All glory to the Lord (Quality: Good)

[0:00] Mr. Chairman, brethren in the ministry and Christian friends, I do feel it a privilege to come on this unique occasion and speak at this afternoon's assembly.

[0:25] We have had our desire expressed that the odor today may fill the house of the Lord.

[0:37] And I do believe that many can testify through the long years of the standing of this house that such a favor has been graciously bestowed upon it by our God on not a few occasions through that long period of time.

[1:03] I seem to be somewhat of a stripling when I consider the 46 years that our friend Mr. Faulkner has spoken in the name of the Lord in this place.

[1:16] And looking back in my diaries, I find that my first visit here was on the 31st of July, 1957.

[1:30] I well remember the occasion, for it was made to me personally a most searching and profitable season.

[1:41] The word from which I was constrained to speak was this. Romans chapter 1 and verse 15.

[1:54] So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. I say to my own condemnation that I wasn't ready to come to Bellend and preach the word of life.

[2:12] I had an inward prejudice, a traditional fetter. And when that text was applied to my spirit, I felt so condemned.

[2:24] And my long association with Bellend, as I look back over those years since 1957, is somewhat of a condemnation to my spirit.

[2:38] For but for the interposition of the Lord in breaking down my prejudice, I never should have experienced some of those blessed seasons upon which I can reflect in ministering the word within this place.

[2:56] So, my friends, it's with personal humiliation and with humble thanksgiving that I come here to die and remember the goodness of God to me, a sinner.

[3:09] The late Daniel Matthews, of whom we've heard this afternoon, was given a seal to his ministry in the person of Betty Mountford when he spoke in the chapel to which our friend and chairman has referred from the words in Proverbs chapter 16 and verse 1.

[3:39] Mr. Matthews spoke on invitation from these words, the preparations of the heart in man and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

[3:50] Mr. Matthews' ministry proved sharper than any two-edged sword in the hand of his God. And there was a division. But Betty Mountford received the word with humility and with love.

[4:09] And my friends, she clave to Daniel Matthews through the subsequent years until the time of her death.

[4:21] But when in due season, as has been referred to, the chapel became too small and this place was considered and built to the honour of God, a name must needs be selected to call the chapel by.

[4:44] And it is written that it was in gratitude for the way in which God had provided for Betty Mountford, a poor woman, that the name of the chapel should be called Providence.

[5:06] Now I was very interested in that background to the name of this chapel, Providence Chapel Bell End.

[5:16] And it was in respect of that poor woman's needs, being supplied by the bountiful hand of the Almighty God, that Mr. Matthews and those about him were ready to name this building to the glory of God, Providence Chapel.

[5:36] You will notice from the hymn sheet that Alfred Dye commenced his pastorate the same year that Daniel Matthews died.

[5:50] And from the commencement of his pastorate in 1888 to 1901, which was 13 years, Mr. Dye had baptized 44 persons in this place.

[6:09] And it's also recorded that he buried 100 in that time. So in 13 years, 100 he buried and 44 were added to the church.

[6:24] When preaching in Cardiff in November 1916, Mr. Dye remarked that he had a congregation of nearly 400 at Rowley. Now my friends, think of that as a general congregation within these walls.

[6:39] In 1916, Mr. Dye recorded at Cardiff that he had a congregation of nearly 400.

[6:51] But he also recorded that only 45 of that 400 were members of his church. A very weak church comparatively when we think of the congregation of 400 attending at that time.

[7:13] Now Mr. Dye's own definition of a church is very interesting. Mr. Dye said or wrote, A gospel church is a number, however small or great, of believers in Christ, united by his Spirit, according to his Word, to worship him and for the edification of each other in his ordinances.

[7:41] That's a very good definition of a true church of Christ. Our chairmen's referred to the church being formed and united prior to coming within this building.

[7:57] My friends, a church is a gathering together by the providence of God, of believing souls united by his Spirit, according to his Word, to worship him and for the edification of each other in his ordinances.

[8:21] Now the word that has been upon my mind to speak upon for a few minutes, and it must be a few minutes, you will find in the third chapter of the first epistle of Paul to the Corinthians and the ninth verse.

[8:41] The first epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, verse nine of chapter three. For we are laborers together with God.

[8:51] Ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. Paul uses two metaphors.

[9:03] First, he says, ye are God's husbandry. Second, he says, ye are God's building. Now the Corinthians had taken their eyes from the Lord and they were looking to men.

[9:23] Some were saying, I am of Paul, others I am of Apollos, and others I am of Cephas, and others some I am of Christ. Obviously, except as the eye was single toward Jesus Christ in the community of the church, divisions would inevitably ensue.

[9:47] And my friends, divisions arose at Corinth, to which the Apostle Paul is directed of the Holy Spirit to deal in his epistle.

[10:01] We are here today not to give glory to Daniel Matthews, not to give glory to Alfred Dye, not to give glory to Rutherford Hunt, not to give glory to our friend, Mr. Stone Lake, the pastors of this people during that 100 years.

[10:25] We're here, my friends, to give all the glory to the Lord. Yes, ye are God's building, ye are God's husbandry, says Paul.

[10:42] Paul, in the opening part of this chapter, deals with the thought, ye are God's husbandry.

[10:54] He says, neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase. Paul had planted the church at Corinth.

[11:08] He had been instrumental under the hand of God of establishing the church there. Many had been converted through his ministry, brought from darkness into light.

[11:21] Many had been delivered from idolatry, and brought to serve and acknowledge the Lord Christ. Paul had planted, and then Apollos had watered.

[11:37] He'd followed in the footsteps of the apostle. He'd continued the work. He had confirmed the doctrines. He had presented to them the will and way of the Lord as set forth in the word of God.

[11:56] My friends, Paul had planted, Apollos had watered, but God must give the increase. And Paul comes in his typical humility to say this, so then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase.

[12:23] He says, nothing belongs to me, and nothing belongs to Apollos. We're nothing in and of ourselves. All the glory belongs to the Lord, for except the Lord bless our labors, our labors are useless.

[12:39] And then he says, we are laborers together with God. We are laborers together with God.

[12:55] My friends, he doesn't infer by this that as a laborer he is coordinate with God.

[13:07] He infers by this that as a laborer he is subordinate to God, that God uses him and others as an instrument.

[13:19] And it is only through their ministerial instrumentality that any true benefit accrues to the church and any true glory ascends to God.

[13:34] We are laborers together together with God. And how beautiful is the consideration of the laborer.

[13:46] We are laborers together with God. Nothing in scripture infers that those that preach the gospel that serve the Lord in this public exercise should be idle.

[14:04] everything in scripture brings home to us the labor of the ministry.

[14:15] We are laborers together with God. And also and I must be ever so brief laborers together with God.

[14:29] my friends we can as it were put a comma where it suits us and it still applies. Laborers together with God or laborers together with God.

[14:45] you see the servants of God labor together and my friends this is one of the great needs of our day is to see the ministry united in purpose and in spirit for the glory of the Lord and the welfare of precious souls the strengthening of the church.

[15:17] Laborers together with God he says ye are God's husbandry ye are God's building. His second metaphor is that the church is a building.

[15:35] In verse 11 he says other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ. And in verse 10 he says I've laid the foundation according to God's grace.

[15:51] As a wise master builder he says and another buildeth thereon but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. In verse 12 he says now if any man build upon this foundation which is Jesus Christ silver precious stones wood hay and stubble some precious valuable and durable gold silver precious stones but my friends and some other that which is easily consumed he says wood hay and stubble but he said men build the precious the gold the silver the precious stones the durable he said they build them upon the one foundation but he said there are also others that are building wood hay and stubble upon the foundation but he says the fire is coming the fire is coming and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is and in verse 13 we have this every man's work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is those of us that are engaged in the solemn work under

[17:19] God by profession are continually in exercise what am I laying upon the foundation am I laying gold silver precious stones that when the fires of persecution and the fires of affliction and the fires of temptation and the fire of death itself shall come as it must come in the experience of every one of the children of God or everyone that professes the name of God or everyone that sits under the sound of my voice when that fire comes will it consume will it burn burn up will it be as wood hay and stubble or will it be as gold and silver and precious stones upon the foundation the one foundation Jesus Christ now as I hurriedly close this afternoon are we laboring together with God I speak to my brethren in the ministry are we laboring together with God or are we laboring independently of him are we doing God's work independently of God my friends if we are we are doomed to destruction we are doomed to suffer the only labor that

[18:42] God will prosper is that labor which is together with him so much is being done in the professing church independently of God men are seeking to do this and that in the name of God and the Lord will say in the great day I never knew you I never knew you but my friends that labor which is of God is by the calling of God and sanctification of God and that labor is going to live and live forever have we his authority and call for what we are doing whatever the initial results may appear to be will it all stand the test of the fires that the Lord will bring upon it according to his word my friends the fire shall make every man's work manifest of what sort it is

[19:49] I thought and I closed there's some precious dust around this chapel you know in the hundred years of its existence there has been laid in the tomb I've laid some precious souls myself and I've witnessed in my short period of time the laying to rest of not a few precious souls within this graveyard my friends there's a witness around the chapel and there will be a wonderful witness in the day of the resurrection when the Lord shall call his own from the tomb but may the witness exist in the structure of the chapel the building of the chapel and continue as I believe it will one day be confirmed and sealed when the Lord shall call his chosen from their resting places in the tombs that are situate on three sides of the building may the

[20:52] Lord bless these few remarks for his name's sake Amen Amen Amen. Amen.

[21:59] Amen. Amen.

[22:59] Amen. Amen.

[23:59] Amen. Amen.

[24:59] Amen. Amen.

[25:59] Amen. Amen.

[26:59] Amen.