At the commencement of this worship service and funeral service, we would appreciate if you could just check that your mobile phone is either on silent mode or it is turned off. We would really appreciate that and we'll see if any embarrassment on your behalf and also respect even the service for which it has been convened for. It was God, the Holy Spirit, through the penmanship of Solomon, who said in Ecclesiastes 7, verse 2, it is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart. Today God, in his providence, has brought us to the house of mourning. in which we are reminded of God's sovereignty in death as well as in life. I trust that the reality of our own day of death, the sureness of the final judgment, and the greatness of God's unending eternity will cause every heart to be solemnized in this church today. On behalf of the Lamont Family Circle, let me thank you for coming to the funeral for the late Mrs. Nan Lamont. I know that your presence here today, as well as your expressions of sympathy and tokens of love in recent days, have been a tremendous comfort to them as a family circle. And surely the large attendance at the House of God on a weekday surely evidences the high esteem that Mrs. Lamont was hailed, as well as the family circle who are gathered with us today. As the minister of this congregation here in Portland-Owen Free Presbyterian Church, I want, on behalf of the eldership, the committee, and the church family here to extend our sincere Christian sympathies to Mrs. Lamont's surviving family circle. We extend our sympathies to Mrs. Lamont's son, Brian, and his wife, Christine, to their children, Oliver and Natalie, to their spouses, Emily and Mason, and their children, Judah, Elsa, and Meva. Sympathy is also extended to Mrs. Jean Wilson, the last surviving individual within the Logan family, and Mrs. Lamont's only surviving sister, and also to the family members of the late Mr. Stuart Logan, Margaret, and William. To all who knew Mrs. Lamont, we assure you, as a church family here, of our prayers in coming days. May God, the God of all comfort, may he be pleased to grant unto you beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. I want to turn to our opening praise, our opening item of worship. It is the Psalm 23, the shepherd's psalm. The Lord's my shepherd, I'll not want. He makes me down to lie. We'll stand and we'll worship God as we sing the psalm together. Let me encourage you to sing well today, please. The Psalm 23. Let's stand to sing. The Lord's my shepherd I'll not want, He makes me down to lie. pasture and staff me comfort still my table that has furnished In presence of my foes, My head I doss with oil anoint, And my cup overflows. Goodness and mercy all my life shall surely follow me, and in God's house forevermore my dwelling place You may be seated. Can I just say before we come to the Lord in prayer, that I received a telephone call just before I came out to go to make my way to the family home, to Brian's home. It was the Reverend Gordon Ferguson and the Reverend Gordon Ferguson wanted me to pass on his sympathies. He cannot be here today, his other engagements to attend to and so I know that Mr. Ferguson, Reverend Ferguson was a neighbour and also a good friend. and when he was the student minister here long before our dear friend Mr. Linden came to the congregation. So he extends sympathies to the family circle. Let's unite in prayer, please, together. We'll come to the throne of heavenly grace. Our loving Father, we come to Thee in the name that is above all other names, in the name of our blessed Savior, Lord Jesus Christ. We come by faith, Lord. We enter in, Lord. Into thy presence we come with boldness, with confidence, not because of anything which we possess, but because today we find, those of us who know thee, we find ourselves robed in the righteousness of Christ and covered in the garments of salvation. We thank thee for that great exchange that took place when we bowed the knee and humbled ourselves at the foot of the cross We thank Thee that Christ took our sin onto His body. He took our sin to Himself. As it were, dear God, He became sin for us who knew no sin. He bore the wrath of God that was due our sin in his own sacred and blessed body, and he in turn gave to us his perfect righteousness. Oh, the wondrous exchange that it is that Christ would clothe us in his righteousness, having taken from us the rags of our own self-righteousness. We come, Lord, and we thank thee for, O God, the opportunity to gather to worship Thee, we understand, we are aware, Lord, for the occasion to which we have been brought to this place of public worship. Lord, we understand the sorrow and the grief, dear God, that is experienced by the family circle gathered with, oh God, us today. We understand, Lord, the rending of the heart, and yet we bless Thee that there's comfort found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We thank you for that glad day when Mrs. Lamont put her faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Thank you for that moment on her life's journey where she understood that she was a sinner, that she was estranged from God, that she knew not God. She was, Lord, in a standing before God that found her alienated from God and an enmity with God. And yet we thank you that all that changed. when she confessed her sin and repented of it and believed the gospel of Jesus Christ. We thank Thee, O God, for her life and testimony. Lord, we remember her fondly. Remember, O God, her faithfulness in the work of God. and her commitment to the cause of Jesus Christ, her love for souls, her praying ministry unseen by many, and yet Lord consistently engaged in down through many, many years. And we pray, Lord, that thou wilt come now and comfort those that are left behind. We pray, dear Father, that they may know the comfort of God in and through his word today. We pray, dear Father, that you'll draw near. Grant, dear Father, thy presence in this house. May thy power be known. May thy speaking voice be heard. Oh, we understand that there are many in our community who care not for spiritual things, who do not concern themselves about the things of death and of eternity. But we pray, dear God, that in this house today, they will be confronted, dear God, with these matters. And they'll come to trust in man's Savior and in man's Lord and Master. O come, dear God, by, we pray. Help Brian, we ask, as he gives tribute to his dear mother. And we pray, dear God, that you'll assist even in that. And then, in the preaching of thy word, we thank thee for the God who never dies, him, he who is immortal, invisible, to the everlasting God, the God who does not change. And from him we derive all our comfort today, knowing that those who die in Christ are with Christ, and therefore for them, as Paul said, it is far better. So answer prayer. And guide, Lord, throughout the rest of this service. We pray this in and through the Savior's precious name. These are prayers. Amen and amen. I would know that many words of comfort have been expressed to the family over the last number of days, whether that was through maybe a text message, whether that was by your presence in the family home. But there is only really one source of comfort to which we can go to and derive. Blessed comfort and that is to the scriptures of holy truth the scriptures are described in the book of Romans in the chapter number 15 they're described there as The scriptures are the comfort off the scriptures, and so we're turning to the Word of God to read a number of portions We're reading first of all from John chapter 14 These are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ to his disciples, to his followers, to those who had trusted in him. You remember that. If you're not a Christian, these were not written for you, but these were written for those who have come to trust in Jesus Christ, as our sister Mrs. Lamont did. Jesus Christ said, let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may be also and whether I go you know and the way you know Thomas saith unto him Lord, we know not whether thou goest, and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh on to the Father but by me. And then later on in the chapter, in the verse 27, Jesus Christ said, peace. I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. And then in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, we read in the verse 51, behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying, that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, the strength of sin is the law, but thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. And then our third and final reading is found in the book of the Revelation. John is given insight into all that happens in heaven, and he comes to record for us Hear these words beginning at the verse number nine. After this, I beheld, and though a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and palms in their hands, and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen, blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. One of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes, and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said unto me, These are they which come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple. And he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more. Neither shall the sun lighten them, nor any heat. For the lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them on to living fountains of waters. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Amen. May God bless the public reading of his infallible truth. We're going to ask our brother, Mr. Lamont, our brother Brian, to come and say a few words in tribute for his mom today. Thank you. Quite a turnout for a 92-year-old on a Tuesday. I think it says a lot about my mum. Nancy Logan, or Nan, as she much preferred, was born in the Craigs, as it was called then, now down on the road on the 14th of April, 1932. She was the second daughter of Hugh and Elizabeth Logan. She survived by her younger sister, Jean, who's here today, She was also referred to as Stuart Logan's sister in some quarters. Richard mentioned at Stuart's funeral last year that he was often addressed as Stuart Logan's son. Well, the association applied to his sisters as well. As I said, she was born in 1932. That's a long time ago, seven years before the start of World War II. She attended Craig School and Balamina Technical School. She did well at school, and in a different era would probably have been college or university material. She had pretensions to be a teacher, and I think she was made a very good one. She certainly taught me a thing or two. She worked in the offices of both Hamilton's and Stuart's stores in Ballymena in their payroll and accounts department. She was always great with figures, and thankfully she passed that on to me from an early age. She married Jim Lamont in September 1960, moved a couple of miles down the hill to Maboy Road, where she remained until August last year, and became a full-time farmer's wife, cook, baker extraordinaire. Her apple pies and buns were to die for. I arrived in June 1963, and she added mother to her many titles. She was a great mom. When you're a kid, you work out quickly which parent is easier to manipulate when you need something or want something. In my case, that was mum. Dad would see through my ploys fairly quickly. I think mum did as well, but she was kind to a fault. I'm sure many here today could echo that. Quite a few people have spoken to me over the last few days about her kindness and thoughtfulness. She loved nothing more than gathering a group of us cousins and friends together and heading off to Poglenone Forest, or the stream behind the house, with a humper of food. These weren't gourmet picnics, but a pan, loaf, and butter, plus a few portions of Kearney's chips. Boy, would they hit the spot. And then there were the Boxing Night family get-togethers on Maboy Road. All of us who attended those remember them so fondly, the fun, Laughter and general mayhem ensued every 26th of December. Great lasting memories of my father, Uncle William, and Uncle Stuart, who have all gone to glory. Mum's kindness knew no bounds. On many occasions, I witnessed her giving up her lunch or dinner to a workman or some random person who was helping Dad out with something on the farm. She'd think nothing of it. Not only was she a loving mum, she became a doting grandmother to Natalie and Oliver. She travelled over to Manchester in 2018 to attend Ollie and Emily's wedding at the ripe old age of 86. The photograph on the Order of Service is actually taken at his wedding. She was there too when Natalie married Mason in 2020. She really took a shine to Mason. especially after he acted as her porter and attendant through Belfast and Manchester airports when she went to Ollie and Emily's wedding. She enjoyed Basin's sense of humor and they both shared a passion for Viscount biscuits. She lived to see her great-grandson Judah and two great-granddaughters, Isla and Maeva, who are both with us today. Judah's in Belfast with his other granny. She had trouble in recent times remembering their names, but we'll forgive her for that in 92. Part of mum died seven years ago when dad passed away. I don't think she was ever quite the same. They were an inseparable duo who are now reunited. As old age took hold, she became a different person from the one I described earlier, but until a few weeks ago, she could still get around without a walking aid or a stick, Aunt Gina and I used to tease her that she was too proud to use a stick, which didn't always go down well. She had quite a few health issues throughout her life. She also survived a horrendous bus crash in 1992, where one of her best friends and next-door neighbour Lily Barclay lost her life. I think many folk who had an experience like that would never have set their foot in a bus again, but not Nan Lamont. Her near-death experience didn't seem to deter her in the slightest. She and Dad continued to go on coach trips to Scotland once or twice a year, almost right up until he suffered a stroke in 2017. I've highlighted her kindness to others and her loving nature as a sister, wife, mum, aunt, granny, great-granny. But even though she had all those qualities, that is not what ultimately defined her. Her personal faith in God was what defined her. And it was evident from anyone who knew her that this was the case. Up until her eyesight allowed, her Bible was never far away. She loved hymn singing. And it was lovely to see her singing along when someone came into the home in a huckle to sing. It was amazing that even though she couldn't have told you what she had for her lunch half an hour earlier, she could remember every word of hymns that she had learned from her childhood. She was a faithful member of this church for 50 plus years, I'd imagine. I don't know exactly how many. And until her health deteriorated in recent years, she hardly ever missed a service. I describe her as a godly woman who didn't seek after the limelight, but wasn't afraid to share her faith with others. Just as an example, when she attended Ollie's wedding in Manchester, Mason and her shared a taxi from the airport into the city. Before exiting the taxi, she reached into her handbag, pulled out a gospel tract, and gave it to the Asian taxi driver. She often carried a supply of tracts and leaflets in her handbag. That was mum. She was always writing down Bible verses and little nuggets from sermons that impacted her. Natalie picked up this little notebook from the house the other evening. It's one of many she kept. It's dated the 1st of January, Healy 7. I had a quick look through it last night, and this phrase jumped off the page. She wrote this. It says, what we call life is a journey to death. What we call death is the gateway to life. And she just wrote it down sometime in 1988. And down below it says, those who leave us remain forever in our hearts. How true that is. We'll miss her so much, even though she hasn't been such a constant presence in our lives for the last while. On that note, I'd like to thank the staff at Antrim Erie Hospital who cared for Mum in the last few weeks. The staff at Carnmoyne Residential Home, where she lived so contentedly for 14 months before taking unwell. The carers who called with her when she still lived at Maboy Road. I'd also like to thank all those who texted and called about her and visited her in hospital in recent days. Too many to mention just now, but you know who you are. I'd also like to thank Caldwell Funeral Services for the efficient and dignified way they've arranged and conducted the funeral today. And thanks also to Iris Farmhouse Cuisine for the food which will be served after the service. I think I've said enough. Mum never did like folk complimenting her, especially in her old age. She would smile when someone said, you're looking well, Nan. Often replying, are you joking? And follow up with, what about all these wrinkles? Her wrinkles and pain have gone. Her confusion from dementia is over. She's more alive now than she has ever been. Jim and Nan have been reunited. I hope and pray that everyone here today will ensure that they will meet her again someday. Thank you. We appreciate, Brian, your words concerning your mummy. We know that you loved her dearly, and she loved you as a family circle and would often speak about you, and I would often ask about you, and she's only too happy to boast about her son and about her grandchildren and then great-grandchildren as well. You couldn't but love Nan Lamont. She'd always say, I have no enemies. That's what she'd always say. She'd always say, I have no enemies. And I can truly say that that is the case. Nan Lamont had no enemies. Mrs. Lamont, affectionately known to us as Nan, was a Stalwart supporter and member of the work of God here in Portland-Owen Free Presbyterian Church. Over the last 11 years that I have been here as the minister, there was hardly a meeting that Mrs. Lamont was not present whenever her health permitted. Lord's Day services, prayer meetings, weeks of ministry meetings, gospel missions, children's meeting, carol services, you name it, one of life's great double acts, Jim and Nan Lamont were always there. present. You never had to ask, would Jim and Nan be here? Because you just knew that they would be here. You knew that they would be in their place. In fact, you ever rarely saw them apart. They came as a pair, apart from session meetings. She wasn't allowed into session meetings. But you rarely saw them apart. Whenever our daughter, Abigail, was little, we would have headed up to the north coast for a walk. And you could be sure that if there hadn't have been a local funeral taking place, Jim and Nan were parked in the front row of the East Strand car park, sleeping in the car while we ducked past in case he saw me and brought the report back again. There's one word I believe we could sum up Nan with, faithful, faithful. faithful to her duties as a mother, faithful in her love to her husband, and faithful in her devotion to Christ, and faithful in her support of God's work. She never prayed outwardly at the prayer meeting, but she was a woman of prayer. She told me that she had a list of people on her prayer list that she was praying for. Praying for their salvation. You know, she would always end our visits, we were able to be with her. I tried to make it out once a month after our brother Jim passed away, out to see her, and she would always just have said, thanks for calling, thanks for calling. And Saturday morning, Nan went to be with her savior, the one that she trusted in for salvation. Her long race, and it was a long race, her long race of life, was run, and the crown was won. She entered into the joy of her Lord. As a reserved and a private lady, as Brian has said, not wishing ever to seek the limelight, I know that she wouldn't want me to say anything more about her, and I don't intend to do that. She would have been very insistent that I would have preached the gospel to this congregation, because there may be those whose names are on that prayer list, and who still know not Jesus Christ as your Savior. And so I want to do that, I want to read just one verse of scripture. You'll find it in the book of Jeremiah, and it's a chapter number 12, and it is the verse number five. And the word of God says in Jeremiah 12, verse five, if thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace wherein thou trustest they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? You'll find my text for today in the form of a question that is asked at the end of the verse number five. How wilt thou do? in the swelling of Jordan. A little context might aid in our understanding of these words. The men of Anahoth, Jeremiah's hometown, had threatened God's prophet with death if he prophesied any more in the name of the Lord. Bewildered at such hatred and aminosity leveled against him, we find God's servant in the initial verses of this chapter complaining to the Lord, complaining about what he was experiencing with regard to the hatred that was being leveled against him as God's servant, as God's prophet. God reminds Jeremiah here in the verse number five, What he was presently experiencing by the hatred leveled against him was only but a small trial compared to a far greater trial that was yet ahead of him. No smaller trials are pictured here in terms of footmen, and the Lord reminds the prophet that if he had been wearied with the footmen, well, how was he ever going to contend with horses? In other words, how was he ever going to contend with trials that were of a far greater degree and a far greater intensity than what he was presently experiencing as men spoke against him? And then God comes to remind Jeremiah at the end of the verse that the greatest of trials was yet ahead of him. It's pictured here in terms of the swelling of Jordan. It's as if the Lord was saying to Jeremiah, Jeremiah, if you fainted in the day of the smallest of trials, how will you fare when you come to the greatest trial of life that is pictured here in terms of the swelling of Jordan? It brings to our minds a question that needs asking. What is this great trial that God is speaking here in terms of the swelling of Jordan. Well, I believe it's speaking to us of death. When we come to the scriptures, the River Jordan is often a picture, a type, a representation of death. I know that there's a number of Baptists here today, and we don't hold that against any Baptists here today. I know the pastors here, Brian's pastors, and we're delighted to have him. But we all like a nice quote from Charles Spurgeon. We have all adopted him. Mr. Spurgeon, he said this concerning the River Jordan and the land of Canaan, he says, is generally used to shadow forth the rest which remains for the people of God beyond the skies. Heaven is thus frequently described as corresponding to the earthly inheritance of the Jews. When this view is taken off the type, then Jordan is not unnaturally likened on to death. Its dark waters are made to picture forth in our minds the chill stream through which we weed in our dying hour. Taking then the swelling of Jordan to represent death for the purpose of then this funeral message, the question that then comes to us all is how will we fare? How will we fare in the swelling waters of death? You see, this is a question that Mrs. Lamont allowed herself to be confronted with, a question that she asked herself, and whenever she asked herself the question, how would she fare in the waters of death, she came to understand that she needed someone to carry her through the chilly waters of death and to land her safe on heaven's fair and happy shore. The one that she entrusted to do that for her was the Lord Jesus Christ. The one who confronted and the one who conquered death on her behalf. There are a number of quick things I want us to notice with regard to this question that is asked in Jeremiah 12 in the verse number five. Can I say in the first place that the question that is asked here is a sensible question. This is a sensible question. I know that there are times in our lives when people ask us questions and we ask ourselves the question with regard to them, well, is that really a sensible question to ask? However, whenever it comes to this particular question, the question about how we will fare in the swelling waters of death, this is one that is very sensible indeed. Because it is a question that is based on the reality that the journey of life is going to end for each and every one of us someday. The scriptures remind us, nature around us reminds us. Even today reminds us, this funeral service reminds us that someday we are going to die. It reminds us that we are mortal. We are dying. You only have to go two chapters into the word of God and you hear these words from the mouth of God himself. But off the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it, God speaking to Adam, for in the day that thou eatest her off thou shalt surely die. God spoke first about death. God was the first speaker about death. Go forward into Genesis another two chapters into chapter four and you'll find the first murder recorded. when Cain kills his brother Abel. Jump into the next chapter, into chapter five, and you'll find this phrase, and he died, and he died, and he died. You find it nine times. In chapter six through to eight, you have the account of the worldwide flood in Noah's day when death reigned, with the exception of all those who find themselves safely housed away behind the door of the ark. And so each account in the opening eight chapters of the very first book of the Bible reminds us that from one man, sin's death and sin's reign of death has passed upon all men and consequently all of us are going to die because death is the wages of sin. Surely this question about then your preparedness for death then is a sensible question. Because in light of the reality that we're all going to die, we must then be face to face and brought face to face with the question, how will I fare when I come to die? How will I fare in the swelling waters of death? I believe that this is a sensible question for any gospel preacher to ask on an occasion like this. How will you fare in death? I'm not concerned about how you're faring in life. I know that many of you are faring well. I know that many of you have done well in life. You've went through education. You're into business. You're making plenty of money. You have your house. You have your car. You have your annual holidays. But as a gospel preacher, I'm not really much concerned about how you're faring in life. I trust you do well. My concern is about how you'll fare in death. How will you fare when you go out to meet God? When you go out to meet your maker, the God that you despise, the God that you have rejected, and his gospel and his son that you have mocked and ridiculed, never believed on yourself, how will you fare in the swelling of Jordan? How will you fare at death? You may have made your funeral arrangements with the local undertaker. You may have made your last will and testimony. You may have settled that family dispute. But I'm asking you, have you prepared for eternity? Have you prepared to meet your God? Knowing that the journey from the sterile corridors of a maternity ward to the cold slab of an undertaker's funeral parlor is short, I'm convinced that this question is a most sensible question to be asking today. So let me ask you, if the swelling waters of death were to roll at your feet, and were to sweep you away into God's great eternity. Before this day was over, how will you fare in death's cold flood? Will the chilling waters of death sweep you out of time into God's great eternity and into hell? Would death's cold river sweep you into the caverns of the damned? To the place of endless night and unending torment? I want to warn all who are gathered here unseathed in this meeting house that with regard to this matter of your soul's salvation, you've trifled long enough with it. You've put it off for far too long. It's about time that you got this matter of your soul salvation settled once and for all before the swelling waters of death takes you into eternity. And thus my counsel to you is the counsel that Isaiah the prophet gave to Hezekiah in Isaiah 38 verse one. Thus saith the Lord, set thine house in order, for thou shalt die. This is a most sensible question to ask. This question asked by God's servant, Jeremiah, or by God to Jeremiah, is not only a sensible question, it is a solemn question. You'll not hear this question being asked to you by your hairdresser the next time you go and get your hair cut. How will you fare in death? The bartender will not ask you whenever you attend the place of the public house, he'll not ask you after he has pulled your pint for you, how are you going to fare in death? The individual who you'll buy your groceries from, as your groceries are being checked through, they're not going to ask you this question, how will you fare in death? But I'm asking you the question. But more than this, God is asking you the question. It is a solemn question. How will you fare in death? The matter of death is something that solemnizes even the giddiest and carefree persons that live. I have viewed as a minister, I have viewed young men and young women who are wild in their living and sinful in their practices, individuals who are indifferent in their thoughts about spiritual things, but whenever death comes to a family circle, Well, then things change and the silliness stops and it causes that individual to think about serious things, solemn things. You know, death is a solemn thing. Sadly, in society today, it's not treated as such. We'll talk about everything and anything, won't we, whenever we walk down behind the coffin this afternoon, won't you be doing that? You'll talk about the farm, and you'll talk about the milk prices, and you'll talk about the weather, but you'll not talk about death. You'll not talk about eternity. You'll not talk about your soul, and how that soul of yours is going to go out into God's eternity, and it must be prepared to do so, and you must make spiritual preparation. This is a solemn question. How will thy do in the swelling of Jordan. Oh, the death of a loved one, the passing away of a neighbor in the local community, the decease of even some well-known celebrity. And there in the celebrity world, it solemnizes the heart. It brings to our own mind the solemn thought that we too must needs die. All of us will die. The wicked, the righteous, the godly, the ungodly, the friend of God, the foe of God will all be brought to death. Have you pondered this serious, solemn question? Ask yourselves these questions here in the house of God in the stillness. How will it be with me at death? And then go a little bit further and ask yourself the question, how will it be with me in death? And then go a little bit further and ask yourself the question, how will it be with me after death? Here you are today in the house of God. We're glad to see you. I know that Mrs. Lamont prayed for individuals gathered here today, and yet you still live on in your sin. You have no concern about the solemn hour that is approaching your day of death, your hour of death. You have no fear with regard to give an account of your life before God, your maker. with no spiritual preparation for death, how, sinner, in all honesty, in all honesty, sinner, how do you think you will do when the waters of death lap around your feet? One preacher asked, what will you do when the cold waters of death are swelling and surging and deepening around you? What will your rank avail you? What will your wealth do for you? What will your talents profit you? What will your pleasure supply at the moment when the curtain has fallen upon all the false shadows of time and is rising upon all the dread realities of eternity? I tell you, there is nothing, nothing that these things will be able to do for you. Rank and wealth and talent and world's pleasure will be of no comfort for you in the day of death. as death's river escorts you from time and into eternity. And yet there is hope for you in the gospel, of course there is. For death's day has not yet come, mercy is extended to you in the gospel. Oh, why not take that sin burden of yours and cast it upon the Savior, cast it at the foot of the cross? Mrs. Lamont did that many years ago. She came as a sinner. as a hell-deserving sinner, understanding her sinful state, she came to trust in the only Saviour of sinners, the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, why not then you do that too? Take your place as a sinner. Come believing, come repenting, come trusting, come receiving, and by faith plunge into the fathomless sea of Christ's atoning blood. If you do that, you'll have no need to dread the river of death, for Christ will ferry you safely across to the eternal heaven and to the eternal rest that is heaven itself. Ah, but very quickly, one final point. Yes, it is a serious question. Of course it is. This is a solemn question, but this is a specific question. This is a personal question. This question that is to be asked, this question that is to be asked to and answered by every person in the funeral today. For this question is personal in its nature. God asks, how wilt thou do? in the swelling of Jordan. He's not asking here, how will others do? How will the person next to you in the pew? Maybe you're thinking that today. How's this individual, the one that's sitting beside me, how are they going to fare in death? That's not the question. The question is, how will thou do? You, as an individual, every individual in every pew, the question is poised to you, put to you, how will thou do in the swelling of Jordan. Oh, that you'll come to Christ, come to the Saviour, repent of sin and believe the gospel." You see, the individual that does that has no fear, no dread with regard to the swelling of death's waters. Why is that? We read concerning an individual in Isaiah 43 verse 2, this is God's promise. When thou passest through the waters, God says, I will be with that person. Who? The redeemed one. I will be with the redeemed one, and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee. One preacher said, when the Christian pilgrim comes to the brink of the last swelling stream over which they all must pass, Jesus Christ, the great high priest, goes before and rolls back the swelling, surging waves that the ransomed soul may pass safely over into glory. That's what happened on Saturday morning. In Andrew Marriott Hospital, a safe crossing was afforded to Mrs. Nan Lamont. She was accompanied through the swollen waters of death by her savior, her Lord, her master, and her priest, the priest with the nail-scarred hands, her great high priest. Let me ask you personally, specifically, directly, how will thou do in the swelling of Jordan? How will you do? A prominent businessman spoke one day to a Christian minister who had knocked on his door as he went about doing a little bit of door-to-door evangelism. Having conversed with the minister about spiritual matters for some time, the businessman turned to the minister and said these words. He says, I am interested in church matters and always glad to see ministers when they call. But I have thought the subject long over and carefully, and have come to the deliberate decision that I have no need of Jesus Christ." The minister left disappointed. Within one week that man, that businessman was taken ill. His disease was accompanied with such inflammation of the throat that he was unable to speak. This enforced silence, however, continued to this hour of death when he was unable to utter simply this one despairing whisper, who shall carry me over the river? Who shall carry me over the river? Unsaved person, who will carry you over death's river? when the swelling waters of death encircle you? Will there be anyone to carry you safely onto heaven's shore? Christ alone, Christ alone is the one who ferries us safely to heaven. Oh, that today you would find yourself trusting in him and trusting your safe arrival there to the one who bled and died and rose again for sinners just like Mrs. Lamont did. So I asked you, how will you do in the swelling of Jordan? I tell you it fared well for Mrs. Lamont. She went through that river and she was landed safe on heaven's fair and happy shore. Will you be there? You'll only ever be there through faith alone, in Christ alone. by the grace of God alone. May today find you trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ, and may God challenge hearts today in this funeral service for Christ's sake. Amen. Before we sing our last order, our hymn on the order of service, I want to make just some very quick announcements. Could I ask you to remain standing for a brief word of prayer? after we sing the closing hymn and continue to stand while the earthly remains of Mrs. Lamont are taken from this place of worship that she loved so dearly. We'll then be making our way to the new cemetery on Lovers Lane. Can I say that we need to be there at a quarter past or by a quarter past one, so the family will not be staying to shake hands. We need to make a move with regard to that. If you're not going to that graveside service, then tea and refreshments are served here in the church hall provided by the FAMLI. The family will be then returning for refreshments and others who have gone to the gravesite. So please do remember that if you're staying. You have your tea, but please also remember that the seats in the hall are needed for them, the returning family. So do that as quickly and as efficiently as you can. And that'll be served immediately after this service has concluded. Let's stand to sing when we get the notes of music. Our last hymn, when my life work has ended, and I cross the swelling tide. We've been thinking about that. I shall know him by the print of the nail in his hand. Let's stand to sing the hymn, please. Let's stand to sing. When my life's work is ended and I cross this swelling tide, when the bright and glorious morning I shall see, I shall know my Redeemer when I reach the other side, and His smile will be the first to welcome me. I shall know Him, I shall know Him As redeemed by His side I shall stand I shall know Him, I shall know Him By the print of the nails in His hand Oh, the soul-thrilling rapture when I blew his blessed face, and the luster of his kindly beaming eye, I, my full heart, will praise him for the love and grace that prepare for me a mansion in this sky I shall know him I shall know him as redeemed by his side I shall stand I shall know Him, I shall know Him By the print of the nails in His hand All the dear ones in glory, how they beckon me to come and are partying at the river, I recall. To the sweet vales of Eden they will sing my welcome home, but I long to meet my Saviour first of all. I shall know Him, I shall know Him, I shall stand, I shall know Him, I shall know Him by the print of the nails in His hand. Through the gates to that city in a robe of spotless white He will lead me where no tears shall ever fall In the glad song of ages I shall mingle with delight But I long to meet my Savior first of all I shall know Him, I shall know Him, as redeemed by His sight I shall stand. I shall know Him, I shall know Him, by the print of the nails in His hand. Our loving Father, we thank Thee for the one with the nail-scarred hand, the one who lived and died and shed His precious blood in order that we might be redeemed, delivered, rescued from sin, rescued from hell. We thank Thee, O God, that Mrs. Lamont trusted in Christ. She died as one who was united to Christ. And therefore, we thank Thee, dear God, that she is with Christ. Pray, Lord, that thou will bless as we continue on, as we continue, Lord, to the graveside. And, Lord, as we have the committal service, we pray that thy hand will be upon us. And therefore we pray that thou will part us with thy blessing. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit rest and remain and abide upon all of thy believing people until Christ comes or calls. We offer prayer in and through Jesus' great name. Amen and amen. Okay. Oh. I have chosen you. Yeah. Yeah.