May the Lord help us to worship his great and holy name by turning to hymn 514, June Cedar, number 900. Oh, what matchless condescension the eternal God displays, claiming our supreme attention to his boundless works and ways, his own glory he reveals in gospel days. Hymn 514, June Cedar, number 900. His eternal love displays. ♪ Make thee now supreme attention ♪ ♪ To His boundless worth and grace ♪ ♪ Eternal in His glory be ♪ He reveals in gospel praise. In the person of the Savior, ♪ All his majesty is seen ♪ ♪ Love and justice shine forever ♪ ♪ And Mary had a little lamb in her womb ♪ God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, God's love, ♪ Who'd bring him his brightest glory ♪ ♪ Here resides in Jesus' face ♪ ♪ Sing and tell the pleasing ♪ And with pleasure, and with pleasure, ♪ In God-building heaven-brace ♪ ♪ In His highest worth redemption give ♪ Sing his glory in the plains. Long may angels at thy venture go down of God this day. Grace and justice, grace and justice, be united in this day. Truth is sweet, and solemn of pleasure, Continued with Christ the Lord. ♪ In his hands ♪ ♪ Has fought forever ♪ ♪ May the heights of his name record ♪ ♪ Praise and bless him ♪ From the sacred and holy word of God, we shall read two passages this evening. First of all from the prophecy of Isaiah chapter 11. The prophecy of Isaiah chapter 11. There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord, and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears. But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid. And the calf and the young lie in the fattening together, and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed their young one shall lie down together. The lion shall eat straw like the ox, and the sucking child shall play on the hold of the ass. And the weaned child shall put his hand on the cocker of Christ's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy all thy holy mountain. For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people. To it shall the Gentiles seek, and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set his hand against the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Kush, and from Elam, and from Shina, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. The envious of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off. Ephraim shall not vex Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. They shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west. They shall spoil them at the east together. They shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab, and the children of Moab shall obey them. The Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea. With his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite in the seven streams, and make men go over dry shod. And there shall be a highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left from Assyria, like as it was to Israel in the day, that came up out of the land of Egypt. We now turn to John chapter 15. John chapter 15 and we shall read the first 17 verses. John 15. I am the true vine and my father is the husband man. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away. In every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it, that he may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. For without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, is withered. And men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, Should ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you. Continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love. Even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in His love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you. and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater loveth no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do. Whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I'll call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth. But I have called you friends, for all things I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever ye should ask of my Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one Another, may God bless his holy word to us, may he teach us and help us in prayer. Once more, most gracious God, it is our privilege to gather around thy holy word for meditation, prayer and praise and thanksgiving. For this further opportunity we bless thy great and holy name, and pray thou sanctify it by thy sacred presence, that the word of God may be made good to us by the dear spirit whose word it is. Oh, dost it ascend from heaven then, celestial dove, stoop down and take us on thy wings. mount and bear us far above the reach of all inferior things. Lord, there are many inferior things that would occupy our minds. Many inferior things would distract us from the one thing needful. But oh, do thou so keep our heart and our mind this evening hour, that we may be single-minded. As the word of God says, let thine eyes look right on. and thine eyelids straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and thy ways shall be established. Turn not to the right hand, nor to the left. O Lord, may we hear a word behind us this night saying, this is the way, walk ye in it. The way of salvation, the way of faith, the way of obedience, the way of submission to thy most holy mind and will. Do, Lord, then remember us this night, blessing the means of Thy grace, Thy holy word we've been reading, prayer and meditation. May it all flow together to the good of our never-dying souls. Above all, for the honor and glory of Thy dear name. Do make the place of Thy feet glorious here tonight, and do cause Thy glorious voice to be heard. Lord, do remove those hindrances. We have a carnal mind, a natural man that is unspiritual, that neither desires nor can enter into true worship. We have an enemy, Lord, of our soul, ever waiting to hinder and to resist. We have a world within, like the world without, that has no heart for Christ. Lord, against all these things, the new man of grace has to engage in a warfare. And, O Lord, as one said, He sees me often overcome, and that is how true that is. But all we do pray, Lord, tonight we may be overcome as by grace and be raised above all the hindrances. Let my soul live in it shall praise Thee, and let Thy judgments help me. Above all, we would be led to the foot of the cross And they would gaze with believing eyes upon that one on the centre cross, and like thy servant of whom we read in that allegory, who, when he saw that one hanging on the tree, his burden of guilt rolled off his back down a steep slope into a sepulchre and was never seen again. And he cried, Blessed cross, blessed sepulchre, blessed rather be the man that suffered there and died for me. O Lord, what an evening it would be if that were made over by Thy Spirit to one another here tonight! O, would indeed be a day, Lord, when the Son of Man was on the earth in that spiritual sense! O, make it so, could it please Thee! Above all, do cast behind Thy holy back our transgressions. Do, O Lord, remove far from us all the is against us. And grant that the law may be seen to be satisfied on our behalf by that precious Jesus, the law-giver and the law-fulfiller. O Lord, what can we say to His honour, how excellent He is? And we would be relying on that excellence this night, for we know where else to look but that precious Jesus. O Jesus, cast a look on me. May we know and feel that look tonight, of love that even restored Peter out of Satan's sieve. That look of love, O Lord, which thou didst give from the cross to the dying thief. O Lord, it is that look we desire tonight. O lift up the light of thy countenance upon us. and grant us peace. Again, we commend thy gracious hand, the dear pastor, deacons, members, church and congregation, here thou hast planted. We thank thee for thy many mercies toward them over the past year, for sustaining and maintaining our dear friend. And now, Lord, we pray thou wilt continue with him. And so open up thy word to him and through him that many may say concerning This place, we've heard that God is with you, we will go with you. Fill the empty pews, we pray, with hungering and thirsting souls after righteousness. Build up the church in their most holy faith, and may there be additions according to their most holy mind and will. What we pray, Lord, for them, we pray for every cause of truth represented here tonight. Each of the dear friends who've turned in from various quarters may where they reside spiritually be blessed with light blessings. My dear servant turned in with us Lord and the sister cause miss the many discouragements he lives with may he know that he's yet where they would have him be and be with all who are laboring on the walls of Zion tonight and all who are gathering around thy word for prayer and for praise of the meditation. O Lord, do rend the heavens and come down, and make the mountains flow down at Thy beloved presence. Truly, Lord, Thou hast been our help. Leave us not, neither forsake us, O God of our salvation. Look upon this gathered people tonight, and the friends who would be here if they could, lawfully detained. Do quicken His divine life, the dead. Cause the living to to be enlivened, Lord, for no man can keep alive his own soul. That union which we have been reading needs to be maintained, and, Lord, only Thou canst maintain it. We pray, Lord, likewise for Thy rich favour and blessing to rest abundantly upon those who are seeking Thee, if happily they might find Thee. Those who are asking that question, saw ye Him whom my soul loveth. Who may be with them, Lord, they went a little way from the watchman and they found him, whom their soul loveth. May it be so even tonight, one may go away from this house of prayer and find him, him the hymn spoken of, as it were, within these walls, but then find with their satisfaction in the coming days and hours. Bless those who are burdened over loved ones, who long to see that change that only grace can make. O Lord, we pray that their prayers may be heard, their tears may be bottled up for that day when they will say, this is the Lord's doing, it is marvelous in our eyes. We pray, Lord, for more grace in life's pathway, more patience, more humility, more discernment, more sobriety, more endurance, more love, and those twin graces, faith and repentance. Oh, Lord, we are greatly in need of more grace. For thy word declares, but he giveth more grace. Still thou art giving, Lord, and in thy giving thou art not diminished. When we give, then we have less after our giving than before. But with thee, Lord, thy giving does not diminish in any way thy fullness. And, Lord, that is a mercy. So the springs of which we would Rejoice in our as full tonight as ever, so we may say with a good psalmist, all my springs are in thee. And so they are, and we thank thee for that. Bless a young and old before thee tonight, as we're hasting to a never-ending eternity. Do so direct our steps in providence and in grace. For we come to the end of our journey, we may be able to say, O dear Simeon, Lord, know that it is Thou Thy servant departing peace, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation. Does any of Thy dear saints on the verge of Jordan bid their anxious fears subside? Death of deaths and hell's destruction land them safe on Canaan's side. Songs of praises evermore to give to Thee. O may we one day join that blessed throng May one day we be found among that number, the spirits of just men made perfect. Oh, Lord, we pray for that day. And hasten that day of thy return, Lord Jesus, when from the graves of thy dear people thou would raise immortal, incorruptible bodies like thine own. Oh, what a change that will be, freed from sin and freed from temptation. freed from this dying world. Oh, what a day that will be, made like Him, like Him we'll rise. Ours the cross, the grave, the skies. Oh, these are great things we ask, Lord, a great God. And Lord, nothing less than this will do, if we're not to sink into eternal misery and perdition. So be with us, we thank Thee for Thy many mercies, every answered prayer, every fulfilled promise. But all we do pray, thou wilt go on to be gracious, Lord, as thou hast been, thou art, and as thou art, thou wilt yet be. So, Lord, you go before us each in the unknown way, making thy way plain before us, causing our ears to hear behind us that word saying this is the way, walking in it when you turn to the right hand or when you turn to the left. So remember us now, grant prayer in the pew, power in the pulpit. Lord, the effect of our prayers does not rest on us, it rests on our great high priest and the dear inward intercess of the Holy Ghost. Oh, do then, Lord, accept our poor petitions. Do graciously appear for us this night in the pulpit and in the pew. May we go away, Lord, refreshed and revived restored and rebuilt and recovered and renewed. We know what thou canst do. Awake, O north wind, and come thou south, and blow upon my garden, that the spice thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat of his pleasant fruits. Remember us now, wash our poor breathings, and accept us in the beloved. We ask for his dear name's sake. Amen. We shall continue by turning to hymn 939, June Tudor, 252. 939. Jesus, immutably the same, Thou true and living Vine, Around thy all-supporting stem My feeble arms I twine. I can do nothing without thee, My strength is wholly thine. Withered and barren should I be, If severed from the vine. Hymn 939, Tune Tudor, 252. ♪ Christmastime, Christmastime ♪ ♪ Come true, come true, Christmastime ♪ I, where'er my own step would descend, I'd be but out and dry. I can do nothing without Thee, Thy strength is all in mine. River and barrow, sure are we, Except the throng of thy. Where'er my feet now meander I, Thy prow'r it shall bear fruit. I, I, I'm drawn, I should be right, I think I'm wrong, I do. ♪ Peace, power, and glory ♪ ♪ Thine I give ♪ ♪ Boundless with the divine ♪ ♪ Praise to thee eternal ♪ ♪ Life of heav'n ♪ Seeking the Lord's help and your very prayerful attention, I would direct your thoughts this evening to the prophecy of Ezekiel, chapter 34. the prophecy of Ezekiel chapter 34 and we will read a word you will find in verse 29 a plant of renown the whole verse reads that I will raise up for them a plant of renown and there shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land Neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. A plant of renown. Of who could the prophet be speaking, you may ask? Of himself or some other man? Friends, he's speaking to us in prophecy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I want this evening, just for a few moments, to show to you, with God's help, that he is a plant of renown. Just a word about the background. Ezekiel was a prophet ordained to preach to the captives down in Babylon, around the years of captivity there. And he himself had to sit where they sat, partaking of the captivity. The Lord gave him many mysterious prophecies to utter. In a sense, he was rather like Jeremiah, because much of his prophecy is a negative nature, rightly so, as Jeremiah's was largely. But not altogether. Just as Jeremiah's was not altogether, there were some very precious Things in Jeremiah's prophecy may even be mentioned later on, God willing, so in Ezekiel's prophecy. And towards the end of this prophecy, he's given a view of the future glory, not just of the returning of Israel from captivity, but something far, far more glorious than that. The Church of Christ gathered from all quarters to this one of whom our text is speaking, a plant of renowned. In this very chapter, the prophet was rebuking the shepherds who had not fulfilled their office and neglected the sheep whom they were commanded to observe and watch. And the Lord said he would deal sharply with them, and he did. But he hadn't forgotten his flock. And in the latter verses, these are a encouragement to the flock of Christ in difficult times. that the Lord hadn't forgotten them. And here is a precious word of encouragement. I will raise up for them a plant of renown. Now, of course, there are many names given to our dear Saviour in prophecy. Emmanuel, being interpreted God with us. Jehovah Sidkenu, the Lord our righteousness. the lion of the tribe of Judah, and so we could go on. There are many names, rather like a precious diamond. Whichever way the light, as it were, falls on one of the facets, it shines a peculiar light to that name. This name here is rarely mentioned, and yet there's something very precious about it. A plant of renown, something someone esteemed, Someone highly valued, someone who stands out. Well, the Song of Solomon answers that question, doesn't it? What is thy beloved more than other beloved? That is so, charge us, they were asking the church. And after a blessedly long description of the glories of her bridegroom, her beloved, she says he's the chiefest among 10,000. He's the altogether lovely one. Whichever name you take or is brought to your attention of our Lord Jesus Christ, there's something preeminent about it and something altogether lovely concerning it. And here so tonight with this name, a plant of renown. It tells us, first of all, two things about the Lord Jesus Christ. just as a plant is planted in the earth, so our Lord Jesus Christ, in the fullness of the time of the Father, came into this sin-cursed earth and was planted, as it were, in His holy humanity in this earth. Whereas the first Adam, though he came forth from God's hand pure and upright, And he had every blessing in that garden. We know how soon he fell away. And corruption followed and has followed ever since on the face of this earth. But this dear plant here, the Lord Jesus Christ, oh, how wonderfully pure his humanity is. Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners. There never was a man like him. what he spoke, what he did, how he conveyed himself. You remember when the Pharisees sent officers to arrest him? And they came back and said, why have you not brought him? Never man spake like this man. Dear friends, have you found that? And you come with the disciples on the Galilean Lake and he arises and rebukes the winds and the waves. And there's a great calm, and they say, what manner of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him. So what manner of man is he? On the one hand, he is truly human. He's the seed of David. He's the rod we read of in Isaiah 11. Sprung out from that root, the root of David. He is a direct descendant of David as God promised to David it would be so So he was is a real man. Make no mistake about it No one take that precious truth out of your heart. May God keep it there a man. There is a real man and Dear friend. He's in glory this evening our resplendent Glorified beyond measure, but he's seen as the man Christ Jesus and we know that Because Peter, Paul tells us in Timothy, there is no other mediator between God and man. He's speaking of Christ, the man, Christ Jesus. So he's a renowned in his humanity. There never was a man like him, never sinned, never was unkind, never unjust, never deceitful, never hasty. He fulfilled his Holy Father's law from first to his last breath. Never once did he lay down on his pillow at the end of the day in regret, wishing he had done this or not done that, how different are you and I. For the pillow he lay on was always a perfect one, having done his father's will. There was no guilty conscience there, no. And yet, dear friends, he was assailed in his holy humanity. Here's a wonderful condescension here, this plant of renown. He, one of the reasons he took his holy humanity into human's divine person, that he might experience in that holy body and soul, the soul to the evil one, that he might overcome the evil one on behalf of his dear people. Bless God for that. Friends, if he'd never come onto the battlefield, We would never become overcomers. He's defeated Satan. He has overcome the world. This dear man, the man Christ Jesus. But then secondly, of course, he is truly God. Never forget that. He was truly God before he came. He was truly God when he came. He's truly God now. at the right hand of his father. The good John Newton tells us, I durst not confide in his blood, lest I were sure he is God. So this plant of renown is renowned not just for his holy humanity, but because within him still dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Mary held him in her arms as her own proper child miraculously given as we read in Luke's Gospel. But dear friends, within that finite capacity dwelled all, not part, all the fullness of the Godhead. I know we sometimes sing, do we not, His shoulders hold up heaven and earth when Mary held up Him. I think that should be slightly rephrased, you know. His shoulders held up heaven and earth though Mary held up Him. She held up the little babe God had given her. Her shoulders didn't hold him up. It didn't hold up the heaven and earth. His shoulders do. Bless God for that. And friends, as you've got many burdens tonight, are you weighed down with guilt or weighed down with some difficulty in the way? Remember whose shoulders there are to carry them. The same one that bore the cross to Golgotha, and not just the literal wood on his holy back. But friends, he bore the guilt of a number that no man could number, and suffered, bled, and died, verily God, as well as verily man. The Godhead couldn't die, we know, but through his holy humanity, well, Joseph Hart put it so beautifully on. Almighty God sighed human breath. The Lord of Life experienced death. How it was done, we can't discuss, but this we know, says Joseph Hart, speaking for himself, and can you go with him? This we know. It was done for us. And friends, you'll never be more esteemed in your soul than when you get that view. In my place, condemned he stood. Oh, then it be a plan to renown to you then. Then he made willing to go forth unto without the camp, bearing his reproach. He will be the chiefest among ten thousand to you then, and the altogether lovely one. I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me. So, dear friend, this plant of renown is on the one hand, yes, planted in this earth in that sense, in that type, truly man. But, friend, he's the root as well as the offspring of David. He is the bright, the morning star. He is God as well as man. And so, for example, when he break the bread, the loaves to feed the 5,000, it was his human hands that took the bread and the fish into his dear hands. Remember, they were inefficient in any other hand. Put your five loaves and your two fish in his hand, dear friend. He can multiply them. It was His divine hand that multiplied, and multiplied, and multiplied, till it all ate and were filled. Friend, put your impossibility in His dear hand tonight. Your resources may be so limited you feel it, so contracted. And when the disciples were writing, one said, what are these among so many? Yes, Andrew and Philip and Peter and the rest, in your hands they are nothing like what is needed. that put them in the hands of the dear Saviour. Give ye them to me, he said. That's what the law commands you to do, believer, tonight, with your poor, finite resources you feel to have in the path you're in. Give ye them to me. See what he can do. Verily God, verily man, with God all things are possible. With him nothing shall be called impossible. A little one shall become a thousand. and a small city, a strong nation, I the Lord will hasten it in His time." The plans of Renown. And now Scripture, and this is the wonderful thing about Scripture, it unfolds the mystery of these things in its sacred page in different ways. For example, we go to the Song of Solomon, we read these beautiful words, I sat down under His shadow with great delight And His fruit was sweet to my taste. Who, which tree is this? The tree of the plant of renown. Under its shadow, I told you this afternoon, or tried to, what it was to be under the shadow of the Almighty and His care. I sat down, the place of teaching. I sat down, the place of submission. I sat down, the place of love. I sat down, the place of feeding. I sat down under his shadow with great delight. And many, dear friends, have sat under his shadow here in this house of prayer. As it were, the fruit of the word of God has been dropped down into their hearts, precious promises, sweet invitations. And when that took place, dear friends, and some of you here know it, then this plant of renown was highly esteemed in your heart. You lost sight of the minister, You lost sight of all others. It was none but Jesus. And oh, how highly esteemed he was in your eyes as you partook of the fruit of his sufferings. The fruit of the life he laid down, the death he endured, and the resurrections attend to, and his ever prevalent intercession. Sweet fruit, blessed fruit. Oh, no wonder Jeremiah said, thy words were found and I did eat them. And they were to me, note those two words, to me. To me, the joy and the rejoicing of my heart. There was a time when it wasn't to me. You know it, dear friend, some of you. May still be so with some. Sit under the best of ministries. Sat at the feet, outwardly, the best of teachers, perhaps. And the Lord provides pastors and ministers. And yet, it's never been to you. But some of you can say, yes, it has been to me. The Lord has done it. Whenever I read Isaiah 53, there are two verses that are right next to each other which impress me. One is this, we esteemed him not. The next verse, we did esteem him. My dear friend, there is what sovereign grace does. This plant of renown is not esteemed. by the man by nature. There's no heart for him. There's no desire after him. There's no love to him. No, there's no esteem for him. Good Murray McShane, that mighty preacher of Scotland, said, though a friend spoke in rapture of Christ on the tree, Jehovah said to Ken, you meant nothing to me. And yet, dear friend, the next verse we did esteem him. What happened? I tell you what's happened, dear friend, you've been brought to need him. That's why you esteem him. If none other can do your poor aching soul good than this precious Jesus, and it's with his stripes you are healed. Yes, then you esteem him. A plant of renown. Yes, the great change that grace makes. Has it made it in your life? Has it made it in mine? Do we esteem above all other things? Can we really say with him right? For I could from all things parted be, but never, never, Lord, from thee. That was Ruth's religion, wasn't it? And Moses' religion as well. Yes, they esteem the reproach of Christ. Greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt or Moab. Yeah, they esteemed him above it all. The plant of renown. Now come with me in the Old Testament to the dear children of Israel. And there they were, wonderfully delivered the night of the Passover. Oh, what a deliverance it was. All the previous plagues had only hardened Pharaoh's heart. But the shedding of the blood unlocked the gate. Friends, Satan himself cannot withstand when God applies deliverance through the power of His blood. It's a mercy, isn't it? All hell must give way when the Lord uses precious blood like that. And so it was in type in the night of the Passover, the night of the shedding of blood, for it was then that Pharaoh's heart was turned by God at last to do what God willed him to do, let my people go. And now they went out with a high hand, as the Lord had told, Abraham hundreds of years before, exactly as he had said. They come to the Red Sea, we know the wonderful deliverance that is given there. They've seen the doxology on the other side of the Red Sea, I think they thought their troubles were over. They'd only just begun, hadn't they? They go three days into the wilderness and the water they brought out from Egypt now is dried up, the bottles are empty, the children are crying for a drink and so are the cattle also. They were in a tight corner, dear friends, easy for us to read the chapter. If you had a little family, say, of six children or more, say, with you, and they say, we want drink, you haven't got it, you're poor, you'd be so distracted, would you not? How can you possibly provide for them when it's not there? Eventually, they see an oasis before them. The news of it, no doubt, filters back through that large camp, and they hasten toward it, or the seemingly Attractive waters. But they bow down to drink and they are acrid. They are bitter. Just like we said about Naomi this afternoon. Mara. That's why it was called Mara. Bitterness. The children of Israel must have wondered why they came in. Some thought some mistake had been made. And as usual, poor Moses was the butt of their reproach. What that man suffered, dear friends, we've only the slightest hint. What did he suffer for Christ's sake? That's in whose service he was. They began to reproach him and rebuke him. What did the dear man say? What you must do, dear friend, when you're under reproach? He looked up. He looked up and he told his God. And the Lord showed him a tree. A tree. And there are three things about that tree you should never forget. One, the Lord put it there, it was planted by the Lord, as He does every tree in one sense. But here was a tree specially ordained by Almighty God for a purpose. Secondly, it had to be shown to Moses. It had to be revealed to him. He had to know which tree it was. The Lord showed him a tree. And the third thing was it had to be cut down. It couldn't remain where it was if the waters were to be made sweet. So Moses cut the tree down, and into the waters went that branch he cut down. The waters flowed over it, and they became sweet. Surely, friends, you can see the plant of renown there, can you not? Our Lord Jesus Christ, the one planted by the waters of Mara. And you thank God He was, dear friends. In all your Maras, the Lord has been there. Remember that. especially that deep mara of your guilt, he's been there. There my God bore all my guilt, says good Joseph Hart, speaking of Gethsemane. And that was a mara. This by faith may be believed. Oh, how wonderful to think the condescending love of the Father to plant his dear Savior right by the water of mara of his dear people, their afflictions, their bereavements, their sorrows, their temptations, even their guilt, oh behold the Lamb of God, planted there, another metaphor I know, but it had to be shown and it had to be cut down. And so Moses did his bidding, prefiguring our Lord being cut down for his dear people, cast into those bitter waters, and the waters flowed over, just as we read in Psalm 42, and Dave was an Amara there, All thy ways and thy billows are gone over me. Yes, all of them. Prophetic concerning our dear Saviour. All God's ways and billows of wrath and justice rolled over him that our Mara may be made sweet. And so it was. They bent down to drink of those waters and they were sweet. What made them sweet? This plant of Renown. You may wonder why you come to your Mara, poor friend, tonight. Lord, why is this? Why this disappointment? Why this discouragement? Why this sharp thorn? Why has that cloud got darker than it was before? Lord, why is it? You may prove what this plant of renown can do. You wouldn't be able to prove it, dear friend, unless the Lord brought you to Mara. And they were not to move from Mara until they'd been made sweet. And then when he made sweet, they moved on, but not until. And friends, you pray the Lord may make your Mara sweet. And you might not believe me, dear friends, but it'll be true. You'll even thank God for your Mara when he makes it sweet. You won't quarrel with him. Lord, did it have to be that way? No, you'll say, Lord, it is the Lord who's matched her skill, yes, gave me the grace for it. And there I proved him sympathetic, understanding, ready to deal with my Mara, making the bitter waters sweet. I raise up for them a plant of renown. Oh, friends, are you not thankful for that? Again, Jeremiah takes up a very similar metaphor under God's hand as Isaiah does, speaking about the branch. And he says, he gives a name to the branch, the Lord Our Righteousness. What a wonderful name that is. The Lord, Our Righteousness. And it tells us of the righteousness that the Lord Jesus Christ wrought out here below in His holy humanity. In that holy work He did from Bethlehem to Calvary, He wrought out a perfect righteousness, a perfect robe And it was for others. He didn't need it for himself. Good John Bunyan, in Pilgrim's Progress Part 2, tells Christina, the Christiana, I should say, the wife of Christian, why he didn't need it himself. As God, he did not need it. Nothing could add to his holiness as God. He didn't need it as the man because he was holy, pure, undefiled. Then who did need it? Those for whom He came. Those for whom He came. And friends, He had to take their nature. That's why the doctrine of humanity of Christ is so important. Friends, if He didn't take our nature, we've not got a righteousness to plead before God. No. Had He taken angelic nature, He wouldn't have reached us. Wouldn't have come down to our state. But no, He takes on in the form of a servant. Under the law, His own law, He, the lawgiver, becomes the law-fulfiller. Why? That He might fulfill it for this people who find Christ to be renowned and impute to them His righteousness. In that mysterious word in the Corinthians, He, that's God the Father, hath made Him, that's God the Son, to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Jehovah said, can you dear friend, the Lord, our righteousness. I like to think of it as the bridegroom receiving his bride, in a Christian marriage of course, she then takes his name. She comes into the service or ceremony in her own name. She goes out in the name of her husband. The name of the union is this, the Lord Our Righteousness. That's why you have it later on in Jeremiah. This is the name where he shall be called and this is the name where she shall be called. The Lord Our Righteousness. Oh, what a robe in this plant of renown. This blessed type, you see, was the one who provided it for the Church of Christ. So what is he renowned for? How does he stand out in your affections tonight? First of all, there's no voice like his, is there? Remember when Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden sinned, they dreaded to hear the voice of their creator then. They were guilty and they had no covering. There was no mediator at that point between them and there offended God. Oh, it was a terror to hear that voice. My dear friend, to hear the voice of God, as it were, out of Christ is a terror. But when he speaks through Emmanuel, when he speaks through his dear son, there's no voice like it. Listen. Hark. The voice of love and mercy. Sounds aloud from Calvary. What is it? It is finished. That's the dear Saviour hanging on His cross, having finished the work His Father gave Him to do, having wrought out the righteousness, having satisfied divine justice, having shed His precious blood, about to bow His lovely head in death, in complete submission, all to give His dear people. That blessed Word, it is finished. And all the promises of God, friends, flow from that. Every grace and every favor comes to us through Jesus' precious blood. Oh, how wonderful when he speaks. You think of Mary Magdalene. She was at the tomb. Angels have spoken to her. But that didn't wipe away her tears. No. She stands there weeping, broken hearted. They've taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him. And she behelds One who thinks of a stranger. He asked her a question. Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She hath taken away my Lord, I know not where thou have laid him. Tell me where thou hast taken him, thou hast taken him hence. And he just said one word, Mary. And friends, that one word was enough. the power of it, the application of it, the suitability of it, the certainty of it, the love in it, the mercy in it. The rest of that, dear woman, this is my savior speaking. Now, friend, there are some here tonight, and I trust I am one of them, by grace, who would know if he spoke. There's no voice like it, friends. No voice like it. It's the sweetest thing to hear Jesus speak. over the tumult of our sins and guilt, over all our troubles and trials. A word like this it is I, be not afraid. Or a word like this, 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. Oh, he's a plant of renown then. Oh, the esteem in his voice. What about his dear face? His dear face? You know the custom was in certainly in our Lord's time very often for the veil to be over the woman's face so she wasn't seen. But her husband could lift the veil and she would see his face and he would see hers. Now my dear friends, the Lord Jesus Christ, it's wonderful he lifts the veil, isn't it? Just for a few moments, got a glimpse of his lovely face. That visage once marred more than any man's. As he stood in the judgment hall, spat upon, smitten by that rod that one of the soldiers held. Oh, what pain he must have endured. Even before he hung on the cross, on his holy head, blood poured down, as the crown did its work of thorns. His visage was so marred more than any man's. And yet, my dear friends, when you view that by faith, it makes him all the more renowned. Behold, a scene of matchless grace, tis Jesus in the sinner's place. Heaven's brightest glory sunk in shame that rebels might adore his name. But then, oh no, his dear face, it shines with mercy, with glory. And sometimes he uncovers it to his dear people and they get just a glimpse, the enshining of his word, the enshining of those precious invitations, the enshining of that precious presence of his. And you know, and you see him, you behold him in your soul, loveth in the word, in the letters of the gospel. You see what you haven't seen before, at least so clearly perhaps. How lovely he is, that lovely face of his. Thine eye shall see the king in his beauty, and shall behold that land that is very far off. I think the dear dying thief could see that, you know. Humanly speaking, all he could see was a marred visage. And the man in agony and shame, humanly speaking, But faith saw something else. Faith saw him as the king of kings and lord of lords. Faith saw him as one who is the savior of poor sinners. And on that ground, he ventured. He ventured. What a venture it was. At the very border of the pit, he ventured. And friends, without being fanciful, we must not read between the lines. But we can almost see the dear Savior turning and smiling on that poor suffering thief. When he said, verily I say unto you today, thou shalt be with me in paradise. There's nothing like a smile from him you know. There's everlasting love in it, everlasting joy in it, everlasting mercy in it. There's nothing to be compared with. All the false smiles of this world are not once to be compared. with just a smile from the face of my Saviour, a plant of renown in His smiles. Again, dear friends, in His dealings, in His dealings. We don't always understand His dealings. Oftentimes we do not. And yet you know when they work out under His blessed hand, how we esteem them. As for God, His way is perfect. always right in what he does, too wise to err, too good to be unkind. And you look back, look how it raises your esteem in him when you see how good he's been, how wise he's been, how kind he's been, how forbearing he's been, how patient he's been with you. And you have so often distrusted him and wondered where the scene will end. And he comes with that loving voice, Why are you so fearful? How is it you have no faith? Perhaps that suits one of you tonight. Why are you so fearful? Are those fears more than he can manage? Are those doubts more than he can resolve? Is that burden more than he can carry? No. Oh dear friends, he's renowned in this respect. His dealings are always right. As for God, His way is perfect. And usually, He brings us to the end of our dealings first, our doings first, shuts us up in a corner where we can do nothing, and then He appears, tears us off till men are faint, and then He comes at evening late. And He waits, dear friends, so that we may esteem Him the more. It was so with Martha and Mary and Lazarus. We know that with a word he could have healed Lazarus from afar. He didn't need even to come to his bedside and heal him, had that been his will. But no, strangely enough, he stays away until he knows Lazarus is dead. He doesn't even arrive at Bethany until he's been buried four days. Where is the love in that? You might say, I'm sure the enemy was saying to Martha and Mary, does he love you? Did he love Lazarus? How could this have happened? from a loving Jesus. Friend, they had a double bereavement, didn't they? Not just bereaved of their brother, but where was their Lord? Are you doubly bereaved tonight? There's perhaps a crook in your lot and it brings loss in your view, but it's double because as yet you can't see the Saviour, can't see His steps, can't feel His presence. You're doubly bereaved. My friends, that's a low place to get to. Martha and Mary were there. But why was it? They didn't hear what the Lord said to the disciples. I was glad I was not there. What? Is that Jesus speaking? Glad he was not there? I was glad I was not there. Why? To the intent you might believe. And my dear friends, his silence of the moment is that very reason to the intent that when he comes, you will esteem him more. You will. Friends, he wisely left this matter to get altogether beyond human hell. And then he came. Oh, if thou hast been here, said Martha, our brother had not died, but faith began to rise. I know that even now, whatsoever thou dost ask of God, God will give it thee. Thy brother shall rise again. Yes, the last day, says Martha, I am the resurrection of the life, that wonderful testimony from our Lord's lips, and then Martha's acquiescence to it, and then they come to the grave. And poor Martha's overcome again by unbelief and what's seen with the natural eye. Lord, he stinks, he's been dead four days. Martha. Martha, saidst I not unto thee, If thou wouldest believe, thou shalt see the glory of God. Now, dear friend, though do you think it's got beyond the Lord's help, stand still and see what the Lord will do. Lazarus, come forth. And that penetrating voice from this glorious person we're speaking of penetrates the grave, penetrates that dead body of Lazarus, restores him as well as brings his soul back into him and he comes forth bound hand and foot with grave clothes. Oh friends, how esteemed he was in the eyes of Martha, Mary and Lazarus when that trial was over. And that's what Job meant. He knoweth the way that I take. And when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. And friends, that means not only gold in that sense, Job refined, but there'll be a reflection in Job, a reflection of his God. Apparently in the Bible days the refiner sat by the molten metal, he kept scooping the impurities off and he carried on to his own reflection in the molten gold and then he knew it was the purity desire. And so, my dear friend, the Lord keeps you and I in our fiery trials until His reflection is seen in us. That's grace, and only grace could do it. Then the fire has done its work. And you'll know, dear, when it's done its work, when you can join and say, yes, He's altogether lovely. He's altogether lovely. I never knew how precious He could be. And the wonderful thing to me, you say, is that he's lovely, not only in my view, but I believe he loves me. What a wonderful thing to be able to say. If Paul the Apostle was going to give his testimony at Lamberhurst Chapel, it would be with one verse. I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by the Son of God. who loved me and gave himself for me. Friends, Paul could not speak highly enough of the renowned one in our text, and I hope you cannot either. Oh, friends, words fail us. The bride eyes not her garment, but her dear bridegroom's face. I will not gaze on glory, but on my king of grace, not on the crown he giveth, But on his pierced hand, where the Lamb is all the glory of Emmanuel's land. Oh, he's held in the highest esteem there. May one day we join that blessed number, and at our own feeble yet we trust true note. Yea, he is altogether lovely. So he is. Would to God we loved him more. Amen. The collection today is for the dear pastor here. May the Lord bless you in your giving. We shall sing a part of hymn 142. We shall sing the first seven verses and the last two. The first seven verses and the last two verses of hymn 142 to the tune Eshtiol 332. Go, worship at Emmanuel's feet. See in His face what wonders meet. The earth is too narrow to express His worth, His glory or His grace. Is He a tree? The world receives salvation from His healing leaves. That righteous branch, that fruitful bough, is David's root and offspring too. In 142 verses 1 to 7 and 17 and 18. Worship at the angels' feet. Sing this praise, O heart of me. The things we have yet to express Is but this glory of His grace. ♪ Earth, all creation ♪ ♪ Heaven and earth ♪ ♪ Earth, all creation ♪ ♪ Heaven and earth ♪ ♪ Last of ages ♪ ♪ Last of ages ♪ ♪ Lost love, my love ♪ Nature to men is giv'n its word. Thus speak the Godhead's Lord and Lord. ♪ Listen, O Friend, to my prayer ♪ ♪ Give to us love with lasting care ♪ ♪ That flesh can die in blood of wine ♪ ♪ This dreadful night, this terrible night ♪ Christian free the world receives. Salvation from this living race. and righteousness crowned, and freedom from hell is given to you, and God's strength to you. ♪ Haste ye across the cherubim hills ♪ ♪ Start praying and sing in all the hills ♪ ♪ For in the hills of Bethlehem ♪ ♪ Be as you ♪ ♪ Have the witness ♪ ♪ The rich were few ♪ ♪ This day of mine ♪ ♪ His heavenly praise ♪ ♪ Surprise, surprise ♪ ♪ With life and praise ♪ ♪ I lift my voice to you ♪ ♪ My soul to Christ the new-born King. ♪ ♪ Lift me up and place me on the lift. ♪ ♪ And hearts of high to God be giv'n ♪ ♪ The saints begun and saints above ♪ ♪ Join thy history with man this time ♪ ♪ Permit me find that time again ♪ Rest, O tender love, best ever bright. ♪ Where he displays his power to rule ♪ ♪ And shines a great dimmer than the sun ♪ No earth, no seas, no sun, no stars, No heav'n is full, this heav'nless rest, His beauty's grief can never trace, Till we behold him face to face. And now, dear Lord, do cover with a mantle of thy forgiving love all that thy pure and holy eyes have seen amiss in our worship this day. Take us on our way in peace and safety. Prepare us for the Sabbath that draws near so quickly once more. And may the grace of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the love of God, the Holy Spirit's favour. Rest and abide with us each, both now and evermore. Amen. In thankfulness to the Lord, Let us sing the usual doxology. It is the last verse of hymn 736. The tune is Celeste. Sorry, the last verse of hymn 220. The tune is Celeste 736. This God is the God we adore. our faithful, unchangeable friend, whose love is as large as his power, and neither knows measure nor end. Tis Jesus, the first and the last, whose spirit shall guide us safe home. We'll praise him for all that is past, and trust him for all that's to come. This God is the God we adore, our faithful, unchangeable friend, whose love of justice, power, and neither transgression nor death. Tis Jesus, the first and the last, Her spirit shall guide us safer. We'll praise Him for all that is past. And trust Him for all that's to come.