Okay. Let us commence our service this
evening by singing together hymn number 11. The tune is St Luke,
834. Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song, the joy of my heart and the boast of my tongue. Thy
free grace alone from the first to the last has won my affections
and bound my soul fast. Hymn number 11. Thy mercy, my God, has birthed
deep of my tongue The joy of thy abandoned host of my tongue. Thy free grace and love from
earth as to heavens Has won my affections and bound my soul
thus Thy mercy in Jesus excels me
from heav'n. Which promise of sin and death
on earth hath failed, Was Jesus my friend when He hung
on the tree, Who opened the channel of mercy for me. Without Thy sweet mercy, I could
not live. Since Thou wouldst reduce me
to martyrdom, But through Thy free goodness
my spirit's revived, And Thee that was bearing me still keeps me alive. Thy mercy is more than the match
for my heart, Which wanders to find its own darkest depths. Didst, O my thy goodness, I fall
to the ground, And weep to the praise of the mercy I'd found? The door of thy mercy stands
open again, Till the poor and the needy move not by the way. O sinners shall ever be in peace
and joy, who come seeking mercy for Jesus' sake. Great Father of Mercy, Thy goodness
I bow, and the covenant love of Thy mercy I vow. All praise to the Spirit, whose
face the divine, Seals mercy and honor and righteousness thine. Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in the prophecy of Isaiah and chapter 40. Isaiah chapter 40. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,
saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem,
and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity
is pardoned, for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for
all her sins. The voice of him that crieth
in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight
in the desert a highway for our God, every valley shall be exalted,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked
shall be made straight, and the rough places plain, and the glory
of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. The voice said, Cry,
and he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the
goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass
withereth, the flower fadeth, because the spirit of the Lord
bloweth upon it. Surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower
fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever. O Zion,
that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain,
O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with
strength. Lift it up, be not afraid. Say unto the cities of Judah,
Behold your God. Behold, the Lord God will come
with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him. Behold, his
reward is with him and his work before him. He shall feed his
flock like a shepherd, he shall gather the lambs with his arm,
and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that
are with him. Who hath measured the waters
in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span,
and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed
the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath
directed the Spirit of the Lord of being his counsellor hath
taught him, with whom took he counsel, and who instructed him,
and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge,
and showed to him the way of understanding. Behold, the nations
are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust
of the balance. Behold, he taketh up the isles
as a very little thing, And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor
the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations
before him are as nothing, and they are counted to him less
than nothing, and vanity. To whom then will ye liken God?
Or what likeness will ye compare unto him? The workman that mounteth
a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold and
casteth silver chains. He that is so impoverished that
he hath no oblations chooseth a tree that will not rot. He
seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image that
shall not be moved. Have ye not heard? Has it not
been told you from the beginning Having understood from the foundations
of the earth, it is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth,
and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers, that stretcheth
out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent
to dwell in, that bringeth the princes to nothing. He maketh
the judges of the earth as vanity. Yea, they shall not be planted,
yea, they shall not be sown, yea, their stock shall not take
root in the earth, and he shall also blow upon them, and they
shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.
To whom then will he liken me, or shall I be equal, saith the
Holy One? Lift up your eyes on high, And
behold, who hath created these things, that bringeth out their
host by number? He calleth them all by names,
by the greatness of his might. For that he is strong in power,
not one failing. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and
speakest, O Israel, my way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment
is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known, hast thou
not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of
the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary. There
is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint,
and to them that have no might he increases strength. Even the
youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly
fall. But they that wait upon the Lord
shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as
eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk
and not faint. May the Lord bless the reading
of his own precious word and grant unto us a spirit of real
prayer. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
which is an art, an art to come, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
we bow before thy great majesty. As thy word instructs us, there
is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man
Christ Jesus, who gave his life of ransom for all to be testified
in due time. O most gracious Lord, we come
to thee in the name of that precious mediator, even our Lord Jesus
Christ, who is God over all and blessed forevermore, who himself
has said, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. we pray that at this evening
hour as we gather around the word of God that the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God our Father and the
sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit may rest and abide upon
us that we may truly worship thee. We do thank thee for those
beautiful words of grace concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, for through
him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Oh, we do pray
that we might have that access tonight, that we may draw near
with a true heart in full assurance of faith. We pray to be delivered
from sin, indwelling sin, that dwells in our very nature, that
is rooted in our very heart. We pray to be delivered from
its power and from its influence. Lord, we often get so cast down
because of the corruption and the sin of our hearts. And we
pray that we may be delivered from it and that we may serve
Thee and follow Thee in our day and in our generation. O Lord
God, we do then confess our sins, and our wanderings, and our backslidings,
and our ill manners in this wilderness journey. And we pray for Thy
forgiving love. Wash us in the blood of the Lamb.
Cleanse us from all our sin. O Lord, we do beseech of Thee. Have mercy upon us. As we've
sung in our opening hymn, Thy mercy, my God, is Thee. tune
of my song and that lord may it be so tonight that wonderful
mercy that flows from calvary where the lamb was slain that
wonderful mercy that that flows through the suffering savior
that wonderful mercy that flows from him that died and rose again
for our justification and is now ascended into heaven that
mercy that flows from our eternal father Oh, we pray that we may
taste and feel and handle of that wonderful mercy here at
this evening hour as we gather around thy Word. We pray to be
led and taught and guided and directed by thy Spirit. For the
Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
Blessed, holy, divine Spirit, that we pray for thy heavenly
power that we pray for thy divine unction, that we pray for that
true sense of sin and uncleanness, and we pray for that true and
blessed reality of the precious blood of the Lamb that cleanses
from all sin, and of the glorious everlasting robe of the righteousness
of Jesus Christ. We thank thee for that precious
blood and righteousness of Jesus, the Son of God, and that we may
be clothed upon with that righteousness, that we may be washed in that
precious blood, that we may be reconciled unto thee. So we come
to thee, most gracious Lord, in the name of thine only begotten
Son, and that we pray, most gracious Lord, that as a church and as
a congregation, we may know thy blessings, we may see signs following
the preaching of the word. And we pray, most gracious Lord,
thou wouldst grant that we may delve into the deep that couches
beneath in thy word, the profound and solemn deep of a lost sinner,
and the profound and sacred deep of an almighty Savior. calleth
unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts. Lord, may it be
so tonight. And that we read in thy word,
the eternal God is thy refuge. And underneath are the everlasting
arms. May we fall into and feel the
support of those everlasting arms. that we pray, most gracious
Lord, to bless our beloved brethren, the deacons, and give them grace,
wisdom, and help in all their felt need, in all their responsibilities,
not only here, but among the churches of God, to give them
wisdom and guidance and direction. Help us to pray for each other.
Help us to bear each other's burdens, thereby fulfilling the
law of Christ. Remember each one of our brethren
and sisters in church fellowship. Grant thy rich blessing upon
them. Help us to love each other, serve each other, bear each other's
burdens, thereby fulfilling the law of Christ. And we read in thy word, be ye
kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for
Christ's sake has forgiven you. Oh, that we could walk in that
precious truth and breathe that sacred air of the gospel, of
the power and love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Even as we're exhorted,
let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Give us the mind of Christ. Give
us the power of thy Spirit, that we may walk aright. Grant that
we may enter a little into that which is revealed in thy word,
for God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying,
Abba, Father. Oh, to know that sweet Spirit
of adoption, that union and communion in Christ. and that we pray for
a deeper knowledge, experimental knowledge, a deeper understanding
of thy truth, and that we may have the eyes of our understanding
enlightened. We do humbly beseech of thee. Lord, remember the little ones
and the children that come into the sanctuary. We thank thee
for them and pray that they may be blessed of thee taught of
thee, guided by thee. Oh, do hear us, O Lord, we do
beseech of thee, and graciously guide and direct the dear children. May the fear of the Lord that
is the beginning of wisdom be granted unto each one of them.
Our dear young friends, as they launch forth into life journey,
watch over them, keep them, preserve them, bring them to living faith
in Jesus Christ, and make them true followers of thee, and of
those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. O most
gracious God, do incline thine ear, and do set our affections
on things above, not on things of the earth. And Lord, we pray
for each and every one in the midst of the journey of life,
We would especially remember parents and pray that they may
be given wisdom and help and guidance and direction to bring
up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Help
them to raise the family altar, reading and prayer within the
family, sanctifying and separating us. Gracious God, we do pray
that thou in thy precious mercy would remember those of us in
the evening time of life's journey, and graciously prepare us for
thy heavenly kingdom, and prepare us for all thy will. O Lord,
we do beseech of thee, deliver us each from an evil heart of
unbelief, that deliver us, O gracious God, from the temptations of
Satan, that whether he comes as a roaring lion to devour,
or whether he comes as an angel of light to deceive, how we need
to keep us and to preserve us and to deliver us from all unrighteousness. And Lord, we need thee to make
us more spiritually minded and to set our affections on things
above and not on things of the earth, for by nature, Lord, we
are earthbound. O that we may be heaven-bound,
we do humbly beseech thee. We read of thy servant Abraham,
who looked for a city that hath foundations, whose builder and
maker is God. O we do thank thee, dear Lord,
for the many mercies of thy kind providence. We thank thee for
all thy goodness that has passed before us in the way. We thank
thee, most gracious Lord, for the sacred and precious doctrine
of the Son of God manifest in the flesh, Jesus Christ, the
same yesterday and today and forever. We thank thee for his
unchanging love and faithfulness. We thank thee for what he has
done, living as a man here upon earth. fulfilling and honouring
and magnifying that holy righteous law on our behalf, bringing in
everlasting righteousness for his people. We thank thee for
the cross of Calvary, where sin was put away, where divine justice
was satisfied, where God and sinners are reconciled, where
peace is made between God and man. Oh, we do thank Thee for
the glories of Calvary, for the precious blood of the Lamb that
cleanses us from all sin. We thank Thee for the empty tomb.
He died for our sins, but He rose again for our justification. He has bodily ascended into heaven
and sitteth at Thy right hand. And we desire, O Lord God, a
heart full of gratitude, of thanksgiving, for thy wonderful mercy, for
thy precious grace. Oh, we do pray, most gracious
Lord, that thou wouldst be with us now, that thou wouldst come,
that thou wouldst speak to our hearts, that thou wouldst touch
one's lips with a live coal from off the heavenly altar. We ask
for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 536. The tune is Rockingham 398. Behold a scene of matchless grace,
tis Jesus in the sinner's place, heaven's brightest glory sunk
in shame, that rebels might adore his name. Hymn 536. ? His wisdom, mercy, and grace
? ? That saved a wretch like me ? ? O tidings of His day ? ? O tidings
of His day ? ? In the endless worlds ? ? Have
gone on his way ? ? Ten thousand miles ? ? Till he's restored
? ? And men from that day ? ? Drove
him from. ? ? Each time he heard ? ? His friends
cry, ? To the home of the brave hearts
and minds. O be of good to Zion's youth,
With life and justice put on him truth. O'er the ramparts we watched,
were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the
bombs bursting in air, ? In glory new ? ? Come, saints,
make solace to the poor ? ? Your love is precious ? ? Our
hope is great ? ? People are waiting ? ? After you ? Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I would direct your attention to Isaiah chapter
40, reading verses one and two for our text. Prophecy of Isaiah chapter 40,
verses one and two. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,
saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem,
and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished. that her iniquity
is pardoned. For she hath received of the
Lord's hand double for all her sins. It is very true what our godly
forefathers have said. Speaking of the prophecy of Isaiah,
the godly old Puritans used to call it the gospel according
to Isaiah. because it is so full of precious
gospel promises unto the Lord's living family. And it's these
gospel promises that bring comfort and consolation unto the Lord's
living family. You know, the Lord Jesus, he
said, the whole need not a physician, but them that are sick. And You
know how true that is. Unless we feel our sinfulness,
unless we feel our emptiness, unless we feel our need, we have
no desire for Jesus Christ. We have no desire for his cross,
for his precious blood, for his glorious righteousness, because
we don't feel our need. The hymn writer says, doesn't
he? Sinners can say, and none but they. How precious is the
Saviour. You see, the whole need not a
physician, but them that are sick. And the gospel is for the
Lord's people. Notice the direction he gives
to the prophets. Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people. Seth, your God, my people. The Church of God is called Zion. It is here in this chapter. In
our text, it's called Jerusalem. And in verse 9, it's called Zion
and Jerusalem. And the cities of Judah, this
is all speaking of the church, of the living God. And the desire
to comfort them. The Spirit of God leaving on
record these wonderful words of grace. Comfort ye, comfort
ye my people, saith your God. Now it's to these sin-sick souls
Made so by the divine and inward teaching of the Holy Ghost They
feel sin. They feel sick because of their
sin They feel unclean they feel unrighteous But they feel their
need and uh, but the lord speaks to themselves He says in in verse eight The
grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall
stand forever. The Apostle Paul, he says, all
the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ Jesus. And this word, the word of his
grace, which we have in the word of God, is what the Lord uses to comfort
his people. The promises. The promises of
the coming of Christ. The promises of salvation through
the blood of the Lamb. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,
saith your God. Now, the Lord Jesus gives the
Holy Spirit that beautiful name, the Comforter. He speaks of the Comforter coming. when he comes. And he's really
specifically speaking of the outpouring of the Spirit on the
day of Pentecost and the New Testament church and the Spirit
of God working so powerfully and effectually in the New Testament
church. What is the message from the
New Testament church? Jesus Christ and him crucified. Jesus the way, the truth, and
the life. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me. That is the message from the
New Testament church. But we have these things set
forth here. John the Baptist, the forerunner
of Christ. Look here at verses three and
four. And surely, John himself quotes
it, the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye
The way of the Lord makes straight in the desert a highway for our
God. Every valley shall be exalted. This is in the coming of Christ.
And it prophesies those deep valleys of trouble and trial
and perplexity, those great mountains of sin. Every valley shall be
exalted and every mountain and hill shall be made low and the
crooked shall be made straight and the rough places plain. and
the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. Surely, that's the
person of Christ. Think of those lovely words that
we often quote, and the word was made flesh. And dwelt among
us and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father, full of grace and truth. This is where we're
being directed to, and this is where we receive comfort, in
and through the precious work, the blood, the righteousness
of our Lord Jesus Christ of infinite worth. The blood of Jesus Christ
God's Son cleanseth us from all sin when that is made a living
reality. What a comfort it brings to the
heart. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus. Why? Because their sins and their
iniquities will I remember no more. Comfort ye, comfort ye
my people. Seth your God, speak ye comfortably
to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished. You know there's that lovely
word in John chapter 19, Jesus knowing that all things were
now accomplished. And as it says here, cry unto
her that her warfare is accomplished. Jesus knowing that all things
were accomplished. His mission was nearly fulfilled
when he gave up the ghost, when he commended his holy human soul
into the hands of his eternal father on the cross of Calvary. He died for our sins. It was
a voluntary act of the Son of God to die for our sins. That's why it says it so plainly.
In Philippians it says, he became obedient unto death. He submitted
to it. Death had no claim on Jesus Christ. You might say, why not? Because
he did no sin. He was pure, He was holy, He
was righteous. All together. Therefore, death had no claim
on His glorious person. So you may say to me, then why
did He suffer, bleed and die? For the sins of His people. Our
Eternal Father laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. And this
is what was accomplished. The sin of the church was put
away. As far as the east is from the
west, so far have I removed thy sins from thee, O Israel. Sin
is only removed at Calvary, in that glorious, holy sacrifice
of Jesus Christ. And in his sufferings and sorrows,
he satisfied all the demands of divine justice. He died for our sins. rose again for our justification
again think of that simplicity and beauty and what dear mr wood
used to say justification just as if i had not since he rose
again for our justification he took away all our sin and the
evidence he rose from the dead the debt has been paid Redemption's
price has been given, accepted by the Eternal Father. And we
are complete in Him, that's in Christ. We are accepted in the
Beloved. This is the comfort that is being
spoken of here in our text. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem
and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished. That warfare. You think of the warfare in the
heart of the true believer. You think of the battle that
goes on. You think of the deep sense and solemn sense of sin. Burden in your soul. But a glimpse
of Christ by faith takes away that burden of sin. Takes away
that bondage that you feel to be in. Brings comfort into your soul. speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem
and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished. It's accomplished in Christ, not by works of righteousness
that we have done, but according to his abundant mercy. That's
where it's accomplished, in the glorious person of our Lord Jesus
Christ. See, when Christ uttered those
words, and it speaks of him in John 19, Jesus knowing that all
things were now accomplished. See, Father, into thy hands I
commend my spirit. Also, it is finished. They were the words of Christ
on Calvary. What does it mean? sin of his
people is finished. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness. You won't find any comfort under
the law. You won't find any salvation
under the law. You won't find any peace under
the law. You'll find just the opposite.
The law is a hard task, master. The way of the transgressor is
hard. But where you'll find comfort,
where you'll find consolation, is in the glorious person of
our suffering Saviour. When, in a personal, experimental
way, you can say, He was wounded for our transgressions, He was
bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement of our peace
was upon Him, and with His stripes, we are healed. Comfort you. Comfort you. All that precious
comfort that comes from a revelation of Christ. When the Holy Spirit,
the Comforter, when He takes of the things of Jesus and reveals
them unto you, what comfort, what consolation. When Christ
is made precious to your soul, what comfort, what consolation. When your Your darkness is turned
into light. That's through Christ. That's
through Christ. I am the light of the world.
And when he shines into a sinner's heart, when the Holy Spirit works
faith and Christ is revealed, what glorious light shines within. And there is, instead of bondage,
there's liberty. If the Son shall make you free,
then shall you be free indeed. There's liberty. There's a deliverance
from sin and Satan's power. There's a deliverance from the
curse of the law. And these deliverances are all
in our Lord Jesus Christ. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem
and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished. Her warfare
is accomplished. And it's accomplished in Christ.
It's accomplished in those sufferings that he passed through. He died
that we might live forever. He has the power of an endless
life. He died that we might live. He
rose again for our justification, to show that we are free from
sin. Her warfare is accomplished. It may be that you're laboring
and under a deep sense of your sin and your wretchedness and
your helplessness and your hopelessness and your insufficiency and you're
working hard, as it were, to get above these things You need
to be brought to Jesus. Like we spoke of legion, on the
Lord's day. But when the Lord cast out those
devils, he was found sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed
and in his right mind. This is the rest of faith, sitting
at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. What a
change. What a change, a tremendous change. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem
and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished. It is. It's accomplished in Christ. Her salvation, her deliverance
from sin and Satan's power is accomplished in Christ, through
Christ. by Christ, what he has done. You know, in the epistles, probably
the most prominent in the epistle to the Ephesians, but you find
it in all the epistles. It doesn't matter whether the
apostle is speaking of experience or doctrine or practice. He constantly
uses these words, in him, through him, by him, unto him. Christ, the hymn is Christ. And this is what brings comfort
to the heart when Christ is revealed, when Christ is made precious,
when the love of Christ is shed abroad in your heart, then there's
great comfort in your soul, there's peace in your soul. All the wonderful
peace that flows into the heart through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through a revelation of Christ. They were the first words that
the Lord used to bring me to a knowledge of Christ in Ephesians
chapter 3. And ye shall be rooted and grounded
in love and know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge
in its length and breadth and depth and height. It passeth
knowledge What does he mean? It's beyond what we can express,
so great and so wonderful. Doesn't Gatsby say, high beyond
imagination is the love of God to man, claiming our supreme
attention? It does. The love of Christ,
that he should come, the Son of God should come to this earth. The Son of God should be made
of a woman and made under the law that he might redeem them
that are under the law. The Son of God should live a
holy, perfect, spotless life under the law as a man, on our
behalf, in our room, place and stead. That the Son of God, the
sin of the church would be laid on him. As we read in Isaiah
53, he laid upon him the iniquity of us all. That is the very heart
of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And that is what brings comfort
into the soul. You see, these words in this
chapter, O Zion that bringest good tidings, get thee up into
the high mountain. O Jerusalem that bringest good
tidings, lift up thy voice with strength. lift it up be not afraid
say unto the cities of judah behold your god behold our lord
jesus christ or as john baptist said behold the lamb of god which
taketh away the sin of the world oh my beloved friends that is
where sin is dealt with it's in christ and in those wonderful
words of grace spoken from the cross remember the lord jesus
was greatly weakened He was coming to the end of his sufferings.
He was so weak that to compel one Simon a Cyrenian to carry
his cross because he was so weak. And yet here, when he comes to
the end, when naturally speaking, we would say he was overwhelmed.
It wasn't. He cried with a loud voice. It is finished. Salvation's work
is done. Redemption's work is done. The
debt has been paid. There is now therefore no condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people. Seth your God, speak ye comfortably
to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished. Oh, poor sinner, stop working,
stop trying to please God, look alone to Christ, cast all your
care upon him, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our
faith, who for the joy that was set before him, the joy that was set before him,
despised the cross. You see, what a wonderful grace,
isn't it, of our Lord Jesus Christ, when he took our sins when he
suffered and bled and died for our sins and rose again for our
justification. What comfort, what consolation
there is in this glorious salvation that has been wrought out by
our Lord Jesus Christ. And we read of Christ here in
this chapter 40 in verse 10, behold the Lord God will come
with strong hand the Lord God is Christ I and my father are
one the Lord God will come with strong hand and his arm shall
rule for him behold his reward is with him and his work before
him his work before him and it's a work that is now accomplished
it's a work that is now fulfilled The work of salvation. And then in verse 11, it speaks
of Christ, the shepherd. He shall feed his flock like
a shepherd. He shall gather the lambs with
his arm and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those
that are with the arm. It's what Christ has done. that's
the important thing not what you can do not what I can do
but what Christ has done his work the work of his grace the
work of his everlasting love the work of mercy was to put
away the sin of the church and our eternal father he took our
sins he lifted them off the church and he laid them on his son That
is what happened in Gethsemane. The sin of the church was laid
on Christ. And he being in an agony, sweat
as it were, great drops of blood falling down to the ground, the
sin of the whole church from the beginning of time to the
end was laid on Christ on the cross of Calvary, in the garden
of Gethsemane. And he took those sins and he
nailed them to his cross He took those sins. He nailed them to
his cross. You know, but we mustn't miss
out the other side of it, which again brings wonderful comfort
and consolation to the Lord's living family. Our sins were
taken away. Our sins were atoned for at Calvary. That's why Jesus was in an agony. That's why he said, Father, if
it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Because he was
to pass through what his children should have suffered for an ever-ending
eternity. He was to pay the redemption
price. Hence he died. He died. Because our sins were upon him.
He rose again. He has the power of an endless
life. But look at the other side of
that doctrine of imputation. Our sins imputed to him. His
righteousness imputed to us. His righteousness given to us. So our sins taken away. His righteousness
is given to us. Her iniquity is pardoned. Her iniquity is pardoned. That
is the church. Her iniquity has been Put away,
for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her
sins. Double for all her sins. Doesn't
the Apostle Paul, in his epistle to the Romans, if I remember
correctly, he speaks so beautifully there on the doctrine of imputation. of the righteousness of Christ
imputed to the believer. You see, in chapter three in
the Romans, verse 21, it speaks previously to that of
the law, but now it speaks of the gospel of the grace of God
in Jesus Christ. And this is what brings comfort
to the heart of the Lord's living family, but now the righteousness
of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets, even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus
Christ unto all and upon all them that believe, for there
is no difference for all have sinned and come short of the
glory of God being justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth
to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare
his righteousness. Now I see in these words of Isaiah,
she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins
and I see in that the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. It says there in verse 25, Romans
3, through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness
for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance
of God to declare I say at this time his righteousness that he
might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus
her warfare is accomplished It's finished in Christ. And when
we come to Christ, when we're in union with Christ, her warfare
is accomplished, her iniquity is pardoned. Her sins and her iniquities will
I remember no more. If we carry on into chapter four
in Romans, and we find there in verse five, but to him that
worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness. Even David also describeth the
blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without
works. You can't earn your salvation. You can't work for your salvation. You can't please God by what
you do. It doesn't matter what you do.
You cannot please God. There's only one thing that pleases
God. It's the glorious sacrifice of
Christ. It's the precious blood and righteousness
of his son. Even David describeth the blessedness
of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
saying, blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose
sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. You see, he goes on and he says,
cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or
upon the uncircumcision also. For we say that faith was reckoned
to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned when
he was in circumcision or uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. He received the sign of circumcision,
a seal of the righteousness of the faith that he had yet been
uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all them that
believe, though they be not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed
unto them also you see my beloved friends look at verse 13 for
the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not
to abraham or to his seed through the law but through the righteousness
of faith for if they which are of the law be heirs faith is
made void and the promise made of none effect because the law
worketh wroth For where no law is, there is no transgression.
Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace to the end,
the promise might be sure to all the seed. He continues, verse 20, speaking
here of Abraham, he staggered not at the promise of God through
unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God and being
fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also
to perform, and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it is not written for his
sake alone that it was imputed to him, but for us also to whom
it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our
Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offences and raised again
for our justification. Therefore What a wonderful conclusion
is it, therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,
saith your God. Speak ye comfortably unto Jerusalem,
cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity
is pardoned, for she hath received of the Lord's hand. She has received
salvation, redemption, forgiveness of sins. She has received of
the Lord's hand double for all her sins. What grace, what mercy,
what love, what kindness, what compassion we see in Jesus Christ. This is what brings comfort to
the living soul, to have a view of Christ by faith. to view him
as your prophet, your priest, and your king, to view him as
your savior. And in Isaiah 42, we read, again,
it's a beautiful revelation of Christ. Behold my servant, whom
I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. For I have
put my spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment
to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up,
nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. What grace, a
bruised wreath shall he not break? And the smoking flax shall he
not quench? He shall bring forth judgment
unto truth. He shall not fail, nor be discouraged
till he hath set judgment. In the earth and the isles shall
wait for him. He shall not fail. He's accomplished
our salvation fully. Completely. There is nothing
left to be done. Nothing whatsoever. Everything
that the true child of God receives is by faith in Jesus Christ. By faith in his precious blood
and righteousness. By faith in the son of God who
loved me and gave himself for me. The apostle says to me, the
life I now live, I live by faith of the son of God who loved me
and gave himself for me. That was his hope, that was his
only hope, what Jesus Christ had done. And friends, if we
have a good hope through grace, that is our hope. It's in the
finished work of Jesus Christ. It's in the precious blood and
righteousness of Jesus Christ. When Christ is revealed, then
light flows into the soul. When Christ is revealed, then
liberty flows into the soul. When Christ is revealed, then
peace is made known within your soul. And what a peace that is! The peace of God that passeth
all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem
and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity
is pardoned, for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for
all her sins. You know, my mind, it just goes
to that, the beautiful words of grace that are found in the
prophet Micah. And we find in the prophet Micah,
how in the last chapter, chapter seven, concerning the Verse 18,
Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and
passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?
He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in
mercy. He will turn again, he will have
compassion upon us, he will subdue our iniquities, and thou wilt
cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. May the Lord
add his blessing to these few remarks that we have made. Let us now sing together hymn
number 789. The tune is Everlasting Love. 942. O ye sons of men, be wise. Trust
no longer dreams and lies. Out of Christ almighty power
can do nothing but devour. God, you say, is good, is true,
but is pure and holy too. Just and jealous is his ire,
burning with vindictive fire. Hymn 789. ? God save the Queen of Angels
? ? God protect the Queen of Angels ? ? God save the Queen
of Angels ? God is great, His judge is true,
God is love, and God is true. God's love is true, God's love
is true, His throne he shall declare,
Israel's realm of great man. But the birth of Christ is near,
His feet strength, his arm to bring, Will help men, save Jesus'
time. God was really justly kind, Still to walk the road of love,
Ever in his nature stood. And she broke then in his sound,
? There is no home like Fatherland ? ? Think of it, we will all
make ? ? More than any other way ? ? See the sun ? Great Sun of God, Lamped in brown,
in sweating blood, Earth, in days that never came, have not gone, detested sin. He is earth, seat, and water, In the way his love hath taught
Let heaven see his sight We can never pass tonight He hath fed the tombs and grave,
Lifts us now to Jesus free. Love we take, give at His birth, and your souls shall bless the Lord. 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 for evermore. Amen.