Not
by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he
saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which
he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour (Titus
3:5-6)
In complete spirit of the occasion of Lent, this hymn is very like a Funeral
Dirge admitting the sober and solemn sentiments of the Season. The lyrics were
composed by Isaac Williams in 1842, and the tune is St. Philip (Holy Spirit).
Hymns are designed to coincide with the Church Liturgical Calendar, and this
hymn does so admirably in reflecting the beginning of Lent. It is a sad
fact that most non-liturgical churches do not observe a church calendar or a
lectionary such as that established by the great Reformers; however, they are
at a loss of the great biblical treasures of a scheduled and deliberate
teaching of the Life of Christ throughout the church Year. Each Season
represents the very steps of Christ during His earthly ministry. The Church
Calendar forces us to consider the whole ministry of Christ and not simply the
whims of the minister, or his congregation.
Lent is a season of solemn reflection upon the life of Christ and His final
walk toward that looming and ghastly cross at Calvary’s Mount. The Season
begins on Ash Wednesda – a name invented by the ancient church to signify
mourning, but not the kind of mourning symbolized by the mere touch of ashes on
the forehead for all to see; but the kind of mourning of ancient days of
dressing in sackcloth and actuallky rolling in ashes. Of course, the moderns
would prefer to suffer only the prideful indignity of an ash cross on the
forehead so that their friends and neighbors will see that they are ‘mourning.’
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the
hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces
(perhaps with ashes?), that they may appear unto men to fast.
Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint
thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast,
but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret,
shall reward thee openly.
(Matt 6:16-18) Of course such fadishes and
fetishes is simply a return to Roman idolatry in opposition to which our
beloved Reformers were martyred.
In days past, I have been accused of oversimplification in quoting the above
Words of our Lord. Perhaps I am, and I am happy for it since His Gospel is
clear and simple[1]. How
differently would any rational human being interpret those verses?
Lord, in This Thy Mercy's Day
Lord, in this thy mercy's day,
ere for us it pass away,
on our knees we fall and pray.
Holy Jesus, grant us tears,
fill us with heart-searching fears,
ere that awful doom appears.
Lord, on us thy Spirit pour,
kneeling lowly at thy door,
ere it close forevermore.
By thy night of agony,
by thy supplicating cry,
by thy willingness to die,
By thy tears of bitter woe,
for Jerusalem below,
let us not thy peace forego.
Judge and Savior of our race,
when we thee see thy face,
grant us 'neath thy wings a place.
Lord, in this thy mercy's day, ere for us it pass away, on our knees we
fall and pray. Which is the most opportune moment to receive Christ as
Lord and Savior – is it subject to planning and calculation? Absolutely NOT,
for today is the day. The moment is NOW or perhaps never. For he saith, I have heard thee in a
time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now
is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (2
Cor 6:2) It is the
Lord who calls and chooses – best hear His Voice and answer with immediate
dispatch! We fall on our knees in contrition – not only on the beginning of
repentance, but at every moment of solemn worship. I wonder when was the last
time that Christians of the modern church fell upon their knees to pray. In the
Anglican and Reformed churches, it is a part and parcel of our worship.
Holy Jesus, grant us tears, fill
us with heart-searching fears, ere that awful doom appears. First of all, do we
acknowledge that our Lord Jesus is HOLY and must be revered as such. Why do we
so often presume to call Him by His common name? Would it blind us to call Him
our Lord Jesus Christ? Those heart-searching fears referred to in this line are
the common fears of every sinner. Have I truly repented, and do I now repent,
of all of my sins and offenses against my Sovereign Lord? That awful doom is
the gaping jaws of Hell at the end of the Broad and well-travelled way that
leads DOWN to destruction whereon many travelers are descending. Enter ye in
at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to
destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. (Matt 7:13)
Lord, on us thy Spirit pour,
kneeling lowly at thy door, ere it close forevermore. If we are not drawn as a fish
to shore by the Holy Spirit, we cannot become the Master’s catch. The Cross of
Christ, too, is a powerful Magnet to draw His elect unto Himself! And I,
if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. (John
12:32) Note that an
iron magnet will not draw copper or brass, or aluminum – it only draws metal of
its own nature (Iron). So must we accept the Mind of Christ and surrender our
wills that are in bondage to Satan for His Will. Then, and only then, can we
claim a FREE will.
Which Door is it that may close forever ere we gain
admittance? It is the same door that God Himself closed on the Ark to bar the
unbelievers from entering the Ark of Noah, and that door is symbolic of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Verily, verily, I say unto
you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and
robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter
in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
(John 10:7-9) The day will come when the scroll of Heaven will part, and we
shall see the King of Glory descending with His armies riding astride a White
Horse. At that time, there will no longer be opportunity to enter in at the
Door if we have no done so already. Or, perhaps as you are driving home today,
you are in a terrible accident and the Door will have closed for you at that
time, friend. It is best to make our election sure while the sunlight gleams. Wherefore
the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure:
for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall
be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:10-11)
By thy night of agony, by thy
supplicating cry, by thy willingness to die, Many may be under the false
conclusion that the cross was of no account to Christ, or to us; but it was a
terror to Him and a great humiliation. He knew the terrible agony of the
torture instrument called a cross. It is well described in Psalm 22:1-21. But
above all of this, it was the reality of assuming the sin-debt of the world
upon His virtuous Person. He was a Man of modesty, yet He allowed Himself to be
publicly stripped naked and beaten with man stripes, a crown of thorns placed
on His head digging grooves of flesh from His fair brow, and spit upon and
ridiculed by the very people for whom He came to suffer. You and I were there
in force, my friend. His night of agony in the Garden at Gethsemane was
followed by all that He knew was to transpire. His closest friends, save the
courageous women disciples and John, deserted Him on that great night of agony
and treachery. One apostle betrayed his Master with the seal of a traitor’s
KISS. But remember this: He never turned back from going the distance for you
and me. Once He set His face to go to Jerusalem, He never wavered. And it
came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he
stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem.
(Luke 9:51)
By thy tears of bitter woe, for Jerusalem below, let us not thy peace
forego. Jesus lamented over Jerusalem as we should do when we consider
her sins and her depravity today (Luke 13:34); but He did not withhold His
Hand of Judgment on the city some 35 years later when it was destroyed by Roman
forces under General Titus. We may weep over the depraved little real estate
called Jerusalem on earth, but we must rejoice at the New and Heavenly
Jerusalem which shall be our abode at our journey’s end.
Judge and Savior of our race,
when we thee see thy face, grant us 'neath thy wings a place. Would we prefer the Lord Jesus
Christ as our Judge, or as our Savior? He will surely cover us with His broad,
outstretched wings as an Eagle covers her babies, if we claim Him as Lord and
Savior in truth. (see Matt 23:37 & Psalms 63:7) We shall indeed rejoice under
the shadow of His wings on that great Jubilation morning. But beginning today,
we will be sober and reverent in contemplation of that great sacrifice that was
made for us on Good Friday two thousand years ago.
[1]
Look what Jesus says
of complex and deep interpretation of simple language and its clearly intended
meaning in Matthew 10:15 Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little
child, he shall not enter therein.
