commence our service this afternoon
by singing together hymn number 455. The tune is Contemplation
117. Once more we come before our
God, once more a blessing asks, who may not beauty seem alone,
nor worship prove a task. In 455, June Contemplation, 117. Whose truth we know, dear Lord
and Lord, Was more than flesh and blood, 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 land of the free and the home of the
brave? to make the way in the light
of day and to the chosen way. I thank thee for all that we
do. We thank thee and always will. O come, O come, Lord Jesus Christ,
O come, O come, Lord Jesus Christ, To take the oath of office first,
To live while earth exists, ? The land of the free and the
home of the brave ? ? The home of the brave ? It won't be late, it won't be
late. ? Say to them, let there be light
? ? Let there be light ? ? Let there be light ? ? Amen, amen ? ? May I now watch
? ? With every choice ? ? The Lord be with you tonight ? ?
And the home of the brave tonight ? Let us pray together from the Holy Word of
God in Psalm 9. Psalm 9. I will praise Thee, O Lord, with
my whole heart. I will show forth all Thy marvelous
works. I will be glad and rejoice in
Thee. I will sing praise to Thy name,
O Thou Most High. When mine enemies are turned
back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence. For thou hast
maintained my right and my cause. Thou sattest in the throne, judging
right. Thou hast rebuked the heathen.
Thou hast destroyed the wicked. Thou hast put out their name
for ever and ever. O thou enemy! Destructions are
come to a perpetual end, and thou hast destroyed cities. Their
memorial is perished with them. But the Lord shall endure for
ever. He hath prepared his throne for
judgment, and he shall judge the world in righteousness. He
shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. The Lord
also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times
of trouble. For they that know thy name will
put their trust in thee. For thou, Lord, hast not forsaken
them that seek thee. Sing praises to the Lord, which
dwelleth in Zion. Declare among the people his
doings. when he maketh inquisition for
blood, he remembereth them. He forgetteth not the cry of
the humble. Have mercy upon me, O Lord. Consider my trouble which I suffer
of them that hate me. Thou that liftest me up from
the gates of death, that I may show forth all thy praise in
the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in thy salvation. The heathen are sunk down in
the pit that they made. In the net which they hid is
their own foot taken. The Lord is known by the judgment
which he executes. The wicked is snared in the work
of his own hands. Hegeon. Sina. the wicked shall be turned into
hell, and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall
not always be forgotten. The expectation of the poor shall
not perish forever. Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail. Let the heathen be judged in
thy sight. Put them in fear, O Lord, that
the nations may know themselves to be but men, see them. May the Lord bless that portion
of his own precious Word and grant to us a spirit of real
prayer. Almighty God, we do desire now
to bow before thy great and thy glorious majesty. We desire,
O Lord, a spirit of true worship. Thou hast instructed us in thy
word that they that worship thee must worship thee in spirit and
in truth. We pray that thou wouldst grant
us that worship today, in spirit and in truth. Lord, we cannot
worship thee aright in our flesh. We can only worship thee aright
when we're born again in thy spirit. As the psalmist is saying, we
pray for quickly the living word of the living God by the Holy
Spirit to be breathed into our hearts. Whether it be a word,
O Lord of conviction, or a word of rebuke, or a word of encouragement
or a word of promise, may it be with power. May it be with us here this afternoon,
as it was with the dear Apostle at Thessalonica, for our Gospel
came unto you, not in word only, but in power, in the Holy Ghost,
and with much assurance. We pray, Most Blessed Spirit
of Truth, for thy divine power, and for thy heavenly function
to be put forth among us today. May the power that brings salvation
be exerted in the world. We do humbly beseech thee. O Lord, we do pray that we may
not be left to just the dead letter of thy truth, acknowledging
what is written on the page, but knowing nothing of it in
His power in our hearts. To grant us, O Lord, an experience,
we humbly pray Thee, a living spiritual experience in our hearts
of the truth as it is in Jesus, a living experience in our hearts
of the power of Thy Holy Lord, convict of sin, to convince us
of our lost condition, and then that living power of
the Holy Ghost to lead us unto Jesus Christ and to work precious
faith in our hearts that we may have Christ reveal the hope of
glory and that we may be like that dear woman who pressed through
the crow and saying if I might but touch the hem of his garment
I should remain whole or like that other woman that came to
thee Lord help me May there be one and another here, whether
young or old, that should know of that same power, those same
desires, those same longings, that they're seeking and feeling
after thee. Lord, grant that it may be so.
Grant a revelation of thyself. Grant a revelation of thy holiness. And grant a revelation of our
own sinfulness. and grant a revelation of Jesus
Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life. We do humbly receive
you today. We pray that the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the sacred
fellowship of the Holy Spirit, may be known and felt and realised
in our hearts even today. Holy Ghost, we look to Thee.
Raise the dead, the captive free. Form the mighty, take the prey. Teach the weak to watch and pray. O Lord, we can look back to those
first glimmerings of divine life in our heart. There are those
up here that can reflect. that when we first began to feel
that we were a sinner, when we first began to feel that there
was something wrong, when we first began to feel that we were
alienated from thee, gracious God, we pray that that work may
carry on here among us. And Lord, how I remember that
wonderful day when Jesus was revealed, when light and life
and liberty flowed into our hearts, when grace reigned triumphant. O Lord, what wonderful day, when
our hearts expanded in praise and thanksgiving. Lord, grant
such days to come, but one of the days of the Son of Man. We
pray, most gracious Lord, that those blessed our dear brethren,
the deacons, and give them grace and wisdom and help. We remember
them not only for what they do here, but also for what is done
among the churches of God in the responsibilities that they
have. We pray for, indeed, our wider
group of churches. Let thy work appear. Let thy
power be known. Let the wind of the Spirit blow,
we do humbly beseech thee, for thy great namesake. Fill thy
servants with thy Spirit, and with that love that casts out
fear, set the prisoners free. Bring forth sinners from darkness
into light and from bondage into liberty. Deliver from the temptations
of Satan, deliver from the the power and dominion of sin, delivered
from the snares of the wicked one. Lord, Thou art able, Thou
art able. We think of those who are lost
among us that have wandered away, and we pray that they will stretch
out thy almighty hand, that they may wander back, that they may
return, for there is nothing too hard for thee. We earnestly
petition thee, O Lord our God, that thou wouldst work, even
as thou hast promised. I will work, and who shall let
him? Remember each one of our brethren
and sisters in church fellowship, for we do bless each one. We
do humbly praise him. Help us to love each other, serve
each other, and bear each other's burdens, thereby fulfilling the
law of Christ. The number of law that are not
with us today some seeking rest and change, others having to
stay at home. But we pray for each one, all
that thou wouldst bless each one indeed, and help us to continually
watch for one another's welfare, and to provoke unto love and
good works. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou in thine precious mercy wouldst add unto us as a church. May poor sinners Come, and tell
to sinners round, What a dear Saviour they have found! And
point to thine redeeming blood, And say, Behold the way to God! Lord, grant that it may be so.
Let thy work appear unto thy servants, And thy glory unto
their children, O Lord, we do humbly beseech thee. Lord, we
pray that thou must remember the little ones and the children.
We think of the little one who has hurt himself today and pray
for thy healing hand. We do humbly beseech them. And
each one of the dear children, do bless them with that rich
grace that is in Christ Jesus. And do bless them with the fear
of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, that they may be found
seeking and searching after thee. in their young and their tender
years, and be encouraged by thy word, suffer little children,
to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom
of heaven. Remember those who, born on the
threshold of life's journey, graciously undertake, we do humbly
pray thee for them. bring them to living faith in
Jesus Christ, grant them the one thing needful, that they
may become followers of Thee and of those who through faith
and patience inherit the promises, that they may be, O Lord, constrained
to come and tell to sinners round what a dear Saviour they have
found. Help them, Lord, to follow Thee. We do humbly beseech Thee,
Help them to love Thee, and to serve Thee in their day and in
their generation. Be with them in all the paths
of properties. Undertake for them, whether it's in their education,
or any future employment, or regarding a partner in life journey.
Lord, guide them. O Thou great Jehovah, made them
true pilgrims in this very land. I want that great God that did
spring a Ruth unto Boaz, and a Rebecca unto Isaac. Gracious
God, they are able to do these things. Indeed, they are able
to do abundantly more than we can even ask or think. Help them
to watch unto prayer. For the Lord thou art a prayer-hearing,
and a prayer answering God. By blessing gracious God to rest
upon all in the midst of the journey of life, parents give
them wisdom and grace to bring up their children and each one
graciously undertake for each one and grant that they may be
given a focus in life's journey and that they may be enabled
to focus on Jesus Christ and that one ambition, living and
dying to be Thine. O Lord, do heal us, we pray Thee. Make us truly follow Thee. Help us to lay aside every weight
and the sin that doth so easily beset us, that we may run with
patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that Thou in Thy great mercy that would remember those of
us in the evening time of life's journey and all our many needs
and concerns and undertake for us. We pray, dear Lord, that
Thou in Thy great mercy must make us more spiritually minded
and set our affections on things above and not on things of the
earth. For Lord, by nature we are earthbound
and we follow earthly things, Oh, to follow heavenly things,
to truly follow Thee, and that we may be true witnesses of Thee,
we do humbly beseech of Thee. Remember this village. Send out
Thy light and Thy truth into this village, into the surrounding
area. Bring our sons from far and our
daughters from the ends of the earth, and grant that this little
house of prayer may yet be filled with hungry, longing souls, pressing
into the kingdom of heaven. Let thy hand be upon the man
of thy right hand, the Son of man, whom thou madest strong
for thyself, so will not we turn back from thee. Grant thy reviving
and thy renewing hand, grant it among the churches of God. Help thy servants as they labour
in word and doctrine upon the walls of Zion, set them free,
set them at liberty, graciously pour down the strongholds of
Satan, set up the kingdom of the Lord Jesus in their hearts
of sin. Hear us, Lord, we humbly beseech
thee, and remember the churches, but remember the societies to
which we affiliate, and the editors of our magazines, the secretaries
of our societies, and the committees as they gather. Be with us, Lord,
as we gather on the coming Friday, and grant thy gracious presence
there. We do humbly beseech of thee
for thy great namesake. And we pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou wouldst remember our nation, that the glory, light,
and power of the truth may shine forth in the length and breadth
of our nation, we may see thy work again. And Lord, we look
back in our history and those wonderful seasons of great blessing. Lord, we're not deserving. We're
not deserving nationally. We're not deserving because of
our wicked sinfulness. And we're not deserving as individuals,
O Lord. But we present not our supplications
unto thee for our namesake, but for thy great namesake. Thou
must get honour, glory and praise to Thy holy name. We thank Thee
for every mercy and every favour. We thank Thee for the throne
of grace of our great High Priest, who is passed into the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God. We thank Thee for Thy Word. This
is the Word by which the Gospel is preached unto us. We thank Thee that we find in
Thy Word the way to God, the truth of God. We thank Thee for
the glorious person, power and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank Thee for the wonderful
person, power and grace of the Holy Spirit. We thank Thee for
our Eternal Father. O gracious God, fill our hearts
with gratitude, with thanksgiving. We thank Thee for every mercy
of Thy kind providence and all Thy goodness that has passed
before us in the past. We pray, O Lord, for the nations
of the earth, that Thou hast put a stop to war. Bring to naught
the counsels of the ungodly. And may we see Thy overruling
hand. We do humbly beseech You, Lord.
Be with us as we turn to Thy holy Word. Come and open thy
word to our heart and to our understanding. We ask you the
forgiveness of all sin. For Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 666. The tune is Freetown, 549. The great and awful power. Jesus, the Judge, shall come
to bid his foes depart, to take his children home, How will the
wicked quake and fear When they before him must appear? Hymn 666, the tune is Freetown
549. ? He should know the world ? Jesus
did not show her ? Too many things to say now ? And many things
she'll never know I will always love thee, and
I will always love thee. ? He comes to mountain high ? ?
Glowing with the dawn's bright light ? ? Hymns of the proud
pastures cry ? ? And peace to all mankind ? ? Heaven and earth
? ? O say can you see ? ? By the dawn's early light ? O come, O come, all ye faithful joyful
and triumphant O come, O come, all ye faithful joyful and triumphant
? And my Savior's blood ? ? Let
everlasting joy ? ? O'er me now ? ? O'er me now ? ? Let me confess
now ? ? Ancient in the world ? ? Safe
on high Jesus died ? ? His ashes placed in heaven above ? ? As they do, as they do ? ? And
together we'll always be free ? ? As they do, as they do ? a great feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help. I direct your attention to the
chapter we read, Psalm 9, and we will read verses 7 and 8 for
our text. Psalm 9, verses 7 and 8. But the Lord shall endure forever. He hath prepared his throne for
judgment, and he shall judge the world in righteousness. He
shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. But the Lord shall endure forever. As we read here in the Book of
Psalms, from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God, and he will reign forever. There
can no change take place in God. He is what is called immutable,
the Word of God speaks it. He says, I, the Lord, change
not. Therefore, ye sons of Jacob are not conceived, What a solemn thing it is though,
these wonderful attributes of God. You think of the holiness
of God, and the infinity of God, and the all-seeing eye of God,
and the almighty power of God, the everlasting love of God,
the mercy of God, the peace of God, Also, as we read here, we've
read it together this afternoon, verse 17, the wicked shall be
turned into hell, and all nations that forget God. It's a very
strong thought, isn't it? These attributes of the Almighty.
To the living child of God, they are a wonderful comfort. because
he is their God. As we read here in the book of
Psalms, this God is our God, be even unto death. And these
attributes of God, his justice, his power, his almighty, and
he is able to do abundantly more than we can ask or think. His
wisdom is perfect. these attributes of God to the
Lord's people are such a comfort. They're such a consolation. It's
like the Apostle says in Romans chapter 8, If God be for us,
who then can be against us? He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not freely give
us all things with him? See, these wonderful, almighty,
the attributes of the Almighty God, they're for the Lord's people. He will not let them go. He will
not fail. You'll be discouraged. We see
those attributes displayed in our Lord Jesus Christ, and it
speaks of it in the prophecy of Isaiah, in his sufferings,
in his Humiliation here below is satisfied as a treatment. It is said in one place, repentance
shall be hid from my eyes until I have done what I have come
to do. I will not change my mind. Repentance is when you turn round
the opposite direction. He said repentance shall be hid
from my eyes. I will not turn back. I will
fulfil my covenant. I will steal it with my precious
blood. I will suffer, bleed and die for my people. Such infinite
love. That's what motivates it. God so loved the world, he gave
his only begotten son. With an infinite love to this
world, his only begotten son came into this world and lived
as a man here upon earth. Displaying those wonderful attributes
that we were speaking of this morning. Raising the dead to
life and the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to walk.
All those wonderful attributes of the everlasting love and grace
of God in Jesus Christ. Bringing those in darkness into
light and those in bondage into liberty. See, if God before us
You see, if that work he that hath begun a good work in you
shall perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ. O my beloved
friends, there's no change in him. If once the love of Christ I
feel impressed upon my breast, the mark of that celestial seed
can never be erased. But then we look at it from the
point of view of the wicked. If you look at Psalm 37, there's
a constant referring to the wicked and the righteous. Indeed, if
you look from Genesis to Revelation, there's a constant referring
to the wicked and to the righteous. But these very same attributes
that are such a comfort to the Lord's living family are a terror
to the wicked. Because these same almighty attributes
are against them. You see, to the Lord's people,
they're for them. If God be for us, But to those that are not in
Christ, not in their eternal comfort, they're against us. They're against us, and we have
evidence in the Word of God. It speaks in one place here in
the Psalms about coming up against the thick bosses of the Almighty. sinful weak worm of the earth
coming up against the Almighty. And if you never come up against
the Almighty in this life, you will in the Day of Judgment.
You will in the Day of Judgment. But what an unspeakably solemn
thing that will be. The Day of Judgment, the Day
of Oneness. When God will judge the world
in righteousness. This is a psalm of David. It commences with a praise. I will praise thee, O Lord, with
my whole heart. I will show forth all thy marvellous
works. I will be glad and rejoice in
thee. I will sing praise to thy name, O thou Most High. You see, when mine enemies are
turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence. And
this is true of every single child of God, for thou hast maintained
my right and my cause. Thou sattest in the throne, judging
right. God always judges right. It was Abraham, wasn't it, when
he was pleading with the Lord concerning Sodom and Gomorrah?
And did he not say, Shall not the judge of all the earth do
right? And he will. He will do right. You know, that
here on earth, and because we're all fallen, sinful creatures,
there are miscarriages of justice. Things are not brought to light
that should have been brought to light. or vice versa. And so there is a complete miscarriage
of justice. And you feel deeply sorry because
it wasn't long back that a man was released from prison. He'd
been in prison for 23 years. And then it was brought to light
so clearly that he never did that crime. He'd always protested
his innocence. But 23 years incarcerated. An
innocent man. that will never happen at the
Day of Judgment. There will be no miscarriages
of justice. Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? And here, in this sense, David,
he mentions it about the Lord judging right, and he's now talking
about the things in this life. That God always, he says in verse
4 here, in the throne, judging right, and that's in the things
that go on in your life. There's no mistakes for God's
sake, especially with the child of God. All things work together for
good to them that love God, to them that are called according
to his purposes, all things. You may have some very difficult
things, some very trying things, Some very perplexing things.
And the devil may tempt you that everything's wrong. Surely I
can't be mine, everything's wrong. No. Whom the Lord loveth, he
chastens, and scourges every son whom he receiveth. You see,
and it's just here they are satisfied in the throne, judging life.
And whatever's going on in your life now, the Lord, He looks
down from heaven. He sees everything. He knows
everything. He understands everything. His
understanding is infinite. Nothing happens in your life
that is a surprise to God. Nothing. It's all in His hand. That's the wonderful mercy. But
you say, then why this chasing? Chasing really means discipline.
The Lord disciplines His people. He chastens His people. Now the
devil will tempt you that because you're walking in this particular
pathway, he'll tempt you that you're not a child of God. Because
if you were a child of God, this wouldn't happen, that wouldn't
happen, and something else would happen. Of course the devil was
alive from the beginning. Just remember, the very hairs
of your head are numbered. Not one of them falls without
your father's leave. He judges right. And whatever
is coming to your path at this time, God is the true judge. opinion, if you want to put it
that way, you need this whatever's coming your way. Often things come into our lives,
it can be to preserve us from certain things, and to keep us from pride, and
to humble us, and to bring us low at the feet of the Lord,
so that we come to the end of ourselves, And we trust alone
in Him. And that is the purpose of the
Lord. To bring you and me to trust alone in Him. And you will
be brought to see His wisdom is perfect. It's perfect. As for God, His way is perfect. As it says here, He judges right. Thou sattest in the throne, judging. So the things that have come
in your pathway in God's judgment, that is what is needed. Judgment
is used in many different ways in Holy Scripture. We tend to
always think of God's judgment as being that eternal judgment
and anger of God. But it's not. In something like
in that instance here, where it says in verse 4, there is
hapless in the throne judging right? God knows what is best for you.
He judges right. He may think, when he's getting
a little bit of hand there, I'll just cause this to come. He'll
hedge up your way. And I'll cause this to come.
And I'll cause that to come. But what is it to do to bring
me to his feet? So that You wonder where the
seed will end. God doesn't, He knows. You wonder
where the seed will end, but God knows where the seed will
end. It will end under you and I being humbled under His mighty
hand. Brought into subjection too. This is the sentence in verse
4, what judging is meant. Thou sattest in the throne in
judging right. In the judgment of God. We speak
of men. Some men are blessed with great
wisdom and great judgment. You see, you're naturally speaking.
And you look up to such men because they have a very sound judgment.
Well, God is a perfect judgment. God is a perfect judgment. And those things that have come
into your life in God's judgment, they need Him. They're necessary. They're not against you, they're
for you. It was Sir Jacob that said it,
all these things are against me. They actually weren't. He
thought they were, and it looked as they were, but Joe said it's
not, now Benjamin, and everything's gone wrong, and all these things
are against me. No. Jacob, they were working
together for good. He would eventually go down to
Egypt and there, in the land of Goshen, which means the land
of plenty, that's where the Lord brought him and Joseph, his son
Joseph, which he thought had been a long day. You see, they were all working
for his good. That was the judgment of God. But we misjudge. God never does. sat it in the throne, judging
right. But the Lord shall endure for
ever. Now, where does this come from? He's speaking about his enemies.
He says here in verse 5, Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou
hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever
and ever. O thou enemy, destructions are
come to a perpetual end. and thou hast destroyed cities,
there may more in it perish with them. That was the wicked and
what they were doing. But the Lord, but the Lord shall
endure forever. He hath prepared his throne for
judgment. And of course this is speaking
of the final judgment. God has appointed a time when
He will judge the world in righteousness. So I believe that that is in
the Acts of the Apostles. It's the Apostle Paul when he
was on Mars Hill at Athens in Acts chapter 17. And he speaks
there as he speaks to the people about this great God, this almighty
God. And he said in verse 30, about
the times of this ignorance, he's been speaking of idolatry
and such like. And the times of this ignorance
God wouldn't have. But now, commandeth all men,
now under the gospel of Jesus Christ, now through the preaching
of the gospel of Jesus Christ, commandeth all men everywhere
to repent. You see, no longer was the truth
being just contained and confined to the children of Israel, or
the Hebrew people, but the gospel was to be preached among all
nations, beginning at Jerusalem. There's no difference between
these different people, because he hath appointed a day in the
which he will judge the world in righteousness. By that man,
that man of course is Christ, by that man whom he hath ordained,
whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath
raised him from the dead. Christ is raised from the dead.
What the Apostle says, there's your evidence, that this is the
King, the King eternal, immortal and invisible. This is the King
before whom you ascend. in the great day of judgment
God has appointed the day and we read in the ninth chapter
of the Hebrews as it is appointed unto man you see the day of judgment
is appointed as it is appointed unto man once to God so after
death the judgment my dear beloved friends you cannot get around
this You can't get under it, you can't get over it, you can't
get round it. God has appointed a day wherein he will judge the
world in righteousness. We're going to die, every one
of us is. That's under the judgment of
God because we've all broken God's holy law and we're all
by nature our sinners. And God will judge us in the
day of judgment. We must all appear there in that
Day of Judgment. Every man, woman and child that
has ever lived upon this earth will appear at the Day of Judgment. In the Gospel according to John
chapter 5 and we read there from verse 22 21 For as the Father raises up the
dead and quickens them, even so the Son quickens whom He willed. 22 For the Father judgeth no
man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. All men should
honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth
not the Son hath not the Father which hath sent him. 23 Verily,
verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth
on him that sent thee, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. Sinner, have
you passed from death unto life? You might say, how do I know?
Do you know yourself to be a poor sinner? Do you know yourself
that you need mercy? You need mercy, you need grace,
and you're seeking for it. Very, very, I say unto you, the
hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice
of the Son of God, and they that hear shall hear. For as the Father
hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life
in himself, and hath given him authority to execute judgment,
also because he is the Son of Man. Marvel not at this, for
the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the grave shall
hear his voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good,
that is, those that are believers in Jesus Christ, unto the resurrection
of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of
damnation. You see, it's two places. There's
the resurrection of life to those that are in Christ, and there
is the resurrection of damnation to those that are out of Christ. What a searching, solemn thought
that is. We must all appear at the judgment
seat of Jesus Christ. When I was meditating yesterday,
my mind was much drawn to the last chapter of the Ecclesiastes. And in that last chapter of the
Ecclesiastes we have a description given to us. Firstly, as an admonition
to you dear young people, remember now, notice that's an imperative
word, remember now, thy Creator in the days of thy birth. While
the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt
say, I have no pleasure in thee. And it goes on to describe what
it is to become old and to lose your faculties. While the sun
or the light or the moon or the stars be not darkened. You see that is when your sight
begins to fail. they begin to darken. Nor the
clouds return after the rain. Clouds are often enigmatic of
troubles and trials and perplexities that come, especially as you
get older and your body begins to fail, perhaps your sight and
your hearing, and everything begins to fail. And the trouble from troubling
it, it won't look out of one trouble and another trouble comes.
And that is what is meant here when it says, nor the clouds
return after the rain. And then it speaks in the day
when the keepers of the house shall tremble. And strong men
shall bow themselves. And all the grinders cease. The
keepers of the house are the arms and the legs. As they get
older, they get shakier through weakness, through degeneration
of your physical faculties. The grinders here are the teeth,
because they are few. And those that look out of the
windows and out of the eyes get darker. The doors shall be shut
in the streets when the sound of the grinding is low and they
can't get out. doors shut in the street, can't
get out or about like they used to. The grinding is low because
the appetite has gone for food. And he shall rise up at the voice
of the bird. That means the dawn calls when
the birds begin singing in the summertime and at three, four
o'clock in the morning. And in old age you rise up at
that early hour of the morning when the birds are singing. and
the daughters of music shall be brought nigh unto the healing,
also when they shall be afraid of that which is high. What can
be higher than the day of judgment? What can be higher than the day
of our death? Just think again of the Word
of God. These things are divinely appointed. It's appointed unto man once
to die, after death. something that is divinely set. And in the Day of Judgment we
shall either be consigned to eternal damnation or to eternal
life and everlasting happiness. And you see it says here, and
they shall be afraid of that which is high. Now even naturally
speaking, an old person does not belong that way. Because
they're too shaky. And that is really what is meant
in the natural sense, but also those things are high in the
spiritual sense and in the direct judgement. The almond tree shall
flourish, that means white hair. The almond tree has white blossom. And the grasshopper shall be
a burden, a constant twittering. of something, a little noise
that keeps on, and it really gets on your nerves. That is
what it's meant by. The grasshopper shall be a virgin,
and desire shall fail, because man goeth to his long home. Of course, this is eternal home,
and the mourners go about the stream. It says here, wherever
the silver cord be loose, the silver cord is the spinal cord,
It runs from the brain right the way down through our backbone. And that is where the brain controls
all our bodies, through the nerves that are all connected to the
spinal cord. And if that is broken, there's
death. Wherever the silver cord is, or the golden ball, a skull,
be broken. Or the picture, that is the heart,
be broken at the pouncing. Or the wheel, that's the circulatory
system. The wheel broken at the system. You see, Solomon had a wonderful
understanding. There's nothing new under the
heaven. I remember reading about one of the commentators at the
hospital at Ashford, William Harvey Hospital. It was named
after William Harvey because he discovered the circulation
of the blood around the body. It was a great discovery at that
time to medical science, but Solomon already knew it. He speaks
of the wheel causing turning of the blood around the body,
the wheel broken in the system. So when the heart fails, then
shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit
shall return unto God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, saith
the preacher, all is vanity. And then we come further down
that chapter. He says in the last two verses,
let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and
keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For
God shall bring every work into judgment. with every secret thing,
whether it be good or whether it be evil. The Lord Jesus said
in his teachings that in the Day of Judgment every idle word,
what you consider just throw away comments, every idle word,
you should give an account of in the Day of Judgment. He may
have used some very idle words, You may have spoken just as well
by some very foolish things, but mark my words, you will answer
for those things in the day of judgment. Every idle word will
give an answer for them. But the Lord shall endure forever. He hath prepared his throne for
judgment. Judge the world in righteousness. He shall minister judgment to
the people in uprightness. You know, in that Revelation
chapter 20, very graphically set before us, John had a vision
of that great white throne. Remember, just go back to the
beginning of the book of the Revelation, and that first of
Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him. And here in the 20th
chapter, John is given a revelation of Jesus Christ. In verse 11,
I saw a great white throne, cold, and him that sat on it, as the
Lord Jesus Christ, from whose face the earth and the heaven
fled away. And there was found no place
for them. And I saw the dead, small and
great, stand before God. And the books were opened. And
another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the
dead were judged over those things which were written in the books
according to their words. The sea gave up the dead which
were in it. And death and hell delivered
up the dead which were in them. You see, there's no hiding place.
and they were judged every man according to their works, and
death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the
second death. You see, the second death. It says earlier in that chapter,
this chapter 20, if you just look at verse 6, blessed and
holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. What
is the first resurrection? It's when a poor sinner is born
again. When they are brought from spiritual
death into spiritual life, they're resurrected. That's the first
resurrection. He must be born again. Now it
says, blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection, The second death is that awful
sentence from the judge of all the earth, depart from me ye
cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his
angels. That's the second death. But those that have partaken
in the first resurrection, that have been born again of the Holy
Ghost, shall never see the second death. they will have eternal
life. Blessed and holy is he that hath
parted the first resurrection. On such the second death hath
no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall
reign with him a thousand years. You see, my beloved friends,
if we're born again of the Holy Ghost and brought to living faith
in Jesus Christ, we're freed from the second death. There
is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. No condemnation. What a wonderful thought that
is, isn't it? So the vital thing for you and
I, my beloved friends, is are you born again? Are we born again? Does the spirit of God dwell
in our hearts? Do we have spiritual desires
and spiritual longings? Are we looking for something?
Are we waiting for something? He says here, in this psalm,
after these solemn words about the Day of Judgment, he speaks
of the, verse 9, the Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed.
A refuge in times of trouble, that's Christ is the refuge of
his people. A refuge for sinners, the gospel
makes known. It is found in the merits of
Jesus alone. It is. And they that know thy
name will put their trust in thee. For thou, Lord, hast not
forsaken them that seek thee. Are you seeking him? The Lord
will never forsake you if you're seeking him. It says so in Edith. It is God's holy work. For thou,
Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Seek ye the Lord
while he may be found. Call ye upon him while he is
near. And they that know thy name will
put their trust in thee. For thou, Lord, hast not forsaken
them that seek thee. What a great mercy that is. This is to have some seeking souls here,
some longing souls here, some hungry souls here. Blessed are
they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, that's after the
righteousness of Christ, and they hunger and thirst after
a blessed character, that they will attain that which they're
seeking. They will. Again, I often draw your attention
to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. They are one of the encouraging
words. Ask, and ye shall receive. Seek, and ye shall find. Knock,
and it shall be opened unto you. Keep seeking. Keep watching. Keep waiting. Seeking souls will
find that for which they are seeking for. But the Lord shall
endure forever. He hath prepared his throne for
judgment, and he shall judge the world in righteousness. He
shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. Lastly, just to remind you of
the solemn day of judgment in Matthew chapter 25 and from verse
31. The Lord Jesus so graphically
sets before us the Day of Judgment. And how that He will separate. He will separate the sheep from
the goats. Nobody else can do it. The foundation of God standing
sure, having this seal upon it, the Lord knoweth them that are
His. And He says there that He will separate You know, how many
times do we read in the Word of God, especially in the teachings
of Christ, the separating teachings of Christ, here in Matthew 25,
he speaks of the wise and the flourish virgins. They're the
professing believers in Christ. And they were wise and flourish
along then. But the Lord was separate, says in Here, when
the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels
with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory, and
before him shall be gathered all nations. And he shall separate
them one from another. As a shepherd divided his sheep
from the goats, he shall set the sheep on his right hand,
and the goats on his left hand. Then shall the King say unto
them on his right hand, Come. Surely there cannot be a more
blessed word to hear from the Eternal God. Come, come you blessed
of my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world.
An inheritance incorruptible among this world that faded not
of worth. reserved in heaven to you, who
are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation,
ready to be revealed at the last hour. Come. There are some lovely comes in
scripture, isn't there? Probably the most prominent and
most beautiful is those spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew
chapter 11. Come unto me. All ye that labour
and are heavy laden, And I will give you rest, take my yoke upon
you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and
ye shall find rest for your souls. Now, my beloved friend, just
as there is not a more beautiful word has come to hear from the
Almighty God. If you look at verse 41, then
shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me,
ye cursed, into everlasting fire. prepared for the devil and his
angels. Surely there cannot be a worse,
more solemn, more awful word, to hear from Almighty God, depart
from thee, yeekas, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil
and his angels. May the Lord be pleased to impress
these solemn truths upon our hearts. But the Lord shall endure
forever. He hath prepared his throne for
judgment, and he shall judge the world in righteousness. He
shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. May the Lord add his blessing. which is now seen together in
number 138. The tune is Bradley Church, 707. when thou, my righteous judge,
shalt come to take thy ransomed people home, shall I among them
stand? So such a worthless worm as I,
who sometimes am afraid to die, be found at thy right hand. Hymn 938, tune Bradley Church,
707. ? Precious child, shepherd ? ?
Do you take my life to be your own? ? ? Shall I ever leave thee? ? O'er the ramparts we watched,
were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the
bombs bursting in air, And sometimes when I pray to God, He answers
my prayer. The final spirit of us can have
If all thy precious things did have ? When I enter heaven ? ? And find
myself at home ? God help thy people in their
strife God keep thy nation in security ? And I'll hold it in awe ? ? If
you lift it by my grace ? ? In the middle of my heart it
breaks ? ? When it gently breaks ? ? When it softly breaks ? ? And come with joys unending rain
? ? Then shall I walk in His presence ? God rest ye merry, gentlemen. Where'er ye shall, O God, set
me down, Where'er ye shall, O God, set me down, ? Lift the eyes of their heads
? ? To see thy holy face ? ? The
only face on earth ? ? That I see ? 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.