Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 16 September, 2012
“Those that be planted in the house of the Lord
shall flourish in the courts of our God” (Ps. 92:13)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
The Pilgrim Psalms (11)
Out of the Depths [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Psalm 88
Text: Psalm 130
I. The Meaning of the Depths
II. The Way Out of the Depths
III. The Exhortation to Others in the Depths
Psalms: 40:1-5; 6:1-10; 69:1-6a; 130:1-8
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
Installation
“Remember Me, O My God, for Good!” [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Nehemiah 13
Text: Nehemiah 13:31b
I. As an Office-Bearer
II. For My Labour
III. As I Face Opposition
Psalms: 100:1-5; 7:1-7; 25:1-7; 101:3-8
For CDs of the sermons and DVDs of the worship services, contact Stephen Murray
If you desire a pastoral visit, please contact Rev. Stewart
CPRC website: www.cprc.co.uk
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC
Quote to Consider
Derek Kidner: “Nehemiah’s private self is completely of a piece with his public one: singleminded, utterly frank, and godly through and through … To hear God’s ‘Well done’ is the most innocent and most cleansing of ambitions. Further, the plea springs from humility, not self-importance, for it is an appeal for help. God’s ‘remembering’ always implies His intervention, not merely His recollection or recognition. Nehemiah is committing himself and his cause to the only safe hands” (Ezra and Nehemiah, p. 130).
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
We welcome William Gibson to our worship services today.
This evening, Brian Crossett will be installed as elder. Remember in prayer our elders and deacons as they seek to serve Christ in these offices.
Mr. Callender was moved to Carryduff Nursing Home (Church Road) this past week to enable Mrs. Callender to get some rest and recover from fractures in her pelvis. He will be there for another 11 days or so. Pray for the Callenders during this difficult time and consider stopping by the nursing home for a visit.
Tommy Duncan met with the Council this past week to make confession of his faith. Tommy showed good knowledge of and agreement with Reformed doctrine as well as a desire to live a new and godly life. The Council approved his confession and, unless there are any lawful objections, his baptism will take place during the evening service of 7 October.
Monday Catechism: 6 PM – O.T. Beginners (Bradley & Alex) 6:45 PM – O.T. Juniors (Nathan, Jacob & Joseph) 7:30 PM – Heidelberg (Timothy)
The Tuesday morning Bible study will be held this week at 11 AM. We will look at the binding of Satan.
The Belgic Confession Class will meet this Wednesday, at 7:45 PM, to continue our study of article 16 on “Eternal Election.”
Ladies’ Discussion Group will meet to discuss women of the New Testament this Friday, 21 Sept., at 10:30 AM. Check with Alison or Susan about the venue.
The next Men’s Study is scheduled for this Saturday, 22 September, at 8 PM at the Kennedys on “Discipline of the Mind” (Part 2).
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s Day (Gospel 846MW at 8:30 AM) will be “The Election of the Church” (Eph. 1:4-6) by Rev. Bruinsma.
Upcoming Lectures on “Martin & Katie Luther: The Reformation of Marriage”
Friday, 19 October, at 7:30 PM here at the CPRC
Thursday, 25 October, at 7:15 PM in Porthcawl, S. Wales
Offerings: General – £646.61.
Website Additions: An article by Rev. Stewart, “Horatio Spafford: Not Well With His Soul,” was put on-line, as were 2 Hungarian translations.
John Owen on Psalm 130
A PARAPHRASE Verses 1, 2. — O Lord, through my manifold sins and provocations, I have brought myself into great distresses. Mine iniquities are always before me, and I am ready to be overwhelmed with them, as with a flood of waters; for they have brought me into depths, wherein I am ready to be swallowed up. But yet, although my distress be great and perplexing, I do not, I dare not, utterly despond and cast away all hopes of relief or recovery. Nor do I seek unto any other remedy, way, or means of relief; but I apply myself to thee, Jehovah, to thee alone.
And in this my application unto thee, the greatness and urgency of my troubles makes my soul urgent, earnest, and pressing in my supplications. Whilst I have no rest, I can give thee no rest. Oh, therefore, attend and hearken unto the voice of my crying and supplications!
Verse 3. — It is true, O Lord, thou God great and terrible, that if thou shouldst deal with me in this condition, with any man living, with the best of thy saints, according to the strict and exact tenor of the law, which first represents itself to my guilty conscience and troubled soul; if thou shouldst take notice of, observe, and keep in remembrance, mine, or their, or the iniquity of any one, to the end that thou mightst deal with them, and recompense unto them according to the sentence thereof, there would be, neither for me nor them, any the least expectation of deliverance. All flesh must fail before thee, and the spirits which thou hast made, and that to eternity; for who could stand before thee when thou shouldst so execute thy displeasure?
Verse 4. — But, O Lord, this is not absolutely and universally the state of things between thy Majesty and poor sinners; thou art in thy nature infinitely good and gracious, ready and free in the purposes of thy will to receive them. And there is such a blessed way made for the exercise of the holy inclinations and purposes of thy heart towards them, in the mediation and blood of thy dear Son, that they have assured foundations of concluding and believing that there is pardon and forgiveness with thee for them, and which, in the way of thine appointments, they may be partakers of. This way, therefore, will I, with all that fear thee, persist in. I will not give over, leave thee, or turn from thee, through my fears, discouragements, and despondencies; but will abide constantly in the observation of the worship which thou hast prescribed, and the performance of the obedience which thou dost require, having great encouragements so to do.
Verse 5. — And herein, upon the account of the forgiveness that is with thee, O Lord, do I wait with all patience, quietness, and perseverance. In this work is my whole soul engaged, even in an earnest expectation of thy approach unto me in a way of grace and mercy. And for my encouragement therein hast thou given out unto me a blessed word of grace, a faithful word of promise, whereon my hope is fixed.
Verse 6. — Yea, in the performance and discharge of this duty, my soul is intent upon thee, and in its whole frame turned towards thee, and that with such diligence and watchfulness in looking out after every way and means of thy appearance, of the manifestation of thyself, and coming unto me, that I excel therein those who, with longing desire, heedfulness, and earnest expectation, do wait and watch for the appearance of the morning; and that either that they may rest from their night watches, or have light for the duties of thy worship in the temple, which they are most delighted in.
Verses 7, 8. — Herein have I found that rest, peace, and satisfaction unto my own soul, that I cannot but invite and encourage others in the like condition to take the same course with me. Let, then, all the Israel of God, all that fear him, learn this of me, and from my experience. Be not hasty in your distresses, despond not, despair not, turn not aside unto other remedies; but hope in the Lord: for I can now, in an especial manner, give testimony unto this, that there is mercy with him suited unto your relief. Yea, whatever your distress be, the redemption that is with him is so bounteous, plenteous, and unsearchable, that the undoubted issue of your performance of this duty will be, that you shall be delivered from the guilt of all your sins and the perplexities of all your troubles.
GENERAL SCOPE OF THE WHOLE PSALM.
THE design of the Holy Ghost in this psalm is to express, in the experience of the psalmist and the working of his faith, the state and condition of a soul greatly in itself perplexed, relieved on the account of grace, and acting itself towards God and his saints suitably to the discovery of that grace unto him; — a great design, and full of great instruction.
And this general prospect gives us the parts and scope of the whole psalm; for we have, — I. The state and condition of the soul therein represented, with his deportment in and under that state and condition, in verses l, 2: — “Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice; let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.”
II. His inquiry after relief And therein are two things that present themselves unto him; the one whereof, which first offers the consideration of itself to him in his distress, he deprecates, verse 3: — “If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?”
The other he closeth withal, and finds relief in it and supportment by it, verse 4: — “But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest he feared.”
Upon this, his discovery and fixing on relief, there is the acting of his faith and the deportment of his whole person: — 1. Towards God, verses 5, 6: — “I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.” 2. Towards the saints, verses 7, 8: — “Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.”
All which parts, and the various concernments of them, must be opened severally.
And this also gives an account of what is my design from and upon the words of this psalm, — namely, to declare the perplexed entanglements which may befall a gracious soul, such a one as this psalmist was, with the nature and proper workings of faith in such a condition; principally aiming at what it is that gives a soul relief and supportment in, and afterward deliverance from, such a perplexed estate.
The Lord in mercy dispose of these meditations in such a way and manner as that both he that writes and they that read may be made partakers of the benefit, relief, and consolation intended for his saints in this psalm by the Holy Ghost!
