Okay, go back with me now to
Romans chapter nine. Romans chapter nine. I would venture to say that most
everyone in here And most everyone that I know who has heard and
believed the truth. First really heard the truth. Who God is. Who Christ is. What we are. What salvation is. First heard that truth from Romans
9. Or maybe Ephesians 1. Is that
so? I believe it's so. The Book of
Romans is a book of doctrine. It is. Nothing wrong with that
word. It simply means teaching. It's
God's doctrine. It's God's doctrine. This is
the doctrine of God our Savior, is what this is, in a nutshell. God, our Lord said, teaches all
his children. They all be taught of God's doctrine.
Teaching. Chapters 1 through 3. Don't go
there, but most of you know this, but some may not. Romans chapters 1 through 3 teach
plainly. Tell us plainly that man is a
wicked, vile, fallen creature, very plainly. It could not be
plainer, could it? Man is an unrighteous. Man is
not only unwilling or unable, but he's unwilling. He's a guilty,
vile creature. He really is. And then the rest
of Romans teaches plainly. that the only hope for one of
these vile creatures, the only hope is that God chose
to save them, elected them, and that God sent his Son down here
to live for them, to die for them, and to save them, and sent
his Holy Spirit to give them life. Bring them back from the
dead. That's it. That's what this book
is about. It teaches that plainly. Sovereign election is what Romans
9 is all about. God's sovereign election. Sovereign mercy. Sovereign grace. Sovereign. Romans 9 is a plain,
clear And I'm determined to just be
as plain this morning as I can plain as. Romans nine is a plain and clear
declaration of God's sovereign right to be God. That's what
it is. God's sovereign right to choose
whom he will. Just because he will. That's
what makes him God. I read an interesting, a good
little statement this week. Somebody said concerning sovereignty,
here is sovereignty. God is God, and we are not. Now, you understand that, don't
you? So, and this is more than just
doctrine, though, and this is what separates real preaching
from it. This is where the Holy Spirit
of God must come in. This is where, unless the Spirit
of God moves, actually, it'll just be word only. It'll
just be doctrine. You know, it's one thing to believe
the truth. It's another thing to love Christ who is the truth. It's one thing to preach doctrine. It's another thing to love the
glory of God and love the souls of men and preach to them like
Paul did here. You know, he preached this chapter. He started out, look at it. Here's a good attitude, isn't
it? He said, I say the truth in Christ.
I lie in the heart. I'm not lying. My conscience
also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost. I have great heaviness
and continual sorrow in my heart. That's the way he began Romans
10. You know, we know that Romans 10 well, don't we? It talks about
righteousness. Paul started out by saying, my
heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. The Lord blessed this man's preaching,
didn't he? An attitude like that, we'll
be blessed of the Lord. The Lord give me that attitude
toward men. Let me be uncompromising with
the truth. Let me be unbending where the
truth and the glory of God is concerned. But let me have a
concern for the souls of men. That's the way he begins this
chapter. You understand? This glorious
chapter of the sovereign mercy and grace of God. God's electing
grace. He begins, I just could wish
I were cut off from God, from my neighbors, because they don't
believe this. Well, anyway, this chapter 9. It's not just doctrine to argue.
This is the believer's joy and rejoicing. I'll tell you why
I say that. It's because if God reigns, and
he does, if God is God, and he is, We can say, like at the end of
Romans 8, where he talks about for whom he did foreknow, he
did predestinate and he did predestinate. He called and he called. He justified
and he justified and glorified. I say amen to all that, don't
you? I just love that. But here's the conclusive. Here's the good news. Here's
the peace in it. Here's the comfort in it for
God's people. It's God before us. Who can be against us? I can't
even be against me. You understand that? And people
use that verse, Romans 8.31, all the time. They throw it out
there to all the general public and abuse it. It doesn't apply
to everybody. It applies to the elect. The foreknown, the predestined,
the called to justify the glory of God. And so this is a believer's peace
and joy and comfort, God's sovereign mercy, God's electing grace. It's our peace, our hope in a
world full of, listen, in a world full of terror. And most of the world is afraid
of terrorism. God tells us, don't be afraid
of the terror, my night, or the arrow, my day. Don't be afraid.
Be afraid of me, because I'm the one who sends all this. You
see? He says he is, Scripture describes
our God as the terrible God. So, here's our peace and our
hope, young people. This is why I say, oh, or why
scripture says, oh, that the Lord would put the yoke upon
you and your youth. If you finally learn and know
and believe and love in your heart, God reigns. Nothing and
no one's going to bother you. So our peace and our hope in
a world full of war, terror, sin, trouble is that God reigns. And our peace and our hope of
eternal life, of getting to heaven, is God reigns. You understand? Our peace and our hope of eternal
life is that God chose us. This is my salvation. And after so after stating this
truth, the apostle Paul does not argue the apostle Paul does
not argue with people here in that one verse of some fellows
brought up an argument, same old argument, tired old argument,
isn't it? If God's sovereign, then why
is it? He doesn't even address it. Wesley,
he doesn't even argue. He doesn't even address it. He
just says, basically, shut up. So, here's the question to us,
after all this is said, what shall we say then? So that's
all I want to do is just state what God's word says and then
ask the question, what shall we say? I know what they say. What shall we say then? Okay? Verses one through three, as
we looked at that, this is a good attitude. This is a man who loves
people and has a great concern for them. his kinsmen, according
to the flesh. You see, he was a Jew. He was a Pharisee. And he stated
that throughout the Scriptures. And the reason he had compassion
on them and concern for them, because he was just like them. He knows that they're ignorant,
like in Romans 10, because he was just like them. He knows that they have this
zeal, they believe in God, they're zealous about it. And there are
a lot of people out there that are. They really are. They're sincere.
Aren't they? You know them. Jeanette, your
sister and her husband are real sincere about it. They call themselves
missionaries and go down there. They don't believe what you believe,
do they? But they're zealous, aren't they? But they're ignorant,
aren't they? How do you know that? You were
just like her, weren't you? Just like her. Why aren't you still like
her? Who made you to differ? That's
what this is all about. You see, this is the glory of
God here. And so Paul was a Jew, verse
4 and 5. He says there are Israelites,
Another place, he says, what advantage has the Jew? Well,
much in every way. Much in every way. He goes on
to say, the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of
the law, the service of God, the fathers, Abraham, Isaac,
Jacob, and so forth, the fathers, Jewish fathers, David, Jews,
all of them, Judah. And who, as concerning the flesh,
Christ came. He was a Jew, the salvations
of the Jews. But he goes on to say, verse
six, though it's not the word of God as though the word of
God failed, that God had a people and they
just wouldn't listen to him. No, no, no, no, no, that's not
it. Read on, verse six, they are not all Israel which are
of Israel. Verse 7, neither because they
are the seed of Abraham are they all children. You remember back there in Romans
2, don't you, where he says he is not a Jew which is one outwardly. Jew is one inwardly. And he says circumcision, the
mark of being God's true people, is not outward. It's not flesh
at all. Who can circumcise the heart? Circumcised decision made without
hands. Anybody can be circumcised physically,
but only one person can change the heart. So, he said he's not
a Jew which is one outwardly. Now here. I like role of Philippians
chapter two with Paul talks about his pedigree and he he says. Philippians two let me turn there
real quick. Philippians three I'm sorry where
he says I was a Hebrew of Hebrew. Pharisee and so forth concerning
zeal this and that and the other and many in here like me could
say well I was a Baptist of Baptists. My daddy was a Baptist. His daddy was a Baptist and so
on and so forth. I talked to a young man yesterday
who told me that he believes the Lord has finally revealed
himself to him. I hope you'll find out real soon
who that young man is. Anyway, he told me that he grew
up in Southern Baptist religion, like so many of us, and that
his parents, that's what he believed, that's what his parents believed.
But God, one day, he said to me, he said,
he opened my eyes. He said, I believe in a wrong
God. I believe God opened my eyes. It's a good confession. And so
there are many zealous Southern Baptists, Catholics, and so there's
no difference between a Catholic and a Southerner. Honestly, they
all believe the same thing. I remember one time I was upset
over this woman preaching and the Evangelic. He corrected me
gently, like the gentleman he is. He said, Brother Paul, if
it's error, what difference does it make if it's male or female?
He got a point there. Why am I upset about women doing
it? And the fact is, God's people
are not hearing them, male or female. They're not hearing them. Christ said, my sheep hear my
voice. Well, and so, they're not all
professing believers or not believers, all who call themselves Christian
or not Christian, and so forth, and that's what Paul's saying
here. They're not all Israelites of Israel because they have this
Israeli heritage. Verse 8, now look at this. That
is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the
children of God. Jerry, you're clear to see how
that, how could you read that? any other way, that all human
beings are not the children of God. Is that right? It's very
plain. In Romans 9, verse 8, it's very
plain. They which are the children of flesh, these are not the children
of God. You remember our Lord one time
said to some Pharisees, you're of your father, the devil. He said, if God were your father,
You'd believe me. Remember? I said that to some so-called
Jehovah's Witnesses one time on my front porch. And you thought
I shot them with a shotgun. Folks don't hear this. They don't
hear Romans 9, verse 8. They do. You do. Blessed are your ears, blessed
are your eyes, to see what you see. And our children, plainly,
they that are the children of flesh, they're not the children
of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the sea. God's sovereign choice, God's
sovereign election, God's promise to Abraham, God's word to Abraham. And this has much meaning. Over in Galatians,
it talks about the difference between Hagar and Sarah, between
Ishmael and Isaac, what Abraham and Sarah got together and produced.
Right, the works of the flesh. That represents all of religion
today, doesn't it? What man decides to do. That's
not salvation. That's not the promise. Those
are not the children of God. And not the children of God who
made him God. And not the children of God who
let him be God. And not the children of God who
accept him. And not the children of God who
had anything to do with it, but the children of promise, children
according to the creed. You see, miracle children is
what they are. Isaac was a miracle child, wasn't
he? Isaac was a miracle child. Abraham and Sarah got together
and tried to have a child and they couldn't. But God said,
I will give you a child. They laughed. God said, anything too hard for
the Lord. Is this impossible with you, Sarah and Abraham?
Sure he is. OK, now you're ready to see the salvation of God. That represents God's sovereign
power. Verse 9, so here he says, this
is the word of promise. Here's what he said. Abraham,
at this time will I come and Sarah shall have a son. Sarah
shall have a son. Miraculously. Miraculously. Now, all right, now God's going
to, in this, God is going to narrow this thing down. And we've often talked about
how that most folks today will argue for Abraham as being right
now, especially with all this Muslim thing going on. Some Orthodox people argue that. Abraham is God's chosen. And Isaac. Is the one from whom
God's people, right? Not Ishmael. You know where the
Muslims of Arabic come from. Ishmael. I make no bones about
it. They can Mac. They profess that
Ishmael is their father and that he's the chosen one has to do. And many today will argue tooth
and nail. No, no, no. It's Abraham. It's
Isaac. But God loves us all anyway. So God's going to narrow this
thing down. To show us. To show us what this is all about.
Read on. This is talking about not the
election of a national people. Are you with me? Are you with
me? This is not the election of a national people. He's already
told us that. Israel's not Israel. All Israel's
going to be saved. Romans 11 said it. All Israel's
going to be saved. But what you just said, all Israel... Learn what this means. But all this was going to say
every Jew Lord will save you. Every center will be set. Learn
what that means. You have. Well, he says, he narrows
it down. Abraham had two sons, Ishmael
and Isaac. Isaac was the chosen. OK, I believe
that. Everybody believes that, most
people, Muslims. All right now, Isaac had two
sons. Isaac had two sons. Are you with me? What were their
names? Somebody say it. Jacob and Esau. All right, now it tells us before
these boys were even born, God chose one of them and loved
him and hated the other one. What your Bible says, Romans
9, let me read it. It says, "...the children being
not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the
purpose of God, according to election, might stand. Not of
works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, The elder
shall serve the younger, as it is written," Malachi 1, verses
2 and 3. have I loved, but Esau have I
hated." Two sons, twin boys, not even
born yet. Esau was the first, Jacob the
second. One was chosen by God, loved
by God, the other was not chosen and not loved, but rather hated before they were born. That the purpose of God, our
pastor said that years ago, the word that God used in his word
to open his blind eyes was this, purpose. God does all things on purpose. My old brother Barnard said,
learn something about the God of purpose and you'll know something
about the God of the Bible. Purpose. God does all things
on purpose. God works all things together according to his purpose,
that the purpose of God, according to election, might stand. The purpose of God, according
to election, according to his sovereign will, his sovereign
choice of whom he would. It says that the purpose of God,
verse eleven, according to election, might stand. Stand. There it is. Like old Martin Luther said,
here I stand, not moving me. That's what that means. That
the purpose of God according to election might stand. This
must be so, or God is not God. It must be so. Here's what 2 Timothy 2 says,
that the foundation of God standeth sure. having this feel, the Lord knoweth
them that are his. This is the believer's joy and
hope in the face of their sins, in the face of their frailty,
in the face of their helplessness, in the face of their In the face
of everything, David, this is what David said, after all his
life, after all his sins, after everything, he said, this is
my salvation, that God has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things, and sure, God chose me, God predestined
me, God called me, God justified me, and now God will glorify
me. Why? Because he did all that, and
I know he'll do this. This is all my hope and all my
salvation, and I'm just going to stand right there. You see, we rest in the fact that God
does not change. I am the Lord, I change not,
therefore you sons of Jacob. Jacob have I loved, you sons
of Jacob. Here's the question to ask, am
I a son of Jacob? Maybe we ought to go back and
preach on old Jacob first, huh? What he was, who he was. What's
your name? What's your name, Kelly Pender?
What's your name? Jacob. Cheap, no good, worthless. What's your name? Is that your
name? Yeah, Jacob. Unlovely. Jacob had my love. and whoever God love this is
why we refute we reject. This is what makes me mad. All this talk about the love
of God for everybody makes me mad they're trying to break the
time to knock my foundation upon me the foundation of my salvation
is the unchanging love of God almighty to myself. That if He
loves me, He will always love me. And if He loves me, He will
save me. If He loves me, it's going to be good. See? This is our peace, our joy,
our hope. Not just a doctrine. We're not
proving a doctrine to anybody. There's nobody here to prove
it. I think everybody in here believes it. I'm saying it for
God's glory and for our comfort and our peace. Election? Yes!
Yes! Sovereign election? God elected
people? Yes, He did! And I'm so glad He did. Aren't
you? Because if I'm one of them, it's going to be well. See? The purpose of God, according
to the election, must stand. It's not of works. Aren't you
glad it's not of works, Stan Anderson? Aren't you so glad? There's a lot of people out there,
these self-righteous people out there, not glad it's not of works.
They think it is. They love it. They think it is
of works. John, and they're proud of it.
They glory in their shame, don't they? the truth that is not of work. I glory in his work. You say
you with me. Don't you? Not of works. What salvation
all about as him that calleth. It's of him. What salvation about
it's of him. Aren't you glad? Oh, sinners
are glad. The poor and the needy are glad.
Let's ask all this ask a few people in the scripture of the
past few of them are glad it's not work. That's right he's the
first. He was a seventy five year old
man. In a story that you said how old are you. Seventy seven. Seventy five. Seventy five years
old he was an idolater meaning He didn't know God, didn't worship
God. He had a God that he loved and believed. His daddy loved
and believed. He was an Arab. He was an Ishmaelite. He was an Ishmaelite. No, no, I'm sorry. He was in
that country. He lived there. But he was an
idolater. An idolater. The Ishmael wasn't born yet. But he was an Arab. And he worshiped
the false god. But God. Chosen. One day, over there in Genesis
12, God came to him. He didn't come to God. God came
to him and said, Abram, I've chosen you. Get out. And God, from there on, never
asked him a thing. God never asked him anything.
But God just told him what he was. God told him, Abraham, this
is what I have purpose to do this. You're the one I've chosen.
This is what I purpose to do. This is what I'm going to do.
This is what I'm going to do with you. This is what I'm going to do
in you and through you and for you and to you all from here
on out. Because I'm God. And I've chosen
you. Oh, Abraham, what do you think
about this? Thank God for sovereign election.
Jacob. Well, the purpose of God, according
to election, not of works, but of him that called. It was said
unto Rebekah, Abraham's daughter-in-law. You
remember that story, don't you? I'd love to go back and preach
that story. Abraham sent his servant to get her bride for
Isaac. Anybody hadn't heard that? Please, somebody. Said to Rebecca, verse twelve,
the elder shall serve the younger. The elder shall serve the younger. That's just not the way it's
supposed to be. That's the way it is. How can you do it? Because I'm
God. You see, read on. As it is written, Jacob have
I loved, but Esau have I hated. Jacob have I loved, but Esau
have I hated. That's what he said to her. Now
it does not mean, and these proofs, these proofs out there say that hate means love less. You've heard it, haven't you?
That's what evil men seducers do. They twist the rest of the
Word of God to their own destruction and those that hear them. It
does not mean love. Does hate mean love less? Come
on. Where does it ever mean love less? Our Lord said, The time
will come that the world will hate you and whoever killed you. I think they do God a favor. I
hate you and they'll kill you. Is that love less? That's absurd. Doesn't mean love,
love means hate. Besides, God can't love anybody
less. God's love is perfect, isn't
it? John and God's love is perfect. God loves somebody. You know,
he loves me like he loves Christ. I can't understand that, but
it's so. He can't love anybody less. God's love is perfect.
We can love less. Yes, we can. Yes, we can. God
can't. Yes, they're not loveless, it's
hate. God said, I hate it. I hate it. Well, verse 14, what shall we
say then? You know I get tired of hearing
my own voice. I really do. I talk too much. I'm supposed
to do this. I get tired of it. And some people
get tired of it obviously. But somebody once said silence
is a good tool. What do we say? You know we ought to And then maybe
we ought to and we talk to people just just say you know here's
what it says and say it and then just shut up. What you say. What shall we say. You know a
person's. Now talk is cheap in it. Before I knew the Lord as a young
boy I could argue these things. That is love. It's obvious. I'd
argue tooth and nail with you that God's sovereign, Christ
died for his people, man's depraved, and so forth, that I obviously
didn't know him because I went like the prodigal son, you know. The talk's cheap. Preaching's
cheap. Orthodox preaching's cheap. This
is hard for what we say from the heart of the abundance of
the heart, the mouth speak. God puts his truth, the love
of his truth. Some receive the truth, but not
the love of the truth. Huge difference between salvation
and just being correct. What we say from the heart. The heart heartfelt. Those who
have a person's heartfelt response to this. Reveals a great deal
of whether they know and love God or not. Whether God's chosen
this is how you know one way you know the elect of God their
heartfelt response to that what they say to these things. After I said, what do we say
these say one of you one lady in here now. No hesitation. And the smile
in her eyes. It from the heart. We can say. Somebody, Vicki, somebody who
really loves God, loves God's right to be God, and hates, absolutely
hates man's, what man's doing with that. You know that? Hated. One who really loves God, loves
God's glory. I mean, they're really caring.
They really are interested. They really do want to hear God
glorify. This is why a person. Believers,
when you preach God on the throne, high lifted up, they just keep
getting more excited. It's more than just a doctrine,
amen. You're lifting up their God.
I've used this illustration before, like my dad, a boy with his father,
a boy with his father. He thinks his dad's the biggest,
the best, the fastest, the meanest, he's the greatest man there ever
is, and don't let anybody say otherwise, huh? And if you talk
about his dad, you can't make him big enough, can you? Right? You with me? But this
is one who loves God, you see, one who loves God, who really
loves God's glory. And somebody stands up and declares
God as God. Amen. Because see, you're giving
them peace, hope, comfort. They're in His hand. Everything
about them is in Him, in who He is. Same thing with the death of
Christ. Huh? Robin, all our hope is that Jesus
Christ actually put away our sins by his death. So we're unbending in regard
to death. And he says, what shall we say
then? Verse 14. I got to hurry. Is there unrighteousness
with God? Is unrighteous, I told you Wednesday
night, righteous means right. To be right. To be right. Is there unrighteousness with
God? With God? That's how Paul says,
Is there unrighteousness with God? Can God ever do anything
that's not right? You know, right before God destroyed
Sodom, this is what Abraham pleaded, didn't he? Abraham played with
God for the salvation of fifteen right. Remember ten twenty. Remember
he wanted a lot spared. God did. He did. He shouldn't have. But he did.
But this is what Abraham pleaded with God. Shall not the judge
of the earth do right? Yes he did. He was right in destroying
that whole million people. He's right. He's not capable
of doing wrong. He's right. There's no unrighteousness
with God, and God forbid, God forbid, look, read on. It says,
for he said to Moses, now here's the glory of it, and I've got
to quit. He said to Moses, I will have
mercy on whom I will have mercy. And I will have compassion on
whom I will have compassion, so then it's not of him that
will it. How plain can Scripture be? Is it plain to you, Sam? Because God gave
you eyes. There's other people reading
this, the same passage that you're reading, and they don't see it
that way. No, blind men don't see things that way. He said,
I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then,
it's not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but
it's of God that showeth mercy. Now, here's what it's all about. Here's the key word. Here's what
this is all about. Here's what salvation's all about.
Here's the key word. Mercy. Sovereign mercy. Mercy. Remember chapters one through
three? Man is worthless. Romans 3, every believer that
reads Romans 3 says, that's me, that's me, that's me. None good, no, not one. Altogether
unprofitable, God said. But God is rich in what? Mercy. What this is all about is to
the praise of the glory of His mercy and His grace. His love,
His mercy, His grace, His work, His power. His choice, his will,
his purpose, isn't it? That's what this is all about.
This is the marvel of salvation. That's the fact of it. Here's
the marvel of it. God will show mercy. Here's the fact of it. I will
show mercy to whom I will. That's his divine prerogative
as God. I'll do what I will with my own.
I will. But here's the marvel of it and
the amazing part of it. I will show mercy. I asked you
before would you in the Bible study asked you how long would
you put up with you. Would you have been merciful
you know I wouldn't be. Rich. The last. I will show mercy to Jacob. Here's the amazing part of grace.
You see, God's people think grace is amazing. Most of the world
just sings it because it sounds good. But God's people say grace
is amazing. Jacob says grace is amazing.
The world argues that God should have loved, you know, how could
God hate Esau? Jacob was amazed that God would
love him. It's easy to see why God would
hate Esau, isn't it? Aesop didn't want anything to
do with God. He traded the birthright for
a bowl of oatmeal. Like these old boys out there
today, you know, going to a race car or a race track or whatever,
and you know, God is a six-pack of buds. Junior, is there God? Huh? They don't give a flip about
the Son of God. Son of Dale is their God. Don't
give a flip about it. Should God have mercy on them? Should God love them? Here we
are talking about God who feeds us, clothes us, has mercy on
us, is gracious to us, sent his son down here to die for people
and they care less. Huh? Should God have mercy on
them? Such were some of you. But for
this amazing grace, Ron, you and I'd be at Bristol today,
instead of Rocky Mountain, sitting there side by side, worshiping
Dale. Right? What is this? It's a sovereign,
electing, mercy and grace of God. That's what that is. Not
a doctrine. It's salvation. Barnard used to say, it's not
a doctrine, it's a person choosing persons. He went on to say, Hath not the potter power over
the clay? What if? He went on to say, what
if? What if? God of the same lump made a vessel
and honor for his glory and so forth and a vessel and a dishonor
to just discard. A vessel, a beautiful vessel
to put in his house to hold the rose of Sharon or a chamber pot. What if? Paul says in answer
to the argument, what if? What do you say that? That's
what he said. And that's what he says then,
what do you say that? And I say, for what it's worth, I say we
don't strive with puncture, we just say, here's what it says,
what do you say? I love that verse there where it says, the
scripture said, defers to Pharaoh. Did you did you hear that scripture
say of the pharaoh. This is what God says. This is
what God said what does it matter what anybody else said. Scripture
says the pharaoh I raised you up for this purpose to get you
in the river can't do that I did. That's not fair doesn't matter
if you think it is or not. I did it. What do you say. It's amazing you know you're
smiling you know you're actually smiling at this you know you're
there's so many out there. Like the lynch made. And you. Want. This government there what God
said. In that it. Is on the Lord's
side. Who's on the Lord's side? That's
the question. Who really loves God as God? What do you say to
that? Let the redeemed of the Lord
say, so. Him number 236. Let's stand. Let's sing the first, second
and fourth verses. 236. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me I
once was lost, but now am found Was blind, but now I see T'was
grace that taught my heart to fear And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed When we've been there ten thousand
years Bright shining as the sun We've no less days to sing God's
praise Than when we first begun