seeking the Lord's help and your
very prayerful attention. I would direct your thoughts
this evening to the chapter we read, the first epistle of Peter,
chapter 2, and the latter part of verse 9. 1 Peter, chapter
2, and the latter part of verse 9. A peculiar people They should
show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness
into his marvellous light. The whole verse reads, But ye
are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
peculiar people. They should show forth the praises
of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous
light. It is a truth, dear friends,
which has been shown us from the beginning of God's holy word,
that God has a people. Even in that first promise given
to Eve, the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head. And the seed of the woman is
not just that precious seed with a capital S, but in union with
the whole election of grace. And there is that promise seed
that God has promised. And it was true in the Old Testament
church, Old Testament days from Adam's day, right to the coming
of our dear Savior. And even now God has a people. And the desire of that people,
this is one of the marks of that people. is to be numbered with
them. As one of our hymns put it so
beautifully, with them numbered may I be now and in eternity. And yet, it's one of the greatest
questions that is sometimes asked to a child of God. The Lord says,
how can I put thee among the children? How can God put a poor,
unregenerate soul dead in trespasses and in sins, walking in the ways
of sin, serving Satan, hastening on to the broad road that leads
to destruction, pride, unbelief, arrogancy, all guiding their
steps. How can God put such a one among
the people, among the children? And perhaps we should put another
question before we answer that one. Whatever would it, I say
this most reverently, what would induce a thrice holy God who
cannot look upon sin with any degree of allowance to take hold
of such a sinner I've just described and make him one of his children? For none of them are born his
children, not by nature. What is the motive? behind such
an action of a thrice holy God. Friends, there's only one word
to describe it. Love. Love. Love has redeemed his sheep with
love. And love, it goes on. Love has redeemed the sheep with
love. It's love that took their cause in hand. and love maintains
it to the end. The origin of it is the love
of God in Christ Jesus toward that sinner. If you trace the
streams back, as the hymn writer says, I trace the streams back,
where to? Why, to eternity past. Where
to? To that covenant of grace made
between the Father and the Son. and endorsed by the Blessed Spirit,
that God should have a people, and that people be chosen out
of the ruins of the fallen race of Adam, a number that no man
can number, out of every kindred, nation, tribe, and tongue, that
they should be formed for his praise. And we have it in Isaiah
43. This people have I formed for
myself. They shall show forth my praise. So how does God make an unloving,
unlovely sinner? A child? Does he adapt the old
nature? Does he mend it? Does he reorganize
it? No. Friends, the solemn fruit
of the fall is such that the old nature cannot be adapted. I do not limit almighty God in
that. Please do not think so. But the word of God is own word
declares. He's decreed it to be so. The natural man does not
receive the things of God. The carnal mind is enmity against
God. It is not subject to the law
of God. And then goes on, neither indeed
can be. So then how? How does God make
a child? How does God put an unworthy,
unloving, unlovely sinner into his family? By adoption. By adoption. And the adoption
that he gives is even more precious than that that a natural parent
might do when they adopt someone into their family. They can give
them their name, and they can give them all the benefits of
the rest of the family, but they can't give them a nature. But my dear friends, when God
adopts his children, he gives them a nature like his own. Indeed,
in Romans 8, we're told very clearly that except a man of
the spirit of Christ, he's none of his, he's not in the family.
But as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons
of God. So how does God make one of his
children? How does he put them into the
family? The new birth. The new birth. That precious,
vital work that must lie at the root of all our religion if it
is real. Ye must be born again. God the Holy Spirit, as sent
by the Father and the Son, according to those eternal purposes, those
divine appointments, takes hold of that symbol by entering his
heart with a new nature, a new heart and a new spirit. And in
that moment, in his experience, he becomes a child of God. In the purposes of God, he was
numbered among them from eternity. But now in his experience, he
comes to it. Having been born again by the
Holy Ghost, God has a people. and that people, who you'll notice
in a moment, have some very precious privileges which belong only
to God's people. I mentioned just now that word
in Isaiah 43, this people I formed for myself, they shall show forth
my praise. And therein lies a very wonderful
truth concerning the Old Testament church. God formed Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob people and there were two reasons in the mind of the
eternal three why God should have a family like that. The
first was to bring forth eventually in the flesh our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. He was to be born of a woman
made under the law to redeem them that are under the law.
He was to take the nature, sin accepted, of his family, his
brethren, his sisters, because he made like unto them in all
things without sin. This was a tremendous stoop on
behalf, he was the brother born for adversity, the one, the friend,
of whom you've been singing today, who loves at all times, for this
was the great end God had in view of forming that nation.
is why he was preserved. More than once, Satan, seeking
to overturn God's purposes, sought to destroy the promised sea,
destroy that nation so the promised sea, our Lord, would not come.
In the book of Esther you read a whole book given over to the
machinations of Satan, that wretched character, Haman, that weak king
as you hear us. Even the decree signed to annihilate
his very people, God overturned. again we have it in other parts
of holy scripture pharaoh would have destroyed this people but
no god had a purpose to warden that's why we read in malachite
i am the lord i changed on therefore you sons of jacob i'm not consumed
not consumed i have this purpose of grace concerning you as a
nation that the Lord Jesus Christ should be brought forth. The
sad thing is that as a nation, even at this very day, the Jews
deny the great privilege God gave them. We believe that when
their time ends, they will have their eyes opened and they will
acclaim him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Instead of
saying there's just a party with no king but Caesar, they will
acknowledge our King is the Jesus of Nazareth, God's dearly beloved
Son. The second reason why that nation
was formed was to be a pattern of God's dealings with his church
at the end of time. The trials through which they
pass, the chastisements they receive, the deliverances that
were wrought, the prayers that were answered, the promises that
were fulfilled, in Old Testament history are a pattern to us of
how the Lord still deals with his church. His true Israel,
which is out of every kindred, nation, tribe, and tongue, are
not confined to the Jewish nation. God has a people with whom he
deals. And just as it was in, I've just
explained or sought to explain, that nation preserved for Christ
to be brought forth, so that God's dear people Christ is formed
in them, the hope of glory. And they are preserved for that
very purpose. That in them that blessed truth may take part.
Christ in them, the hope of glory. So friends, God has a people. But I've called it out text,
a peculiar people. A peculiar people. And there
are three things which, as it were, are added to show as their
peculiarity. For example, it says they were
not a people. At one time they were not a people.
Yes, they had nationality, they had family, they may have even
had some form of religion. They were not a people in God's
sight. They were not a chosen, gathered people in their experience,
not in God's sight. But this peculiar people, There
comes a time when that changes and they become the people of
God, the people of God, God's people. Yes, they go forth unto
him without the camp, bearing his reproach. They're separated
out from the mass of fallen sinners around them, not for any good
in themselves, but for the honor and glory of God who hath called
them out of darkness into his marvelous light. So this great
change, they were not a people. but I know the people of God. And it comes to mind to just
mention what we read in 1 John chapter 3, I believe it is. One
of the marks of this people. See you dear friend, if you could
come in here in some humble way. We know we have passed from death
unto life because we love the brethren. Friend, what do you
think of God's people? Or you say, they're awkward,
some of them. Well, we are, I must admit. We've
got many faults and I can see them. But that is not what binds
God's people together in that sense. What binds God's people
together is what others see of Christ in them. And the great
point is, do you love what you see of Christ in God's people? If so, then you've passioned
death unto life. Yes, yes, there are awkward ways
and your awkward ways might be a hindrance at times. But when
you see Christ in them, in their spirit, in their humility, in
their patience, where the grace shines, when it is like Antioch,
when Paul and Barnabas came there, they saw the grace of God and
they were glad. And if you are a child of God,
when you see the grace of God in another child of God, you
will be glad. Why? It magnifies your saviour. It's a little light in this dark
world given to his honour and to his glory. Now the second
peculiar thing is this. They had not obtained mercy,
but now have obtained mercy. In other words, in one sense,
in their unregenerate state, they were under condemnation.
They had not yet believed in our Lord Jesus Christ. They had
not yet fled for mercy. They were not yet under the blood.
They were not yet sheltering in the cleft of the rock. Now
knowing God's eternal purposes, they were saved, but that hadn't
been revealed. Looking on them in their unregenerate state,
they were walking in the paths of condemnation, the word of
God says so. But now they obtained mercy. How have they obtained mercy?
in two ways. One is that God has shown mercy. God showed mercy. And when God
shows mercy given to a sinner what he doesn't deserve is as
if we're not dealing with him as he does deserve. That's what
mercy is. And what does that sinner deserve?
Eternal misery. But no, mercy says we'll have
that sinner put upon God's dear people. And so God opens their
eyes And then, when their eyes are opened to see how holy God
is, how just is his law, what are his strict commands, and
they wouldn't hope there'd be any less than that, then they
realize they need mercy. So here is the mark of those
who have obtained mercy. They seek mercy because they
feel they need it. And they come into that word
we read in Hebrews 4. Let us therefore come boldly
unto the throne of grace, where we may obtain mercy, and find
grace to help in time of need. In other words, dear friends,
those who obtain mercy are seeking mercy. Those who obtain grace
are those who are seeking grace. That's why it says in John chapter
1 that we receive grace for grace. Grace opens the eyes and grace
gives the desire. empties and then grace fills.
This is how God works. They've shown that these peculiar
people, they've obtained mercy. And friends, it staggers them.
They look around on others who are more moral and more upright
than them, who, if it was caught in the works, were much more
worthy of salvation than they. But knowing their own wretched
heart, the plague within, and the potential of sin, they often
stand still and say, Why me? Why was I made to hear his voice
and enter while there's room, while thousands make a wretched
choice and rather starve than come? Oh, it staggers them. They stand still in amazement.
Lord, why? Why me? Think of a thousand reasons
why not? Because you know your own heart.
You know its potential. You see where you would be left
to it. But why? Why oh why? Should this
great God show mercy to such a wretch as me? There are peculiar
people then in that respect. Distinctive. And then, dear friend,
there are peculiar in this respect. And in the eyes of the world,
they seem peculiar. Not oddities, exactly. I'm not
thinking of that. But there is a distinction. And
it's amazing how a worldly person can detect a difference in a
child of God without them even opening their mouth. There's
something they detect about a person which shows to them there's a
difference. They can't perhaps understand
it. Watched by the world with jealous
eye. Yes, you famously are sin and
shame, but yet they acknowledge there's something different.
and they can't put their finger on it, but they have to acknowledge
it. Many years ago, in Barton, there
was a man, a manager, who was running a little firm there,
and one day he said to his workers, there's a man coming who's a
Christian, He's a godly man, and he got to work with us. And some of the workers said,
oh, we'll make fun of him, we'll sort him out. One man in particular
was a very worldly man, and very carnal, and very against any
form of religion, very taken up with pop music, et cetera.
When this new recruit came into the work, he was ready to bait
it. It wasn't long before he detected
there was something generally different about him. So much
so that eventually he began to question him. What was the difference?
Where and how did it come from? And this godly man was able just
to point out how God had showed mercy to him. And the wonderful
thing was that that worldly man that was brought himself to obtain
mercy, intended for Chaplet Barton, who was eventually baptized there
and died in the faith. He noticed the difference. Friends,
do God's people, should God's people show that difference?
Not in an ostentatious way, no. But there should be evidence,
whose we are, whom we serve. And do they see it in you? Do
they see in you what Ruth saw in Naoma? Do they see in you
what Isaiah said that day would come when they said, we've heard
that God is with you, We will go with you. Are we attractive
in our warmth? So that different though we may
be, there may be one or two who may desire to know what do these
feeble Jews, what is it that makes the difference? The peculiar
people. Now let me just point out one
of the peculiar, two peculiar things about them. First of all,
their birth is peculiar. I've mentioned it. It's the new
birth that lies at the root of the great changes being wrought.
The world knows nothing of this. Those yet dead in trespasses
and in sins know nothing of it. None. It's a peculiar way this
family is formed in a most peculiar way, from God's own hand, God's
own Word. God says let there be night,
and night floods into that hitherto dark soul. and life with it,
a peculiar origin to the life of God in the soul. Secondly,
a peculiarly loved. Now God has kindly, and it's
sad that it is so abused, but nonetheless, God has given love
in the relationships with friends and family. with husbands and
wives and children, this world would be a sad place without
natural love. And sadly, it is more and more
despised in many quarters. But ah, leaving natural love
aside, what a peculiar love abides upon God's dear people. God the
Father loved them. He gave them to Christ to redeem.
Why? Because he loved them. God the
Son loved them, that's why he gave this world for them. God
the Spirit loved them, that's why he quickens them, does not
need them to perish in their sins. It's a triune love whereby
God's people are peculiarly loved. To Jesus and the chosen race
subsist that bond of sovereign grace that held this infernal
train shall ne'er dissolve nor end in twain. What a peculiar
love it is. What a precious love it is. There's
no love like it, is there? If heavy through the love of
God shed abroad in your heart, why spoil you through other loves?
Nothing can be compared with it or to it. Thy name is as ointment
poured forth, saith the church. Therefore do the virgins love
thee. In the very chapter unto which
we live, therefore, he is precious. Thirdly, They are bought with
a peculiar price. Peter tells us in the chapter
that went before that the church of Christ are not redeemed with
money, corruptible things of silver and gold. No, nothing
can purchase this precious relationship. It is a far higher currency than
that that purchases God's dear people. But you see, why do they
need purchasing? If God had given them to the
dear son of God, had he lost them when they were ruined in
the fall? In one sense, no, of course, that could not be so.
Because the covenants of grace, they're ordained to all eternity.
But on the other hand, the word of God does say, the son of man
has come to seek and to save that which was lost. And so there
is another sense in which they are lost in the fall. And yet
the good shepherd knows exactly where they are. They're not beyond
his reach. not beyond his care, not beyond
his arm, and he searches out, seeks them out, and will have
every one of them at last with him in glory. The point I would
make, dear friends, is this, though, but because of that fallen
state, they need to be purchased. So they're doubly loved, loved
in the covenant, and they're loved because they are purchased.
And what a peculiar price they are purchased with. Not your
tears or prayers, And though, God forbid, you should not weep
over your tears, nor pray concerning your soul's state, those things
accompany salvation, but they are not salvation itself. Friends,
what is it that purchases our soul for God? Nothing other than
the precious blood of Christ. What mighty sum paid all my debt
when I abondant stood? Has my soul at freedom set? Is Jesus precious love? Oh, then
is that peculiar price that has paid for this church? And we
read in Isaiah 53, he shall see of the travail of his soul and
he shall be satisfied. He shall be satisfied. There's
no disappointment in the heart of a triune God in this matter.
All the Father giveth me shall come to me, says the dear Saviour.
Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For they are peculiarly bought,
O friends, and how peculiarly loved they must be, that only
that price would purchase such a wretch as you and I are. A peculiar people, that you should
show forth the praises of him with corduroy to darkness, into
his marvelous light. Which brings us to the second
aspect of our text. Why does God have a people that
they should show forth the praises of him who hath called them?
This is the great end God has in view. And of course in the
ultimate outworking of it, that's heaven itself. He's formed this
people for his eternal praise. They should sing his praises
around the throne of God when the work of grace is done. And
that our blessed moment will soon be with us. But while we're
yet on earth, should there not be some notes of praise? Well,
how does God bring forth praise then out of the chosen people,
this peculiar people? How does he show forth, bring
them to show forth his praises? Well, let me just give you one
or two examples. And you go to Isaiah 38 and you
read Hezekiah's words. The living, the living, he shall
praise thee as I do this day. Why was Hezekiah praising? He
had been brought know, and the Lord had helped him. That is
why in Psalm 116, I love the Lord. He heard my voice and my
supplications. They were called upon him as
long as I lived. I was brought know, and he helped
me. How know was Hezekiah brought?
He had been a wonderfully honoured king. brought some wonderful
reforms under God's help in the nation. And then the Sennacherib
comes with his mighty army and sweeps down all the citizens
of Judah until at last he reaches Jerusalem, like a lion waiting
to bring its prey, ready to pounce and cause it to surrender. Yes,
it seemed inevitable, didn't it? I think Sennacherib thought
it would be. and no other gods, little g-gods,
had hindered him, and the God of Israel would be no less easy
to overcome, so he thought. And just when Hezekiah was needed,
as it were, to rally his nation and encourage them, the Lord
lays him on a sickbed with death staring him in the face. And
as Hezekiah lay there, there were three things that Burdened
his soul. One was, all the good that had
been done in his reign would be undone. He felt. Secondly,
he had no son and heir. And therefore, the line of David,
there seemed to be a missing part to it. Most of all, when
he came to set his house in order, he found while he could set perhaps
his earthly affairs in order, it came to his soul. He couldn't
do it. What was the difficulty? His
sins. They stared him in the face.
How could he face a holy God without that matter being dealt,
without controversy being put right in him and a holy God?
No wonder he cried, O Lord, am I oppressed. Undertake for me. I'm afraid that prayer was answered,
wasn't it? Amazingly so. God sends Isaiah back. And with
another message, God added to his years, 15. And the sundial
of Ahaz goes back 10 degrees to prove the point. Sennacherib,
his army lies dead, 185,000 men around Jerusalem, one terrible
night. Sennacherib goes home to his
own little G-God, he's slain in that so-called temple. What
good did that do him? God promises a son. The fathers
of the children shall make known the truth. But ah, Hezekiah,
here is my greatest cause for blessing. Thou hast in love to
my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption, for thou hast
cast all my sins behind thy back. Oh, friend, the very stones would
have cried out if Hezekiah had held his peace. And friend, if
God has pardoned your sin, if he's done for you what he's done
for Hezekiah, surely it behoves you and me. to tell to sinners
round what a dear Saviour we have found, point to his redeeming
blood, say behold the way to God. Oh, it behoves forgiven
sinners that with God's help to praise God from whom all blessings
flow. So how did the Lord bring forth
praise in Hezekiah? He brought him low first, then
he brought him up. It was the same with Hannah,
wasn't it? For years that poor woman labored
in a barren womb, and Penelope's family grows year by year. Oh,
what a trial it was. What a deep exercise it brought. And it showed Hannah what she
was as a poor fallen sinner as well, I believe. So now she goes
into the temple and she makes a vow that if the Lord would
give her a baby, she'd give him to the Lord. And Mary and I,
it was the Lord's mouthpiece, the Lord granted our petition
that was asked of Him. She goes away no more sad. And
Fred, that's a wonderful thing, isn't it? When God's people praise
and thank Him for a deliverance before it comes. She thanked
God for a little sound before it was even conceived. She was
so sure God would not lie, could not lie, did not lie, will not
lie. Friends, are you holding your
Sam in your arm already? No, he's not yet come. Are you
so persuaded God will do as he has said? It's a wonderful thing
that God gives you that faith. The substance of things hoped
for. The evidence of things not seen. That's living faith. May
God give us more of it. Samuel is born. He's given to
the Lord. And what does Hannah say? He
bringeth low, he lifteth up. He killeth. He maketh a nine,
he makes poor, he makes rich, with the dagger beg of the dunghill,
says him one princess. Oh, how she praised God. This
people, I fall for myself, they shall show forth my praise. Which shows us, my dear friends,
a blessed principle. We should look in our lives.
Those trials the Lord brings are for his honour and glory.
When trouble comes, we immediately pray, Lord, get us out of it.
make her way through it. Well, the Lord will make her
way through it in his own time and way. But what you should
pray, and may God help you so to do, is, Lord, may this fall
out the further to the gospel. May, O Lord, it be a cause of
praise eventually to thy dear, great, and holy name. May it
be as it was with Martha and Mary. This thing does not utter
death to the Son of God, to be glorified thereby. May it be like the Apostle Paul.
Those angels happened not to be informed out, rather to further
to the gospel. You see, when the Lord's people
came to Mara, it was a great disappointment. And yet that
very disappointment was making room for praise, wasn't it? They
see this oasis in front of them, and yes, they are very thirsty.
So are their beasts and their little ones. When they come to
Mara, they can't drink it. It's brackish, it's acid, it's
bitter. And what do they say? They tried
with Moses. Why have you brought us here?
Now, my dear friends, are you chiding with the Lord? Why has
he brought me to this bar? Why has he brought me to this
difficulty, this trial? Wasn't there somewhere better
to have taken me? Dear Moses cried to the Lord, that's what
you must do. The Lord showed him a tree already planted before
they knew their need at Mara. The Lord had gone before them.
Moses had to cut the tree down and cast it into the waters.
A wonderful type of Christ cut off for his people. The gospel
applied into our trials and troubles. It made the water sweet. The very waters that they could
not drink, would not drink. They did drink and they were
glad to drink. In other words, Mara became a
playtime of blessing. Poor Naomi, I couldn't see her.
Call me no longer, Naomi, I beg your pleasantness. But Mara,
the lord of the town, bitterly with me." Oh, the poor woman's
in a low place, wasn't she? You get to the end of the book,
and little Obed on her lap. Oh, she could praise God there.
She could see God hadn't made a mistake. Hereafter he will
make me know, and I shall surely find. He was too wise to err,
too good to be unkind. And that short verse in Exodus
chapter 1 is often passed over, but it's a very significant verse.
There was Pharaoh with his scheme to try and suppress Israel, even
destroy it. But the more they afflicted them,
the more they multiplied and grew. Put it in gospel language,
every branch of me that beareth fruit, he purges it. may bring
forth more fruit. Friends, are you in a purging
time at the moment? Is the Lord cutting you back?
Lord, where will it end? He'll end in this, that you may
bring forth much fruit. It's God's way. And you can't
quarrel with God's way. Those things will fall out eventually
to His praise and to His honor. But while you wait for that day,
we read praise and wait for the old God inside. That's waiting
for the Lord to turn your captivity, waiting to bring praise, but
at the moment there is praying that you should show forth the
praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous
light. But my dear friends, how far
short we come in this. How often at the end of a day
we have to say, Lord, cleanse our poor thoughts and words and
ways. How far short we've come or we
ought to be as those who show forth thy praises. How little
of Christ is seen in our lives. As one good man said in Scotland,
I heard many years ago, if my master had been any other than
who he is, he would have dispensed with my services long ago. And
that is certainly true, dear friend, isn't it? But oh may
God give us a deeper exercise in this matter. The dark lies
be not praiseless, fruitless, barren lies. May we show forth
the praise of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous
light. True, in the world they despise
and look upon us as peculiar people. They can't understand
why you frequent the house of God on the Sabbath. They can't
understand why you don't go to the same excessive riot that
they do. They can't understand why you
love the Word of God so much and why God's people are your
best friends. This is an enigma to them. You are a peculiar people
to them. But friends, isn't it far better
to be among the peculiar people and loved by their God than loved
by this dying world which will soon pass away? O friends, it
is far better to go forth unto Christ without the camp, bearing
his reproach. For here there will be no continuing
sitting. We seek one yet to come. O, you are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people. What went before is for significant. They were chosen, made priests
and kings, a separated people. With this word, a peculiar people,
seem to rest on my spoon. It is not a word that can be
passed over quickly, for the marginal reason that it has purchased
people. It doesn't undo what that word
peculiar means. It shows the special love, special
care, special work, special walk God has for his new people to
be engaged in, and the special end that will be at the end of
the way. Peculiar people. They shall show forth the praise
that hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. And friends, look back over your
little way, those of you who can understand our text, and
see the change that grace has made. Can you answer that question
that Paul put in the Corinthians, who maketh thee to differ? To what you were once, what you
would yet be left to yourself. Who made you to differ? Who gave
you an ear to hear the truth? Who gave you a love for the truth? Who opened your eyes to see Christ
in its sacred pages? Who gave you a good hope through
grace? Who taught you to pray? Who answered your prayers? Who
made you to differ? Are those you were brought up
with, perhaps, and they don't understand these things? But
why me? Ah, but a blessed thing to be
about this peculiar people. Let me among thy saints be found,
Whene'er the archangels trump shall sound, To see thy smiling
face. Then, loud as that crowd, I'll
sing, What heavens resound in mansions bring, With shouts of
sovereign grace. Friend, whoever isolates you
may feel today, Whoever lonely, however much ostracized, perhaps,
By this dying world. Remember, you have a friend That's
taken closer than a brother, You have one who understands
your very loneliness and that peculiarity that you feel. He
understands it. And what is more, it is love
that made the difference, will bring you safely through life's
journey to its end, when you'll at last see face to face him
who loved you and gave himself for you, who paid that peculiar
price. His own heart's blood for a poor
unworthy sinner such as you and I. Surely friends, if we are
privileged to get there, heaven will be a place and is a place
of praise, isn't it? It's a place of thanksgiving.
And Him who has loved us and washed us from our sins, His
own blood be glory. All the redeemed hosts are praising
Him. And what they pass through, this
side of the grave, was tuning their heart to sing his praise
hereafter. That is what God is about when
these trials come and these difficulties. It is tuning your heart so that
when at last you get saved, home to the Lord, you will have something
to thank him for. Ah, him he has ran the way of
the plain, no difficulties. When he got to Dabey, he had
nothing to say. But Kusha ran the way of the
hills and the valleys. Oh, it was a laborious way. The
friends, when he got there, had something to say. So the city
to which I'm traveling will more than my sorrows reply. And the
tours the road will see nothing when I get to the end of the
way. He said, will I get there? He
which hath begun a good work in you. will perform it until
the day of Jesus Christ. Who said that? God, who cannot
lie through his servant Paul, and he still says it, and he
still fulfills it. Thou shalt see my glory soon,
when the work of grace is done, partner of my throne shall be,
say, Dwarcen, lovest thou thee. May God add his blessing Amen.