I commence our service this afternoon
by singing hymn number 1113 to Juniors Anticipation, number
704. How watchful is the loving Lord,
how sweet his providential word to children that believe. Your
very hairs are numbered all, not one by force or chance can
fall without your father's leave. Since thou so kind and watchful
art to guard my head and guard my heart and guard my very hair,
teach me with childlike mind to sit and sing at the dear Saviour's
feet without distrust or fear. Hymn number 1113. Oh, say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave O come, O come, Emmanuel, O come,
O come, Emmanuel, ? To be true to thee ? ? When God
on His throne ? ? Was stripped from me ? ? How did He recover
His throne? ? ? He's there with me ? ? I'm a
hypocrite ? ? He's a hypocrite ? ? Love and hypocrite ? Amen. O'er the ramparts we watched
were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the
bombs bursting in air, ? As we watch the world go by ?
? And lift every voice and cry ? ? By His promise ? ? Gloria, Gloria
? ? In excelsis Deo ? Since I was so kind and watchful of
the God I hate, ? And guard my heart ? ? And guard
my very health ? ? Teach me with joy ? ? Like mine to sin ? In that love, His savers fear,
Without distrust for fear. Sir, like a pilgrim that we weighed
content and well in every state, ? Till auld lang syne, o'er the
land ? ? There did a cow ? ? And cheerful moon ? and find that all things work
for him which Jesus kindly said. As the Lord may be pleased to
help us, we will read from three portions of God's holy word from
the book of the Psalms, Psalm 16, Psalm 34, and some verses
of Psalm 119. I'll give each one out as we
go through them. Firstly, from the book of the
Psalms, Psalm 16. Mictam of David, or a golden
psalm. Preserve me, O God, for in thee
do I put my trust. O my soul, thou hast said unto
the Lord, thou art my Lord, my goodness extendeth not to thee. But to the saints are in the
earth, and to the excellent in whom is all my delight. Their
sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another God. Their drink offerings of blood
will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips. The
Lord is a portion of mine inheritance and of my cup. Thou maintainest
my lot. The lions are fallen unto me
in pleasant places. Yea, I have a goodly heritage. I will bless the Lord who hath
given me counsel. My reigns also instruct me in
the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before
me. Because he is at my right hand,
I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and
my glory rejoiceth. My flesh also shall rest in hope. Or as Imogen puts it there, dwell
confidently in hope, or dwell confidently. For thou wilt not
leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One
to see corruption. thou wilt show me the path of
life. In thy presence is fullness of
joy. At thy right hand there are pleasures
for evermore. Now I'll turn to the 34th Psalm.
The 34th Psalm. A psalm of David when he changed
his behaviour before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed. I will bless the Lord at all
times. His praise shall continually
be in my mouth. My mouth shall make her boast
in the Lord. The humble shall hear thereof
and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and
let us exhort his name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard
me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him,
and were lightened, and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the
Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The
angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and
delivereth them. O taste and see that the Lord
is good, blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the Lord,
ye his saints, For there is no want to them that fear him. The
young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but they that seek the
Lord shall not want any good thing. Come ye children, hearken
unto me. I will teach you the fear of
the Lord. What man is he that desireth
life? and loveth many days, that he
may see good. Keep thy tongue from evil and
thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon
the righteous. and his ears are open unto their
cry. The face of the Lord is against
them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from
the earth. The righteous cry, and the Lord
heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that
are of a broken heart, and save if such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the
righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth
all his bones, not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the
wicked, and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants, and none of them
that trust in him shall be desolate. Or as the Margin puts that word,
desolate here in this Bible. And none of them that trust in
him shall be guilty. We'll now turn to the 119th Psalm. and reading from verses 97 to
104. The 119th Psalm, reading from verses 97 to 104. Oh, how
love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day. Thou through thy commandments
hast made me wiser than mine enemies, for they are ever with
me. I have more understanding than
all my teachers, for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand
more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. I have refrained
my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. I have not departed from thy
judgments, for thou hast taught me. How sweet are thy words unto
my taste, yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth. Through thy precepts
I get understanding, therefore I hate every false way. May the Lord add his blessing
on the reading of his holy word and may he help and teach us
to pray. O thou most holy and ever gracious
and ever merciful Lord God, we come once more unto thee Lord,
at the afternoon hour, Lord, as we have come to worship Thee
once more, and O Lord, as the hymn writer says, and may we
all be found there, and Lord, leave us not to limit Thy power
and Thy lovingkindness, for as the hymn writer says, in our
coming unto Thee, Thou art coming to a King, large petitions with
thee bring. And Lord, may there be those
here this afternoon who have come into thy house, Lord, with
their large petitions, those urgent needs, those urgent cases. And O Lord, those real desires,
Lord, after thee. And O Lord, may we come, Lord,
also into thy house. with that desire to worship Thee
in spirit and in truth, and, Lord, to praise God from whom
all blessings flow, and praise Him all creatures here below.
O Lord, may we crown Thee Lord of all, for, Lord, Thou knowest
we do not deserve the least of Thy mercies or the least of Thy
notice. Lord, we have been favoured to
meet in thy house once more. And O Lord, we have to confess
that it is of the Lord's mercies that we are not and have not
been consumed. And O Lord, we are found here
once again in thy house. And O Lord, we have thy word
before us. And O Lord, come and prepare
our hearts, Lord, once more, that we, Lord, might have those
hearts opened by thee Do come, Lord, and enter therein, and
come and dwell therein, Lord. Take possession of our hearts,
Lord, and make Thine abode there, Lord. We do beg, Lord of thee,
and do, Lord, come and grant unto us, as we tried to speak
of this morning, grant us those teachable spirits, those humble
minds and tender consciences. For, Lord, thou hast said in
thy word, humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God,
that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon
him, for he careth for you. And Lord, may we even have, Lord,
here this afternoon, a realisation, Lord, an assurance of it, that
he careth for you. And O Lord, we don't deserve
the least of thy mercies. Lord, thou knowest, we are so
often, Lord, found with our back to thee. We are so often, Lord,
found looking here and there and clinging to this poor dying
world. with all that we can. But Lord,
do come and draw us unto thee. Empty our hands, Lord, of the
things that we cling to. And oh Lord, do help us to cling
to thee as that branch, as that vine. And oh Lord, do come and
feed our souls here this afternoon with that heavenly food. Lord,
that we may go on our way rejoicing, into the week before us, Lord,
that there might be, Lord, that feeding, that refreshment, Lord,
for our never-dying souls. Oh, Lord, thou knowest how each
has come into thy house this afternoon. Thou knowest, Lord,
where there may be those that have no concern, we beg of thee
again. Lord, send them away with a concern,
Lord, even here this afternoon for their never-dying soul. They
may be given, Lord, that desire after thee, and, O Lord, after
thy righteousness. And, O Lord, that they may be
found there, Lord, going out of thy house, though they may
have come in not seeking thee, that they might go out, Lord,
seeking first the kingdom of heaven and thy righteousness.
that all these things shall be added unto them. Lord, I'll do
then come, and Lord, where there may be those feelingly bowed
down, cast down, Lord, grant them, Lord, a drop of divine
cordial here this afternoon from thy word. And Lord, a crumb from
the master's table, Lord, that it might do us good. Refresh
us, Lord, and encourage us in the way. Lift us up, Lord, out
of the dunghill. and to set our feet on that rock,
the rock Christ Jesus. Oh Lord, do then come, revive
us, Lord within. Lord, and do be with us now.
Come and open up thy word to us, Lord. Do not leave it to
be a sealed book, but Lord, come and fill this poor sinner. Lord, we feel to come empty.
and we need thee to come, and Lord, cause there to be that
outpouring of the Spirit, Lord, here this afternoon into the
hearts of thy dear people, and Lord, we do then beg that thou
wouldst pour in, that we may be enabled to pour out, and Lord,
in the pouring out, that thy word might flow down into the
hearts of thy people, And Lord, as it may be, that divine cordial,
that healing balm, that food for the soul, that word of correction,
that arrow of conviction, that word of guidance, that word of
comfort, that word of blessing, Lord thou knowest. Each soul's
case before us here this afternoon is different. And Lord, what
one needs is different entirely to what one another may need.
And O Lord, do not send any then away empty this afternoon. Do
not leave any to come to the end of this Lord's day and say,
well, there's been nothing for me. But Lord, and do not allow
the devil, Lord, to steal away the word. Lord perhaps even oh
thou knowest when we have perhaps felt that we've been favoured
under the word oh how soon the devil in our circumstances in
our own hearts or whatever it may be tries to steal away Lord
thy word and steal away the comfort of it and the blessing of it,
but Lord, drive him from us, keep him from us, keep him from
our journeys, keep him from the chapel doorstep, keep him from
being beside us in the pew, subdue him, Lord, and Lord, take, Lord,
lift us above, Lord, for a few moments here this afternoon that
our eyes might be affixed on thee, that we might, Lord, I'll
be given a glimpse of thee here this afternoon in thy word and
by and through thy word. Be with, Lord, each one found
here and those unable to be found here. Lord, those laid aside
with affliction, Lord, draw near unto them. And, Lord, do grant
thy healing touch. Make their homes, their rooms,
Lord, a baffle to them. And, oh, Lord, draw near unto
them and help them. And, oh, Lord, lift them up.
We do beg of thee. Lord, remember, Lord, those found
with us here this afternoon, remember the little children,
have mercy on them, do not leave this poor sinner to preach over
their heads, but Lord, we beg, direct thy word into their hearts,
and Lord, may there be that preaching, Lord, from our heart into the
hearts of thy people. Lord, we beg of thee, draw thy
word out and pour it out, Lord, and pour it in. We do beg, Lord,
of thee. And, O Lord, remember then the
dear children, grant them, even here this afternoon, the hearing
ear, the understanding heart, the eye of faith, O Lord and
help them to listen and Lord help them Lord in their lives
to pray, teach them to pray Lord and grant them those answers
that it may be that encouragement to pray on, to knock on, to seek
on and O Lord help them in their pathways, do watch over them,
have mercy upon them and O Lord be with them we beg. Help them,
Lord, and Lord, those things that they may find difficult,
those things, Lord, that they may not understand at school,
whatever it may be, Lord, help them. And oh, Lord, help them,
Lord, to cast their eyes up unto thee. Lord, perhaps in the exam
hall, perhaps in their coursework, whatever it may be, Lord, help
them, we beg. And O Lord, do hear and answer
their prayers, that they may know, Lord, with assurance that
they have that prayer, hearing prayer, answering God, that condescends
to hear their cry, Lord, and not only hears it, but answers
it. And O Lord, do them be with thee.
keep them, preserve them. Work mightily within their young
hearts, Lord. Lord thou knowest, oh, only thou
canst do it. Lord, grace is not inherited,
and the fear of God is not inherited. Lord, oh, do them work in the
hearts of the dear young ones. Draw them to thee, draw them
to thy feet, Lord. We do beg of thee, O Lord, that
they may be found there like Mary, waiting to hear thy voice,
O Lord, in that humility. O Lord, remember then the parents,
Lord, help them in their pathways. Thou knowest how it is with each
one, the difficulties of the way, the trials, the afflictions,
the burdens. O Lord, help them and be with
them. Provide for them. Grant all needed wisdom to them
when they may feel as though they have no wisdom, feel to
have come to the end and neither know what to do, but Lord help
them to be like Jehoshaphat. Neither know we what to do, but
our eyes are upon thee. Lord, oh, do help then the dear
parents, have mercy upon them. And oh Lord, do go before them. And O Lord, help us each, Lord,
to bring up our little ones and the young in that right way,
for much help is needed. And Lord, remember then, Lord,
those going out into life, be with them and help them, help
them to cast all their care upon thee. And O Lord, do approve,
Lord, to them. He careth for you. We do beg,
Lord, of thee. Go before them, have mercy upon
them, and O Lord, help them. Remember, Lord, those in the
midst of life, O help them too, Lord. Oh, there is so much to
draw on our time and attention. No, Lord, though it all may be
lawful, but yet, Lord, O, do not allow it to stifle the Spirit
in thy work, Lord. Lord, thou knowest the devil
loves to keep us very busy, to keep us away from the things
of God, keep us away from searching the Scriptures, keep us away
from the throne of grace. But, Lord, O, do cause these
things, the busy scenes of our life, to draw us, to drive us,
into the throne of grace and oh lord that we might be brought
there more often lord help me lord go before me lord strengthen
me no lord thou knowest our every need oh lord remember then the
dear pastor of the cause here too Be with him, Lord, where
he is this day. Lord, labouring there at Hanover,
Lord, be with him there. Strengthen him, support him.
Lord, be his helper this day and bless thy word through him
this day. Grant him those encouragements
here too and help the dear people, Lord, to pray for him in the
pulpit, pray for him, Lord, out of the pulpit, pray for him as
he ascends the pulpit steps. Lord, he needs thy help. in the
pulpit and out of the pulpit and he needs the people's prayers
in the pulpit and out of the pulpit go before him lord and
help him be with him lord now and oh lord comfort him support
him uphold him and oh lord do be very near unto him and his
dear ones also lord at this time especially go before them each
lord as a family and have mercy upon them and each lord of the
families here lord have mercy upon them each go before them
each Lord, remember the town here too. Lord, be with this
cause of truth. Lord, that they might be as that
light set upon the hill that cannot be hid. And oh Lord, as
we came, as it were, returning to the chapel this afternoon,
it struck us, this house of God is set on the hill. And oh Lord, oh may, Lord, that
light shine here in this town. And Lord, may there be many drawn
Lord, out of nature's darkness, quicken into life. And oh Lord,
there might be many constrained to turn in here for the good
of their never dying soul. Oh Lord, remember the towns and
the villages up and down our land. Lord, Zion is brought very
low. We thank Thee, Lord, for all
Thy mercies. We thank Thee for the encouragements,
Lord, here and there. And oh Lord, we would not despise
a day of small things. But yet, Lord, leave us not to
be contempt with it. But Lord, O do come and revive
us, revive this land. Lord, that the houses of God
may be opened again, may be built once more, may be filled, Lord,
to overflowing. Lord, that there may be that
real need. And O Lord, but yet we have to
look in our own hearts first. Lord the revival needs to begin
with us too, Lord come and revive us within, Lord thou knowest,
oh our state of lethargy within, oh Lord come and stir us up,
revive us Lord and grant us that real zeal for the truth, O Lord,
O that we might know more of Thee, and O Lord, and do revive
us in our churches, revive us in our land, and O Lord, Zion
throughout the world, Lord, that there may be, O that in gathering
of souls, that there may be that real seeking after Thee, O Lord,
to Thine honour and Thy glory, not for the glory of man, but
for Thy glory. O Lord, be with us each then,
Lord. Come, Lord, and open up thy word to us. Leave us not
to confusion, and leave this poor sinner not to confuse the
people. But, Lord, we do beg, help us
to divide the word, help us to preach the whole counsel of God.
Grant unto us, Lord, that clarity of mind. And, O Lord, do help
the word, Lord, to enter into hearts and do them good. And,
O Lord, For it is thy word, not ours, and O Lord, we trust thou
hast sent us with it. Do then, Lord, come, open it
up to us, and Lord, may we feed upon it. And Lord, be with each
one now then, Lord. Remember the gatherings of thy
people up and down our land, Lord, and throughout the world.
Do, Lord, bless thine own word. We do beg this day, Lord, do
bless it abundantly. and do bless the hymns, Lord,
and we thank Thee where there are and have been, Lord, those
flowings together. And O Lord, may there be, Lord,
that done in the souls of Thy people, Lord, to Thine honour
and Thy glory. It is the Spirit's work. Do them
pardon our every sin. Keep us, Lord, from sinning.
Keep the door, Lord, of our lips, our eyes, our ears, our hands,
our feet, our minds, O Lord, and our hearts. Lord, Thou knowest.
We need Thee to keep us, for we cannot keep ourselves. Do then, Lord, make up in giving
where we do fail in our asking. We would, Lord, just remember,
Lord, the king and the royal family and the government that
we have at the throne of grace, Lord. We know not how to pray
for them at times, but Lord, We have the government and the
royal family we deserve. And, O Lord, we deserve far worse.
But, O Lord, we beg that thou wouldst work there in the royal
family and government. Raise up those, Lord, to fear
thy name. And we thank thee where there
are those in government that we believe do fear thy name.
Do, Lord, help them to stand for that which is right. And,
O Lord, strengthen the support then, that we do beg of thee. Make up in giving them where
we fell in our asking. Do pardon what we may have spoken
amiss for thy great and holy namesake. Amen. continue our service by singing
hymn number 456. The tune is Hanover, number 807. The good hand of God has brought
us again, a favour bestowed, we hope not in vain. To hear
from our Saviour the word of His grace, then be our behaviour
becoming the place. Blessed Spirit of Christ, descend
on us thus. Thy servant, assist, teach him
to teach us. O send us thy unction to teach
us all good. and touch with conjunction, and
sprinkle with blood. Hymn number 456. ? And we will listen ? ? We will
not deprave ? ? Turning for our Savior's sake ? ? The Word of His grace ? ? Let
me out with anger ? ? Be gone in the place ? ? Remember me
? From which we all wept, The last
mighty quest We have to forget. ? The great gifts that brought
us ? ? The good and the sweet ? ? That gift we bestowed us ? ? Our rent should be free ? We worship the Lord, we praise
Him with breath, to practice His word. And take the religion from his
heavenly soul. The Spirit of Christ is in our
hearts now, like seraphic tears, Teach me to be just. I said,
God is not an option. Teach me to love the Lord. As the Lord may be pleased to
help us, I direct your attention to the word that you will find
In the book of the Psalms, Psalm 34, and reading from our text,
verse eight. Psalm 34, and reading from our
text, verse eight. Oh, taste and see that the Lord
is good. Blessed is the man that trusteth
in him. O taste and see that the Lord
is good. Blessed is the man, the woman,
the child that trusteth in him. As we had in the word that we
tried to speak from this morning, it was a Psalm of David and we
have here again a psalm of David. And dear friends, as we spoke
of David this morning, how he was, in his early days, that
sweet psalmist that was there tending his father's flocks. And there he would often be found
with the harp. And many, no doubt, of these
psalms that he penned in the book of the Psalms were those
Psalms written in the days of his first love. But yet, there are those dear
friends in the Psalms that were clearly written when David had
been long in the way. And dear friends, when David
had had the Lord's mercy revealed to
him again, and perhaps again. And we know, dear friends, when
dear David fell, there were those words spoken to him there, where
the sword would not leave his house for the rest of his days. Yet, dear friends, the Lord's
love did not change toward him. And here you see an oh taste
and see that the Lord is good. Oh taste and see. We have really here in this word
and in the following verses we are told regarding this which
we taste and see if we're found in this eighth verse. And it
says here, the young lion, or firstly, I fear the Lord, ye
his saints, for there is no want to them that fear him. The young
lions do lack and suffer hunger, but they that seek the Lord shall
not want any good thing. Dear friends, it came to me like
this, when we read that of what it says there, they that seek
the Lord shall not want any good thing. And you younger ones,
often, we will, as it were, want something. And us older in years,
we might have, as it were, our thoughts on what we want, how
we want the Lord to work things out, how we would rather this
or that was not as it was, and so on. But yet, you see, what
we want, when we think of it here, there is no want to them
that fear Him, but also, they that seek the Lord shall not
want any good thing. And you think of it then, dear
friends, There will then in that respect, the Lord provides for
his people what they need, not what they want, but what they
need. And note that. And the Lord knows what you and
I need. And he also hears no doubt much
of the complaints from us of what we want. But you know, dear
friends, the Lord's need that he provides leaves the child
of God then with no real a real want and then when we think of
it spiritually dear friends and go into the spiritual side when
you really think of that which is wanting when you look at it
like that we are wanting in that respect because we have a whole
great debt of sin and we are then dear friends we are found
wanting though you may not desire it or feel as though you are
found wanting at this time but what I mean there is there is
a debt and we have got nothing to pay it with. There is a debt
of our sin and we've got nothing to pay it with. We can't pay
for it dear friends of our good deeds and our chapel going and
our reading of the Lord's Word We cannot pay for it with anything
of ourselves because we've got, as he is often referred to in
that way, we've got nothing to pay. So there is then that want. We are found wanting. Like, as
he's spoken of, regarding in Daniel, the king was told there,
wasn't he, Tekel, Thou art weighed in the balances and art found
wanting. Thou art weighed in the balances
and art found wanting. A solemn declaration. Tikal, thou art weighed in the
balances and art found wanting in Daniel 5 verse 27. That's what I mean by wanting.
He was found wanting. He was weighed in the balances.
His sins, dear friend, outweighed it. And you may say, and when
you look at it like that, children, there are, when you think of
the old scales and you put one thing in one side, what you wanted
to weigh, and then you balance it out with adding weights the
other side, and you see then how much that weight is. And then how much a cost against
that weight is. And you see, dear friends, when
we are found wanting, there is all our sins weighed in those
scales. And we are found wanting because,
dear friend, there's a great cost and a great weight. And
we come, we've got nothing to pay it with. But you see then,
dear friends, there is no want though. To them that fear him,
they shall not want any good thing. They that seek the Lord,
because they that seek, dear friends, earnestly seek, they
that seek the Lord shall there, as the Lord's word says, they
that seek shall find. Him, as we quoted this morning,
I believe, him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out,
cometh unto me. And here, dear friends, really
and truly, In our text we have a gospel invitation. Oh, taste
and see that the Lord is good. Oh, taste and see. And I want
to come to that in a moment, as the Lord may help me, regarding
taste. Because really what we have before
us here in our text is the spiritual senses. They're awakened. Spiritual sense is awakened. O taste and see that the Lord is good. Now really
my mind went to that word in Isaiah 55 in verse one. Now dear friends, I want to come
on to that in a moment regarding an appetite. regarding thirst
and hunger because here in Isaiah 55 verses 1 and 2 and 3 we have
here another gospel invitation which is from the Lord himself
as is this oh taste and see it's not my words it's God's word
Here we have in Isaiah 55, ho, or come, as that word ho means,
everyone that thirsteth. Come ye to the waters, and he
that hath no money, come ye buy and eat. Yea, come buy wine and
milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend
money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which
satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and
eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself
in fatness. Incline your ear, and perhaps
as one dear friend here this afternoon, Perhaps your own heart
and the devil has stopped up your ear, that you will not hear. Well, listen here then, incline
your ear. Yes, turn it as it were and pay
attention. Incline your ear and come unto
me. Here and your soul shall live
and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure
mercies of David, who we have in our text. But you see, dear
friends, note here, ho everyone that thirsteth. There was that one, dear friends,
because it was for the thirsty soul. Because without a hunger
and a thirst, there is no desire. But you see, this one that was
found here in the word in Isaiah, As I understand it in Bible days,
in those eastern lands, there was one, obviously as you children
will know, they didn't have water on tap like we do now. There
was a man that stood and sold water. And he would stand all
day long and provide water and sell water to those that would
come, to those who came with their need. And there was this
one and he stood in a square. And there would be all the beggars,
and those who got nothing to pay would stand around the outside
and look on with a desire. They'd look on at the water and
would thirst. But then you see there would
be one who would come. one with a caring heart, one
with that benevolence and he would come and he would see all
those beggars looking on and he would buy for himself and
he'd buy for all those around, he'd buy plenty and then he would
stand and he'd say, ho everyone that thirsteth, Come ye to the
waters, and he that hath no money, and they got no money. They got
nothing to pay for the water with, but they desired it, they
thirsted for it. They were parched and barren
and dry. But yet he would say, come ye
to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat.
He had paid the price for it. He had bought their portion for
them. And you know, dear friends, it's like that spiritually. When
we look at it, dear friends, as that one who comes in, ho
everyone that thirsteth, the Lord Jesus Christ coming here,
ho everyone that thirsteth. Yes, come ye to the waters, neither
hath no money. Come ye, buy and eat. Yea, come,
buy wine and milk. But they say, but we've got nothing
to pay with. But he has paid the price without money and without
price. Yes, there he has procured our
pardon. There he has also, there dear
friends, there, as it were, bought our portion for us, our inheritance
for us. He has procured thy pardon. And
there, dear friends, through his pardon and through his blood,
there he brings the soul in thirsty, and there he provides for that
thirsty soul. But that thirsty soul will not
come to the waters until they are brought there thirsting. And the Lord alone, by the work
of the Holy Spirit, brings them there. He weans them of this
poor dying world, He empties them of themselves. He begins
to make them sick of themselves, sick of sin, sick of this poor
dying world and fond of Him. Why? Because they realise then
the barrenness, the emptiness of all things here below. They
realise, dear friend, there's no good in it. There's nothing,
as it were, lasting in it. Because what did the Lord say?
regarding the woman who came to the well. He said there, regarding
that she was to drink. She was thirst no more. And then
dear friends, my mind in the vestry went to the bread of life. And you go home and you children,
you go home tonight and you read in the evening, you read those
words in John 6. and I'd love to have read them
this afternoon but time wouldn't allow but you see there in John
chapter 6 what the Lord says regarding the bread of life and
he is that bread of life I am the bread of life he says in
verse 35 he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that
believeth on me shall never thirst Never hunger, never thirst. What is, as I said, the bread
of heaven, the Lord says here, for the bread of God is he which
cometh down from heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ, and giveth
life unto the world. Then they said unto him, you
see, they had there a grain of living faith given them. They
had a sight of him. There they were given a desire
after him. Then you read, then said they
unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. Give us this bread,
but there in front of them was this bread. Oh, taste and see
that the Lord is good. am the bread of life he that
cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall
never thirst spiritually speaking you may say well what does that
mean you children you might say well how what does it mean regarding
spiritual hunger spiritual thirst I'll try, as the Lord may help
me, to just explain it to you for a moment. Now, you children,
you all know what hunger is, and thirst. You all know what
an appetite is, and dear friends, an appetite, when you think,
we have an appetite, and really, dear friends, when we think of
an appetite, really is a sign of health and of strength, a
good appetite. When we have a poor appetite
and when we begin perhaps to not eat and we go off our food
often it is because we are unwell and we are sickly and perhaps
when we go off our food and we have no appetite we have a terminal
illness perhaps and but yet you think then of of sin, it is the
terminal illness, dear friend, that we're all plagued with from
the fall of man. But yet, you see here, he that
cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out, he is that great physician
and the only one that can heal of our sins. But you see then,
going back to the appetite, That appetite, when a young boy or
girl is growing, and they begin, as it were, to grow up, and they
get taller and taller, and the first thing we notice is that
they have a good appetite. They want to eat, they're always
hungry, and no matter what we might feed them, they're still
hungry, and they'll come back and say, well, I'm still hungry.
It's a good appetite, and it's a sign of health, and it is a
sign of growth. And dear friends, when you think
of it then, and you younger ones, you know what that is and why
it is. It's because you're alive. And then I just thought in this
way regarding this. There is also though, when I,
it just came into my mind like this, that even when perhaps we're
asleep, We are hungry, but we don't realize. There is an aching
void in our stomach, as it were, and I speak reverently, but we
don't realize. But perhaps it begins to make
us stir. And you children, perhaps there
is, perhaps your mother or father is cooking something, and it
makes us feel, as we may wake up and feel that hunger, those
pangs of hunger. But you see, dear friends, we
may be sleeping, and perhaps that's where your eye are here
this afternoon, sleepy, but yet, dear friends, oh, when the Lord
begins to awaken us, makes us to feel those pangs of hunger,
naturally speaking, and what do we want? We want to go and
eat, we want to fulfill, we want to take away those pangs of hunger. It is that God-given gift really
that we might know when we need to eat and that we might sustain
and feed our bodies. And then you think of it then
spiritually and your children you might have said well what
does it mean and how does it mean? What does it mean when
you say spiritually? Well We've all got a never-dying
soul. And dear friends, that never-dying
soul, if we're one of the Lord's people, then we are a living
soul, not a dead soul. Because the dead feel no pangs
of hunger. They know nothing of hunger because
they are dead. They're not alive. They're not
living. But our living soul, dear friends, is that which lives
on forever and ever and ever. And that soul needs to be fed
more than our body. But that soul, to keep it alive,
needs exercise, needs an appetite, needs to be fed, that it doesn't
become stagnant, doesn't become, as it were, sick and in that
way lose the appetite. But you see then, dear friends,
so then spiritually, that soul that lives on is a living soul. That yes, nothing, and I say
nothing, can annihilate or put an end to the soul. It will live
on whether that's in hell or in heaven, that soul will live
on. Whether it is to live on to eternal punishment or eternal
glory, the soul will still live on. And it's a solemn consideration,
dear friends, where will our souls spend eternity? Where will
it spend eternity? Because it will live on. And
it will either be to eternal punishment or eternal glory.
but that living soul will be brought into a hunger, will be
brought into a thirst, will be quickened into life. Yes, maybe
dead in sin and uncaring and wants to know nothing regarding
this food for its soul, but yet when the Lord then comes and
quickens that soul into life, he then begins to give it that
appetite That hunger, that thirst, which once I had never known,
never had any desire for. Oh, they could care for their
body, they could care much for the body, but what about your
and my souls? What about them? You think even
of the soul, exercise. Ah, the soul needs exercise.
And what is, you might say, well, what is soul exercise? Well,
I put it like this. Really, dear friends, soul exercise
is when the Lord brings the child of God and their soul into trying
circumstances, difficulties in the way. When he brings us to
those points, dear friends, when we there have to pray, And that
soul exercise really, we might say there's exercise in praying,
continual going back and forward to pray. And that soul exercise
as we put our petitions up to the Lord. But you know dear friends,
that exercise then of soul, it is necessary. And like it is
for the body. Because if we don't have the
exercise in our body, You know, we will soon become unhealthy,
we will soon go off our food, and we will soon, as it were,
waste away. But yet the Lord, with his people,
he will keep them exercised, keep them coming back to the
throne of grace, keep them, dear friends, being brought here.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. He will, dear friends,
bring us into trials, bring us into tribulations, bring us into
paths that we look not for. He will, dear friends, because
he will do it, because he knows that if we had the path of ease,
that we would become complacent. As we said this morning, we would
sit back, we would think all is easy B now, and we would think
this is the way to heaven, but no. No, no, the Lord says it
is through much tribulation that we shall enter the kingdom. Through
much tribulation, exercise, through much tribulation, being brought
to the throne of grace, being brought there, dear friends,
to where the psalmist was brought, this poor man cried, and the
Lord heard him. and saved him out of all his
troubles. The Lord heard him. But you know, dear friends, the
Lord didn't take him out of the troubles, but he saved him out
of them. He helped him through them. And
you know, dear friends, the Lord says this, he shall bring the
third part through the fire. And it is, and dear friends,
when you look at the Hebrew children, The Lord was with them in that
furnace. But yet they could see, dear
friends, and say that the Lord is good. Oh, they had to go through
the furnace, but not one hair of their head was singed. Nothing,
just the bands that bound them together. Oh, taste and see. Well, here then, as we said,
that appetite. Ho, every one that thirsteth,
O taste and see. Have you here this afternoon
a spiritual appetite, a hunger or a thirst after the Lord, his
word? And what did the Lord say in
the chapter that we read in the 16th chapter? thou wilt show me the path of
life in thy presence is fullness of joy at thy right hand there
are pleasures forevermore. And you know dear friends in
the 119th Psalm that we read there was that spoken of there How sweet are thy words unto
my taste. Yea, sweeter than honey to my
mouth. And you know what the sweetness
of honey to the mouth is very sweet, honey. But yet you see,
oh, but yet the Lord's word is sweeter than honey. What do you and I know of it?
Have we had a taste of it? And dear friends, when we have
that taste, when the Lord gives perhaps a crumb from the master's
table, what has it done for you and I? Did it make us send desire for
more? To seek for more? Like the dear
Psalmist this morning, thou art the God of my salvation. Oh,
we wanted more. lead me in thy truth and teach
me wanted the Lord to teach him more but you say oh but the Lord's
teachings through painful paths it is through the fire it is
through the times of tribulation my flesh hates it but your flesh
will because flesh dislikes the way Faith approves it well, because
dear friends, the Lord knows what your old wicked flesh needs
to wean it of this world. The Lord knows what your flesh
dislikes. And you might say, but the Lord
seems to be so pleased to do those things that my flesh does
dislike. But yet, he doth not afflict
willingly. He doth not afflict willingly.
He corrects us in measure because He knows what we need to correct
us. He knows what we need to be found here in the Word. He
knows how we need to be humble to be found here, oh taste and
see that the Lord is good. Because only when we're made
to see what we really are, will we be there found glorifying
God. And only when we're made to see
what we are saved from and what we're saved unto and what wretches
that we are and how deserving sinners we really are, only then
will we desire Him. When we're made to see what sinners
we really are in God's sight, then we're made to desire Him
because we're made to see, dear friends, our need of Him. And then we begin, as the psalmist
says here, they looked unto him and were lightened. The Lord,
by the entrance of his word, as we spoke of this morning,
he giveth light and giveth understanding, yes, to the simple. This poor man cried, you see,
he cried unto the Lord, he wasn't ashamed though, because dear
friends, what does it say? Hope maketh not ashamed. His
poor man cried, he cried with a hope. And the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles. Perhaps your trouble this afternoon
is sin. The depths of sin, the whole
weight of sin, the debt that you have of it. But he saved
him, he saved him. And that is what the Lord does
truly save his people out of. All that they have built up and
accrued that is deserved to them. That's what he saves them out
of. And what does the Lord's word
say? Regarding sin, the wages of sin is death, but the gift
of God is eternal life. through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Wages and gifts, two different things. And you children, you
know that as we go on in life and as you go out into life,
we work hard and we try and earn wages. And you know the devil
works in reverse to any normal paymaster. He's very good at
paying but he pays in reverse. He gives you a debt instead of
a salary, instead of building up an account as it were, we
build up a great debt. And sadly and solemnly, dear
friends, until there will be those that are so deceived that
they'll come to the end and he'll say, here are thy wages. You've
earned them, you've worked very hard for them, well done. Now
here's your payment, eternal damnation. He gives you a debt
for payment. But you know, dear friends, it's
the opposite to what we do in our natural work life here on
Earth, isn't it? Where we work and we gain a balance
and we are paid, as it were, monies before our earnings. But you see the devil, as I said,
he works in reverse. You see then the gift of God,
when we built up that whole great debt, the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And with that gift, he
completely clears the debt, all gone, nothing to pay. Oh, taste
and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man that trusteth
in him. Well, dear friends, May some
poor soul go home this afternoon. And may the Lord put that desire
within your heart, Lord. Oh, let me taste it. Let me taste
it and see thy goodness. Let me hear thy voice. Let me
feed upon thy word. Do my soul good. Give me that
bread of life. Give me that water. I will hunger
no more, neither thirst any more. And dear friends, that is eternally. But the Lord will see to it in
this life that we are kept hungering and thirsting. to keep our souls
coming back to Him, to keep us in our right place, to keep us
here where we come back and say, the taste was good, I must have
more, I need more, I cannot go on without this food for my soul. My soul, and dear friends, when
the Lord brings that hunger, brings that thirst, Oh, we'll
come to the Lord's word and to the house of God differently.
We'll come seeking, we'll come wanting with that aching void
that nothing in this poor dying world can fill. Oh, taste and
see. Dear friends, really, this word
speaks for itself. May the Lord give you, and as
it were, seal this invitation into your heart. Yes, you that
may feel to have never tasted and felt it, the Lord has said,
oh, taste and see. Taste it, try me. Try me. And you know, dear friends, and
you younger ones, perhaps you know, I'll use a practical illustration
again, There are those times, aren't there, when we will refuse. We'll say, I don't want to eat
it, I don't like it. And we've never tasted it yet.
And our parents will say, oh, come on, try some. Have a taste
of it and see what you think. And we'll say, no, no, I don't
like it. And old rebellion says no. Old
stubborn will says no. But you see, dear friends, they
will say, well, try some. Have some and we'll taste it.
And we'll see then, dear friends, that actually, what we have just
tasted is very pleasant to the taste. But our parents, you see,
they've said, come and taste it. Try it, try some. Well, the Lord here in this same
gospel invitation says, oh, taste and see. Try me, prove me, prove me now
herewith, said the Lord, that I shall not open to you the windows
of heaven and pour you out a blessing that you shall not be room enough
to receive it. Oh, taste and see that the Lord
is good. Well, dear friends, we could
speak on what the Lord is good. And dear friends, it'll be those
of you here who'll say, well, yes, the Lord through my life
has done this and done that. He's been good to us. And rightly
so, dear friends, what does the Lord's word say in Psalm 170?
It says there, doesn't it? At the beginning, the Lord is
good. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord.
Why? For he is good. Why is he good? for his mercy endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord
say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy. The hand of the enemy, dear friends,
that they have taken themselves into, the hand of the enemy that
they have perhaps at times sought to walk along holding his hand.
But yet, dear friends, and they have not even seen there that
he's their enemy, They have gone along with him and delighted
in his ways, and Satan's blind slave I sported with death, as
the hymn writer says. Yet he hath redeemed from the
hand of the enemy. O taste and see that the Lord
is good, hath redeemed you from the hand of the enemy. Yes, you
whom he sought when you sought not him. Yes, you that he loved
you, or you love him because he first loved you. Oh, taste
and see that the Lord is good. Yes, the Lord is good, his mercy
endureth forever. But yet he is good because dear
friend, the redeemed of the Lord can say so. Oh, taste and see. that the Lord is good. Why? He has saved my soul from hell. Taste and see that the Lord is
good. And you might say, oh, but I don't know these things.
Well, let me tell you one thing. And if free grace, why not for
me or thee? If free grace, it's free grace.
It's his to give. is free and sovereign grace or
sin abounding free grace and if free grace
why not for me oh taste and see that the lord is
good well dear friends the lord god is good Because in his loving
kindness and in his tender mercy he gave the law of God that man
was to keep. But yet poor lost ruined man
could not keep God's holy law. And in his loving kindness he
sent his only begotten son. Oh taste and see that the Lord
is good. He gave his only begotten son.
Who did he give his only begotten son for? Sinners. Why did he
give his only begotten son to save them? That's why. He saw
them in their lost and ruined state. And as the hymn says,
he saw me ruined in the fall, yet loved me notwithstanding
all. Yes, oh, taste and see that the
Lord is good. Dear friends, can you not trace
out that which is done for you? You might say, oh, he's done
these things in providence, but oh, I don't know anything of
it in grace. I'll go back to those words. And if free grace,
why not for thee? Plead it, beg for it. And you
might say, well, I can't pray. Tell the Lord that you can't.
Free is good. He is the author of prayer. Yes,
he is the one that gives the spirit of prayer, not you. He
does. But yet, dear friends, oh, taste
and see that the Lord is good. Then we have the Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of God. He is good, why? For His lovingkindness,
He did not shrink from death. He did not shrink from the cross.
He did not shrink from the shame. He did not shrink from the suffering
that was due to you. But He didn't shrink from it. O taste and see that the Lord
is good. Yes, when whole legions of devils
were against him. Yes, when the whole wrath of
God was against him. Yes, when he bore the shame,
bore the punishment. The Lord is good. The Lord is
good. O taste and see. Then we have
the Holy Spirit. The Lord is good, dear friends.
O taste and see. Why? Has He quickened your soul
into life? Has He kindled or given a grain
of living faith? Has He given there, dear friends,
has He there brought you into a desire after Him? It's the
Spirit's work, not yours. Oh, as is spoken of in Isaiah
53, oh there, dear friends, what do we read there? He hath no
form nor comeliness, and when we shall see him there is no
beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected
of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we
hid, as it were, our faces from him. He was despised and we esteemed
him not. And you children and older too,
read that chapter in your own time, but there you see, The
Lord is good. But you see then, dear friends,
the Holy Spirit, in quickening the soul into life, in keeping
that soul alive, in breathing into that soul by the Holy Spirit, putting those desires within,
those thirstings, those hungerings, that spiritual appetite that
once we never had, drawing the soul by the resistless
grace of God, constraining them, drawing them, drawing them by
prayer, redeeming them by the Son of God, by His blood, O taste
and see. And then the work of the Holy
Spirit, dear friends, in keeping that soul alive. Oh, taste and see that the Lord
is good. Blessed is the man that trusteth
in him. And dear friends, the man, the
woman, the child that trusteth in him. Often, dear friends, we don't
trust the Lord, and really might say, well, I do trust him, but
yet our unbelief, often, and the devil, and our own wicked
heart, which is full of unbelief at times, we say that we trust
him, But yet we will take it away, that which we've laid before
him, take it away. And really and truly we will
then go over it and over it and over it. But yet we're to leave
it with him, to trust him, to leave it in his trust. Yes, our
all in his trust. And then that one, dear friends,
who is there, is blessed. Blessed is the man that
trusteth in him. Trust him. He will never leave
you, nor will let you quite leave him. And you younger ones, in
your lives, as you go to school, as you go out into life. May you be helped to cry unto
the Lord, to look unto the Lord, to lay all your life before the
Lord and ask him to lead you, to guide you, ask him to reveal
himself and for you to have those tokens that you too can say,
oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Because really, dear
friends, in this word, in our text, we have a testimony. Have
you got a testimony here this afternoon? A testimony to being
able to say, oh, taste and see. Yes, that the Lord has been good
to me. You might say, well, I haven't
got enough, but yet look at this word. taste and see yes not that
you're good in yourself not what you've done but no he gives the
glory to God taste and see that the Lord is good and then blessed
is the man that trusted in him but the time has gone dear friends
may the Lord bless his own word amen We will now serve us this afternoon
by singing hymn number 1136. The tune is Guno, number 699. Savior, follow with thy blessing
truths delivered in thy name. Thus the word thy power possessing
shall declare from whence it came. Mighty let thy gospel be. Set thee burdened sinner free. Hymn number 1136. Save them, O Lord, with Thy blessing,
Trust in their word, in Thy name. shall declare from whence it
came. Nightingale, nightingale, nightingale,
nightingale, nightingale, ? That Thou might keep it to nourish
us to the last breath ? Let thy people's praises flourish. We hail thee to be our God. Oh Lord to answer the prayer
that we have just offered up Lord, follow thy word with thy
blessing. And Lord, may it do us good.
May we feed upon thee and feed upon thy word. And Lord, may
we be refreshed by it. Lord, we do beg. Grant unto us,
Lord, that bread of life and that water of life. We do beg
of thee. Take us each to our homes in
peace and safety. And now may the grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the fellowship
and the communion of the Holy Ghost, rest and abide with us
each, both now and for evermore. Amen.