Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 29 May, 2022
“… walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself
for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour” (Eph. 5:2)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
Solomon: Israel’s Wisest King (37)
The End of Israel’s Wisest King [youtube]
Scripture Reading: I Kings 11:26-43
Text: I Kings 11:26-43
I. Jeroboam’s Rebellion
II. Solomonic Books
III. Ecclesiastical Application
Psalms: 91:1-6; 31:13-18; 39:6-13; 72:4-10
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
Psalms, Hymns and Songs of the Spirit [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:1-21
Text: Colossians 3:16
I. The Significant Meaning
II. The Spiritual Calling
Psalms: 95:1-6; 31:19-24; 137:1-9; 2:1-8
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
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
The May issue of the Covenant Reformed News is on the back table. Standard Bearers are also available for subscribers.
Tuesday Bible study at 11 AM will meet this week. Having considered whether or not faith is a gift, a grace, a virtue and a disposition (and in what sense), we now ask if faith is faithfulness or righteousness, etc.
Family visitation (Philippians 4). Please try to make the dates and times work as much as possible. If you do need to reschedule, talk to Rev. Stewart or one of the elders.
Monday, 30 May
7 PM – K. Goulds (Crossett/Rev. Stewart)
8 PM – B. Goulds (Crossett/Rev. Stewart)
9 PM – Grace (Crossett/Rev. Stewart)
Wednesday, 1 June
1:30 PM – I. Mawhinneys (Reid/Rev. Stewart)
2:30 PM – William John (Reid/Rev. Stewart)
3:30 PM – Alan (Reid/Rev. Stewart)
Thursday, 2 June
7 PM – Colm (Reid/Rev. Stewart)
8 PM – Ivan (Reid/Rev. Stewart)
9 PM – Sinead (Reid/Rev. Stewart)
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. R. Kleyn is entitled, “A Memorable Family Reunion” (Gen. 45:15-46:34).
The Council meets on Monday, 6 June, at 7 PM at church.
South Wales Lecture: Rev. Stewart will speak on “The Irresistible Grace of God” on Thursday, 9 June, at Margam Community Centre.
Please reserve Wednesday, 29 June, for our annual general meeting.
We are expecting about 30-40 visitors to the church the weekend after the conference (16-17 July). Some of them are looking for accommodation. If you are willing to host someone at your house, please sign-up on the sheet on the back table. If you have already arranged something with someone, please put that down as well. Thanks!
Offerings: General Fund: £1,078.82.
Translation Additions: 2 Hungarian, 1 Polish and 2 Russian.
PRC News: Grace PRC called Rev. Guichelaar (Randolph, WI). Rev. Regnerus declined the call to Edmonton. Their new trio consists of Revs. Smit, Smidstra and Spronk. Hudsonville PRC called Rev. Smidstra (Holland, MI).
Martin Luther’s Preface to the Revised Edition of the German Psalter (1531)
The Psalter has been lauded and loved by many holy fathers above the other books of the Scripture; and, indeed, the work itself doth sufficiently praise its Author. Nevertheless, we also must utter our praise and thanks for it …
Yea, the Psalter ought to be precious and dear, were it for nothing else but the clear promise it holds forth respecting Christ’s death and resurrection, and its prefiguration of His kingdom and of the whole estate and system of Christianity, insomuch that it might well be entitled a Little Bible, wherein everything contained in the entire Bible is beautifully and briefly comprehended, and compacted into an enchiridion or Manual. It seems to me as if the Holy Ghost had been please to take on himself the trouble of putting together a short Bible, or book of exemplars, touching the whole of Christianity or all the saints, in order that they who are unable to read the whole Bible may nevertheless find almost the whole sum comprehended in one little book … the Psalter is the very paragon of books …
Moreover, it is not the poor every-day words of the saints that the Psalter expresses, but their very best words, spoken by them, in deepest earnestness, to God Himself, in matters of utmost moment. Thus it lays open to us not only what they say about their works, but their very heart and the inmost treasure of their souls; so that we can spy the bottom and spring of their words and works—that is to say, their heart—in what manner of thoughts they had, how their heart did bear itself, in every sort of business, peril, and extremity …
What is the Psalter, for the most part, but such earnest discourse in all manner of such winds? Where are finer words of gladness than in the Psalms of Praise and Thanksgiving? There thou lookest into the hearts of all the saints as into fair and pleasant gardens, yea, as into the heavens, and seest what fine, hearty, pleasant flowers spring up therein, in all manner of fair gladsome thoughts of God and His benefits. And again, where wilt thou find deeper, more plaintive, more sorrowful words of grief than in the Psalms of complaint? There thou lookest again into the hearts of all the saints, as into death, yea, as into hell. How they are filled with darkness and gloom by reason of the wrath of God! So also, when they discourse of fear and hope, they use such words, that no painter could so portray, nor any Cicero or orator could so express, the fear or hope.
And (as I said) the best of all is, that these words of theirs are spoken before God and unto God, which puts double earnestness and life into the words. For words that are spoken only before men in such matters do not come so mightily from the heart, are not such burning, living, piercing words. Hence also it comes to pass that the Psalter is the Book of all the Saints; and every one, whatsoever his case may be, find therein Psalms and words which suit his case so perfectly, that they might seem to have been set down solely for his sake, in such sort that anything better he can neither make for himself, nor discover, nor desire. One good effect of which, moreover, is that if a man take pleasure in the words here set forth and find them suit his case, he is assured he is in the communion of the saints, and that all the saints fared just as he fares, for they and he sing all one song together, particularly if he can utter them before God even as they did, which must be done in faith, for an ungodly man relishes them not …
To sum up; wouldest thou see the Holy Catholic Church portrayed to the life in form and colour, as it were in miniature? Open the Psalter. Thus thou shalt therein find thine own self, and the right [knowledge of self], God Himself also and all the creatures.
Let us, therefore, take heed also to thank God for such unspeakable benefits, and to accept and make use of them to the praise and honour of God, that we bring not upon ourselves wrath by our unthankfulness. For, formerly, in the time of darkness, what a treasure it had been esteemed if men had been able rightly to understand one psalm, and to read or hear it in plain German! and yet they were not able. Blessed now are the eyes which see the things that we see, and the ears which hear the things that we hear! And yet take heed—alas, we already see, that we are like the Jews in the wilderness, who said of the manna, ‘Our soul loatheth this light bread.’ It behoves us to mark what is written in the same place, how they were plagued and died, that it may not befall us also after the same sort.
To this end, may the Father of all grace and mercy help us, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be blessing and thanks, honour and praise, for this German Psalter, and for all His innumerable gifts, for evermore; Amen and Amen!
John McNaugher: “It is the oldest hymn-book in existence, having a connected record through thousands of years down to our own times, and it is consecrated forever as having been the hymnary of our Saviour and of the Apostolic Church. In the light of its age-long history, of its rich poetry, of its unsectarian, catholic character, of its freedom from error, of its well-proportioned thought, of its theological depth and spiritual quality, of its wealth of evangelical matter, of its supremacy in the utterance of devotion and religious experience, and of the unexampled strains in which it celebrates the glories of God, there is ample occasion for the plea that the Churches of Christ recognize in the Psalter their heritage of sacred song, as against a human hymnody with its necessary imperfections.”
