from verse 14 in Jeremiah
33. Behold, the days come, saith
the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have
promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah in
those days and at that time. will I cause the branch, notice
that's written with a capital B, it's referring to Christ,
will I cause the branch of righteousness to grow up unto David, and he
shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall
Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely, and this
is the name, wherewith she, that's the church of God, wherewith
she shall be called the Lord. our righteousness. They will know, but one hymn
writer says, they all declare I nothing am, buried in one of
his hymns. They all declare I nothing am,
my all is bound up in the Lamb, in this branch of righteousness. To grow up unto David, he shall
execute judgment and righteousness. in the land. That branch of righteousness
to grow up unto David is Christ as King. And then it goes on,
in those days shall Judah be saved and Jerusalem shall dwell
safely. And this is the name with which
she shall be called, the Lord our righteousness. That is what
Christ is called. Jehovah Sidkenu, the Lord our
righteousness. And that is what his bride is
called. Jehovah Sidkenu, the Lord our righteousness that everything
any righteousness they have it comes from Christ they all know
there's no righteousness in themselves it's all in Christ then it continues
there verse 17 for thus saith the Lord David shall never want
a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel neither
shall the priest the Levites want a man before me to offer
burnt offerings and to condole meat offerings and to do sacrifice
continually. Why? Because Christ has come.
There's no more any need of the priestly office here upon earth
because we have a great high priest who is now in heaven,
who stands between, who hears the cries of his people. You
see the These things are written for our instruction. The Lord
hath sworn in truth unto David. He will not turn from it. Of
the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. That's our Lord
and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. You know, it just comes to mind
that beautiful word that we have in Psalm 89. In Psalm 89 verse 19 we read
that then thou spakest in vision to thy Holy One and saidst, I
have laid help upon one that is mighty, I have exhorted one
chosen out of the people. This is Christ. He says I've
chosen David my servant. He means David's greatest son,
our Lord Jesus Christ. I have found David my servant,
with my holy oil have I anointed him, with whom my hand shall
be established, mine arm also shall strengthen him. The enemy
shall not exact upon him, nor the son of wickedness afflict
him. I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them
that hate him, but my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him,
and in my name shall his horn be exalted. This is a glorious
person. of our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse
26, Thou art my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.
Also I'll make Him my firstborn. He's the firstborn among many
brethren. I'll make Him my firstborn, higher
than the kings of the earth. Christ is now exalted far above
all principalities and power, and every name that is named
is exalted at the right hand of the Father. Great high priest
who is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God My mercy will I keep for him
forevermore and my covenant shall stand fast with him It stands
in Christ all the all the safety and the security of the church
is in Christ His seed will I make to endure forever. Each one of
his children, the seed sown in their heart. The apostle Peter, he puts it
in that way in his epistle, kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation, ready to be revealed at the last day. His seed will
I make to endure. Every one of them. Not one of
them will be lost. They're all saved. They're all
redeemed. It says in Amos, not a grain shall be left behind.
Not a grain. Every single one of the Lord's
living family will reach eternal glory. Christ has made that new
and living way into the holy place. Therefore, every one of
his children will reach heaven and reach eternal glory. That's
why Christ speaks so beautifully in John 14, let not your heart
be troubled, you believe in me, in God, believe also in me, in
my Father's house. So many mansions. There's many mansions in heaven
for the Lord's people and they will enter into them. They shall
be preserved unto his heavenly kingdom. It's something that
is divinely sure and certain, his seed. also will I make to
endure forever and his throne as the days of heaven. Now he
speaks here and we have to come in here in a personal, experiential
way. It says here in Psalm 89 verse
30, if his children forsake my law and walk not in my commandments,
in my judgments, if they break my statutes and keep not my commandments,
then Will I visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquities
with stripes? And we have this beautiful word,
nevertheless. My loving kindness will I not
utterly take from them, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant
will I not break, nor alter the thing that has gone out of my
lips, though he chastens them. But ever remember what chasing
is, And what it says is a quotation in Hebrews 12. It comes from Proverbs chapter
3. Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth. It's a sign of love. You know, the first thing that
we think of when we come under the chastening hand of God, in
whatever way that may be, It may be in Satan's temptations,
it may be in a much deeper sense of your sinful and wretchedness
that you feel, and it may be in a providential way, but you're
brought into trouble and trial, and you're brought into a time
when you're so humbled because of your wretchedness and your
sinfulness. Nevertheless, lovely word, Nevertheless,
my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer
my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break,
nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn
in my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His siege shall
endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall
be established forever as the moon and as a faithful witness
in heaven the lord has sworn the lord has sworn it's it's
an oath that like we've just been reading of in psalm 110
i think either four or five times the apostle quotes that verse
in the seventh chapter of the hebrew The Lord has sworn and
will not repent. He will not change his mind.
Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Even here, the verse after our
text, it says in verse 12, if thy children will keep my covenant
and my testaments, I shall teach them, their children shall also
sit upon thy throne forevermore. For the Lord hath chosen Zion, he hath desired it for his habitation. The Lord hath chosen Zion and
desired it for his habitation. We read in Psalm 87, his foundation
is in the holy mountains. The Lord loveth the gates of
Zion, more than all the dwellings of Jacob. And you may say to
me, what does that mean? Well, it means that Zion is a
settled place. Geographically, of course, in
the days of David, the hill of Zion, it's all part of Jerusalem. But it means a settled resting
place. Abraham Isaac and Jacob lived
in tents. They moved from place to place. What is known as a nomadic existence,
they moved from place to place. They took with them their flocks
and their herds. The Lord loveth the gates of
Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are
spoken of thee, O city of God, sealer. Just think What a wonderful
thing it is that this little chapel in Lambethurst, it's been
here for over 200 years. It's been a little oasis in the
desert of this world unto many, many of the Lord's living family
over that 200 years. And he says, the Lord loveth
the gates of Zion. And it goes on in that Psalm
87 verse 5. And of Zion it shall be said,
this and that man was born in her. And the highest himself
shall establish her. The Lord shall count when he
righteth up the people that this man was born there, Selah. And it goes on and mentions even
the singers in Zion and the players on instruments. as well the singers
as the players on instruments shall be there. All my springs
are in thee. That's a spring of living water.
All my springs are in thee. And Christ himself said, didn't
he, that if any man drink of the water that I shall give him,
it shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting
life. A well of water. All my springs
are in thee. what Christ was speaking of was
the indwelling of the Holy Ghost in the heart of the believer.
That is what makes a believer, the indwelling of the Holy Ghost.
And it will spring up into everlasting life. Christ in that valedictory
discourse of John 14, 15, and 16, and he makes this statement,
a glorious statement, concerning the Holy Ghost. and he will dwell
with you forever. He'll be in you, a well of water
springing up into everlasting life. He will dwell with you
forever, forever. For the Lord hath chosen Zion. He hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest forever. Here
will I dwell, for I have desired it. And then these wonderful
promises. of what the Lord is going to
do. It's not only what he has done, it's what he's going to
do. I will abundantly bless her provision. I will satisfy her
poor with bread. I will clothe her priests with
salvation. That means he will anoint the
Lord's servants with the Holy Spirit and that the word of salvation
may be preached by them and poor sinners will receive of that
word by the power of the Holy Ghost in their hearts. This is
what the Lord has promised him to do. I will also clothe her
priests with salvation and her saints shall shout aloud for
joy. You know it says in Ezra, for
the joy of the Lord shall be your strength. And you know that
joy of the Lord and where does that come from? It comes from
a revelation of Christ to your soul. It will bring unspeakable
joy into your heart, into your soul. It will be a
joy that remains, that abides. This is my rest forever. Here
will I dwell. I will also clothe her priests
with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. There will I make the horn of
David to bow. Horn meaning power. The power
of David to bud. David of course meaning Christ. I have ordained a lamp for mine
anointed. A lamp, light shines. So it is
with Christ. God who commanded the light to
shine out of darkness has shined into our hearts with the light
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. light of the
glory of God. Christ himself says in John's
Gospel, chapter 8, I am the light of the world. I am the light
of the world. What a glorious light there is
in the person of Jesus, the Son of God. You know, John, in that
remarkable way in which he writes, in that intimate union and communion
that he had with his Lord and Master. He speaks so beautifully
concerning the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, his divine
person. In John chapter 1, he opens up
John chapter 1 in that very beautiful way concerning Christ being the light
Christ being the light of the world, and the life of the world. In the beginning was the Word.
That term, the Word, refers to the divine nature of the Son
of God. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was
in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him,
and without Him was not anything made that was made. him was life
and the life was the light of men and the light shineth in
darkness and the darkness comprehended it not. He says in verse 9 that
was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the
world he was in the world and the world was made by him and
the world knew him not he came unto his own and his own received
him not but as many as received him To them gave He power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name,
which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh
and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full. grace and
truth you know that is what Simeon beheld when he came by the Spirit
into the temple at the time when Joseph and Mary brought in the
Holy Child Jesus and it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost it
says in Scripture and when he saw that little babe it was revealed
unto him he took that little babe in his arms And he said,
now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes
have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before all
people. And this is the provision. Christ is the bread of life.
Christ is the water of life. Christ is the wine of the kingdom. Christ is the banquet in heaven. He brought me into the banqueting
house and his banner over me was love. All that wonderful
love of Christ under his people. It's not something niggardly.
It's something that is so rich and so precious. I will abundantly
bless her provision. I will satisfy her poor with
bread. And if such the sweetness of
the streams here on earth What must the fountain be? What must the fountain be? That
fountain of everlasting love in the glorious, glorified person
of our Lord Jesus Christ. The bride eyes not her garments,
but her dear bridegroom's face. I will not gaze on glory, but
on my King of grace. Not on the crown he giveth, but
on those pierced hands where glory dwelleth in Emmanuel's
land. May the Lord add his blessing
to these few remarks that we have made. Let us now sing together hymn
number 171, The tune is Malcolm 369. Join all who love the Saviour's
name to sing his everlasting fame. Great God, prepare each
heart and voice in him forever to rejoice. Hymn 171, tune Malcolm
369. Oh, say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the
brave? Of him what wondrous things are told
? In him, Lord, always I behold ? ? For him I gladly show thankly
? ? To him my soul holds dear ? never clean. In him my treasures all contain. Ah, in my people shows the same. From him my all things now receive,
To him my soul shall ever be. It be thy daily baptism, Lord,
Holy night, holy night divine. On him I cast my every care,
Like him one day I shall appear. Bless him, my soul, from day
to day. Trust him to bring me on thy
way. Give him thy whole with gentle
heart, bring him hope never, never, Make him, O strength and righteousness,
make him thy refuge in Israel. Love him upon all earthly joy,
And him in every singing joy. Praise Him in cheerful, grateful
song. To Him your highest praise belong. 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 forevermore. Amen.