“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1 *****
FRIEND OF SINNERS Tune to “COME THOU FOUNT” 8.7.8.7. double Words by JIM BYRD
1. How can God so just and holy, Save my wretched, guilty soul? I am vile and so unworthy, Can this sinner be made whole? How unrighteous and polluted, How ungodly and undone! None can help me, but the Savior, Jesus Christ the Father’s Son.
2. Jesus is the Friend of sinners, I will praise His holy Name; By His sacrifice I’m righteous, Freed from every guilt and stain. Though my sins be all as scarlet, They are now as white as snow; For the Savior paid my sin-debt, By His bloody, crimson flow.
3. Sacrifice of God’s appointing, He for me the ransom paid; Now there is no condemnation, Satisfaction Jesus made. Resting only in His merits, Safe in Him my Lord and Friend; Soon I shall depart to see Him, And to praise Him without end. *****
A GOLDEN HYMN TAKEN FROM THE PREFACE OF HART’S HYMNS J. C. Philpot called the preface to the hymns of Joseph Hart (1712-1768) the most weighty piece of writing ever penned by man after the Scriptures. The following is the third and final part of this excerpt. Joseph Hart wrote “Come Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy”, which we sing, among a long list of hymns. I am daily more and more convinced that the promises of God to His people are absolute; and desire to build my hopes on the free electing love of God in Christ Jesus to my soul before the world began, which I can experimentally and feelingly say, He hath delivered me from the lowest hell. He hath plucked me as a brand out of the fire. Though my ways were dreadfully dangerous to the last degree, His eye was all along upon me for good. He hath excited me to love much, by forgiving me much. He hath showed me, and still daily shows me, the abominable deceit, lust, enmity and pride of my heart, and the inconceivable depths of His mercy; how far I was fallen, and how much it cost Him of sweat and blood to bring me up. He hath proved Himself stronger than I, and His goodness superior to all my unworthiness. He gives me to know and to feel too, that without Him I can do nothing. He tell me (and He enables me to believe it) that I am all fair, and there is no spot in me. Though an enemy, He calls me His friend; though a traitor, His child; though a beggared prodigal, He clothes me with the best robe, and has put a ring of endless love and mercy on my hand. And though I am often sorely distressed by spiritual internal foes, afflicted, tormented, and bowed down almost to death, with the sense of my own present barrenness, ingratitude, and proneness to evil, He secretly shows me His bleeding wounds; and softly, but powerfully, whispers to my soul, “I am thy great salvation.” His free, distinguishing grace is the bottom on which is fixed the rest of my poor, weary, tempted soul. On this I ground my hope, oftentimes when unsupported by any other evidence, only by the Spirit of adoption received from Him. He hath chosen me out from everlasting, in whom to make known the inexhaustible riches of His free grace and long-suffering. Though I am a stranger to others, and a wonder to myself, yet I know Him, or rather, am known of Him. Though poor in myself, I am rich enough in Him. When my dry, empty, barren soul is parched with thirst, He kindly bids me come to Him, and drink my fill at the fountain head. In a word, He empowers me to say, with experimental evidence, “Where sin abounded, grace doth much more abound.” Amen and amen. April, 1759 End of part 3 of 3 The full text can be found at: http://hymnbook.igracemusic.com/resources/joseph-harts-preface *****
Himself There are so many scriptures that have this word in it: "Himself". This precious word "Himself" leads not to reconsideration of messages sent from Him by another, but by loving communications from His own grace filled lips to a heart which can never be satisfied with anything short of Himself. This is sweetly illustrated in the love existing between Isaac and Rebekah. When Eliezar, Abraham's servant succeeded in finding Rebekah as a wife for Isaac, he handed to her jewels of silver and jewels of gold as tokens of Isaac's love. This was gratifying, but not satisfying. Isaac Himself was the treasure of her heart, as she was of his. Mutual possession was the heart joy of both. So the church is everything to Christ, and Christ is everything to the church. The church is Christ's fullness and Christ is the church's fullness. He lives for her - she lives in Him. John Bradford (edited) (1510-1555)
***** Men by nature do not love God and will not come to Christ, but rather love darkness, evil, and sin (John 3:19; John 5:40; John 6:44). If men are to come to Christ in repentance and faith, they must be effectually called, convicted, and made willing to believe. (Psalms 110:3; Galatians 1:15; 2 Timothy 1:9-10). --Copied
***** The Gospel of God’s grace in Christ Jesus is not a thing to be proved, but truth to be believed. It is not submitted to our reasoning powers as a subject for critical examination. The Gospel is a MESSAGE FROM GOD, addressed to the conscience, feelings, and affections. For this reason, men fond of argument and proving everything by strictly logical deduction generally make very poor preachers. In the Scriptures, God does not argue, He proclaims! --J. C. Philpot
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