Let us commence our service this
evening by singing together hymn number 116 to the tune Chester,
455. Sorry, friends. Tune 453. O the power of love divine, who
its heights and depths can tell, tell Jehovah's grand design to
redeem our souls from hell. Hymn 116. Oh, say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the
brave? O'er the ramparts we watched,
were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the
bombs bursting in air, ? This we come, all redeemed, to
praise ? ? For my sins are bright, the day ? ? Of your reign, God save
the Queen ? We have made the turn of days. Loving, kind, and justly kind,
Free from sin, and warm, and free. Hail the Spirit of Eden. O righteous
peace, be nearer, Lord, to me. Jesus, now to Thee I bow, Let
my praise, my song employ, She holds me with countless love.
You can see my love, that's true. Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in the Song of Solomon and chapters one and
two. The first and second chapters
of the Song of Solomon. The Song of Songs which is Solomon's. Let him kiss me with the kisses
of his mouth For thy love is better than wine. Because of
the savour of thy good ointments, thy name is as ointment poured
for. Therefore do the virgins love
thee. Draw me, we will run after thee. The king hath brought me into
his chambers. We will be glad and rejoice in
thee. We will remember thy love more
than wine. the upright love thee. I am black,
but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar,
as the curtains of Solomon. Look not upon me, because I am
black, because the sun hath looked upon me. My mother's children
were angry with me. They made me the keeper of the
vineyards. but mine own vineyard have I
not kept. Tell me, O thou whom my soul
loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest
at noon, for why should I be as one that turneth aside by
the flocks of thy companions? If thou know not, O thou fairest
among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock,
and feed thy kids beside the shepherd's tents. I have compared
thee, O my love, to a company of horses in pharaoh's chariots. Thy cheeks are comely with rows
of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold. We'll make the borders
of gold with studs of silver, while the king sit at his table,
my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. A bundle of myrrh
is my well-beloved unto me. He shall lie all night betwixt
my breast. My beloved is unto me as a cluster
of campfire in the vineyards of Engidae. Behold, thou art
fair, my love. Behold, thou art fair, thou hast
dove's eyes. Behold, thou art fair, my beloved,
yea, pleasant, also our bed is green. The beams of our house
are cedar, and our rafters are fir. I am the rose of Sharon
and the lily of the valleys. As the lily among thorns, so
is my love among the daughters. As the apple tree among the trees
of the woods, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under
his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my
taste. He brought me to the banqueting-house,
and his banner over me was love. Stay me with flagons, comfort
me with apples, for I am sick of love. His left hand is under
my head, and his right hand doth embrace me. I charge you, O ye
daughters of Jerusalem, by the rows and by the hinds of the
field, that ye stir not up. nor awake my love till he please. The voice of my beloved, behold
he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. My beloved
is like a roe or a young harp, behold he standeth behind our
wall, he looketh forth at the windows, showing himself through
the lattice. My beloved spake and said unto
me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For lo, the
winter is past, the rain is over and gone, The flowers appear
on the earth, The time of the singing of birds is come, And
the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. The fig tree put
forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grape give
a good smell, Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. O my dove, that art in the clefts
of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy
countenance, let me hear thy voice, for sweet is thy voice
and thy countenance is comely. Take us the foxes, the little
foxes, that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes. My beloved is mine, and I am
his, he feedeth among the lilies. Until the daybreak and the shadows
flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young
harp upon the mountains of Vitha. 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 holy majesty. Thou art the high and lofty One
that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy. And holiness becometh Thy house,
O Lord. All we do pray that Thou wouldst
grant us that holiness of Jesus, that glorious everlasting robe
of His righteousness, that we may be covered in His perfect
righteousness. clothed upon with Him. We pray
to be washed in His precious blood to cleanse us from all
our sin and from all our unrighteousnesses. And we pray to be led and taught
and guided and directed by the Spirit of God. For where the
Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. May there be liberty
in pulpit and in pew. And may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ and the love of God our Father and the sacred
fellowship of the Holy Spirit rest and abide upon us, we do
humbly beseech of thee. That we pray at most gracious
Lord that it may be with us and those dear disciples on the road
to Emmaus. And when they said unto thee
abide with us for the day is far spent. O Lord come and abide
with us tonight and make thyself known we do humbly beseech thee. Come and bless the reading of
thy holy word, that it may be a living word in our hearts,
in our souls. Gracious God, do hear us, we
humbly beseech thee. Come and bless us, Lord, as a
church and as a congregation. Come and draw us together by
thy irresistible grace, that we may truly worship thee. All
we do pray, most gracious Lord, that thou wast graciously at
work mightily, powerfully and effectually by thy Spirit among
us. That the word may enter into
the heart, that we may be sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise
whereby we are sealed unto the day of redemption. Oh, that it
could be a sealing time here tonight, but when the word of
the Lord has free course and thy name is honoured and glorified. We do pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou wouldst come and unstop the deaf ears, make the blind
to see and the deaf to hear and the lame to walk. We do humbly
beseech thee. Grant that the Lord Jesus may
be exalted among us, as a prince and as a saviour, for to give
faith and repentance and remission of sins, we do humbly pray thee. We do pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou would remember the little ones and the children
that are brought into the sanctuary, and bless the dear children with
the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, Bless
them with light and understanding in thy word. Bless them, most
gracious Lord, with faith, the spirit of living faith. Though
they may be young in years, even as thou hast said, dear Lord,
suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not.
For of such is the kingdom of heaven, to make me, Lord, a little
child. right, simple-hearted, meek and
mild, and loving to the end. We do pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou wouldst remember the young friends. Oh, bless them
indeed. Raise up a seed to call thee
the Redeemer blessed, a seed that shall follow on to know
the Lord. Gracious Lord, do grant it in this house of prayer. that
there may be of our young friends brought in to testify of the
wonders of redeeming love, that the mighty power of thy grace
may shine forth and cause the prodigals to return. Only thou
art able to do this, O Lord. Do graciously cause them to return,
cause them to be in want. We do humbly beseech thee. and
return unto the sanctuary. I will go to my father's house.
May that be their case, O Lord, we do beseech thee for thy great
name's sake. Be with the young friends in
all the paths of providence, whether it be in their education
or whether it be regarding a partner in life's journey or any future
employment. Help them to commit their way
unto thee. and to trust also in thee, and
thou wilt bring it to pass. Gracious Lord, so bless them,
we do humbly beseech thee. That we pray, O Lord, that thou
would remember those of us in the evening time of life's journey,
and that we pray that as the outward man perishes, the inward
man may be renewed day by day. So bless us, Lord, we do humbly
pray thee for thy great name's sake. And we pray most gracious
Lord that thou in thy precious mercy would prepare us each for
that great day when heart and flesh shall fail. Remember dear
Mrs. Field and graciously bless her,
we do humbly pray thee. Be with her in her many lonely
hours, we do beseech thee. And Lord, we pray that indeed
her last days may be her best days, when she may feel thy presence
and thy favour in her soul. And O Lord God, we do pray that
thou would remember all in the midst of the journey of life
and bear in the heat and the burden of the day, and O do graciously
bless each one Deliver us from the temptations of Satan, from
the power and the dominion of sin. O Lord, we do beseech of
thee, for thy great name's sake. And O Lord, those that are passing
through great temptations of darkness and bondage, and feel
the deep inward corruption of their heart, We pray that thou
wouldst come this night and bring deliverance into their souls
and graciously bless them. We do humbly beseech of thee.
Oh, we pray most gracious Lord, that thou wouldst hear prayer
for this village, that the glory and light of the gospel may shine
forth, precious souls may be gathered in, the strongholds
of Satan pulled down, the kingdom of our Lord Jesus set up in the
hearts of sinners. Remember the village and the
hamlets and the villages and farmsteads all around us. Fulfill
thy promise, O Lord. I will bring thy sons from far
and thy daughters from the ends of the earth. Lord, we long for
such a day. We long to see such power. and
we pray that it may be clearly made manifest, that thou wouldst
favour us with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people,
and visit us with thy great salvation. Lord, we do pray then for each
one, and we do pray for all those around us. Blessing of the distribution
of Holy Scripture, the Scripture calendars, that they may be blessed
of thee, precious souls may be brought to Christ, the peace
of God that passeth all understanding may be shed abroad in their hearts,
we do humbly beseech them, and that we may be rooted and grounded
in love, and know the love of Christ which passeth not that
we pray for all thy servants as they labour in word and doctrine
upon the walls of Zion, and we would especially pray for thy
servants expected among us here on the coming Lord's days, that
they may dip their foot in oil, that they may be made acceptable
unto the brethren, that the word preached may be in power in the
Holy Ghost and with much assurance. Lord, so bless us. humbly beseech
thee for thy great namesake. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou, the great Lord of the harvest, would send true
labourers into the harvest and would build the walls of Jerusalem,
send days of prosperity, days of revival, days of renewing
and replenishing, Lord, grant that it may be so, we do humbly
beseech thee. May we see Zion's offspring come. May we see thy people built up
in their most holy faith. And, O Lord God, we do pray that
thou, in thy precious mercy, would remember the royal household,
especially on this day, as it appears that Her Majesty is drawing
down to the day of death. We earnestly petition the Lord
to bless her with that rich grace that is in Christ Jesus and that
use this in the royal household that another may be brought to
live in faith in Jesus Christ and become true followers of
thee and of those who through faith and patience inherit the
promises and the one that is to be crowned king following
her. We pray that wisdom and help and guidance and direction
may be given to him. We do humbly beseech of thee. We're exhorted, O Lord, to pray
for all in authority over us. And we pray for the present government
that wisdom and guidance may be given in all matters. Lord,
we look to thee. We beseech thee to have mercy
upon us, to preserve our religious freedoms, our Protestant heritage. We do humbly beseech thee. Thou
alone are able to keep us in that way, keep us close to thee,
keep us following thee. Remember those that labour in
word and doctrine among the nations of the earth. We think of Ian
Sadler and pray that he may be blessed of thee and helped of
thee and guided by thee. We think of the Mombasa mission
that thy blessing may rest upon the ministry of there and it
may be to the great glory of thy name. We think also of the
Savannah Education Trust and that great work being done in
Ghana, may it be down to the honor, glory and praise of thy
great name and to the good of precious souls. Hear us, Lord,
in heaven, thy holy and thy blessed dwelling place. We thank thee
for every mercy and every favour so freely given. We thank thee
that thy mercies are new every morning and great is thy faithfulness. We thank thee above all for the
profound and sacred glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the
fullness of that salvation that he has wrought out for his people
in the bringing in of everlasting righteousness and in that one
glorious sacrifice for sin on Calvary when he offered up himself. Oh, most gracious Lord, we thank
thee for that perfect sacrifice. We thank thee that divine justice
has been satisfied. God and sinners are reconciled
peace is made between God and man. We thank thee that he rose
again from the dead, brought life and immortality to light
through the gospel, and has now bodily ascended into heaven.
Our great high priest, gracious God, accept the tribute of our
trembling tongue, and graciously bless us now as we turn to thy
holy word. Come and be mouth, matter, and
wisdom unto us. Come and touch one's lips with
the live coal from off the heavenly altar. We ask with the forgiveness
of all sin, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 944. The tune is Chester 879. Tell
me, Saviour from above, dearest object
of my love, where thy little flocks abide, sheltered near
thy bleeding side. Hymn 944. ? Forever, dear little child. ? ? You will be higher ? ? Inside
? ? Savior of shepherds ? ? Hold him high ? ? Where'er I
may lie ? ? So will I ? Where, O refuge, shall I hide? Where, O refuge, shall I hide?
? I sow thy name ? ? Hail, hail,
hail, hail, hail, hail, hail, hail, hail ? ? For your purpose and your cause
? ? In heaven and on earth as it stands ? ? As my head ? ? In the ocean of
the night ? ? Day to day I sing of thee ? I've just been handed a note,
friends, to say that Her Majesty the Queen has passed away. Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I would direct your attention to Solomon's Song,
chapter one, and verses seven and eight. The Song of Solomon, chapter
one, verses seven and eight. Tell me, O thou whom my soul
loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest
at noon. For why should I be as one that
turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions? If thou know
not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps
of the flock and feed thy kids beside the shepherd's tent. Tell me, O thou whom my soul
loveth. The Lord gave me this word about
2.30 this morning. It seemed to drop quite sweetly
into my soul. Tell me, O thou whom my soul
loveth. This is a song of loves. It's
called the Song of Songs because there is no other song like it. It regards the sacred, eternal
love of Christ to his church. And there is a dialogue that
goes on in this book of poetry between Christ and the church. And here in the verse that we,
The first verse, we have the spouse speaking and praying unto
Christ. And in the second verse, we have
Christ speaking unto his spouse, unto his church. Tell me, O thou
whom my soul loveth. Even in the, what we would say
the first verse of the song, which is the second verse, let
him kiss me. whom my soul loveth, let him
kiss me with the kisses of his mouth. This is the desire of
the spouse, of the bride, of the church. Let him kiss me with
the kisses of his mouth. That desire after him. For thy
love is better than wine, the love of Christ. The love of Christ
shed abroad in the heart. the love of Christ in hearing
his voice, the voice of the beloved. Here in the Song of Sonnet, she
says, this is my beloved, this is my friend, O ye daughters
of Jerusalem. And the desire here, the prayer,
tell me, speak to me. That's what she desired, speak
to me. Indeed she receives an answer
in the second chapter. We read it together in the in
the eighth verse the voice of my beloved behold he cometh She
says tell me and he comes And she could hear him at a distance
It wasn't exactly there with her The voice of my beloved behold
he cometh there's a sense of anticipation that she has of
the Savior coming and speaking to her, a sense of anticipation,
desire to hear his voice. My sheep, they know my voice
and they follow me, and a stranger will they not follow? They know
the voice of the beloved. Not only that, but they long
to hear it. They long to hear it. Tell me. Speak to me. And thou whom my soul loveth,
she loved him. Where there is love, there is
desire. Where there is love, there is longing. Where there
is love, there is seeking. It even is so naturally speaking. And this is what the whole of
the Song of Solomon is based on is that natural love that
is between a husband and wife and especially in that time of
first love and even naturally speaking in that time of first
love there is a desire there's a longing there's a need of company with
the one you love it's that longing in the soul and this is what
is being expressed here tell me Thou whom my soul loveth You love him I love the Lord
because he has heard my voice the voice of my supplications
You see your desire is toward his name his person You desire
to follow him you desire to serve him And One hymn writer says, doesn't
he, while our days on earth are lengthened, may we give them
Lord to thee. Is that our desire? To give them
to the Lord? I think it's the Westminster
Confession of Faith. What is the first duty of man?
It's to praise the Lord, it's to honour the Lord. in that first love when the Holy
Spirit has quickened the soul, when Christ is made precious.
You may not be able to say what the spouse says here in this
book, my beloved is mine and I am his, you desire to say it. You would long to say it. But
perhaps you don't feel to have been led that deeply. But you
can say, O thou whom my soul loveth. And you yearn after. You know, there's been many of
the Lord's people, and this spirit of love, there's been the first
thing that they felt. I know often things are laid
out that, you know, first there must be darkness and conflict
and conviction of sin. or with many that is the case,
but not with everyone. I know of two godly men, both
of them, the first thing they ever felt was the love of Christ
shed abroad in their heart. One is now in glory. I buried
him with sure and certain hope, but the first thing he ever felt,
and he said to me, He said, it used to really trouble me. Ministers
would stand up in the pulpit and say, you've got to have this,
this, this, and this, and in this order. It all must be in
this certain way. And he said, it used to really,
I used to cut myself off. I said, well, I don't really
know the truth. Because when the Lord first moved
in his soul, it was in love. It was in love. He said to me, I knew much conviction
of sin afterwards. But the initial spiritual feelings
in his soul was love. Love to the Lord Jesus Christ. His love was shed abroad in his
heart. It doesn't the apostles say to
the Romans, for the love of Christ is shed abroad in our hearts
by the Holy Ghost. Love it by its very nature is
a very feeling thing, isn't it? It's right in our very nature
From the heart The affections of the heart drawn To Christ
just just as the spouse says here in verse 4 draw me We will
run after them She felt that need to be drawn she She felt
the need to be drawn towards Christ. Draw me. And of course,
this is opened up by Jesus Christ in the Gospels. None come except
the Father draw. And of course, in Jeremiah, chapter
31. Yea, I have loved thee with an
everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness,
have I drawn thee with loving kindness have I drawn thee drawn
to Christ and you know friends that is the evidence of what
it says in the first part of the verse yea I've loved thee
with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn
thee that loving kindness that love of Christ that you feel
in your heart you're drawn to him And that is the evidence that
you have within you that you're loved with an everlasting love,
because you're drawn in love to him. Or the loving kindness of the
Lord. The loving kindness of the Lord
to his people. You see, and it carries on there
where it says in verse four, draw me, we will run after thee.
The King hath brought me into his chambers. The King, of course,
is Christ. We will be glad and rejoice in
thee. We will remember thy love more than wine. The upright love
thee. And then she says what she is,
what she feels she is, by nature, I am black. Do you feel your
blackness? Do you feel your vileness? Do
you feel your wretchedness? Do you feel your undone condition? But she says, I am black but
comely. And what does she mean? It's
like it says in the prophecy of Ezekiel, comely in thy comeliness. Comely in thy comeliness. It's a beautiful expression,
isn't it? The believer is made comely in Christ. In themselves
as weak as worms. How can poor believers stand?
But you see, they're made comely in the righteousness of Christ.
They're clothed. They were naked, but now they're
clothed. They're completely defiled, but
now they're washed, but you're washed. Washed in the blood of
the Lamb, the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son. We're sung
of it in our opening hymn of that wonderful love. that wonderful
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. It made me think of that word
in the Ephesians, ye are complete in him. These are the fundamental truths
of our most holy faith, ye are complete in him. You're not complete
in yourself. I've often tried to explain and
emphasize to you that Psalm 37 and verse 37, Mark the perfect
man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace. It's Christ. I don't know of any other perfect
man upon earth but Christ. He did no sin. He wasn't born
in sin and he did no sin. He lived a pure, a holy, a spotless,
a righteous life. And the spouse sees in him such
a beauty and such a loveliness and such a glory in his person
you know and again we we've often expounded it to you chapter five
here in solomon's song and that beautiful description that the
spouse gives of christ from verse uh 10 my beloved is white and
ruddy White, because he's pure, because
he's holy. He's pure and white and holy
and righteous all together. My beloved is white, he's righteous. And she says, ruddy, red blood. The blood and righteousness of
Jesus Christ. That's the first thing in her
description of him. My beloved is white and ruddy.
He's pure and holy. And he shed that holy blood of
his to redeem your soul and to deliver you from sin and Satan's
power. White and ruddy, the chiefest
among 10,000. That's what Christ is to her. And his head is as the most fine
gold, gold representing divinity. He's the eternal son of the eternal
father. He's God manifest in the flesh.
The perfect man. The righteous man. We read in Isaiah, and he says,
my righteous servant shall justify many. And he's speaking there
of Christ. My righteous servant shall justify
many. Shall declare them clean. Shall
declare them righteous. Just like dear old Mr Wood used
to say, just as if I had not sinned. Their sins and their
iniquities will I remember no more. My beloved is white and
ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. His head is as the
most fine gold. He's the eternal son of the eternal
father. His eyes are as the eyes of doves,
eyes of love. Eyes of compassion. Eyes of doves. This is the eyes of Christ as
he looks upon her beloved, his beloved, his spouse. You know, these things are so
illustrative of the experience of the living child of God. And
I've often said when we've looked at his eyes, that look that he
gave Peter after Peter had denied him three times with oaths and
curses on the last time and we read that Jesus turned and looked
just a look and he went out and wept bitterly just a look and
he went out and wept bitterly all my beloved friends These
things are written for our instruction. That was a look of love. Peter
had just denied him with oaths and curses, but he melted his
heart with a look of love, with a look of compassion. He said
to him beforehand, and when thou art converted, go and strengthen
thy brethren. You see, my beloved friends,
that look of Christ was a look of forgiveness. It was. His eyes, Peter saw those eyes,
eyes of love, eyes of compassion, eyes of tenderness. His eyes
are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with
milk, fitly set. His face, his cheek, sweet flowers,
his lips like lilies, dropping sweet, smelly myrrh. Myrrh, in
this poetical sense of the word, represents love. His lips like lilies, lilies
are very beautiful and very delicate, dropping sweet-smelling myrrh,
sweet-smelling love, those loving words of the Savior. You see, and she wants to hear
that voice, the voice of her beloved. His hands are as gold rings set
with the beryl, But gold, again, representing divinity. He's the
eternal son of the eternal father. As the apostle tells us, therefore,
he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him,
seeing he ever liveth. He's the eternal son of the eternal
father. He's able to save unto the uttermost
all that come unto God by him. Those gold rings. No beginning,
no ending. Just like the love of Christ
to his people, no beginning, no ending, eternal. I am come
that they might have life and that they might have it more
abundantly. All the abundance of that love of Christ, that
love that is in Christ Jesus, that love to his people. But
one hymn writer says, mine is an unchanging love. It is, it's
an unchangeable love, it's just as he is. And his legs, verse 15, his legs
are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold. Again,
gold representing divinity, marble representing stability. Upon
this rock I build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it. His legs are as pillars of marble,
set upon sockets of fine gold. Oh, this is the eternal rock
of ages. When my heart is overwhelmed
within me, lead me to the rock that is higher than I. There
are times when our heart is overwhelmed. But he says, lead me to the rock
that is higher than I. His mouth is most sweet, yea,
he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved and this is
my friend. O daughters of Jerusalem, this
is my beloved, this is my friend, one near and one dear unto you. Tell me, O thou whom my soul
loveth, where thou where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon. Where thou feedest? What is meant
here? I don't believe it necessarily
means where Christ himself feeds. Although in one sense he does.
But I believe what it means is where he feeds his people. And the desire of the spouse
was. She wanted to know where he fed
his people, and that's where she wanted to be. Where he fed
his people, where her own soul would be fed. Tell me, O thou
who are my soul of it, where thou feedest, where thou makest
thy flock to rest at noon, when the moonday sun is high and beating
down, a place to rest. It actually in a sense, refers
to it in the third verse of chapter two. As the apple tree among
the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sun. I sat
down under his shadow. You see, it speaks there of noonday. And there's a place of rest,
a place from the beating down of the hot sun. I sat down under
his shadow. with great delight and his fruit
was sweet to my taste Christ there is likened to an apple
tree there are two things here that could be said of the apple
tree both drawn really from this verse on the one hand its branches
they reach out and you can sit underneath it and be shaded from
the sun so rest at noon But the other thing with the apple tree,
it has a most precious fruit that is good and healthy for
man, that will strengthen you. Oh,
isn't that so with Christ? I sat down under his shadow.
His fruit was sweet to my taste. You feed on Christ. He's likened
here to apples that give much energy to a person if you eat
an apple. It's a very healthy thing to have. But it's also
the shadow. The shadow of a great rock in
a weary land. That's what Christ is likened
to in the prophecy of Isaiah. The shadow of a great rock in
a weary land. Tell me, O thou whom my soul
loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest
at noon. And speaking of this rest, again,
it's Christ that is the place of rest. Faith rests in Christ. Surely that is what is illustrated
by those beautiful words in Matthew chapter 11 and the last three
verses. Come unto me, all ye that labour,
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and
ye, shall find rest for your souls. You see, is that what
you need, that resting place? I sat down under his shadow with
great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. Resting under Christ, under the
beloved. He is your shade. And we read,
do we not, from me is thy fruit found. It's Christ speaking, from me
is thy fruit found. You won't find it anywhere else.
You'll only find it in Christ. Tell me, O thou whom my soul
loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest
at noon, for why should I be as one that turneth aside by
the flocks of thy companions? Turned aside, with no rest in
place. That's really what she means,
for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of
thy companions? Immediately Christ gives her
an answer. If thou know not, O thou fairest
among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock
and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents. If thou know
not, O thou fairest among women. See how he speaks so beautifully
of it. Thou fairest among women. In
chapter 4 and verse 7 he says, Thou art all fair, my love. There
is no spot in thee. No spot. Doesn't one hymn writer
So beautifully puts it, no spot nor wrinkle can I see in them
that unto Jesus flee. Why? Because they're in Christ.
There's no spot, no wrinkle. And that's exactly what the apostle
says in Ephesians chapter five. He will present her a chaste
virgin unto Christ. If thou know not, O thou fairest
among women, Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock. Now, my beloved friends, these
footsteps of the flock, it's very important we get this right.
The flock follow Christ. The illustration is of a shepherd.
And in Eastern countries, the shepherd goes before the sheep
and they follow him. They know his voice and they
follow him. And do you know the shepherd's
voice? Do you hear that voice gently
leading you along? The voice of my beloved, behold
he cometh, leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. My beloved
is like a roe or a young harp, behold he standeth behind our
wall. He looketh forth at the window, showing himself through
the lattice. This is in the second chapter.
Verses 8 and 9. He standeth behind our wall. A lattice
is like a window. Like a window and there's a lattice
that goes over it. This can be spoken of in various
different ways. I think primarily it means the
Word of God, the Holy Scriptures. And how the Holy Spirit leads
us to Christ. so that we catch glimpses of
Christ in the Holy Scriptures when we read them, when we pray
over them. And he brings those sacred portions
of God's word. And Christ is revealed as the
way, the truth, and the life. And you behold him, the lattice
of his word. You think of that lovely word
in Isaiah chapter 42. The lattice of his word, it says,
Behold my servant, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. Who
is it? It's Christ. It's Christ. He says, Behold him. Behold him
as your prophet. Behold him as your priest. Behold
him as your king. Behold my servant, mine elect,
in whom my soul delighteth. Who's speaking? The Eternal Father. He's speaking of his only begotten
Son, God manifest in the flesh. That's who he's speaking of.
And he goes on, he speaks of Christ, he says he will not fail.
And we fail, we fail, we seem to fail at every turn. He won't
fail, he never has and he never will. He never has and he never
will. If thou know not, O thou fairest
among women, Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock. Essentially, what this means,
the footsteps of Christ. They follow Christ. And they desire to follow Christ.
And his footsteps, they desire to follow. Him, Roger says, doesn't
he? His track I see. And I'll pursue
the narrow way till Him I view. See where Christ has walked. How Christ lived. And there is
that love in your heart and you desire to walk and live like
He did. And to do what He did. He walked
in love all the time. Loving His people. Loving them
with an everlasting love. Redeeming them. He laid down
his life for his friends. He suffered, he bled, he died
to redeem his people. But that's how Christ lived. When on the cross of Calvary,
he says, and Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished,
he knew. And then it says he cried with
a loud voice, it is finished. He knew it was all accomplished.
He brought in everlasting righteousness for his people. He offered a
perfect, spotless, undefiled sacrifice on the cross of Calvary,
like we looked at on Sunday afternoon for my one offering. He perfected
forever all them that are sanctified, perfected forever. In Christ,
if thou know not, O thou fairest among women, Go thy way forth
by the footsteps of the flock and feed thy kids beside the
shepherd's tents. In chapter two, in verse 14,
he says, oh my dove, that are in the clefts of the rock, in
the secret places of the stairs, says Christ, speaking to his
spouse, let me see thy countenance. let me see thy countenance, let
me hear thy voice. How? In prayer, in supplication,
in desire, in love, in longing, to express your love to him,
like David did, I love the Lord. It's a precious thing, you know,
when we love the Lord, when you feel drawn to him, you love him,
and you tell him that you love him, He loved you. He said that we love him because
he first loved us. It's the most sweet and precious
thing, my beloved friends, when this love is shed abroad in the
heart and when you go out and you follow Christ. It says, we've
already pointed out in verses eight and nine of chapter two,
the voice of my beloved. and how he shows himself. But
then in verse 10, my beloved spake and said unto me, rise
up, my love, my fair one, and come away. Away from this wilderness
world. Away from all the things of it.
Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For though the
winter is past, the rain is over and gone. rise up, follow Christ. Christ, he said, rise, let us
be going, rise up, follow Christ. You know, it is the primary meaning
of that word that we've already looked at here. The following Christ and following
in his footsteps and living in his precepts. As he walked in love, we walk
in love. And living and following him
and desiring to follow him and desiring to serve him. Yes, you
do. You have many shortcomings, many
backslidings, many heart wanderings, times of ill manners in the wilderness
cast you down, There are times of great temptation and conflict
and it greatly cast you down, but you only need one, a sacred
sense of the love of Christ shed abroad in your heart and it will
deliver you from all those things. It will, completely. You'll feel
sweet liberty, light and life and hope that is in Christ. If
thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth. by the footsteps of the flock,
and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents." You see, these
footsteps of the flock, not only does it mean the Word
of God, and there is that, the lattice of His Word, but then
there's the ordinances of the Gospel. They're made precious
to you, because Christ He said, do this in remembrance of me.
And he exhorted his disciples to go baptizing them in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. You walk
in love when you follow him in the path of baptism. It's an
act of divine worship, baptism. And the keeping of the Lord's
Supper, it's an act of divine worship. And these acts of divine
worship were ordained of God, that his children should walk
in them, should willingly follow him. Hence he says, rise up,
rise up. My love, my fair one, come away. Walk in this way, following Christ,
in love, in kindness. You feel drawn to him. Oh, follow
him without delay. my beloved spake, and said unto
me, rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. Come away. Oh, that the Lord
would enable us to do so. And it may be when you come up
unto the house of the Lord and, you know, to worship the Lord,
And the effect is, rise up my love, my fair one. But the ministry's
made sweet, the reading of the word is sweet, the singing of
the hymns is sweet. And you're drawn, you're drawn
after Christ. It's such a sweet thing to know
these sacred drawings after Christ. You see, oh my dove, the art in the clefts
of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, hidden away of
course, let me see thy countenance. Not only that, let me hear thy
voice. In prayer, in supplication, in
praise, in adoration, in thanksgiving, let me hear thy voice. For sweet is thy voice, you know,
It's true, we are poor, needy, wretched, helpless, hopeless
sinners. But when we come in the spirit of faith and love
unto Christ, He's pleased with our voice. He's pleased with
our prayers. Poor as they may be, He's pleased
with them. When you express your love, He's
pleased with that expression of your love. And He says, let
me hear thy voice. Like I was saying earlier, If
you even naturally speaking if you love somebody you want to
be in their company you want to speak to them You want to
hear them speak to you and you want that is all part of love,
isn't it? How much more so in this sacred
spiritual love that is between Christ and the church? Let's
me hear thy voice for Sweet is thy voice and thy countenance
is comely Thy countenance. Why? You might say, but I'm such
a poor, wretched, needy sinner. You're washed in the blood of
Christ. You're clothed in the righteousness of Christ. And
he sees a beauty in you, a loveliness in you. Hence he says that in
chapter four and verse seven, thou art all fair, my love. There
is no spot in thee. Tell me, O thou whom my soul
loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest
at noon, for why should I be as one that turneth aside by
the flocks of thy companions? If, this is Christ speaking,
if thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth
by the footsteps of the flock and feed thy kids beside the
shepherds' tents. May the Lord add his blessing
to these few remarks that we have made. As you know, they'll be aware,
our pastor, God willing, is due to go to America and Canada next
week. And also, he will not be with
us on the coming Lord's Day. This is crazy. So consequently,
this is the last service where our pastor will be preaching
for us here at home. We do pray that his labors in
America and Canada may be profitable. that there may be a blessing
in his own soul and that his labours may be accompanied by
the savour and unction of the Holy Spirit. And we do pray for
the servants of the Lord that expect to be with us in his absence
and may the Lord watch over us as we are apart for a season.
Consequently, I thought it would be appropriate to sing After
our closing hymn, hymn number 373, you will notice the heading
on this hymn is Prayer for a Minister. Hymn number 373, the tune is
Silver Hill, 411. With heavenly power, O Lord,
defend him whom we now to Thee commend, his person bless, his
soul secure, and make him to Thee endure. Gird him with all
sufficient grace, direct his feet in paths of peace, Thy truth
and faithfulness fulfill, and help him to obey Thy will. Hymn number 373. Hymn number
373. This Christmas season's been
good and it's been really good. ? Let every heart serve Him in
sheer grace ? ? Thy righteousness give, O Lord, always ? Lord, you can make the rest of
me As happy as you are when you are with me. Behold ye now a
day which shall not stay, And love will strengthen till the
end. ? Pretty as the living moon ? ? Hail, all ye faithful, and merry
Christmas! ? ? With banners bright and true,
and songs sweet to hear, ? ? Let us rejoice in the newborn
King ? ? Let us all rejoice in the newborn King ? Gracious and most merciful Lord
God, may the God of Mispa watch between us. We do humbly beseech
them. Remember our royal house at this
time, and remember our nation at this time, in the great loss
of a long-serving queen. Thou knowest all things, and
there is a time to be born, and a time to die. Gracious God,
guide the ship, hold the helm. Now may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship
of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each, both now
and forevermore. Amen. Thank you.