Funeral service of Reuben E Mercer (Quality: Good, incomplete)

[0:00] Let us pray and glorious triune Jehovah, Holy Father, Holy Son, and Holy Ghost.

[0:14] We do pray for the smile of the Father, that Jesus himself may draw near and go with us.

[0:27] And that the immortal dove of peace may descend. How mingled is our cup.

[0:39] How greatly we rejoice. That thou hast glorified the justified. That thou hast enabled our beloved brother.

[0:54] To finish his course with joy. And the ministry. Which he received of the Lord Jesus.

[1:07] And to leave behind. The fragrancy. The sweet perfume. Of the spirit.

[1:19] And nature of Christ. His master. And now Lord we pray. That thou wilt specially support.

[1:32] Our beloved sister. The dear widow. And every member of the dear family. And this beloved flock.

[1:45] For our sense of loss. Is proportionate. To love. And how precious is that gift.

[2:01] Of our ascended redeemer. Of a pastor. Of a pastor. According. According. To thine heart.

[2:13] Who has fed them. And us. With knowledge. And understanding. Now he rests.

[2:24] With his. Saviour. Grant thy rich blessing. Upon this. Unworthy instrument. And our beloved brother.

[2:37] At the graveside. And. Bless us all. That we may experience. Thy sweet presence.

[2:49] For Jesus. Christ's sake. Our Lord and Redeemer. Amen. O.

[3:02] This curious. House of clay. Thy present. Frail abode. Must quickly. Fall to worms.

[3:12] Of prey. And thou return. To God. The first hymn. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[3:23] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[4:01] Amen. Amen. Amen.

[4:12] Amen. Amen. Amen.

[4:23] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. I have a hand below The people whoJoel I rise already and prepare for me a fraction in the skies.

[5:20] I rise already and prepare for me a fraction in the skies.

[5:52] I rise already and prepare for me a fraction in the skies. I rise already and prepare for me a fraction in the skies.

[6:16] I rise already and prepare for me a fraction in the skies.

[6:30] I rise already and prepare for me a fraction in the skies.

[6:44] I rise already and prepare for me a fraction in the skies.

[6:58] I rise already and prepare for me a fraction in the skies. I rise already and prepare for me a fraction in the skies.

[7:14] I rise already and prepare for me a fraction in the skies.

[7:28] I rise already and prepare for me a fraction in the skies. Let us read Psalm 91.

[7:42] He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God.

[8:04] In Him will I trust. Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence.

[8:17] He shall cover thee with His feathers and under His wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

[8:33] Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flyeth by day, nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

[8:57] A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee.

[9:11] Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

[9:23] Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation, there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

[9:45] For He shall give His angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

[10:05] Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder, the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

[10:16] Because He hath set His love upon me, therefore will I deliver Him. I will set Him on high, because He hath known my name.

[10:35] He shall call upon me, and I will answer Him. I will be with Him in travel, I will deliver Him and honour Him.

[10:53] With long life will I satisfy Him, and show Him my salvation.

[11:08] A long life, a full life, lived to the glory of God, and finishing His course with joy, and the ministry that he received of the Lord Jesus.

[11:31] And just like saintly Simeon, who when he embraced the precious babe, the Lord Jesus, the Son of God incarnate, immediately said his farewell to the world.

[11:53] Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word. For thine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

[12:24] Your very dear one, the Lord's servant, wearing his mantle of divine authority in the promulgation of the gospel, in his last few weeks, and especially on the last occasion that he preached, I believe on the Wednesday prior to his translation, his rich, blessed, sanctifying, happy, glorious spiritual experience was, to embrace his dear Redeemer.

[13:18] And in the blissful sunshine of his immutable and ineffable love, he went into the heavens, called to the marriage supper of the Lamb, with long life, eternal life, will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.

[13:53] Oh, the joy and the comfort that is flowing now into your souls, and into our souls, because of the beauty and the preciousness and the fullness of all that the glorious head of the church has done for him, in him, and through him.

[14:28] To God be all the glory. Now, for a specific purpose, we read a portion in chapter 2, the second book of the Kings.

[14:41] Amen. And it came to pass, when the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven, by a whirlwind, and the Lord would take up the Lord.

[14:55] And Elijah said unto him, Tarry here, I pray thee, for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel.

[15:12] And Elijah said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.

[15:23] So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel, came forth to Elijah, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today?

[15:46] And he said, Yea, I know it. Hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee, for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho.

[16:08] And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

[16:21] And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho, came to Elijah, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head today?

[16:39] And he answered, Yea, I know it. Hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, hear, for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan.

[16:59] And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.

[17:11] They too went on. The continuity, the holy, blessed, sacred continuity, of the work of the Spirit, especially through Christ's ascension gift to the church, the ministry of the everlasting gospel of redemption, proclaimed by those who wear the mantle of heavenly anointing and power and unction and authority, continues.

[17:56] It is not broken by death. That is to say, Elijah, what a great and blessed prophet he was.

[18:10] But, before his translation, the Lord gave him a commission, amongst other things, to anoint his successor.

[18:26] And the two were inseparable. Certainly, Elisha would not leave Elijah.

[18:38] Elijah, they were joined. When the chariots and horses of fire appeared, and Elijah went up into heaven by a whirlwind, that most powerful wind, with a spiral action, that took him up into heaven quickly, without even seeing death, so that he was glorified in soul and body, immediately, in his translation, his mantle fell.

[19:18] And immediately, Elijah took it up. This is the continuity of the work of the Spirit.

[19:30] Never ceases. It goes on and on and on, until the end of this dispensation. Until the Lord has called the last chosen vessel.

[19:45] There is this holy continuity. And so they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha.

[19:58] This was my theme on the Lord's day. And chiefly, in respect to the sore bereavement, the blessed and glorious translation, in that sense of our brother.

[20:15] And knowing what the Lord would do, or has already done. All this continuity of his work.

[20:28] No cessation. And just at this stage, I would like to say this. Our beloved brother, Reuben Edward, was with his dear father, when he died.

[20:52] And this was the secret of his heart. Because Elijah had said, If thou see me when I am taken up, then his request would be answered.

[21:12] And the request was, for a double portion of his spirit. And he saw him when he was taken up.

[21:26] Our dear brother Reuben saw his dear father taken up. The mantle had fallen. He gathered up the mantle.

[21:38] And it has been on him until the moment that he was glorified. And the double portion of his spirit.

[21:51] That was the secret of our beloved brother's life, spiritual experience, especially in his living, vital, powerful, efficacious spirit.

[22:10] So, that is the secret. And the secret goes on. It has not ended. Watch.

[22:21] In that sense. And pray. And Elijah took his mantle and wrapped it together, and smote the waters.

[22:34] And they were divided hither and thither, so that they too went over on dry ground. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask, What I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee?

[23:01] And Elisha said, I pray thee, Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

[23:13] We may well ask the Lord for that blessed and sacred portion. We have seen and felt and experienced and enjoyed the spirit of Christ, the nature of Christ that he bestowed upon our beloved brother.

[23:46] And he was in this. And he was in this. An outstanding characteristic of his person, and his office, and his ministry, and his spirit to his own beloved flock, and to all the churches of God.

[24:10] We may well pray this afternoon, Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon us.

[24:24] And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if thou see me, when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee.

[24:38] But if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on and taught, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder.

[24:59] And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.

[25:18] And he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

[25:29] He took up also the mantle of Elijah, that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan.

[25:42] And he took the mantle of Elijah, that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah?

[25:54] And when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither, and Elisha went over.

[26:05] And when the sons of the prophets, which were to view Jericho, saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha.

[26:25] And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

[26:37] Oh, how very precious is the gift of the Holy Ghost! How uniting!

[26:49] How precious! That wonderful bond of union between the Lord's dear servants! They're not competitors!

[27:01] It's not a competition! To see who can excel!

[27:12] We are laborers together with him! And how precious is that bond between a pastor and his dear flock!

[27:26] It is a true conjugal relationship! They are married! Till death are still part! Very precious that is!

[27:39] And, how wonderful that we have in this very large congregation of the Lord's servants, and saints, and seekers, so many that are joined together by the Spirit in love.

[28:02] It was the Holy Ghost who gave him his virtues, and graces, and power, and authority, and unction in the ministry, and all sufficient grace for the sorrows of the way, the trials of the way, the difficulties and dilemmas.

[28:29] Oh, God, give us grace to emulate his gracious example.

[28:41] Now, the third lesson. It is very needful that at a funeral, when we consider the blessed estate of the Lord's saints and servants, that there should be a faithful word of discrimination and warning.

[29:03] warning. Because, as we shall now read in St. Matthew 25, the first paragraph, you will see that some were ready, and some were not ready.

[29:23] Our beloved brother was ready. It was in the twinkling of an eye. He was ready. I have heard this expressed, that it was so obvious how mellow he was, how ripe, how absolutely ready for that heavenly kingdom.

[29:53] the fruit was fully ripe. So, there is this note of discrimination and warning.

[30:07] Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

[30:24] They that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

[30:39] While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him.

[31:00] Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out.

[31:15] How solemn to have no oil of grace in our hearts. Just to have a superficial, nominal profession and to come to the close of one's days and prove the solemn deficiency for the lamp to go out.

[31:45] To come down to the grave to one's end, entirely destitute of the saving grace of God. The lamp has gone out.

[31:57] And my friends, if our knowledge in religion is only superficial and nominal or traditional or official and is entirely destitute of the saving grace of God, then be warned.

[32:18] that lamp will go out. What a dreadful eternity for those who have been in religion with no grace come to the end and the lamp goes out.

[32:42] There are many seasons of trial and of darkness and temptation and certainly we have no residuum within ourselves.

[32:58] But the truth is concerning the Lord's dear people, all my springs are in thee. The Lord replenishes. Oh, how he was pouring oil, a little more oil into the lamp of your dear pastor over the last few weeks.

[33:21] And how brightly that lamp shone when the Lord called for him. But be warned. But the wise answered saying, Not so, lest there be not enough for us and you.

[33:38] Go ye rather to them that sell and buy for yourselves. While they went to buy, the bridegroom came. They that were ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut.

[33:59] Afterward came also the other virgins saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

[34:11] But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the error where in the son of man cometh.

[34:30] Here endeth the lesson. No, we are not here this afternoon to eulogize. God is very jealous of his honor and glory.

[34:42] No child of God under the influence of the Spirit would ever seek, although it is virtually impossible to do it, but the Spirit is prevalent in human nature.

[35:00] No child of God under the influence of the Spirit would ever wish in the smallest way to rob God of his glory. All the glory redounds to the Lord.

[35:16] And our dear brother, Reuben Edward Mercer, was what he was by the grace of God.

[35:34] Are you? Am I? And he was where he was by the grace of God.

[35:47] Where he was. There was no ambiguity about it. He was here. He was the pastor of this church. He was where he was.

[36:01] And sustained in it for these 27 years by the grace of God. And he is where he is.

[36:15] Heaven. By the grace of God. God. So I shall, joining with my dear brother here, as the ministers entrusted with this sacred right, and with you on the walls of Zion, and you in holy offices, and you the members of his church, ascribe all honour, praise, glory, majesty, might, and dominion, unto him for ever and ever.

[36:53] Amen. He wears the crown. An explanatory word. Quite quite I am unworthy of this sacred privilege.

[37:12] But there is a special bond between us. For as you know well, he was for 27 years the dearly loved and highly esteemed pastor of this church.

[37:31] And as far as I can remember, I have been favoured to take his pastor's anniversary services over all those years.

[37:46] And they have been, some of them especially, monumental occasions to us. Well, when you think of it, from the beginning, and then to see him down to the river and into glory, and I have been thus very closely involved with him in his ministry and pastorate here, especially.

[38:14] Now you can see the bond. Personally, I deeply feel the loss because of this precious bond. It means very much to me.

[38:28] It means more to me than I can possibly express to have followed a pastor from the inauguration right down to the blessed close and through the river and into glory.

[38:44] I shall be reasonably brief as far as that is compatible with the inspiration of the Spirit. But I feel that, giving God all the glory, we may name an epithet concerning him.

[39:07] Perhaps three epithets. And the first is this, and I have felt spontaneously moved in these matters.

[39:22] The first is this, that he was above a servant to me, to many of you. Above a servant, a brother beloved.

[39:39] Now what a sweet thing that is to come to one's end in such a spirit. A brother beloved. I'm quite certain that the volume of gracious people here today indicates that he was above a servant a brother beloved.

[40:06] Very wonderful that. And then it has occurred to me that I might venture to use these terms concerning him, that he was, by the grace of God, a, not thee, but a sweet psalmist in Israel.

[40:35] He blew the trumpet of the gospel, and the Lord gave him a special gift and talent of the harmony of music.

[40:51] And you would hear him perhaps come into the pulpit and join in the singing. And he was a sweet psalmist in Israel.

[41:06] Now that's very blessed. One who sings the Lord's praise. And this is perhaps infectious, contagious, graciously.

[41:21] And then, by the grace of God, it may well be said of him that he was an Israelite indeed and who was no guile.

[41:34] He always seemed to me to be, by the grace of God, I know he was a man, but he always seemed to me so affectionate and forgiving and tender.

[41:48] I never heard him say anything against anyone. There seemed to be no malice, whatever in his spirit. An Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.

[42:04] Now all this is the grace of God and the virtues and graces of the spirit that the Lord bestowed upon him so that he might live to his glory and be an instrument to show forth his glory and praise before his generation and others.

[42:28] Now, I have already mentioned the case of his beloved father seeing him die and the double portion that rested upon him and the mantle that he took up so that he commenced to preach in September 1941 and in 1950 became the pastor of this church.

[42:58] this church. What a dear, devoted husband, my beloved sister, you have enjoyed. And I want to pay you a tribute this afternoon.

[43:14] A minister of the gospel, a center of God and a pastor, really their strength lies there, largely.

[43:28] A good, gracious, loving, discerning, praying wife behind the scenes. I wish then, in the name of the Lord, to pay you that tribute.

[43:45] The Lord has helped you to hold up his hands over the years and you've walked together, you've shared your joys and you've shared your sorrows and you'll never be parted because where he is you, through Christ, will be.

[44:09] How favoured is a godly man with a good wife or a gracious wife with a godly husband. Then, what a loving, faithful, praying father you dear children and grandchildren had.

[44:29] His conversation, for instance, between the anniversary services up in the room, we had a little while together. He was always speaking of his loving concern, his prayerful concern for his dear family, for all of them.

[44:48] Oh, how wonderful to have such a father. His prayers will be answered, the Lord will go on answering those prayers that are treasured in heaven.

[45:04] And I believe he had a sweet feeling that not one of you would be left out. Not a hoof should be left behind. What a dear father.

[45:16] And what a faithful, loving, devoted, loyal pastor the Lord made him.

[45:28] his whole life was bound up in you. This dear flock. And my friends, I want to say this to you, that the gift of a pastor from heaven is one of the most precious gifts the Lord bestows.

[45:48] the Lord, he has gone to his rest. Well, he has gone to his rest. He has left a worthy heritage behind. And not only a memorial, that is to say, a tombstone is a memorial, or a mural tablet in the sanctuary.

[46:14] But he has left behind a living memorial. memorial. And that is, the work of the Spirit through him in your souls. A living memorial.

[46:27] I just want to refer to this because I believe it is due. The Lord blessed him with spiritual virtues and graces. All to his glory.

[46:41] He was warm hearted. Always interested and concerned in the welfare of all that he knew. He was loving and forgiving.

[46:55] A forgiven soul is one who forgives. And this was the very spirit and nature of his master.

[47:08] He was ever concerned for the spiritual welfare of the church at Station Road. And indeed, his brother, minister and pastor and flock at Shaw's Corner.

[47:26] Those in the area. And wherever he went, he served the churches well because even in this time of declension in his health, he was still traveling and preaching this glorious gospel.

[47:47] Now he had a sweet smile of welcome. You remember when you saw him? That sweet smile? Oh, think of it now in the presence of the Lord.

[48:01] He had a path of tribulation. Down sittings and uprisings. Sometimes he was in the depths.

[48:16] Tempted sorely. Distressed in his very soul. He followed his master. I am crucified with Christ.

[48:31] He had his uprisings and the Lord gave him this just before he went to his rest. His ministry was sweet and mellow.

[48:44] The ministry of the Spirit. Just this word and I have done. He crowned his life with loving kindness and tender mercies.

[49:01] Crowned it. For in 1975 he had his silver jubilee here.

[49:14] We shall never forget it. And his golden wedding. Now to me the Lord completely crowned his life. 25 years being upheld with a loving flock surrounding him.

[49:30] Golden wedding and a loving family surrounding him. Now if that isn't a crown I don't know. But now he is crowned with glory.

[49:44] Blessed be God. Let us sing the second hymn. There is a land of pure delight where saints immortal reign infinite day excludes the night and pleasures banish pain.

[50:01] The second hymn. The second hymn. The third hymn. The third hymn. The third hymn. The third hymn. hymn. The third hymn. The third hymn. THE END THE END

[51:11] THE END