Psalm 45

[0:00] Here now is a recording of a sermon preached by Mr. J. Field at Gala Street Chapel, London.

[0:18] The thirteenth of the two following verses of Psalm 45. The king's daughter is all-glorious within.

[0:34] Her clothing is of raw gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework. The virgins, their companions that follow her, shall be brought unto thee.

[0:52] With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought. They shall enter into the king's palace. This perhaps seems rather a strange text, seeing that we've met together at a most critical time, when most solemn judgments, the solemn judgments of Almighty God, being made manifest heavily upon us in this nation.

[1:40] Who would have thought a few months ago, my beloved friends, that we should be in the awful predicament in this land that we're in today.

[1:57] that we haven't found far to look to the cause. And we have to come home, as has been mentioned in prayer this morning here, to ourselves.

[2:16] for how we have sinned. How lifeless we indeed have been.

[2:31] How things have come easy to us in our day, very different to the days of our fathers.

[2:44] fathers. And, uh, if I may use the expression, we've lived here in a fool's paradise.

[2:58] I hope you'll pardon the expression, but that's as though it appears to me. And we know not what a moment may bring forth with any one of us.

[3:13] And we know not what a moment may bring forth in this nation. But we have to acknowledge that it is the awful judgments of God upon us.

[3:27] that we have sown to the wind. And we are now beginning to reap the whirlwind. And what can we say?

[3:42] We know not what to ask for, for this nation. But as has already been expressed, these are the beginning of sorrows.

[3:57] the Lord. For this nation. O may they be sanctified. We do pray this. To our Queen. To our heads of state.

[4:09] And to us. O that our leaders might be brought to turn away from vain confidence and trust in man whose breath is in his nostrils.

[4:27] and of whom the word of God has declared wherein is he to be accounted of. O that the Lord would bring then our leaders to the call for a national day of humiliation.

[4:46] A prayer. To God. For he has heard prayer. Some of us some of us haven't very far to look back to the late war.

[4:59] When it appeared that we should be invaded and should be overcome by a fearful foe that didn't scruple at anything and had no regard for man or women or any or child.

[5:19] And the Lord he heard the prayers that were put up to him at that time. We must lose sight of what mercies and favours God has manifested toward us in this land and has still preserved us but you see we've got affiliated with those godless nations around us and to the very ones and to the very ones that let us down during the last fearful war.

[6:01] O that the Lord doesn't let any down that put their trust in him. O may he help us to put our trust in him but the great, the important matter is to belong to him.

[6:21] Be still as we read in this psalm this psalm that's been made a blessing to the church of God in every age since it was penned God is our refuge and strength the very present help in trouble we need a refuge or we do how defenceless we are and if the Lord has opened our blind eyes and unstopped our deaf ears if he has enlightened our darkened understanding and brought us to know what indeed we are or how we need him to cover our defenceless head with the shadow of his wings to be our shelter our shelter from the stormy blast and our eternal home our eternal home

[7:36] Oh what a mercy if you and I have made the Lord our refuge being compelled to by his almighty power because this is what God does for those that he designs to save you see whatever changes take place and they will take place and all that the Lord has declared will come to pass nothing will ever prevent that that is why we often feel we know not how to pray aright or to have things in there keep things in their right perspective my beloved friends we know that everything that the Lord has declared will come and must come all must come and last and end as shall please our heavenly friend but oh my dear friends we want something better than this sin cursed world if this is all we have it's a poor lot and there we have to prove this more and more the older we get here have we no continuing city but we seek one to come that my dear friends we wouldn't lose sight of this our beloved friends and our children they have to go into the world to earn their daily bread they must do this and the apostle solemnly realized this he says here have we no continuing city but we seek one to come but he says let us therefore go out unto him without the camp bearing his reproach for here have we no continuing city you know it will be seen it will be seen by the world do we know the

[9:57] I remember in my business when I was in the world I often used to come across those that would tell me that they were Christians Christians I wouldn't hesitate about it but we've no need to walk about the world and telling people we are Christians the world will soon see and know what we are if we the fear of God is in our hearts if the world doesn't distinguish this then there is something wrong with us because we can't go with the world and the world won't go with us never way we lose sight of this as not one of you here I know this not one of you in this little company here that has to go out into the world if the Lord in his rich mercy has implanted his only fear in your hearts and that is our desire above every other desire for you and for our children then the world will see it you can't go with the world you see the children of God these people they are in the world they are not of the world but we must never lose sight of this where we were once once we were as the Lord inspired

[11:35] Paul when he wrote to the Ephesians he says you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world and so it was and so it is and if the if we differ we differ from the world the professing and the profane world and this is the point the solemn point in this evil day one of the most solemn things is many antichrists have gone out into the world they are they are and the Lord himself declared when he was here that there should be force Christ there should be those that shall say come here is Christ and there is Christ go not after them that is the danger you see there is these enemies of God at work in the world in the religious world oh and what a danger they are how many are attracted by them how many join their ranks all to be separated from all false religion you know there is only one right profession and that is the one that is clearly as set before us in his unerring word there is only one people it doesn't matter what men say it doesn't matter how men may argue there is only one people and these are the people of God because if we don't belong to the people of God we are children of wrong and will be destroyed we are enemies of God there is only two people in the world the children of the devil and the children of God and if we are the children of God it is because the Lord in his great mercy has translated us from the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of his dear son and this is what we want to speak about the Lord helping us this kingdom see here in our this blessed precious psalm the psalmist begins he says my heart is indicted a good matter

[14:41] I speak of the things which I have made touching the king touching the king the king in Zion he who is king of kings and lord of lords he who is then if he is king he has a kingdom oh to belong to this kingdom this kingdom this kingdom that is unaffected by all the disturbances and by all the turmoil of the world this kingdom this kingdom that cometh not with observation but is within his people within them and that the Lord when he was here he spoke to his disciples and said the disciples and said yea they that have continued with me in my temptations and I appoint unto you a kingdom as my heavenly father hath appointed unto me oh my dear friends what a favour an unspeakable favour you see this kingdom is a kingdom that will remain forever the kingdom of truth it's a kingdom of righteousness it's the kingdom of God and whatever takes place in the world

[16:38] I was only thinking in bed I think it was early this morning of the prayer that the Lord taught his disciples what can we say you see in that prayer he taught his disciples thy will be done on earth thy will his will oh my dear friends the Lord give us that precious vital fate in him because all must come and last and end as shall please our heavenly friend but do you see this kingdom is before his people and and the great thing the vital matter with every ever born soul is to know this for himself to have this solemn matter er settled in his own soul and only the Lord can make this manifest so often we we in our petitions

[17:59] I do have to come with this assure my conscience of earth its power in the Redeemer's blood and bear the witness in my heart that I am born of God you see how it says the king's daughter is all glorious within something within not an outward shell not an outward reformation many have an outward reformation but they are the same inwardly the same as they ever were oh we we do need and we must have if we are to belong to this kingdom the inwrought work of the Holy Ghost in our souls we must be born again made for takers of that new nature that the wicked one toucheth not it has nothing to do with it can never touch that that was in Job the devil knew this for oh how the devil is that that was one thing he couldn't touch there are set an age about him he then he even says this to the Lord there are set an age about him to thank him oh and you see and if you and I are born of God we have a a something within us that the wicked one can never touch and Peter had this principle within him and in his address to the church of God he had known something of the world of that awful enemy the devil that foe that the church of God had to do with while they are travelling through this veil of tears and he knew something of it and he speaks of this people who are kept by the power of God by his almighty power his resurrection power upheld kept preserved you see there is something in our carnal nature we still got a carnal nature that wanders from God thus beset they daily field that they have neither strength nor skill rightly to oppose the foe or to guard against the world but the wicked one can never touch this inward path this new nature being born again there says the apostle of incorruptible seed thereby the word of God which liveth and abideth forever my dear young friends do we do you know something of this this sin with this new birth because everyone that belongs to his kingdom are made partakers of his spiritual nature they are they are they are they are quickened into life born of the spirit and this is real vital godliness and born to see the righteousness and the holiness of God and everyone that is born of God is led into all truth step by step not all at once and the Lord has said of these ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free and it does because that soul that is born of God he sees in the word the experience of those that have gone before him sees it there clearly set forth and he has in some humble measure is brought to know in his own soul the same truth and so we know the truth it is it is not some mere notion or knowledge of the truth that a sinner born of God has no the Lord must teach him and as I have mentioned I believe before here my dear friends oh this is our great mercy whatever fools you and I may be in this world the Lord can teach us he can and lead us into all truth and it doesn't matter what we are in this world the Lord can teach us he can instruct us he can and only him we can never come to a saving knowledge of the truth by our own intelligence we can't the Lord must bring us to know what we are where we are he must teach us how Jesus can save and show to us the depths of our sin is he doing this with us this is a work that's going on in every one of you that are born of God that are born of God yes and there's none teachers like him the poet says he takes the fools and makes him know the mysteries of his grace to bring us fire in wisdom low in all its pride abase and you this this rich grace will never lift a man up and make him think he is what he is not he will humble him you know put him in his right place you see we see in the world haughty men and haughty people are going about the world saying what they would do and what they are going to do even see it in this nation we've seen this

[26:09] I don't like to speak about those in authority my dear friends wrongly but we see them they say what they are going to do and what they are bringing to pass and what and the very opposite takes place very opposite it does we see it we see it oh but you see where the grace of God is what a difference there is a looking to him there is a coming to him and there is a sin is forced to him he has to come to him you know we don't pray much there is much real prayer I fear oh would to God there was more in my heart but you know what does it mean it means trouble it means need it means a hunger it means a thirst it does indeed but I want the one thing is certain if ever you and I are born of God we shall cry to him we shall have to come to him though he is so holy though he is just though he is right and perfect but you see on the other end of the scale look at us what are we?

[27:49] we are imperfect unholy we are sinful and we need to be brought to know this continually by the Holy Ghost to be convinced of it to be convinced of it to be convinced of it as a that poor was that poor my dear friends but oh how it cuts how it dries how it will make a sinner hunger and thirst after righteousness that's what it does I am trying to speak here of these you see here their text is the king's daughter is all glorious within you see in the church of God here the church of God is declared to be the king's daughter and by that we understand the bride of Christ we understand this to be his children what a favour that the Lord should take out of this sin cursed world worthless wretched sinners and make them heirs to an eternal inheritance were born not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God and you see in the church of God

[29:40] I always remember this when my late dear father received me and gave me the right hand of fellowship into the church it's something I've never forgotten he said to me my dear boy there's no earthly relationships in the church of God they end there in the church of God they do and in the spirit there's you remember what the Lord said about someone having so many husbands and who would she be in the resurrection and the Lord solemnly rebuked them they tried to catch him didn't they and he said they neither are married or are given in marriage there's no sex in the church of God neither male nor female in the church of God but all of one in him they are but they are a part you see a member a member each are a member of the mystical body of Christ which is the church and loved by him love with an everlasting love and that love of God is manifested in that in due time as we mentioned they are quickened into life they are brought to turn from the ways of sin and death they are turned from the world they are brought to leave the world's deceit for sure and they are brought to turn to him and in turning to him they are changed they changed their company and they belong to the church of God as Ruth the Moabitess damsel was a lively type of the church of God that's what she was her resolve and she was a Moabite the people that had the curse of God upon them and that is how we are by nature no different no different we come into this world under that curse we are not that curse we are we need to be delivered from the curse and we don't know how we can be delivered from the curse because when God takes a portion of his hand he doesn't know how he can he finds himself so helpless so destitute so foolish so ignorant he finds himself so weak and so far from God there is one thing about everyone that is born of God the Lord will show to them clearly that it is not of him that willeth or of him that runeth or of him that runeth but of God who showeth mercy that he must show mercy to them and that is the very first real need that arises in the heart of a sinner the need for mercy because that sinner has nothing to bring he hasn't he has to come as he is to him he has to come naked just so that the Lord strips him of all his creature righteousness he he brings him naked before him

[34:21] I remember getting on my knees or trying to get on my knees once in my younger days when something said to me you were completely naked and how can you appear before God of course the Lord sees you as you are he knows all about you he knows all the lust and all the evil and all the iniquity all the sin of your heart oh what a sinner what a sinner but that's how we must come and so we are compelled to flee to him and so we are compelled to come my dear friends every man must be stopped and the whole world stand guilty before God God do we know what this place of the stopping of males is you know we are guilty we are we are and you see it is the guilty sinner that needs mercy and we must come before him who is the judge of all as his word declares to God we are come to him who is the God the judge of all and as we come to him we do we do but oh we need an advocate to plead our cause to stand in our place to answer for us to stand in our place to answer for us and there is one oh there is one my dear friends and this is this king in Zion the one that is the advocate of the church of God the

[36:42] John says in his second chapter in his first epistle I write unto you that she sinned not that he what does he tell us in the preceding chapter in the first chapter if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us but if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and so he says if any man sin we have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous an advocate and there is not a sinner that is born of God what has to commit his case and himself into his hands the Lord gives him that precious right of faith you wonder at times whether you have got any faith whether you have got any real living faith you don't want a dead faith you don't want a dead faith and if you have got this living faith then Siddha that will bring you to him you will have to come before him as you are your venture for all that you see my dear friends and feel your need of him one of our poets says needful thou art my soul can say through all life's dark and thorny way in death oh how true is this is oh how true it is my beloved friends thou wilt most needful be when I yield up my soul to thee and so this sinner is brought to us by the Holy Ghost to know and to hear and to venture upon this glorious

[39:03] Lord Jesus Christ and he reaches after him he does he wants him he needs him there is a venturing upon him there is but you see when the sinner first ventures upon him he knows so little about him the ears of him and what a mercy to have an ear to hear of him and the first ray of hope bursts upon the soul of the sinner when he hears of him one of our poets says one of our poets says if sin and guilt afford a plea and may obtain a place surely the Lord will welcome me and I shall see his face you see there is a venturing upon him but you see there is an unfolding to the sinner and the Lord is still unfolding to his children his worth, his beauty his preciousness and to you that believe he is precious and so the succumbing to him and committing our case into his hands and he is and he is and will be all and in all to his people he will be their shield and their defence and their exceeding great reward for the Lord oh we bless God there is a saviour you know there is a good many at this time of the year they talk about the Lord Jesus Christ but oh how few there are that really worship him

[41:04] I solemnly fear that truly worship him that truly come to him oh oh a few there are that really know him and and believe in him and he is the one that can do all things by his blessed spirit and my dear young friends some of you here perhaps the Lord has begun with you I hope he has and put a concern in your soul but you feel you know so little you're troubled perhaps you haven't said a word and don't say a word to any creature but you it doesn't matter as long as you come to him and you can come to him and he can work wondrously he can teach you he can save you because he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him all that come unto God by him yes and remember this most though most I don't say all are from it but most that the Lord saves are brought in the days of their youth to remember their creator and to seek him and to seek him and he has said they that seek me early shall find me and this is the one this is the glorious person that the only one that they can seek and who receives sinners he receives sinners as much today as he did when he was in this sin cursed world you see when he was in this sin cursed world there was just those around him in that part of the world where he was that you see in eternal glory the sinners from all the length and breadth of the earth can venture upon him and come to him

[43:31] Jew and Gentile bond and free yes they can come to him look to him who is and was and is to come the almighty this is this is Zion's king and all that's declared of him is true and that the longer a child of God lives and the more brought under the influence of the Holy Ghost the more that the sinner will see and value a precious Christ and see in him all that he stands in need of to whom coming as unto a living stone to whom coming as unto a living stone oh what a mercy to be one that's coming to him to whom coming as unto a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious oh what an unspeakable favour then to know this truth in our souls oh and if we don't know this we don't know anything around and if we know this we shall want to know no more yes oh to be nearer and nearer to him clinging because we are so helpless that he is almighty he is and you see there's every encouragement to a worthless wretched hell deserving sinner you may say look what I've done look what I've been look what crimes I've been guilty of all but sinner do you feel you need of him he is the one alone that can save and save sinners and that saves the chief of sinners he does

[45:56] I believe I'm persuaded of this there will be greater sinners in heaven than there are in hell some of the greatest sinners brought to know their solemn state and condition and to mourn over their sins and after him oh my dear friends how great the grace that is heents he do for anyone and they are not even thank you are very fortunate Rosenblatt doing a dear Thank you.