Let us turn once more to God's
word in the epistle to the Colossians chapter 4 and I'll read by way
of our text verses 3 and 4 Colossians chapter 4 verses 3 and 4 with
all praying also for us that God would open unto us a door
of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ for which I am also
in bonds that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak. This year marks the 150th anniversary
of the death of William Tiptoft, 1864. at the age of 61 years, tipped
up, passed from this mortal life and entered into his heavenly
inheritance. He was of course one of those
men who seceded from the Church of England, a great friend of
J.C. Philpott and his was quite a remarkable life, a great sacrifice. He built the Abbey Chapel at
Abingdon at his own expense upon his seceding from the Church
of England. He had been the Vicar of Sutton-Courtney
previously but when he came out he wanted to continue his ministry
in that same area. He had had vast congregations
attending the parish church and as I said he built Abbey Chapel
at his own expense, purchasing the land, paying for the erection
of the chapel, and ministering all his days quite free of charge
to the congregation that were gathered and the church that
was formed in that place. And as it's the 150th anniversary
of his dying, I thought some weeks ago now I'd read again
something of the man and his ministry. I re-read the little
memoir that was published after his death, written by his great
friend Mr Philpott, and then I thought, well I'll read again
the various letters of Tiptoff that appear in the volumes of
the Seceders, and then a few years ago the Gospel Standard
Trust published the volume of his sermons, some 16 sermons,
and I've been reading those sermons, and it was in reading a couple
of those sermons that I was brought to this particular text tonight. In the first two sermons in that
volume, sermons of a succeeder, he begins by putting a question
to his people. He asks how many have prayed
to God with regards to his particular ministry as he stood before them,
how many had prayed for him as he came to preach, how many had
prayed for their own souls as they came under the sound of
the word of God. And as I say, it was those opening
words in the sermons that in some way led me to these particular
verses that I've read. I know I've preached from these
verses on the previous occasion, but I thought it would be profitable
to turn to consider what is said here by the Apostle with regards
to the necessity of prayer in relation to the ministry of the
Word. With all, says Paul, At the same
time, that's what it means, at the same time, simultaneously,
praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of
utterance to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also
in bonds, that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak,
as Mr. Tiptoe desired prayer for his
preaching, so too does the great apostle Paul wants the prayer
of the Colossians. If we consider the context here,
it's interesting in the concluding part of the former chapter he
speaks of the various relationships in life and the duties that go
with those relationships. There's a word then to to wives,
and to husbands, to children, to fathers, to servants, or slaves,
and then to masters, here at the beginning of chapter 4. And immediately, after speaking
of the various duties that go with these different relationships
in life, immediately after that, he makes mention of prayer, here
in verse 2. Continuing prayer, he says. having
spoken of what they are to do, as they find themselves in these
different situations and different relationships, as they would
be obedient to the exhortation that is contained in those previous
verses, he says, continuing prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving. None can fulfill their role in
life, whatever that role might be. They cannot fulfill it independent
of God. We're all dependent upon God. We all need to be continuing
in prayer to God that we might be enabled to fulfill our responsibility. Be we children, or fathers, or
mothers, or husbands, or wives, whatever our relationship, We
cannot of ourselves properly accomplish what we should except
we are much in prayer to God. Now, what he goes on to say,
if that is true with regards to the relationships in life,
so also, he says, is it true with regards to the work of the
ministry. If there is going to be a faithful
ministry, a fruitful ministry, there must be prayer. Prayer
not only by the minister, but by the congregation, by the church. This is the context then. We
see here something of the importance of prayer in relation to the
ministry. Why is it necessary? Because
of what he says with regards to that ministry. That it's really
these words that we find in verse 3. At the end of verse 3 that
I want to leave as he were for a text where he speaks of speaking
the mystery. To speak the mystery of Christ,
he says. That's what the ministry involves,
speaking the mystery of Christ. First of all, then, let's consider
something of what we're to understand by the mystery of Christ. What he's speaking of here is
really the subject matter. of his preaching. What was it
that Paul preached? Well, his determination to the
Colossians was to know nothing amongst them save Jesus Christ
and Him crucified. That is the person of Christ.
That is the work of Christ. Jesus Christ in His person. Jesus Christ in His work. Christ
crucified. Again, to the Corinthians he
says he pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe. And when he speaks of the foolishness
of preaching, the word that he uses for preaching is not referring
to the act of declaring the message, preaching. The reference here
is to the subject matter, the content of the ministry, the
foolishness of preaching. The foolishness of preaching
then is the same as what we have here, the mystery of Christ. What are we to understand by
the mystery of Christ? Well, we've already intimated
something of that. in referring to Paul's words
to the Corinthians, his determination not to know anything among them
save Jesus Christ. Here is the mystery, the person,
the person of the Lord Jesus Christ is part of that mystery
that is to be spoken, that is to be proclaimed. Again, Paul says to Timothy,
without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh,
the mystery of the incarnation. As gods became a man, gods appeared
in human form, remitting of the person, of the Lord Jesus Christ. And now, that doctrine concerning
the person of Christ was hammered out, we might say, in the early
centuries of this Christian era. Now, there were great controversies. They began to appear even in
the days of the apostles. And we see how John, in his epistles,
the last writings of the New Testament Scriptures. John has
to deal with certain Antichrists who have crept in and he speaks
against them and their erroneous teachings, their heretical doctrines. In the early Christian, early
centuries of the Christian Church and there were great controversies
and we can read in church history of the great doctrinal statements
that were born out of controversy, the great creeds of the early
church and amongst them the creed of Athanasius. There's the name
Athanasius, he was one of the church fathers, he was one who
contended so faithfully and at tremendous cost to himself contending
for the right doctrine of Christ, his his deity, his humanity and
in that screed that bears his name we have this statement concerning
the Lord Jesus who although he be God and man yet he is not
two but one Christ what a statement is that, what a mystery it is
although he be God and man he is not two, he is not two, he
is not two people He's one, the person of the Lord Jesus Christ
and in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ there are those
two distinct natures. There is the divine nature and
there is the human nature. That's a mystery. That's the
mystery. And this is what Paul is concerned
about. To speak the mystery of Christ. And there we see this truth Though
it be to us in a sense inexplicable, we cannot really explain it,
but we see it revealed to us in Scripture. We see quite clearly
that the Lord Jesus Christ is none other than God. We see it
in the miracles and the reaction of the people when Christ performs
the miracles, how he is worshipped and how he is pleased to receive
the worship of men and of women when he walks upon the waters,
remember. when he goes to his disciples
and Peter, bold, impetuous Peter will go and meet Christ on the
waters and then Peter begins to sink, his faith begins to
fail and he cries out to Christ and Christ immediately stretches
forth his hand and takes him by the hand and conveys him safely
back into the ship, and the Lord speaks to him. There in Matthew
14 verse 31 we're told how the Lord caught him and said unto
him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And
when they were coming to the ship, the wind ceased. Then they
that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying of a truth
Thou art the Son of God. They worshipped Him. All they
saw in the miracle, He's walking on the water, He's still in the
storm, He's rescuing Peter, they saw Him to be the Son of God. And they worshipped Him. In the very next chapter we read
the gain of another who worships Him. of that Syro-Phoenician
woman who is refused, who the disciples would have him send
away from them. But now she persists and now
she perseveres. She will take no denial. She
came, it says, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. He is worshipped and he receives
the worship of men. Because it is right and proper
and appropriate that he should be worshipped. Again we refer
to the portion this morning in Luke 5 where there is another
miracle, the great raft of fish and the boats are beginning to
sink under that tremendous weight of fish that they have caught
and these are experienced fishermen, Peter amongst them. And what
does Peter say to the Lord depart from them? For I am a sinful
man O Lord. Peter knows he is in the presence
of Gaius He knows He is in the presence of the Holy One of Israel.
He is overwhelmed. Depart from them. For I am a
sinful man, O Lord. He is that one then who is truly
God. He is to be worshipped as God. His divine nature revealed to
us in the Scriptures allowed us The Apostle writes here to
the Colossians, in the former part of the chapter of the epistle,
of course, we have what we might term the more doctrinal aspect
of the epistle. We read the last two chapters,
the practical part, the exhortations. But previously, in the first
two chapters, we have great statements concerning Christ in his dietary
And there in chapter 2 and verse 2 he speaks of their hearts being
comforted, being knit together in love unto all riches, of the
full assurance of understanding in the acknowledgement of the
mystery. What mystery? The mystery of God, and of the
Father, and of Christ. All this is that great mystery. Verse 9 there he speaks of the
Lord Jesus, in Him dwelleth all the fullness, of the Godhead
body. What a statement in the person
of Jesus of Nazareth is all the fullness of the Godhead. He was
never anything less than God even when he came to die upon
the cross. He is never anything less than
God. He never at any stage in the
days of his humiliation ceases to be God. It was impossible. He is God and he is man. And the wonderful thing is that
the scriptures also reveal to us the truth of his human nature.
We read of him in the days of his flesh when he had offered
up prayer and supplication with strong crying and tears unto
him who was able to save him from death and was hurt and was
hurt oh God hurt him and he learnt obedience and he learnt it by
the things that he suffered his sufferings were real sufferings
how this man knew real human emotion how tears flowed from
his eyes. When we see him there in John
11 at the grave of his friend Lazarus, and the great grief
that he's felt by the sisters, Martha and Mary, and we're told
how Jesus wept. Tears flow from his eyes. Touched, you see. Touched with
the feeling of our infirmity. real human emotion. And he finds expression in those
tears. And then again we see the reality
of his human nature in that he knew something of weakness, not
sinful weakness. Or there was nothing sinful in
him. That human nature that was conceived by the Holy Ghost
in the womb of the Virgin Mary is referred to as that holy thing.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee, said the angel.
There was nothing to see. That human nature, that sinless,
holy human nature of Christ was joined to the eternal Son of
God in the mystery of the Incarnation. He knew nothing of sinful weakness,
but he knew something of human weakness. It's not human to sin. People sometimes say that, oh,
it's only human to sin. It's not. When God made the first
man, he was sinless. Sin is an infruder. When Adam
came from the hand of his Creator, there was nothing of sin in him.
He was a holy man. He was a man, a real man, was
Adam. There was something of preacherly
weakness there. But there was nothing sinful,
and so too with the Lord Jesus Christ. He knew something of
sinless weakness. Do we not read of him when he
makes that journey? Remember in John chapter 4 how
he must needs go through Samaria. coming to contact, of course,
with the woman of Samaria. But as he journeys, he is weary, he is tired. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria,
which is called Syca, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob
gave to his son Joseph. There Jacob's well was there,
Jesus therefore being weary. with his journey, sat thus on
the well, and it was about the sixth hour, it was twelve noon.
There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water. And so here we
have the purpose fulfilled, the reason why he must go through
Samaria. But as he makes that journey,
the Lord knew what it was to feel weary, to need to sit down
to rest. Nothing of any sinful But we
know for a fact, we are told, are we not, in 2 Corinthians
13, he was crucified through weakness. He could die. He could die. Strange really,
this man who was without any sin, yet he dies. But that brings
us, does it not, really to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And there's a mystery in his work, just as there's a mystery
when we think of his person, as that he is God and man, two
natures, two distinct natures, but those two natures in the
one person of the Lord Jesus, remember the words of the Creed,
who, although he be God and man, yet he is not two, but one Christ, There is a mystery, but there
is also a mystery, I say, with regards to his work. We read
of him found in fashion as a man, becoming obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. Oh, what a mystery in the cross,
the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ. We've spoken of the mystery that
we have in his birth, that great mystery of the incarnation, that
great miracle that a virgin is found with child. The virgin
has conceived a child, she is with child by the Holy Ghost,
she knew not a man. The virgin birth is a mystery.
But so too with regards to his dying. How could he die? And in his dying does he not
feel something of separation? And he cries there upon the cross,
my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? There we have to think of the
doctrine of God, do we not? We've spoken of the doctrine
of the person of Christ, two natures in one person. When we
think of the doctrine of God we have three persons in one
God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Three persons yet one God and
God undivided, God indivisible. Here on Israel the Lord our God
is one Lord. There can be no separation in
the Godhead. And yes, Christ makes that great
cry, my God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? What a mystery. Again we cannot
explain it, we can only see that it's declared, it's revealed
here in the scriptures. He feels forsaken of God. There
upon the cross he will die. How can he die, this sinless
man? This man who is holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners. How can this man ever know anything
of death. The soul that sinneth it shall
die. That's what the law says. The wages of sin is death. If
this man had never sinned how could he die? But of course here
we come to the great doctrine of substitutionary atonement. See all of this is the gospel,
this is the mystery of Christ. This is the mystery of Christ
that Paul preaches and that he desires that the Colossians should
pray concerning such a ministry, praying also for us that God
would open unto us the door of utterance to speak the mystery
of Christ, for which I am also in bonds that I may make it manifest
as I ought to speak. How can I declare these sublime
truths? And this great doctrine, you
see, of his dying, how could he die? He dies as a substitute. He dies in the room, the place,
the stead of others. Paul tells us God has made him
to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him. He was made sin. How was he made
sin? Well, made sin not practically,
but by solemn transfer, by imputation, the sins of his people. All their
sins were imputed to him. They were all reckoned to his
account. And he dies as their substitute. He dies in their
place. He bears the punishment that
they deserved as the sinners. And there are two parts, of course,
to imputation. God has made him to be sin for
us who know sin, that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him. As the sins of his people were
imputed to him, so his righteousness is imputed to them. His obedience,
he was obedient unto death, obedient in life, in every part of his
life, fulfilling all righteousness and all that righteousness of
the Lord Jesus Christ is reckoned to the account of his people.
This is the glorious exchange that comes in the Gospel, is
it not? It's Christ taking to himself
the sins of his people and giving to them all his righteousness. All the great mysteries that centres in the person and
work of the Lord Jesus Christ, the mystery of Christ. It's interesting, we also have
another expression where Paul is speaking of the necessity
of prayer and prayer in relation to the preaching of the gospel
in Ephesians chapter 6. There he speaks of the Christian's
armour. And having spoken of all the
various parts of that gospel armour, that spiritual armour
that God has provided for his people, he speaks of prayer. He says concerning that armour,
each piece put on by prayer, And so in Ephesians 6, having
spoken of the armour, verse 18, he says, Praying always with
all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching thereunto
with all perseverance and supplication for all saints and for me. That
utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly
to make known the mystery of the gospel. Who art thou to pry,
you see, these Ephesians, They are to pray for themselves, they
are to supplicate in the Spirit, they are to persevere in supplications
and he wants them to pray for him. And what does he want them
to pray for? For his ministry, that I may
open my mouth boldly, he says, to make known the mystery of
the Gospel. Now what is the mystery of the
Gospel? What is the mystery of the Gospel that Paul is speaking
of there In Ephesians, well previously, in Ephesians chapter 3, he's
also said something with regards to his ministry and the mystery
of his ministry. In Ephesians 3 verse 3 he says,
that by revelation he, that is God, made known unto me the mystery. As I wrote before in few words,
whereby when you read you may understand my knowledge in the
mystery of Christ. which in other ages was not made
known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy
apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles should
be fellow-heirs and of the same body, and partakers of his promise
in Christ by the gospel, whereof I was made a minister according
to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual
working of his power unto me." who am less than the least of
all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the
Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ? Here is the mystery
of the Gospel, that this Gospel is not simply for the Jew, not
for the Jew only, that this gospel is to reach to the ends of the
earth. This gospel is for sinners of the Gentiles. And what he says to the Ephesians,
he says again to the Colossians, here in chapter 1. And verse
26, even the mistress, which hath been hid from ages and from
generations, but now is made manifest to his saints, to whom
God would make known What is the riches of the glory of this
mystery among the Gentiles? Which is Christ in you? The hope
of glory. Oh, what a statement this is.
Here is the mystery, you see. It's Christ in you. And there
must be that prayer, that there might be that real
receiving of Christ. It's what we were saying this
morning with regards to Ezekiel. He must eat the Lord. He must
digest it. He must feed upon it. And so
sinners of the Gentiles also must feed upon this Christ. It's
Christ in you. It's not just Christ here in
the Scriptures. It's not just Christ on the page
of the Bible. It's that revealing through our
hearts. Wasn't this the experience of
the Apostles? Remember how he writes in the
opening chapter of the Galatian Epistle, when he pleased God,
who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace
to reveal His Son in me. To reveal His Son in me. Oh friends,
it is Christ in you. The hope of glory. That's the
great mystery. That this Christ comes even to sin. and comes
and makes his abode in the heart of Gentile sinners. That blessed
union, that real communion with the Saviour. And how dear this
was to the Apostle, he says, for which I am also in bondage. Oh, he was in bondage. This was
the costus of Paul exercising such a ministry? Was he not made
plain to Ananias when he was sent to the street called Straight
there in Damascus? To this man Saul of Tarsus who
would come, the arch-persecutor of the Christians that God had
met with him. And how strange is the command
that's given to Ananias is to go and put his hands upon this
man that he might receive his sight. And Ananias answered,
Lord, I have heard by many of this man how much evil he hath
done to thy sons at Jerusalem, and here he hath authority from
the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. But the
Lord said unto him, Go thy way, for he is a chosen vessel unto
me to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children
of Israel, for I will show him how great things he must suffer.
for my name's sake, have we suffered this? In exercising his God-given
ministry, for which I am also in bondage, he said. All because
of that great mystery. The mystery of the Gospel, the
calling of the Gentiles, how offensive it was to the Jews. Now we read it there at the end
of the Acts, they would have killed him. You have to repeal
to the Caesar in order to escape the wrath of those Jews. The great mystery then, the mystery
of Christ, the mystery of the Gospel, all those doctrines that
centre in Christ, his person, his work, the incarnation, the
crucifixion, substitutionary atonement, mystery that is to
be preached. But then, in the second place,
briefly, he goes on to speak of the manifestation of the mystery. To speak the mystery of Christ,
that I may make it manifest, he says, as I ought to speak, that I may make it manifest wants to make it clear, to make
it visible. Now, look at what he says previously
there, in verse 3, when he asks for their prayer, with all praying
also for us that God would open unto us a door of utterance,
a door of utterance to speak the mystery, that I may make
it manifest. And I want just to dwell for
a little while on the metaphor that he's using here. His statement,
the door of utterance. He does reference surely to the
mouth of Paul. That's what he means when he
speaks in this fashion. The door of utterance to speak. And again it's interesting because
When we turn back to Ephesians 6, we turn to it just now, and
there in verses 18 and 19, and he desires their prayer,
and what does he say? For me that utterance, that utterance
may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly. The door
of utterance. This is the metaphor then that
he is using. He wants the Lord, as it were,
to open his mouth like the opening of a door that he might be able
to declare these things, to speak this truth he wants to make it
manifest, he wants to make it clear to those that he is commissioned
to speak to and to proclaim the message to and how this man was
faithful oh, he was faithful when he caused those elders at
Ephesus to him to bid a final farewell in the 20th chapter
of the Acts of the Apostles. Look at what he says concerning
the ministry that he had exercised. Verse 26, Wherefore I take you
to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men,
for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. or with what boldness he declared
all the counsel of God. Verse 20, How I kept back nothing
that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have
taught you publicly and from house to house testifying both
to the Jews and also to the Greeks repentance toward God and faith
toward our Lord Jesus Christ. But he doesn't presume, you see.
He cannot speak so fightfully, so fully in his own strength. He has no ability. He needs their
prayers that God would constantly grant him such a door of utterance
to proclaim these precious truths. Commenting on the metaphor in
verse 3, Calvin says It is no easier to preach than to break
through a door barred and bolted. It is no easier to preach than
to break through a door barred, bolted. All we need is their
prayers if he's going to be faithful. My speech, he says, and my Preaching
was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration
of the Spirit and of power. That's the only way that the
mystery is going to be made manifest. If God should grant to him such
a door of utterance, but besides the preacher's mouth being open,
surely the hearer's heart must also be open. there must be the
opening of the hearts of the people. And wasn't this the case
with regards to Lydia, of whom we read in Acts 16, whose heart
the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things that were spoken
by Paul and Silas. The Lord has to open her heart.
No use having the preacher's mouth open if the hearts of the
people are not also opened and they receive the message and
they believe the mystery whose hearts the Lord opened and what
is it when the Lord opens the heart of the sinner or the heart
of the sinner deceitful above all things and desperately with
it what is there in the sinner's heart there is the mystery of
iniquity that's what's in us friends each and every one of
us We are the sinful sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, each
and every one of us. And what are our hearts by nature?
They are saints of iniquity. And God opens the heart and shows
us what we are. But here is the great thing in
the Gospel, you see. That mystery of iniquity that
is the sinner's heart, while it finds a perfect answer, The mystery of Christ answers
that very mystery of iniquity that is within us. Perfectly. All that salvation in Christ
is so suited to sinners. That's why Christ came. This
man receives sinners and eats us with them. The whole have
no need of the physician but they, the deceitful says I came
not to call the righteous but sinners. The perfect match, you
see, between the mystery of Christ, the mystery of godliness, the
mystery of the gospel, and the mystery of iniquity in all of
our hearts. Perfect salvation. And that's what must be made
manifest to us. God has to come and open our
hearts to the truth. the manifestation of the mystery
there. The door of utterance for Paul, his mouth opened to
declare all the counsel of God, the heart of the sinner opened
so that he is made to see his great needs and that need met
only in the Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Saviour of sinners.
And then in all of this of course we have to recognise the sovereignty
of God. Isn't it God himself that has
to make a way for the gospel? And God does that, he makes a
way for the gospel. And Paul knew that as he exercised
his own ministry when he writes to the Corinthians there in 2nd
Corinthians chapter 2 and verses 12 and 13 He speaks again of his preaching.
Furthermore, he says, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's Gospel,
and the door was opened unto me of the Lord, and I had no
rest in my spirit because I found not Titus my brother, but taking
my leave of him I went from thence into Macedonia. But he speaks,
you see, of God opening the door. God has to open the door for
the Gospel. Again, to the Corinthians, he
speaks of his experience at Ephesus in 1 Corinthians 16 9, a great
door, he says, and its actual is opened on tombs, and there
are many adversaries. Oh yes, where God opens the door
for the gospel, there will be opposition, there will be opposition,
there will be adversaries, there will be those who set themselves
against But they cannot frustrate the
purpose of God. When God opens the door, it's
effectual. And none can shut the door. That's
the Lord Jesus Christ. As He says in the Revelation,
He opens it and no man can shut it. He shuts it, no man can open
it. Does it not remind us then of
our complete and utter dependence upon the sovereignty of the Lord
Jesus Christ? Oh yes, he is a great saviour. He is a good saviour. A gracious
saviour. But he is a sovereign saviour.
And if we would know that salvation, what do we have to do? We have
to pray and plead. Or we have to come to him and
sue for mercy. That's the way of salvation.
The Lord Jesus Christ will be sought after. But he assures
us, ask, and it shall be given you. Seek, and ye shall find.
Knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Everyone that asketh
receives. He that seeketh findeth him that
knocketh. It shall be opened. O God, grant, friends, that we
might know that blessed opening day. Here is the Apostle and
his desire for prayers. for himself, for the ministry
of the Word of God, that great mystery of the Gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ, with all praying also for us that God would open
unto us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ,
for which I am also in bonds, that I may make it manifest as
I ought to speak. Amen. Our closing hymn is 1095 Thou
hast, 1st of June 124. Dearest of all the names above,
my Jesus and my God, who can resist thy heavenly love? What
trifle! Goodbye for now. Number 1095. Hearest of all the names above,
my Jesus and my God, Who can resist Thy heavenly love, or
trifle with Thy blood? Tis by the merit of thy head
the Father smiles again. Tis by thy interceding breath
the Spirit dwells within. In human flesh I see my thoughts
now come for time The holy, just and sacred three are cherished
here, my mother But if Emmanuel's face appear,
my hope, my joy begins. my sins. While some on their own works
rely, and some of wisdom pose, I love incarnate mystery, and
there I fix my trust. the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
in the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you
all. Amen.