Let us turn to the 66th Psalm
where we were reading in Psalm 66 and the text I draw your attention
to is found at verse 16 following the Selah at the end of the previous
15th verse and you I'm sure are aware that Selah is part of the
text it's to be read because it's the word of God and it seems
to have something to do with the manner in which the Psalms
were to be sung in the temple worship but also it seems, so
they tell us, is indicative of a pause and I think it's good
to pause at the Selahs and to stop for a while as it were and
to consider what is being said in the previous and in the following
words. So here we have a sealer and
then we come to the words of the text, come and hear all ye
that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. And really tonight my text is
just those two words at the end of the verse, my soul. My soul
or Soul religion is the subject really that I want to say something
about. Come and hear all ye that fear
God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. It's not the religion of others
that is our great concern surely. It's to be our own standing before
the God who is our creator and that God who in the great day
will pass judgment upon us and here the psalmist is very much
aware surely of himself the soul isn't that the real self? we
think of the words of the Lord Jesus in the gospel what is a
man profited if he gained the whole world and lose his own
soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? It's
his own soul. It's that that really is the
thing that distinguishes him from all other people. And again
we find something similar in the language of the wise man
in the book of Proverbs, that familiar word, keep thy hearts
with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life, the
heart, the soul. It's from these places that the
issues of life really proceed. It's not enough, is it, to simply
have a religion that is a matter of the minds. and just assenting
to the truths of God's Word. It's not enough to hear the glorious
doctrines of the Gospel so adequately preached by a great minister
of the Word. Even the Apostle could say, though
I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity,
I am become a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. Those fine
words of men, Paul says, are often nothing more than sounding
brass and tinkling cymbals. It's not enough. Again, remember
how when the Apostle is writing to the Corinthians, he's having
to defend himself because there were those amongst them who despised
him and turned against him and were seeking to steal the hearts
of those people whom he had been so instrumental in taking the
Gospel to. And he reminds them, doesn't
he, of the manner of his own ministry there in the second
chapter of 1 Corinthians. He says, my speech And my preaching
was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration
of the spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in
the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. It's not the clever
words of a persuasive preacher then that's sufficient. True
religion's more than notion, something must be known and felt. The kingdom of God, It's not
in word only, but it's in power. And that's how we should come
under the sound of God's Word, desirous that we might know something
of that gracious power that comes by the Spirit of God through
the ministry of the Word of God. The Kingdom of God is not meat
and drink, it's righteousness. its peace, its joy in the Holy
Ghost. There must be that of the blessed
work of the Holy Spirit then where there is any profit in
the ministry of God's words. As Paul says to those Thessalonians,
our gospel came not unto you in word only but in power and
in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance. And remember we have
those words there in the opening chapter of the first letter to
the Thessalonians but he goes on to say something further in
the second chapter as he reminds them of the way in which God's
word had come to them there in 1 Thessalonians 2.13 for this
cause he says we of course also thank we God without ceasing
because when you receive the word of God which he heard of
us, he received it, not as the word of men, but as it is in
truth the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you
that believe." Oh, they knew that efficacious grace of God,
that effectual call that comes by the ministry of the Spirit. It was something that took hold
of their souls. It took hold of their souls.
It was imprinted, as it were, in the very depths of their beings. The truth was embraced by them. They tasted it. They fed upon
it. And the Lord Jesus, in those familiar words of John 6, reminds
us, doesn't he, how He is the bread of life sent down from
heaven. One of those great I Am passages.
And he's been speaking to the people concerning the manna that
their fathers did eat in the wilderness. But he is that true
manna, that spiritual meat that God has sent. Though he speaks
out of the necessity of feeding upon him, eating his flesh and
drinking his blood, not in some carnal way, nothing at all to
do with the Romish doctrine of the mass and transubstantiation. A dangerous deceit, a blasphemous
fable, in the language of the Reformed Church of England, in
its Articles of Faith, the 39 Articles, makes that statement.
When we speak of feeding upon the Lord Jesus, we're not thinking
in terms of as the Romanists would come to receive Mass at
the hand of a priest. No, it's a spiritual feeding.
It's that that has to do with our souls. We need something
to come and to minister to us in the very depths of our being.
When John addresses believers there in that general epistle,
that first general epistle, general in the sense that he's not sent
to a particular church, it was a letter that was addressed to
all the churches that had been established on the last of the
apostles and remember how he opens that epistle, that which
was from the beginning which we have heard, which we have
seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands
have handled of the word of life for the life was manifested and
we have seen it and he goes on to speak of how it would be a
testimony to that gospel, how he knew it how he knew the Lord
Jesus so personally, the beloved disciple John, the one who was
leaning upon the Lord's bosom as he instituted that holy supper
of the Lord and he can speak of things you see that he had
heard he had seen with his eyes, he had looked upon, he had handled
and that's how it is to be with us if we know anything of real
soul religion it's so evident there in the in the new testament
that's how these men came to to know and believe in the lord
jesus those men who were his faithful followers the apostles
and all the disciples well as with the religion of the new
testament so also with the religion of the old testament and here
the psalmist speaks of his soul and he wants to bear testimony
to what God has done for his soul. Come and hear all ye that
fear God, I will declare what He hath done for my soul. The dispensationalists, when
they come to the Bible of course, they make such a distinction
between the Old Testament and the New Testament. And they speak
in such a manner that really the religion of the Old Testament
is nothing like the religion of the New Testament. Well those
in the Old Testament, in reality of course, were saved in just
the same way as we are saved in this day of grace. All those
who were the true Israel of God were born again by the Spirit
of God. They were born from above. They
knew that blessed ministry of the Spirit in regeneration. There's
never been any other way of salvation. All born in the Old Testament
dispensation like in this dispensation in which we're living, they were
all born dead in trespasses and sins. And they needed to be born
again. And so they had to experience
that grace of God in their soul. they are to become partakers
of a divine nature a new nature and so as we come to look at
these words tonight for a little while I want to try to say something
with regards to this whole religion as we see it here in the Old
Testament it was certainly the experience of David and of course
most of the Psalms were written by David. We often refer to the
whole book as the Psalms of David. And surely, if any part of Holy
Scripture has to do with God's dealings with the souls of men,
it's here in the book of Psalms that we see that. It's a most
remarkable part of the words. And I say, so many of the Psalms
were written by David. Now this psalm bears a title
and it simply tells us to whom it's addressed. It's to the chief
musician, the song or psalm. So we're not told who the author
of the psalm is explicitly. Interestingly the previous psalms
from Psalm 51 through 65, are all psalms of David. David's name appears in all the
titles of those various psalms. And they're interesting so often
because the title, as you know, part of the inspired text, tells
us something of the circumstances, the situation in which David
came to write the psalm. For example, Psalm 51, to the
chief musician, a psalm of David. when Nathan, the prophet, came
unto him after he had gone into Bathsheba the faithful dealings
of the prophet confronting David with the awfulness of his sin
with Bathsheba, his adultery and the murder really that he
was responsible for the death of her husband Uriah the Hittite. So the psalm, Psalm 51, we're
told it's a great psalm of penitence. You see the reality of David's
repentance as we read through that particular psalm. But then others of the psalms
that follow, psalms of David, also tell us something about
his situation. Psalm 57 to the chief musician Al-Tasgit,
Miqtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. It's when
David now as a young man is having to flee, continually flee from
King Saul because King Saul is bent on his death, his destruction,
and he flees oftentimes into the wilderness and hides himself
here in the cave. Interestingly, in the title we
have that expression al-tisgif or al-tasgif. And the margin
tells us that that literally means destroy not. To the chief musician, destroy
not amictam, a psalm giving instruction of David. He was never destroyed.
He was preserved wonderfully in the good providence of God
in all his flights from wicked king Saul but Psalm 57 again
you see tells us a little of David and one other example Psalm
63 we're told of Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness
of Judah David knew what it was to be in the wilderness he was
literally in the wilderness but there are occasions are there
not when the Lord's people might not be in a a physical wilderness,
but in their souls they might be brought into such a situation
that they feel that they are in a spiritual wilderness. The spiritual nature of these
psalms so often ministers to us. Now, as I say, this psalm
that we're in isn't stated to be a psalm of David, but it may
have been a psalm of David. It might bear some relationship
to David. certainly David would understand
something of the experience that's being spoken of here in the verses
following the text these final verses of the psalm he says I
cried unto him with my mouth and he was extolled with my tongue
if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me But
verily God hath heard me, he hath attended to the voice of
my prayer. Blessed be God which hath not
turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. And when he utters
those words in the 18th verse, if I regard iniquity in my heart,
the Lord will not hear me. Does it not in some ways remind
us of the language that we do have back in that 51st Psalm,
when he comes before God and confesses his sin. Look at the
language that we find him employing there. Verse 3, it says, I acknowledge
my transgressions. And here, in verse 18, if I regard iniquity
in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. Well, David is not regarding
it, he's acknowledging it. I acknowledge my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me against thee. Thee only have
I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight. that thou mightest
be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest. We can see something of David
here in Psalm 66. He did truly cry to God. He waited on God. He is seeking
after God. and he doesn't seek and wait
at all in vain. How many of these Psalms begin
with David coming in that spirit of waiting and submission. Psalm 62 he says, truly my soul
waiteth upon God, from Him cometh my salvation. Psalm 63 says, O God, Thou art
my God, early will I seek Thee, my soul thirsteth for Thee, my
flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water
is. But we knew what it was then
to cry with his mouth unto God in his prayers. He would come
time and again in that spirit of prayer And the Lord heard
him. Oh, the Lord heard him. As he
says here at the end of the psalm, Verily God hath heard me, yet
attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not
turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. Isn't there something
of David in some ways in this psalm? Again in the previous
psalm he says, O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh
come he was a man who knew what it was to pray and isn't prayer
such a significant part of what we might call soul religion surely if we're not praying if
we're not a praying people we have to examine ourselves how
often one's brought to that one feels to be at times so prayerless
Well, can I really know anything of God in my soul if I'm not
one who is moved oftentimes to cry, to pray, repeatedly seeking
Him, calling upon Him? We see something of David and
David's experience here in the psalm, and David's religion very
much centered in his soul, and he will declare, he says, what
God has done. I will declare what he has done
for my soul. But then another Old Testament
character that we might consider, the most gracious man, was King
Hezekiah. And we have quite a record really
of the reign of that good king, because we have a threefold account.
You'll find it there in the second book of Kings in chapters 18,
19 and 20. But then it's repeated and developed
again in 2 Chronicles chapter 29 through 32. Some four chapters in 2 Chronicles. And of course we also have it
strangely in the middle of the prophecy of Isaiah. in Isaiah
chapter 36 through to 39. So we have a three-fold account
of the reign of King Ezekiel and surely that's not without
significance. And isn't he a man who would
say, come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what
he has done for my soul. In Isaiah 38 we have his prayer,
his prayer of thanksgiving. And doesn't he use language similar
to the text here? The writing of Hezekiah, king
of Judah, when he had been sick and was delivered from his sickness. oh there's a record he bears
record you see his own record to God and to the dealings of
God with him that remarkable prayer that we have there in
Isaiah 38 and verse 9 father he had been sick the prophet
had told him he was to set his house in order because he was
going to die and he turns his face to the wall And he prays
to his God, and before the Prophet has left the courts, he is summoned
back to the King. God will add 15 years to his
life. Or before they call, I will hear. Whether I will hearken, whilst
they are yet speaking, I will hear, says the Lord God. He hears
and he answers. But he wasn't with King Hezekiah
just a matter of that sickness. Previous to that, he witnessed
terrible scenes. The Assyrians had come. in the opening verse of Isaiah
36 where that account of his life and his experience begins
there in the opening words of Isaiah 36 we're told now it came
to pass in the 14th year of King Hezekiah that Sennacherib king
of Assyria came up against all the defense cities of Judah and
took them And he sent Rav Sheikah from Lachish to Jerusalem unto
King Hezekiah with a great army. And they begin to lay siege to
Jerusalem. And there is this general Rav
Sheikah and he taunts the men who are upon the walls of Jerusalem. And they report back to the king. Well, then the armies have to
withdraw for a period but only for a period because they come
back in the following chapter chapter 37 and the letter is
now sent the letter is sent through to King Hezekiah and it's that
letter that he takes this is before his sickness of course
he takes the letter and he goes to the temple and he spreads
the letter before the Lord chapter 37 it's a lovely chapter what
a man was this what a praying man he was he had a soul religion
and then as he lies a matter before the Lord so the Lord appears
and Sennacherib has to withdraw he goes back to Assyria and there
he's killed by his own sons but that wasn't deliverance because
it's after all of that It was after all of that that he was
struck down with his terrible sickness and he's going to die. But God spares him, God hears
his prayer, he can't this time rise from his bed and go to the
temple but he turns to the wall and I like to think that there
he is in his palace and he turns to the wall looking as it were
towards the temple. the very place where God's special
dwelling was in the midst of Israel he can't go to the temple
but he looks it's the same with Jonah, isn't it? there in the
second chapter of his book when he's in the very depths of the
Mediterranean and he's all disorientated but he looks towards the temple
and his prayer comes into the temple and all that the temple
represents of the Lord Jesus it's a type of Christ it's prayer
ascending to God And so it was with that good king Hezekiah. And those words that he speaks
as he comes to return thanks after God restores him. He says,
O Lord, by these things men live. And in all these things is the
life of my spirit. Come and hear all ye that fear
God, I will declare what he hath done for my soul. Oh, what wondrous
things God did for him! How God tested him and proved
him again and again. And again we have the language
here in the psalm, verse 10, For thou, O God, hast proved
us, thou hast tried us as silver is tried, thou broughtest us
into the neck, thou laidst affliction upon our loins, thou hast caused
men to ride over our heads we went through fire and through
water but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place all
the works of God appearing for his people I will declare what
he has done for my soul says the king so We can relate something
of the psalm to these various men that we read of in the word
of God but surely there's a good reason why the psalm in a sense
is anonymous. We're not really told who the
author of this psalm is, the human author. The one thing we
do know is that this is the word of God. That's why I remarked
as I did before we attended to the public reading The public
reading is truly a means of grace, and as I said, it struck me so
forcibly, that remark, that it is the purest part of all the
worship that we offer when we come together in this fashion,
because everything else, of course, that we do is mixed. The man in the pulpit, he attempts
to expound the Word of God. The one who leads in prayer,
he employs his own words to plead with God. And the hymns that we sing, they're
human compositions. I know there are those who would
contend that we should only use the metrical psalms. And then they'd
say, well, our praises are pure praises if we're using the metrical
psalms. I think in many ways they go
too far because I would argue then that well maybe we should
use the Psalms for our prayers because many of the Psalms are
prayers and so eventually we're doing nothing in a sense but
reading God's words. There is a place for us to apply
ourselves and to apply our minds and to use our words to seek
to express something of our longings and our yearnings after that
God who works every good work within us. But the point I make
is that this psalm is anonymous with regards to its human author
because it is that that clearly belongs to God's people in general.
It certainly sets before us the experience of the people of Israel. I don't think there's any doubt
concerning that. Their history is set before us
clearly here in verses 5 and 6. Come and see the works of
God. He is terrible in his doing toward
the children of men. He turned the sea into dry land. They went through the flood on
foot. there did we rejoice in him." Now clearly that is speaking
of what God does back in Exodus 14 when he makes a way for the
children of Israel to pass through the midst of the Red Sea with
the armies of Pharaoh pursuing them. And then as the Egyptians
follow after how the Lord God brings the seas back upon them
and destroys them. They see their enemies dead upon
the seashore. And then we have that great song
of Moses in Exodus 15. He turned the sea into dry land.
They went through the flood on foot. There did we rejoice in
Him. And they did rejoice. What a
remarkable song is that song of of Moses and yet we know that
all of this ultimately belongs to God's spiritual Israel belongs
to us who are the true seed of Abraham you know the language
that we have there in the first epistle to the Corinthians where
Paul himself speaks of those events in the opening verses
of chapter 10, 1 Corinthians 10. Paul writes, Moreover, brethren,
I would not that ye should be ignorant, as that all our fathers
were under the cloud and all passed through the sea. Now,
the Apostle is addressing the Church of Corinth. and Corinth
is a Gentile city in Greece, and the church at Corinth was
made up of Gentiles, believers, as well as Jewish believers,
but as he addresses the church, you see, he speaks of the history
of Israel, and he says to these brethren, our fathers, these
are the true Israel of God that he's addressing. Our fathers
were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and were
all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. And did
all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual
drink, for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed
them, and that rock was Christ." So he's clearly speaking of events
recorded back in the book of Exodus, and you know how he goes
on later to make that statement in verse 11, he says, Now all
these things happened unto them for ensamples, and the margin
gives the alternative reading types. Now all these things happened
unto them for ensamples, and they are written for our admonition
upon whom the ends of the world are come. The ends of the world,
that's the gospel day, the acceptable time, the day of salvation, the
very day in which we're living, all of these things concerning
God's dealings with the children of Israel, they're written for
us. All that we have in this psalm, it's written for us. That is the true Israel of God.
We're told, aren't we, they are not all Israel, that are of Israel. The ethnic nation Israel They
are a typical people, but in the midst of that ethnic nation
there is the spiritual Israel. They were always there. And those
were the ones who knew what soul religion was. I will declare what he hath done
for my soul. Lord Paul is so clear when he
writes there in the epistle to the Romans. Again, he tells us,
doesn't he, at the end of the second chapter. he is not a Jew
which is one outwardly neither is circumcision that which is
outward in the flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and
circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the
letter whose praise is not of men but of God this is that man
who was such a zealous Jew this man who was a Hebrew of the Hebrews touching the Lord he was a Pharisee
and now how he righteously he recognizes who the true Israel
of God are and that's the church the church is that true Israel
of God the Lord's believing people those who are trusting in the
Lord Jesus Christ and see how personal the language
is here how in verse 12 we have these first person plural pronouns
throughout that verse thou hast caused men to ride over our heads
we went through fire and water but thou broughtest us out into
a wealthy place he speaks of our and we and us speaking in the first person
he belongs to us if we are those who are the true people of God.
What is the mark of those who are God's true people? Well,
they have a soul religion. They have a soul religion. And
that's real religion. And what of that? It is so simple
really. There is a tale to be told. There
is a tale to be told. Come and hear. O ye that fear
God, I will declare what he hath done for my soul, we have a tale
to tell, we can talk of what God has done for us, we can bear
testimony to God and to the grace of God. And it is such a simple
tale really. What is it that we tell when
we tell of God's dealings, we tell of our sin and God's salvation. And that really is the sum and
substance, isn't it, of soul religion. our sense of our sinnership
and then in the goodness of God's knowledge of that great salvation
which is in the Lord Jesus. That's not easy believism. It's
the way God deals with us. Remember, remember the, was it
the scholarly maid? I think it was Lachlan Mackenzie
a great Scots minister up in the north of Scotland, a lot
of Karen who on his preaching tours was one day in some hostelry
and he gathered them together for for worship and they were
all there but the little scholarly maid was missing she was completely
overlooked and somebody said well we want all the people so
she was brought in but she felt so I tell you I'm worthy. She was uneducated. In any case,
she enters into conversation with Mr. McKenzie, and he begins to
give her some instruction, and she wants to know how to pray.
And he says, well, I'll teach you a very simple prayer, and
I want you to promise me that you'll pray this prayer regularly.
And what was the prayer It was simply those words, Lord, show
me myself. I want you to pray that prayer.
I'll be coming around this part again in due course on my preaching
tours and I'll interview you then. And she goes away, he goes
off on his tour and eventually goes back to his parish there
in Lough Carob The following year he's making the tour again
and he goes to the same hostelry and she's still there. And she
comes before him and she says, oh, Mr. Mackenzie, I did pray
that prayer. I've prayed that prayer and I've
tried to pray it sincerely. I've said, Lord, show me myself. And the more I pray that prayer,
the worse I fear I am. I just grow worse and worse.
I'm such a great sinner. And he says, well, I want to
tell you another prayer. And he told her to pray the simple
prayer, Lord, show me thyself. Pray that prayer now and pray
it earnestly as the Lord helps. And I'll see you again next year.
And so next year came and he goes. And he interviews her and
oh, her countenance is so changed because the Lord, you see, had
answered that prayer also. And she was made to see that
where sin abounds, grace does so much more abound. It's so
simple really. Isn't that what our religion
is? It's knowing ourselves, seeing ourselves, what we are as sinners,
and then the Lord showing us himself. And the wonder of that
sight that we see in him who is God, manifest in the flesh,
the image. of the invisible God, the person,
the work of our Lord Jesus Christ, the wonder of it. There's a tale
to be told. We know ourselves as sinners,
we know that salvation is altogether of the Lord. It's the work of
God. We have to learn first of all
our lostness, our utter helplessness, our total inability to do anything
for ourselves thou turnest man to destruction
says Moses in Psalm 90 thou turnest man to destruction and sayest
return ye children of men God has to say it God has to do it
it's the greatness of God's power verse 3 saying to God how terrible
art thou in my works through the greatness of thy power shall
thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. Oh, we who in our
natures are dead in trespasses and sins, in that state of enmity
and alienation, it's the greatness of God's power that makes us
His enemies to submit, to submit to His sovereignty in salvation. And what does He do? It's the
exceeding greatness of his power to us who do believe. And it's
according to the working of that mighty power which he wrought
in Christ when he raised him from the dead. All that that
was there in the resurrection of Christ is in the soul of that
sinner who is born again. There's new life. There's a tale to be told, you
see, and it's so simple. There's nothing complicated really.
You have to be converted and become as little children. You have to know what sin is
and we have to know what salvation is. And yet this soul religion
is so separating. Remember the words of the Lord
to his servant the Prophet Jeremiah. If thou take forth the precious
from the vile Thou shalt be as my mouth. It's a separating ministry. There is that in the Gospel that's
so offensive to men, it separates. What is it God does? He does
all the work. Isaiah says, Thou hast wrought
all our works in us. Thou hast wrought all our works
in us, nothing of self. Other lords beside thee have
had dominion over us, but by Thee only will we make mention
of Thy name. By Thee only can we even make
mention of the name of the Lord. Sovereign grace is so separating
and we see it very clearly in the ministry of the Lord Jesus
Himself. John chapter 6 and remember when
we come to the end of that long chapter We see how the Lord's
ministry was so separating. There in John 6, 65, He said,
Therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto me except
it were given unto him of my father. And then we're told from
that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more
with him. it was because he said unto them
he had said that previously back in verse 44 no man can come to
me except the father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise
him up at the last day it is written in the prophets and they
shall be all taught of God every man therefore that hath heard
and hath learned of the father cometh unto me it is all the
work of God It is God who has accomplished
the salvation, it is God who applies the salvation. Therefore
said I unto you that no man can come unto me except it were given
unto him of my father." Well, how offensive! From that time,
many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.
They don't like sovereign grace, you see. We don't like sovereign
grace in our old nature. Surely we can do something. There's
some contribution we can make. And in a way, I see it there
when men are first awakened. What must we do? What must I
do to be saved? There's nothing to be done. It's
the Lord's work. You remember this chapter, this
great sixth chapter, dear old Sidney Norton. He used to call
it, didn't he, the chapter of the great diminishings. the chapter
of the great diminishings. In the opening part we have Christ
performing the miracle, feeding the 5,000. Oh, now they want
to make Him king! They want to take Him and make
Him king! And then the Lord's ministry,
that sifting, that searching ministry. And you come to the
end of the chapter, and the Lord says to His own
disciples, to the 12, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter
answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of
eternal life, and we believe and are sure that thou art that
Christ, the Son of the living God. Or he turns men to destruction,
but then he says, Return, ye children of men. Or do we love
this, to hear of the works of God, You see, these that we read
of in our text of the soul religion, what do they declare? What He
has done. I've spoken with people, evangelical
people, and they like to tell me what they've done for the
Lord. All you know me, the things I do for the Lord. But that's
not the language. That's not the language of God's
children, surely. Come and hear all ye that fear
God, and I will declare what He has done. It's what He has
done for my soul. Here is a religion then that's
so simple really, sin and salvation, yet it's so separating, it's
so offensive to me. And yet, oh how seasonable, how
seasonable is sovereign grace to that poor needy sinner. It's
interesting, isn't it? We have hearing here in the text,
in our previous verse, we've already referred to it, verse
5 we have seeing come and see come
and see the works of God he is terrible in his doing towards
the children of men and then here in the text come and hear
all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for
my soul and I like the remark, it's a comment by C.H.Burgin
and he says here they saw how terrible God was but heard how
gracious he was there's something about hearing there's something
about hearing isn't there? faith cometh by hearing that's
the way God comes to us He comes to us here
in His Word, in the Holy Scriptures. But He comes to us, surely, primarily,
in Him who is the Word of God, incarnate. And we beheld His
glory, all the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth. That's what we have in the Lord
Jesus Christ, all the fullness. of the Godhead is in Him bodily,
all the fullness of grace, and all the fullness of glory. Can
we testify to that tonight? Come and hear, all ye that fear
God, I will declare what He hath done for my soul. Do we have that sort of religion?
It's the religion of the Bible, be it the Old Testament or the
New Testament. All these men and women, these
gracious people, They knew, they knew what real religion is. It's
the religion of the soul. Oh God grant that we might know
it for our soul's eternal good. May the Lord bless His word.
Amen.