Psalm 116:16 O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, and the son of your handmaid: you have loosed my bonds. (to young men): — I. I COMMEND THE SERVICE OF GOD TO YOU. 1. I have never regretted that I entered it. All sorts of enticement have assailed me, and siren voices have often tried to lure me; but never since the day in which I enlisted in Christ's service have I said to myself, "I am sorry that I am a Christian; I am vexed that I serve the Lord." I think that I may, therefore, honestly, heartily, and experimentally recommend to you the service which I have found so good. I have been a bad enough servant, but never had a servant so lovable a Master or so blessed a service. 2. I have great delight in seeing my children in the same service. When a man finds that a business is a bad one, you will not find him bringing up his boys to it. Now, the greatest desire of my heart for my sons was that they might become the servants of God. I never wished for them that they might be great or rich, but, oh, if they would but give their young hearts to Jesus! 3. So blessed is the service of God, that I would like to die in it. David Brainerd, when he was very old and could not preach to the Indians, was found sitting up in bed, teaching a little Indian boy his letters, that he might read the Bible, and he said, "If I cannot serve God one way, I will another; I will never leave off this blessed service."(1) To serve God is the most reasonable thing in the world. It was He that made you. Should not our Creator have our service? (2) This is the most honourable service that ever can be. (3) This service is full of beneficence. It is good for yourself, and it is good for your fellow-men; for what does God ask in His service but that we should love Him with all our heart, and that we love our neighbour as ourselves? He who does this is truly serving God by the help of His Spirit, and he is also greatly blessing men. (4) It is the most remunerative work under heaven. A quiet conscience is better than gold. To wear in your button-hole that little flower called "heart's-ease," and to have the jewel of contentment in your bosom — this is heaven begun below: godliness is great gain to him that hath it. II. A WORD OF CAUTION. David said, "O Lord, truly I am Thy servant." "Truly." 1. If you become the servant of God, become the servant of God truly. God is not mocked. It is the curse of our Churches that we have so many merely nominal Christians in them. It is the plague of this age that so many put on Christ's livery, and yet never do Him a hand's turn. Oh, if you serve God, mean it! 2. If you would be God's servant, then count the cost. You must leave all others. "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Ye cannot serve Christ and Belial. He is not God's who is not God's only. 3. You must enter upon God's service also for life; not to be sometimes God's servant and sometimes not — off and on. III. I want now to OFFER COUNSEL IN THE MATTER OF DISTINCT CONFESSION IF YOU BECOME THE SERVANT OF CHRIST. "I am Thy servant," says David, and I want every young man here who is a Christian to say so, that there may not be one among us who follows the Lord Jesus in a kind of mean, sneaking way. It has become a custom with some to try to be Christians and never say anything about it; but I urge the true servants of Christ to out with it, and never to be ashamed, because, if ever the declaration was required, it is required now. IV. I CLOSE BY CONGRATULATING SOME OF YOU who are God's servants UPON YOUR FREEDOM, for that is the last part of the text. "Thou hast loosed my bonds." ( C. H. Spurgeon.) Parallel Verses KJV: O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds. |
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