The notices for the coming week are God willing as follows. Pastoral preaching next Lord's Day at 10.30 and two o'clock. Also on Thursday evening at seven o'clock. There will be no prayer meeting on Tuesday this week as there is a church meeting here at seven o'clock. Collections and online giving for March, for February, amounted to £2,807.75, donations to the book fund £45.

We sincerely thank you for your continued support for this cause of truth. Let us commence our services today by singing together hymn 524 to the tune Saint Marie 835. The Gospel brings tidings, glad tidings indeed, to mourners in Zion who want to be freed from sin and from Satan and Mount Sinai's flame. Good news of salvation through Jesus the Lamb. Hymn 524, Tune Saint Marie, 835. . .

The ghost of self-exilings, baptised in thee, To all blessings I owe, to all serving thee, ♪ From sin and prostration ♪ ♪ Ever shall I praise you ♪ ♪ Good peers of salvation ♪ ♪ Through Egypt and Hell ♪ God's sweet invitations on us were contained, To be heavy-laden in a little tree. It helps the weary to come and be blest With each of their comfort, and brings us to ♪ For every poor boy ♪ ♪ Has no mother nor father ♪ ♪ A fountain is a rock ♪ ♪ In Jesus' hand ♪ ♪ Echoed marched forward ♪ ♪ To war and to cause ♪ ♪ From fields near pollution ♪ ♪ From meadows and forests ♪ Honour is her fight, and blessing her delight, In which none other than Jesus has died.

And the repeat goes sweet, when his seraph rings. Then, O Zion's owners, how then will it be? The figure in the shape of the angel of God. This was a man in the God's kindness to me. This love no beginning and no known end, and I am shall wear it in praise. Let us read together from the Holy Word of God in the prophecy of Hosea, part of chapter 13 and chapter 14. The prophecy of Hosea chapter 13, commence reading at verse 9, reading down to the end of chapter 14.

O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thine help. I will be thy king. Where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? And thy judges of whom thou saidst, give me a king and princes? I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.

The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up. His sin is hid. The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him. He is an unwise son, for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children. I will ransom them from the power of the grave. I will redeem them from death. O death, I will be thy plagues. O grave, I will be thy destruction. Repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up, He shall spoil the treasures of all pleasant vessels. Samaria shall become desolate, for she hath rebelled against her God. They shall fall by the sword, their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up. O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity, Take with you words and turn to the Lord, say unto him, take away all iniquity and receive us graciously, so will we render the calves of our lips. Asher shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, you are our gods. for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.

I will heal their backslidings. I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel. He shall grow as the lily and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread and his beauty shall be as the olive tree and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall return. They shall revive as the corn and grow as the vine. The scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim shall say, what have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him and observed him, I am like a green fir-tree, from me is thy fruit found.

Who is wise, and he shall understand these things, prudent, and he shall know them, for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them, but the transgressors shall fall therein. 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, we desire to bow before thy glorious majesty, We read of thee in thy word, thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy. And Lord, we painfully feel our unholiness, our uncleanness, our unrighteousness. We do not feel fit to approach unto thy glorious majesty. Oh, we do come though, Lord, We seek that thou wouldst have mercy upon us even this day as we've read in thy word that thou should take away all iniquity.

Gracious God, we do pray that we may be washed in the precious blood of Jesus Christ, thine only begotten son, that we may be delivered from sin and from its power and from its dominion and that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God our Father, and the sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit may rest and abide upon us, we do humbly beseech thee.

May we be favoured this day with those divine drawings of our Heavenly Father, and with those divine leadings of the Holy Ghost, and with the sacred presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, for in him is life, and our hope is in thee, Lord Jesus, and what thou hast done. Most blessed Spirit, we pray that thou wouldst take of the things of Jesus and reveal them unto us, that we may behold his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, We pray for grace to lay aside every weight and the sin that does so easily beset us, and that we might run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame thereof, and is set down at the right hand of the majesty on high. We thank Thee that there is a great High Priest. We thank Thee that there is a mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. We come to Thee, most gracious and eternal Father, in the precious name of Thy Son, Jesus Christ. We plead His glorious righteousness. We plead His precious blood.

We pray that we may be like the spouse that in the Holy Scriptures, my beloved is white and ruddy. Oh, we pray that we may behold him as our prophet, priest and king. We pray that we may touch the hem of his garment and draw from that sacred fullness that is in him and that we may be favoured to hear his voice.

Thou hast said in thy word that my sheep, they know my voice and they follow me. And we pray, O Lord, for that grace to follow thee and to serve thee in our day and in our generation. Lord, we do pray that thou would remember us as a church and as a congregation. We pray that thou would work mightily among us. We pray, most gracious Lord, we may see the work of thy blessed spirit working among us, bringing poor sinners to living faith in Jesus Christ, guiding them and directing them unto the fountain of all life. Oh, do hear us, Lord, we pray thee. Let thy work appear unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children.

We pray for our brethren the deacons Seek that thou would graciously give them needed grace, wisdom, and help in all matters. We do thank thee for them. We pray that we may be kept together as a church in the sacred bonds of love, union, and communion, that we may love each other, serve each other, and bear each other's burdens. We pray to be delivered from the work of Satan who is the separator of the brethren, who sometimes comes as a roaring lion seeking who he may devour, and he sometimes comes as an angel of light seeking whom he may deceive. We pray that when the enemy comes in like a flood, that the spirit of the Lord may lift up a standard against him. Lord, we pray to be made more spiritually minded and that our affections may be set upon things above and not on things of the earth. We pray for grace to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto thee, which is our reasonable service. Lord, we often feel like the old Sussex chimney sweep.

I'm a poor sinner and nothing at all, but Jesus Christ is my all in all. Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst then come and reveal thyself unto us here this day. Take away the love of sinning. We do humbly beseech thee. And though sin lives in us, may we not live in sin, but may we live to him that died. Lord, we pray to be made fruitful unto every good work and word and way. We do humbly beseech thee.

Lord, we seek thy blessing upon the little ones and the children as they're brought into the sanctuary, that they may have the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, given unto them in their young and tending years. We pray for our young friends that thou wouldst graciously bless them and grant thy divine direction in all matters. bring them to living, vital, saving faith in Jesus Christ, that they may become followers of thee and of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. We think of that wonderful promise, Lord. Instead of thy father shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. Lord, do so work among our young friends. Be with them in all the paths of providence and graciously grant thy divine direction.

We read in thy word of thy gracious mercy unto those in holy scripture. Thou didst bring a Rebekah unto Isaac and a Ruth unto Boaz. And Lord, we lovingly commend each one to thee and pray that thou wouldst be gracious and have mercy upon them. We pray most gracious Lord that thou wouldst grant us the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, that we may walk tenderly before our God.

Lord, we do pray that the wonderful glory and light and power of the gospel may shine into this village and the surrounding villages and hamlets. Precious souls may be gathered unto thee. The strongholds of Satan poured down. The kingdom of our Lord Jesus set up in the hearts of sinners.

Lord, let thy work appear and let thy power be known and let thy grace be made manifest. We pray for the prodigals that they may return, that thy wonderful work may be seen. Lord, thou art able to do abundantly more than we can even ask or think, so we pray that thou wouldst arise. Arise, arise, O God of grace, into thy rest descend, thou in the ark of thy strength, and let thy priests be clothed with salvation, and thy saints shall shout aloud for joy.

Oh abundantly bless the provision of thy house and satisfy her poor with bread. Fulfill those wonderful gospel promises. Oh bring thy sons from far and thy daughters from the ends of the earth and they shall come from the north and from the south and from the east and from the west.

Oh Lord of hosts. O God of Israel, O Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth, let Thy hand be upon the man of Thy right hand, the Son of Man, whom Thou madest strong for Thyself. And grant us, Lord, that determination to know nothing among men, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Hear us, O Lord, we beseech Thee.

Pray for parents that they may be given wisdom and grace to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We pray that those be with the families in their worship together and that thy presence and thy blessing may be known and felt and realised. We pray for all in the midst of the journey of life that thou wouldst be gracious unto them, that thou wouldst graciously guide them by thy blessed spirit. Lord, we pray that thou wouldst remember those of us that are now in the evening time of life's journey.

Guide us safely unto thy heavenly kingdom. Preserve us from all evil. Lord, we think of the dear apostle when He said that he feared lest, after having preached the gospel unto others, that he would prove to be a castaway. Lord, we pray that thou wouldst deliver us from sin, and from its power, and from the world, and from the allurements of it. We do humbly beseech thee.

We pray, most gracious God, for the little causes of truth up and down the land, We pray that thou wouldst graciously grant a reviving, a renewing, a replenishing. Lord, we pray that thou wouldst remember thy servants as they labour in word and doctrine upon the walls of Zion, and that thou wouldst graciously send out thy light and thy truth.

Grant that they may dip their foot in oil and be made acceptable unto the brethren, and that the word preached may be in power in the Holy Ghost and with much assurance. Grant signs to follow the preaching of the word. We pray for those of thy servants that, at this present time, serving a probationary period with a view to the pastorate, make thy will known, make thy power known, We do humbly beseech thee and grant the settlement of pastors in the churches, that there may be a reviving, a renewing.

Lord, we thank thee for the sending forth of those into the ministry. And we pray that those go on, most mighty God, thy wonders to make known. Put forth thy spirit with the word. We do humbly beseech thee. And we pray thee, the great Lord of the harvest, that thou wouldst yet send labourers into the harvest. We do humbly beseech thee.

We pray most gracious Lord for our nation. We live in solemn days and days of war and days when the iniquity abounds on every hand. We see the spirit of Antichrist in our nation, in our government, in the laws that are passed in our land. We pray, most gracious Lord, that we may be enabled to remain faithful unto thy word and to thy truth in the day in which we live. We do humbly beseech thee As we pray for our nation, we pray that in wrath, thou would remember mercy. Lord, we pray for our king and the royal household that thou would richly bless them with that rich grace that is in Christ Jesus. Oh, to hear us, Lord, we humbly beseech thee for thy great namesake, and bring to nought the counsels of the ungodly, In the nations of the earth, we do humbly beseech thee, and put a stop to war. If it is thy heavenly mind, O Lord, we do beseech thee.

We think of thy people in the Ukraine, pray for them that thou wouldst be with them in this long conflict. Lord, we pray for those that go forth from among us. to spread the word of the Lord and to preach the everlasting gospel. We pray that thou would bless thy servant Ian Sadler and that great work that he does throughout the nations of the earth in the distribution of thy word and the exposition of it. We pray for the Savannah Education Trust and that great work that they are doing in Ghana.

Lord abundantly Bless the provision that thou hast made there, we do humbly pray thee. Remember the Mombasa mission and thy servants at labour there. Do grant that thou hast let thy work appear unto thy servants and thy glory unto their children. We do humbly beseech thee. We think of those also that are in those nations of the earth where the name of Christ is hated and thy people are persecuted, imprisoned, even unto death, O Lord, do hear us. We humbly beseech thee for thy great namesake.

We thank thee for every mercy, every favour, every blessing that freely flows through Jesus' precious blood. We thank thee that thy mercies to us are new every morning and great is thy faithfulness. We thank thee for thy lovingkindnesses, our house of prayer, the word of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ, we bless thee most gracious Lord. We thank thee for that profound mystery of godliness of God manifest in the flesh. We thank thee in him the law has been fulfilled and honoured and magnified and everlasting righteousness has been brought in. We thank thee for that holy sacrifice of Calvary that precious blood that was shed, and that everlasting salvation procured. O most gracious Lord, we thank Thee that there is a new and living way.

We thank Thee for the empty tomb, a Saviour that died for our sins and rose again for our justification. We thank Thee for the dear Saviour that has ascended up on high, that we indeed have a great high priest, sitting at the right hand of the majesty on high. Gracious God, do hear us, do remember us now, do be with us as we turn to thy word, do come and touch one's lips with a live coal from off the heavenly altar, do make up in giving where we do so fail in asking, as we ask for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

Let us now sing together hymn number 59. The tune is Fitzwilliam 957. Blow ye the trumpet blow, the gladly solemn sound, let poor insolvents know to earth's remotest bound, the year of jubilee is come, return, Ye Ransomed Sinners' Home, Hymn Number 59, Tune Fitzwilliam, 957. When I kiss thy sacred brow, let all my sorrows be gone, all my trials be gone.

May we grow to be as one. May we grow to be as one. ♪ There is no other home ♪ ♪ But here shall we go ♪ ♪ There is no other home ♪ ♪ The source of our faith ♪ ♪ And in the kingdom of his love ♪ ♪ Let all the earth sing his praise to thee ♪ He is risen from the dead, born in the virgin's womb.

O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord. I love you so, love me please ♪ The hour of the Savior's grace ♪ ♪ Let every heart that fears Him ♪ ♪ Give Him praise and glory ♪ ♪ Praise the Lord Jesus Christ ♪ ♪ The King of glory ♪ ♪ As one with thy kinsmen ♪ ♪ As one with thy kinsmen ♪ ♪ We raise thee with praise ♪ ♪ We raise thee with praise ♪ ♪ With our hearts and souls devout ♪ ♪ Lift up your hearts and sing a song of love to me ♪ Greatly feeling to need the Lord's gracious help, I would direct your attention to the prophecy of Hosea chapter 14, and we'll read verses 1 and 2 for our text. The prophecy of Hosea chapter 14, reading verses 1 and 2 for our text.

O Israel, Return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words and turn to the Lord. Say unto him, take away all iniquity and receive us graciously, so will we render the calves of our lambs. O Israel, return unto the Lord.

We find in regular use in the prophecy of Hosea, Ephraim. And when Hosea uses that word Ephraim, he's not just literally referring to the tribe of Ephraim, but to the ten tribes that separated away after the death of Solomon in the days of Rehoboam the son of Solomon when Judah and Benjamin were left alone the ten tribes broke away and when Hosea refers to Ephraim he's referring to those ten tribes that broke away.

Hosea His prophecy lasted a very long time. He prophesied contemporary with Isaiah, and he prophesied for approximately 80 years. That is an exceeding long time for a prophet to prophesy. And he saw the decline in the 10 tribes, It was the ten tribes that, in particular, he prophesied to. And he saw the introduction of idolatry, Baal worship, etc. And he saw the sin of Israel.

And the Lord had raised him up and sent him to speak to those ten tribes of their falling away from the ways of God and from the truth of God and in that where we started our reasoning reading in verse 9 of chapter 13, O Israel thou hast destroyed thyself but in me is thine help.

Thou hast destroyed thyself. It's a very solemn thought isn't it? No scripture has any private interpretation. And those of us that fall in the ways of sin, iniquity and unrighteousness, thou hast destroyed thyself. It can be said of us, thou hast destroyed thyself.

But in me, you know, what is so wonderfully displayed In this prophecy is the wonderful grace of God and the loving kindness of God, in spite of all the iniquities and all the wickedness and all the evil and all the idolatry. Of course, you may sit in your seats and you may say, well, we don't bow down to idols, we don't settle orders of gold and of silver. My beloved friends, how do you live? Think of that word and covetousness which is idolatry. Covetousness which is idolatry. Anything that comes between our soul and God is an idol. When we think more of that than we think of God, when that intrudes into everything it becomes an idol.

O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself. You know, sin is a terrible thing. We spoke of it on Thursday evening. Sin is a terrible thing. I spoke of it last Lord's Day at Chippenham in the morning. We spoke of sin has consequences. Sin, my beloved friends, has eternal consequences. The soul that sin it, it shall die. And as we have that definition in the first epistle of John, sin is any transgression of the law of God.

And as the word of God declares, all have sinned. come short of the glory of God. In the epistle to the Romans, the apostle, he gathers together those scriptures from the Old Testament, and he makes it very clear, there is none that doeth good, no, not one. They have all gone out of the way. When the Lord speaks of Noah when they come out of the ark and he said for I know that the imagination of the heart of man is evil continually.

Sin is a terrible thing. Sin in the child of God is a terrible thing. It says in the Hebrews there doesn't the deceitfulness of sin deceitfulness of sin, but it has its consequences and unless the Lord intervenes they are eternal consequences, eternal damnation.

O Israel thou hast destroyed thyself This is the Lord God of Heaven speaking, the King Eternal, but in me is Thine help. In me is Thine help. You see, in the days of Samuel, the people desired a king. Israel was a theocracy, where the high priest was the ruler. they weren't satisfied with that they said to Samuel we want to be like these other nations that have a king but solemnly we read in verse 11 here in chapter 13 I gave thee a king in mine anger and took him away in my wrath that of course was king Saul I gave thee a king in mine anger He proved to be a terrible king, who oppressed the people, who were disobedient. The Lord rejected him from being king. I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.

You see my beloved friends, and then, you see here it says, Lovely words of gospel grace in verse 14 of chapter 13. I will ransom them From the power of the grave. I Will redeem them from death. Oh death. I will be thy plagues. Oh grave. I will be thy destruction Repentance shall be hid from mine eyes. What that means is is that the Lord will not change his mind Repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

I And what we have in our text, my beloved friends, it is an exhortation to repentance. Oh Israel, return. That's essentially what the word repentance means. The apostle says, doesn't he, repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And that repentance given will turn a sinner right round to face God. We're facing the world otherwise, and the things of the world and the pleasures of sin for a season. But if the Lord graciously gives us repentance, it's quite striking, isn't it?

The commencement of the ministry of John the Baptist. Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The commencement of the preaching of our Lord Jesus Christ. Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The commencement of the Ministry of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ on the day of Pentecost the exhortation repentance repentance It literally means to turn round to face God Now, you know, that's something that we cannot do ourselves We need the Lord to give us repentance to give us repentance. It's the gift of God.

We need to pray for that repentance. This exhortation, O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. You know, we noticed, didn't we, just recently when we were in Psalm 51, the account there of David's repentance and some very significant things that we need to notice in that repentance of David in Psalm 51.

One thing we must notice is there's no excuses. I've heard people say, well, they repented of their sin. But then immediately after saying they repented of their sin, they start making excuses. Oh, it was because of this, it was because of that, it was because of something else.

That's not repentance, friends. When David here repents of his sin, have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions, wash me through thee from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgression, and my sin is ever before 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." See, my beloved friends, there are no excuses there.

It's a pretty poor repentance that says we've repented and turned to God and then starts making excuses that why we sinned and why we did this and why we did that. Against thee. This is the against thee. It's when the Spirit of God comes and truly convicts us of sin, there'll be no excuses then. Against thee, the only, have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight.

And then the realization that David had then in verse 5 of Psalm 51, Behold, I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me. A realization of that deep-seated nature of sin that lives in us. that we're born in sin, we're shapen in iniquity.

And it's when the Spirit of God brings us to realise that and to understand that, and that desire, creating me a clean heart, oh God. Why? Because I've got an unclean heart. Creating me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me, oh Israel.

Return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. J.C. Philpott said the essence of real religion is sin and salvation. Sin and salvation. A realization that we have sinned, and that desire for deliverance from sin and from its consequences, its eternal consequences. And here, this gracious and eternal God, He says, O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.

Take with you words and turn to the Lord. Take with you words and turn to the Lord. Repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. That is what brings deliverance and nothing else. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And real, true, living faith is always, there's no exceptions here, is always accompanied by repentance. Faith is when we believe. Faith is when we lay hold. Faith is when Christ is made precious. Faith is when Christ becomes the altogether lovely one. Faith is when Christ becomes the one thing needful, when you can say with the hymn writer, give me Christ or else I die.

But always accompany in faith. repentance. A man said to me once, well I do have repentance but I don't yet have faith. You know that's a complete contradiction. You can't have repentance without faith and you can't have faith without repentance. Those precious graces come together. They come together. And perhaps some people, they believe that they have repentance because they're convicted of their sin. Because they realize that they're a sinner. But they don't realize that God is gracious. You know, friends, these things are clearly set out before us in the Word of God. You see, take with you words. It's a wonderful, precious provision in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the throne of grace. The throne of grace. The throne of mercy.

The Apostle says in Hebrews chapter 4, doesn't he, let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. And if you look at the context there in Hebrews 4, it says, for such a high priest have we who is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. And that is where that comes from when he says, let us therefore come boldly, why? because there is a great high priest in heaven. For such a high priest have we. He sits on no precarious throne nor borrowers leave to be. He sits at the right hand of the Father. He sits on that throne of grace, on that throne of mercy. You think of some of the gracious words of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Come unto me All ye that labour and are heavy laden. What causes a person to labour and be heady laden? When they feel their cynicism. When they feel their emptiness, their poverty, their insufficiency, their hopeless condition. When they feel so cast down, when they feel so dark, so benighted, because of sin. Because of sin. when they feel so far off from God because of sin. You see, my beloved friends, sin lives in us. But here, take with you words. Where to?

The throne of grace. In prayer, unto the eternal God of heaven. I love those words of our Lord Jesus. Whatsoever ye ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. Oh, that the Lord would grant us that faith and that clear sight to be able to go to Him in prayer, to pray to Him, take with you words, and turn to the Lord, say unto Him, take away all iniquity. and receive us graciously, so we will render the calves of our lips. But you know, friends, in the prophecy of Isaiah in chapter 55, I was looking at it this morning before I came out, how beautifully there is the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ set before us.

However one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. Notice it's to certain characters, him that thirsteth. And like that, come unto me all ye that labour. It's to those certain characters that the words are spoken. Labouring under sense of your sinfulness, your wretchedness. Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I 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 my yoke is easy and my burden is light to be yoked is to be united and joined together and the illustration there is when a poor sinner comes to Christ in all their need in all their wretchedness and they by faith they have union with and communion with him.

But then in Isaiah 55 he says, so everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. That's the waters of grace, of love, of mercy. And these gracious words come from the holy and the eternal God of heaven, the creator of the heavens and the earth. Come ye. He says and he that hath no money. What does it mean? In essence it means he that is bankrupt. He's got nothing to pay. He's got nothing to pay. He's absolutely bankrupt. He's completely helpless. He that hath no money.

Come ye. These are the wonderful words of our gracious God. Come ye. buy and eat ye come by wine and milk without money and without price wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread what he means by that is trying to work for your salvation for that which is not bread and your labor For that which satisfieth not, hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Now, what is this fatness? It's Christ. It's the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. He's the bread of life. He's the water of life. He's the wine of the kingdom. Living bread, living water. That's what Christ is.

Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear and come unto me, hear, and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies. of David. Behold, I've given him, who? Christ, the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. Behold, I've given him for a witness to the people, a leader and a commander. When the apostle relates in Timothy, his epistle to Timothy of his call by grace, he suddenly exclaimed, Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only true God, be honor and glory everlasting, amen. He's speaking of the glorious person of Christ, who stopped him on the road to Damascus, who convinced him of his sin, who opened his eyes to and revealed himself to him. And immediately he began preaching Christ in the synagogues of Damascus.

You see, that is where salvation is. His name shall be called Jesus because he shall save his people from their sins. There's only one remedy, my beloved friends, for sin, the terrible malady of sin. There's only one remedy, Jesus Christ and him crucified. That's why the apostle says, I determined to know nothing among men, save Jesus Christ and him crucified. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and a commander to the people.

You see these wonderful words of grace in chapter 55 of Isaiah, verse six, seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way. This is what? Hosea, by the Spirit, is saying, O Israel, return unto the Lord. Return unto the Lord. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

You know, the thoughts of a poor sinner when they're under conviction of sin, is that the Lord will banish them forever to eternal damnation. That's what their thoughts are. They hang their head in shame when they realize what sinners they are, how wretched they are, how undone they are. But here in Isaiah 55, he says, for my thoughts are not your thoughts. Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it to bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It's like a heavenly seed. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

You see, the word of the Lord. I think it's in the epistle of Peter, in that first epistle, it speaks of the word of the Lord being like a seed. And it says in 1 Peter 1, Verse 21, who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfamed love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently. Being born again, not a corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man is the flower of grass. The grass withereth, the flower thereof falleth away, but the Word of the Lord endureth forever.

And this is the Word by which the Gospel is preached unto you. The Gospel. It means the good news, the good news of salvation, the good news of redemption, the good news that a way has been made whereby poor sinners can approach and be reconciled unto God. That's the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips and then it goes on in verse four i will heal their backslidings i will heal their backsides In that lovely hymn that we sing, isn't it? Heal us, Emmanuel, here we are. Waiting to feel thy touch. Deep wounded souls to thee repair. And Savior, we are such. I will heal their backsliders. I will love them freely. I will love them freely.

What a gracious God, isn't it? What infinite grace. what mighty grace, His loving kindness. And the loving kindness of our God is seen in the glorious person of His Son, Jesus Christ. In His precious sinatonic blood that cleanses from all sin, I will heal their backslidings, I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away from That's what happens, my beloved friends, when a poor sinner that comes into union with Jesus Christ and is enabled to look to Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ manifests himself unto that poor sinner as the way, the truth and the life. I will love them freely. Think of those Beautiful words, we often quote them from Jeremiah. Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.

How many in this congregation here this morning are drawn to Christ? Drawn to Christ. You feel your heart has been softened. You feel drawn to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. You feel drawn and an attraction in that precious Sinatonian sacrifice on the cross of Calvary, of that precious blood that was shed. You feel drawn to Jesus Christ because in him the law has been fulfilled and you've broken that holy law but he has fulfilled it and you feel drawn to him, our law fulfiller. You feel drawn to him because of that precious sacrifice that he offered on Calvary and that precious blood that he shed. You feel drawn to Jesus Christ.

It says here in Hosea, I will draw them with the cords of a man, with the bands of love. I will draw them. What a mercy, my beloved friends, when we are drawn unto the Lord Jesus Christ. I will heal their backslidings. I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away from Him.

I will be as the dew. You see, I will be as the dew unto Israel. You know, the dew that spreads all over the ground and you can't even perceive It falling, but the grass is soaking wet. Or be as the dew. Now spiritually, what does that mean? It is the, of course, the first and foremost, it's the divine work of the spirit. He's right through scripture, he's referred to as water. And this dew, this dew that is spoken of here, unto Israel is when the Spirit of God begins to work in the heart.

When the soul is convinced of sin, when the soul is brought to feel their need, when you're brought to realize there's an aching void that the world and all its pleasures and treasures cannot fill. It's the dew. It's a very beautiful word in the In the book of Deuteronomy, again, it's speaking of the dew, the dew of heaven.

I'll look it up because I don't want to misquote it. In Deuteronomy chapter 32, I believe it is. Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak, and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth, my doctrine, As my teaching, my doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass. My doctrine shall drop as the rain.

When the Spirit of God brings the truth of God in its living power into your heart, not just conviction of sin, but the preciousness of Christ. It's like a dew, and it revives. He says here, I'll be as the dew unto Israel, he shall grow as the lily. You know, water is so essential to life. And that is why the Holy Ghost is portrayed to us as water, because it's essential to life. And the work of the Spirit is essential to spiritual life. He dwells in the heart of every true believer.

And he's like the dew, like the rain upon the mown grass. O be as the dew unto Israel, he shall grow as the lily and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. You see, this dew, this divine work of the spirit and the opening of the word in the heart and the soul of the true believer. And it causes to grow. Just the Apostle says, doesn't he? But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

His branches shall spread and his beauty shall be as the olive tree and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall return. They shall revive. This divine work of the Spirit, they shall revive as the corn and grow as the vine and the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

You see it says in that last clause of verse 8, from me is thy fruit found, from me. Christ says without me you can do nothing. From me is thy fruit found. It's only my beloved friend that you and I can ever grow in grace and you and I can ever bring forth fruit to the honor glory of God is when we're united by faith to Jesus Christ. We're united by faith to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Isn't that beautiful how that is opened? I was looking at it yesterday morning in John 15. I am the true vine and my father is the husband. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more for him.

Now ye are clean through the words which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me. These are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him The same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered. And men gather them, and they cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what ye will. and it shall be done unto you. Here it is, my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father had loved me, so have I loved you.

Continue ye in my love. O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God. For thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words. You know, my beloved friends, here we have a message of God. We have a message from God spoken unto us. O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God. For thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words. and turn to the Lord, say unto him, take away all iniquity and receive us graciously, so will we render the calves of our lips.

It's when we render praise and thanksgiving, that's when Christ is revealed and made precious. It's when we begin to enter a little into the truth of what is in verse 14 of of chapter 13, I will ransom them. This is the work of Christ. I will ransom them from the power of the grave. I will redeem them from death. O death, I will be thy plagues. O grave, I will be thy destruction. Repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

It's in that glorious Saviour who lived and suffered and bled and died for the sins of his people. rose again for their justification and in their body ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of the Father. Oh that the Lord would grant that we may be led of the Spirit into these wonderful precious truths of our most holy faith and the Lord Jesus may be made precious unto you. And the other thing when Christ is made precious, light, light flows into your soul, peace, reconciliation. O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with thee words, and turn to the Lord.

Say unto him, take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously, so will we render the calves of our lips. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn number 984, the tune is Grieves 342. Hark how the gospel trumpet sounds. Christ and free grace, they're in abounds. Free grace to such a sinner's being. And if free grace, why not for me? Hymn 984, tune Greaves, 342. Now the gospel trumpet sounds, Christ and free praise therein abounds. All ye nations, let us sing of him, Free praise to such as sinners be.

And if we praise, And if we praise, And if we praise thy God, The Savior died, and by His blood All them who sinned against Him He died to set the captives free. And by my soul. And by my soul. ♪ Thy eyes so wide unto Thee ♪ ♪ And follow Christ, how sweet His voice is ♪ ♪ To enter the field of Jesus Christ ♪ ♪ Mercies and all the riches of heaven and earth ♪ And streams thereof are rich and free. And why, my soul, ♪ By my hand, by my shoulder ♪ ♪ By my toe, by my knee ♪ ♪ But Jesus came the forth to rest ♪ To come and visit this site and say, Barrow, this faultless world and free, Stand by my side, Stand by my shoulder, by my shoulder, love of me. In death or life, in life be still, ♪ And new regretful days to come ♪ ♪ Plenty of grace for rich and poor ♪ And sing of grace so rich and free. Then say, my soul, Then say, my soul, Then say, my soul, Then say, my soul, I love thee. 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. Amen.