Hey. Oh. Let us commence our service this
afternoon by singing together hymn number 194. The tune is
Lydia, 177. Hail mighty Jesus, how divine
is thy victorious sword. The stoutest rebel must resign
at thy commanding word. Hymn 194. O come, let us adore Him, O come,
let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord. The stupid people must resign,
And thy pardon, Lord, at thy call. Deep are the wounds I have broken They missed her, how all is calm.
By a spout of grace the slain reviled. ? And joys of sweet response ?
? And joys of sweet response ? ? Still breath my soul ? Thy fire bright with a jestly
flame, Earth, full of sweetness, triumphant gleam, And make thy courts obey. And make thy courts obey. And when life is incomplete When all the chosen race Thou mountainous
crown of glory be, mayst shape thy conqu'ring praise. Mercy ain't thine, Thou great
grace. Thou may my blood pour so deep
down. I will not be driven down. ? And I wake and I praise with
song ? ? Throughout day and through time ? ? Throughout day and through time ? Let us read together from the
holy word of God in Psalm 45. Psalm 45. One of those beautiful messianic
psalms. The king that it speaks of is
Christ. My heart is indicting a good
matter I speak of the things which I have made touching the
King. My tongue is the pen of a ready
writer. Thou art fairer than the children
of men. Grace is poured into thy lips.
Therefore God hath blessed thee forever. Gird thy sword upon
thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. and in thy majesty ride prosperously,
because of truth and meekness and righteousness, and thy right
hand shall teach thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp
in the heart of the king's enemies, whereby the people fall under
thee. Thy throne, O God, is for ever
and ever. The scepter of thy kingdom is
a right scepter, Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness. Therefore God, thy God, hath
anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. All
thy garments smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia out of the ivory
palaces whereby they have made thee glad. King's daughters were
among thy honourable women Upon thy right hand did stand the
Queen, in gold of Ophir. Hearken, O daughter. That, of
course, is the church. Hearken, O daughter, and consider
and incline thine ear. Forget also thine own people
and thy father's house. So shall the King greatly desire
thy beauty, for he is thy Lord, and worship thou him and the
daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift. Even the rich among
the people shall entreat thy favour. The king's daughter is
all glorious within. Her clothing is of wrought gold.
She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework.
The virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto
thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall
they be brought they shall enter into the king's palace. Instead of thy father shall be
thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. I will make thy name to be remembered
in all generations. Therefore shall the people praise
thee forever and ever. May the Lord bless the reading
of his own precious word, grant unto us a spirit of real prayer. Almighty, most merciful and eternal God,
Thou who art the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the
ending, the first and the last, From everlasting to everlasting,
thou art God. And as we consider the greatness
of our God, the holiness of our God, the perfections of our God,
may we be standing in awe of thee as we come. May we come humbly, knowing what
we are, as poor lost sinners, obnoxious to Thee by nature,
unclean and unrighteous altogether, so we would put our mouth in
the dust. If so be there might be hope. But, O Lord, there is
hope, for we come to Thee in the name of Jesus Christ, the
great King and Head of the Church, the Redeemer of mankind, the
only true God. we do desire to worship thee
in him. We come like David of old, have
mercy upon me, O God, have mercy upon me. For we need that wonderful
mercy that flows alone from thee through the person of thy son,
our Lord Jesus Christ, the great fountain of all mercy and grace
and all the loving kindness of our God. We thank thee for our
Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that this afternoon it
may be truly felt my heart is indicting a good matter. I speak
of the things that I have made touching the King. My tongue
is the pen of a ready writer. Gracious God, we pray that it
may be so and that the spirit of the Lord may be evidently
present among us. For where the Spirit of the Lord
is, there is liberty. May we know that liberty. We
think of those wonderful words of grace. If the Son shall make
you free, then shall ye be free indeed. Oh, that we could know
that those that are in bondage, O Lord, may they be brought into
liberty. Those that are in darkness, may
they be brought into light. Those that are far off, may they
be made nigh. Gracious Spirit, let us see thy
work, let us see thy power, let us see thy glory as thou usest
to be in the sanctuary. Let thy work appear unto thy
servants and thy glory unto their children, O Lord, we do beseech
thee. We pray, most blessed Spirit,
that thou wouldst come and open the word of truth unto our hearts,
that thou wouldst seal it into our souls. We have known thy
heavenly power. We have known thy divine unction
in our hearts. We've known what it is for our
hearts to be melted in love. Holy, blessed, divine spirit,
convince us of our sin. and lead to Jesus' blood, and
to our wandering eyes reveal the secret love of God. We read of thee in the word of
God. He will take of the things of Jesus and will reveal them
unto you. He will testify of me. O most
gracious Lord, may that be so this afternoon. We do beseech
thee. We pray that thou wouldst graciously
open the gospel unto our heart and unto our understanding. Open
the word of God that we may delve into the deep that couch it beneath
and grant that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love
of God the Father and the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit
may rest and abide upon us. We do humbly beseech thee. May
it be with us 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. Oh, we pray that it
may be so. And preach with conviction to
our hearts that we might be truly convinced that we are lost and
that we might be truly convinced that Jesus is the way to God. Jesus is the way to bless. We
do humbly beseech of thee. May there be that sacred savour
of Christ in our assemblies. May the Lord Jesus Christ be
lifted high upon the gospel pole. Him hath God exalted as a prince,
as a saviour, to give faith and repentance and remission of sins. Oh, that it It may be so this
afternoon as we gather round the Word that there may be the
perfume of Christ in our assemblies and that the peace of God that
passeth all understanding may keep our hearts and minds through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Oh, we pray most gracious Lord
that we may feel, we may know, we may experience those divine
drawings of our eternal Father drawing us unto his best beloved
and all-glorious Son, that we may worship thee in spirit and
in truth. We thank thee for thy gospel. We thank thee for thy grace.
We thank thee that there is a door of hope opened wide in Jesus'
bleeding hands and side. We thank thee for that profound
and sacred mystery of God manifest in the flesh, even our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Eternal Son of the Eternal Father. We thank Thee
that He was made of a woman and made under the law, that He might
redeem them that are under the law. We thank Thee, most gracious
Lord, for the loveliness of His person, the chiefest among 10,000. We thank thee for the purity
and holiness of his nature, of his life, and the law fulfilled
and honoured and magnified in his glorious person. Oh, that
this afternoon he may be made to us the chiefest among 10,000,
the altogether lovely one. We thank thee, most gracious
Lord, for Calvary, where the lamb was slain. In his life,
oh Lord, we see the law fulfilled. In his sufferings and death,
we see sin put away. In his glorious resurrection,
we see death swallowed up in victory. In his ascension into
glory, oh, we see a new and living way made into the holy place.
and that we have a great high priest who is passed into the
heavens, Jesus, the son of God, and we would render thanksgiving
and praise unto thee. We pray that thou would pour
forth thy spirit upon the churches, that there may be a turning unto
thee, that there may be real repentance and godly sorrow for
sin, and the forsaken, O Lord, of all that is contrary to thee
and thy ways. that we may live to him that
died, that we may be crucified with Christ. Oh, do hear us,
Lord, we humbly beseech you. We thank thee that he is coming
again, and he will receive his people unto himself. And there
is a glorious prospect of eternal life, of everlasting happiness,
when we bid adieu to all that is here below, that prospect
of entering into the King's Palace. Hear us, Lord. We do pray thee,
bless our brethren, the deacons, and give them help and guidance
and direction in all their responsibilities. Bless each one of our brethren
and sisters in church fellowship and help us to pray for each
other and to bear each other's burdens and thereby fulfilling
the law of Christ. Grant, most gracious Lord, that
Thou, in Thy precious mercy, was blessed the whole of our
congregation. Oh, that we may know Thy blessing
and Thy favour. We pray for the little ones,
the children. Oh, that Thou wouldst bless them
indeed, that they would suffer little children to come unto
Thee, and that we may not forbid them, but that we may encourage
them. And, oh Lord God, we pray that
that thou wast blessed, the dear young friends. They have, as
it were, naturally speak in life before them. Bring them to living
faith in Jesus Christ. Make them true followers of thee
and of those who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises.
Show them thy ways, teach them thy paths. Lord, we've read in
thy word this afternoon, instead of thy father shall be thy children.
who now mayest make princes in all the earth. So bless them,
Lord, we do humbly pray thee. Remember those that are not able
to gather with us today, for whatever that reason may be,
bless them where they are. O Lord, we do beseech thee. We
pray that there was, that remember all in the midst of the journey
of life, Defend us and deliver us from the spirit and power
of this world. Defend us and deliver us from
the spirit and power of Satan, that old serpent, the devil,
who goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, who
goes about as an angel of light, seeking whom he may deceive.
Deliver us from his power. Deliver us from his influence.
We think of that sacred promise, When the enemy comes in like
a flood, the spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against
him. Remember, O Lord, parents, as
they bring up their children, give them wisdom and grace and
help to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the
Lord. And may we not do and say those things that will stumble
them. We do humbly beseech thee for thy great namesake. We pray that thou wouldst graciously
be with those of us in the evening time of life's journey. Lord
thou knowest the needs of each one and we pray to be prepared
for that great day which is fast approaching and that we pray
that we may be made ready. Be ye also ready. Oh that it
may be so Lord. We think of those that have lost
their loved ones. We think of the dear friends
at Redhill Chapel and the loss of a dear deacon and a dear sister
in Christ. To be gracious unto them, O Lord,
we do beseech them for thy great name's sake. But we pray, most
gracious Lord, that thou in thy precious mercy would remember
all thy servants as they labour in word and doctrine upon the
walls of Zion. Turn us again, O God of hosts,
cause thy face to shine, set thy servants free and at liberty
to preach the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ and grant mighty
signs and wonders to follow the preaching of the word that instead
of a declension we may see a building Instead of the closing of churches,
we may see the building of churches. Oh, do hear us, Lord, we humbly
beseech thee, and where we are wrong, make us right. Convince us of those things that
are contrary to thy word, and guide us into those things that
are pleasing to thee. We do humbly beseech of thee. We all have our many shortcomings,
sins and our wanderings and our backslidings and we would come
and humbly confess them before them and pray for grace to serve
thee better, pray for grace to present our bodies a living sacrifice
holy and acceptable unto thee which is our reasonable service
and that we may not be conformed to this world but may we be transformed
by the renewing of our mind, that we might know what that
good and perfect and acceptable will of the Lord is. Oh, do grant
us these rich blessings. We pray thee, the great Lord
of the harvest, that thou would send true labourers into the
harvest, that thou would build the walls of Jerusalem. Gracious
God, we thank thee for the throne of grace, where we can unburden
our heart unto Oh, we do thank Thee for the glorious King that
sits upon it. Give us to feel more and to know
more. Thou art coming to a King. Large
petitions with Thee bring. For His grace and power are such. None can ever ask too much. Lord, we thank Thee that it is
so. We pray that Thou would be with
us as we turn to Thy holy words. and come and open thy word to
our heart and to our understanding. We pray that thou would remember
this village and the surrounding villages and hamlets, and the
word of the Lord that has been distributed, may it redound to
the honour, glory and praise of thy great name, to the engathering
of precious souls unto thee. Hear us, Lord, and graciously
be with us, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 330. The tune is Southport 69. Your heart, ye trembling saints,
down from the willow's take, loud to the praise of Christ
our Lord, bid every stream awake. Hymn 330. ? Mercy to the exiles,
? Down from the windowsill ? ?
A thousand rays of bright shadow ? ? In every tree away ? ? Earthly and foreign land ? ?
Where are you come from, land? ? ? And nearer to my own house
of God ? His grace shall to thee end. Stronger and brighter shall No present days, no things to
come, shall Christmas grow without. ? The time of love will come ?
? When we shall finish it ? ? No term in death ? ? It shed its
blood ? ? I'll be chanting holy ? ? Every
year's special day ? ? When the appointed hour ? ? Wait
till the bright moon of your stars ? ? Reveal its mighty light
? ? This is the man, the God ? ?
Who's by His state of being ? Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I would direct your attention to Psalm 45. We'll
read the second verse. for our text. Psalm 45 verse 2. Thou art fairer than the children
of men. Grace is poured into thy lips. Therefore God hath blessed thee
forever. The Sweet Psalmist of Israel,
he commences the psalm, my heart is indicting a good matter. I speak of the things which I
have made touch in the King. The King is Christ. The word
indicting, apparently in the original Hebrew, it's a pot boiling
over. So his heart was overflowing
with very deep and sacred love to Christ as he speaks here in
this psalm of the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. And
what a wonderful matter it is to be indicting with or overflowing
with. He had such a sense of the greatness
of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was of course hundreds of
years before Christ was made manifest on the earth. But as
I've often said to you, the Book of Psalms is one of the richest
sources in Holy Scripture of sacred prophecies of Christ.
And often in those prophecies, Christ himself is speaking. David
himself was a prophet as the Word of God declares unto us.
And he himself here, is speaking of the fairest among 10,000,
even our Lord Jesus Christ. And thou art fairer than the
children of men. Grace is poured into thy lips,
therefore God hath blessed thee forever. See the sight he had
by faith of the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. He
saw him as that one that is fairer. You know, surely the most beautiful
description that we find of Christ is in the Song of Solomon and
the fifth chapter and from verse 10 to the end of that chapter. It's so beautifully, Solomon
wrote the Song of Solomon under the divine influence of the Spirit
of God. Some of the godly old Puritans
commenting on Psalm 45, they felt that Solomon had that as
a template. He used it as a template because
the language in Psalm 45 and the language in the Song of Solomon
is very similar. And the subject, of course, is
the same. It's Christ and his church, whom
he has redeemed and delivered from all sin and all iniquity. And the believers, in the day that
this was written, they said to Solomon, or one to another, what
is thy beloved? Verse 9 this is, Solomon's Song
chapter 5. What is thy beloved more than
another beloved? O thou fairest among women, what
is thy beloved more than another beloved that thou dost so charge
us? And this brings forth from her
heart what she felt towards Christ. She tries to describe what she
felt. towards her beloved, towards
the Lord Jesus Christ. And she describes his person.
Solomon's Song is Hebrew poetry. And in natural poetry, metaphors
are used. Things that happen in daily life
are used to illustrate a certain truth. With all poetry. But surely, Just as it says right
at the beginning of this book, the Song of Songs, which is Solomon's. It's the Song of Songs because
it's the most beautiful, the most sacred thing that could
ever be written on. The sacred, mystical union between
Christ and His Church. There's nothing more deep, there's
nothing more profound, there's nothing more sacred, and there
is nothing more that will bring joy and peace to the heart of
the true believer. to catch a sight of our Lord
Jesus Christ. So she says, my beloved is white. Just think of our text. Thou art fairer than the children
of men. My beloved is white and ruddy. White showing his purity,
his righteousness. Ruddy being red, showing his
precious blood. In other words, in that little
saying though the way it's put here in this poetry white and
ruddy the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ that is the sacred
desire and longing of the church what they see in Christ that
that blood to cleanse away all their sin and that glorious everlasting
robe to cover their nakedness he's white ruddy. And so she
says, the chiefest among 10,000. Thou art fairer than the children
men. The chiefest among 10,000. If
you were to put Christ among 10,000 of the finest sons of
earth, he would stand out. The chiefest among 10,000. If
you were to put Christ among 10,000 of the holy angels, he
would stand out. as the chiefest among 10,000.
He's the eternal son of the eternal father, manifest in the flesh. He was made of a woman, made
under the law. Isn't there something so beautiful
in our text that thou art fairer than the children of men? He's
fair in the way that he was born, that that is without sin. He
was born of a virgin birth. a supernatural act of the Eternal
God, the Holy Ghost, overshadowing the womb of the Virgin Mary,
that holy thing that shall be born of thee. Thou art fairer
than the children of men. He was without sin, the only
person on this earth that has ever been born without sin. It's
true, Adam and Eve were created without sin, but they fell before
they had any posterity. Therefore, all their posterity
is born in sin and shaped in iniquity. It includes all of
us, born in sin, shaped in iniquity. But this man, this glorious holy
God man, the man Christ Jesus, is pure, he's holy, white and
ruddy. And that pure and that holy sacrifice
that he offered on Calvary, has redeemed the church. You see,
divine justice demanded the soul that sinneth it shall die. We read of Christ, he did no
sin, neither was any guile found in his mouth. White and ruddy,
the fairest among men, pure and holy, without sin in his very
being, without sin in his life. David,
as we looked at this morning in Psalm 51, when he confessed,
I was born in sin. But this man, David's greatest
son, the son of God, manifest in the flesh, born without sin,
therefore capable of fulfilling, honoring, magnifying the holy
righteous law of God. That is why he lived on earth.
for 33 years. And during those 33 years he
did no sin. He fulfilled, he honored, he
magnified the holy righteous law of God. He did it in every
aspect. You think of how the Lord Jesus
Christ himself, he seems to encapsulate the whole of the law in those
words. Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, and thy neighbour
as thyself, that is exactly what Jesus Christ did. He loved his
father, he loved him with an everlasting love. He lived here
upon earth, made of a woman, made under the law, fulfilling
and honouring that holy law. He was the only man that could
ever do it, because he was born without sin. You know, sometimes
I think we forget, and I know we, We dwell on it, especially
at Christmas time, on the incarnation of the Son of God. How vital
it was. How vital it was. You get these
liberal churchmen in particular, and they deny the virgin birth.
They do not see nor understand that it's absolutely vital to
the Christian faith, the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. Thou art
fairer than the children of men. Fairer than the children of men. In his holiness and in his purity,
in his righteousness. And then because he was holy,
pure, and without sin, the sacrifice on Calvary was holy, pure, without
sin. He offered that sacrifice. Thou
art fairer than the children of men. You know, when the centurion
at the cross, he witnessed the Christ expiring on the cross
and a great earthquake when he did. And what did he say? Truly, this was the Son of God. You see, we spoke just recently
of the centurion, that he said he's not worthy, that he should
come under my roof. I am not worthy that I should
go to him. speak the word only see in our text grace is poured
into thy lips speak the word only he never went he never saw
the man he spoke the word and when they returned home they
found him healed of his sickness see the wonderful power thou
art fairer than the children men not only the wonderful power
but the wonderful love The wonderful love, the kindness, the compassion.
This is the other thing that makes him the fairest among men. And we see him in that as the
law fulfiller. Thou shalt love thy neighbor
as thyself. That's exactly what he did. The
centurion's servant in love and compassion, he healed him. The
widow about to bury her son, He said, arise, and he arose
out of the coughing, from the dead. He had compassion. It was love, it was kindness.
That's what we see in this glorious person of Jesus Christ. We see
perfect love. We see compassion. We see kindness. We had it in
our text this morning, the loving kindness. David says about the
loving kindness. Surely we see that loving-kindness
in the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. We tend to isolate
it and we speak just of Christ, but that loving-kindness dwells
in the Godhead. That compassion. You think of
the love of our Eternal Father, God so loved the world. He gave
his only begotten Son for the loving-kindness of God. Think
of it before the foundation of the world He loved his people
he gave them to Christ He gave them to him to redeem and to
deliver them And the Son of God accepted that wonderful gift
of his father And he accepted the price that it will cost him
to redeem the church That he would have to come here upon
earth as a man and live here upon earth, as the apostle puts
it so clearly in Galatians chapter four, made of a woman, made under
the law. What an emphasis there is there.
When Christ became a man, he came under the law. And it was
vital and necessary that he should. Because it was that holy law
that he was to fulfill, an honor that we see in his life. Not
only in fulfilling the commandments, in doing no sin, not breaking
God's holy law, but in actively fulfilling. There's two things
that theologians talk of with Christ. There's the active obedience
of Christ, and there's the passive obedience of Christ. You might
say, what is the difference? Well, the active obedience of
Christ is when he lives. When he did those things that
are pleasing to his father, he was actively obedient to the
righteous law of God, actively obedient to his heavenly father.
And it was necessary that he should be. And it was natural
to him that he should be. He loved his father, loved with
an everlasting love. So he lived as a man, fulfilling
honoring, magnifying God's holy law. But then divine justice
demanded that the soul that sinneth it shall die and therefore he
needed to rescue his people from death. And how could this be
done? There's a beautiful name only
once in Holy Scripture given to Christ. It says in Genesis,
until Shiloh come. Shiloh is Christ. What does the
word Shiloh mean? It means the rescuer. That's
the meaning of the word. And he came to rescue his people
from sin and from Satan's power, from the curse and condemnation
of the law. And to do so, as the word of
God clearly says, he was made sin for us. He was made sin for
us. As the father laid upon him,
the iniquity of us all. And being the sin bearer of his
people, he had to pay the penalty. Our sins became his. Therefore,
he had to suffer, to bleed, and to die for the sins of his people. That's why Christ suffered and
bled and died. Thou art fairer than the children
of men. What a beauty and what a fairness
there is in our Lord Jesus Christ. What a beauty and fairness there
is in Christ in Gethsemane. And as I've often explained to
you, what was done in Gethsemane, Christ was made sin for us. That's what was done in Gethsemane. When we read of him being in
an agony and sweating as it were great, drops of blood falling
down to the ground, why? The Father laid upon him the
iniquity of us all. Is there a beauty to you in a
Saviour as your sin-bearer? Just as Paul says in one of his
epistles, he took our sins, that is Christ, and he nailed them
to his cross. Thou art fairer than the children
of men. He took our sins, What a beauty,
what a loveliness when Christ is revealed. When the Holy Spirit
reveals this sacred sacrifice on Calvary. This sacrifice that
takes away all sin. This sacrifice and this death. He died for our sins. What a
fairness, what a beauty there is in Christ when we see him
dying for our sins. And then rising again for our
justification. Therefore being justified by
faith. We have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ See it goes on in Solomon's Song
chapter 5 and it says there His head is as the most fine gold
gold represents divinity He's the eternal son of the eternal
father. And this is what is being highlighted
in this this beautiful poetry His head is as the most fine
gold. I often explain to you, sometimes
it's quite difficult to convey things that are in my mind so
that you can put it into words, but the dignity and the worth
and the glory of Christ and His sacrifice, He's the Son of God. He's the Son of God. He offered
that pure, that holy, that righteous sacrifice unto His Father. and
his father accepted that sacrifice, the sacrifice of his only begotten
son on the cross of Calvary, that has redeemed the church,
the precious blood of the Lamb. As we looked at this morning,
the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin. Thou art fairer than the children
of men. He says here in Solomon's Song,
You look at verse 12, his eyes are as the eyes of doves by the
rivers of waters washed with milk and fitly set. Those eyes of love, those eyes
of kindness, those eyes of compassion. It's what we see in Christ. Whenever
I read this description here, I always think of Peter. And
when he denied his Lord and Master with oaths and with curses. And
we read this, And Jesus turned and looked upon Peter. Do you
know, friends, we see the infinite love of God in Christ. That look to Peter was a look
of love. Love. He just denied him with
oaths and curses. And that look of love broke his
heart. Broke his heart. Oh, my beloved
friends, what a beauty there is in these things and you know
when the Lord looks when you know he's looking there's something very beautiful
and sacred these eyes of peace these eyes of kindness or loving
kindness and compassion that there is in Christ and It says
his cheeks are as beds of spices, as sweet flowers, his lips like
lilies. You see, it says in our text,
grace is poured into thy lips. You see, his lips like lilies,
dropping sweet smelling myrrh. Myrrh, in this metaphorical way,
is love. It's the everlasting love of
God in Christ. And that everlasting love of
God in Christ, as Jeremiah so beautifully sets forth, the Holy
Ghost speaks of it, doesn't it? Yea, I have loved thee with an
everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. Oh, it's a very precious thing
when we feel that loving kindness of the Lord drawing us unto himself.
It's a sweet thing when the love of Christ is shed abroad in your
heart. And with that love comes peace.
The peace of God that passes all understanding. And this is
where it flows from. It flows from Christ. We sung
in that lovely hymn, this last hymn this morning, I often quote
it, that every blessing Every favour freely flows through Jesus'
precious blood. It does. It's where it comes
from. That's the source of it. His hands are as gold rings set
with the barrel. Rings. Again, it's gold. It represents
divinity. But not only that, a ring does
not have a beginning nor an ending. And the love of Christ to his
people has no beginning and has no ending. It's eternal. I've loved thee with an everlasting
love from all eternity. And a love that is to all eternity.
A love that never changes. Why? Because he's Jesus, the
Son of God. I the Lord change not, therefore
ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Why? Because my love is eternal
and unchangeable. His hands are as gold rings.
Or that the Lord would give you a little meditation on these
wonderful truths that are found in his word. His legs are as
pillars of marble. Now those pillars of marble represent
strength and stability. But it says set upon sockets
of fine gold, his divinity. He's the glorious eternal son
of the eternal father. His love's unchanging and unchangeable. Set upon sockets of fine gold
it what this is doing my beloved friends is setting before us
Just the greatness and the glory And what we have in our text
thou art fairer than the children of men christ is Fairer than
the children of men But even the way he spoke his grace is
poured into his lips and and it says in the gospels no man
spake like this man They were amazed at the wonderful things
that he spoke, both when he preached. You look at when he was only
12 years old in the Solomon's Port in the temple and he was
sitting with the doctors of law etc. and they were amazed at
his answers. A 12 year old boy and yet he
was speaking with them of the wonderful things of God. You
see thou art fairer than the children of men. fair in his
holy life you know there's very little that's the only apart
from his birth that the only intimation were given in his
life is that when he was 12 years old but you know there was no
child ever on earth like this child he was holy there's never been
a holy child but this was a holy child who loved, who honored
his holy father. He loved and honored his mother
and father here on earth. In so doing, it's a fulfilling
of the law. He lived completely in subjection
unto them. And it says so in the holy law
of God, doesn't it? Honor thy father and thy mother.
The apostle says it's the first commandment with promise. Christ
did that. He honoured his father and his
mother on earth. With all their faults and with
all their failings, he still loved them, he still honoured
them. In the way that he lived, in the way that he behaved to
them and in the way that he was subject unto them. Even though
he's the Lord of all, even though he's the creator of the heavens
and the earth, even though with heaven and earth at his command,
And yet he lived in subjection unto his father and his mother. There was never a child like
this child. Thou art fairer than the children
of men. See, his mouth is most sweet. Then we come back to our text.
Grace is poured into thy lips. His mouth is most sweet. And
then it's just as if the spouse is completely lost for words
and she says, yeah, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved. This is my friend. O ye daughters
of Jerusalem. Thou art fairer than the children
of men. Grace is poured into thy lips. Therefore, God has blessed thee
forever. You know, all the blessings that
are in Christ are for his church. When he lived here on earth,
he lived for his church. Everything he did was for his
church, for his bride. He loved her with an everlasting
love. Doesn't it, in Revelation, John, he says, come hither. This
is what was being revealed unto him. Come hither, I will show
thee the bride, the bride of the Lamb, the church of God. He's fairer than the children
of men. Grace is poured into thy lips.
And the way that he spake and the way that he preached and
in his conversation, grace was poured into his lips. And you know, it's the same Jesus. heaven now reigns, grace is poured
into his lips. Do you long to hear his voice,
this mighty Jesus, this wonderful Jesus? Do you long to hear his
voice? Do you long for him to speak
to your heart and to breathe his word into your soul? I've
loved thee well my child, loved with an everlasting You know,
it's beyond our comprehension. Thou art fairer than the children
of men. You think of when he died, when
he gave his life a ransom for all. It was for his bride, for
his church. This was the price that had to
be paid to redeem her. He died for our sins. He rose
again for our justification. When Christ rose from the dead,
the Church, the Bride of Christ was justified perfectly in that
glorious sacrifice, in that glorious death and resurrection from the
dead. You know, it's the evidence that
we're given in Holy Scripture that the church has been redeemed
and that sin has been put away because Christ rose from the
dead. He didn't die for his own sins, he did no sin. He was pure
and he was holy. He died for the sins of his church. And to redeem her he paid the
price that was necessary to be paid to redeem the church from
her sin. And when he rose from the dead,
that's what it means when he rose again for our justification,
there's the evidence. that sin has been put away, that
divine justice has been satisfied, that the curse has been removed,
in that risen Saviour, who has swallowed up death in victory,
thou art fairer than the children of men, this risen Saviour, who's
conquered sin and Satan and death, on the behalf of his bride, his
church, to redeem her. You see, It says here in this
psalm, you just look at verse 6, and we're speaking now of
the divinity of Christ. Thy throne, O God, is for ever
and ever. The scepter of thy kingdom is
a right scepter. He sits on no precarious throne. He's the king. He has supreme
power. All power is given unto me. in heaven and in earth. In the
first chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews, the Apostle quotes
this verse, and he puts a little prefix to it, which confirms
the interpretation here. He says in Hebrews 1, unto the
Son he saith, thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter,
that's the scepter of royal authority. The scepter of thy kingdom is
a right scepter. It was divinely appointed. It's
been divinely fulfilled. And the sacrifice of Christ has
redeemed the church. Jesus has made an end of sin. He has. He's brought in everlasting
righteousness for his people. He has redeemed her. Now, he
speaks here in this psalm to the church, He says in verse
9, King's daughters were among thy honourable women, upon thy
right hand did stand the Queen, that's the Church, in gold of
Ophir, that's the righteousness of Christ. Then by way of command really,
he speaks here to the bride of Christ, hearken, O daughter,
and consider, and incline thine ears forget also thine own people
and thy father's house so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty
for he is thy lord and worship thou him he is thy lord and worship
thou him he goes on in verse 30 the king's daughter is all
glorious within Her clothing is of raw gold. She's all glorious
within because she's washed in that precious sinatoning blood
of Jesus Christ. She's all glorious within. Here in the Solomon song, Christ
speaking of his bride, he says, thou art all fair, my love. There
is no spot in thee. There is no spot in there, the
king's daughter. It is all glorious within her
clothing. It is of raw gold. She shall
be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework. The virgins, her
companions that follow her, shall be brought unto thee. You see,
here in this life, she'll be brought unto the king in faith,
in love. It's a faith that worketh by
none. She'll see a beauty in Christ. She'll see a loveliness
in Christ. And she wants to follow Christ. She wants to follow Christ. Is
that what's in your heart? Do you want to follow Christ? Follow him in his ways? It's
a very sacred thing. You dear young friends, do you
have that desire in your heart to follow Christ? My mind, it
just goes to that lovely hymn, hymn 144, where we read of the
language of the soul. Jesus, my all to heaven is God. He whom I fix my hopes upon. His track I see, and I'll pursue
the narrow way till him I view. Is that the desire of your heart?
Jesus, my all. Jesus, my love. Jesus, the altogether
lovely one. Jesus, the chiefest among 10,000.
Thou art fairer than the children. Then grace is poured into thy
lips, therefore God, hath blessed thee forever. Is Jesus Christ
the same yesterday, and today, and forever? She shall be brought
unto the King in raiment of needlework, but of course is the righteousness
of Christ. The virgins her companions that
follow her shall be brought unto thee with gladness and rejoicing. You know when Christ is made
precious, What gladness and what rejoicing there is in the heart
when Christ is revealed and Christ is made precious. With gladness
and rejoicing shall they be brought. But this is a very beautiful
truth here. They shall enter into the king's
palace. I go. This is the language of
Christ. Let not your heart be troubled.
I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place
for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that
where I am, there shall you be also. He says, in my father's
house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you, I go to prepare a place. That's what Christ is doing.
They shall enter into the king's palace. What a wonderful prospect,
isn't it? To be with Christ, which is far
better. To be with Christ, which is far
better. I often think of those verses
of Rutherford based on his last words when he was dying. The
bride eyes not her garments, but her dear bridegroom's face.
I will not gaze on glory, but on my King of Grace. Not on the
crown he giveth, but on those pierced hands where glory, glory
dwelleth. In Emmanuel's land thou art fairer
than the children of men. Grace is poured into thy lips,
therefore God hath blessed thee forever. In the book of the Revelation,
we are given a little insight into heaven It's a wonderful
thing that it is so. My mind in particular, it goes
to the fifth chapter of the book of the Revelation. We'll look
at verse six. And I beheld, and lo, in the
midst of the throne, this is in glory, and of the four beasts,
and in the midst of the elders stood a lamb as it had been slain,
having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits
of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the
book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and the four
and 20 elders fell down before the lamb, having every one of
them hearts and golden vials full of odors, which are the
prayers of saints. And they sung a new song saying,
thou art worthy to take the book. and to open the seals thereof,
for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood,
out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, and hast
made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on
the earth. It goes on in verse 12, that
worthy is the lamb that was slain, to receive power and riches and
wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. And every creature which is in
heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in
the sea and all that are in the earth, heard I say, blessing
and honor and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon
the throne and unto the Lamb forever and ever. fairer than the children of men.
Grace is poured into thy lips, therefore God hath blessed thee
forever. May the Lord bless his own word. Let us now sing together hymn
number 126, The tune is Warwick, 258. I'll
speak the honours of my King, His form divinely fair, None
of the sons of mortal race, May with the Lord compare him 126. O'er the ramparts we watched,
were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the
bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag
was still there. Amen. ? It is my speech that let me praise
? ? That on thy lips is shed ? ? Thy holy face is shed ? In thy light that found thy sacred
bed. Turn on thy soul, victorious
prince, bright with the fantastic spell. Thy tarot shall strive,
thrill thy foes, and make the whole world play. Thy triumph over all, forever
stand. ? Thy word of grace shall prove
? ? A peaceful center in thy hands
? ? Till through thy states ? ? Justice and truth shall prevail
? ? And set thee still ? ? God's mercy ? ? Is thy choice ? ? And God thy God ? ? Thy Son shall
fill ? with most piqued expressions. 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.