Thank you. Let us commence our service this
evening by singing together hymn number 360. The tune is Abbeydale 274. God in his earthly temples lays
foundations for his heavenly plays. He likes the tents of
Jacob well, but still in Zion loves to dwell. Hymn 360, tune
Abbeydale, 274. O'er the earth and the heavens
and all the earth Foundations for His heavenly grace. He likes the tents of Jacob's
mount. ? But still in Zion lobstered now
? ? His mercy visits ev'ry town ? That made the night and morning
bright, That makes the morning lightful stay, The churches beat to praise and
praise. What glories they'll describe
the Lord, What fun the sound of sun and dove, Our city of
a golden hour! Thy fame shall tower on Egypt now. Egypt and Tyre and Riddick and
New Well there begin their lives
anew. Angels and men shall join to
sing. ? The hill where living waters
stream ? ? When God made the peace lost and found ? Of late
his home, his hurry bound, T'will be an hour, t'will appear, Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in the prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 60. Isaiah's prophecy, chapter 60. Arise, shine, for thy light is
come, and the glory of the Lord is written upon thee. For behold,
the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the
people. But the Lord shall arise upon
thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. and the Gentiles
shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy
rising. Lift up thine eyes round about,
and see, all they gather themselves together, they come to thee.
Thy son shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed
at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow
together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged, because
the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee. The forces
of the Gentiles shall come unto thee, the multitude of camels
shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah, all they
from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and incense,
and they shall show forth the praises of the Lord. All the
flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, The Rams
of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee, they shall come up with
acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my
glory. Who are these that fly as a cloud,
and as the doves to their windows? Surely the isle shall wait for
me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from
far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the
Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath
glorified thee. And the sons of strangers shall
build up thy walls, and their king shall minister unto thee.
For in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy
on thee. Therefore Thy gate shall be open
continually, and shall not be shut day nor night, that men
may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their
kings may be brought. For the nation and kingdom that
will not serve thee shall perish, yea, those nations shall be utterly
wasted. The glory of Lebanon shall come
unto thee, the fir-tree, the pine-tree, and the box together,
to beautify the place of my sanctuary, and I will make the place of
my feet glorious. The sons also of them that afflicted
thee shall come bending unto thee, and all they that despise
thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet, and
they shall call thee the city of the Lord, the Zion of the
Holy One of Israel. whereas thou hast been forsaken
and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee
in eternal excellency a joy of many generations. Thou shalt
also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of
kings, and thou shalt know that I, the Lord, am thy Saviour and
thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. For brass I will bring
gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood, brass,
and for stones, iron. I will also make thy offices
peace and thine exactors righteousness. Violence shall no more be heard
in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders, but thou
shalt call thy walls salvation and thy gates praise. The sun
shall be no more thy light by day, Neither for brightness shall
the moon give light unto thee, but the Lord shall be unto thee
an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall
no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself, for
the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning
shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all
righteous, They shall inherit the land forever, the branch
of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand,
and a small one a strong nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in
his time. May the Lord bless the reading
of his own precious words and grant unto 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 great and glorious majesty. We desire a spirit of
real prayer. at the grace of supplications,
we would humble ourselves before Thee, O Lord our God. For we
all have sinned, we've come short of Thy glory, and we desire a
spirit of true confession of our sins, of our wanderings,
of our backslidings. We pray to be washed in the precious
blood of the Lamb, to cleanse us from all our sins, We thank
thee that a door of hope is open wide in Jesus' bleeding hands
and side. And though the dear apostle had
to say, a wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the
body of this death? And yet, Lord, he continued to
say, I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Lord Jesus,
we hope alone in thy mercy. We cannot bring anything good
before them. We come like the poet of old.
Nothing in my hand I bring. Simply to thy cross I cling. Foul I to the fountain fly. Wash me, Saviour, or I die. We come like that one of old,
O Lord, that thou didst speak of. God, be merciful to me, a
sinner. And, O Lord God, we do pray that
thou wouldst reveal thyself here tonight, and that the word of
truth may be opened, and the power of it known and felt in
our hearts. May there be a word that shall
enter into our souls, a word of direction, a word, O Lord,
of consolation, a word, most gracious God, of comfort where
distress abounds. We pray that thou wouldst heal
up the brokenhearted and that those that are seeking to be
led in the right way, may they hear a voice behind them saying,
turn not to the right hand or to the left, but keep thine eyes
right on. Gracious God, lead us forth in
that right way unto a city of habitation. Deliver us from our
enemies. Deliver us from our own selves. Deliver us from walking in sparks
of our own kindling. Deliver us from the temptations
of Satan. Whether an angel of light to
deceive or a roaring lion to devour, we need thee to deliver
us from his power and from his influence. or we pray to be led
of the Spirit of God. For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Oh, to know that true,
that divine leading and inward teaching of the Holy Ghost. Blessed divine Spirit of truth,
we pray for thy heavenly power. Without thy heavenly power, O
Lord, no sweets the gospel can afford, no drops of heavenly
love will fall. But we pray for thy power, thy
sweet influence. Awake, O north wind, and come
thou south, and blow upon my garden, that the spices may flow
forth, or that there may be a flowing forth of those sweet and sacred
graces of the Holy Ghost. in our hearts, that we may love
each other, serve each other, bear each other's burdens, thereby
fulfilling the law of Christ. That we may esteem each other
better than ourselves to be. Gracious God, help us to present
our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto thee,
which is our reasonable service. And that we be not conformed
to this world, but may we be transformed by the renewing of
our mind that we might know what that good and perfect and acceptable
will of the Lord is. Hearken, O Lord our God, we do
humbly beseech of thee. We pray that thou would bless
our beloved brethren, the deacons, and give them grace and wisdom
and help in all their responsibilities, not only here, but among the
churches. gird them with all sufficient
grace. Bring our dear brother and sister
home tomorrow as they return. May they be bettered, O Lord,
and rested. We do humbly pray thee. And we
pray, most gracious Lord, that thou would remember the little
ones, the children that come into the sanctuary. Oh, that
thou would bless them indeed. Thou would open their hearts
and their eyes And it may be with them as it was with thy
servant Nehemiah, so did not I because of the fear of the
Lord, that fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom. We
think of those precious words, suffer little children to come
unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of
heaven. Gracious God, do incline thine ear, we do humbly beseech
and bless the dear children. We pray for the young friends.
Oh, that thou wouldst bless them indeed. That thou wouldst guide
them by thy counsel. That thou wouldst bring them
to living faith in Jesus Christ. That thou wouldst make them true
followers of thee and of those who through faith and patience
inherit the promises. Lord, we pray that there may
be a a generation raised up to call thee the Redeemer blessed,
a generation that shall follow on to know the Lord. Hear us,
Lord, we do humbly pray thee. Oh, to see the wonderful outworking
of that precious word, for I am returned unto Jerusalem with
mercies. Oh, we pray that thou wouldst
return that thou wouldst make bare thine holy arm. We've read,
together in thy word, that I, the Lord, will hasten it in his
time. Do come, Lord, we do humbly pray
thee and do bless us. And that we pray for the young
friends as they launch forth into life, and oh, that thou
wouldst make the crooked things straight and the rough places
plain. Be with them in their education and give wisdom and
help. Be with them, most gracious Lord,
regarding a partner in life's journey and graciously find them
gainful employment. We lovingly commend them to thee
and to the word of thy grace, which is able to build them on
and to grant them an inheritance among them that are sanctified. Lord, bring them to that place. Then shall I tell to sinners
round, what a dear Saviour I have found. I'll point to thy redeeming
blood and say, behold the way to God. Remember parents, give
wisdom and grace and help to bring up their children in the
nurture and admonition of the Lord. Remember O Lord, we do
humbly beseech Thee, the families, grant that the family altar may
be raised, the Word of God read. For all things are sanctified
by the Word of God and prayer. Lord, we pray that the wonderful
wind of the Spirit may blow. Those in the midst of the journey
of life may feel that moving of the Spirit, we do humbly beseech
them. Any that are hardened in sin,
come and soften their hearts, we do humbly beseech. As thou
alone canst, come and humble them under thy mighty hand. O gracious God, we do pray that
thou wouldst so bless us as a church and as a congregation, those
of us in the evening time of life journey, that we pray to
be led and taught and blessed by Thee, and grant that at evening
time it may be light, and that we may see the wonderful glory
of the Lord, and anticipation of that glory that is prepared,
those mansions, those eternal mansions in heaven. Gracious God, we pray to be prepared
for that great day. We do humbly beseech when heart
and flesh shall fail. And sometimes, Lord, there is
no warning. Pray for dear Ina in her great
age that thou would remember her for good. Lord, we pray for
any and any particular trouble or trial or perplexity or sorrow
or sadness or bereavement. Help them, support them, sustain
them, strengthen them, and strengthen them out of Zion. O Lord, we
do beseech thee. Send the light and glory and
power of the gospel into this village and the surrounding villages
and hamlets. All the precious souls may be
gathered into Zion. The strongholds of Satan pulled
down, The kingdom of our Lord Jesus set up in the hearts of
sinners. Hear us, Lord. Oh, we beg of
thee to hear us in heaven, thy holy and thy blessed dwelling
place. And graciously send answers of
peace. The sweet Psalmist, he says,
my eyes are weary with looking upward. Oh, most gracious Lord,
we pray. for that grace to keep looking
up, to cast all our cares upon thee. Remember the prodigals
that have wandered from the sanctuary, cause them to return. They're
not beyond thy power. Oh, what rejoicing, Lord, there
would be over one sinner that repented. Gracious God, grant
us that rejoicing here we do humbly beseech of thee. But we pray, most gracious God,
that any that may be, feel to be safe and secure, but they're
not. Any that are in a way that seemeth
right unto a man, but the end thereof is death. Lord, we think of those solemn
words that they would speak to the church at Sardis. Thou hast
a name that thou livest, and yet art dead. Gracious God, O
quicken souls and make them cry, give me Christ or else I die. Remember all thy servants as
they labour in word and doctrine upon the walls of Zion. Set them
free, set them at liberty. O Lord, we do beseech thee. grant
a reviving in thy Zion. We pray thee, the great Lord
of the harvest, to send true labourers into the harvest. O gracious God, do incline thine
ear, we do humbly beseech thee, and do have mercy upon thy Zion,
upon the churches. Remember, Lord, the charities
to which we affiliate, Remember the editors of our magazines
and the secretaries of our societies, the committees as they gather.
Grant that all things may be done in the fear of the Lord.
We do humbly beseech them. And we do pray that we may know
that spirit of love, when is it brethren all agree, and let
distinctions fall, when nothing in themselves they see, and Christ
is all in all. We do thank thee for our house
of prayer. Thank thee for liberties that
enable us to gather. Thankful for the open Bible,
the word of God. Let thy word be a lamp unto our
feet and a light unto our path. We're thankful, Lord, that thy
mercies to us are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness, O
thy unchanging love. We thank thee for it. We thank
thee for the incarnation of Jesus, the Son of God. We thank thee
that in him the holy law of God has been fulfilled and honoured
and magnified and everlasting righteousness has been brought
in. We thank thee that he offered that sin atoning sacrifice on
Calvary He suffered, he bled, he died for the sins of his people. Oh, we do thank thee, most gracious
Lord, for the fullness that is in him. He died for our sins
and rose again for our justification, has now bodily ascended into
glory. We have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Fill our hearts with gratitude. Great is the Lord, and greatly
to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. Come and touch
one's lips with a live coal from off the heavenly altar, as we
ask with the forgiveness of all sin, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 361, the tune is Kilmarnock, 856. How did my heart rejoice to hear
my friends devoutly say, in Zion let us all appear and keep the
solemn day. Hymn 361, tune Kilmarnock, 856.
? With joy and proudness, o'er
earth, and heavenly host ? ? My God, how gracious are your
parents ? ? The children of whom we embrace ? ? Children of heaven
and earth ? ? To churn it from the face ? ?
After the cross it dies away ? ? The world rejoices ? The Son of David was risen, and
sits in judgment bed. ? In His love gracious and compassionate
? ? And worthy to arise ? ? Be my touch, be my sight ? ? Eternal life of freedom rise
? ? History will be its sacred place ? ? And your life will
be free ? ? With the rakish and in the fresh
? ? In the red and in the flesh ?
? Christ the Lord shall rise again
? ? Where're my best friends, my
neighbor and friend? ? ? You know, I say, where're
they? ? Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I would direct your attention to Psalm 87, and
we will read verse 5 for our text. Psalm 87, verse 5. And of Zion it shall be said,
This and that man was born in her, and the highest himself
shall establish her. And of Zion it shall be said. What is Zion? We know that in the Old Testament,
geographically, Zion was a hill in Jerusalem. called Mount Zion. But in the spiritual sense of
the word, Zion is the church of God. And we speak sometimes,
do we not, of the little hills of Zion. This house of prayer,
for over 200 years, has been a little hill of Zion. And there's been fluctuations
in the amount of people that have gathered here during that
time. And yet the Lord has established,
strengthened, and helped. In this Psalm 87, we read in the beginning, his
foundation is in the holy man. The Lord loveth the gates of
Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Zion, if you look at
it in the New Testament sense of the word, once the city of
Jerusalem was established and the Mount Zion was established
there, that was the center of divine worship. You had the temple
in Jerusalem, et cetera. But in Jacob's days, they lived
a nomadic existence. They moved constantly from place
to place. They lived in tents, Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob. They lived in tents. They moved
from place to place. Sometimes they would stay many
years in one place. stayed for a long season in Hebron. And in actual fact, that is where
the name Hebrew comes from. The first person that was called
a Hebrew was Abraham. Abraham the Hebrew. You see,
because he lived in Hebron. But they moved from place to
place. They were of no settled abode. But then Zion is a settled place that the Lord has laid a foundation. Behold, I lay in Zion a foundation,
Isaiah chapter 28. I lay in Zion a foundation. The apostle Paul, he says to
us, and obviously speaking in the New Testament sense of the
word, the spiritual sense of the word, other foundation can
no man lay than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus. You see, my beloved friends,
these little hills of Zion, the Lord has promised to bless them.
Glorious things are spoken of the O city of God. Number one,
she has a foundation. That foundation is Jesus, the
Son of God. He himself said to Peter, upon
this rock I build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it. Shall not prevail against it.
Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. And the
citizens of Zion, they come from all nations. Some,
and of course in a sense it's true, in the Old Testament the
main people of God were the Jews, but the Lord knew his people
from many different places. Look at Rahab the harlot, Ruth
the Moabitess, godly women gathered in. There were others also, but
of course in the New Testament, which is It's every nation, kindred, tongue,
and tribe, and people. It's not confined to the Jewish
people. The divine command to the apostles
was, go ye into all the world, preaching the gospel unto every
creature. And here in verse four of this
Psalm 87, I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them
that know me. Behold Philistia and Tyre with
Ethiopia. This man was born there. among
the nations of the earth. One of the first countries to
receive the gospel under the New Testament was the Ethiopians. And that of course was principally
through the Ethiopian eunuch. The Lord called him by divine
grace, brought him to faith in Jesus Christ. He was baptized
by Philip. And he went on his way rejoicing,
where to? To Ethiopia. And it's well known
even today that the Christian church is in Ethiopia, it's an
ancient church, goes right back down through the ages. And of Zion, it shall be said
this, and that man was born in her, and the highest himself
shall establish her. She shall be established on very
firm foundations. I felt very much drawn to read
that chapter 60. And I've often felt chapter 60
in Isaiah has been exceedingly precious to my soul. Over many, many years, arise,
shine. of gospel days, arise, shine,
and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Where? Zion,
the church of the living God, you might say. How do you know
that? Because in verse 14 it says,
and they shall call thee the city of the Lord, the Zion of
the Holy One of Israel. The Holy One of Israel is Christ. King in Zion. Yet have I set
my king upon my holy hill of Zion. Glorious things have spoken
of thee. Zion has a king, and their king
is almighty. Their king is the Lord God, the
omnipotent reigneth. Their king is King Jesus. Yet
have I set my king, you know, the heathen rage, the people
imagine the vain thing. And yet the Lord says, yet, in
spite of all their ragings, all their opposition, Yet have I
set my King upon my holy hill of Zion. And it says here in
Isaiah 60, for behold, the darkness shall cover the earth and gross
darkness the people, but the Lord shall arise upon thee. Where?
Zion, the church of the living God among all nations. But the
Lord shall arise upon thee and his glory. shall be seen upon
thee. What is the glory that is seen
upon Zion? Jesus, her King. Jesus, the almighty
Savior. Jesus, the one that is able to
save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by him, seeing
he ever liveth. These are the glories of Zion. You see, the Lord shall arise
upon thee, though darkness is everywhere else. And the Gentiles,
What a wonderful truth this is, isn't it? And the Gentiles shall
come to thy light and kings to the brightness of thy rising. You see, lift up thine eyes round
about. Oh, you know, it makes me think
of that beautiful promise that we have in the Psalms, open thy
mouth wide and I will fill it. I will fill it. Lift up thine
eyes round about and see all they gather themselves together,
they come to thee. Thy son shall come from far,
and thy daughter shall be nursed at thy side. These are divine
promises unto Zion, the church of the living God, that the Lord
will establish her. She's fixed on a firm foundation. She shall not be moved. Yea,
I have loved thee. Who does he speak that to? To
Zion, to the church of the living God. Yea, I have loved thee with
an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. Then thou shalt see and flow
together, and thine heart shall fear. When the preaching of Jesus
Christ, the setting forth of the glory of Christ, because
the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces
of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. These are all, speaking
of Gentiles, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah, all their
sheba shall come, they shall bring gold and incense, and they
shall show forth the praises of the Lord. You see, He will
establish Zion. Says in verse 7, the rams of
Nebaioth, Nebaioth is a Gentile. The Rams of Nebaioth shall minister
unto thee. In other words, I will call my
servants for every nation, kindred, tribe, and tongue and people.
They shall come up with acceptance. They won't be rejected because
they're not a Jew or an Israelite. The Lord receives them in Jesus
Christ. They shall come up with acceptance
on mine altar. I will glorify the house of my
glory. How will he glorify it? By the
outpouring of the Holy Ghost. The outpouring of the Holy Ghost. How Christ will be exalted and
precious souls will be gathered unto him by the power of the
Holy Ghost. It says in verse 8, who are these
that fly as a cloud and as the doves to their windows? That's
the gathering of the Lord's people unto Christ. That's what it's
speaking of. They fly by faith, looking unto Jesus. Their soul
quickened into life, convicted and convinced of their sin. They
feel their emptiness, their poverty, their insufficiency. They see
and they cry out, I'm lost, I'm ruined, I'm undone. And that
same blessed spirit that shows them their lost condition, he
shows them Christ as the way, the truth, and the life. They
fly to the bleeding wounds of our incarnate God, that precious
sin atoning blood. Glorious things are spoken of
thee, O city of God. Oh, that precious sin atoning
blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses from all sin. How attractive
to a poor, lost, ruined, wretched sinner is the precious blood
of the Lamb. It reconciles unto God. It brings
peace into the conscience. It washes away all sin. It does. These are the wonderful blessings
that the Lord will bring upon Zion, the church of the living
God. Verse 10. And the sons of strangers
shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto
thee. For in my wrath I smote thee,
but in my favour have I had mercy upon thee. Therefore thy gates
shall be open continually. They shall not be shut day nor
night, that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles,
and that their kings may be brought, you see. The Lord will bring,
he will gather a people unto himself, here upon earth. He
will gather them together in little churches. A church is
a company of believers. And they will be gathered together,
united together, in accordance with gospel ordinances. Baptised
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost,
it will glorify God. Sitting and keeping the Lord's
Supper, it glorifies God. This do in remembrance of me.
For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show
the Lord's death till he come. It brings glory. an honour unto
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. You see in verse 13 he says,
the glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee. Now he speaks of the
Lord's living family as trees. He said, the fir tree, the pine
tree and the box together to beautify the place of my sanctuary
and I will make the place of my feet glorious. Heaven is my
throne. The earth is my footstool. I will make the place of my feet.
He's actually referring to Zion. The place of my feet. The throne
of grace. The place to supplicate the mercy
of God. Who sits on the throne of grace?
Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. The King of glory. Jesus Christ who is able to save
to the uttermost all that come unto God by him. And these poor
broken-hearted sinners, these poor wretched sinners, these
poor ruined sinners, these poor hopeless sinners, they're brought
to faith in Jesus Christ. In Zion. In Zion. In the Church of the Living God. A word that has been So sweet
to me is the last clause of this Isaiah 60. I, the Lord, will
hasten it in his time. And that is where we need to
wait. We wait for the Lord's appearing. I, the Lord, will hasten it in
his time. There's a set time. We read here
in the book of Psalms, there is a set time to flave Isaiah. And they're blessed people that
wait the Lord's set time, that watch and pray and wrestle and
travel. And of Zion, it shall be said
this, and that man was born in her. It's like the words of our
Lord Jesus Christ, isn't it? He must. Be born again. To be born again, you must be
born again. Except a man be born of water
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. This is the vital question for
each one of us here tonight. Are you born again? Has the Spirit
of God quickened your soul? Just like the apostle says in
the commencement of Ephesians chapter two, you hath he quickened
who were dead. See, this is a vital thing. The
Lord Jesus says you must be born again. You hath he quickened
who were dead. See, quickened by the spirit
of God. To be given life. It's what the Holy Ghost does.
He gives life. It's His divine power. It's like
the words of Christ Himself, so much precious teaching in
it. When He speaks of the coming
and the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, and He says when He is
come, that's the Holy Ghost, He will reprove the world of
sin and of righteousness and of judgment. That's the divine
work of the Spirit in the heart of a true believer. He will reprove
or convince the world of sin. Where the Spirit of God works,
there is an awakening in our conscience, in our soul. And
there is an awareness that we come short, that we have sinned.
That's the divine work of the Spirit of God. Now, the depth
of that teaches is entirely the Lord's discretion. Some of the
Lord's people are deeply convinced of sin. And they're deeply taught their
wretchedness, their sinfulness. Others, it's very gentle. And I want to emphasize that.
It's very gentle. I think it's put so beautifully
by Isaiah. Here a little, there a little,
line upon line, precept upon precept. It's a gradual dawning
on the soul. This is the divine work of the
Spirit, to lead line upon line, precept upon precept. There's
a realization of your lost condition. And then there's a realization
that there is one that can save and redeem and deliver, Jesus
Christ. And it's the divine work of the
Holy Ghost to show us that. He will take of the things of
Jesus and reveal them unto you. He will testify of me, Christ
says, in your heart, in your soul. There's a dawning. of light. When you only feel
your sinfulness, it's darkness and bondage. But when there's
a glimmering of hope, it's light. It's light. There's a light.
It shines. You walk towards that light and
it's just like Bunyan's Pilgrim. When evangelists asked him, see
young Wicketgate? No, he said. Then he said to him, see yon
shining light? I think so, I think so. That light is Christ. But there's
a dawning on the soul. Unto you that fear my name shall
the son of righteousness arise with healing in his wings. There's
a healing in Emmanuel, in Christ. Heal us Emmanuel, here we are. Waiting to feel thy touch deep
wounded souls to thee repair and save you we are such Heal
us. Do you feel the need of healing?
Do you feel the need of restoring? Do you feel the need of renewing? This inward desire longing These
are evidences I wouldn't rest you just in these evidences,
but they are evidences of divine life. But don't rest short of
Christ. Don't rest short of coming to
him, of looking to him, of Christ revealed, Christ made precious. This is something that is so
essential, Christ to be made precious, Christ to be revealed. The light to shine in your heart
is love to be shed abroad in your soul. Doesn't the Apostle
Paul in the Epistle to the Romans, he speaks of the love of Christ
being shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost? By the Holy
Ghost. The Spirit of God shining in
the heart. And of Zion it shall be said,
this and that man was born in her, And these are the evidences
of being born again. Of being born again. Of having
spiritual life. But if that is truly the case,
you can't, you won't rest short of Christ. You'll be found looking
to Christ. Your religion will be a Jesus-only
religion. If ever my poor soul be saved,
his Christ must be the way. That's the language of a living
soul. Christ is made precious. It's
lovely what we read in the first epistle of Peter, isn't it? Unto
you that believe, therefore, he is precious. The apostle Peter
there is speaking of Christ and of the believer. Unto you that
believe, therefore, he is precious. Christ precious to your soul. Do you long to lay hold of him?
Do you long to hear his voice? Are those prayers and desires
of the spouse in Solomon's song, are they a sweet reality to you?
Tell me. O thou whom my soul loveth where
thou feedest and where thou causest thy flock to rest at noon. So
that's a prayer of the spouse, tell me, O thou whom my soul
lovest, you're drawn to Christ, you love Christ. It's a wonderful thing, if that
is indeed the case. Another prayer in Solomon's Song,
chapter one, draw me. You know, that's what the living
soul, the soul that is born again, longs to be drawn. They feel
the need to be drawn. They feel the lack of spiritual
exercise and spiritual concern and spiritual desires and they
say, draw me. Lord, draw me. Lord, enliven
me. Renew. Show thyself. And of Zion it shall be said,
this and that man was born in her. in her, in the church, in
the church. You know, there's a beautiful
place in the eighth chapter of the Solomon's Song, and very
beautifully expresses those inward desires of the living soul in
chapter eight. and the soul that is brought
into love, into union, into communion with Jesus Christ. And you look at chapter eight
in Solomon's Song, O that thou wert as my brother, this is the
spouse speaking to Christ, that sucked the breasts of my mother.
When I should find thee without, I would kiss thee. Yea, I would
not be despised. I would lead thee. You know,
I think this is probably one of the only places in scripture
where the spouse, the believer, leads Christ. The language, I
would lead thee and bring thee into my mother's house. This
is to Zion, my mother's house, the church of God. I would lead
thee and bring thee into my mother's house who would instruct me. She would find that instruction
in the church, through the reading of the Word, through they that
feared the Lord spake often one to another, and that's often
a form of instruction. And under the ministry of the
Word, there is instruction and direction that is given under
the sweet influence of the Spirit of God. would lead thee and bring
thee into my mother's house who would instruct me I would cause
thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate
his left hand this is the spell speaking of Christ his left hand
should be under my head and his right hand should embrace me
you just think of that his left Just think of it in that way
that it's usually meant in a spiritual sense in Holy Scripture. Left
hand blessings are providential blessings. Right hand blessings
are those rich eternal covenant blessings in Jesus Christ. And
so he supports her in providence and he embraces her in grace.
can't separate providence and grace they go hand in hand the
Lord fulfills the purposes of his grace in providence and all
your pathways and circumstances are divinely order of God they're
all in his hands his left hand is under my head and all your
providential pathways are in his hand he makes no mistakes
no his left hand should be under my head, and then his right hand
should embrace me to discover his love. That's what it means.
So the left hand upholding the head in the way of providence,
but then the right hand embracing. And the love of Christ shed abroad
in your heart, and your heart so melted under a sense of it.
That's his right hand. Sometimes You'll have that love
shed abroad in your heart and it'll be so precious. No words
spoken, all the preciousness of the love of Christ in your
heart. His right hand should embrace
me. That's when he draws you. Draw
me, we'll run after the, and that's when Christ draws you.
Of course, we are instructed in the John's Gospel, none come
except the Father draw. You mustn't leave the Eternal
Father at home. He'll draw you to Christ. None
come except the Father draw. And when you know those sweet
drawings of your Eternal Father, you're drawn to Christ. You see
a beauty in Christ. You see a loveliness in Christ. You're in love with Him. This
is the clear evidence that you're born again. You're a child of
God. You've been born of the Spirit.
You'll enter the kingdom of heaven. Those words apply to you. I will
never leave thee, nor forsake thee, world without end. I've
loved you with an everlasting love. It's a love from all eternity,
and it's a love to all eternity, and I'll never let you go. I'll
never let you go. This everlasting love of God
in Christ. And it goes on and it says in
verse five here in Solomon's Song, chapter eight, who is this
that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Who is it? It's the spouse. The wilderness is this world.
It becomes a wilderness to the living child of God. This is
not your rest, it is polluted, and this world becomes a wilderness.
There's nothing here that can satisfy your soul. It's a wilderness. But she's coming up out of the
wilderness. Who is this that cometh up from
the wilderness, leaning, upon her beloved, leaning upon Jesus
Christ, leaning upon his everlasting love and kindness and compassion,
leaning on his precious sin-atoning blood, leaning on his glorious
everlasting righteousness, leaning upon her beloved, leaning upon
what he has done. The law was thundered loud, but
When you're brought to Christ, you see the law fulfilled and
honored and magnified, and it'll bring peace and consolation into
your very soul. Who is this that cometh up from
the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I've raised thee
up under the apple tree. There thy mother brought thee
forth. You see, again, as we have in our text, this and that
man was born there. There thy mother brought thee
forth. That's the church, thy mother. There she brought thee forth
that bear thee. She said, these things are written,
my beloved friends, for our instruction, for our guidance, for our direction.
Let me ask you, is Christ precious? Are you leaning upon your beloved?
Are you looking on to Jesus, the author and finisher of our
faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame thereof, and is now set down at the right
hand of the majesty on high, and of Zion it shall be said,
this and that man was born in her, and the highest himself
shall establish her. He will establish Zion upon the
eternal rock of ages, and that of course is the whole church
of God, but in the individual experience of God's people, he'll
establish you in Christ. And he'll bring you
to see that the only way to heaven, the only way of life, the only
way of peace is in Christ. And there'll be such yearnings
in your heart after Christ that you might know Him. The Lord,
you see, this is His work, and of Zion it shall be said, this
and that man was born in her, and the highest Him shall establish
her. Now, when the spouse, she says
there, what we've looked at in Solomon's song, I would lead
thee, I would bring thee into my mother's house. into the chamber
of her that bear me. That's the church. That's the
womb of the morning. It's what the church is called,
the womb of the morning. This is very beautifully set
forth in that lovely Messianic Psalm, Psalm 110. And in Psalm
110, we have prophesied our great Melchizedek, And those well-known
words are repeated by Christ and by the apostles. The Lord
said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand until I make thine
enemies thy footstool. It's the Father said to the Son. That's exactly what that means.
The Lord said unto my Lord, the Father said unto the Son, sit
thou at my right hand And that's where he sits now. For such an
high priest have we, who is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the
Son of God. Sit thou at my right hand, until
I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of
thy strength out of Zion. Roar thou in the midst of thine
enemies. But you see, It says in the third
verse, thy people shall be willing. What a wonderful thing to be
made willing. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness, from the
womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth. The beauties of holiness. It's
the holiness of Christ. It's the righteousness of It's his holy person. It's his
holy sacrifice on Calvary. It's his holy life that he lived
for his people, fulfilling and honouring the law, the beauty
of holiness. There's a beauty in the birth
of Jesus Christ in that he's holy. There's a beauty in the
life of Jesus Christ in that he's holy. And that holiness
becomes the perfect obedience comes the righteousness of the
believer, the holiness of the holy God man, the man Christ
Jesus. Oh, my beloved friends, are these
things a sweet reality to your heart? Do you desire to lay hold
of Christ? Do you desire to follow him?
And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in
her, and the highest himself shall establish her. The Lord
shall count, when he righteth up the people, that this man
was born there. O my beloved friends, may it
please the Lord that we may yet see Zion's offspring come. Then
shall I tell to sinners round, what a dear Saviour I have found.
I'll point to thy redeeming blood and say, behold the way to God. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 366. The tune is St. Stephen, 229. The Lord in Zion placed his name. His ark was settled there. To
Zion the whole nation came to worship thrice a year. Hymn 366, Tune St. Stephen, 229.
? Silent night, all is calm ? ?
Around yon virgin, mother and child ? ? O'er the earth's majesty ? ?
O'er the land of the free ? ? Where'er thy saints tread ? the house for God. Arise, arise, the grace of the
night, and enter to thy rest. The night just breaks with longing
eyes that to Thee alone am blest. ? Enter with all thy glorious praise
? ? Thy spirit and thy words ? ? All that we plucked it must
contain ? Earth, now soft, great, and whole If I think of except a song,
will that thy praise be spread? Rest thou, thou key-shell of
my past, And fill thy poem with rest. In the bosom of David's grave,
there drops anointed shine. Justice and truth is God maintain,
? With love and power divine ?
? In it we move at a stiffened
throat ? and as his kingdom come, rest on earth shall adore his
throne, and shame confound his foe. 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.