Let us turn together to the portion of God's holy word, which we have read together in the book of Psalms and in Psalm 45. And as the Lord may be pleased to help us, we would like to consider words from verse 3 of this Psalm, Psalm 45, and from verse 3. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty, and in thy majesty ride prosperously, because of truth and meekness and righteousness. And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things." We are not familiar with all of you here this Saturday afternoon, but we can conclude that there are some of you here who have, from your childhood, known the Holy Scriptures that are able to make you wise to salvation. There may be some of you here who, in reading and in hearing the Word of God this day read, are reading what is most familiar to you. Others may be here perhaps reading it as though for the first time. But perhaps each one of us need to be frequently and indeed constantly faced with the question which another preacher was sent by the Holy Spirit to ask of a reader of the Scriptures, understandest thou what thou readest? Understandest thou what thou readest? And the place where the Scripture is read in the Old Testament needs that question asked. And you remember the children here we trust will remember the story in the New Testament of Philip going down to Gaza and meeting the Ethiopian who was reading the scriptures and asked him that question. And the Ethiopian answered, not only how can I except some man would guide me, but he asked this important question, Of whom does the prophet speak? Of himself or of some other man? And we might ask that question in connection with the portion of Scripture we have read together. Of whom does the prophet speak? Of himself or of some other man? And he speaks as a prophet. We can see that. It's in the Word of God. the word of God that is in his mouth. The spirit of God, he said, spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. What a glorious picture we have in this opening verse of this psalm of the doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture itself. the Word of God coming by the Spirit of God through the instrument which the Spirit of God is using, the tongue, the pen of the ready writer, the heart, indeed, of the prophet, the psalmist, indicting this good matter concerning the King. He speaks of the things which he has made touching the King, but it is the Spirit of God that speaks by him. Well, it is touching the King, and it's a good matter. Of whom does he speak? Perhaps much could be said concerning the glory and the worthiness of kings and rulers in the earth, and much has been said of our late monarch and of our new monarch in this land and over these past days. But friends, are speaking together, we're speaking and meeting together around the Word of God to speak of another King, one Jesus. There is another King, one Jesus. Children, do you know that you have another King? It is of Him that we would seek to speak this afternoon. The Word of God and the Spirit of God helping us to say a little concerning the glorious matter the good matter, yes, the best of all matters, the most wonderful of all subjects, the person and glory and work and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the King and Head of His Church, King of kings and Lord of lords, by whom kings reign and princes decree justice, A good matter concerning the King is what we have in this precious portion of the Word of God. It is a song of loves. Do you love the King, friend? Do you know the King, to love him? Is it your desire to love him? Is it your desire today to know him and to love him, to serve him, to meet with him? Yes, to meet with him in your soul this very day under his word and in his word and in his precious ordinance of worship. Well, we have reason to say that it is concerning that King, King Jesus, that the words of David are here spoken. The speaker in the verses that we've read before you, in verses 3 and 4, is the same speaker as in verse 2, and again in verse 5 and in verse 6. Indeed, the speaker is one throughout the psalm. And we might ask, who is the speaker? And the answer to that is given to us in the Word of God. The infallible interpreter of the Scriptures is the Holy Spirit Himself speaking in the Scriptures. And so we have in the Word of God a very clear, plain interpretation of the question, answer to the question, who is speaking here. For unto the angels, Paul says to the Hebrews, for unto which of the angels said he at any time, thou art my son. This day have I begotten thee. And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, let all the angels of God worship him. and of the angels, he saith, who maketh his angels' spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son, he saith, thy throne, O God, is forever and ever a scepter of righteousness, is the scepter of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and thou hast hated iniquity. Therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. an inspired, infallible interpretation of the psalm before us, that it is indeed speaking of the one who is king of kings, the one who is the son of God. Well, what a glorious subject then, what a glorious matter is in this psalm. And the words before us in these verses three and four speak of something of his glory and his majesty, his riding prosperously, and his majesty seen and evidenced in the use that he is making of his sword, the glorious symbol of kingship. Other things are written concerning the king. We read of his lips, his beauty, his lips. We read also of his arrows. We read of his throne, his scepter, We read of his garments, we read of his fellows, we read of his queen, his daughter, his church, and his palaces, his ivory palaces. and that glorious palace into which he shall bring his queen enrobed with the gold of Ophir. These are something of the glorious matter of this psalm. I speak of the things which I have made touching the king and the Spirit of God speaking of him so that, as it were, he would be commended to us. that He would be made known to us, that we would understand something that is true concerning Him, and that we would be drawn in our affections to Him, that we would have spiritual light upon the passion and glory and grace and greatness of this glorious person, but we wish to speak particularly to this precious view which we have of him, his sword. Behold thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, in thy glory and thy majesty, and in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness, and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Firstly, to consider, as the Lord may enable us, the glory and majesty of this, our King. Oh, what a reason we have to think of it, to consider it, to touch it a little. When we take the word of God in our hands, it is the word of the King. It is the doctrine concerning this glorious king, something a little concerning his glory and majesty. Secondly, the use that he makes of his sword. He has a sword and he is riding prosperously. The picture would seem to be of one who is going out to battle, as kings do and would, others in their name perhaps, but here is one leading the armies which he sends forth in his royal dominion. He is told to guard his sword upon his thigh. What a glorious view we have of the Lord Jesus Christ here, the Father speaking thus to him. the Father from all eternity speaking thus to him, as it were, giving him his warrant, giving him his instruction, giving him the commandment which he received as a king to reign and rule and govern, and to do this, to guard his sword upon his thigh, to make use of it in glory and majesty to ride prosperously. That, secondly, and then to come in the third place, as we may be enabled, to consider our use of this commendation of the King. Our use of this commendation of the King this day and in our lives, indeed, in connection with the great work of the gospel. the labor of the gospel, of which we have been hearing over these past days with much joy indeed and thankfulness to the Most High, that that word is given to the Church and preserved in the Church for the same glorious purposes, for the same glorious ends that are here set forth in the truth. Well, these three things, as the Lord may be pleased to help us. Here is The glory and the majesty of the King. The glory and the majesty of the King. And as we said already, He is addressed by the Father. And this is where we must begin if we are to know who He is. That He is none other than the Son of the Everlasting Father. Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. Kings and queens rise and They have dominion for a season, a period of time, long or short. But here is a throne that will never, ever cease. Here is a dominion that will never end. Here is a king that shall never die, shall never end. His dominion is an everlasting dominion. Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. And the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness. There is a divine glory belonging to this King. It is at the very heart of the word of God and the oracles of God that the one who is worshipped is God himself. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, equal in power and glory, equal in the same in substance, of one glorious divine essence, three persons in one Godhead. And here is one person of the Godhead addressing another person of the Godhead. In the communion and glorious grace spoken of and mentioned in this very Psalm, of the third person of the Trinity. Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. What a glorious matter then, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, speaking in this precious gospel psalm, in this precious Christian song of loves. to know this glorious person, to love him in sincerity, to love him in our hearts, to hear his voice. But there's more to be said of him in that identity of his person. As the king of whom the psalmist speaks, he says, thou art fairer than the children of men. Thou art fairer than the children of men, and grace is poured into thy lips. Grace is poured into thy lips. Therefore God hath blessed thee forever. Here is one who is not only God, of very God, but one who is a true, real, and altogether perfect, holy and harmless, undefiled man. God and man in two distinct natures. God in our nature, Emmanuel, God with us. It is none other than the God-man of whom the psalmist is here speaking. Thou art fairer than the children of men. All that is true of him in his human nature is most beautiful, glorious, and perfect among all the children of men, fairer than them all. Thou art fairer. and the children of men anointed with the Holy Ghost above measure. Out of his fullness all receive grace. Grace is poured into his lips. All the graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit conferred and given to him in that anointing as the Son of Man. And he is who is the Son of Man, the Lord from heaven. The one who says to him, thy throne is forever and ever. says also, therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee. He is the one who has taken our nature and taken it into union with his divine person. And in his holy humanity, as the God-man, he has come into that relation to the Father, as the servant of the Father, the one who is the scent of the Father. The one who does the things that please the Father, who loves righteousness and hates iniquity. And there is true beauty. There is true spiritual beauty, true spiritual loveliness. The outward adornment of kings and queens. Ah, the world is dazzled. The world is drawn, attracted. The world comes to gaze, to watch, to look. Who is it that has eyes for this beauty, fairer than the children of men, the beauty of the Holy One of God? Have you eyes for Him this day in the worship of God? Would you desire to meet with Him in His Word? But He is the Mighty One. He is the Mighty One. He is God, very God. And in that, He is the Almighty. He is the everlasting Father, the mighty God, the one who is the creator of the ends of the earth, who neither faints nor is weary. And in his holy humanity, we find him in the low condition, in that humble, weak body, subject to the infirmities of weariness, and fainting, and thirst, and hunger, and cold, and nakedness, and all the infirmities of this world and this life. But He is addressed here as the Mighty One, O Most Mighty. And this is the view that we are to have of Him in His office as the Savior and Redeemer of His people. as their royal king, as their glorious head and mediator and savior. He is the mighty one, a mighty savior. He that speaks in righteousness, mighty to save. Mighty in the glorious view that the word of God gives of him in that state of his humiliation. The world sees one growing up before them as a tender plant, as a root out of a dry ground, without form or comeliness, and there's no beauty in him that they should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men, the man of sorrows acquainted with grief. It's as though he is the weakest of all men, and he is taken from prison and from judgment. He's arrested in the garden by his enemies. He's taken as a numbered among the transgressors. They take him with their wicked hands. It's as though he's under their power, under their control, under their government. They're doing to him whatsoever they listed. But in that very transaction, in that very event, friends, the one who was crucified through weakness, the one who was crucified between the malefactors, yes, in the very giving of his life, in the very pouring out of his soul unto death, he is the mighty one. He is the most mighty one. We were singing in the psalm, thou hast, O Lord, most glorious, ascended up on high, and in triumph victorious, led captive captivity through death, through his death, through his dying, He has destroyed principalities and powers. He has made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. He has conquered death. He has destroyed sin. He has brought life and immortality to light through his death, through the very death in which his enemies thought they had the mastery and the control over him, his glorious power. His glorious resurrection power, destroying death and making an end of sin, manifests the glory of His being indeed the Mighty One. And He is exalted from death. He is raised from the dead and exalted to the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens. And it is such a view of Him that we have in the Word of God, then, the one who died and who rose again. That's the good matter of the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's the glorious matter which is the substance of what the prophets spoke of, who inquired and searched diligently into those things of which they spoke concerning the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. Indeed, it is the very heart of the glory that belongs to him. It is the very substance of the glory and majesty that belongs to him. I am not ashamed, the apostle said, of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. There is a power and might in this glorious person through the gospel and through the death that he has accomplished, the sin-ending, sin-destroying death, death-conquering death that he has accomplished. And it is this view that the psalmist has of this glorious King and the things that he has made touching the King. Well, we're told concerning him that he is the most mighty. He is most mighty. Guard thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. There are none to compare to him. There are none to compare to him in his person, in his glorious office, in the constitution of his passion, the God-man, in the glorious office that he takes as prophet, priest, and king, in his state of humiliation and his state of exaltation, and in that grace and glory which his gospel is accompanied with, there is none that can compare to him. He is the most mighty one. And it is this one whom the Father is commending, It's this one who is the subject of the Song of Loves. Thou art fairer, whatever men will say of him. However, men will despise him and reject him and refuse him. My father loves me. Therefore, he said, doth my father love me, because I lay down my life that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me. I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down. I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my father." Well, to come then in the second place to the sword. It is the sword of the king. And the king's sword is doubtless a symbol. It is intended to be a symbol of justice, of rule, of government, of power, His right hand bears the sword. He beareth not the sword in vain. These are scripture pictures of the king's sword. And here he is at rest. Here he is at rest in his kingly office, in his kingly dominion. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh. O Most Mighty." We would consider, firstly, something concerning this sword itself, what this sword is. And what a view we have in the Word of God of the very one who is here addressed and identified in the Old Testament. You remember when the Apostle John, in his vision in the book of the Revelation, when he heard the voice, like the sound of many waters behind him, He turned to see the voice which spoke with him. And when he turned, he saw seven golden candlesticks. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one like unto the son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were as a flame of fire. And his feet likened to fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace, and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars. And out of his mouth went a sharp, two-edged sword. And his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength." Here is a view, a vision, a revelation of the exalted, glorious King and Head of the Church of God, walking amidst the seven candlesticks, who is even this very day walking and dwelling in the midst of His churches, among His churches. He is ruling over them as their King, and He has the seven stars in His right hand. Every minister of His Word, every angel of the Church, whom he commissions and sends forth and puts in their place, are in the hands of this glorious one. And we are told that there is a sword, a sharp two-edged sword, going forth out of his mouth. Out of his mouth, it's pointing to his word. And that's what his sword is. It's the word of God, the word of truth. It's the sword of this glorious king. And what is spoken of in the Old Testament image and picture of the sword girded upon his thigh is the same sword, it's the same word of truth which proceeds out of his mouth. We have it in the epistle to the churches later on. And to the angel of the church in Pergamos, these things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges. Repent, he says, or else I will come unto thee quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. It's this sword of his mouth, this sword of his word, that is being identified with this king. And gird thy sword upon thy thigh, he says. It is the word which he has, as it were, going forth to use, to employ it. He is, as it were, ready and engaged and prepared to go forth to battle with a sword girt upon his thigh. It is not idle, it's not going to be idle, it's going to be used, it's going to be employed. And so we have in the same book of the Revelation, towards the end of that book, we have the same glorious view of Christ in the midst of his church and in the world indeed. I fell at his feet. I saw heaven opened, he said. And behold, a white horse. And he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True. And in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire. And on his head were many crowns. And he had a name written that no man knew but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood. And his name is called the Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations. He is the one riding forth then, prospering, ride prosperously. "'Gird thy sword, O Most Mighty, "'upon thy thigh, O Most Mighty, "'and in thy majesty ride prosperously.'" It is a picture of Christ. It's a view of Christ in his churches, among the nations of the world, followed by those who are similarly engaged, as it were, on his behalf, in his name, on the white horses of the glorious gospel chariots, going forth into all the world with the sword of his word, the sword of his truth, to declare, to preach in his glorious name. And that's the view which the psalmist in the Old Testament has of the glory and majesty of this king, going forth, conquering unto conquer. Going forth as the man of war. The Lord is a man of war. We were reading and singing of him in the psalm in the Old Testament. The one who was going through the great and terrible wilderness. What time thou didst go forth before thy people's face. He led them through the wilderness as though to conquer. Going before them in the pillar of the cloud by day and in the pillar of fire by night, it's the same glorious King at the head of the armies of the Lord's people. Going forth to search out for himself a place in the earth, to subdue kingdoms and nations and rulers, to have his word himself, the Lord himself to give the word. The word abroad did spread. Kings of great armies foiled were and forced to flee away. So it is a New Testament view. In the book of the Revelation, the same king and the same figure, the same picture. We may be not used to the idea of kings going forth in that aggressive, a warlike manner, but it is one which is constantly employed in the word of God to set forth the glory, the excellence, the worthiness of Christ and his kingly office. And what is it that this word, the sword of his spirit, which is the word of God, what is it that it's intended to point us to? Well, the sword is an instrument of death. The sword is an instrument of death. It has got no other purpose. It's not used for any other reason but to slay, to smite, and to slay, to subdue. Now, friends, that is exactly Christ's great work, employing his precious holy word in all the earth, wherever it goes, It is a sharp sword with two edges, with which he is smiting the nations, with which he is subduing, yes, and slaying his enemies, like the arrows that are mentioned in verse five. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies, whereby the people fall under thee. There are souls to be slain. the souls of rebels, the souls of his enemies, the souls of those who in their hearts will not have him to reign over them, the souls of those who by nature have an evil heart of unbelief in departing from him, the souls of those who have an enmity in their heart, a carnal mind that is enmity against God, not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, who cannot please God, who cannot obey God's commandments, who have a nature resisting, rebelling, refusing, rejecting, yes, warring against him. Dear friend, that is the nature that you and I have. You're here this afternoon. You are yet in a state of nature and spiritual death. The Word of God to you is a closed book. Christ to you is not altogether lovely. You've got no warm drawing in your heart towards him. What you are needing, friend, is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, to be plunged deep into that rebellious, sinful, resisting heart of yours, to bring you into subjection, The Word of God is quick, that is, living. It's lively. It's quick and it's powerful. And it's sharper than any two-edged sword. It pierces even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. It's a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. It finds sin. It identifies it. It condemns it. It addresses the conscience. of the sinner. The law of God is perfect. The law of God is true. It's holy. It's just. It's pure. You remember Saul of Tarsus, one who was so acquainted with the scriptures. Oh, what a valiant enemy to Jesus Christ he was, with all the resistance of the rebellious will and the stubborn heart and all the force of intellect. arrayed against the truth of Christ until this day dawned when that word of God came to do with him, took to do with him. And there the commandment came, the commandment came. The holy law of God took to do with his conscience. And sin revived, he said, as it were, he saw sin which he thought had been buried out of sight. He had put it to death. He had put it to sleep. He had buried it. But sin revived and had a resurrection when the commandment of God's word came with authority into his conscience. And I died. I died. Yes, it's the destruction of sin. It's the destruction of the dominion of sin, the love of sin, the idolatry of self in the heart. the service of Satan in the heart, but ultimately this, the destruction of the resistance of the human heart to the claims of the glorious gospel of Christ. And that's what Christ has promised his disciples when he goes forth, when he sends them forth with his word, with his glorious gospel to preach, that the Holy Spirit accompanying that word They will convince and reprove the world of sin, yes, of the sins in which men are living. And let every preacher of the gospel, let every minister of the word of God not shirk the duty of addressing the commandments of God's holy law to the consciences of men in the sins in which they are living in this day and generation. The absence of the preaching of the law of God and the absence of the sense of sin which pervades the Christian church in this generation is an affront to the glorious King with his sharp two-edged sword. Yes, when he has come and when this glorious King accompanies his glorious word in the preaching of the everlasting gospel, He slays men and their souls. He slays sin and the love of sin. He slays the power of sin. He convicts men of their sin. But it's this, and it's this glorious influence and effect that he aims at, and indeed that he designs in his going forth on the chariot of the gospel, and that is to slay the rebellious will, to subdue hearts, resisting the truth, resisting the gospel, resisting the claims of Christ. And so it is that he is addressed by the Father here, gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty. And every preacher of the gospel has that to encourage, surely. He is going out in the name of the glorious King, seeking to wield this sword in his name, But is there not one who is walking in the midst of the churches? Is there not one who has the stars in his right hand? And out of his mouth goes a sharp two-edged sword. It is thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, that is employed in the church of God and among the nations of the world. to subdue, and none other can, none other will subdue the hearts of men but him." And this is the view we have of Christ, then, in the Old and in the New Testament, going forth at the command, at the instruction, yes, at the will and delight of his Father, in the ministry of the everlasting gospel, to subdue nations, to subdue the hearts of men, And so we have a view of the use that he makes of this sword and this portion of the word of God. In thy majesty, he says, ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness. One view we might take of these precious words is that this is indeed the beauty the fairness of the one who is fairer than the children of men. These are the principles by which and in which and through which he is acting as king. The great virtues of a king, truth, meekness, and righteousness. We've heard so much in these days, have we not, of the virtues of royalty and the things that establish the throne of the United Kingdom. If only, friends, if only truth and meekness and righteousness were the girdle of their loins and faithfulness the girdle of their reins. A king ruling in righteousness. That's what every land is needing. That's what our land is needing. and what reason to pray that God would give it in his rich mercy to us as a nation. But here is a king and the principles of truth and meekness and righteousness are the very life and heart of all that he is declaring, all that he is teaching, all that he's doing. It is for the sake of truth. It is the glorious ends of truth. You remember he said that to Pilate "'Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice. "'For this cause came I into the world "'to bear witness unto the truth.'" That's the nature of his kingship, his word to be published in all the world as the truth. The word of the king is the word of truth. "'Thus saith the Lord is in every page "'of this perfect, glorious book. in your hands and mine. It is the truth of God who cannot lie. And it's because of truth that he goes forth riding on the chariot of the gospel. It is to vanquish the nations with the sword of his truth, to subdue hearts by his truth. He shall know the truth. sinners in captivity to Satan, in the chains of spiritual bondage to sin, under the dominion of the God of this world. What is it that sets sinners free? But the glorious revelation of divine truth in the gospel. You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. The Son shall make you free, then are you free indeed. And so the great end that he has in view in his writing prosperously. It is because of truth. It is to achieve the ends and designs according to the truth, to establish the truth in the souls of men, to write the truth upon the hearts of men. And the Holy Spirit's work is an invincible, irresistible work. in writing the truth upon the hearts of men. But there's this too, because of truth and meekness. This sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, it is to subdue the proud heart. It is designed to bring the heart into subjection, whereby the people fall willingly under him. A willing people in thy day of power shall come to thee. Ah, here is the meek and lowly one. Yes, we might think meekness and the picture of the conquering, triumphant victor going forth with his sword unsheathed to do battle seem to be in conflict with one another. but it's because of truth and meekness. It is to subdue the hearts of men by his glorious gospel. Man melted under the power of his truth. It's only the Lord Jesus Christ, friends, in his word and by his spirit that can truly subdue the souls of men, the hearts of men, to himself, to bring them to be of the meek, to be subdued into that gospel humility, that gospel subjection. Is it true of you? Child of God, are you here today? And that is what you can testify to. The word of God subdued that heart of yours. And you're finding your need of that more and more as you go through this life. that the word of God would melt your proud heart and subdue your rebellious will. That he who is your king would reign over you and subdue you to himself, restraining and conquering that enemy, sin, and pride, and self, and the love of it, and the love of the world in your heart because of truth and meekness. This is the end for which he engages and employs his sword. Let us not be in any doubt that he has that work to do in each and every heart here, in your heart and mine. A great work is going on in the souls of God's people. This is the prosperous riding in the glory and majesty of our royal king, wherever his word is and wherever it is preached. because of truth and meekness and righteousness. The righteousness by which kings are to reign is that rule, that only word and rule of God. And it is for the great end of a righteous king, the great end is to establish righteousness in the land. Righteousness exalteth a nation. Well, so too in this glorious kingdom, in this glorious king's work and office and power to bring his people into the paths of righteousness. Perhaps he is identifying the great end of holiness of life, but it is by means of an imputed righteousness. It's by means of the righteousness of Christ imputed to us in our justification that a sinner is brought to begin to walk in the paths of righteousness, in sanctification. And so the end that he has in view is there, the gathering of a people into the conformity to his word and law, which is the great purpose for which the gospel goes out. We're here gathered in the meetings of this society with that desire, as we believe is so fervent among us, to distribute the pure, uncorrupted translations of the Word of God into all languages and all nations of the earth. Friends, let this be the high aim and end that we would desire and seek and look for, that righteousness would flourish in this world, that sinners would be brought out of the ways of sin into the paths of righteousness because of truth and meekness and righteousness, that lives would be transformed, that hearts would be changed, that those who are unrighteous would be received and accepted as righteous in God's sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to them, received by faith alone, and that those who are justified would be sanctified by that same precious word. And thy right hand, he says, shall teach thee terrible things. This is the third thing respecting the use of this sword, thy right hand. shall teach thee terrible things." Well, here is the manner in which Christ deals with the opposition to his gospel and his truth, the way in which he addresses his enemies who will not reign over him. It is an irresistible power that he employs in all that he does as king. Who hath resisted his will? We might think And we are liable to think in the generation in which we're living that the resistance to the truth and the resistance to the gospel in the hearts of men, in the attitudes of men, in the lives of men, in the ways of nations and rulers is something that is out of our control, or that we would see some evidence of a turning and a change in these things. But friends, it is entirely under the hand and in the hand and under the glorious power of this royal king, whose word and truth it is, thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. It is not that he is ignorant and requires to be taught. The language employed is, as though a king is going forth to battle, as he uses his sword, the effect produced by it And the consequences of its use brings about progressively these ends, these results, these terrible things. Thy right hand shall teach thee. It's as though he's learning it as he is progressing, as he's riding forward. It's not that he requires to learn it, Ah, friends, it's us who are to be taught. It's we who are to be taught the terrible things and shown what terrible things he has wrought. And wherever he is establishing a kingdom, wherever he does set his own kingdom up in this world, whatever nation, whatever city, whatever town, whatever village, yes, friend, whatever heart it be, There is a resistance to it from the world and the flesh and the devil, and that these enemies must be destroyed. And what a fearful overthrow there has been of rulers and kings in the history of Christ's conquests, from Egypt right through, down through the history of the Old Testament, and into the New Testament, down through the history of the Reformed churches in all the world. Christ establishing his kingdom by his word and through his word and destroying his enemies in doing so. The nation and kingdom that will not serve his church shall perish. Yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. And even those churches who are guilty of corrupting his word who are guilty of destroying the force and effect of his precious truth. I, he said, will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He will rule them with a rod of iron. He is able to subdue every form of opposition. And there is no weapon formed against his church that can prosper. And every tongue that rises against him in judgment he shall condemn. It is this glorious power, irresistible strength, that is promised to the Messiah, that is declared as being the mark and illustrious glory of the Messiah. Thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. And so, sinner, that is the ultimate end of unbelief. You may boast in pride that God's word is not subduing your will and your heart and your opposition to it. That's the way the world speaks. That's the way the natural heart speaks. Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice? The day is coming, friend. If you're here in your unbelief and resistance to his truth, The day is coming when his right hand will show to you the terrible things, the terrible things that are designed for those who will not bow the knee to King Jesus. Those who will not do it in mercy, those who will not submit to his gospel, these mine enemies who will not that I should reign over them, bring them hither and slay them before me." Well, we must come in conclusion to the third point by way of application more directly. To the work and labor of the society, it is a very glorious view we have of our royal king here. And what reason you have to be assured that the victory of the truth which you are here engaged to publish and distribute and send into all the world. The victory of that truth is already engaged for in the glorious covenant of grace between the father and the son. The language of the father to his beloved son. Yes, in a past eternity is this. in respect of all that he is going to accomplish in all ages of the world. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, and in thy glory and majesty, and in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness, and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. It's all already engaged for. His throne is established forever. His scepter is a right scepter. He loves righteousness. God has exalted him and anointed him with the oil of gladness above his fellows. In the promise of the covenant, he is, as it were, already enthroned in that power. All his garments smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia. Oh, to get a savor of the truth of gospel promises covenant engagements, to get the savor of Christ's promised grace and power in accompanying his word and in the labor of the gospel in his name. So we were not to despair then of the resistance and the rejection of the truth in our generation. We're not to despair, we're not to despond. Have our eye fixed on this Captain of Salvation, this mighty Redeemer, this mighty King. A King shall rule and prosper. Glorious comfort, a place of refuge in the time of sorrow, affliction, trial, temptation, doubt, questioning, weariness, fainting. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Not to be weary in well-doing, but in due season ye shall reap if ye faint not. But there's something further by way of application, and perhaps you've been feeling as though this is the tendency to which the verses are pointing us. And yes, we believe that it is. Are not the very words of the text here this afternoon to be turned into a prayer? Are they not to be employed at the throne of grace, friends? Is this not to be the language of the church to her beloved head? Is this not to be the language of those who are endeavoring in weakness, but in obedience, to ride on the white horses after him, who is the going forth prospering on his white horse, whose name is faithful and true. Oh, is not this to be your prayerful language? Guard thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty. Without thee we can do nothing, but thy word is true, thy word is sharp in the heart of thine enemies, whereby the people fall under thee. Make it your prayer, friends. Make it your prayer continually. Guard thy sword upon thy thigh. O most mighty, wherever the word reaches, it's like a lion when it is let loose. Nothing can resist it. Nothing can stop its force. Nothing can hinder it. It can slay the stoutest, proudest, hardest, most rebellious heart. From the top to the bottom of our land, what glories are yet promised, his kingdom shall extend to all nations of the earth. Men shall be blessed in him, and blessed all nations shall him call. And blessed be his glorious name to all eternity. The whole earth let his glory fill. Amen, so let it be. And such is to be the prayer of the Church of God. But we must conclude with this. Are you here this evening, this afternoon? And your heart is yet resisting. the glorious gospel of Christ. O sinner, it is now that is the accepted time. Now is a day of salvation while the word is preached to you, while Christ is revealed to you, while the blood of Christ is made known to you for the pardon of your sins, while the death of Christ is revealed as the only way of reconciliation with God, where the law of God is thundering still and addressing you and your conscience in the guilt of your sin, is it not time that you would yield submission to this royal king and command of the authority of his word and be a willing subject to him, to follow, to love, to serve, and to obey him, to devote yourself heart and life soul and spirit, in the remaining years and time that God may give you in this world, to his service and kingdom, or will you remain his enemy, resisting him? Seek ye the Lord while he may be found. Call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him. and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. That is Christ's great promised work in this world. A willing people in thy day of power shall come to thee. In the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning, thou shalt have the Jew of thy youth. Young man, young woman, young boy, young girl, there is a call to you in the word of God to submit to yield yourselves unto him, to lay down the arms of resistance and rebellion, to receive into your soul the force and conviction of the truth of God, and not to reject it, not to refuse it. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. If they escape not to refuse him that spoke on earth, how much more shall not we escape? we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven. May the Lord bless his word to us.