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[0:00] The book of Psalms, Psalm 45, chapter 16, verse.

[0:16] Instead of thy father shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make fences in all the earth.

[0:30] I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations. Therefore shall the people praise thee forever and ever.

[0:48] In my considering these words, the first thing that demands attention is to discover, if we can, the speaker and the person to whom these words were spoken.

[1:36] Who is it that says, I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations?

[1:54] And to whom were the words addressed? And before we come to a separate conclusion, regarding these primary matters, we cannot even begin to discuss the meaning of the words.

[2:20] And we may say just in passing, that there have been many speculations as to the occasion on which this psalm was written.

[2:39] But leaving all these aside, and looking at the psalm in the light of the other parts of Scripture, we are confronted with this interesting consideration.

[3:02] that there are words in the psalm, which are directly applied to Christ in another part of Scripture.

[3:16] For instance, at the sixth verse, The scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter, though lovest righteousness and hateest wickedness.

[3:42] Therefore, thy God has allowed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

[3:55] We know that in the epistle to the Hebrews in the first chapter, these words are used to prove the deity, the superiority, therefore, of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[4:20] The superiority to all created beings. And it is said of him directly in relation to the angels.

[4:33] He has not said this to any of the angels. Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever.

[4:46] Hence, in the sixth and seventh verses, we are assured by an inspired commentator that the words were used by the Father to the Son.

[5:02] And we take it that the last verses of the Son are to be taken in exactly the same way.

[5:15] When it is said, I will make thy name to be the Lord, and I will make thy name to be the Lord. in all generations.

[5:36] We take it that it is still the Father who is the speaker, and that the words are spoken to the Son.

[5:49] This is one of the promises that he received as the head of the church.

[6:00] when his soul was made an offering for sin.

[6:13] Or rather, one of the promises received which were to be fulfilled. when his soul was to be made an offering for sin.

[6:28] When he was to see of the trouble of his soul, and was to be satisfied. It is the Father, according to the terms of the covenant of redemption.

[6:50] Who says this to the Son, I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations.

[7:04] and it is directly connected with, and in separate from, what we read in Paul's epistle to the Philippians.

[7:20] Where it is said that, Therefore the Father, for God hath highly exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus is God to the glory of God the Father.

[7:56] He has a name that is above every name, and that because, though he was equal with God, he thought it not of robbery to be equal with God.

[8:16] He was in fact equal, but he did not grasp, as the idea in the original words is, he did not grasp at this price, but instead, he made himself of new reputation, or he emptied himself, of this reputation.

[8:43] He emptied himself, and was found in fashion as a man, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and was obedient unto death, even the cursed death of the cross.

[9:07] Therefore, God hath highly exalted him. Now we take the words of the text against that background.

[9:22] I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations. Therefore, shall the people praise thee forever and ever.

[9:44] and we may mention, first of all, the propriety of this.

[9:58] It is proper that the name of Jesus should be remembered. Nothing can be more proper than that.

[10:12] It is according to the propriety of heaven. Something that is in the very fore, in the very foreground of what should be remembered.

[10:27] It is proper. Why? Because he is worthy of being remembered. And it is significant that again and again we have promises to this effect, and exhortations calculated to bring this effect into being.

[11:03] Why did Jesus say to his disciples, the night before he was betrayed, the night in which he was betrayed, do this in remembrance of me?

[11:23] Why has the Father promised again and again that the name of Christ will be remembered?

[11:38] Why these promises, these promises, why is it that one of the sacraments, one of the ordinances of the New Testament has directly to do with this?

[11:52] The remembrance of Christ's name. Why should that be so? There must be a reason for it.

[12:04] There is nothing without a reason. And certainly there is nothing in the economy of God without a very good reason.

[12:16] Surely one of the reasons at least is this, that were it not for this, were it not for the Father's promise that his Son's name will be remembered.

[12:36] We say, were it not for that, his name would be forgotten. Yea, it is due to divine providence in a special manner that his name has not been forgotten long ago.

[13:02] How do you consider from the human side the obscurity in which the man Christ Jesus was born?

[13:20] The limitations the boundaries of the territory which he which he personally traveled.

[13:37] These were very restricted indeed. He was born and was crucified as a malefactor in one of the most obscure parts of the Roman Empire.

[13:59] Yet, there is no name that can be compared with his name.

[14:10] There is no name that has attached to it what his name has attached to it. and this cannot of course be explained by natural causes.

[14:26] Yea, it is the very antithesis of natural causes. It goes right in the teeth of what one might expect and what one would have a right to expect according to natural causes.

[14:44] to the natural causes. How is it then that his name is not forgotten? This is the reason it is proper that it should be remembered but it is destined by the decree of the Almighty that it will be remembered.

[15:09] Now there is no other name that stands anywhere near this.

[15:20] Any other name may be forgotten. Any other name may sometimes crumble into the dust and be known no more.

[15:36] But this name cannot be forgotten. It does not matter what princes and rulers may join themselves to obliterate this name from the earth.

[15:50] That has happened again and again and again. The world's power has often been employed to obliterate this name from the face of the earth.

[16:07] But it reminds us that at every time the nations and rulers may join themselves to obliterate this name from the earth. That has happened again and again and again. The world's power is the same.

[16:19] The same. The same. The same. The same. The same. The same. The same. The same. The same. The same. The same.

[16:30] The same. The same. The same. He said to them. Take it. That he be not found fighting. Against God. And every effort that is put forth.

[16:43] Every device. That is planned. That is planned. The same. That the same. The same. To do away. With the name of Jesus. The same.

[16:54] It is a plan. And a divider. Against God. It is a high thing. Against God. Because. He. Has given the promise.

[17:04] That. has given the promise that he will make his name to be remembered to all generations.

[17:19] But it is not so much from the opposition from the outside. But think of the tendency in the human heart.

[17:31] The tendency even in the heart of those who have a special reason to remember this name. The tendency in their heart is to forget.

[17:51] It is one of the proofs of the deceitfulness of sin that again and again we are confronted with this experience souls that have vowed in themselves that they would not and could not forget his name souls who like Peter formed the resolution who all men should deny thee yet will I not deny thee.

[18:29] And these resolutions made in all sincerity. But alas, alas, many of those who have made and who were in the spirit of such resolutions had and have to confess that if the natural tendency of their heart was allowed to have its own way they would forget.

[19:06] He would be just a memory albeit a present memory nevertheless nothing more tangible nothing more influential than a memory.

[19:19] And is this not the meaning of the revival of the church and of the individual soul?

[19:32] what happens when the Lord visits His own when He remembers them when they are weary when He causes them to be revived what happens?

[19:57] His name is being remembered there is nothing in the Christian experience worth having which is not connected with this very promise that the name of Jesus is being remembered in the soul and why is it that it is remembered?

[20:22] When it was on the point we must say of being forgotten why is it? God has promised I will cause thy name to be remembered and here it is obvious we have to find not only the perpetuity of the church in this world but also the perseverance of the saints it is in this promise I will make thy name to be remembered now you will notice that this is what we call one of the promises of the covenant one of the immediate promises a promise a promise given by the Father not to the church but to Christ Himself of course it has its fulfillment in the church but the promise is given to Christ Himself that this is the covenant of the foundation of God's gracious revelation in this world

[21:57] God gives promises to His people that is true but concerning these promises they may be often shaken in their minds as the apostle reminds us in another place but concerning the promises given by the Father to the Son there is no room left for any contingency any miscarry anything in fact for a complete full and final fulfillment I will do it know what is it that is called into acquisition of the performing of this the fulfillment of this promise nothing whatsoever on the part of the creed

[23:02] God pledges Himself His omnipotence His omniscience His omnipresence gave all that He is in Himself is engaged eternally for the fulfillment of this promise and of all promises like it the promise to Christ was not without condition Christ did not receive any unconditioned promises they were all conditioned by His obedience unto death Christ was given promises on the grounds that He would perform accomplish and complete a certain work that is precisely what we have in that chapter of the epistle to the

[24:16] Philippians which we read He was obedient unto death even the cursed death of the cross therefore God has highly exalted died but the conditions are all fulfilled gloriously fulfilled and this is the meaning or one of the meanings of the resurrection of Jesus it means that Christ has fulfilled all that He has undertaken to accomplish and this is the seal of the Father upon His work that He is given a glorious resurrection from the dead as we have it in the epistle to the

[25:19] Romans He is declared to be the Son of God with power He is declared to be by His resurrection from the dead this is the divine seal of the Father that the Son had accomplished all that was required of Him all that He had undertaken to do so that the conditions of the promises given to Him are fully and eternally fulfilled hence there is absolutely no possibility of a failure or of the shadow of a failure in or concerning any of these promises now this we say is the shrewd unshastable foundation that the gospel of grace says before us here this is the very meaning of grace as it bears upon us that the work is finished the accomplishment of this great and glorious work the accomplishment has been accredited and seen by the highest authority the authority of God path now in this connection and for this reason he says

[27:21] I will make thy name to be remembered now there are so many aspects to this so many approaches to the question that we have just that we have to make a selection and a very very limited selection at that what is implied in this it is implied as we have said that he is worthy of being remembered that he is destined to be remembered but in relation to man what is meant by the remembrance of the name of Christ what is implied in this in other words when men do remember the name of Christ what do they do and what's the meaning of it when Christ says to his disciples do this in remembrance in remembrance of me what does he ask him to do to remember himself to remember his name and we make no distinction between his name and himself when it is said that his name will be remembered it is meant exactly the same it is meant there exactly the same as his name that his name will be remembered or that he himself will be remembered when obviously he is remembered arrived the remembrance of him is according to truth those who remember

[29:34] Christ remember him according to truth that is to say he is remembered he is recognized he is acknowledged for what he is and what is he remembered as a savior Christ is remembered arrived and he remembered according to the spirit of this text when he is remembered as a savior and what is he as a savior he is God and man and he is not remembered arrived as a savior but as he is remembered as God and man in two distinct natures but one person forever he is one savior he is one

[30:42] Christ but he is both God and man he is remembered he is remembered not only for what he is as God and man and as him but remembered for what he has done the whole world couldn't contain all the books that could be written on what he has done but he summarized in this he made peace by the blood of the cross he gave himself he came not to be ministered but to but to minister and to give his life are handsome poor men no one is remembered and right he is remembered as the

[31:59] God man the savior the one who lay down his life that life might be given to the dead he is remembered in this way but intimately connected with that way he is remembered according to the scripture account of it it is the Christ of God the Christ of the scriptures of whom this is said I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations consider then the futility of man's effort to blot out this name notice that according to what we have said the blot in out of the name could be done if the scriptures were discredited because it is the

[33:20] Christ of the scripture the Christ of God who was to be remembered and we had no other account of him but in the scripture though when men set up themselves in groups and committees to discredit the word of God and that is but one attempt to block out the name of Christ from the earth think of the arrogance and the futility of what men address themselves to of course this is nothing new at one time it was a kind punishment by burning to have the word of

[34:26] God in one profession at one time it was a crime punishable by death to name the name of Christ at all but the name has survived all these attempts to block it out but in now day the year got put forward in this direction of most subtle and they come to us under the name of authority and men who are supposed to be confident to deal with these things they set up committees on them they join themselves together they issue statements and they tell us all sorts of things that are calculated to block the snake from under the heavens oh my friends what a dare it what a foolish thing to do what a foolish thing to do that men hiding behind certain certain learning certain degrees should dare to pronounce guitars and patents on unconditionally and all eternity

[36:03] I will make thy name to be remembered and he doesn't consult anyone he treats with contempt man's efforts to the contrary he that sits in heaven shall laugh and notice it is in this very connection that these words appear kings of the earth say themselves princes have combined to plot against the Lord and his anointed saying this let us cast those bonds from us oh those bonds yes these ideas that have held men so long in relation to the word of God we are free we are autonomous we live by our own will we are under no authority let us break all these bonds let us be free free to form our own ideas of everything in heaven and everything on earth we will be free we are not bound by any treats or ideas of bygone ages we form our own opinions so the two he that in heaven sits shall laugh the Lord shall score them all he who said

[38:01] I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations remembered as a saint remembered as the anointed of the power remembered as the all sufficient the all confident redeemer who is given unto us in the word of truth Christ's presence is in the gospel history and it is in the gospel history of course presented and made effectual by the Holy Spirit but let us remember anything that campers with the scriptures anything that seeks to discredit the word of God is something that seeks in its very nature to obliterate the name of Christ to plot the earth from under heaven it cannot be done

[39:28] I this grand I stands vive in in all generations And what that glorious promise deserves, especially appearing so in a day of small things, a day of darkness and perplexity, a day where it would seem that the enemy is coming in like a flood, bearing all before him.

[40:13] This stands unchanging and unchanging. I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations. Let us pray.

[40:31] Oh Lord bless us. Bless us according to the riches of thy grace. Bless us in Christ Jesus.

[40:44] Bless us by giving us to remember him. To remember him as he set forth in the gospel and revealed by the Spirit. To remember him as the Son of God. The Saint of the Father.

[41:04] The propitiation for sin. The mediator between God and men. Oh may we have the fulfillment of this promise in ourselves. Fulfilled to us by thy sense. That his name will be remembered, honored and glorified in us and by us.

[41:34]  Take away all our sins and accept of us, gracious. For the Redeemer said, Amen.