Worship service 1/7.
Greetings saints and grace to you through the love of the Father and the righteousness of the Son. 2 Peter 1:3 says, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” It is the power of God to give and bestow life and righteousness and as He hath promised it to us in His word, we are assured that He who cannot lie will certainly sanctify and preserve us, He will keep us and guide us and ensure our salvation by his Spirit whom He hath given unto us. Therefore with confidence and certainty we come before Him to worship, knowing we are accepted in His Son.

Therefore as friends and Sons invited into fellowship with Him according to the promises of the word, let us pray for grace and blessing upon us as we approach Him in the reading of His holy word.

Our gracious and merciful Father, we come before thee sincerely and reverently, looking into thy word for grace, for forgiveness, for hope, for knowledge, not rashly or hastily, vainly imagining that we understand it according to our fleshly apprehensions, for thou dost infinitely transcend us and we cannot apprehend thee as thou art. Therefore be pleased O Lord to condescend to us and help us according to our frailty. Be patient with us and bear with our earthly weakness. Give us grace and assistance according to the promise of thy word and vouchsafe thy word into the deepest corner of our hearts that we might grow to love thee thereby. Bless the reading of the word and help us to profit by it, for without thy grace we are nothing. Forgive us our blindness and ignorance for thy sake, and cause us to know thee in thy word, for our Savior Jesus sake, Amen.

1Psalm 15: 1 This Psalm teacheth on what condition God did choose the Jews for his peculiar people; and wherefore he placed his Temple among them, which was to the intent that they by living uprightly and godly, might witness that they were his special and holy people.

A Psalm of David.

1 Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

3 He that slandereth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.

4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.

5 He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

Here in the Psalm, David characterizes those who are accepted in the habitation and temple of God as being righteous. It is a principle never too often stressed that no matter what pretense is made before men, if we are found wanting in true sanctity, we are considered outcasts, vagabonds, thieves, rebels and will be run out of doors. As Christ says of the man without a wedding garment, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Even so shall all without the beauty of a sincere heart be cast into outer darkness. But notice here that David does not stop at generals, and merely protest that all hypocrites will be shut out of the kingdom, but proceeds to the particular graces with which the righteous are blessed. He begins by declaring the constancy and sincerity of their doctrine by saying “he that speaketh the truth in his heart” for how can those speak truth in their heart when even their lips are full of lies and deceitful doctrine? What does our Lord say in the parable? That a good tree brings forth evil fruit? That a corrupt tree brings forth good fruit? Does he not say that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks? Then can those who profess free will truly hold to the doctrine of free grace? The scripture says NO. Only by a hearty consent to the doctrine of the gospel are we made holy and serviceable to our neighbors. All others are full of enmity, resentment and hypocrisy. The effect then of truthful doctrine is truthful dealing with our neighbor, being restrained from slander and malicious accusation. Historically it’s important to note that when the prince of Arminian preaching John Wesley was in contest with Augustus Toplady, defender of free grace, John Wesley was known for his slanderous and malicious accusations denying that the godly hold to the means of grace and inventing conclusions that were never drawn. Such is the same in our time, whether Baptists or Calvinists, they always resort to false accusation because they have no defense of their doctrine and can find no fault with ours. But the behavior of the godly is quite different. Seeing that the conscience is sensitive through the bruising work of the law, we are careful not to take up a reproach against our neighbor in order to the damaging of their person or name. Rebuke their sins, correct their faults, but not to their destruction but improvement. Then he proceeds to declare that another mark of sincerity is to approve of the righteous and condemn the wicked, but how can this be when the Reformed ministers of today cannot even tell who is approved of God and who is accursed? How can we honor those that fear the Lord and contemn the vile if there is no distinguishing doctrine and practice between us and the wicked. So the saying cometh to pass, ye shall know them by their fruits. And therefore although there may be deceivers in the church who make a pretense by profession, yet if they do not even profess the faith, we must esteem them as vile and contemn them as evildoers. For this is the mark of the righteous, not to take up a malicious reproach, but to contemn the vile and count them accursed in God’s eyes. Thus David proves that this is marvelously consistent with a pattern of true godliness and all the slander of our opponents vanishes away who accuse us of breaking charity and slandering those who fall short of doctrinal correctness. Finally, showing also that the righteous are characterized by being faithful to their word he concludes by saying, he that doeth these shall never be moved. Just as the apostle Peter says in another place, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” and so the promise of salvation is and shall ever be to the righteous, those who live and act and obey the commandments of God by faith, continuing ever in well doing according to that which is pleasing in His sight.

Trapp:
This is God’s answer, for men are unsound, and unfit to judge, saith Calvin. They judge according to opinion and appearance many times, and send those to heaven that can never come there; as the pope doth his canonized saints.

Calvin,
The Psalmist, for the purpose of discovering and drawing forth into the light all who are of such a character, takes the marks and evidences of true and sincere faith from the second table of the law. According to the care which every man takes to practice righteousness and equity towards his neighbors, so does he actually show that he fears God. David, then, is not here to be understood as resting satisfied with political or social justice, as if it were enough to render to our fellow-men what is their own, while we may lawfully defraud God of his right; but he describes the approved servants of God, as distinguished and known by the fruits of righteousness which they produce. In the first place, he requires sincerity; in other words, that men should conduct themselves in all their affairs with singleness of heart, and without sinful craft or cunning. Secondly, he requires justice; that is to say, that they should study to do good to their neighbors, hurt nobody, and abstain from all wrong. Thirdly, he requires truth in their speech, so that they may speak nothing falsely or deceitfully. To speak in the heart is a strong figurative expression, but it expresses more forcibly David’s meaning than if he had said from the heart. It denotes such agreement and harmony between the heart and tongue, as that the speech is, as it were, a vivid representation of the hidden affection or feeling within.

Dickson,
Having numbred out the evidences of a sound convert and true believer, who shal never be thrust out of Gods fellowship, he concludeth, That whosoever doth these things, or studieth to do them, shall never be moved. That is, hee that shal evidence his faith in God, by a sincere indeavour to doe the duties of the first and second table of Gods Law, shall not be removed from Gods house, but shall abide in his Tabernacle, and dwell in Sion, in the fellowship of God and his Saints for ever.

Opening prayer,
Our holy and righteous Father in heaven, thou who art above all, and hast absolute dominion and sovereignty over the works of thy hands, thou who art the faithful preserver of thy people and provider of the righteous, we acknowledge our sins before thee and freely confess our guilt in our first parents and in our own person. We acknowledge our blindness, Impotency, unwillingness, stubbornness, and impatience under trial. And yet despite this thou hast showed us mercy in Jesus Christ, and hast not left us in our sins, but has lifted us up by thy Spirit and caused us to behold thee in righteousness. Thou hast been faithful when we were faithless. Thou hast shed light and opened our blind eyes. Thou hast shortened our trials that our patience might be exercised, but not overcome. Thou hast in all these things been just and righteous, chastising us for sin, and testing our faith, while perfecting thy work in us by fire. Continue thy work according to thy mercy, destroy us not but build us up. Increase thy church and people according to the riches of thy grace, and cause our children ever to rejoice in thee who art the faithful God, he who keeps covenant with the righteous to a thousand generations. So preserve us and keep us according to thy grace and wisdom and give us a heart to submit to thee in thy commandments and in thy judgments. Let thy rod be sweet to us if it draws us nearer to thee and let us learn from it and profit from it. Be pleased to teach us by thy word and lead us to green pastures, out of trial and affliction for thy names sake. For thou art merciful and compassionate. And save us from this wicked generation, for men outside and inside what is called the church like dogs and seducers seek to tear us away from the faith by the strength of their own opinions. Keep us knit in Holy communion to thy word and help us to be faithful to thee, for apart from grace we would be swallowed up by every heresy. Keep us safe from this generation and make us profit in the word and by the ministers you have called to that purpose. For Jesus Christ’s sake and in His name who is the chief shepherd whose voice alone we follow, Amen.

WCF [MP] Lesson 45. The power of godliness and the necessary establishment of the Christian family.

CHRISTIAN READER, I CANNOT suppose thee to be such a stranger in England as to be ignorant of the general complaint concerning 1. the decay of the power of godliness, and more especially of 2. the great corruption of youth. Wherever thou goest, thou wilt hear men crying out of bad children and bad servants; whereas indeed 3. the source of the mischief must be sought a little higher: it is bad parents and bad masters that make bad children and bad servants; and we cannot blame so much their untowardness, as our own negligence in their education. The devil hath a great spite at the kingdom of Christ, and he knoweth no such compendious way to crush it in the egg, as by the perversion of youth, and supplanting family-duties. He striketh at all those duties which are public in the assemblies of the saints; but these are too well guarded by the solemn injunctions and dying charge of Jesus Christ, as that he should ever hope totally to subvert and undermine them; 4. but at family duties he striketh with the more success, because the institution is not so solemn, and the practice not so seriously and conscientiously regarded as it should be, and the omission is not so liable to notice and public censure. 5. Religion was first hatched in families, and there the devil seeketh to crush it; the families of the Patriarchs were all the Churches God had in the world for the time; and therefore, (I suppose,) when Cain went out from Adam’s family, he is said to go out from the face of the Lord, Gen. 4:16. Now, the devil knoweth that this is a blow at the root, and a ready way to prevent the succession of Churches: 6. if he can subvert families, other societies and communities will not long flourish and subsist with any power and vigor; for there is the stock from whence they are supplied both for the present and future.

1. Historical. There is a decay in the power of godliness.
Expl. Not a real lack of power as if God’s arm is shortened, but a lack of conviction on the part of men to believe the word of God.
[1] Appl. Arminianism shortens the arm of the Lord.
[2] Credobaptism shortens the arm of the Lord.
[3] Neo-Calvinism shortens the arm of the Lord.
[4] The gospel is not preached in the pulpit today.
[5] Appl. Therefore there is no power in their pretended godliness.
[6] The majority are not even outwardly holy but are disorderly and sinful in their lives.

2. Observation. Youth are more easily corrupted and those who are weak in faith or unsound in principles led more easily astray into error and temptation.
[1] Seducing errors.
[2] Worldly temptation. Rom. 12:1, 1 John 2:15
i. Ungodly language.
Eph. 4
ii. Women of the world.
Prov. 5
iii. Irreverence and levity.
“every idle word”

3. Warning. Parents are more than likely to be blamed for corruption in their children.
[1] They are responsible for their education.
[2] They are responsible for their discipline.
[3] They are responsible for their religious upbringing.

4. Observation. Satan labors with more success at private duties than public.
[1] Especially among hypocrites who fall wholly into his trap.
[2] Warning and admonition. See that you are not likewise deceived and be therefore zealous in private duties as well as public. Family Worship, prayer, daily reading.

5. Historical. The true Church hath always consisted in families often meeting in private, not in individuals or individual churches made up of individuals with individual opinions.
[1] The church is where the gospel is purely preached.
[2] The church is where the godly live uprightly.

6. Historical. The family is the foundation of society.
[1] Subverted by false doctrine of the accursed Baptists.
[2] Subverted by the Marxist woke liberals.
[3] Declaration. The gates of hell will not prevail against God’s church despite their railings.

Conclusion.

Depsite the opposition in the world, God will support and preserve His church and His promise to our children will stand forever to a thousand generations.

Closing prayer,
Our gracious and merciful Father, thou who art from everlasting, ever the same without variation or shadow of turning, thou who art only worthy of love, worship and adoration, we beseech thee for pardon and grace. Pardon for falling short in those duties thou hast strictly commanded in thy word, and grace to help to the work set before us. We know there will be many obstacles, afflictions and temptations in the way. The devil will not suffer us to attain paradise with ease, but will ever send his minions to attack and malign us, he will strike at our name, our health, our estate and whatsoever he is permitted to by thy hand. Therefore our prayer is that thou wouldst restrain him and stop his power, keep him from causing mischief in the church, bind him and allow for the success of the gospel in all parts of the world. Let the preaching of the gospel of free grace go forth with power and conviction as it has in our hearts here in this assembly. So keep us in this most holy faith until we are perfected in heaven and may the whole work and the glory thereof be unto thee by Jesus Christ in whose blessed and honorable name we pray, amen.

YouTube Audio: https://youtu.be/S5W9JEW2WQ8