Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 30 April, 2023
“And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed,
and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:29)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
With the Rich in His Death [youtube]
Scripture Reading: John 19:23-42
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 16
I. Taken Down From the Cross
II. Anointed With Ointment
III. Laid in the Tomb
Psalms: 45:6-11; 67:1-7; 49:10-15; 16:6-11
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
Nehemiah, a Man Who Sought the Welfare of Israel (2)
Nehemiah’s Ejaculatory Prayer in the Palace [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Nehemiah 2
Text: Nehemiah 2:1-8
I. Its Features
II. Its Background
III. Its Issue
Psalms: 118:1-9; 68:1-6; 48:1-8a; 119:161-168
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
Quotes to Consider
Herman Hoeksema: “For Christ was God’s king; his kingdom was not of this world. Anointed before the foundation of the world to be the king of kings and lord of lords forever in the new kingdom, the eternal kingdom of heaven in the new creation, he was to wrest the dominion from the prince of this world and the powers of darkness and to establish his own kingdom in the glory of the new creation in which righteousness will dwell. However, only as the servant of Jehovah is he to reign. Only in the way of obedience, of perfect obedience of love instead of and in behalf of sinners, could he attain to glory and receive his kingdom from the Father. For the righteousness of God he had to wage war against sin and death. Only by fully satisfying the justice of God against sin, could he ascend to his throne. Not by the power of the sword, but in the way of humble obedience even unto the death of the cross he had to lay the foundation of his kingdom. He had to die in order to rise to the glory of his resurrection. He had to humble himself in order to be exalted. He had to empty himself and become utterly without glory in order to receive all power in heaven and on earth” (The Royal Sufferer, pp. 48-49).
C. H. Spurgeon on Nehemiah 2:4: “It was a prayer of a remarkable kind. I know it was so, because Nehemiah never forgot that he did pray it. I have prayed hundreds of times, and thousands of times, and not recollected any minute particular afterwards either as to the occasion that prompted or the emotions that excited me; but there are one or two prayers in my life that I never can forget. I have not jotted them down in a diary, but I remember when I prayed, because the time was so special and the prayer was so intense, and the answer to it was so remarkable. Now, Nehemiah’s prayer was never, never erased from his memory; and when these words of history were written down he wrote that down, ‘So I prayed to the God of heaven’ — a little bit of a prayer pushed in edgeways between a question and an answer— a mere fragment of devotion, as it seemed, and yet so important that it is put down in an historical document as a part of the history of the restitution and rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem, and a link in the circumstances which led up to that event of the most important character. Nehemiah felt it to be so, and therefore he makes the record — ‘So I prayed to the God of heaven.’”
Matthew Henry on Nehemiah 2:1-8: “Those that would find favour with kings must secure the favour of the King of kings. He prayed to the God of heaven as infinitely above even this mighty monarch … Wherever we are we have a way open heaven-ward. This will not hinder any business, but further it rather; therefore let no business hinder this, but give rise to it rather.”
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
Family visitation begins this week.
Monday, 1 May
7 PM – J. McCaugherns (Reid/Rev. Stewart)
8 PM – B. McCaugherns (Reid/Rev. Stewart)
Wednesday, 3 May
7 PM – B. Gould (Reid/Rev. Stewart)
8 PM – G. Gould (Reid/Rev. Stewart)
Tuesday Bible study at 11 AM will meet to discuss the Roman Catholic idea of preparation for justification, and unformed and formed faith, etc.
Belgic Confession Class has finished for the season to enable family visitation.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Haak is entitled, “Marriage Is Given by God” (Gen. 2:18-24).
Offerings: £1,495.72.
Translation Additions: 2 Polish and 1 Hungarian.
PRC News: Doon PRC called Rev. Mahtani. Georgetown PRC called Rev. DeBoer. Hudsonville PRC called Rev. Brummel. Loveland PRC called Rev. Spronk. Lynden PRC called Rev. Kortus. The PR Seminary has licensed Aaron VanDyke to speak a word of edification in the churches.
The Imperial Crown
Brian D. Dykstra
In 2019 my wife took me on a holiday to Great Britain. We began our trip in London where our first stop was the Tower of London where the Crown Jewels are on public display in the Jewel House. The Jewel House must be one of the most secure places on the planet. When we entered the Jewel House, we stood on a moving “sidewalk” which took you slowly around the display case. I had not yet come to appreciate British history, so, unfortunately, I did not comprehend what I saw, but I recall being impressed by the beauty of the gold and gem stones. It was difficult to imagine what it would cost to replace all these items. The greatest item on display there was the Imperial State Crown.
That night I adopted the practice of asking my wife where we were going the next day. After dinner I would get online and read as much as I could about our next destination. I hadn’t had time to do my homework before the trip, so I would have to make do with an on-site, self-directed crash course. I found the studies enjoyable.
Earlier this year I was sharing some British history with the 5th graders who are not in band. As we were going through a news article about the British Royal Family, a notification popped up to inform us that Queen Elizabeth II just passed away. Current events had never been so current. A few days later, during Her Majesty’s funeral procession, the Imperial State Crown rested upon her coffin. A report of the crown read, “It can be quite hard to look at sometimes because of the sheer light that comes off them [i.e., the gem stones]. It’s literally dazzling … visually overpowering.”
2,868 diamonds (about the size of gems found on a typical engagement ring), 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 269 pearls adorn the crown. I recall how I had to save in order to buy my wife an engagement ring with a diamond of 1/3 carat. This crown has 2,868 such diamonds. Quite astounding!
There are three very large gemstones on the crown as well. One, a diamond, is known as the Cullinan II or the Second Star of Africa. To the men who recall paying for their wives’ engagement rings, pay attention to this. This diamond was cut from the largest diamond ever discovered which weighed 3,025 carats. Nine large stones were cut from it. The stone produced another 97 smaller stones. While we commoners scrimp to buy diamonds of one-quarter to one-half a carat, the largest diamond cut from the stone, which now marks the front of the crown, weighs in at an astronomical 317.4 carats, or 1,058 times the size of my wife’s! Cutting and polishing these stones took three men eight months to complete.
British kings and queens collected the gems now glittering upon the crown. This process lasted for a thousand years. The oldest gem in the royal collection now sits atop the crown. It is St. Edward the Confessor’s sapphire. The gem originally was set in a ring King Edward wore back in the 11th century. Queen Elizabeth I, King Henry VIII’s daughter, procured some of the pearls now on the crown. The stones and pearls tell fascinating stories, some real, some fiction.
Queen Elizabeth II wore the Imperial Crown during the ceremony which opened the yearly session of Parliament. The silver, gold and jewels weigh nearly two and one-half pounds. When the Queen was in her early nineties, she reported the crown could be difficult to wear as she had to read her speech while holding her papers high enough so as not to cause the crown to slip from her head. She said, “You can’t look down to read the speech. You have to take the speech up, because if you did, your neck would break.” Heavy is the head which wears the crown.
What’s the point of all this? Consider that the Imperial State Crown, viewed as an expression of wealth and status, and signifying majesty and sovereignty, is pale in comparison to the Crown of Righteousness which adorns the King of kings. Christ’s crown does not dazzle with diamonds but with perfect righteousness. Just as the beauty of Solomon’s temple could not contain God’s glory, the greatest gem-cutter working for months could not capture the glory of God’s perfection in earthly diamonds.
God will give to each of His saints a crown of righteousness. Our crowns were purchased with Christ’s blood. We who had listened to Satan and surrendered our original righteous condition, soiling our souls, will be purged with the Lamb’s blood. This new crown will never be lost.
The UK’s Imperial Crown is backed with great wealth. What monetary value could be placed on it? However, when my wife and I walked the streets of London, impressive as those streets were, I noticed the streets were paved with blacktop. How glorious and valuable must the Crown of Righteousness be when the King who owns it possesses wealth enough to pave the streets of His Kingdom with gold?
