Preached in Greenock, Second Sabbath of October, 1949,
by Rev. J. MACLEOD, Greenock.
“Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his
wonderful works to the children of men,” etc. (Ps. civi, 8, 9).
(Continued from page 169.)
(3) The Lord will satisfy the poor in Zion with life eternal. The food, drink, and life of their souls is Christ in His glorious finished work. He did all things well, and they may be sure He will fulfil the whole purpose of God in the spirit and letter, and this itself is food to hungry souls. They were brought face to face with the realities of a future eternity—the infinite future! It is not a dream but a great soul-searching experience which is so real, so true, that time and sense fades out of sight as if the last five thousand years were but like a shadow. They lean upon Christ in the Word of God as a sure foundation, firm, eternal, and unchangeable—“He is my Rock and stay.” He is indeed Almighty, near, precious, and always ready to help.
The poor believer hungers after holiness, peace and assurance of eternal life. He cannot, and dare not, act the part of the foolish virgins. He seeks the oil of saving grace in the lamp of his profession—true faith, love, genuine humility, and spiritual desires after communion with God. He must examine himself in the light of the truth of God. Hath love to self been destroyed? Is the love of the world overwhelmed by the fear of God? Does he hate sin in his heart? Is it a fact or mere sentiment that he would like to see his enemies, as well as his friends, relations, nation and generation, brought into the kingdom of God? If he is right in heart in these matters the promise is sure: “For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” The gospel is the “goodness” that filleth the soul—the Word, the Spirit, and promise. Some poor man may say, “I am so corrupt, vile and dead that I am afraid that it is a delusion with me from the beginning.” If this poor man will go back like Job and think of the years that are past, we believe that he will find the true marks of saving grace in his soul. First, trace out how the Lord and His Word began to deal with you. Was it yourself that began, or was it the Word of God? When the Word of God began to deal with you did you see then your sin and misery, and your need of Christ as your Saviour? Were you assured then that Christ alone could save you? “Yes, but I seem like one that would have lost something most precious, and do what I will I cannot find it!” You must realise that feeling is one thing, and resting your soul by faith in the finished work of Christ is another matter. Your questions never trouble the hypocrite, and the formalist. They are sure of themselves, and they can adjust their religion, feelings and profession to suit the occasion. If you were to refer them to chapters vii and viii of the Romans they would tell quite frankly that such doctrines were not for them! They had no wars, parties and such laws operating in their hearts—that belonged to Paul and his times. They have no need of the precious blood of the Lamb. They are so good and perfect that the corruption of the heart never troubles them. What they live for is a name among men, not a place among the children of light. The believer can see in all this, danger, hypocrisy and extreme corruption, which is hid from the eyes of the poor miserable formalist. Another source of temptation to the poor in Zion is the religious hypocrites who declare on the house top the “portions of Scriptures” they get for all occasions and for every use that suits their own carnal ideas. “But unto the wicked, God saith, what hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldst take my covenant in thy mouth. Seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my Words behind thee,” (Ps. 1, 16, 17). They will not be instructed by the Word of God. It is they that will “instruct” and twist the Word from its context to establish their own notions, opinions and conclusions about their fellow beings. “Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son,” (Ps. 1, 19, 20). They are the people that “get the passages” which their own memories ferret from the Bible to their eternal destruction if saving grace will not in mercy prevent it. The poor of the Lord love the whole Bible, as it is to them the Word of God in every part and portion of it. If the Word in the hand of the Spirit speaks to their understanding, they know it is the voice of their Beloved. It may speak to them in a way of reproof, exhortation, admonition, comfort, enlightening their minds in the path of duty; what they should do, and not do, what they should say, and not say. When the Word is silent to them they must wait upon the Lord.
They have no quarrel against the Law of God. The Law is holy, just and good. They quarrel with themselves for their evil heart of unbelief and carnality of thought, worldly affections and deadness of mind. Satan is watching them and seeking to destroy them by their heart corruption. Will they ever get rid of it? What a deep pit that heart is; they struggle against fierce enemies, and often conclude that the enemy gains every battle. That is not the case, although it is their conclusions. It is not the Armenian “faith” they have which can defeat every foe according to the unholy imagination of the poor silly free-willers. They must wait upon the Lord for grace and in His providence as well as in His Word. They love the gospel as they can see in it that God can save them for Christ’s sake without the efforts of their dead, wicked and corrupt wills! It is grace that renews the will, and changes the affections and understanding and creates living desires in their poor souls. Otherwise, how could a dead creature resurrect himself? Never! The Holy Spirit quickens the dead. He is the quickening power that operates in the soul. Man is dead spiritually, and divine and eternal power alone can bring him back to life: “For this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.” “And you hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins.” What has the bold Armenian to say to this? He won’t be silenced by the truth of God. It is at the Tribunal of the Judge of all that his deceitful tongue will be forever silenced! The poor of the Lord know very well that the grace of God in Christ alone can save them. They pray for mercy, mercy, and for mercy all the time. They pray for faith, protection and guidance in every step. They are much afraid of themselves, and well they may be as they found out a little of the wickedness of their vile natures. They learn by experience. It is not book experience which they have drawn from the sayings and writings of the saints of God. The Bible is their Book. The blessed Holy Spirit brought them to the Bible, and keeps them at the Book of God. They could do without every book in the world but the Bible. Christ meets with them in the Bible, and they see Him there, and love His blessed name. They desire to see Him in His own Ordinances. If Christ is not at the communion services by His Word, presence and spirit it is no communion to them. If He is not in the Word preached, the sermon is so much mere dead empty sound to their ears. It is for Christ they are looking, seeking, and following on. Now, if you are of those who are described in the text your portion will be with the saints in light, in heaven, and you will not be lost. You may be cast down, tried, tossed, and tempted to write hard things against yourself, but the Lord will not cast you off. He went to prepare a place for you in heaven, and that place is for you. You cannot be deprived of it. You are not worth a place in heaven, but Christ is worthy to prepare it for you. So you see, that you must leave it with Christ Himself to carry you to heaven at last. Christ will meet you to carry you up there, and then, and not till then, your troubles will be at an end for ever. “Then they be glad because they be quiet; so He bringeth them unto their desired haven,” (Ps. cvii, 30).
All the promises are for His people from the beginning of the Bible to the end of it. You may be complaining of your want of love to the blessed Redeemer, that if you had that, your life would be more comfortable than it is. That may be your “Crook in the Lot,” and if it is you must bear with it patiently for the Lord’s sake. You may be complaining that your prayers are so dead, formal and heartless that you are ashamed of your poor efforts. That shews one thing clear enough, that you are not a son or daughter of the Pharisees. They are quite pleased with their own long wordy prayers. You are complaining that you do not fight and war on the side of Christ as you used to do against the devil and corruption. The enemy is so active and you so weak in resisting the murderers of your soul. You may be afraid to sit at the Lord’s Table, and indeed an enemy within saying that you ought not, and in fact that you should never have done it from the beginning. Satan would have blotted out the name of Christ long ago, and any recollection of His love, mercy, death, resurrection, and intercession within the veil, and surely you would not like to support Satan in this work? Not for a thousand worlds. My fear is that I am not honouring Him as I should and that I am not right in my heart and conscience before the all-seeing eye of God. Can you pray without Christ? No, nor eat, drink, sleep, walk or move about this life without seeking that He would guide, keep, protect and lead me in the right way. Is His blood your only refuge against the blasts of corruption that rise in your mind? Yes, I would die in despair if it were not for the blood of Christ. Listen to this from the pure water of life: “For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord, thy Redeemer.” You are in duty bound to witness for your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as long as life lasts. In this day of darkness, spiritual decay, the poor of the Lord are tossed on the sea of uncertainty—the enemy raging within and without on Sabbath days and week days; idolatry, immorality, blaspheming the very name of God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Word, and true piety which pains the hearts of the godly. The dance, cinema, and that other instrument which is largely used by the devil and his agents on the Lord’s Day—the wireless. God shall bring them to judgment. In the midst of all this, and facing all you have to meet with, you have, daily and hourly, cause why you should praise God for His goodness. Cast your burdens upon the Lord, and He will sustain you to the end.