The tune is Baker 292. Lord, I am vile, conceived in sin, and born unholy and unclean, sprung from the man whose guilty fall corrupts the race and taints us all. Hymn 1004, tune Baker 292. Yeah. Oh, I am part of Jesus' head, And for that I will end up here. Son of man, who till thee come, Thou not to age, thou day'st not show. Soon does he draw a hidden thread, that speaks of sin for a moment.

Alleluia, alleluia, Alleluia, alleluia, ♪ Oh, with all thy grace ♪ ♪ I only pray to thee, thy grace ♪ ♪ Lord of the host ♪ Have mercy, have mercy, our King will be. Jesus, my Lord, my God and Lord, As past the age of ten I was born, Thou in God can be, be brighter than the sun, The full Jewish light through plenty's sun. Will this earth embrace thy peace? Perfection's soul has rest on peace. Lord, let me bear Thy loving voice, and make my brook and valley dry. Let us read together from the Holy Word of God, two Psalms, Psalm 39 and then Psalm 51. Psalm 39 and then Psalm 51.

I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue, I will keep my mouth of the bridal while the wicked is before me. I was done with silence. I held my peace, even from good, and my sorrow was stirred. My heart was hot within me while I was musing the fire burned. Then spake I with my tongue, Lord, make me to know mine end. and the measure of my days, what it is that I may know how frail I am.

Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth, and mine ages as nothing before thee. Verily, every man at his best state is altogether vanity, sealer. Surely, every man walketh in a vain show, Surely they are disparted in vain. He heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them. And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee. Deliver me from all my transgressions.

Make me not the reproach of the foolish. I was dumb. I opened not my mouth, because thou didst it. Remove thy stroke away from me. I am consumed by the blow of thine hand. When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth. Surely every man is vanity, sealer.

Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry. Hold not thy peace at my tears. For I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. O spare me, that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more. Psalm 51. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness, according unto the multitude thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions, wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgression, 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. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

Purge me with Hishup, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which I have broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips, and that my mouth shall show forth thy praise.

For thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it. Thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, and a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion, build thou the walls of Jerusalem. Thou shalt be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering. Then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

May the Lord bless the reading of his own precious word and grant unto us a spirit of real prayer. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which is an art, an art to come, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, we bow before thy glorious majesty. We desire a spirit of true worship. We desire the spirit of faith. and hope and love. We desire a spirit of true confession of our sins and of our sinfulness. Lord, help us then to pour out our heart unto Thee.

We come, Lord, as poor sinners, each one of us being the fallen sons or daughters of Adam, born in sin. shapen in iniquity, unclean and unrighteous altogether. Just as we've read in the psalm, the sweet psalmist of Israel felt, O Lord, his sinfulness. And Lord, we desire to come then to confess these things.

We leave undone things that we ought to do, we do things that we ought not to do, We find a law within our members that when we would do good, then evil is present with us. And that we find that sin is a constant companion. And we desire to confess it before thee, that thou hast declared in thy holy word that the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can tell?

Gracious God, we do pray this night as we gather together round thy word, that we may be given each one of us a spirit of true confession, and that thou wouldst shine into our hearts, that thou wouldst deliver us from the darkness of sin and corruption, and the deceit of our hearts, and that thou wouldst lead us unto Jesus Christ, that glorious precious Redeemer, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth, who fulfilled and honoured and magnified thy holy righteous law and brought in everlasting righteousness for thy people.

Lord, we come to thee in his name. We plead his precious blood and righteousness. We thank thee, most gracious Lord, for that door of hope that is open wide in Jesus' bleeding hands and side. We pray that, like those that came to thee here upon earth, and one said, if I might but touch the hem of his garment, I shall be made whole. We come, Lord. We desire to touch the hem of Jesus' garment. We desire to draw from that sacred fullness that is in him, the fullness of that precious salvation, the fullness of that glorious everlasting righteousness of Jesus Christ, the fullness of that precious blood that he shed on Calvary. Oh, we do pray, most gracious Lord, that thou wouldst fill our hearts with gratitude. A door of hope is open wide, in Jesus' bleeding hands and side.

We do thank Thee for that door of hope. We do thank Thee that He is the way, the truth and the life, and no man cometh unto the Father but by Him. Oh, we do thank Thee that this way is revealed, and we pray as we gather round Thy Word at this evening hour, that this precious way may be revealed to poor sinners and that we may behold him as our prophet our priest and our king that we may behold him as that one that died for our sins and rose again for our justification that we may behold him as that glorious one that has ascended up on high and led captivity captive has entered into the holy place.

Gracious God, those everlasting gates have lifted up their heads and the King of Glory has entered in. We thank Thee, most gracious Lord, then for the holy law fulfilled in that holy life of Jesus Christ. We thank Thee for the precious righteousness brought in for Thy people. We thank Thee for sin put away, divine justice satisfied, God and sinners reconciled, peace made between God and man.

May we feel the sweetness and the power of that glorious sacrifice, of that death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we may feel the living power of that resurrection. that I might know Him in the power of His resurrection, in the fellowship of His suffering. For Lord, we come as poor sinners and we need that precious blood. We need that glorious righteousness of our precious Redeemer. Lord, we do thank Thee for the Word of God.

We thank Thee for that way that is made known in the Word of God, for the reconciliation of poor sinners unto thee. God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should be saved. We thank thee for that way. We thank thee for the love of our eternal Father, in sending forth his Son, made of a woman made under the law that he might redeem them that are under the law. Lord, we thank thee for these precious truths.

We thank thee for the gift of the Holy Ghost, for his divine power and his heavenly unction. We pray that as we gather together at this evening hour, we may feel the divine power of God the Holy Ghost in our hearts in the ministry, in the word of God, that it may be a living word, that it may be with us tonight, Lord, as it was with the church at Thessalonica, when the dear apostle could testify, for our gospel came unto you, not in word only, but in power, in the Holy Ghost, and with much assurance. Lord, we do thank thee that it is so. And we do pray that we may feel the power of it in our hearts at this evening hour.

We may feel the power of that precious blood that cleanses from all sin. Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst bless us together as a church and as a congregation, that thou wouldst work mightily, powerfully and effectually amongst us. Lord, we We pray that thou wouldst take us the foxes, the little foxes that do so score the vines, for our vines have tender grapes. We pray to be delivered from the temptations of Satan, whether he comes as an angel of light to deceive or as a roaring lion to devour. We pray to be delivered from his power. And we pray that we might see the work of thy blessed spirit among us. in convicting and convincing of sin and in bringing poor sinners unto Jesus Christ. Lord let thy work appear unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children we do humbly beseech thee.

We pray for our brethren the deacons that needed grace and wisdom and help may be given given unto them in all their needs and we pray most gracious Lord for each one of our brethren and sisters in church fellowship, that thou wouldst be gracious unto each one. We pray, most gracious God, that thou wouldst help us to pray for one another, to bear one another's burdens, thereby fulfilling the law of Christ. That blessed spirit of love may flow from heart to heart. For love covereth a multitude of sins, and we all have our faults and our failings, O Lord God. But we pray that we may have the love of Christ shed abroad in our hearts, and that we pray, most gracious God, that thou wouldst remember the little ones and the children as they are brought into the sanctuary. that the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, may be given unto them in their young and their tender years. That we pray, most gracious God, that thou wouldst remember the young friends, each one of them, remember them with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people, and visit them with thy great salvation.

We do humbly beseech thee, that they may be brought to living faith in Jesus Christ, that they may become true followers of thee and of those who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises. Lord, so bless our dear young friends. Be with them in all the paths of providence. Help them to commit their way unto the Lord and to trust also in thee, for thou wilt bring it to pass.

Lord, we We are exhorted in thy word to wait upon the Lord. For they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up on wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. Lord, give us each that grace to wait upon thee, to watch unto prayer. Remember the prodigals, Lord, that have wandered away.

Stretch out thy almighty arm. cause them to be in one, cause them to return, we do humbly beseech thee, for thy great name's sake. Oh, do hear us, O Lord, in heaven, thy holy dwelling place, and when thou hearest, O Lord, forgive. Be with and undertake for all in the midst of the journey of life and graciously guide and direct Be with parents and give them help to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and graciously guide and direct each one. Remember all in the path of affliction and put forth thy healing hand and grant thy supporting mercy. Remember the village and the surrounding villages and hamlets and send out thy light and thy truth and return in thy power and in thy glory. as thou usest to be in the sanctuary. Bring our sons from far, and our daughters from the ends of the earth, even as thou hast promised in thy word, we do humbly beseech of thee.

Thou hast promised, O Lord, I will abundantly bless her provision, I will satisfy her poor with bread. O Lord of hosts, O God of Israel, O thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth we do humbly beseech thee. Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, the son of man, whom thou madest strong for thyself, so will not we go back from thee.

O Lord, do hear us, we beseech thee. Remember those of us, O Lord, that are in the evening time of life's journey, and graciously undertake and guide us safely unto thy heavenly kingdom. We think, O Lord, of Margaret Ashby in hospital and we commend her to thee and Beryl Sayers. Lord, we pray that if it is thy heavenly mind, both of them have reached great age, if it could please thee to restore thou knowest, Lord, what thy will is, what thy purposes are, to restore or to give them an abundant entrance into thy heavenly kingdom, we lovingly commend them to thee and to the word of thy grace.

We pray for all thy servants that labour in word and doctrine upon the walls of Zion, that they may dip their foot in oil and be made acceptable unto the brethren, that the word preached may be in power and in the Holy Ghost and with much assurance. We thank thee, Lord, the sending forth of some younger men to preach the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ. Grant them that fresh anointing of thy spirit and graciously grant a reviving and a renewing and replenishing in thy Zion. We pray for those of thy servants that at this time are serving a period of probation with a view to the pastorate. We pray that thou would graciously bless thy word and guard them with all sufficient grace and grant indeed the settlement of pastors in the churches.

Lord, thy hand is lengthened out still and thy mercies are still manifested toward us. Remember the societies to which we affiliate Grant thy blessing upon those that have responsibilities, the editors of our magazines, the secretaries of our societies. We pray that thou wouldst grant grace, wisdom, and help unto each one in their various responsibilities. We do humbly beseech of thee. We pray that thou wouldst now be with us as we turn to thy holy work. Come and open thy word to our heart and to our understanding. Come and touch one's lips with a live coal from off the heavenly altar. We ask for Jesus Christ's sake.

Amen. Let us now sing together Hymn number 704. The tune is Evening Hymn 709. 905, tune 709. I'm sorry friends, I've got the last hymn. I do beg your pardon. Hymn 761. Tune Baker 292. Show pity, Lord, O Lord, forgive. Let a repenting rebel live. Are not thy mercies large and free? May not a sinner trust in thee?

Hymn 761. June Baker 292. to be in God's hallowed hallel. Let our reverent hymns of praise ♪ And thy righteousness to them bring ♪ ♪ Faithful, trusting, and trusting thee ♪ ♪ Faithful, trusting, and trusting thee ♪ Thy righteous praise, redemption's cause, ever more we humbly praise.

Friends of the great university, serve at thy home with loving heart. So let my morning come, dear friend. The Lord shall restore from every sin. God in the deep, deliverance bring. ♪ Fill up my heart ♪ ♪ And burn the night ♪ ♪ And wash away ♪ ♪ The sins in my heart ♪ ♪ And wash away the sins in my heart ♪ Since this day I've since confessed The things I know, the things I've missed ♪ Church of Holy Cross ♪ ♪ Let church cheer you ♪ ♪ Prayer of faith ♪ ♪ Prayer of faith ♪ ♪ Prayer of faith ♪ Excellent grace, this is my prayer.

I must go now, because in death, and if my soul has been dead, ♪ The pristine crown ♪ ♪ Thy ideals foretell ♪ ♪ And when we sin and go ♪ ♪ It is time to go ♪ ♪ Bring her back again ♪ ♪ Where night comes home ♪ ♪ She will return ♪ St. Joseph's, where is his head? St. Joseph's, where is his head? Greatly feeling to need the Lord's gracious help, I direct your attention to Psalm 51 and we'll read verses 9 and 10 for our text. Psalm 51 verses 9 and 10. Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities. creating me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Hide thy face from my sins.

We read at the top of the psalm, the Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him after he had gone in to Bathsheba. a time of sin, of backsliding. You know, the hymn writer, he speaks of sin and he says, but Zion feels it so. To see sin smarts but slightly, to own with lip confession is easier still, but oh to feel cuts deep beyond expression. And you know, it's the Lord's people that feel the defilement of sin. It's the Lord's people that understand the language of the hymn writer, defiled I am indeed, defiled throughout by sin. They feel it. It's something that burdens them. It's something that brings darkness into their soul, bondage into their spirits.

The Apostle Paul, he speaks, doesn't he, of carrying about a body of sin and death. He's speaking there to believers when he writes to the Romans. You know, We know where the illustration comes from. One of the barbaric punishments of the Romans, and they had some very barbaric punishments, was that if a man committed a certain sin, they would tie a dead body to his back. And wherever he went, he had to carry that stinking corpse on his back and the apostle uses that as an illustration that the living child of God while they're here on earth carry about with them a body of sin and death and it causes them much trouble, much heart searching, when the Holy Spirit convicts and convinces of sin.

And especially when we compare ourselves with Jesus Christ, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. That's been with me much today. You think of the Lord Jesus Christ. You think then of us. We carry about this body of sin and death. You think of how we speak sometimes with guile. You might say, what does it mean when you speak with guile? It's when you speak deceitfully. It's when you say half-truths, perhaps to cover something up. or literally to deceive the person that you're talking to, then you're speaking with guile. Jesus never did that. The Lord Jesus Christ was pure and holy and spotless and undefiled. And there was no guile in him, no deceit in him. You and I, if we know something of the Spirit's inward teaching, you know that you're a sinner. You feel that you're a sinner.

What is sin? Well, there's a definition in God's holy word in the first epistle of John. Sin is any transgression of the law of God. And the word of God is very clear, we all have sinned. Indeed in the first epistle of John in chapter one, there is that very solemn word, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the life of God is not in us. I've often said it and feel it too. See if we say we have no sin, This is what I've often said, if your religion has no sin in it, it's not of the Spirit of God. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.

Something that is a great burden to the living child of God is the indwelling sin within them. heart that is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, that's what troubles the child of God. When he the spirit of truth is come, I take it that that doesn't mean when he comes on the day of Pentecost, although there is an allusion to it, when he comes to a sinner's heart, when he has come. The Holy Ghost proceedeth forth from the Father and the Son, and we have that word in Timothy the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal upon it the Lord knoweth them that are his and he sends his Holy Spirit into the heart of a poor sinner and when he has come he will reprove the world of sin the word reprove The alternative word is convince. I prefer it. Convince the world of sin, of righteousness, of judgement. See God is a sin-hating God. It speaks in our text of iniquity. Hide thy face from my sins. It's a very personal thing.

You see, David sinned with Bathsheba and then we see a downward spiral. He then slew her husband. First he committed adultery with his wife and then he slew her husband by sending him into the front line of the battle to be slain. And that's what David means in verse 14, deliver me from blood guiltiness.

And you see how one sin leads to another. Now, it appears that, you see my beloved friends, sin hardens. It hardens. It says in the Hebrews about our hearts being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. And that's what happened with David. It's revealed to us in God's holy word. But then that led on to the slaying of her husband.

And David appears to have been covering up and covering up and covering up. until Nathan the prophet was sent by God unto him and he speaks to David of the poor man and the rich man and the poor man had a little lamb the rich man had guests and he sent and took the poor man's little lamb And David was so incensed at the story that Nathan the prophet told him. Who is this man? Who is this man? And Nathan the prophet answers him, thou art the man. And you know that was the word of the Lord to David. Thou art the man. What a mercy. when the Lord brings each one of us to see, thou art the man.

It's not his sin, her sin, someone else's sin, it's my sin. We notice in this psalm how David uses those words continually, me and mine. He wasn't pointing the finger at anyone else, it was me and mine. Very personal. And real religion is very personal. When the Holy Spirit begins to convict and convince us of our sin, it's very personal. We feel the defilement of sin.

This happens when the Spirit of God gives life. There's a beautiful word that the Apostle uses in Romans chapter 8, the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of life. You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and in sins. When we're dead in trespasses and in sins, the Word of God says the dead know nothing. And when you and I are dead in trespasses and in sins, we don't know it. But when the Spirit of God comes and convicts us of a sin, gives us life to realize that we're sinners, to feel that we're sinners.

You see, David's desire here, have mercy upon me, oh God, according to thy loving kindness. He got nothing of his own to plead, according to thy loving kindness. We just sung in that hymn, and if my soul were sent to hell, Thy righteous law approves it well.

I was speaking a number of years ago now to a man who seemed to be held in legal bondage. Couldn't get free. Years and years he was held in legal bondage. And he said, I can't sing those couplets. And if my soul were sent to hell, thy righteous law approves it well. I can't see it. Because he didn't approve.

You see, my beloved friends, when the Lord truly convinces us of our sin, he'll humble us. When the Holy Spirit gives spiritual life and gives us to feel that we're sinners, gives us to feel that we need God's mercy, gives us to feel that God is holy and righteous and that God has a holy law. Heart you know in that lovely hymn on Gethsemane, sins against a holy God, sins against his righteous laws, sins against his love and blood. And you know, friends, they're the worst sins. When you realize that you're not just sinning against God's holy law, that's bad enough in itself. But sin against His love, His blood.

Those of us that have known the preciousness of the love and blood of Jesus Christ. Those of us that have known the mercy of God in our hearts. Those that have known the shedding abroad of the love of Christ in our hearts, and have felt the preciousness of Christ, and have seen the loveliness of Christ, and as John says in his epistle, those things that we have handled and tasted and felt of the good word of life. How many of us here tonight have handled and felt of the good word of life.

You see, when we sin after having known the preciousness of Christ, having known something of the sweetness of the atonement, having known something of the sweetness of the preciousness of the blood of Christ, of the love of Christ, of the mercy of God in Christ, having known a little of the precious love of our Heavenly Father, God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should be saved. When we've known that, when we've tasted that, when we've handled that, that's what Joseph Hart means. Sins against his love, his blood. And if we're truly made tender in the fear of the Lord, those sins, they are, they're awful. They're awful.

And this is where David was in this psalm. David was a man after God's own heart. David was a man of deep experience of the love and truth of God. David was the man who followed hard after God. who'd known the wonderful loving-kindness, just as it says here in the first verse, have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.

He felt it, his transgressions. He'd broken the boundary. He'd broken God's holy law. we've often pointed out to you when Adam and Eve fell into sin there's a multitude of sins are there and when David here falls into sin there's a multitude of sins and when we fall into sin there's a multitude of sins and when you feel the defilement of that sin I've been wrestling all day with it. I think that's probably why I got so confused in giving the hymns. I've been wrestling all day with a deep solemn sense of the sin of my own heart, the wickedness of my own heart, the deceit of my own heart.

And that's what led me to the text. hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities. See we've got these different words that use my sins and we know what sin is, it's a transgression of God's holy righteous law but it's my sins, it's not just looking in an abstract way at God's holy law, it's my sins, it's personal. against thee and thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight. Verse 4, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest. You see David he went along for a time we're not exactly sure how long that time was when he was covering up his sin, covering up his deceit until the Lord sent the Lord's servant, Nathan, to him.

And then he was convinced of his sin. Thou art the man against thee. You see, the other thing here, friends, which stands out so clear, there was no excuses. I always feel very skeptical of a person that says they have repentance, et cetera, et cetera. But then immediately in the next breath they make excuses. There's something rather flawed about that. When the Lord truly convinces us of our sin, we won't make excuses.

Against Thee, Thee only have I sinned. done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. And now he makes this confession, behold I was shapen in iniquity. And in the verse 9 text, hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities. I remember many years ago I have at home the works of Stephen Charnock the Puritan and I was reading Charnock, a very learned man, a very godly man and he was explaining the difference of all these different words that are given in scripture for sin and he made these points, he said that iniquity is actually has a reference to original sin that is in us.

See, David, he says here, I was born in sin. That's original sin. I was born in sin. In sin did my mother... See, behold, in verse 5, I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me. It doesn't mean that it was a sinful act of his mother in conceiving him. no it means that he was born in sin because his parents were sinful and you're born in sin because your parents are sinful and I am and every man will learn childish because that terrible fall into sin of Adam and Eve I think the hymn writer puts it in a nutshell, when Adam by transgression fell, he ruined all his future race. The seeds of evil once brought in increased and filled the world with sin.

Doesn't the Apostle Paul in the Romans chapter 5, he speaks there of the awfulness of the fall, man's fall into sin and how that we're all defiled by sin. He speaks also of course of the wonderful glory of the deliverance from sin through Jesus Christ. He commences that beautiful chapter five with therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And then he says in verses seven and eight, for scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man, some would even dare to die. But God commended his love toward us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. What a beautiful word.

While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Then in verse 12, wherefore, as by one man's sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon all men, for they all have sinned. For until the law, sin was in the world, but sin was not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even though them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression. Who is the figure of him that was to come? He's the figure of Christ. He's the federal head of the human race. He's the figure of him that was to come.

But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one, that's Adam, many be dead, much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many and not as it was by one that sinned so is the gift for the judgment was by one to condemnation but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification for if by one man's offense death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

Therefore, as by the offense of one, Adam, judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, Jesus Christ, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. What a beautiful gospel, isn't it? Moreover, the law entered that the offence might abound, but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. But as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. How beautifully there does the Holy Spirit set before us the fall by Adam into sin and the deliverance by the second Adam our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord from heaven, deliverance from sin and Satan's power by one man, our Lord Jesus Christ. As in Adam, all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities. So this, my beloved friends, is the prayer of a living soul under the divine teaching of the Holy Ghost, the felt need of forgiveness. We read in Psalm 130, there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared. Forgiveness. Forgiveness of sin. That is at the very heart, at the very centre of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

You know, in that psalm 130, the psalmist, he says, out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. The depths of sin, the depths of a fallen nature, the depths of the corruption, the depths, as it says in scripture, the heart of man is deceitful above all things. You just think of that statement. Your heart, my heart, There is nothing more deceitful than the heart of man, than your heart and my heart. You know, my beloved friends, it's a mercy if we know it. It's a mercy if we really feel it.

But it will cast you right down. Just as this psalmist says here, Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice. Let thine ear be attentive to the voice of my supplications. This, my beloved friends, it is When we're truly convinced of sin, it brings us into the depths of darkness, into the depths of bondage. It does. And it brings us to prayer. By the inward teaching of the Holy Ghost, it brings us to prayer. Lord, hear my voice. Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? Who shall stand? Then we have this lovely word.

But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. Dr. John Owen has a whole volume written on psalm 130 and he says in there why he wrote that whole volume on psalm 130 it was because that it was here in verse 4 of psalm 130 that he found forgiveness he'd been preaching for quite some time he was a university man and he'd been preaching for some time, but he didn't know Christ. He didn't know the gospel, he didn't know conviction of sin. But then the Lord began to work in his heart, and the Lord convinced him of his sin. And it was this word, the fourth verse of Psalm 130 that delivered him, and Christ was revealed, but there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest.

There is forgiveness. It's a wonderful, precious thing. The forgiveness of sins. In Acts chapter 13, we read there in verse 38, in the preaching of the Apostle, Acts 13 verse 38, Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man, what man? man Christ Jesus, the glorious holy God man, the man that lived a life that was holy and pure and spotless and righteous altogether. He did it on the behalf of his people. Upon a life I did not live, upon a death I did not die, hangs my everlasting all upon the life of Jesus Christ, upon the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ, upon the wonderful glorious sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That's where all our hope is, the blood and righteousness. My beloved is white and ruddy, white his righteousness, ruddy his precious blood. My beloved is white and ruddy, Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man, this glorious holy God-man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.

And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which he could not be justified by the law of Moses. See these wonderful gospel truths justified just as we've read in the Romans, therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Poor, cast down, dejected sinner, this is where you'll find salvation, this is where you find deliverance, this is where you find grace, is in Jesus Christ. Now with this sense of the uncleanness and the unrighteousness of our hearts, that we have this prayer, creating me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me, creating me a clean heart.

Now why do you feel like that? Because you feel defiled. Sin defiles and you feel defiled. You feel unclean, you feel unrighteous. And not only that, that sense of sin and defilement, there comes darkness in your mind, in your soul. When we're under conviction of sin, it brings darkness, brings confusion into our heart, into our mind.

And there's only one thing I'll deliver you, that's the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, that cleanseth us from all sin. And when you feel the power of that blood in your heart, it cleanses from all sin. It reconciles unto God. It brings peace into the heart and into the conscience. It does.

Jesus said, come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest for your souls. You won't find it anywhere else. You'll only find it in Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of the Father that was manifest in his flesh, peace by his cross as Jesus made, the church's ever-living head, creating me a clean heart, O God. and renew a right spirit within me. You know, when you feel the defilement of sin, you feel guilty, you feel burdened, you do. And it's only the precious gospel of Jesus Christ and the Spirit of Christ that can renew right spirit within you. It's when you reconcile to God. It's when those sins have been dealt with and you know that he's dealt with your sins and you feel that he's dealt with your sins and that will bring you to the feet of Jesus. It does.

Why me? Oh blessed God, why me? Why such a wretch as me? that must forever lie in hell were not salvation free. O the preciousness of our Lord Jesus Christ, create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit, since This is the longing desires of a living soul.

May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn 904. The tune is evening hymn 709. O Lord, with shame I do confess my universal emptiness, my poverty and pride. I cannot keep Thee in my sight, nor can I think one thought unright, unless Thy Spirit guide. Hymn 904, Tune Evening Hymn 709.

O come, O come, O come, O come, O come, O come, O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? Together through my life thus far O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? I cannot pray, and nearly knew, nor can I sing with courage clear. ♪ And bless the Lord be kind. ♪ ♪ Since heaven broke the deadly trap, ♪ Until the morning we cannot tell, the heart is on the side.

♪ And love can raise one life from death ♪ ♪ But He can raise His child from death ♪ And at the twilight's last gleaming, ♪ Of health for me ♪ ♪ Created power and will ♪ ♪ Thy grace anoints ♪ ♪ And shades of gold ♪ Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each both now and for evermore. Amen.