laughter you The notices for the coming week
of wedding are as follows. Next Lord's Day, our pastor is
expected to preach here at 10.30 and two o'clock. There'll be
a prayer meeting on Thursday at seven o'clock. There'll be
no service on Thursday this week, as we will be holding our anniversary
service on Friday, services to commence at 3.30 and 6.30. when Mr. Gerald Bust is expected
to preach. The collection taken will be
for our pastor. We'll commence our service this
morning by singing hymn number 634. The tune is Adoration, number
528. When saints together meet, God's goodness to declare, the
season will be sweet if Jesus be but there. Of Christ they
speak, of Christ they boast, while Jesus lives they can't
be lost. What though their house with
God be not as they would wish, and oft a father's rod fills
them with deep distress, yet in the Lord they firm abide,
united to him as his bride. Hymn number 634. The tune is
Adoration number 528. ? Since you have loved me ? ? All
day and all night long ? ? I see thy perfect face ? ? With Jesus in
a glance ? O Christ, they speak, O Christ,
they voice, O Christ, they speak, O Christ, they voice, O'er the ramparts we watched,
were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the
bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag
was still there. Yes, in the glory of the Lord,
Where my soul shall ever sleep, ? God give them mercy now ? ? In excelsis Deo ? ? In semper
fidelis ? ? Excelsis Deo ? ? And my head is made to rest with
you ? ? Then all the earth and heaven and earth and heaven and
earth ? The grace that gives them time,
the grace that made them free. Let us read from the sacred pages
of God's Word. from the first book of Samuel,
chapter 1, and into chapter 2. 1, Samuel 1, and into chapter 2. Now there was a certain man of
Aramathaeum, Zophim of Mount Ephraim. And his name was Elkanah,
the son of Jerohem, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son
of Zeph, and Ephrathite. And he had two wives. The name
of the one was Hannah, the name of the other Peninnah. and Peninnah
had children, but Hannah had no children. And this man went
up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto
the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and
Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there. And when the
time was that Elkanah offered he gave to Peninnah his wife
and to all her sons and her daughters portions but unto Hannah he gave
a worthy or double portion for he loved Hannah but the Lord
had shut up her womb and her adversary who provoked her saw
for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.
And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house
of the Lord, so she provoked her. Therefore she wept, and
did not eat. Then said Elkanah her husband
to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? And why eatest thou not? And
why is thy heart grieved? Am not I better to thee than
ten sons? So Hannah rose up after they
had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest
sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord. and she
was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the Lord and wept
sore. And she vowed a vow and said,
O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction
of mine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid,
But wilt give unto thine handmaid a man-child? Then I will give
him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall
no razor come upon his head. And it came to pass, as she continued
praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth. Now Hannah,
she spake in her heart, Only her lips moved, but a voice was
not heard. Therefore Eli thought she had
been drunken. And Eli said unto her, How long
wilt thou be drunken? Put away thy wine from thee. And Hannah answered and said,
No, my lords. I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor
strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Count not thine handmaid for
a daughter of Belial, for out of the abundance of my complaints
and grief have I spoken hitherto. Then Eli answered and said, Go
in peace, and the God of Israel grant thee the petition that
thou hast asked of him. And she said, Let thine handmaid
find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way and
did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. And they rose up in the morning
early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came
to their house to Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife,
and the Lord remembered her. Wherefore it came to pass, when
the time was come, about up to Hannah had conceived that she
bear a son. and called his name Samuel, saying,
Because I have asked him of the Lord's. And the man Elkanah and
all his house went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice
and his vow. But Hannah went not up, for she
said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be
weaned. and then I will bring him, that
he may appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever.' And
Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good,
tarry until thou have weaned him, only the Lord establish
his word. So the woman abode and gave her
sunsuck until she weaned him. And when she had weaned him,
she took him up with her with three bullocks, and one ephah
of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house
of the Lord in Shiloh. And the child was young. And
they slew a bullock and brought the child to Eli. And she said,
O my Lord, as thy soul liveth, my Lord, I am the woman that
stood by thee here praying unto the Lord. For this child I prayed,
and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him. Therefore also I have lent him
to the Lord, as long as he liveth, he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there. And Hannah prayed and said, My
heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord,
my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies, because I rejoice in
thy salvation. There is none holy as the Lord,
for there is none beside thee, neither is there any rock like
our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly. Let not arrogancy come out of
your mouth. for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and by Him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty men are
broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. They
that were full have hired themselves for bread, and they that were
hungry ceased. So that the barren hath born
seven, and she that hath many children is wax feeble. The Lord killeth and maketh alive. He bringeth down to the grave
and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor and maketh
rich. He bringeth low and lifteth up. He raiseth up the pour out of
the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill to set
them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth
are the Lord's, and He has set the world upon them. He will
keep the feet of His saints, and the wicked shall be silent
in darkness, for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall
be broken to pieces, out of heaven shall He thunder upon them. The Lord shall judge the ends
of the earth, and He shall give strength unto His King, and exalt
the horn of his anointed. And Elkanah went to Ramah to
his house, and the child did minister unto the Lord before
Eli the priest. O Most Holy, High, Eternal Lord
God, all we bow before Thee this morning, in this Thy lower house,
Thy courts, where Thy name is honoured here and glorified,
and the word of the Gospel goes forth, all we do desire this
morning hour to come and worship thee in spirit and in truth. O Lord, how we need thy spirit
with us now, great God of heaven. O pardon our iniquities, for
they are great. How have we come to thy house?
May it search us. One day we've got to stand before
the judgment seat, how we need preparing, and at all times,
how we need preparing to approach God, the eternal God. For dear Paul says, for our God
is a consuming fire, and we think of the lines of the hymn, out
of Christ, almighty power, can do nothing but devour. So humble us, save us from a
mock humility, or save us from a mournfulness of the flesh. May we come to thy courts with
thanksgiving, joy, praise in our soul. But how can we except
thou hast wrought salvation, a hope in it, a little drop of
thy righteousness and thy peace within. Make us honest, make
us willing to be searched. How stands my soul the case with
thee? For heaven, are thy credentials
clear? Is Jesus blood thine only plea? Is he thy great for runner there. O gracious God, holy God, thou
knowest how each of us come. We do not know. We cannot and
have no right to and would not and cannot do so look into another
man's matters or his heart. Or may we know that one blessed
holy ghost ought to be working in our soul May eternity be made
a reality, but oh, may the grace or the suffering or the dying
of the Son of God be made a living blessing to my soul continually. We know about the gospel. Have
we heard it? What's it done for us? O Lord,
what influence are thy words upon my heart? O, we will come
before thee in complete transparency, and we have to pray and we think
of the publican's prayer. He stood afar off and could not
as much as lift up his eyes unto heaven but smote upon his breast
and cried, Be merciful to me a sinner. Save
our younger friends from just thinking that once he was justified,
that was it. Dear Lord, we carry about with
us a body of sin and death, and pride, independence, and worldliness,
love of earthly things. Lord, is the breaking of the
very first commandment, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, with all thy mind, and so forth. So gracious God,
we do come before thee pleading that one glorious provision. We stand in awe, a provision. Save us from just knowing about
it or thinking, well, we'll find it one day. Dear Lord, are we
exercised? O Emmanuel, blessed Jesus, may
we come daily, when we wake up, calling out to Thee, thanking
Thee for Thy Word and Thy grace toward us thus far, looking for
it for another day, and looking for it even for today, to the
end of the day, and as we're spared, through the night season
and as we're spared for the next day. Oh, may we be looking for
him whom our soul loveth. Keep us tender, keep us exercised. Gracious God, draw us. Oh, but how can we? How can I
come before the holy nature even of the glorious Son of God? Oh,
one way only, what thou hast done. Make a discovery to those
who know thee not in thy salvation this day, or in thy time and
way, or whenever thou deceivest in the greatness of thy everlasting
love. Make a discovery to those who
know thee not, to find thee, to have done everything for them
in preparation for heaven, and thou art with them now and going
before them to bring them to thyself at last. Also we bow
before thee, and we would plead thy precious blood. I need it,
Lord. All my sins, as heart says, sins
immense as is the sea, hide me, oh Gethsemane. Also we would
come then, Pleading this thou have nourished every one in this
trouble, that feels utterly ashamed of themselves, even of their
profession, of their pathway, and of all their heart. Utterly
ashamed. But all may the fountain be open,
let the living waters of the gospel flow. There is a river,
the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God. So gracious God, we plead these
mercies before Thee this day, even this day. Now, Lord, we
come asking Thy blessing upon our gathering now, this service. Let us not meet in vain. If nothing
is accomplished, it is a serious thing. We've come before God
and nothing gained and nothing understood. What a solemn thing
this is, but here we are, Lord. It can happen, and it does, and
it fills our heart with shame. We have to confess our utter
unworthiness. So remember us now. Bless this
house of prayer. Remember their dear pastor, that
gone this day to Luton. Bless him and his home. We think
of the church there. with their great loss. O Lord,
although he has not been officially their pastor for that short period,
yet he was still their spiritual pastor. Lord, it is a loss. Provide for them. Bless them. Keep them together. Bless thy
word. We pray for our dear friend,
Lord, who is preaching there this day, the pastor here, Oh
do bless him in his soul and bless him here and bless his
labours abundantly and may he still bring forth fruit. Lord
thou hast been good to him. He has his losses and so forth
which we know about which we have to have our own self painfully
walked. Oh do bless him and be with him
and cheer his heart especially in his lonely pathway. O be very
gracious unto him, Lord, and remember him, and favour him,
Lord, much in the present pathway. And bless his labours here. Bless
the church, the congregation. Bless our dear friends at their
office. Help them daily, hourly. Give wisdom, give wisdom in dealing
with all matters. Bless the singing of thy worthy
praise. We thank Thee for the opening
hymn. Dear Lord, bless the church, the congregation. Add unto them. Bless the young people who gather
here. Open their eyes. Oh, save them
from that rigid, self-righteous walk. May they need Thee. Sink down into those everlasting
hearts. May discoveries be given to them.
of thy divine love and grace. It is not a theory. May the gospel
touch them, a word of hope, a word in season. Bless our dear young
friends. Go before them in life's journey.
Dear Lord, open doors, but may they pray hourly their way along. Remember all who are lonely.
Lord, bless them, be with them. Comfort all that mourn. or those
in a lonely pathway, help them. Those in deep waters of sorrow,
who brought much tribulation upon their head, have compassion. Oh, great God of heaven, have
compassion. Remember age, friends. Those
in senior years, bless and help them. We think of a dear friend,
a church member here for many, many years, the former pastor's
wife. Oh, remember her now. in her
old age. Lord, do bless her indeed, and
comfort her in her extreme age now, and shine in her soul, shine
in her room, or may it be the very gate of heaven, unto us
all. So we pray for each, would not
leave any out. Oh Lord, those in a special case,
exercise need, undertake for them. All in affliction, pain,
suffering, we would not know. Lord, remember them and help
them. O Lord, many of the afflictions of the righteous, but there are
those spiritual afflictions. The power of sin, power of temptation,
comfort all the morn. Remember us as a group of churches,
bless thy word here and in Zion. Remember thy aged servant, black
boys in Pick Hill today, Grant him much help and blessing and
bless the word. Thy kingdom come, thy will be
done, on earth as it is in heaven. Lord, we're very little people
and we have to realize it sometimes. All of grace, all of grace, so
Lord. Do remember the editors, the
denominational magazines, the secretaries of our chapel societies.
Do bless the mail labours and our friend at at Trumbridge Wells
this morning, in his intense labours and care for Zion. Do
bless him and strengthen him much, for, Lord, he feels no
doubt, from time to time, the increasing of years, slowly. Lord, undertake for him, may
he be able to continue, it is thy will for season, but, O Lord,
do give him much grace and much strength and help. Say it, dear
Lord, so do hear us in heaven like one in place. and we pray
for thy one spiritual Israel in this land and through the
earth. The missions where thy name is feared, thy word is read. All men in deprivation, famine,
affliction, war, persecution, genocide. Have mercy on this
poor earth. Lord, stay at the hand of the
aggressor. We think of the war in Eastern Europe and and on
the borders of Asia, do be gracious. Stay the hand of the aggressor.
Remember thy people under bombardment and suffering loss and grief. Remember those under persecution. We think of China and the poverty
of Africa and South America and through the earth. Oh, Lord,
oh, have mercy on thy remnant. Oh, do give our Western leaders
wisdom. in dealing with matters wisely,
preserve us from a European and nuclear war or world conflict.
Lord, we are so poorly led in the West. We live in solemn times. Oh, raise up leaders in the West,
we pray, men of integrity, men of wisdom and stature, statesmen
who know how to handle matters wisely. Gracious God, look down
upon us in mercy, and this our nation. Have mercy on England. We pray for our country. Remember
our King. Give him wisdom and his responsibilities. Lord, remember our Prime Minister
and leaders. Give them wisdom and cabinet. But, oh Lord, all hell we need
those to be raised up out of Zion and to go forth, declare
the whole counsel of God as in former years under the prayer
of the Holy Ghost. Oh, do we hear prayer for our
nation. Oh Lord, and may they go forth and sound the alarm
and blow the trumpet out of Zion, lengthen out to their partisan
heritage, civil liberties, religious liberties. Now, Lord, we must
and would thank Thee for all Thy mercies and all Thy goodness
and all Thy kindness to us. Oh, do hear us in heaven, Thy
dwelling place. Give us a thankful heart for
Thy daily provisions, abundance of supply. Oh, Lord, we would
acknowledge spiritual mercies. Oh, we have a throne of grace.
Be thankful for the glory of our great high priest, Jesus
the Son of God, made a priest forever, the Order of Melchizedek,
all we acknowledge, all that glorious Son of God, without
beginning and without end. The Eternal One, our Great High
Priest, how we plead thy precious blood, all we would come before
thee, pleading thy dying love for our life, for our salvation. Yes, O Lord, we acknowledge so
many mercies in a personal way. Now, Lord, we pray for help,
pray for Thy blessing. Help us in the heat, and bless
Thy waiting people. O leave us not to labour in vain. O Lord, how solemn, how solemn,
Holy Spirit come. O grant life like power, O grant
life in our souls. Come, Lord Jesus, our Father
which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. We ask salvation,
eternal life, blessing upon the Word. Have compassion on us. We plead all things in Jesus'
name and for his sake. Amen. Continue our service by singing
hymn number 643, the Juniors Pembroke, number 719. Again, dear Lord, we would be
fed. We come to seek for living bread
and feast on love divine. Dear Father, let thy presence
be enjoyed by all thy family and make each face to shine. in thee all blessings richly
meet come then and give our souls a treat and let us feast indeed
oh let us banquet with the king and love and pray and praise
and sing as sons from bondage freed in number 643 the juniors
pembroke number 719 Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early
light, In the hope to see the living
world, And in it to know the living God. ? And all the world to see ? ?
And all the world to see ? ? And all the world to see ? O'er the land of the free and
the home of the brave? Oh, say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave O'er the ramparts we watched,
were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the
bombs bursting in air, ? The sea of goodness between you
and me ? ? May good and peace surround you forevermore ? O say can you see, by the dawn's
early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last
gleaming? ? The new-born King has come to
set us free ? ? The Lord, the King is come for ever ? ? And crown thy good ? ? With brotherhood
strong ? ? And crown thy good ? ? With brotherhood strong ? O'er the ramparts we watched,
were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the
bombs bursting in air, ? Don't be fearful ? ? Of what
you shall do ? ? When things are hard ? ? And everything's soft ? in complete dependence upon the
Lord for needed help and blessing. I draw your attention to the
chapter we read, the second chapter of the first book of Samuel,
and verse 8. 1 Samuel 2 verse 8. He raiseth up the poor out of
the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to
set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne
of glory. For the pillars of the earth
are the Lord's, who set the world upon them. 1 Samuel 2, verse 8. He raiseth
up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from
the dunghill, to set them among princes and to make them inherit
the throne of glory. We have before us a well-known
yet blessed account. But look how Hannah was brought
so low. In bitterness of spirit, she
spake, do we have this divine teaching in our lives and hearts? I just say this, woe to us if
we do not. We may not be in Hannah's pathway
and we shouldn't be trying to say, I am not in her position. Dear friends, we all are born
in sin, shaped in iniquity, and here we have set before us that
God's compassion on the destitute, on the needy. What is your case
this morning? What is your case? Is it serious? I'm not speaking just of providential
matters, outward things. Is it well with our soul? And
are we brought to need that salvation? It's easy to say these things.
Out of Christ, almighty power, can do nothing but devour. But
have we felt the seriousness? Where is our soul? Friend, it's
not having religious experience only. although that salvation
will be experienced and felt. But beloved friends, is the spirit
moving us? Are we compelled to sink down
into those everlasting arms? We sing a couplet, if my soul,
it's a serious hymn, if my soul were sent to hell, thy righteous
law proves it well, well how does it find us then? You're
on the way. We're on the way. Accept mercy, intervene. Accept
grace. One thing only will can save
us is not having nice thoughts. It's not being ever so good,
although that's right, of course. It's to know Him as our Savior,
Redeemer. But you know, there's one thing
that we notice here, and it's very clear in the text. You know,
Yet he raiseth up the beggar, the beggar. Have you come to
chapel begging? Lord, one more word, please.
One confirmation, one sealing. Dear friends, or have we come?
Oh, a bit weary today. Hope you won't go on too long,
and so forth. And will the text, hope it's
not boring. Will you get into my pathway?
Dear friends, it's not the minister, it's the Lord in your pathway.
It's the Lord, you come to his house groaning your way along. Do we go sometimes groaning back
or sometimes rejoicing? Or do we come rejoicing and then
go back further convicted of our folly? Finding we have another
knee, it's the Lord dealing with us is what I'm saying. He will
bring us love. It's a very serious thing. We
worry about Zion, our churches and Christianity and the world
generally, but what a complacency there is, isn't there? You know,
full of the last week, last week, and oh, it's Sunday. Dear friend,
it might be your last day on earth. I'm not being dramatic.
I trust it isn't. I trust it isn't. But who can
tell? Are we spiritually? Not practically,
but spiritually. It enhandles bitterness of soul.
People mistaken. Eli the priest. It's a good man,
Eli. He's not a wise man. He's very
weak, really. But I believe it was, as I think
most divines would agree, that he was a godly man. He feared
God, but it wasn't in exercise. Isn't it a solemn thought? He
might be a good man, but where was the exercise? Where was the
discernment? Where was the light? It's a fact,
isn't it? But here he saw it. Obviously
mistaken, but then he recognized it, because he knew it himself.
Yet over his sons, well, you may be writing many things, a
humble person, but you're not writing everything. Eli wasn't,
and I'm not, and none of us are. It's a humbling thought. But
are we in Hannah's place? in deep exercise of soul. Whether
it be a matter concerning your pathway, position below, but
surely eternity, tremendous sound. You know, is that reality before
us? Am I ready? Am I sure the Lord
is mine? How can you face the river? Uncertain, unsure. You say, well,
I'm a beggar. So was Hannah. But beggars get. Let's be clear. I'm not being
hard. I'm not setting up a high standard.
Dear friends, from the word of God, is my, base my remarks. They find. They find. And they will find. But Hannah
had to go very low, didn't she? Very low to find. And some of
us might do. but are they gracious dealings
for us? Many encouragements. Many encouragements there are.
And we would encourage still, of course, and the Lord did,
to seek, but he said, you're gonna find. He says, you're gonna
find. Well, here we have her song of
thanksgiving. And she, in these verses, goes
through the bitterness that she had endured and Penina was a
bitter enemy but it's not a person, is it, that's a bitter enemy?
We have a foe that if he can, he'll send us fast asleep in
religion. Make you complacent. Think well, I had that encouraging
hearing and you'll settle on it. Secondly and least, it doesn't
mean you should value God's blessing. That's the anchor. If you've
had it, it's eternal. We have a foe that is sending
us to sleep in Zion. And I know it myself. Friend,
we'll just shame for their heart. May the Lord open our eyes to
know this, to be a beggar. He maketh poor. Now he raiseth
up. and He make us rich. He bring
us love and lift us up. He raises up the poor out of
the dust. Now stick to the word now. Friend,
how poor are we? Are we being shown our poverty?
What a mercy we are. Shown our poverty. Carnal. Sold under sin. You know and
He raiseth up those poor. Jesus, when he opened his mouth,
the first thing he said in that Sermon on the Mount, as he went
forth, Blessed are the poor in spirit. Now if you're poor, you
don't feel pleased about it. You feel grieved about it. Or
you want some substance. You want the Lord's blessing.
Well, you know, he raises the poor. All our poverty spiritually
fills our heart with shame. It's a fact. Have you discovered
a fact? And none of us are exempt by
nature. We are all poor. But don't get
used to it, friends. We're in dangerous ground. If
we start hiding under, well, I can't help it. And we feel,
I mean, I came to chapel this morning. Feeling wise with poverty
and groaning and ashamed but And I might tell you I am But
what I need is raising up and so do you He raises up the poor
But are they in the dust? Friend are we really in the dust
Friend do you really feel to be in the dust? in so many ways
your soul, your profession, your prayers, your pathway. You know,
things don't turn out as we thought sometimes, do they? The Lord
is putting His hand in. Are your prayers being answered?
No. It makes us to be poorer. But
you must have the answers. Friend, but look what the Lord
does. And He did it for Hannah. Look
how he kept Hannah. I wasn't particularly going to
think about Hannah's example, but her experience. But, yes,
how the Lord kept her, waiting for this providential answer,
we say that, in the provision of a son. And Alcaina loved her
dearly. But she wanted more than that.
She wanted a man child. Lovely friends, do you want Jesus
afresh in your heart? Do you want yourself to be born
again? Or do you want Emmanuel to bring
forth his grace in your soul? Is that our longing? Well, we
can't rest on our poverty, can we? But it's a fact, friend,
and it fills our heart with shame after so many masses, so many
answers to prayer, and above all, for those who have God's
spiritual blessings have known them in the past. And we seem
to be like a barren tree, that fig tree, cut it down. It brought
forth no fruit. You feel to be poor. But what
are among them? Is there love in you? The fruits
of this? I'm not being complacent here. The fruit of the Spirit
is love. Peace in Christ. Have you known something of it?
Do you love Him? Do you love His ways? Do you
love Him sufficient for wanting to hear and speak, even if it's
a rebuke? Willing to receive it? To receive
a rebuke from the Lord in love to your soul? Well, here He raises
them up. Search me, O God, and know my
heart. Try me, and know my thoughts,
and see if there be any wicked way on me. You're not going to
come out of that exercise saying there's nothing wrong with me.
It's not so. I'm exercised. I'm a praying
soul. Friend, do you realize how poor
your prayers are? The Lord regards the prayer of
the destitute and hears their groanings, the prisoner and so
forth. Well, he raises up to a good
hope in grace by leading you to himself We think of what Paul wrote in
Corinthians. You know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, do we dear friends? Do we? What if we don't? How does it stand with us? How
will it stand with us? Though he was rich. You must
somehow know something of this. I'm sure a little leading, a
little opening out. A little insight to the mercy
of God in his only begotten son. A little pinprick of light. Don't disregard it. Pursue it. You know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ. That was rich. Yet, for your
sakes, he became poor. That you, through his poverty,
might be made rich. Hannah's song here reflects the
Lord's dealings and it points to a time ahead when the Lord
Jesus himself, how you say, he didn't become like Hannah. Friend,
every saved soul, everyone that has opened the gospel, the Lord
has gone down to their very case. and borne their poverty and their
need and their sin. Do you know that? Have you felt
it? Friend, it will raise you up.
It will raise you up in a good hope. A little insight. You know, just one little glimpse
will do it. One little inkling of that to
you, your soul. A little opening of Christ, your
soul. Friend, it will raise you up
immediately. It's the voice of your beloved. Rise up, my love,
my fair one, and come away. He raiseth up the poor out of
the dust. Out of the dust. What dwelling in dust? Friend,
we are dust before God, but this is spiritual dust. How we feel to have no substance. When God created, He created
man out of dust, and we know that under dust we shall return,
literally in the body. But spiritually, friend, He creates
a new man in Christ Jesus out of nothing in yourself, but all
of His determined will and glory in divine love and electing love
and preaching determined grace to ward your poor soul. Any encouragement? Well, he raises
up the poor out of the dust, out of the dust. This surely
must be good news to a publican, mustn't it? This stood afar off. Friend, it was good news to the
dying thief. Friend, in his healing mercies
and blessings, To the mad Gadarene, think upon it. Dwelling among
the tombs. Friend, we're dwelling among
the tombs. We're not in a graveyard, I notice,
but we're living. This earth is going to be a graveyard.
It is a graveyard, isn't it? We dwell among the tombs, dear
friends, until the Lord come and cast out the devil. the power of devil, the power
of Satan in our hearts, the love of this world, the allurements,
friend, the delusions and the deceptions. And I've come close. Deceptions in spiritual things. I've come close, come close. When did the Lord last shine?
I hope, I hope it's a wonderful, maybe soon. Maybe he did. Maybe he did this last week.
When did you have a sweet encouragement in the Lord? It's a wonderful
mercy. Friend, I guess he's raised you
up out of the dust a little. Of that poverty of self. And
lifteth up the beggar from the doom hill. Are we begging? Why does a man beg? I know some
of it is deliberate choice and there is of course in that sense
no need really of those to be on the street with
the social system. I'm not being hard here but there
may be among them those genuine who are in deep waters but some
of them are, well I leave all that, we leave all that, we leave
all that. But dear friends, are you a spiritual beggar? Now how
are you going to compare what you see in the streets of cities
to yourself? Are you offended? Are you offended? Nothing of self, they've got
nothing to eat. Think of how Christ had compassion
upon the beggars. They've got nothing to eat, nothing
of themselves, no hope, no house maybe, a terrible affliction,
examples given in scripture. There's a number, I'm sure thoughts
go to what we know, but the Lord, look what he does. He lifts them
from the dunghill, the poverty, the shame, And when we take the
dunghill, we know what outside villages were in those days,
and dunghills were terrible places. But he wouldn't want to dwell
on a dunghill. But the poor did, you know, when
all the garbage came out, getting a few titbits here and there.
Spiritually. Spiritually. Behold, I am vile,
said Job. When did he say that? when the
Lord blessed him and opened his eyes. And that's when you'll
say, when he opens your eyes and favors you and your soul,
I know that thou canst do everything. Instead of complaining, I'm not
saying Job was complaining wrongly, he spoke rightly of the Lord,
but he was misunderstanding the Lord's dealings, and we often
misunderstand the Lord's dealings. How could Hannah understand the
Lord's dealings? She couldn't. And nor can you
and I until the Lord bless us. Well, the dunghill. That terrible
spot, that foul place. Well, I don't have to describe
a dunghill, do I? You know more about it probably
than I do. I don't mean by an experience, but to understand
the nature of it. Well, look at the grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ. How does he lift him up? By showing
him, as I said just now, his poverty. or the wrath of God
for your sin for mine. Don't get used to these things.
We're in danger. My worry is a religiosity. That's
why the church want realities. That's why they're thankful for
the touch, the little leading out to Jesus. Have you had the
little leading out to Jesus? We're brought up religion in
our head. But when it goes forth after Christ your soul, or an
opening, and the Lord comes where you are, right where you are.
There's a lifting up. You know, from the downhill,
the beggar, the beggar. Have we been begging today? What have we been begging? Lord,
pardon my iniquity which is great. Well, that's David's prayer. Surely, David, you don't mean
that, do you? Yes, he did. He felt his sinnership afresh.
He felt it in his heart. You know, it's not a nice thing
to be a beggar, is it? When you feel your poverty, when
you feel your sinnership, when you feel no movement spiritually. You feel dead. You feel dead. No movement spiritually. You
come and go to God's house like a door in his hinges, the old
saying is. Well, he lifts them up by grace. Dear friend, but they have to
beg. Son of David, have mercy on me. Have mercy on me. What do you
need this morning, dear friends? Well, I'll tell you something.
The Lord knows what you need, if you're his. And he'll make
you cry for it. He'll make you seek him. He'll
make you cast all your care upon Him. He'll make you, He'll cause
you to sink down to trust Him, into the everlasting arms, to
graciously fall into His hands. Oh friend, can you believe the
Lord Jesus knows your need this morning? He knows what your begging
means. He knows that despairing thought,
shall I get bread? Will that passerby throw me a
crust? but will he give me a penny so
I can go and get myself a drink? Will he? Friend, he does. Oh, pass by. Even the shadow
healed the sick. Even his shadow healed the sick. What a mercy to be under the
shadow of the Almighty. Isn't it a mercy? Friend, we're
under the shadow in a sense of the gospel, but are you needing
that gospel? Are you grieving over your poverty? And you know, and we get wrapped
up in business during the week, and we know we need something,
and we're not doing anything about it, and our mind is so
taken with it. We come back to the weekend again,
and we've got nothing. Natural pleasures take over.
Of course, we do enjoy life. It's right that we should, but
friend, there's a right way and a wrong way. And sadly, God's
people realize it's softer in the wrong way. They settle on
their knees. Oh, but he stirs us up again. Are you that beggar? Lord, revive
me. Hear my prayers. Hear my cries. Lord, I... Are you hoping in
his word, but feel that hope has now become hollow? Do you
fear your hope has become hollow? Well, may we be led to plead
a foundation laid in Zion. He will draw you. If you're His,
He will draw you to His feet. He'll draw you to plead what
He has done, His dying, His dying love. Are you led to plead? Oh, open to my soul. Glorious sufferings like all
thy poverty for me. Have I an interest in that blood?
Have an interest in that dying love? Lord, open it to me as
poor as I am, for I shall perish without it. Friend, and you will
perish without it, and so will I. Give me a living hope here. Let me shelter unto thy wounded
side by faith. Draw me by thy love, by living
faith. Draw me, Lord, draw me. Vernon, you need that constant
roaring. Well, the beggar from the dunghill. But there is a coming to points,
as Mr. Frank Gosling used to say. There
is a coming to a blessing. There is a reason to set them
among princes. If you're taught yourself Fred,
you could hardly begin to consider yourself as being among princes,
can you? And a prince is an heir. He's
an heir of God. A prince is the one, Jesus' title
in glory is the prince, and so forth. He is the son. And a prince
inherits a throne to make them inherit the throne of glory,
and so forth. This is it, to make them inherit
the throne of glory. to set them among princes. Dear
friends, are you that beggar? And how there is one way the
Lord opens to your soul. Come, come unto me, all you that
labour and are heavy laden. Fred, it's not qualified, is
it, that invitation? Except in one way. All of you that labour are never
heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Friend, you feel heavy
laden with sorrow, care, trouble. Perhaps you feel heavy laden
with your complacency. Perhaps you feel heavy laden
with your lack of spiritual desire, lack of prayer, lack of blessing. Come unto me. Come and tell him. Come and cast all your care upon
him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and have elated, and I'll
give you rest. Rest in the promise God has spoke. This is not complacency. If you're
a beggar, if you're poor, rest in the promise God has spoke.
In all things order well for thee. His sacred word here ne'er
revoke, nor alter his profound decree. Well, to set them among
princes. dear friends, the princes of
his people. And to make them heirs of Christ, with Christ,
Paul brings forth a joint heir. What wonderful grace, wonderful
grace. There's you, a poor, a bedraggled,
vile wretch. Don't mind me saying that, do
you? We are by nature. and so carnal and sold under
sin as Paul described himself, to be adjoined here. Precious
blood, dying love, grace working in the heart with power, withdrawing. Are you drawn by love to him? Does the gospel draw you to him
through his word of mercy? To know something of the Redeemer's
love in lifting us up and making us to inherit the throne of glory. The throne of glory. Terrible
thing to Mr Mark. It's either that or the bottomless
pit. Are you that beggar? Friend,
are you pleading? Are you that beggar? And are
you that poor one? and a downhill description of
your life, and realizing the dust and ashes you've been in
and are still likely to linger in, except for grace. Well, this
is the Lord's doing. It is marvelous in our eyes. You will know this glory. I did
have some marks here and I hadn't referred to any of it yet but
it's a wonderful thing you know. For there has been a strength
to the poor. Can you say that? Can you come
in there? There has been a strength to
the poor. A strength to the needy and his distress. Don't disregard
it. It was only in a small thing.
It was only in a providential thing. It was only on a particular
occasion or a few occasions I can remember in my life. Don't disregard
it, friend. That's unbelief. That's fear,
legal fear. You should regard it. You know,
the Lord is very merciful and gracious. Very merciful and very
gracious. And he does regard the prayer
of the destitute. You know, a strengthened and
needy in his distress. a refuge from the storm, a shadow
from the heat, from the heat of correction, of chastisement,
all sent in love, and so forth. Well, and I think
of the Psalms. I know a similar word is in Psalm
113, which I haven't referred to, a slightly different language,
here it was the same principle of course but the part of the
wording at the end is different. Thou hast thrust sore at me that
I might fall. Have you known that? But the
Lord helped me. This is the prophecy concerning
the Lord Jesus Christ and the thrust of the enemy to his soul
and the thrust of the devil to you. But the Lord helped me. And he
says, the Lord has chastened me sore. He's not given me over
unto death. What a mercy, beloved friends.
What a mercy. Well, he raises up the poor out
of the dust. Is he raising us up? To sweetly
hope in him. To trust in him. To believe in
him. to plead his precious blood.
Wait patiently. Friend, are you waiting upon
the Lord? There's so much hustle and bustle in us sometimes, and
there's impatience in us, but they shall not be ashamed, but
wait for me. You will see a salvation. Owe
to trust him, the trial of your faith. Owe to trust him completely,
that he will fulfill his promise and his and He will appear to
your soul. You know, the Lord has not told
us to seek in vain, has He? He's not told us to seek in vain.
In fact, He has said, that ye shall find. And it is so, and
I believe you might have found something already. Well, to set
them. What a description. Poverty,
begging, surroundings. Now look at the description,
to set them among princes, and in the psalm the princes of his
people, but here to make them inherit the throne of glory. Thou shalt see my glories, and
when the work of grace is done, when it's complete, it's still
going on, that day will come when we, yes to cross Jordan,
But our preparation for that, the Lord shines in our soul.
That will do it. Friend, you can't prepare yourself.
I know the children have said to prepare themselves bituous
to go across Jordan and so forth. But spiritually, He prepares
the heart. He prepares the soul. Fear not,
little flock. It's your Father's good pleasure
to give you the kingdom. And He will. He'll prepare your
heart. He will prepare you for that
great day. May he say, it worries me terribly. How will it be? Will it take
me on a whiz? Oh, ask him to prepare. He will prepare. He hears the, he lifts the beggar
up to Daniel, doesn't he? And look at Hannah's prayer answered. To make them inherit the throne
of glory. to join that eternal song, to see Him as He is. We have
descriptions, but one thing I will say to you, is He your Saviour
now? To see Him then as your Saviour. What's the preparation? To know
Him now as your Saviour, to discover it now, and He'll lead you. Does He lead you daily to His
feet? Does He lead you daily to the throne of grace? Is He
leading you alone? Does He make His goodness known?
Is He showing His hand in your life? Friend, He becomes your
Saviour. You know, several pieces of scripture
says, He has become my... David, He has become my salvation.
He didn't say... One, in one, He says, The Lord
is my... God is my salvation. Then He says, He becometh my
salvation. He's become. He's become my salvation. Is He becoming your salvation
now? Friend, if He is, you will see
Him as He is. Your personal Saviour. You'll
know your Master's voice. The voice of your beloved. The
sheep know the Good Shepherd's voice. You'll hear His voice. Have you heard it? And you'll
one day behold Him face to face. Your Saviour. Your Redeemer. Well, I will leave the word.
The time has run. Oh, the Lord killeth and maketh
alive. He bringeth down to the grave
and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor and maketh
rich. He bringeth low and lifteth up. He raises up the poor out
of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dune hill to
set them among princes, to make them inherit the throne of glory
and the pillars of the earth of the Lord. I think there, of
course, I didn't name that particularly, but what pillars hold things
up, don't they, buildings up? The spiritual building, the doctrines
of grace, Christ's suffering and salvation, his victory, they
hold the church up. And he will keep the feet of
his saints. What a mercy. What an awful following. The wicked shall be silent in
darkness. What a terrible place. But for
by strength, that's man strength, shall no man prevail. He raises up the poor out of
the dust, lifted up the beggar from the dunhill to set them
among princes, to make them inherit the throne of glory. We conclude our service by singing
hymn number 83. The tune is Breslau, number 307. How oft have sin and Satan strove
to rend my soul from thee, my God! But everlasting is thy love,
and Jesus seals it with his blood. The gospel bears my spirit up,
a faithful and unchanging God lays the foundation of my hope
in oaths and promises and blood. Hymn number 83, the Juniors of
Breslau, number 307. Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's
early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last
gleaming? God's own mercy is so great,
Lord, and gives us each new effort, Lord. ? Gave proof through the night
that our flag was still there ? ? O say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave ? ? And you will be free ? ? Ever
true ? ? In its sanctation ? ? Shall I go ? ? Hail, dear old U.S.A. ? ? When peace and freedom ?
? Were once strong ? ? Our deep passion ? ? Now we know strong
? O come all ye faithful joyful
and triumphant O'er the land of the free and the home of the
brave? And now, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the
love of God, the communion of the Holy Ghost, rest and abide
upon us each, now, forever. Amen. Okay.