Job chapter 31, begin in verse 1 this evening. Brethren, let us hear God's infallible word. I made a covenant with mine eyes. Why then should I think upon a maid? For what portion of God is there from above? And what inheritance of the Almighty from on high? is not destruction to the wicked and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity? Doth not he see my ways and count all my steps? May the Lord bless the reading of this precious word this evening. Job was a man of integrity. As the book of Job reveals he was not without flaws. He was not without shortcomings. Nevertheless, God himself said to Satan, Has thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and is streweth evil. The word perfect means blameless, means having integrity, moral purity. The word eschew is a wonderful word and one we don't use very often anymore, but eschew means to flee from, to avoid, to shun. When it says that Job eschewed evil, it means he fled from it. He avoided it at all costs. And because of his love for his God, because of his integrity, and because of the fact that he avoided, because of the fact that he shunned evil, he had made a covenant with his eyes. He had entered into a solemn oath-bound promise, so to speak, to guard his heart. In other words, as a blameless, and morally pure man, he knew that gazing upon young virgins and contemplating their physical charms could become a slippery path to sin. He knew that his eye gates could lead him into immorality. And because of his awe and fear of his God, a wholesome, healthy, loving fear, he had covenanted with his eyes. He'd entered into a solemn vow to avoid images, which could be an easy path to sin. He was a man of integrity. Job understood that God's portion from above was destruction and calamity to the wicked. This is what he says. Likewise, he knew that every part of his life was always under the loving and careful scrutiny of God's watchful eye. Again, this is why he said, I made a covenant with mine eyes. Why then should I think upon a maid? So his own heart's desire was to shun evil, to flee from it. necessary to guard his mind. Why then should I think upon a maid and to remain morally pure? This is the whole point. This would mean self-denial, and it would mean self-control. Two things that today are not popular words. These things are in the Scripture for a very good reason. Men are particularly prone to this sin. And God has given us here the inner workings, so to speak, of a man of integrity so that we might learn something from him. There are many things to learn from Job and certainly many things to learn in this particular passage. But I want us to focus on tonight the fact that he made a covenant with mine eyes, he said. That's our title. A covenant with mine eyes. Tonight as we continue in our considering the issues of modesty, we want to think on these three heads. First, the eyes and modesty. Secondly, the eyes and entertainment. Thirdly, the eyes and men. Now, it's vital for us to lay hold of the fact that we have, from God's own testimony, that this was a man of integrity. And we can learn from this man of integrity, whether you agree with or even understand the concept of his covenanting with his own eyes. The whole point is he's saying, I have set within myself, I have determined that I will not permit images into my mind that would cause me to sin against my God. This is a man who fled evil. And so therefore, he said, I must guard my eyes and I must guard my mind. I must guard my heart. So let's consider the eyes and modesty here. Now, we have seen in a previous message how important eyes or what an important role eyes have played in the history of man's sin. We've looked through the scriptures and seen several notable accounts of how the eye gates led others into sin. We'll just refresh our memories by considering that when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes, she sinned against the Most High God. Her eyes were not carefully guarded. And because her eyes were not carefully guarded, she was seduced into this sin against the Most High God. Potiphar's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and enticed him. Achan said, when I saw among the spoils, when I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment and 200 shekels of silver and a wedge of gold of 50 shekels weight, then I coveted them and took them. David arose from off his bed and walked upon the roof of the king's house. And from the roof, he saw a woman washing herself. And the woman was very beautiful to look upon. We have different issues here, different sins. But in each of these, the eyes were the entrance of that which ultimately the heart embraced in sin. So having considered that, then we want to think about this for a few minutes then. When a man is born of God's Spirit, when a woman or a child is transformed by the grace of Christ, he or she has a new heart, a new spirit, new desires, because God works within him. or her both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Those are verses that we come to often because they are vital in our day to understand the Christian walk. And if it is so that men are new creatures, then they will have desires for what is right in their hearts and in their eyes. And we see that in the Scripture. Psalm 119 verse 37. Prayer unto the Most High. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken thou me in the way. The psalmist knows and understands, my eyes could very easily be the instrument by which I depart to the left hand or to the right from thy glorious path. Lord, by thy word, keep me in thy way. Guard mine eyes. Turn them away. Proverbs 6, verse 23 says, For the commandment is a lamp. Brethren, God's Word is absolutely foundational to our walk with Christ into a life of holiness. And the commands of God are not grievous. They are a lamp. And the law is a light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life. We constantly need to be sharpened, reproved, exhorted from the Word of God. And unto what end? The wisest man that ever lived, apart from the Lord Jesus Christ said, to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Lust not. after her beauty in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eyelids, for by means of a whorish woman, a man is brought to a piece of bread, and the adulterous will hunt for the precious life." Brethren, this issue of our being pure is not simply a recommendation for a happy life, it is the way of life for holiness and purity according to God. He has commanded us and told us to walk in purity. There is a desire for purity and there is instruction for purity. Here is a father yearning for his son and pleading that he take heed. Now, The scripture tells us that purity is something that comes by the Spirit of God. We can actually even say, as Timothy tells us, that we are to gather together in worship with those of a pure heart. Now, There are those who would say, ah, this is bad language. This is not right language. Nobody can have a pure heart. Brethren, this is the Word of God. It says, gather and meet with those who have a pure heart. Who are they? Those that have been born of the Almighty God. They do have pure hearts because they have a new heart given by God. And that pure heart longs for pure things. Does this mean we're never tempted? No, of course not. We are always tempted. But brethren, nonetheless, we should be desiring that which is pure. Now, let's consider the world's intent for just a few minutes when it comes to clothing then. Let's take all of this and put it into the context of clothing. While a desire for purity of the eyes does not necessarily mean only those things of a sensual nature, and as we have seen it can involve all kinds of sins, we now want to put it into the context of the issues of modesty and proper apparel. What is the world's intent? What does the world think about clothing? We have spent several weeks now looking at the fact that God gave clothing, and we've looked at the purpose that God had in giving that clothing. Now let's hear how the world views clothing. We now have God's Word on that matter. Let's hear what the world says and see how it lines up to the Word of God. All of us know, everyone in here, and there are no children here tonight. I'm wrong, there are. There are two. But, I would say then, most of us here know that packaging is generally far more seductive than raw nudity. Alison Lurie, author of a book entitled The Language of Clothes, observes that some modern writers believe that the deliberate concealment of certain parts of the body originated not as a way of discouraging sexual interest, but as a clever device for arousing it. According to this view, clothes are the physical equivalent of remarks like, I've got a secret, they are a tease, a come on. It is certainly true that parts of the human form considered arousing are often covered in such a way as to exaggerate and draw attention to them. Now this is not the Lord's purpose in clothing. God's purpose is to cover for protection and for preservation of purity. When the world looks at it as, ah, just packaging and sensual packaging for the body, then we're clearly at cross purposes. Kidwell and Steele, also writers on this subject, add that clothes are especially sexy when they call attention to the body underneath. Now listen to the language. They're very, very appealing when they, so to speak, expose the body underneath, when they call attention to it. Brethren, what did the man of integrity say? I've made a covenant with mine eyes. Why should I think upon a maid? We're living in a day when men have absolutely no instruction, it would seem, in this particular area. And they've never been encouraged to learn, to exercise that kind of self control. Rather, we've been raised in a society that thinks like what I've just read to you. And this is how most of us have been ingrained since the time we were children. The experts, and these are experts on clothing, this is what they're saying. They're not Christians. I'm not quoting Christians, quite obviously. But brethren, everyone knows this. When you wear clothing that purposefully shows off the body underneath, you have moved past the realm of modesty. The fashion industry does not believe that the principal purpose of clothing is to cover the body, which is what the scriptures plainly show us was God's intent. The fashion industry believes that the principal purpose of clothing is sexual attraction. Therefore, if that's what they're thinking, that's how they're going to design the clothing. I've heard Christian sisters saying, well, I'm not attempting to be provocative. And I understand that. And I'm thankful to know that you're not, because that would be absolutely hypocritical and sin against God. On the other hand, If you are continually adorning yourself in that which is designed to be arousing, you will be arousing whether that's your intention or not. It especially has no place in the worship of the Most High God. This is the very opposite of Christian modesty. The eyes are most important. The Lord Jesus Christ said, I say unto you that whosoever looketh, whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already. in his heart. So, clearly, the eyes for men are the very heart of the issue when it comes to this particular subject. It is true that men are responsible to covenant with their eyes. Whatever language you would like to use, flee from evil, do everything you can to shun and to avoid images. So the responsibility begins with men. But there is no question that, sisters, you are not in the sin until such point as you begin to dress in a way that is clearly provocative. And then you have a hand in that trespass. Now, there was a time when women, in general, dressed very modestly. Go back and look at pictures from 60, 100 years ago. Go back and look at them carefully. You could tell who the whorish women generally were. Brother, it's very difficult today to find a woman who dresses modestly enough to not be considered in the whorish way of dressing. That would be a shocking statement to many of the women that walk into Walmart the way they're dressed. But it is the fact nonetheless we have become utterly desensitized to what we wear. Now, where did that desensitization desensitization come from? Well, I can at least give you this recommendation this evening. We want to talk about the eyes, then, and entertainment. How many preachers were raised on TV? A more shocking question might be, do we know any that weren't? Do we know any in this country that we're not? One thing is certain, it's quite difficult to find one who hasn't been influenced by Hollywood, whether he grew up with the TV or not. Why is this an important issue? Because brethren, until the pulpits make this the biblical issue that it is, it will be yawned at, laughed at, cast behind the back, dumped into the waste can of peripheral issues not to get upset about. Brethren, it is because the pulpits have become deathly silent on this. And one of the reasons the pulpits are silent is because we have several generations of preachers now who have been desensitized. The Apostle Peter says, Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance, But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy. God Himself is the standard. We look to Him and His holiness, Him and His righteousness, Him and His purity. And then we are to fashion ourselves accordingly. Far too many of us are still fashioning ourselves according to the way we grew up, the way we were raised, what we saw on television, what we saw on the big screen, and what we saw in our culture. That's what told us was normal, not the Word of God. And when the Word of God is silent, brethren, the Word of man gets very loud. Our former lusts all originate in one place, and that is our mind. Sad to say, many good preachers, though commanded to mortify the deeds of the flesh, have tenaciously clutched to the notion that somehow television and movie watching is neutral. I mean, I have at least a little more respect For those who say, well, it's not neutral. I just try to, you know, pick out the bones and throw them away and keep what's good. This idea that somehow or another that this is neutral is absolutely ludicrous. Hollywood isn't neutral. And they will tell you they're not neutral. Hollywood is the major prophet of anti-Christian ideology. And it produces entertainment that many today somehow or another believe that this anti-Christian ideology falls within the parameters of their liberty. Now this is just as extraordinarily perplexing. Hollywood is not neutral, and it exercises its liberties all the time, getting louder and louder and louder. And they boast about pushing the envelope, so to speak. That's the terminology. Bolder this new season. Bolder movies, more intense nakedness. And brethren, this goes back to the very beginning of it. I read you a quote, it says, as early as 1914, when Max Sennett Recognized the box office appeal of parading bathing beauties on the silver screen, the cinema began to carry on a passionate love affair with the swimsuit. Film stars watched their careers take off like rockets on the strength of publicity shots showing them in swimsuits. Why? Because they were naked! They were burying themselves! This is why their careers skyrocketed, and this is why Hollywood used it! And what did the Christians do? They paid their money and went in and sat down and watched it. Job said, I have made a covenant with mine eyes. Why then should I think upon a maid? Hollywood's role in undressing America cannot be overstated. Using the new technology of moving pictures, Tinseltown barraged the American public with increasingly seductive images. This kept the tantalizing threat of public nudity constantly before the eager eyes and minds of our culture. Brethren, when children go in from their youngest days and sit before these images, it fills them informs them, instructs them. This is all right. This is normal. And no one's making any noise about it. And on rare occasion, when one of those strange people does, you just ignore them. See, the cinema was an inexpensive form of entertainment during the Depression. And it drew multitudes into the theaters. Virtually everyone could afford to go to the movies because they offered escape from the crushing difficulties of that era. Hollywood emerged as a principal force of fashion styles. Everyone would go in, they'd put their money down, they'd watch. Sometimes they'd watch two or three times. This is what the stars wore. This is what people looked like, or this is what they wanted to look like. Brethren, this is not a little thing. Our culture has been informed by a voice other than God's about how to dress. And this is the primary voice in it. A little tiny spot on the map. pumping out image after image saying this is life, this is natural, this is normal. Furthermore, Hollywood had a connection with the swimsuit industry at this particular time and they found it to be very profitable for both parties. Quote, the basic concept from Jensen's point of view, that's a large swimsuit manufacturer, Their basic concept was, I'll sell your movie star if you sell my bathing suit. That's how they worked together. There was no end to the ingenuity of the link-ups between the manufacturer and the local movie theaters and retail stores. The Hollywood connection lent mass-produced suits an enticing cachet of glamour and high style that translated into hefty sales figures. And that means, capital H, hefty. For the love of money is the root of all manner of evil. Brethren, behind all this was the fact that what any man has ever known is there's money in flesh. And if you can incorporate it somehow, you'll make plenty of money. Advertisements know that. Look at the billboards in this town. There are some billboards that are absolutely disgusting in their wretchedness but they're instructing children every single day as people go up and down and it's not shocking to the people of this city because they sit in front of that little tube every day and they see the same things but if you take those things out of your life put them away for just a month you'd be astounded how the sensitivity begins to come back a little bit It's only when you pound it over and over and over and over you just go dumb, numb, and you don't think about it anymore. There was no end to the ways in which Hollywood failed to exploit the human body for profit. After all, the body could now be scantily clad, it could be erotically packaged, it could be projected in dazzling larger-than-life images for everybody to see. Now brethren, that Hollywood became a major source of style ideas should be patently obvious, but this apparently has eluded many pastors and many youth leaders. The media's impact in selling nakedness to the American public is difficult to exaggerate. Now you see, although the printed page once exerted considerable power over men's minds, cinema and television, and now the internet, have radically and dramatically eclipsed it. You can sit and read a book, but there's nothing like moving images in front of you. What was once simply abstract fantasy in the darkened minds of men became the new reality for our entire nation. The gods of fashion spoke through images on large and small screens of America, and they laid hold of its collective imagination like no other media phenomena in history. See, if you've grown up with it, it's the atmosphere that you live in. It's the air you breathe. I moved to Africa in my sophomore year in high school. and went through an extraordinary culture shock. They didn't have TV on all day. I didn't know what to do when I had free time. I realize now what a blessing it was, but at the time I thought, I got to go do something. I got to find something to do. Couldn't just sit down and put the tube on. But the amazing thing about it was that once I was in another culture, I began to realize the extraordinary difference of what not having these images around you all the time was like. It was remarkable! We live in an image-laden society, and it controls our thinking. Job understood that Years and years and years! Centuries before there was ever a silver screen. He couldn't go down to Walmart and buy a poster. He couldn't walk into one of these convenience stores and buy pornography. He couldn't turn on the internet and see the filth there. He couldn't walk into a movie theater. And yet, he understood something about images. I've made a covenant with mine eyes. Why then should I think upon a maid? We not only think about them, we live and breathe those images all the time. Now, Ellen Mellencoff, the author of a book entitled, What We Wore, She reveals the overwhelming influence that the new gods of fashion exerted over young women from the 50s to the 80s. Now listen, once again, this is a fashion expert. Listen to how she summarized her generation. She said, when we did like a style, meaning young women. It was often because we were set up to do so by the fashion industry, by television, by fashion magazines, by mothers, by men, by best friends, by the overwhelming examples set by the most popular girls. But suburbia and sub-debs were minor influences compared with television. She said, TV opened up the world to us, including the fashion world. It let us see what people were wearing with an intensity and an immediacy we had never had. Before that time, we relied on life, magazine that is, fashion magazines, and movies for guidance. Now brethren, when I stand before people and say, you have no earthly idea how this stuff influences people. I have other preachers tell me, you're exaggerating all of this. I have people in the pew saying, that call themselves Christians, saying, oh, I watched that stuff, it didn't have any influence on me. Listen to these people. Listen. We went to movies for guidance. What does that say? that their fathers were not leading them according to the Word of God. When the voice of God is silent, the voices of men become exceedingly loud. They went to the voices of men. But those media, she continues, were remote. Speaking of the magazines, and told us what a model or a movie star had worn months ago. With TV, we could see what Dorothy Kilgallen was wearing tonight, what Bess Meyerson had on this afternoon. These are very old names. And what Justine and Pat on American Bandstand had worn to their high school best very day. Some of y'all know who that is. I knew who that was. But you see, This author rightly pinpoints that the underlying issue is this. We were set up to do so by the fashion industry. What am I saying? I know you'd rather hear about the glories of the resurrected Christ. And friends, we will speak about that. But what I'm pointing to you now is a most practical issue in day-to-day living and something that impacts our very gatherings together to worship the Most High God. Either the voice of the world tells you how to dress, or the voice of God tells you. And I don't mean that the Lord has anything in here about how many inches from the ground your hymn has to be. That's not what it's saying. But the principles involved and why we do what we do. Let's consider the Word of God for just a few minutes now, having listened to these things. Now, Psalm chapter 131 says, I will sing of the mercy and judgment. Unto thee, O Lord, will I sing. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. or when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before my eyes. I hate the work of them that turn aside. It shall not cleave to me." Brethren, here is a man after God's own heart. Here is King David, and he's speaking about his being king of Israel. He says, First of all, acknowledging the glories and the mercy of his God. He says, I will sing of your mercy and your judgment, your greatness. I will sing. He took his skills as the sweet psalmist of Israel to magnify his God. And he says, now I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. Now, he's not just saying this in a general sense. Remember that to be the king of Israel, you had to write out the law of God. Longhand. Every king had to do that so he knew what God commanded. Not only that, but God had covenanted with David. He said, I will walk wisely. When he says wisely, he's talking about in harmony with the covenant law of God. He says, oh, when will you come unto me? I will walk within my house with A blameless heart, a heart of integrity. Once again, the leader of the nation. I will walk within my house with integrity. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes. There's some argument as to whether he wrote this before or after the issue with Bathsheba. It appears that it was before. And if that is, in fact, the case, How tragic that he said, I know what your law says. I'm going to walk in it in integrity. And yet it says he saw the woman bathing and she was beautiful to look upon. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes. Now there he's speaking in a general sense. No wicked thing. I don't want to look at things that will lead me into wicked business dealings. I don't want to look into things that make me covet. I don't want to look at any and all kinds of things. We certainly cannot exclude the issue of immorality. I will set no evil thing before mine eyes. This is what Job understood. I made a covenant with mine eyes. Oh, that the men of this nation, the professing Christian men, would seek after the God of purity and learn how to govern their eyes. Isaiah 33 verse 15 says, He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly, he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil, he shall dwell on high. Brethren, do we shut our eyes from seeing evil? Now, he's not talking about running around like a coward, not looking because we're afraid to look at things. He's talking about guarding the heart, shielding the heart and the mind from that which seduces. It says of this one, Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty. Brethren, let us shut our eyes from seeing evil that we may see the king in his beauty. Paul said this centuries later, writing the Philippians, Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, If there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think, think on these things. Brethren, can we set our eyes on the filth and the seductive images that constantly come our direction that we willingly let in? I'm not talking about the ones you just bump into. I'm talking about the ones that we willingly let in. Do we think we can do that and fulfill what is set before us here? Think about what is good. Think about what is pure. Think about what is true. Our Christ, His glorious gospel, His life, His death, His resurrection for the sins of His people, and all of the life that flows from that as His people, loving one another, encouraging one another, building up one another in the most holy faith. Brethren, if we gave our time to the service of our God, Half the time, we wouldn't have any time to sit and take in these vile images. We must guard what comes into our house all the way going down to catalogs. It's unbelievable the things that come in the mail. Men, do you guard your eyes? That brings us to our last point, the men, the eyes and men. We return to Job. I say for the third time, the testimony of God was that he was a man of integrity. He loved his God. And therefore, he preserved his eyes. Proverbs, once again from the wisest man that ever lived, Solomon said, Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. To keep means to guard. Guard your heart. Again, this is what Job understood. I've made a covenant with my eyes. Why should I think upon a maid? He was guarding his heart. If David would have just guarded his heart, he would not have brought a curse upon his family. Deuteronomy, chapter four, verse nine, speaking to men, says, Only take heed to thyself and keep thy soul diligently. Lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thy heart. all the days of thy life. He's talking here about the good things that God has done for them. Take heed, guard your soul, or you'll forget the good things. He says, but teach them thy sons and thy sons' sons. Take those good things, the things that God has done, whatsoever things are true and honest and pure and good, and teach them to your sons. It is tragic. That a father's testimony would say, yes, part of my legacy to my son was the television that he now watches in his home and is raising his grandchildren in. Every vile, God-hating ideology comes pouring out. Oh, the heart. The Lord Jesus Himself said, for from within, out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts. Job said, why should I think upon a maid? Evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications. The last point I would have us consider is that men are to instruct their sons. They're not only to guard their own hearts, But they are to instruct their sons. Proverbs chapter 2. And I again had to edit these down. There's so many. And yet, brethren, we have a tragic ignorance of the instruction from God. Hear the Word of God. Again, the instruction of a father to a son. My son, if thou will receive my words and hide my commandments with thee, discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee, to deliver thee from the strange woman, even the stranger which flattereth with her words. Proverbs 5.1, My son, attend unto my wisdom and bow down thine ear to my understanding. For the lips of a strange woman drop as in honeycomb. Her feet go down to death. Her steps take hold on hell. How do we recognize them? Dad, how do I know who they are? Well, son, one of the ways to know is the dress of an harlot. This is what Solomon says. I saw a young man. He was foolish. He was ignorant. He lacked understanding. By the time he finishes his tragic tale, he says, she let him off. How did she greet him? With the attire of an harlot. Brethren, today you see twelve-year-olds and ten-year-olds in the attire of an harlot. Young men could never look at them and think purity, holiness, goodness, chastity. They think they want to look that way now after they have been used, abused, and cast off by men who look for women like that, they will realize they can never reclaim what they lost. Fathers need to teach their sons, to instruct their sons. Proverbs 6.20, My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother, to keep thee from the evil woman. Lust not after her beauty in mine heart. There are those that say that Job was the first book written in the Bible. That it was actually written before any of the rest of the scriptures. No one can prove that. But brethren, stop and think. It's certainly one of the earliest if it's not the very earliest? And what do we have out of the lips of a man who didn't have television, movies, DVDs, internet, billboards? What do we hear from a man that God declares to be a man of moral purity? I made a covenant with mine eyes. Why then should I think upon a maid? We say, what do we do at this point? Our society is too far gone. No, brethren, we can today cast ourselves upon the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ. We can today honor and glorify the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. We can live as He has called us and we can encourage and we can instruct. Brethren, the Lord Jesus Christ is our model. The very glories of Romans 8 and predestination is that we have been predestinated to be conformed to His image, not Hollywood's. Christ has saved His people to make them holy. There should be a fragrance of purity, of goodness about them, because it was all, all about Him. filled with the Spirit of God, the Scripture says, he went about doing good. He was always about preaching, always about instructing, always about drawing men into the path of life. Brethren, no matter how dark it gets in our country, we can walk that way by his grace and his mercy. And we can raise our children, and if we cannot raise them, if they're grown already, we can do all that we can to encourage them, and to do all that we can for our grandchildren, and their children, as long as we have breath. Christ saves sinners, and He saves them, and cleanses them, and makes them like Himself. Not like the world. He'd already done a work in a man thousands of years ago who said, I've made a covenant with mine eyes. Why should I think upon a maid? May the Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy help us to walk in purity and in righteousness. Brethren, let us encourage, let us be gracious, but let us be firm and walk in these things. to the glory and praise of the Christ who has saved us. This Reformation audio track is a production of Stillwater's Revival Books. SWRB makes thousands of classic Reformation resources available, free and for sale, in audio, video, and printed formats. Our many free resources, as well as our complete mail order catalog, Thank you. by phone at 780-450-3730 by fax at 780-468-1096 or by mail at 4710-37A Edmonton, that's E-D-M-O-N-T-O-N Alberta, abbreviated capital A, capital B, Canada, T6L3T5. You may also request a free printed catalog. And remember that John Kelvin, in defending the Reformation's regulative principle of worship, or what is sometimes called the scriptural law of worship, commenting on the words of God, which I commanded them not, neither came into my heart. From his commentary on Jeremiah 731, writes, God here cuts off from men every occasion for making evasions, since He condemns by this one phrase, I have not commanded them, whatever the Jews devised. There is then no other argument needed to condemn superstitions than that they are not commanded by God. For when men allow themselves to worship God according to their own fancies, and attend not to His commands, they pervert true religion. And if this principle was adopted by the papists, all those fictitious modes of worship in which they absurdly exercise themselves would fall to the ground. It is indeed a horrible thing for the Papists to seek to discharge their duties towards God by performing their own superstitions. There is an immense number of them, as it is well known, and as it manifestly appears. Were they to admit this principle, that we cannot rightly worship God except by obeying His word, they would be delivered from their deep abyss of error. The Prophet's words, then, are very important, when he says that God had commanded no such thing, and that it never came to his mind, as though he had said that men assume too much wisdom when they devise what he never required, nay, what he never knew.