The notices for the week. If the Lord will, next Lord's
Day, there will be a prayer meeting in the morning at 10.30, and
Mr. Charles Warboys will preach in
the afternoon at 2 o'clock. Mr. Paul Tyler will preach on
Thursday evening at 7 o'clock, and there will be a prayer meeting
on Tuesday evening at seven o'clock. May the Lord help us to commence
our worship today with hymn number 687, the tune Hanover 807. Ye broken hearts all who cry
out unclean, and taste of the gall of indwelling sin, lamenting
it truly, and loathing it too, and seeking help duly, as sinners
must do. Hymn 687, Tune Hanover 807. If you cannot soothe Then cry
out and plead And taste of the good ♪ Of indwelling
sin ♪ ♪ Lamenting it truly ♪ ♪ And loathing it too ♪ ♪ And seeking
help duly ♪ ♪ And sinners pass through ♪ ♪
The water we see ♪ ♪ The sight of the Lord ♪ ♪ As it's in you
♪ O'er the land of the free and
the home of the brave? For sorrow and sighing A belt
in His breast He pities for crying And will give you rest In holy Christ His face appears and silent abides, O come, sing,
O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing,
O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing,
O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing,
O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing, O
come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing,
O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing,
O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing,
O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing,
O come, sing, O come, sing, O come, sing ♪ And sweetly his covers ♪ ♪ His face
and his tongue ♪ ♪ O man, ye comforts ♪ ♪ Ye spirits
of man ♪ and fetters of sighs from sin-filling
thoughts, they push you adorning the dress that you bought.
A weak suit adorning a sinner and saint. O kindly Master, fill up your
words. I'll say the most sacred words. His love to disclose, Until He
is ready, No soldiers to hail, We patiently wait, And take me where my God is still. May we be helped to read in the
holy word of God from the first book of Samuel, commencing in
chapter two, at verse 26, and reading through to the end of
chapter three. The first book of Samuel, beginning
to read in chapter two, at verse 26. And the child Samuel grew on
and was in favor both with the Lord and also with men. And there came a man of God unto
Eli and said unto him, thus saith the Lord, did I plainly appear
unto the house of thy father when they were in Egypt? in Pharaoh's
house? And did I choose him out of all
the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar,
to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? And did I give unto
the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the
children of Israel, Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at
mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation, and honorest
thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all
the offerings of Israel my people. Wherefore the Lord God of Israel
saith, I said indeed that thy house and the house of thy father
should walk before me forever. But now the Lord saith, be it
far from me, for them that honor me I will honor, and they that
despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the day is come that
I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house,
that there shall not be an old man in thine house. And thou
shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall
give Israel. And there shall not be an old
man in thine house for ever. And the man of thine whom I shall
not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes,
and to grieve thine heart, and all the increase of thine house
shall die in the flower of their age. And this shall be a sign
unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas,
In one day they shall die, both of them. And I will raise me
up a faithful priest that shall do according to that which is
in mine heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house,
and he shall walk before mine anointed forever. and it shall
come to pass that every one that is left in thine house shall
come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread,
and shall say, put me, I pray thee, into one of the priest's
offices, that I may eat a piece of bread. And the child Samuel
ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord
was precious in those days. There was no open vision. And
it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his
place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see. And ere the lamp of God went
out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and
Samuel was laid down to sleep, that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, Here am I. And he ran unto Eli, and said,
Here am I, for thou callest me. And he said, I called not, lie
down again. And he went and lay down. And
the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to
Eli, and said, here am I, for thou didst call me. And he answered,
I called not, my son. lie down again. Now Samuel did not yet know the
Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. And the Lord called Samuel again
the third time, and he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here
am I, for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord
had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel,
Go, lie down, and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt
say, Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay
down in his place. And the Lord came, and stood,
and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered,
Speak, for thy servant heareth. And the Lord said to Samuel,
Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears
of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will
perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning
his house. When I begin, I will also make
an end. For I have told him that I will
judge his house forever. for the iniquity which he knoweth,
because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them
not. And therefore I have sworn unto
the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged
with sacrifice nor offering for ever. And Samuel lay until the morning,
and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared
to show Eli the vision. Then Eli called Samuel and said,
Samuel, my son. And he answered, here am I. And he said, what is the thing
that the Lord hath said unto thee? I pray thee, hide it not
from me. God do so to thee, and more also,
if thou hide anything from me of all the things that he said
unto thee. And Samuel told him every whit,
and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the Lord. Let him do what seemeth him good. And Samuel grew, and the Lord
was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel, from Dan even
to Beersheba, knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet
of the Lord. And the Lord appeared again in
Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by
the word of the Lord. Amen. May the Lord bless His
word to us each and teach us now to pray. O Thou exalted and eternal and
ever-blessed Lord God, Thou who dwellest in that light which
no man can approach unto, Thou who art the holy, holy, holy
Lord God, do grant us now to approach even unto Thy throne,
unto Thy footstool, O do look in mercy upon Thy poor waiting
people gathered here before Thee this day, and do help us to come. We must acknowledge Thy goodness
in bringing our feet within this house of prayer and granting
us to be found in the assembly of Thy dear saints. And we must
acknowledge Thy goodness also in Thy keeping mercies, Thy sparing
mercies, that help granted through another week of time, another
week of this, the brief span of our lives while upon earth. But thou hast been very good,
thou hast showered mercies upon us, and now we are found here
in the solemn assembly. But how we must come and seek
those yet greater gifts of access into the holiest of all, even
by the blood of the dear Son of God. And how we must seek
to come by him who is the way, the truth and the life. Yea,
to come unto God the Father, who the dear Son, the Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. And we bless thee for that news,
and living way. We have read in thy word concerning
thy tabernacle of old, those things that were ordained, that
display of thy glory, but the hiding of it, the curtains, that
most holy place. And now we think in this gospel
age of the way of access made open the veil of the temple rents
in twain, and now the way to come through the blood of Jesus,
through his merits, through his perfections, and through his
great high priesthood. O do draw us by thy Spirit, and
grant us to come by faith even into the very courts of heaven,
where their dear Lamb of God is seen, a Lamb as it had been
slain, and where the Lord Jesus is found as the Lamb in the midst
of the throne. But also the great High Priest,
who sitteth at the right hand of God the Father, and the intercessor,
one who ever liveth to make intercession for all who come unto God by
him. And we must come to seek that
gift of repentance, a gift of confession of sins, to help us
truly to confess that we are sinners and that we have sinned
against thee, and help us to plead that promise that if we
confess our sins, Thou art faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
that which we so need, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,
to bring us to that fountain, the fountain once opened for
sin and for uncleanness, and do grant that we might be washed.
Take us and plunge us beneath that flower, that we might each
lose all our guilty stains. Grant us to be washed in the
precious blood of Jesus, that blood of Christ, as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot. Know how we need thee to grant
us repentance, and we recall that it was for this purpose
that the dear Son was exalted for to give repentance to Israel
and forgiveness of sins. And have we need that gift of
faith also, faith to look within the veil, faith to behold one
who liveth and was dead, and behold is alive forevermore,
amen, and hath the keys of death and of hell, and faith to believe
in that Lamb of God, the Lamb of God who should be lifted up
by provision, the Lamb to take away the sin of the world. But
did he not say, And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will
draw all men unto me? And grant us afresh to see by
faith the dear Lord Jesus Christ, lifted up from the earth, lifted
up upon a cross of wood, lifted up in the sight of men and angels
betwixt heaven and earth, and who teach us that it was for
our sin, for our guilt, for our transgressions that he was thus
crucified, that he was thus made a victim, that he was subjected
to shame, and spitting, but who teach us concerning him the sin-bearer,
and how the dear father must turn away his eyes from his beloved
son, and how the Lord cried out, My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? But it was because of sin, and
the defilement and pollution of it, But if we are brought
in our measure to feel the guilt and defilement of our sins, then
help us to look to Jesus and to know that he hath taken away
that wrath, he hath borne that penalty that our sins incurred. And do help us to view also the
empty tomb, the stone rolled away, And what was said by the
angels, he is not here, for he is risen. Come see the place
where the Lord lay. We would delight to see those
grave clothes folded, neatly laid, because we behold the power
of the resurrection in these things. Death could not hold
him, and how he came forth from that tomb. Thus we have a hope
of eternal life, even in Jesus Christ our Lord. May we say that
he is indeed our resurrection, the resurrection and the life,
and that he that believeth in him shall not perish, and though
he be dead, yet shall he live. And there is, as in Christ the
firstfruits, so also afterwards they that are Christ's to be
raised at his coming. Grant us to know, or to know
afresh, this hope of eternal life which is in him, which is
in the dear Son of God. And we will think, O Lord, of
those things of which we have sung concerning that healing
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we bless thee that there
are those things that make for our peace, that there is a balm
in Gilead, that there is the oil and wine of the gospel sweetly
poured in. O grant us each to know in our
due season, that set time to heal up our woes. We must confess
that in times past we have proved him to be a wise physician, skillful
and exceeding kind. But alas, how those wounds are
felt, and how oft times we must need come to this physician and
we must needs come in confession of our sins, of our sores, of
our wounds. I know that he might minister
these things of the gospel, peace, pardon, assurance, and that blessing
that maketh rich and which addeth no sorrow thereto. May it be
so even this day. in the preaching and hearing
of thy word, in the setting forth of a precious Lord Jesus Christ. I do help thy dear servants,
gracious Lord, in the ministry this day. Help thy watchmen who
stand upon the walls of Zion. Help them to sound the gospel
trumpet. May that trumpet give no uncertain
sound, May the word of the psalmist be fulfilled, that blessed are
the people who hear the joyful sound. May it indeed be a joyful
sound to poor needy sinners this day. Do strengthen the hands
of thy servants. Grant them encouragements. Grant
them tokens of thy good pleasure. Grant them those signs following
We must also pray for those who hear, that thou wilt unstop the
deaf ears, that thou wilt give sight to the blind, that thou
wilt give strength to the lame, yea, that thou wilt raise the
dead. And may it be as the Lord did
say, that there shall be a hearing of the voice of the Son of God,
and they that hear shall live. Grant to all who feel their deadness,
who feel their dullness, who feel the slowness of their hearts,
grant them to know that quickening power, that power which Thou,
the Father, didst work in the Son, when Thou didst raise Him
from the dead, when Thou didst set Him in the heavenly places. Grant us to know that power afresh,
yea, the exceeding greatness of it. thy mighty working in
the soul. Grant us thus to view the precious
Saviour, the most needful Lord. Grant us to see him as our all
and in all. O do help, our friend, thy dear
servant, the pastor of this cause. Be with him in his labours this
day, far from But we know and are convinced that it is the
same gospel, and thus do be with him in the preaching of it overseas
this day. We pray that he might be refreshed
and encouraged in his soul, and that it might be a season that
is blessed to him and that has happy remembrances. We pray that
thou wilt grant much help to all absent from us others also,
perhaps through sickness and the infirmities of the flesh.
We pray that thou wilt draw nigh unto such, others away, seeking
a time of rest and refreshment. And we pray that it might indeed
be so, that thou wilt grant that renewal of strength, even as
the eagles, that there might be a time spent, perhaps in company
with others, perhaps in particular fellowship with thee that will
be to their everlasting good and to their encouragement. So
help those found here, the dear deacons of this cause, and do
grant that daily strength, that daily wisdom, do grant that daily
walking with thee. Now look in mercy upon this dear
cause, and strengthen the hands of thy people here, and grant
tokens for good, helps by the way, encouragements, and most
of all, we pray, grant thy presence at each season when thy dear
saints are gathered here. And do grant thy word, and grant
the hearing of it, and grant that in all these things we might
prove thy goodness thy lovingkindness which is better than life, that
thou wilt in mercy keep the feet of thy dear saints, that thou
wilt hedge them about, that thou wilt keep them from the evil
one, and help us each to hide thy word in our heart, that we
might not sin against thee. O speak, we pray, and bless thy
word, as we would come before thee, pleading only the merits,
the shed blood of a dear Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, and seeking
that he might in all things have the preeminence, even for thee
his dear sake. Amen. Let us now sing hymn 759, tunes
and Mabin 650. Jesus heals the broken hearted. Oh, how sweet that sound to me. Once beneath my sin he smarted,
groaned and bled to set me free. Hymn 759, Tune Saint-Mébeme 650. O broken hearted! O how sweet that sound to me! Once believed, my sin discarded,
ground and blood to set me free. His sufferings, death, and merits,
By His Godhead, blood and pain. Broken hearts or wounded spirits,
A bed once made whole again Broken by the noose-wound thunder ♪
To the cross for refuge plea ♪ ♪ Oh, this pungent soul of mine
♪ wonder, tis this strife that leadeth thee. Oil and wine to heal and cherish,
Jesus still to His trail gives. Who shall have the sinner bear
it? Who can reach the name that lives? In his righteousness confiding,
Shepherds say beneath his wing, Here they find a soul abiding,
And a heart that mercifully sings. Take my soul and all the healing
from in Jesus' holy blood. Deep beneath the spirit's sealing
sands I cried, my praise slipped through. May the Lord himself be pleased
to instruct us and to lead us into the truth of his own word. As we turn in the first book
of Samuel to chapter three, and especially to the words found
in verse nine of that chapter. The first book of Samuel, chapter
three and verse nine. And therefore Eli said unto Samuel,
Go, lie down, and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt
say, Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay
down in his place. And just to read the following
verse also, And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other
times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak,
for thy servant heareth. It seems to us in reading these
chapters early on in this book that any portion of the history
of God's people that involves these great matters of sonship,
of parenthood, things concerning the family, well, they do interest
us all. And they do concern us because
all understand these great matters of children being born and brought
up and making their way in the world. But what we see especially
in these early chapters is the great contrast between, in this
case, the godly mother, Hannah, and what she did for her son,
Samuel, this child who was asked of the Lord. And the grievous
neglect that Eli displayed towards his two sons. those who were
priests at the tabernacle, and therefore how important it was
that they should be well instructed, and how Eli ought to have reproved
them. And that is why we read in chapter
2 that portion that shows very clearly the Lord's great disapproval
of the house of Eli, of the grievous conduct of his two sons, Hophni
and Phinehas, and how he pronounced those dreadful woes against them
and against Eli's house. But on the other hand, how the
Lord dealt graciously with Samuel, and how he raised him up. Just a few indicators of these
things. We find earlier on in chapter
two concerning the sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, that they
are described in verse 12 as sons of Belial. And then it is
said that they knew not the Lord. And the very solemn account that
is given in that chapter of the conduct of those two men And
again, how Eli, in the face of those things, serious and grievous
as they were, ought to have sharply reproved them. But rather he
says nothing more than this, Why do ye such things? I hear of your evil dealings
by all this people. Nay, my sons, for it is no good
report that I hear, ye make the Lord's people to transgress. Well, the Lord himself must take
up the case, and how solemn the way in which he does so. But
in the midst of that very bleak picture concerning Eli and his
house and the priesthood, we have this glimmer of light in
the person of Hannah and of Samuel, and the way in which the Lord
dealt with them both, and particularly with Samuel. But we find that
very touching verse where we find Samuel described, verse
18 of chapter 2, ministering before the Lord, being a child
girded with a linen ephod. Then in verse 19, Moreover, his
mother made him a little coat and brought it to him from year
to year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly
sacrifice. Well, these details, but they
speak so much, do they not? They are the evidence of that
gracious work of God in the heart of that dear woman. and they
show that the Lord's purpose was good towards Samuel. Well, when we come to chapter
three, we learn further concerning that purpose and indeed the goodness
of it. Well, there was this occasion
when the Lord determined to speak to Samuel, and we read it earlier
And perhaps we need not spend much time in rehearsing it now.
But notice what is said in verse seven of chapter three. This
is after the Lord had begun to call Samuel in that momentous
night. And after the second occasion,
after Samuel had again arisen and gone to Eli, Now Eli had
said, I called not my son, lie down again. Well, we read in
verse seven, now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was
the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. And you will notice
the important word there, the word yet. Remember how in the previous
chapter it was said of Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli,
that they knew not the Lord. And even here we find that at
this point in time it is said also of Samuel that he did not
know the Lord and that the word of the Lord had not been revealed
unto him. But it is that little word yet
I hope it may be of encouragement to some perhaps here, perhaps
others listening. And there is this concern because
perhaps one has heard much concerning the Lord, concerning God, concerning
Christ Jesus. But we have these fears. That's
although we may know something of gospel doctrine, We may know
much indeed of the doctrines of God's word, yet we fear the
root of the matter is not in us. And when we look at what
the scriptures say concerning the knowledge of the Lord, what
it is truly to know God in Jesus Christ, we fear we have not these
things for ourselves. But this, of course, is the encouragement
that we read Samuel did not yet know the Lord, because God purposed
to reveal himself unto him, but in his own time and in his own
way. Is there not hope for those who
have such a concern regarding their own knowledge of the Lord,
whether it is a true living knowledge a personal knowledge rather than
just a head knowledge of the doctrines and truths concerning
him. Well, there is that yet. And
encouragement also in what happens in this chapter, and how at the
end of the chapter we read that now Samuel did very much know
the Lord. Samuel grew, and the Lord was
with him. And the evidence that he did
let none of his works fall to the ground, and that all Israel,
from Dan in the north, even to Beersheba in the south, knew
that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord. In verse seven we read of that
former time, when the word of the Lord was not yet revealed
unto him. But by the end of this same chapter,
how things have changed. The Lord appeared again in Shiloh,
for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word
of the Lord. And without wishing to labour
the point, is not this passage about the Lord's calling Samuel. And we read of this calling these
three times. And yes, there was the misunderstanding
that had Samuel arising and going to Eli. But the Lord has this
purpose. And so just as he had called
him those first three times, So he called at laying, and Samuel
did hear. Well, there is a time in the
case of each of the Lord's dear people when the Lord does call
them. And just as with Samuel, perhaps
there may be some misgivings. Maybe there must be a repeating
of that call. But we may be sure of this, that
if it is truly of the Lord, it shall be effectual. And when
the thing is established in the heart, there shall be the response,
Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. And if it is true that there
had to be that time when the Lord called Samuel, which is
to say that there was a period beforehand when he had not yet
called him. And with Samuel, of course, it
was not so long a period, because he was still young. But with
us, perhaps it might be a longer time, perhaps it may be many
years, even many decades. But that time shall arise. The appointed time, as the poet
says, rolls on apace, not to propose, but call by grace. And when that call comes, it
will be effectual. That's changing of the heart,
that renewing of the will, and a turning of the feet to Zion's
hill. Well, this sure work of God. Now, we have before us the words
of the text in verse nine. words spoken by Eli to Samuel,
Go, lie down, and it shall be, if he call thee, thou shalt say,
Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. And we read, So Samuel
went and lay down in his place. Now as we read in that passage,
at first Samuel mistook the voice of the Lord for that of Eli. Although that was providentially
the occasion whereby Eli was able to instruct the young Samuel
as to how to respond. But at length, Eli tells Samuel
to go and lie down again. And it just came to us in meditating
upon this that there is no better posture for Samuel to be in when
the Lord was to come to him. I suppose one could argue that
the best posture of all would to be on one's knees in prayer. But surely there is little difference
between that and what Samuel is instructed to do at this night
Caesar, to go lie down. And we read at the end of verse
nine that Samuel went and lay down in his place. And occasionally perhaps in the
experience of the Lord's dear child, there is the anticipation
that the words may be given. Perhaps in the night season,
or perhaps more likely in that place where the Lord does offer
Speak through his word, the public reading of it, the preaching
of it, the proclaiming of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And this
posture, well, it is a lowly posture, is it not? Go, lie down. And if we are to
hear the word of the Lord, we shall need to be placed into
such a posture or even better, to be found there already, because
the Lord has already graciously worked in our heart. And we must say that it is not
a posture in which we shall be found by nature. We cannot place
ourselves into it, because it is the Lord who must work to
break down human pride to break down our self-reliance, to remove
those confidences that are off the flesh. So if there is to
be a speaking of God to the soul, we must lie down, we must be
found in that humble place. And it does bring us to this
question as to how we come to the public ministry of God's
shall we come to his earthly cause. It is a mercy if we are
brought in that solemn, humble frame, desiring to hear the words
of the Lord. And as Eli instructed Samuel,
Go, lie down, and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt
say, Speak, Lord, for thy servant And again it is instructive when
it comes to our own case. It shall be if ye call thee. And doubtless many of the Lord's
people, perhaps some of you here, have this experience of hoping,
almost as it were against hope, that there might be a word from
the Lord. And as one asked in the time
of the kings, is there any word from the Lord? There is the anticipation,
there is the desire that a word might be spoken, a word in season
to him that is weary. But we must always acknowledge
that God is sovereign in these things, that he will speak in
his own time and in his own way. We cannot come either to the
public worship of God or to the private reading of it. We cannot
come in a presumptuous spirit, assuming that there must be something
for us, coming in that presumption that surely the Lord shall speak
particularly to our souls. Well, it is true that we are
to take note of those things that are read and preached, but
we are speaking here of something even greater than that, the Holy
Spirit's work of applying the word particularly to our state
and case. And although there are many promises
to encourage us in these things, yet it is always for God to speak
the word that he will speak and to communicate to the soul of
his dear child at that time that he sees best. And so Eli says,
go, lie down, and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt
say, speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. And it brings us to notice two
things in particular. Firstly, that in Samuel's case,
there was the anticipation, there was the desire, and the question
there was whether the Lord would renew that former mercy in calling
him once more. But our point is this, to question
and to ask ourselves, is there indeed that desire? Is there
thus need to hear the Lord's word? It is very much the exercise
of God's people that it should be so. Our thoughts went to a
verse in Psalm 58 that speaks of the wicked, those that know
not God. Hence, this is what we wish to
be preserved for. as the description is there,
like the deaf Adam that stoppeth her ear. And the wicked will
stop their ears at the reproving words of God, at the warnings,
at those reproves that are directed to dead sinners, which, he says,
will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so
wisely So the picture there of the deaf Adam stopping her ear
and the words of God at times are directed towards the wicked,
showing forth his righteousness, declaring his judgments, declaring
his condemnations. But man by nature will not hear
and he will as it were, stop his ears at the preaching of
that word. We are not speaking, of course,
of the word that is spoken and that can only be heard by a living
soul. We are speaking in that case
of the reproofs and the warnings against ungodliness and unrighteousness. But the principle is the same.
because the soul that has been made tender and quickened in
the fear of the Lord will be the very opposite. They will
be very anxious to hear every word of the Lord, and far from
stopping their ear, like the deaf Adam, will be very concerned. And with them it is the case
that they desire to hear the very worst of the matter, if
need be, because like Eli, they know that nothing must be withheld,
though it be a report that maketh both the ears of him that heareth
to tingle. Because the Lord's people have
been quickened unto life, and their concern is for the eternal
well-being of their soul, and so they must hear the very worst
of the case, They must hear those words at first that seem to condemn,
words that seem to speak of eternal judgment, because only then will
they know that if the Lord then turned his face to be merciful,
shall they be saved. Again, we find reference to these
things, the desires of David, Psalm 28. Unto thee will I cry,
O Lord my Rock. Be not silent to me, lest if
thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the
pit. Well, yes, it is firstly David's
prayer and his supplications. But this is what he desired.
Be not silent to me. In other words, he desires to
hear the voice of the Lord in answer to his prayer, a voice
to reassure, a voice to convince him that the Lord hears, that
the Lord is his strength, the saving strength of his anointed. And again it is this, that is
the characteristic of the Lord's dear saint. Not like that deaf
adder to turn away from the words of the Lord, but rather so to
desire them, that if there be no word of the Lord, then that
dear soul feels like one, as David says, that goes down even
to the pit. So there is the desire in the
living child of God, speak Lord, for thy servant heareth. But
we are dealing here particularly with a case where the Lord has
intended to speak, and has made that intention clear, those three
former times when he called unto Samuel. And so the words forgive
me, to the child. I am sure you will notice the
difference between what Eli instructs Samuel to say and what Samuel
actually does say when the Lord does graciously come and calls,
Samuel, Samuel. We read in verse 10, Then Samuel
answered, Speak, for thy servant And what, of course, Samuel omits
is the name Lord. Eli had said to him, thou shalt
say, speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. And there is so much
bound up in this small circumstance, the word that Samuel did not
feel able to utter. Remember how we have already
read in verse seven, that Samuel did not yet know the Lord. And the words in each case is
that covenant name for God, the name that we know as Jehovah.
And that was what Samuel was instructed to say, speak Lord,
referring to God in that covenant sense. Speak, Lord, for thy servant
heareth. But it is almost as though Samuel
hesitated, and he could not address God by that name, Lord, by that
name, Jehovah. And so he simply says, speak
for thy servant heareth. Just to use a very simple picture,
if we meet somebody perhaps for the first time, perhaps without
being introduced, then we do not feel able to address them
by their name, certainly not by their first name. Afterwards,
when we have been acquainted with them for a time, when we
have been introduced to them, when we are more familiar with
them, then we may use their name. But it is just the same here.
We read that Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and so he hesitates
to refer to Him in this way, and he simply says, Speak, for
thy servant heareth. And surely it is oft times the
case, when the Lord is beginning His work with one of His children,
that that revelation is gradual. There is perhaps an initial coming
to them, and although they do hear the voice, as Samuel did,
and they do respond to it, yet perhaps there is some mistaken
opinion, just as Samuel thought it was Eli and not the Lord who
was speaking. Maybe we can speak of how the
Lord had to deal very tenderly and perhaps repeatedly with us
because there were some misgivings. There was a need for the word
to be confirmed. It reminds us rather of how the
Lord Jesus dealt with Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus. Remember how that is recorded,
the light from heaven the company falling to the earth. And how
Paul, as he was later known, would recount that voice that
said unto him, Saul of Saul, why persecutest thou me? But
then there was this question. He said, who art thou, Lord? Saul of Tarsus recognized that
it was a divine voice, that it was God. And he referred to him
as Lord. But he had to ask, Who art thou? And he had to reply, I am Jesus,
whom thou persecutest. Well, there had to be a revelation
of the risen Lord Jesus Christ to that man And we know what
a revelation it was in time, perhaps such a revelation as
no other man has known in the gospel. But that question, who
art thou, Lord? And again, perhaps we can testify
in our small measure of how the Lord has called us and spoken
to us, and we have known that really it can only be Almighty
God It can only be the Spirit of the Lord Jesus. But alas,
our misgivings, our doubts! And so we partly acknowledge
it, but we partly doubt. Who art thou, Lord? And isn't
the Lord so gracious, Saviour, that he does bear with us, that
he is patient and long-suffering towards us? And he does reveal
himself in that gentle way. But this need for the Lord to
reveal himself. And so as we say, there is that
hesitancy. And Samuel says, speak for thy
servant here. But again, what a mercy that
the Lord did continue to appear and that Samuel, like all the
apostles, came to a great knowledge of his Lord and Master. But this need to be encouraged,
and to be able at length to speak to the Lord Jesus, and to come
to him in that familiar way, yet in a reverential way, through
the Spirit, and to come unto God the Father I hear him. Well, this desire, speak for
thy servant hearers, and it is the desire of all the Lord's
people. It just comes to mind how that
this speaking is really their sustenance. Man doth not live
by bread alone, but by every word which was out of the mouth
of the Lord doth a man live. And we are speaking spiritually,
for just as naturally we need our daily bread, we need our
earthly sustenance for our bodies, yet spiritually there is a desire
for the Lord to grant His Word. And yes, we find it in the pages
of Holy Scripture, we find it in our Bibles, We find it in
those words that God has caused to be written. But we need that
word to be applied to the soul. Again, David, Psalm 35, when
he describes what the Lord must do for him in pleading his cause,
draw out also the spear and stop the way against them that persecute
me. Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. And for the child of God, it
will not be enough merely to read in the word of God, of the
Lord, his people's salvation, that salvation is of Jehovah. And although precious and profitable,
it will not be enough merely to read of a Lord Jesus Christ,
who, as it was said when he was given that name, shall save his
people from their sins. Rather, we shall need to know
this, that the Lord Jesus saves us personally, individually,
from our sins. And it must be this, in the gospel
sense, say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. And like David, our soul shall
feel famished, weary, hungry, and thirsty until the Lord does
appear, until he does speak. And as to the time and manner
of that speaking, well, as we have said, these things are in
the Lord's hand. They are in His providence. But
how often in the Word of God we find that He speaks at an
unexpected time or even at an unexpected place. Well, in this
case, the place was not unexpected. We speak of how Samuel and Eli
were ministering, as it is said in the temple of the Lord, where
the Ark of God was. There are those places where
the Lord does often give his word to his dear child. But then there are other occasions,
and sometimes the Lord must remove his dear child, his saint, from
that which is overly familiar. They must be taken, as it were,
into the desert Remember how even the Lord Jesus
took his disciples away from the multitude. Come ye apart
for a while into a desert place. And likewise, we think of godly
Elijah. And where did the Lord particularly
speak to him after that contest on Mount Carmel? Well, the Lord
did appear very wonderfully there. But what do we read afterwards?
Well, we read of Elijah going a day's journey into the wilderness
and sleeping under a juniper tree. And then we read of him
making a much longer journey, even to Horeb, the Mount of God. taken far, far away from Judah,
from the land of promise. But it was there, was it not,
that the Lord appeared to him, and at length, not in the wind,
not in the earthquake, not in the fire, but in the still small
voids. And sometimes the Lord does bring
his people into those particular places And perhaps we can speak
of it. And perhaps one might testify
how maybe in a seemingly trivial place, such as a hotel room,
one may testify of how the Lord has given not one but two words
in quick succession. And then to reflect on how it
seems the Lord has spoken to one more in that hotel room and
in any house of God, even in any chapel, so much as we can
remember. Well, there are these places,
there are these spots, and it is because, just as with Elijah,
the Lord so overrules and so directs his servants into that
place where they shall hear and where they shall be convinced
that it is truly the word of the Lord. But as we say, it is at his command,
it is at his reckoning when these things shall take place. But
there is the desire, there is the preparation. And if this
spirit be given unto us, speak, Lord, for thy servant here Then
surely the Lord, having given that desire, having given that
concern of soul, he shall satisfy it. Well, we read in our passage
that the Lord did come, that he stood and called us at other
times, Samuel, Samuel. And the Lord did speak that word. And you may say that was a very
solemn word. especially to be given to such
a young lad as Samuel. But there is even in this something
to encourage us. The Lord had already made known
to Eli that he would cut off his hands, as we read in the
previous chapter. But notice this little comment
in the end of verse 12. He says, in that day I will perform
against Eli all the things which I have spoken concerning his
house. And then he says this, when I
begin, I will also make an end. Now granted, that was very solemn
in the case of Eli and his sons. But we are speaking here of the
purpose of the Lord, and it is our hope that his purpose toward
any of us, and our trust that his purpose toward his dear people,
is a purpose of grace and of loving kindness. And surely the
same principle applies, when I begin, I will also make an
end. And I wonder if you are reminded
of a particular text in the New Testament, Remember what Paul
wrote concerning the Philippians, how he had that assurance concerning
them, that good home, that he which hath begun a good work
in you will also perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. And
really it is exactly the same doctrine. And so it is our hope
If we have some reason to believe, something to cherish, that the
Lord has begun with us, when I begin, I will also make an
end. Having begun that good work,
he will also perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Well, when there is the desire
to hear the word of the Lord, when there is that entreaty that
it should be given, a confirming word, a reassuring word, a word
of pardon, a word to signify the Lord's good purpose. For
the Lord will meet those desires. And then there is that knowledge
that the Lord has appeared And we raise our Ebenezer, and we
testify that the Lord is good. Yea, blessed is the man that
trusteth in him. And yes, a tasting and seeing
that the Lord is good. When the heart may so rejoice
in that call, in that revelation of God in Christ, And is there
not such a rejoicing that we must say, come and hear all ye
that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done, even for my
soul? Well, I trust we desire that
these exercises might be ours, and that instruction that Eli
gave of old unto Samuel, Go, lie down, and it shall be, if
he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord, for thy servant
heareth. And if we be favoured with those
things, then it shall be, as we read in the Gospel, God being
faithful, God who hath called us unto the fellowship of his
Son, Jesus Christ. May the Lord bless his own world.
Amen. We'll close this morning with
hymn 941, tune Arizona 284. Jesus, my Lord, my life, my all,
prostrate before thy throne I fall. Fain would my soul look up and
see my hope, my heaven, my all in thee. Hymn 941, June, Arizona, 284. My coming, my all Brought straight
before Thy throne, Thy fold I put my soul, look up and see My earth,
my heaven, my all in Thee Here in this world of sin and
woe I'm filled with joy of sins to and fro Burdened with sin and fears of
rest With nothing here to give me rest I'm learning from the preachers
how I see. They know the word and speak. To heal my wounds and love my
Queen Give my mourning heart relief Without Thy peace and presence, Lord Not all the world
can help and hold Do not throw my soul away But
sell my darkness into day I long to hear thy calling voice. Then did my soul rejoice, Rejoice! Then did my soul rejoice, Rejoice! Then did my soul rejoice, Rejoice! and live like peace and heaven,
a mind to give. Then filled with grace so holy
now My soul in praise would so abound and with delightful joy record
the wondrous good Most gracious Lord, we would
afresh desire that token for good, the reassurance of Thy
good purpose toward us. Oh, do speak the words. And now
may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God our
Heavenly Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us
all. Amen.