Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 18 January, 2026
“Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone,
a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste” (Isa. 28:16)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM – Rev. J. Engelsma
Yield Yourselves Unto God [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Romans 6
Text: Romans 6:12-14
I. What Is Forbidden
II. What Is Required
III. For What Reason
Psalms: 89:1-2, 15-18; 18:1-2, 46-50; 1:1-6; 115:1-3, 12-18
Evening Service – 6:00 PM – Rev. J. Engelsma
Scripture Reading: Psalm 57
Text: Psalm 57:7
I. The Meaning
II. The Effect
III. The Explanation
Psalms: 108:1-6, 11-13; 121:1-8; 112:1-2, 5-8; 57:1, 6-11
For CDs of the sermons and DVDs of the worship services, contact Stephen Murray
If you desire a pastoral visit, please contact Rev. Stewart or the elders
CPRC Website: www.cprc.co.uk • Live Webcast: www.cprc.co.uk/live-streaming
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC
Quote to Consider
Herman Hoeksema on Romans 6:14: “Sin binds the sinner from within, not from without. It binds the sinner in his heart. This is the deepest aspect of his being. If sin were a question merely of the mind, or of the will, there would be conflict between the heart and the mind of the sinner. But there is no conflict. Sin is enthroned in the deepest depths of man’s being. From the heart, sin rules over the mind, the will, and the desires. Sin has dominion over the sinner from the very root of his being to his entire life. Sin has dominion over him. He can never say, ‘Sin shall not have dominion over me.’ And yet the fool says, ‘I am free.’ It is only in certain cases that the sinner becomes conscious that he is under the dominion of sin, that he cannot break away from the dominion of sin … The apostle says to the church (remember, the apostle writes to the church), sin shall not have dominion over you. This is no admonition, no possibility, no exhortation. It is a fact … The dominion of sin is broken as to its legal right and as to its actual dominion” (Righteous by Faith Alone, pp. 265-266).
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
Rev. Engelsma will be preaching for us again today. Everyone is welcome to stay for tea after this evening’s service as we bid farewell to the church visitors, who leave for the US tomorrow morning. Tea rota: Group B.
Monday night catechism classes:
5:00 PM: Felicity & Sophie (Juniors NT)
5:45 PM: Grace, Jonas, Liam & Sammy (Beginners NT)
6:30 PM: Eleanora, Hannah, Jorja, Penelope & Xander (Seniors NT)
7:15 PM: Jason, Maisie & Sebastian (Heidelberg Catechism – Book 2)
8:00 PM: Abbie, Jack, Josh, Samuel & Taylor (Essentials)
Tuesday Bible study will meet this week at 11 AM to consider the most distinctive feature of Paul’s stay in Iconium (Acts 14:1-7).
The Belgic Confession class meets at 7:30 PM on Wednesday for more on “The One Biblical Consummation Versus Dispensationalism.”
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Haak is entitled “Trusting and Not Fearing” (Psalm 56:3-4).
If you are planning to come to the 2026 BRF Conference and stay on-site, please fill in your booking form to reserve a room. With over 80 people already booked in, we may run out of rooms. Payment arrangements can be made later.
Offerings: £1,633.40.
Translation Additions: 1 Polish and 6 Urdu.
A delegation of the PRC Foreign Mission Committee (FMC) and Edgerton PRC plans to travel to Kenya this week to meet with contacts that Edgerton and the FMC have had there for the past couple years. The delegation consists of Rev. M. De Boer, Rev. S. Regnerus and Deacon Jim Ver Hey, along with his wife Lissa. They plan to leave on 21 January and to return late on 30 January. Let us remember them in our prayers, that the Lord may grant safe travels and His blessing upon their work.
Matthew Henry on Psalm 57:5-11
[David in Psalm 57] prays to God to glorify Himself and His own great name (v. 5): “Whatever becomes of me and my interest, be thou exalted, O God! above the heavens, be thou praised by the holy angels, those glorious inhabitants of the upper world; and let thy glory be above or over all the earth; let all the inhabitants of this earth be brought to know and praise thee.” Thus God’s glory should lie nearer our hearts, and we should be more concerned for it, than for any particular interests of our own. When David was in the greatest distress and disgrace he did not pray, Lord, exalt me, but, Lord, exalt thy own name. Thus the Son of David, when his soul was troubled, and he prayed, Father, save me from this hour, immediately withdrew that petition, and presented this in the room of it, For this cause came I to this hour; Father, glorify thy name, John 12:27-28. Or it may be taken as a plea to enforce his petition for deliverance: “Lord, send from heaven to save me, and thereby thou wilt glorify thyself as the God both of heaven and earth.” Our best encouragement in prayer is taken from the glory of God, and to that therefore, more than our own comfort, we should have an eye in all our petitions for particular mercies; for this is made the first petition in the Lord’s prayer, as that which regulates and directs all the rest, Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
How strangely is the tune altered here! David’s prayers and complaints, by the lively actings of faith, are here, all of a sudden, turned into praises and thanksgivings; his sackcloth is loosed, he is girded with gladness, and his hallelujahs are as fervent as his hosannas. This should make us in love with prayer, that, sooner or later, it will be swallowed up in praise. Observe,
I. How he prepares himself for the duty of praise (v. 7): My heart is fixed, O God! my heart is fixed. My heart is erect, or lifted up (so some), which was bowed down, v. 6. My heart is fixed, 1. With reference to God’s providences; it is prepared for every event, being stayed upon God, Ps. 112:7; Isa. 26:3. My heart is fixed, and then none of these things move me, Acts 20:24 If by the grace of God we be brought into this even composed frame of spirit, we have great reason to be thankful. 2. With reference to the worship of God: My heart is fixed to sing and give praise. It is implied that the heart is the main thing required in all acts of devotion; nothing is done to purpose, in religion, further than it is done with the heart. The heart must be fixed, fixed for the duty, fitted and put in frame for it, fixed in the duty by a close application, attending on the Lord without distraction.
II. How he excites himself to the duty of praise (v. 8): Awake up my glory, that is, my tongue (our tongue is our glory, and never more so than when it is employed in praising God), or my soul, that must be first awakened; dull and sleepy devotions will never be acceptable to God. We must stir up ourselves, and all that is within us, to praise God; with a holy fire must that sacrifice be kindled, and ascend in a holy flame. David’s tongue will lead, and his psaltery and harp will follow, in these hymns of praise. I myself will awake, not only, “I will not be dead, and drowsy, and careless, in this work,” but, “I will be in the most lively frame, as one newly awakened out of a refreshing sleep.” He will awake early to this work, early in the morning, to begin the day with God, early in the beginnings of a mercy. When God is coming towards us with his favours we must go forth to meet him with our praises.
III. How he pleases himself, and (as I may say) even prides himself, in the work of praise; so far is he from being ashamed to own his obligations to God, and dependence upon him, that he resolves to praise him among the people and to sing unto him among the nations, v. 9. This intimates, 1. That his own heart was much affected and enlarged in praising God; he would even make the earth ring with his sacred songs, that all might take notice how much he thought himself indebted to the goodness of God. 2. That he desired to bring others in to join with him in praising God. He will publish God’s praises among the people, that the knowledge, and fear, and love of God might be propagated, and the ends of the earth might see his salvation. When David was driven out into heathen lands he would not only not worship their gods, but he would openly avow his veneration for the God of Israel, would take his religion along with him wherever he went, would endeavour to bring others in love with it, and leave the sweet savour of it behind him. David, in his psalms, which fill the universal church, and will to the end of time, may be said to be still praising God among the people and singing to him among the nations; for all good people make use of his words in praising God. Thus St. John, in his writings, is said to prophesy again before many peoples and nations, Rev. 10:11.
IV. How he furnishes himself with matter for praise, v. 10. That which was the matter of his hope and comfort (God shall send forth his mercy and his truth, v. 3) is here the matter of his thanksgiving: Thy mercy is great unto the heavens, great beyond conception and expression; and thy truth unto the clouds, great beyond discovery, for what eye can reach that which is wrapped up in the clouds? God’s mercy and truth reach to the heavens, for they will bring all such to heaven as lay up their treasure in them and build their hopes upon them. God’s mercy and truth are praised even to the heavens, that is, by all the bright and blessed inhabitants of the upper world, who are continually exalting God’s praises to the highest, while David, on earth, is endeavouring to spread his praises to the furthest, v. 9.
V. How he leaves it at last to God to glorify his own name (v. 11): Be thou exalted, O God! The same words which he had used (v. 5) to sum up his prayers in he here uses again (and no vain repetition) to sum up his praises in: “Lord, I desire to exalt thy name, and that all the creatures may exalt it; but what can the best of us do towards it? Lord, take the work into thy own hands; do it thyself: Be thou exalted, O God! In the praises of the church triumphant thou art exalted to the heavens, and in the praises of the church militant thy glory is throughout all the earth; but thou art above all the blessing and praise of both (Neh. 9:5), and therefore, Lord, exalt thyself above the heavens and above all the earth. Father, glorify thy own name. Thou hast glorified it, glorify it yet again.”
