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“«To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.»

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament (the vault of heaven above) sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,” Psalms 19:1-4.

The creation is the ‘hand work’ of God. The Psalmist endorsed this truth. “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands,” Psalm 102:25. David said of the creation: “I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands,” Psalm 143:5.

Obviously David knew that such was the creation structure as to set forth the glories of God’s wisdom and power and mercy! By meditation he could draw out great truth and light and so educate himself in the ways of God.

What the Bible teaches, creation illustrates. It is God’s picture book of illustrations.

In my experience, the creation is the perfect ‘graphic design’, to which we may refer children, in order to set forth and demonstrate the meaning of Holy Scripture.

The whole process involving the labouring of the earth to bring forth food wonderfully portrays for us the gospel work the Lord is engaged in. The making of the creation a many-paged picture book, that confronts us in an inescapable manner, illustrates that the Lord would have us take note of the gospel message. How often the Lord Jesus said: “And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear,” Mark 4:9.

Again, surely we must see the love of God in that He is most desirous that we heed and learn the gospel lesson! How earnest and ardent is our ‘Divine Teacher’ that we grasp the truth set forth in Holy Scripture and gloriously illustrated in the large volume of ‘nature’?

THE TERMINOLOGY OF THE BIBLE INDICATES THAT THE HARVEST DOES INDEED PICTURE THE LORD’S  GOSPEL WORK.

1. From the first of the year to the last, all is ordered that the earth produce a harvest and we see in this a parallel in the work of the gospel.

Thus the Saviour teaches us that the work of grace begins with the sowing of the gospel seed. “And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow,” Matthew 13:3. (more…)

“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein,” Jeremiah 6:16.

In our previous study of this verse, I sought to set forth the uncomfortable, but nevertheless sadly true, assessment of the state of religion amongst us, which may be likened unto the defiance of Judah, reported by the prophet Jeremiah in our text.

I sought to show that amongst us today, are those who are showing the signs of committing this sin of refusing God’s call to return to the ‘Old Paths’!

I listed a number of issues very obviously seen amongst us that indicate a desire by some to embark on ‘a new path’!

By no means did I list all that could have been offered as proof of what I alleged. However, I believe I presented enough to make my case.

There therefore follows this simple conclusion:

I. THESE DIGRESSIONS INDICATE A DESIRE TO ABANDON THE ‘OLD PATHS’!

Let it be said clearly, that is how apostasy begins! Remember what is said in the Judges chapter 2.

“And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old. And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash. And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: and they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies,” Judges 2:8-14.

There is a passing of that generation of Free Presbyterians who witnessed the power and blessing of God in earlier days, days of faithful adherence to the 1951 principles of separation and of protest against the errors of Ecumenism and bore reproach for their stand. (more…)