Let us commence our service this
evening by singing together hymn number 216, the tune is Sweet
Name, 730. Lord, come in thy appointed ways,
and teach me now to sing thy praise, for thou art dear to
me. And all the openings of thy love,
in coming from thy courts above, prove I was dear to thee. Hymn 216, tune Sweet Name, 730.
♪ How did I ever contemplate ♪
♪ As it denounced to save my grace ♪ ♪ For Thou art dear to
me? ♪ And call thee a King of thine
own, In coming from thy hotel bar, Provider most dear. ♪ To Thee ♪ ♪ Give me, my needful glory, then
♪ ♪ I, Thou angels, may command me ♪ ♪ Though old age is not
gone ♪ ♪ In that night of waltz ♪ ♪ Fix on me ♪ ♪ That half-moon
face I ♪ ♪ Fix on me ♪ I have redeemed Jesus, Lord, In it I make my sacred vows,
and count in them every sacrifice, and for them seek thy grace. It is right, how I longed it
all, that I the purest of shall burn, and she the most fair. ♪ Dear Lord, for us a promise lay
♪ ♪ From Christ thy Son, the sinner's friend ♪ ♪ And more
to make my share ♪ ♪ More praise for Heschel may I bring ♪ ♪ And
the world ebbing radiancy ♪ But thy abstraction, dear, ♪ There must be very no tasteless
♪ ♪ Of your care ever must be fresh ♪ ♪ Therefore be it thy
will ♪ ♪ My house will have resort ♪ ♪
And with my friends there ♪ ♪ Every port of entertainment ♪ ♪ Heavenly light ♪ ♪ And in the generes of thy grace
♪ ♪ The trust in all thy smile ♪ and bring thy present here. ♪ God know he doth be ♪ ♪ No tribute
♪ ♪ But strength for shelter ♪ ♪ Hear me love the poor old
man ♪ Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in Paul's epistle to the Hebrews in chapter 7. Hebrews chapter 7. For this Melchizedek, King of
Salem, priest of the Most High God, whom Abraham returned from
the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham
gave a tenth part of all, first being by interpretation King
of Righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is
King of Peace, without father, without mother, without descent,
having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like
unto the Son of God, abideth the priest continually. Now consider
how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham
gave the tenth of the spoils. And verily, they that are of
the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood,
have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the
law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins
of Abraham. But he whose descent is not counted
from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that
had the promises. And without all contradiction,
the less is blessed of the better. And here men that die receive
tithes, but there he receiveth them of whom it is witnessed
that he liveth. And as I may so say, Levi also,
who receiveth tithes paid tithes in Abraham, for he was yet in
the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. If therefore
perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, for under it the
people received the law, what further need was there that another
priest should rise after the order of Melchizedek, and not
be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being
changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. For
he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe,
of which no man gave attendance at the altar, for it is evident
that our Lord sprang out of Judah, of which tribes Moses spake nothing
concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident,
for that after the similitude of Melchizedek, there ariseth
another priest, who is made, not after the law of a carnal
commandment, after the power of an endless life. For he testifies,
thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. For
there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before,
for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing
perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, of the
which we draw nigh unto God. inasmuch as not without an oath,
he was made priest. For those priests were made without
an oath, but this with an oath, by him that said unto him, the
Lord swear, and will not repent, thou art a priest forever, after
the order of Melchizedek. By so much was Jesus made a surety
of a better testament. And they truly were many priests,
because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death.
But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to
save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for them, For such an high priest
became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,
and made higher than the heavens. Who needeth not daily, as those
high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then
for the people's. For this he did once, when he
offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests
which have infirmity, but the word of the oath which was since
the law maketh the son who is consecrated for evermore. 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. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
we bow before thy glorious majesty, the King eternal, immortal, and
invisible, the only true God. We come, Lord, as poor, needy
sinners. We come to plead that blood that
did for sin atone, even the blood of Jesus Christ,
God's Son, that cleanseth us from all sin. We come and seek
and hope to find a portion for our soul. We come that we might
know those drops of heavenly dew that we've sung on, and that
the love of Christ may constrain us, that we may be drawn into
spiritual things, that we may be made more spiritually minded,
that our heart and our affections may be set upon things above
and not on things of the earth. And we come and desire 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 come, Lord, that we may that
savingly feel the preciousness of those words, for God has sent
forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Oh, we pray to be led, to be
taught, to be guided, and to be directed into thy truth. For
as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of
God. Oh, to be led. To Jesus Christ,
the only Saviour of sinners, blessed, holy, divine Spirit
of truth, do take of the things of Jesus and reveal them unto
us. We do humbly beseech thee, show
us thy ways, teach us thy paths, lead us into thy truth. We do
humbly beseech thee, for without thee we can do nothing. for these
things are revealed by the Spirit of God. So we pray for the power
and the grace and the love of the Holy Ghost to be known and
felt and realised in our hearts this night, and that the love
of Christ may constrain us, and that we may have that sacred
witness of thy spirit with our spirit, for the Father himself
loveth you. no longer a stranger or a guest,
but like a child at home. We do pray for our brethren,
the deacons, that grace and wisdom and help may be given them in
all their responsibilities, and that thou wouldst gird them with
that grace day by day. We do humbly beseech them. We
do pray that thou wouldst bless us as a church and as a congregation,
and that thou wouldst work mightily, powerfully, and effectually among
us. We pray that thou would remember each one of our brethren and
sisters in Christ in church fellowship. Remember each one for good. Remember
them with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people. Visit
them with thy great salvation. Help us to pray for each other,
to bear each other's burden, Help us to love each other, serve
each other in our day and in our generation. When is it brethren
all agree? And let distinctions fall when
nothing in themselves they see and Christ is all in all. We
pray that it may be so among us, that that spirit and mind
of Christ may be in us. who made himself of no reputation,
but took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the
likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled
himself. Oh, give us that same Spirit
of Christ. Humility and love. Increase our
faith. Increase our love. Oh Lord, we
do beseech thee. We do pray. that thou wouldst
graciously work among us as a church, as a congregation. Work mightily,
powerfully and effectually to the great glory of thy name,
that we may see thy work and thy power and thy glory in the
sanctuary. Bless the little ones that are
brought into the sanctuary, the children, 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. And bless the dear young friends. Graciously undertake for them.
Guide them, O thou great Jehovah. Guide them to Jesus Christ. Make
them true followers of thee and of those who through faith and
patience inherit the promises Show them thy ways, O Lord. Fulfil
that precious word. Instead of thy fathers shall
be the children, who in their minds make princes in all the
earth. Oh, that we could see thy work and thy power and thy
glory as thou usest to be in the sanctuary. Hear us, O God. We do humbly beseech thee. And
continue to work among us. We remember, O Lord, the prodigals
that have wandered from the ways of truth and of righteousness
and plead with thee that they may return. We remember those,
O Lord, that seek a partner in life's journey and pray that
thou would remember them and graciously bring them together.
We think of those instances in thy word when thou didst so pointedly
bring together a Ruth and a Boaz, a Rebecca and an Isaac. And it
was thy wonderful work and thy power that thou didst lead and
guide and direct. Oh, that it may be so with our
friends here. And we pray, O Lord, for the
village, that the light, truth and power of gospel may shine
into this village. The preciousness of Christ be
known and felt and in gathering, a building of the wall, a reviving,
a renewing among us. How we long to see Zion's offspring
come. How we long to see the fulfilling
of those precious promises that we continually plead with thee,
O Lord. I will bring thy sons from far
and thy daughters from the ends of the earth. and they shall
come from the north and from the south and from the east and
from the west. Gracious God, oh, we do pray
that thou wouldst let thy hand be upon the man of thy right
hand, the son of man, whom thou madest strong for thyself. So
will not we go back from thee? Help us to wait upon thee. Help
us to watch unto prayer. We do humbly beseech of thee.
We pray that most gracious Lord that thou would deliver us from
the temptations of Satan and from the workings of an evil
heart of unbelief and from the power and the dominion of sin
graciously deliver us each from it in and through the glorious
person power and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who alone can
save and deliver and truly sanctify May we know that true work of
sanctification in our heart and in our life. We pray, most gracious
Lord, that thou in thy precious mercy would hear prayer for those
in the midst of the journey of life, those that are bringing
up children, give wisdom, give guidance and give direction.
We do humbly pray thee and bless the families, bless them in their
worship in the home, O bless them indeed, and graciously hear
us, O Lord, and that we do pray that thou would remember all
in any trouble, or trial, or perplexity, or affliction, or
sorrow, or sadness, or bereavement undertake for each one. Dearest
Lord, we do humbly beseech thee. Send thy healing grace abroad. Heal us, Emmanuel, here we are.
waiting to feel thy touch, deep wounded souls to thee repair,
for Saviour we are such. O gracious God, we do pray that
thou wouldst remember each and every one in the evening time
of life's journey. There are a number of us, O Lord,
that have passed the allotted time of the span of man upon
the earth. We do pray that as the outward
man perishes, that the inward man, may be renewed day by day,
we do humbly beseech of Thee. Hear us, O Lord, we do beseech
Thee and have mercy upon us, we pray Thee. Remember all Thy
servants as they labour in word and doctrine upon the walls of
Zion. Set them free, set them at liberty. Make bare Thy holy
arm, we do humbly pray Thee. And graciously work, O thou hast
said, I will work, and who shall let it? Let us see thy work. Let us see thy power. See it
in our own hearts, in our own lives, in the church, in the
nation. O that thou wouldst grant those
signs to follow the preaching of the word. And we pray thee,
the great Lord of the harvest, to send true labourers into the
harvest, and to build the walls of Jerusalem. Turn us again,
O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be
saved. Lord, we do pray for the little
hills of Zion up and down the land, many of them struggling,
some in the twos and the threes. We pray that thou would send
them help from the sanctuary and strengthen them out of Zion. Remember those, O Lord, that
labour among the nations of the earth, and grant them, O Lord,
that grace and wisdom to continue, fervent in prayer. We think of
thy servant at the Mombasa mission that was helped him, thy servant
Ian Sadler as he travels to so many different nations to gird
him with all sufficient grace and grant the supply of all his
many returning needs. And then remember the Savannah
Education Trust and grant thy rich blessing upon their work
in Ghana that it may redound to the great honor, glory and
praise of thy name. We do humbly beseech of them
that many may be turned from idolatry unto Jesus Christ, the
only Saviour of sinners. And, O Lord, we do pray for those
that live in those places on the earth where the name of Christ
is hated and where thy people are persecuted and afflicted.
Send them help from the sanctuary. Strengthen them out of Zion.
O Lord, we do beseech of thee. And O Lord, we do pray that thou
in thy precious mercy would fill our hearts with gratitude, with
thanksgiving for the sanctuary, for the house of God, for the
word of God, for the word of thy grace. for the glorious person
of Jesus Christ, for the fullness of grace that is in him. We do
thank thee for him, for what he has done, the law fulfilled,
honoured, magnified, on the behalf of thy people, and everlasting
righteousness brought in. And oh, we do thank thee for
Calvary, where the lamb was slain, where sin was put away, where
God and sinners are reconciled, where peace is made. betwixt
God and man. Gracious God, do incline thine
ear and do hear us in heaven, thy holy and thy blessed dwelling
place. We do humbly beseech thee. And
graciously come now and touch one's lips with a live coal from
off the heavenly altar. We ask all for Jesus Christ's
sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 187 and the tune is German Chapel Royal 466. Jesus draws the chosen race by
his sweet resistless grace causing them to hear his call and before
his power to form hymn 187, tune German Chapel Royal 466. ♪ Whose broad stripes and bright
stars ♪ ♪ Through the perilous fight ♪ ♪ O'er the ramparts we
watched were so gallantly streaming? ♪ ♪ Is Christ the Lord ♪ ♪ Christ
the Lord is with us ♪ ♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪ Amen. Amen. ♪ Thou may glory be evermore ♪
♪ Eternally true to thy people ♪ ♪ Evermore ♪ Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I direct your attention to the prophecy of
Hosea, And we'll read the first part of verse 4, chapter 11,
and the first part of verse 4. The prophecy of Hosea, chapter
11, and the first part of verse 4. I drew them with cords of
a man, with bands of lark. I drew them with cords of a man,
with bands of love. Speaks very beautifully here. When Israel was a child, then
I loved him and called my son out of Egypt. That is quoted
in the New Testament. as the fulfilling of it in the
calling of Joseph and Mary. When they came back and went
to Nazareth, I called my son out of Egypt. Think of how obscure
that prophecy is. I called my son out of Egypt
and yet it was fulfilled in the very letter of it when Joseph
and Mary returned. They fled because of Herod the
king. But they returned when the Lord called my son out of
Egypt. As they called them, so they
went from them. And this is speaking of Israel.
They sacrificed under Balaam and burnt incense to graven images.
Hold back slide in Israel. I taught Ephraim also to go taking
them by their arms. but they knew not that I healed
them. It speaks much in here of the
sad departures of the children of Israel and of Judah from the
ways of the Lord, from the word of God. But then as often is
so in the Old Testament, we then have this beautiful first part
of verse four. I drew them with cords of a man. with bands of love. And there is no doubt whatsoever
in my mind that this is speaking of the
man Christ Jesus, the glorious person of God manifest in the
flesh. That's what led me to read Hebrews
chapter seven where it says, but this man, But this man, the
glorious, holy God-man, the man Christ Jesus, I drew them with
cords of a man, with bands of love. And let us dwell, as it
were, on that love of God in Jesus Christ. In that exceedingly
well-known verse in John 3, verse 16, For God so loved the world,
he gave his only begotten Son. And as the Apostle Paul puts
it in Galatians 4 verse 4, made of a woman, who the Son of God,
the eternal Son of the eternal Father, made of a woman, made
under the law, that he might redeem them that are under the
law. in that glorious mystery of the
incarnation of the Son of God. What a profound, fundamental
doctrine of our most holy faith. And it's in this glorious person
of God manifest in the flesh, the person of Christ, that poor
sinners are drawn to him. I drew them with cords of a man. We can only know God in Christ. We can only know God through
the holy God man, the man Christ Jesus. There is, look at that
emphasis there is in that word in Timothy, that there is one
God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Look at the emphasis. the man
of Christ Jesus who gave his life a ransom for all to be testified
in due time. I drew them with cords of a man. What a wonderful thing it is
if we are drawn to Christ. I drew them. We're drawn to Christ. We see a loveliness in Christ.
The spouse in Solomon's song, she says, draw me. She's praying
to her beloved, draw me. We will run after thee. These are cords of a man. Binding,
a cord is used to bind something. And the poor sinner that is led
and taught by the Spirit of God to know their sinnership and
their emptiness and their poverty and their need of salvation,
that they're drawn to Christ by the cords of a man. In union, by the cords of a man,
in union with the Lamb, from condemnation free, the saints
were everlasting were and shall forever be. It's in union with
Christ. Come unto me, all ye that labour. They're the words of Christ himself. Come unto me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you and learn of me, for I'm meek and lowly in heart, and
ye shall find rest for your souls. I drew them. Are you drawn to
Christ? Do you see a loveliness in Christ? Do you love Christ? Can you say,
I love the Lord because he has heard my voice, the voice of
my supplications. I love the Lord. What a great mercy if you and
I are drawn to Christ and you feel a love to Christ, to his
glorious person, of who he is. the Redeemer, the Saviour, the
One that is able, we've read it in Hebrews 7, able to save
to the utmost all that come unto God by Him. You see, my beloved
friends, when the Lord, He draws a poor sinner, and He draws him
or her to Christ, they see a beauty in Christ. And in that chapter
where we're together in Hebrews 7, you see how Christ is set
forth in all his suitability as the saviour of sinners. And
he speaks of that promise made in Psalm 110 and in verse 11
in Hebrews 7. If perfection were by the Levitical
priesthood, that is, for under it the people received the law,
what further need was there of another priest who should rise after the order
of Melchizedek and not be called after the order of Aaron? What
he's saying here is Melchizedek was a wonderful type of Christ. And you notice in the beginning
of that chapter seven, how he speaks of, he says, the interpretation
of the word Melchizedek. He says in verse two, first being
by interpretation, king of righteousness, and after that also king of Salem,
which is king of peace, without father. without mother, without
descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life. He's
speaking here of Melchizedek, but made like unto the Son of
God, abideth the priest continually, without father, without mother. He was without father according
to his human nature. and without mother according
to his divine nature. He's the only begotten Son of
the Father who is from everlasting to everlasting. Jesus Christ
the same yesterday and today and forever, eternally the same. And so these things, they point
us to this one place of our Lord Jesus Christ. And he says in
verse 15, and this is yet far more evident for that after the
similitude of Melchizedek, there ariseth another priest who is
made not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power
of an endless life. For he testifieth thou art a
priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. What a wonderful
display we have here of the glorious person of Jesus Christ, the only
Saviour of sinners. He speaks here of the law, and
he says in verse 19, that for the law made nothing perfect,
but the bringing in of a better hope did, by the which we draw
nigh unto God. And inasmuch as not without an
oath he was made priest, For those priests, that is, of the
Old Testament, were made without an oath, but this with an oath,
by him that said unto him, the Lord swear, and will not repent,
thou art a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek. For by so much was Jesus made
a surety of a better testament. So we have displayed here Christ,
the great high priest of his people, It is in chapter four,
for such a high priest have we that is passed into the heavens,
Jesus, the son of God. Let us hold fast our profession. You see, this man that is spoken
of in our text is the holy God man, is our great high priest, who's passed into the heavens.
my mind was drawn to, to that latter part of the chapter six
in the Hebrews, wherein God, willing more abundantly to show
unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel,
confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things, in which
it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation,
who have fled for refuge, to lay hold upon the hope set before
us, which hope we have, as an anchor of the soul, both sure
and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil, that's
in Jesus, the Son of God, that's where it's anchored, whither
the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made in high priest
forever after the order, of Melchizedek, this glorious high priest, the
great king and head of the church. There were three offices under
the Levitical dispensation of the Old Testament, which required
anointing. That was the prophet and the
priest and the king. They all required anointing.
And you might say, well, why was that? Because they all foreshadowed
the glorious person of Jesus Christ. who was anointed the
prophet, the priest, and the king of his people. We read of
those in the Old Testament that were a prophet and a priest,
and we read of kings being a king and a priest, or a prophet, but
we never read of one that was all three, only this one, the
holy God man, the man Christ Jesus. and he was anointed by
the Holy Ghost as the prophet, as the priest, and as the king. You see, my beloved friends,
I drew them with the cords of a man, this glorious, holy God-man,
the man Christ Jesus. And he calls his children, he
calls us his brethren, his brethren. Why? Because he became bone of
our bone. flesh of our flesh. When he assumed human nature,
one hymn writer says, suddenly brother to our soul becomes.
He's our elder brother, the glorious person of Christ. And it's only
in that sacred mystery of godliness that you and I can ever be reconciled
unto God. in the glorious person of the
holy God man, the man Christ Jesus. We've often explained
to you that it speaks in the book of Job of the office of
a daisman. And now a daisman was similar
in some ways to an advocate, but he put his hand on the shoulder
of one and he put his hand on the shoulder of another, two
opposing parties. and he sought to reconcile them
together. What a beautiful description
of Christ, our days man. And you might say, how is it? Because he as God puts his hand
on his eternal father, and as man he puts his hand on his children
here below, and he reconciles them together. You see, he draws
them together. We can only know, my beloved
friends, that reconciling grace that is in Christ Jesus, in the
glorious person of Christ Jesus. That's the only way that we can
know him. It is. It speaks in the second
epistle of the Corinthians and verse There, verse 14, chapter
five, verse 14. For the love of Christ constraineth
us. I drew them with the cords of
a man. For the love of Christ constraineth
us. Are you being constrained by
the love of Christ? Constrained to read his word. Constrained to love his person. Constrained to come to the chapel. Constrained to follow Christ
as he leads you in his word. I drew them. The gospel doesn't
drive. The gospel doesn't bring a big
stick and drive us along. It's a gospel of love. And it
speaks in scripture of faith that worketh by love. And that
is the love that is spoken of in our text that is before us. I drew them with cords of a man,
with bands of love, bands of love, united in love. I love the Lord. That was David
expressing his own confession of faith, wasn't it? I love the
Lord. because he hath heard my voice.
And Christ himself said, if ye love me, keep my commandments,
keep my commandments. I drew them with cords of a man. Oh, we spoke of it several times
just recently of being drawn after Christ and in the sacred
ordinances of God's house, you have the ordinance of believers'
baptism, you have the Lord's Supper, And when you're brought
to see Christ in him, and you're brought to see it's following
Christ, and you love Christ, therefore you desire to keep
his commandments, to follow him, I drew them. And Christ draws
you. We just sung it together in the
hymn, Jesus draws the chosen race by his sweet resistless
grace, he does. I drew them. Now, there's another
evidence here that we can bring forth from Jeremiah, and in the
prophecy of Jeremiah, chapter 31, we have that beautiful word
in verse three. Yea, I have loved thee with an
everlasting love. Now what was the evidence that
he loves you with an everlasting love? Therefore with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. Therefore with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. That's the evidence that he loves
you with an everlasting love. You feel drawn to him, you feel
attraction in him. Oh that my soul could love and
praise him more. His beauty's trace, his majesty
adore. live near his heart upon his
bosom lean, and all his holy sovereign will esteem. You see,
to love him more, I drew then with the cords of a man, with
bands of love, an everlasting love, not a human love, an everlasting
love, the eternal love of God in Christ. Again, As I was thinking
on this word, my mind was much drawn in thinking on this word
of the beautiful word that we have in the book of Deuteronomy. And the Lord says in Deuteronomy
chapter seven, verse seven, the Lord did not set his love upon
you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than
any people, for you were the fewest of all people. but because the Lord loved you. That's the only cause. And this
love, it's everlasting love. A person that is brought to love
Christ and to follow Christ is a person that has been loved
with an everlasting love. Therefore with loving kindness
have I drawn them, because the Lord loved you. It's the only
reason you were chosen in Christ because the Lord loved you, not
by works of righteousness that I have done, but according to
his abundant mercy in Christ, loved with an everlasting love.
The Lord did not set his love upon you nor choose you because
you were more in number than any people, for you were the
fewest of all people. but because the Lord loved you
and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto
your fathers. You see, hath the Lord brought
you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house
of bondmen from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Egypt is a type
of the world and when the children of God are delivered from this
world and the power of this world brought out of Egypt. They're
brought out of Egypt. They're drawn. They're drawn
in love. In love to Christ. Because he
loved them. John says, doesn't he, in his
first epistle, we love him because he first loved us. That's the
moving cause of your love to him. The love of Christ constraineth
us because He first loved us. I think it's here in the prophecy
of Hosea. It's a similar word that is used
in the, as what is spoken here of being drawn. It says in the second
chapter of Hosea, in verse 14, therefore behold, I will allure
her. That's a very similar word. How does the Lord allure her? By revealing himself. And she
is allured by his voice, by his countenance. Therefore behold,
I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak
comfortably unto her. And I will give her her vineyards
from thence, and the valley of Acre for the door of hope. And
she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in
the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. And it
shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me
Eshi, and shalt call me no more Beale. for I will take away the
names of Balaam out of her mouth. You see, drawn to Christ. Drawn to Christ. That's the only
way that we can know God in Christ. I am the way, the truth and the
life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me. And then of course we have those
beautiful words in John, 6 and verse 44 and there it says concerning
none come except the father draw. You see this is the bears out
what the hymn writer says doesn't it? Concerning Jesus draws the
chosen race. He draws them. But we're given
that fuller instruction in John, and it says there that the father
draws, that none can come except the father draws. No man can
come to me except the father which hath sent me draw him.
And I will raise him up at the last day. I will raise him up
at the last day. Oh, what a wonderful thing it
is to be drawn to Christ. That's what draws out that lovely
description of Christ in Solomon's Song, chapter five. You say,
what is it that draws out love to Christ? My beloved is white
and ruddy, the chiefest among 10,000. You see Christ as your
beloved. You're in love with him. You
desire to be with him, you desire to hear his voice, you desire
to see his countenance, you desire to embrace him in the arms of
faith, and you desire him to embrace you. We just touched
on it on Tuesday evening, didn't we? His left hand is under my
head, his right hand does embrace me. It's Christ showing his love,
showing his love, because he would. Not because of anything
that was in you. Not because you're any better
than anyone else. Entirely because he would. It's
the sovereign, free, favor or grace of the eternal God to a
poor sinner. Not by works of righteousness
that I have done. No. But entirely of the grace
of God in Christ. drew them with cords of a man,
with bands of love, bands of love. This is the very heart
of the gospel of Jesus Christ, bands of love. It binds you to
him, the love of Christ, shed abroad in your heart, binds you
to him, bands of love. First it says cords and then
it says bands and I understand that the bands means more it's
like you see a thick rope and there's many cords all intertwined
and plaited together in a rope. A cord is a quite a thin one
but then you plait them all together and you've got a very strong
rope. And that I understand, it's the meaning here. I drew
them with cords of a man, with bands of love. You're bound up
in love with Christ. Are you in love with Christ?
Is he to you the one thing needful? Is he everything to your soul? John, he speaks, doesn't he,
so beautifully, both in his gospel, but also in his epistle, and
in particular in verse four of his first epistle. He speaks
so beautifully there of the spirit of love that is in the child
of God. If you look at chapter four,
verse seven, beloved, let us love one another. For love is
of God, and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not
God, for God is love. This, it's what I mean when it's
the very heart of the gospel, this spirit of love. In this
was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent
his only begotten Son into the world that we, might live through
him, here in his love. Not that we loved God, but that
he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our
sins, that is to take away our sins, to offer a sacrifice, a
sin atoning sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. Beloved, if
God so loved us, we are also to love one another. Do you feel
a love to the Lord's people? Do you feel a union to the Lord's
people? It's a very sweet thing when
we do, a love, a union, a communion to the Lord's people. No man
has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth
in us and his love is perfected in us. You see these bands of
love. This is what binds a poor soul
to Christ, love. Love, loved with an everlasting
love. Drawn in that spirit of love
which is encapsulated in our text, I drew them. with the cords
of a man, the holy God man, the man Christ Jesus, who loved us,
who gave himself for us. What a wonderful precious truth
is the love of God in Christ, in Christ. We read in Revelation chapter
one and verse five, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful
witness and the first begotten from the dead and the prince
of the kings of the earth, unto him that loved us. What a beautiful
word, isn't it? Unto him that loved us and washed
us from our sins in his own blood, in his own blood, unto him that
loved us. And you know, friends, it was
love that motivated him. He says in Proverbs 8, my delights
were with the sons of men. And that's speaking of Christ
before he became incarnate. The son of God said, my delights
are with the sons of men. He delighted on the thought of
coming to this earth and redeeming his people and deliver them from
sin and Satan's power. What love, unsuch love. My heart still ponders love,
so rich, so full, so free. You see, no man has seen God
at any time. This is in 1 John 4. No man has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth
in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we
dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit. That's the Holy Ghost. He hath
given us of his spirit. And it's that spirit that dwells
in our hearts. The Holy Ghost in some places
is called the spirit of love. And it's he that shed abroad
the love of God in our hearts. The love of Christ. Now, again, it's what we see
by faith, and it says here in John 4, and we have seen and
do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of
the world. Oh, to see this glorious Saviour,
this almighty Redeemer, this great Deliverer, we have seen
and do testify that the Father sent the Son. to be the Saviour
of the world. Whosoever shall confess that
Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
And herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in
the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. And we see Christ in his holy
life in this world, in the way that he lives, And he himself,
he draws together the law in those two beautiful little verses. Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself. And if you carefully look at
the life of Christ, that's exactly what he did. And that's what
he exhorts us to do. to love the Lord our God with
all our heart. I know we're not capable of doing
that, but that's the exhortation. And that is the spirit of Christ,
and that was the mind of Christ. That is why he lived as a man
of sorrows and acquainted with grief, because he loved his people.
And having loved his own, he loved them to the end. An everlasting
love, an unchanging love, an almighty love, is the love of
Christ. There is no fear in love, but
perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. We love him because he first
loved us. That's the moving cause of our
love to God. It's in Christ. In Christ as our Saviour. In
Christ as our Redeemer, as our Deliverer. And there is a love
to the Spirit of God, to the Holy Ghost. We love Him. We love Him. And there's a love
to the Eternal Father, as it says in John, Father Himself
loveth you, and a poor sinner loves the Eternal Father. You
see, my beloved friends, this spirit of love, oh, that it might
be more prevalent in our hearts, in our lives, in our conduct.
Love to Christ. Love truly sanctifies the heart. Love separates us from this world. Love makes us hate sin. The love
of Christ should have broadened the heart, makes us hate sin. And when you see that almighty
love of God in Christ, when he suffered and bled and died for
your sins, that love will break your heart. It will. On such
love, my heart still ponders. Love so rich, so full, so free. I drew them with cords of a man,
with bands of love. And He will draw you to follow
Him, to keep His commandments. And He will draw you, you need
the only right way of running in the way of His commandments
is in love. And He will draw you to eternal
bliss, eternal happiness, to be with Christ, which is far
better. And it's love that motivates.
Oh, that my soul could love and praise Him more. his beauty's
trace his majesty adore, live near his heart upon his bosom
lean, and all his holy sovereign will esteem. Love. Oh, my beloved friends, that
we might have more of this precious love, constraining us to walk
in his ways and to follow him in the way that he would have
us to go. I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 174. The tune is Luton 363. Jesus is precious, says the word. What comfort does this truth
afford? And those who in his name believe,
with joy, this precious truth receive. Hymn number 174, tune
Luton 363. Yeah. to receive. To them He is the greatest love,
♪ And I can do it ♪ ♪ Come what's done ♪ ♪ Open the span ♪ ♪ And
lay me free ♪ No help, no help, nor sheltering
flame, ♪ Nor else, dear Savior, tempt
me not ♪ ♪ With all its pow'r and all its might ♪ ♪ And with the precious ♪ ♪ Christ
cometh ♪ ♪ His breath shall save ♪ ♪ His precious blood ♪ ♪ That
God may love so well implies ♪ ♪ He treasures in His righteousness
♪ ♪ That everlasting heavenly rest
♪ ♪ In ev'ry home its beams constain ♪ In ev'ry victory he came, In
ev'ry capture of his will, Ich wünsche es dir, Ich liebe
dich still, Als leicht von Himmeln Trümmerisch fell, These precious days have ended
fast One road in path they call their
own It pressures on a dying man. In glory known may I be found, Give thy precious blessing crown. Joy the sands fall, and there
at all 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.