If you turn again in your Bibles
this week, please, to the fifth chapter of Lamentations, the
passage we've read. We've been looking at this book
a little bit recently, and I want to turn us to a verse which we
read in chapter five, concluding much of our looking
at this book. Chapter five and verse 19 reads, Lamentations 5 verse 19. Thou,
O Lord, remainest forever, thy throne from generation to generation. Thou, O Lord, remainest forever,
thy throne from generation to generation. We live in a world of change,
we live in a world which Constantly seeks change, constantly seeks
for new things. People come, people go, nations
come, nations go, fashions change, time seasons change. We live
in a world of change. And in the book of Lamentations,
we've read of a number of changes. We've read of the evident, it's
evident in this book that the worship of God, the people had
drifted away from going to the solemn feasts, from going up
to worship, the love of the people had grown cold, they'd fallen
into various sins and in response God deals with them, he chastises
them, he brings them to see their sin, to see their poverty and
as a response they lament over their sin Jeremiah in these passages
laments over his own sin he laments over the people's sin and we
see these various changes in the people but there's this great
hope which is presented to us at the very end of the book which
sort of stands up above these changes which we read in it as
this great certainty behind it all that Jeremiah can write with
regard to his God thou oh lord remainest forever thy throne
from generation to generation. Yea we may change, men may change,
the world may change, various things may come and go, the heart
might change, the love of many may grow cold, the gold may become
dim, there may be many changes but God our Lord does not change,
he remains forever, he remains forever, his throne is from generation
to generation. We're fickle, we're frail. We fall, we stumble. We are hot
one moment, we're cold the next, we grow cold. We sorrow, we lament. We grumble, we complain. We doubt,
we worry. We rise up, we sit down. We're
full of zeal for one thing one day and we're full of despair
for it the next day. We're strong one day, we're weak
the next day. We're rich at one time, we're
poor another time. We change. Our thoughts about
things change, our affections change, our feelings change.
We live in a world of change. We're here one moment and we're
gone the next. We grow old. There is a day when
we are born and there is a day when we die. The Lord puts us
upon this earth for a moment. we tend to look upon our lives
and treat them almost as though we're immortal but what fools
we are for time rolls on apace and one day we're born, we're
a child, we're full of life the next we're into middle ages and
we see the years rolling by quicker than we can imagine and before
we know it we're in the latter days of our life we're in the
last days of our life and our last breath goes from us. Our heart reaches its last beatings
and there comes that day when the Lord is pleased to take us
away from this world. We have a day when we are born
and we have a day when we die. Our life is but a vapour. Our life is but a vapour. Let
us number our days. We're but here for a moment,
we change. But God remaineth forever. He
is eternal. He existed before ever this world
was brought into being. And he will exist when this world
has been burnt up with fire. And when every man upon this
earth has been judged. When every deed has been judged.
When everyone has been brought to account for the wicked things
that they have done in their lives. Or the good things that
they have done when they have been brought to that account
of justice. all things have been brought to a conclusion and the
sheep have been separated from the goats the wicked from the
righteous and some have been brought into everlasting glory
and some have been sent off into everlasting destruction when
all these things have been consummated and brought to a conclusion God
remains and eternity carries on forever either for some to
eternal damnation or for others to eternal glory everlasting
life. Man is brought into being for
a moment and he's taken out of time and brought into eternity.
But there is one who is before all and there is one who is after
all. There is one who is from everlasting
unto everlasting. There is one whose throne is
from generation to generation. May the Lord remain us forever.
Men come and men go. Nations change. Those things
which we look at in this world which seem like pillars, seem
so solid, seem like they will last for so long. We look upon
us and we see the nations and we see the world around us. And
there are nations which have been for hundreds of years. But
if you look back through history, the nations but come and go. Nations change. The nations of
Egypt was there, a great nation for a long time. And it is but
dust. It is but relics today that the
archeologists find. A history of a forgotten time.
Rome came and had such an empire over, such a power over the world. Conquered many, many nations.
And it's but a faint memory. The nations come and the nations
go. We have nations today. America today seems to be such
a world power. Yet one time it did not exist
and there will come a day when it goes. Nations come and nations
go. We live in a world of change. Nations come and they serve God
for a time. There are those who have kings
appointed over them, godly kings perhaps. And a nation may have
the sound of the gospel in its midst and may come unto God.
and then soon within a generation they are turned. We live in a
nation, this nation, which once was an empire, which once God
was pleased to bless, he sounded out the gospel in our midst.
But we live in days when the gospel is despised, and when
wicked men rule over us, and when the presence and the power
of God is much departed, and when few come to worship. Nations
come and nations go, Nations change, people change, one nation
rises up another is cast down. But God doesn't change. And his kingdom doesn't change. And his rule and his authority
doesn't change. He remains forever. Yea, modern
man rejects God. We live in days where religion
and the things of God are looked upon as something from a bygone
age. where something that is medieval
something that was for man in his simpler days in his superstitious
days modern man with all his learning and all his wisdom and
all his science laughs and scoffs at the things of God and the
things of religion and says these are superstitious things for
simpler men and he looks upon his fathers as though they were
simple and he looks upon the advance of knowledge and the
advance of science and thinks that he is growing wiser and
growing more knowledgeable and coming to greater knowledge and
greater sense of those things which are right and wrong and
he scoffs at the things of God and he scoffs at his fathers
and his ancestors and he says that these men were but fools
to believe in a God for we with our modern science we have found
out that it cannot be true that the Bible is a book of superstitious
nonsense and modern man rejects God like the fool who was spoken
of in Psalm 14. Modern man in his heart he says
there's no God there's no God science disproves him we have
proved we've proved that this world evolved that there was
a big bang that it was just chance that we live in a world of chance
and that man has evolved out of creatures oh all science proves
otherwise the man in his wisdom scoffs we read elsewhere in the
scriptures that in the latter days there shall be scoffers
and those that rise up that mock at these things and those that
speak of science falsely so called and put their place in science
and in the wisdom of man and they reject those things which
are sure and which are certain and in their folly they laugh
at these things but the fact is is that those things that
they laugh at are true the god that they say does not exist
does exist and the world that they claim came into being by
chance came into being by the mind of the creator who chose
to create it and chose to create it to bring about his eternal
purposes. Yeah modern man changes and he
scoffs at those things which are unchangeable but god remaineth
forever. Well what if some don't believe
what does that matter? What if modern man stands up
and scoffs at these things does that make them untrue? Does it
make them untrue? It isn't the case of our reaction
to them that makes them true or otherwise? As it says in Romans,
will the unbelief of some make the faith of God without effect?
God forbid! Yes let God be true and every
man a liar. The truth remains and God remains
whatever man might do whatever man might say of it. Men in their
wisdom, religious even, are ever learning and never able to come
to the knowledge of the truth. They learn, they learn, they
multiply books upon, they multiply knowledge upon the earth. They
do much study, they get the scriptures perhaps in religion and they
do much study. They read every man upon the
scriptures, every thought upon it. And yet they're ever learning
and they never come to a knowledge of the truth. Man changes, he
changes from this thing to that thing, this opinion to that opinion.
But unless God is pleased to intervene, unless God is pleased
to come unto his people and draw them unto him, man remains blind
and dark. And he scoffs at the things which
are true. But these modern men that reject, they're here for
a moment, and the days of their life come to a close, they're
but a vapor. one day they'll be gone and another will stand
in their shoes and another will stand in the universities and
the powers and the corridors of power in this world and will
have much to say and one day they'll be gone and there will
be another and they come and they go and they're taken out
of this moment of time and their moment of folly and they enter
into eternity where they will find out what is true and what
remains forever and what is everlasting. they will come to meet of that
Lord which remains forever and they will come before that throne
and him upon that throne who is from generation to generation.
A man may change but God does not change. In Lamentations we
read of the changes of the people and we read of God's dealings
with that people and obviously we read of his response to that
people, how he chastises them how his hand is turned against
them, how he causes them grief how he turns his back upon them
as it were and how they're brought to see their poverty and in his
outward dealings with his people we may see a certain change in
his composure towards them in his dealings with them but though
he deals with them in time in this way ultimately he is not
changed behind as it were the changing face which they may
see, that face which once looked upon them in love that they now
see a face which looks upon them sternly because of their sins
and their rebellion. God's purpose behind it all is
not changed. He's the same God, he's eternal
in his purposes and with his people he will work out those
eternal purposes in an unchanging and unflinching purposeful way
those whom he chooses to save he will he will work out his
purposes in their hearts he will bring them to see their poverty
and their sin he will bring them to see their need of him he will
bring them to an end of self and ultimately will bring them
to despair and bring them to that point where they call upon
him for he does not change those whom he purposes to save Doesn't
matter how they turn, how they rise up, how they fall down.
Doesn't matter how bad they become. Those whom he purposes to save,
he will save. He is eternal in his purposes.
And this is their great hope. This is our hope that God doesn't
change. He doesn't change in response
to us. He's not a changeable God. He's not a God that changes
with the times and the seasons. He's not a God that changes with
the nations. He's an eternal and everlasting
God. He doesn't change with time,
seasons. He doesn't change with nations.
He doesn't change with races. There isn't one God for this
race, one God for this color of people, one God for that sex.
There isn't one God for this creed, that tribe, that nation.
He isn't one God for this church. He isn't one God for the Baptist. He isn't one God for the Methodist,
one God for the Anglican, one God for the Presbyterian, one
God for the Charismatics. There isn't a God of the Mohammeds,
there isn't a God of the Christians, there isn't a God of the Jews,
there is but one God, one God, one God over all and this God
does not change. As it tells us in 1 Timothy,
there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man
Christ Jesus. This God doesn't change. doesn't
change for the nations there wasn't a god at the time of the
coming of christ when when rome ruled the world who then changed
with the coming of other nations there isn't a god of the british
empires and the church of the british empires there isn't a
god for the united states there isn't a french god there isn't
a god for this group of people or that group of people there
isn't a god that changes with the cultures or the styles isn't
a god who will be worshipped in this way with one people and
that way with another people. There isn't a god who has one
message for this people and another message for that people. Men
may change outwardly, the nations may change, the cultures may
change, the appetites may change, the knowledge may change. Modern
man may have different fashions and different likes and dislikes
to his forebears. whatever the changes outwardly
in men, God doesn't change and his gospel doesn't change and
there's great hope for his people in this because the hope is that
he's the same God now, he's the same God that saved 200 years
ago, he's the same God that saved 2000 years ago, he's the same
God that saved Saul on the road to Damascus as he went breathing
out threatenings against God and the people of God. He's the
same God that could save that wicked man, that religious man
that shook his fist at God. He's the same God that intervened
then and saves now. He's the same God who walks over
as the wicked crucified his son upon the tree. He's the same
God that judged the wickedness of the men and women in the days
of Noah and judged this world by sending a flood. He's the
same God. He's the same God that watched
over Nineveh. He's the same God that watched
over Jericho as the people marched in around Jericho and as they
walked around the walls of Jericho and he slew the wicked to bring
in his people into a promised land. He's the same God throughout
all history. He's the same God who created
the heavens and the earth. He's the same God against whom
man fell in the garden, against whom Adam and Eve sinned. He's
the same God that brought in the church in the days of the
apostles, at the preaching of the gospel in their days when
the gospel went forth in such power, when Paul went to many
nations around the Middle East, when he went to Cyprus, when
he went to Philippi, when he went to Rome, when he went to
Thessalonica, when he went to Ephesus, he established these
gatherings when he brought people out by the power of his gospel.
It's the same God today as it was then. God doesn't change. We don't have a God that changes
for different creeds and different cultures. We don't have a God
who is the God of old people who's different to the God of
young people. We live in days and a culture which is very much
geared to the young, which is very much geared to celebrating
life, in the strength of life, when life is at its strongest,
young people. We live in a world and a culture
which celebrates life in the young, which has a culture of
eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die. It has a culture of
living for the moment, which celebrates the youth. Everything
is geared towards entertaining youth with the music and the
pleasures, the drugs, the drink, the parties, everything is for
youth. this comes into the churches and people say oh we must have
something for the young people we must have something for the
young people we must understand that the young people have their
needs and their wants and they won't listen to the same thing
that old people listen to we don't want an old-fashioned gospel
an old-fashioned message but this is a denial of the truth
that God does not change he's the same God of the old as he
is of the young and he has the same message to come to speak
to the old person stands on the brink of death as he does to
the young person who thinks he has many years ahead of him and
yet really stands just as much on the brink of death as his
father and his grandfather does he's the same god men may change
but god doesn't god doesn't change he's the same god as he ever
was he's the same eternal sovereign immutable king he has the same
authority and the same rule He rules over this world, he rules
over the nations, he rules over time, he rules over everything. His power and his dominion extend
to every nation. He raises up the kings, he raises
up the powers. There is an election being fought
in a great power over the oceans in the United States and there
will be much said and much done and much noise made. whoever
comes into power it's at God's decree, he rules over it and
he's working his purposes out behind it. Men may say much and
may do much but God is the God overall and there is nothing
said and done in this world which is not decreed by God. He's the same God, he never changes,
he's the same Lord, Christ is the same Lord, he's the same
King kings as he was when he was exalted, when he was when
he was born in the manger, when he was when the angels sang of
him and praised him, when he was when he rose from the dead,
when he was when he was ascended, he reigns as king. God is eternal,
his decrees don't change, his decrees from everlasting, his
decrees to save a people are the same decrees elected before
this foundations of these of this world to save a people and
those decrees that choice of a people in in Christ when God
chose a people in his son that people he chose to save that
same people were saved and are being gathered in not one will
be added to that number and not one will be taken away. God's
mercy doesn't change his grace doesn't change He has the same
message of salvation today as he ever had and the same message
of mercy, the same message of grace. His love doesn't change. He loved the people with an everlasting
love and he will always love that people. His justice doesn't
change. People change the gospel. They
change the message to suit the times and seasons. They say,
oh, people don't want to hear those old things. And what do
they take out? Well, they take out the justice.
take out the righteousness of God, they'll speak of his love
but they won't speak of his justice but this God doesn't change,
his love doesn't change but his justice doesn't change, his righteousness
doesn't change and his fury and hatred for sin doesn't change. He burns in anger against sin. That burn in anger and fury and
wrath against sin against the sins of his people, against the
sins of the wicked. Burns with as much fury today
as it ever did. He was furious when his creation
turned in wickedness against him in the times of Noah and
that fury and that anger against sin he exhibited when he poured
out his wrath upon the nations and sending the great flood upon
this earth. he is furious with the wickedness
of mankind today. He hates the sins of every man,
whether they're his or whether they're another's, he hates the
sins. Have you ever discovered the
wrath of God against sin? Believer, what can you say of
your beginnings What can you say of your beginnings if you've
come to know the grace of God and the salvation of God? What
do you know of the wrath of God? You'll never know the love of
God except you come the path of lamentations. The path where
you of Jeremiah could cry out and say I am the man that has
seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. Jeremiah speaks in
prophecy of Christ but this is an experience true of all who
are brought this way. God will bring you to see his
anger against your sin and you won't come into the gates you
won't come into the gates of the kingdom except you come that
narrow way and by that straight gate for God doesn't change and
his anger against sin doesn't change and he'll bring his people
to see his wrath against sin that he's furious with sin and
that he will judge sin and he will not spare his judgment our
sins will be judged your sins will be judged with an eternal
and an almighty and a furious judgment a furious burning of
wrath against those sins for none will come into his presence
with sins none will come before him on that judgment day with
sins and wickedness in their hands and think they will be
spared you'll either come into his presence with an answer for
those sins or you will be judged eternally forever he is just
and he does not change. We will discover the wrath of
God either we will discover it in time now as the spirit convicts
us of sin and convicts us of his anger against those sins
and brings us low. It's a mercy to discover it now
or if we never discover it now and live through this life in
a hard-hearted manner thinking God will spare us at the end
surely he's a God of love and go in before him saying oh I
heard a gospel oh I accepted Jesus he's a he's a peaceful
God I'll be fine and if we've got no answer for our sins other
than something we did other than a vain hope in a God that will
spare then we'll have an awful awful message depart from me
ye that never knew me. O brethren may that never be
our brought to our hearing let us not be light for such things.
God hates sin he hates wickedness and it's because he hates sin
and he hates wickedness that he could not spare his son. His
purposes remain sure from everlasting does not change, he would save
a people, he gave a people to his son whom he would save and
he would set his love upon them, he would deliver them from their
unrighteousness, he would deliver them from their wickedness and
he would deliver them from that that is rough against their sins
but because his justice does not does not change because his
righteousness does not change had to deal with their wickedness
and this is the message of the gospel and this is the great
hope of the gospel this is why it's such a great hope that thou
our lord remaineth forever because he would not turn from that which
he had purposed eternally he had set his love upon a people
he would save that people so he would save them and he would
save them by offering up his son upon a train because his
justice would be upheld and he would judge their sins in his
son that they might not be judged and he had to offer his son as
a substitute and he had to pour out that wrath of God that wrath
which burned, burned against their sins poured it out upon
his own son that they might be spared and he died as their substitute
He died as their offering. He died in their place. That
God might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
That's the message of the gospel. The message of the gospel is
that God gave his son a substitute for his people. He stood in their
place. He took that wrath. He didn't
turn a blind eye. He didn't flinch from it. didn't
say we'll find another way lord when he saw what was awaiting
him when he went to the garden of gethsemane on that awful night
before he would be offered up when he wrestled in prayer with
his father and said father if it be possible take this cup from me but nevertheless
not my will lord but thine be done He longed that there might
be another way. He longed that he might be spared
from drinking that cup. He longed that he might be spared
from having to be made sin, from having to bear the filth of their
sins in his own body on the tree. Surely there might be another
way to uphold God's eternal purpose, to show forth his eternal love
for his to uphold his justice, might there not be another way?
But there wasn't another way. He had to suffer in their stead.
There wasn't another way. And that's the gospel. And there
isn't another gospel. There isn't another gospel. God's
way of salvation does not change. And his gospel doesn't change.
He remains the same. This gospel doesn't change. You
see God didn't change and this is the great hope for us in salvation
that he is faithful to his promises. He's faithful and sure he remains
the same. Our great hope is that God is
not a God of change. God is not a God that changes
to suit the situation. God doesn't react to man. When
man changes and goes about and changes to this and to that God
doesn't react to it. He doesn't alter his plans. When
God created this world he was working his purposes out but
when Adam and mankind in Adam fell and transgressed the commandment
of God, when man plunged into sin and brought sin and condemnation
upon him, God didn't react, God didn't change what he had purposed,
God didn't say now what can I do to recover that which is lost.
God knew that man would sin God made him in that state, God knew
he would sin and everything that man did and does and is doing
is simply an outworking of God's eternal purpose. God doesn't
alter his plans. When man sins he doesn't find
some escape plan. When we go this way he doesn't
change his purposes. There's a breed of thinking I've
thought these days of theology that some people across that
God essentially changes as man changes when man brings in this
thought and that thought that God then changes that the gospel
is a sort of response to the change of man. This is a lie,
an absolute lie. God is not a God that changes. Man's reaction to the gospel
doesn't bring God to change. If men hear the truth and hear
the gospel and reject it or believe it that doesn't alter a thing
with God. God doesn't change to suit men. If many reject,
he doesn't alter his gospel to try to appease them. God doesn't
alter his message to try to convince. What man does does not alter
or change God. He's the same God. He's the same
God throughout all history. Everything that man does is simply
outworking God's purposes. And it's the fact of God's steadfastness,
his faithfulness, that ultimately leads to our salvation. because
he's a God who is solid, he's the only thing that is sure and
certain. When we live in a world of change,
when we change, when we're fickle, when we're vile, when we fall
and crumble, what we need is someone who is sure, someone
who can be trusted, someone who is sure to his promises. When
we come to the word of God and read the promises of God in the
gospel, we need to know that we can believe. We need to know
that he is a god who is a refuge. He is a god who is a rock. He
is a god who is a high tower, a shore tower, a refuge, a resting
place. We need to know that he's the
god that remains forever. We need to know that he's the
king who remains the king, that he remains forever. And the wonderful
truth of the gospel is that these things are true. The gospel doesn't
change. God is sovereign, he is the king,
he is absolutely sovereign. All the changes, all the changes
of the nations, all the changes we see in the church, don't alter
a thing. Don't alter a thing. He's doing
what he purposes, he's doing what he wills. He's bringing
everything about as he wills. He has said that he will build
his church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
And he is building his church. And the gates of Hades don't
prevail may live in days like the days of lamentations here
where many have fallen away and many don't seem to come to the
worship of God, where many seem to be apathetic, when the love
of many has grown cold and we may look on with the eyes of
men and say is God building this church? But he is, he is building
his church, he is seeking out and saving everyone for whom
Christ died. His gospel remains the same,
his purposes remain the same, his church remains the same.
He's building it. His means of salvation, the preaching
of the gospel remains the same. His son remains the same. He
is Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. Oh, it's a tremendous truth that
God remains forever. He remains forever. we may look
upon man we've said about man that men come and go that nations
come and go that times and seasons fashions winds come and go men
seems to change but really does man change? All the changes are superficial
yes man is born yes his life is but a vapor but every man
born upon this world will find that he is immortal in the sense
that when he passes from this world into eternity he never
dies he has a worm that never dies and the changes which occur
in time are but for a moment and they will determine what
happens in this world will have a bearing upon every man and
woman in this world that has an eternal bearing upon their
future when they pass out of this world and it's times of
change they will go into an internal future which is fixed which is
fixed and which cannot be changed there's no coming back there's
no coming back to say oh I made a mistake I want to go back and
I want to hear the gospel again maybe once I've heard these things
and seen these things I will now know I will go back and I
will tell others as we read of in the parable
you see of the of the rich man of Lazarus the one was sent to
hell sent to Hades and he wanted to go back to warn his brethren
but there's no going back there's an eternal future fixed. But
despite all the changes which occur in men in this fickle time
in which they live ultimately they're the same they're but
sinners they're but the rebellious creatures of the earth They're
but children of Adam, sons of Adam. They've rebelled against
their maker. They're made, they're conceived,
they're born in iniquity. And they're basically the same,
and their needs are the same. Many things seem to change, but
as Ecclesiastes tell us, there is no new thing under the sun.
We see many modern inventions, many modern novelties, all sorts
of things changing around us, but there's no new thing under
the sun. Man's basic need has not changed. He's dead in trespasses
and sins. He's a dead fallen sinner. And
if he remains in that state till his dying day, he will be judged
and cast out forever to eternal judgment. His need is just as
great today. Your need is just as great. My
need is just as great. And how tremendous that the gospel
hasn't changed. How tremendous that God's remedy
for the sin of mankind has not changed. How tremendous that
his message has not changed and though the churches might bring
in novelties, might change the message, might bring in this
that and the other, God's true church, Christ's church does
not change and his gospel preached in those places where he is truly
worshipped does not change. He is as vigorous today in sending
out that gospel to seek his own and to gather them in as he ever
was because he does not change. His message of salvation now
is just as powerful and just as needy and just the same. He
loves his own with an everlasting love. He gave his son to save
them. He poured out his wrath upon
that son for the sins of each and every one whom he would save.
And he is just as diligent and just as active in our day and
age. The Spirit is just as active
in seeking them out. He's just as active in sending
the Gospel out by the lips of those whom he would save. He's
just as busy today as he's ever been. O Lord, thou, O Lord, remainest
forever. He remains today. He's seeking
and saving those who are lost. And he will not rest until everyone
has been brought to his Son. He will not rest until he's brought
them in to know his salvation, until he's brought every sinner
for whom he died As he brought them to the sound of the gospel
and brings them to the foot of the cross, he will not rest until
with invincible grace the Spirit speaks comfort to their hearts
and comes and convicts them of their sin, brings them low and
brings them to hear their message of their salvation. He will not
rest until he brings them to the foot of the cross. Has he
brought you there? Has he brought you there today?
Has he brought you to the cross, to the foot of the cross, to
the Saviour, to the King of Kings? to the Lord of Lords, to the
one who remains forever, to that King whose throne is from generation
to generation. Has he brought you there? Has
he sought you out in the Gospel? Has he shown you your need of
him? Have you cried out to him, turn
us, turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned. Renew
our days as of old. Has he brought you there? he
brought you there for that's where you need to be brought
that's where we all need to be brought that's where we all need
to be brought and what a wonderful truth that God doesn't change
and his message of salvation doesn't change and his means
and his methods of bringing us to to know his salvation don't
change he still is building his church he still is sending his
gospel he still is sending that gospel in He still is sending
that Gospel by the Holy Ghost, and He still is sending that
Gospel to the furthest corners of this earth, to those who have
heard not, to those who are still in their filth, in their corruption,
to come unto them to bring comfort to them, and to say, come unto
my Son, come all ye that labour and are heavy laden, come and
see that I have made an end of transgressions, come and see. He still saves. His message remains
the same. Have you heard? Have you heard,
have you been brought there? Have you been brought to hear
the wonders of that one that suffered? The wonders of that
one who was nailed upon a tree, who was beaten and bruised in
the stead of sinners, who took that wrath of God and took that
cup and drank it to their dregs, that they might be bespared? Oh, can we say with Peter, blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according
to his abundant mercy have begotten us again unto a lively hope by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance
incorruptible and undefiled and that fade if not away reserved
in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith
under salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Have you been
brought there? Have you been brought? Is that
the faith you've been given? Are you kept by the power of
God through faith unto salvation? Has it been revealed in the last
times to you? Has this gospel, this everlasting
gospel of an everlasting Saviour, is that your hope? Is that your
trust? Is that your rest? May the Lord
give us grace and mercy to know these things. May he reveal his
Son to us and in us. May he reveal that one who is
the same yesterday and today and forever. May we know the
joy of our salvation in Jesus Christ, the saviour of sinners. May we know the joy of knowing
with Jeremiah of old, as he rises up at the end of his lament,
with this great hope in which he has, this great hope in which
he can rest, that joy, that thou, O Lord, remainest forever and
ever, thy throne for generations. Amen.