Outline.
Lesson 26. (The Utility of the Westminster Confession)

Worship service:
Greetings and good morning beloved brethren. It is good for us to gather together as one assembly to worship the Lord in thankful remembrance of what He hath done for our soul. For “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, saith the Lord, there am I in the midst of them.”
Psalm 147:1 says, 
“Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.”
Three times a reason is repeated for us to engender faith and encourage worship. 
1. For it is good. טוֹב tov (pure, upright) 
2. For it is pleasant. נָעִים na-im (agreeable, behold thou art fair, yea pleasant, Song 1:16)
3. For it is comely. NKJV beautiful. נָאוֶה na-veh (becoming, seemly, fitting, which is beautiful) 

Psalm 2: The Prophet David rejoiceth, that notwithstanding his enemies’ rage, yet God will continue his kingdom forever, and advance it even to the end of the world, 10 and therefore exhorteth kings and rulers, that they would humbly submit themselves under God’s yoke, because it is in vain to resist God. Herein is figured Christ’s kingdom.

2:1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people murmur in vain?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the princes take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,

3 Let us break their bands, and cast their cords from us.

4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall hold them in derision.

5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure, saying,

6 Even I have set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

7 I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the ends of the earth for thy possession.

9 Thou shalt break them with a scepter of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

11 Serve the Lord in fear, and rejoice with trembling.

12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all that trust in him

Opening prayer:
Our gracious and merciful Father, thou who art all glorious, all just, all holy, and all mercy and compassion. We thy people come before thee, and beseech thee for mercy and grace. Mercy to forgive us of our sins, and grace to turn from it. It is within thy power and authority to grant us our petition. Authority because thou hast Sovereign right to do all things. Power because thou hast all strength and ability to do all things. We know that our sin is too great for us. The world would swallow us up, the flesh would drag us down to hell, and the devil would devour us like a roaring lion upon the prey. But thou O Lord, take pity upon thy servants who fear thee. There are few, so few in these days of evil who call upon thee according to truth. And is it not according to thy word? For thou hast written, “Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.” and again, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” O Lord, give us a mind to know what to strive for, give us a heart full of divine affections to strive for it, and give us the ability and will to work out that which is well pleasing in thy sight, that we might not sin, but keep thy commandments with all boldness and diligence. Take care of thy flock, O Lord according to thy promise, and according as thy people have trusted in thee. Make us to lie down in green pastures, lead us beside the still waters, restore thou our soul. Shepherd thy people O Lord and bring us to the everlasting kingdom of joy in Christ Jesus through the only way, which is thy word, upright doctrine according to that which is written. And may thy name be forever praised among thy people who are blessed through thy blessing and saved by thy grace. And so we pray in confidence knowing that thou wilt do even more than we can even ask or think, according to the promise in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whose blessed name we pray, Amen. 

Lesson 26.

Concerning the 1. usefulness of such compendiary systems, so much hath been said already by a learned divine of this age, as is 2. sufficient to satisfy 3. all who are not resolved to remain unsatisfied. 

1. The Confession is eminently useful.
i. The Confession is useful to establish our faith. 
ii. The Confession is useful to encourage our sanctification. 
iii. The Confession is useful to assist the minister. 
iv. The Confession is useful to refute heretics. 

2. The Confession is sufficient to satisfy. 
i. Man is a rational creature. 
ii. Man naturally seeks for answers.
Paradoxes in scripture: faith vs works in justification. Rom. 8:3-4, God’s providence and the afflictions of the saints. Free grace and incentive to holiness. 
iii. The Confession is a logical formula based in scripture and sound reason. 

3. There are those who are resolved to remain unsatisfied. John 1:1-13
i. Man by creation is rational, man by sin is madness. 2 Pet. 1:1-12
ii. Man seeks to know only that which is subservient to his destruction. Material things, heresy. 
iii. The Confession which is so eminently concise and clear, they reject to their own destruction. 

Conclusion. 

Our response to the rejection of men.
Matt. 10.

Closing prayer. 
Our gracious and holy Father, we come before thee humbly acknowledging our guilt, our impotence, our weakness and our misery, and we know that apart from the blessed dew of thy grace being sprinkled on us from above, we also would reject these sound and upright words to our own destruction, yet despite our weakness thou hast showed pity and compassion on us, not for any works of righteousness or effort of will on our part, for we are wholly incapable of a single good thought apart from thee, but according to thy free grace and mercy in the redemption that is in Christ Jesus the Lord thou hast rescued us from the slavery and bondage of ignorance and human reasoning, and hast delivered unto us a sure guide to lead us into the way of truth, even thy word, and thine own ministers whom thou hast shown the secrets and mysteries of the gospel, that they might proclaim them to us and we to our children, and the generation to come. We bless and thank thee therefore for this document that has been carefully and fearfully written, adored and established by scripture proofs and many witnesses, ratified in a public assembly during a time when true religion flourished in the world. Moreover we ask that thou wouldst seal those precious truths into our very hearts that we might understand and know thee the true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, cause us to know and love thee that we might be wholly thine, in this life and the life to come. So prepare us for the last day by the Spirit of sanctification, and cause us to hope in thy word in the midst of a world swallowed up in unbelief and hatred for thy truth, for thou only canst do it. And so we bless and praise the name of Jesus Christ who is our divine Captain, our Governor, our Mediator, and the author and finisher of our faith in whose name we pray, Amen. 

YouTube Audio: https://youtu.be/LPho75j8eCM