Prayer
Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple (Psalm 65:4).
Today’s Hymn
Words: John Newton, 1774; appeared in Olney Hymns (London: W. Oliver, 1779).
DAY OF JUDGMENT! DAY OF WONDERS!
Click here for tune.
Day of judgment! Day of wonders!
Hark! the trumpets awful sound,
Louder than a thousand thunders,
Shakes the vast creation round!
How the summons wilt the sinners heart confound!
See the Judge, our nature wearing,
Clothed in majesty divine!
You who long for His appearing
Then shall say, This God is mine!
Gracious Savior, own me in that day for Thine!
At His call the dead awaken,
Rise to life from earth and sea;
All the powers of nature shaken
By His look, prepares to flee.
Careless sinner, what will then become of thee?
Horrors, past imagination,
Will surprise your trembling heart,
When you hear your condemnation,
Hence, accursed wretch, depart!
Thou, with Satan and his angels, have thy part!
Satan, who now tries to please you,
Lest you timely warning take,
When that word is past, will seize you,
Plunge you in the burning lake:
Think, poor sinner, thy eternal alls at stake.
But to those who have confessèd,
Loved and served the Lord below,
He will say, Come near, ye blessèd,
See the kingdom I bestow;
You forever shall My love and glory know.
Under sorrows and reproaches,
May this thought your courage raise!
Swiftly Gods great day approaches,
Sighs shall then be changed to praise.
We shall triumph when the world is in a blaze.
Thought Provoker
Has your church in recent years had to go through the process of seeking the Lord for a new Pastor? It’s a precious thing when there is 100% unanimity about calling a particular man. However, the procedure can sometimes be painful. It doesn’t seem to matter who the Lord sends to preach, there’s usually something that someone doesn’t like about each preacher (and sadly it’s sometimes something trivial, like a mannerism, or appearance, or an accent). One wonders with some congregations whether even if Spurgeon were to preach “with a view, they would still turn him down! We need to face facts: There is no such thing as a perfect Pastor! Ask the family what they think is the most important qualification?
Dad’s Study
One godly Scottish Pastor said that his congregation’s greatest need was for his holiness. Spurgeon said: “The gifts which I feel I should crave beyond every other boon is holiness, pure and immaculate holiness. In the chapter before us, Moses sets before the people the very high standards of moral and ceremonial holiness required to be a priest under the Old Covenant.
These men may have been as free as possible of all outward blemishes, but the Lord looks on the heart. Of course they all fell short of the perfect glory of God. For the Israelite with faith, this put a longing in their hearts for God to provide not only a perfect sacrifice, but also a perfect priest:
For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the peoples: for this he did once, when he offered up himself (Heb. 7:26-27). Note:
a) The priest could not touch a dead body, except a close relative without being defiled (v.1-5). Our Lord Jesus Christ took a dead little girl by the hand, and told her to get up. (Mark 5:41) Why do you think he wasn’t defiled by this?
b) The priest kept a certain distance from people e.g. when dealing with death, the priest must not display the usual signs of sadness, like tearing his clothes (v.10). Our Lord Jesus Christ wept over Lazarus. What does that tell us about Him?
c) The priests were to be considered holy, because the Lord, who is holy, made them holy. (v. 8, 15, 23). Under the new covenant, because we are made holy by the blood of Christ, all believers are “priests unto God”. Are there any general principles in this list of rules for priests that apply to us? E.g. our speech (v.6); who we marry (v.7, 13-15); how we approach God (v.16-24)
Click here for Matthew Henry’s Commentary.
Truth in Practice
When the members of your family realize afresh today how much they have failed, remind them that they have a high priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, because He was tempted in all points like us, yet was without sin. They should approach the throne of grace with holy confidence.
Catechism
Question 79
Q. What is the duty of such as are rightly baptized?
A. It is the duty of such as are rightly baptized, to give up themselves to some particular and orderly Church of Jesus Christ (Ac. 2:47; Ac. 9:26; 1 Pe. 2:5) that they may walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless (Lu. 1:6).
