and serve us this evening by
singing hymn number 322. The tune is Ferndale, number
806. My soul now arise, my passions
take wing. Look up to the skies and cheerfully
sing. Let God be the object in praises
addressed, and this be my subject, tis all for the best. Search
all the world through, examine and see, and what canst thou
view more suited to thee than this declaration, in scripture
expressed, that God, thy salvation, does all for the best? In number
322, June Ferndale, number 806. Amen. Peaceful and quiet, our passions
take heed. Help us in this cold night, and
cheerful we'll seem. ? In the period of death ? ?
In the period of death ? ? And his defense of death ? ? Is over
the rest ? Let all our hope grow, Let our
faith exceed, And all our joy and lucidity be. ? God gives you courage and gives
you confidence ? ? And all the salvation that you could ever
ask ? And day by day, it's not just
even. ? Now come ye to Bethlehem ? ?
East of the river ? ? Yet be not dejected ? ? Have faith,
have faith ? ? The story and its end ? ? Till
to the rest ? ? The leaves of its branch ? ? The house below her ? ? The stars
of each day ? ? The heaven on earth ? ? Then to me it shall
say ? ? What joy fills my breast ? ? And when He withdraws Him
? ? Tis, O Lord, the best. ? ? Above this plain, and sing with
the birds ? ? When free from my pain ? ? I'm
bound to the skies ? ? Eternally I enter ? ? And everly rest ? May the Lord help us now in reading
from his holy word. And there are two portions I
wish to read. First of all, in the prophecy
of Isaiah, chapter 35. And then in the revelation, chapter
seven. The first reading is in the prophecy
of Isaiah, chapter 35. The wilderness and the solitary
place shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice
and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly and
rejoice even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be
given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall
see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. Strengthen ye the weak hands,
and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful
heart, be strong, Fear not. Behold, your God will come with
vengeance, even God with a recompense. He will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall
be opened and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap
as an heart, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For in the wilderness
shall waters break out, And streams in the desert. And the parched
ground shall become a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water,
in the habitation of dragons, where each lay shall be grass
with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there,
and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness. The unclean
shall not pass over it, but it shall be for those the wayfaring
men, though fools shall not err therein. No lion shall be there,
nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon. It shall not be
found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. and the ransomed of the Lord
shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy
upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. We'll now turn to
the Revelation chapter seven. The Revelation chapter seven. And after these things, I saw
four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding
the four winds of the earth that the wind should not blow on the
earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel
ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice
to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and
the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the
trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God in their
foreheads. And I heard the number of them
which were sealed, and there were sealed an hundred and forty
and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Judah were sealed
12,000. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed
12,000. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed 12,000. Of the tribe of
Asa were sealed 12,000. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed
12,000. Of the tribe of Manasses were
sealed 12,000. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed
12,000. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed
12,000. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed 12,000. of the tribe of Zabulon were
sealed twelve thousand, of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve
thousand, of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. After this I beheld, and lo,
a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations,
and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne,
and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in
their hands, and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our
God, which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the
angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders
and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces,
and worshipped God, saying, Amen. Blessing, and glory, and wisdom,
and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto
our God forever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered,
saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they? And I said
unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are
they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed
their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the
throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple. And he that sitteth on the throne
shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither
thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any
heat. For the lamb which is in the
midst of the throne shall feed them, and it shall lead them
unto living fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes. May the Lord bless those two
portions of his holy word, and may he in mercy help and teach
us to pray. O thou holy, holy, holy Lord
God Almighty, yet thou who art a God full of compassion, of
tender mercy, and passest by the transgression of the remnant
of thine heritage, O Lord, we do pray that we may be helped
and enabled to draw near unto Thee at the time of the offering
of the evening sacrifice. But O Lord, how different the
scene is compared with that Thy servant was, Thy servant Elijah,
those many, many years ago. But, O Lord, our need of Thee
is the same. For, O Lord, unless Thou dost
send from heaven, we shall but grovel here below. O Lord, we beseech Thee then
that Thou wilt send from above, that Thou wilt, O Lord, if it
could please Thee, pour upon us from on high Yeah, even for
a few moments, Lord, at this evening time. Oh Lord, we so
need Thee. And oh Lord, we do beseech Thee
that Thou would help us, Lord, to leave behind all those things
that have occupied our thoughts and our time and efforts through
another day of our lives. Oh, that we might be favoured
truly, Lord, to turn aside for a while. And oh, that thou would
condescend to rend the heavens and to come down, that the mountains
might flow down. at thy presence. Thus, Lord,
we do desire thy merciful help and thy blessing, but, O Lord,
help us to acknowledge thy goodness and thy mercy in so many things. Thou hast maintained us in providence. Thou hast Thou hast bestowed all that we
need, and supplied every need, Lord, great and small. And Thou hast preserved us to
come here. Thou hast spared us, and Thou
hast given us that measure of health and strength that we have.
O Lord, Thou art kind. thou, O Lord, dost give us more
than we deserve. But also, O Lord, help us to
give thanks unto thee for the provision of thy word and of
thy house, that, Lord, there is the house of God, and where
we may come together, and where we may gather together around
thy precious word. O Lord, may it not be in vain. O may it please thee, O Lord,
to speak through thy word, that, O Lord, there may be something
for each one, if it could please thee, to take home and to beat
out. But, O Lord, we are not worthy
of the least of thy notice. We are indeed of the earth earthy. And, O Lord, thou knowest how
it is with each one, and whether there are any who've been brought
to such a place as the dear poet came, though by my sins deserving
hell. I'll not despair, for who can
tell? O Lord, so may we venture with
that who can tell, whether the Lord will be gracious unto me.
O Lord, then, do help us to lean upon Thee, and O may it please thee, Lord, to
bless the means that thou hast promised. And O Lord, as we think
of thy cause here, we do pray that thou wilt yet go before
them in all things, as a church and as a people. Lord, do remember
their dear pastor, We trust thou art bringing him home again in
peace and in safety, and we do pray that thou comfort him in
his lonely path, and O Lord, that thou yet spare and strengthen
him according to thy sovereign will, that he may be favoured
yet with that work that thou hast appointed, that ministry,
Lord, that thou shalt help him to continue. We do thank thee,
Lord, for what thou hast done through him and for him. We pray
that thou wilt yet grant unto him those further signs following,
and here especially, that he may, Lord, be encouraged that
there might be yet those whom thou shalt make manifest as thine,
and that there shall be those, Lord, whom thou wilt by love
constrain to tell to sinners round what a dear Saviour they
have found. O Lord, bless thy word then abundantly,
We pray. And Lord, remember the deacons,
help them, help them to continue. And Lord, in those things that
they seek to do for this, for our little denomination, for
the cause of God, in so many different ways, Lord, they do
uphold and strengthen them. We pray thee. but especially
help them as they come to the desk. And when there is a need
for hymns and sometimes perhaps for a sermon to be read, Lord,
do be their helper and encourage them also. And may there be those,
Lord, who watch with them and that there might be, Lord, those
constrained in secret to plead and to wrestle with thee. And
O Lord, do fulfil thy gracious promises, that where there are
two or three who shall ask in thy name, thou wilt do it, it
will be fulfilled. O Lord, do grant much prayer. We do pray thee. And Lord, so
remember each who have their part in the worship of thy house
and those who care for thy house and help and bless each one.
And may there be that desire to do all as unto the Lord and
not unto man. So gracious Lord, may it please
thee to bless this people here and to favour them together,
and that thou wilt yet make known that thou art in the midst. So gracious, Lord, we do commend
them to thee, and, O Lord, we do pray, desire for prayer for
all our afflicted ones. Lord, thou knowest who they are
and where they are, But, O Lord, Thou knowest what a pathway these
things are. We pray, Lord, that Thou will
truly sanctify all the afflictions of Thy people, and O, that there
may be, O Lord, a little entering into the language of the hymn
that we have sung. O Lord, as Thy word declares
that we know that all things work together for good to them
that love God, who are the called according to his purpose. O Lord, may it be a concern to
have those evidences that we are among the called, the chosen
of God, those whom thou hast foreknown. O Lord, may it be
our great concern, with them numbered would I be, now and
through eternity. O Lord, then do grant, gracious
God, thy smile, and O Lord, may there be that among thine afflicted ones, Lord,
O that there may yet be those who shall be favoured, Lord,
to come to that place, and have to perhaps even declare it. It is good for me that I have
been afflicted, O Lord. We do pray then Thou will truly
sanctify all these things. We pray, Lord, that Thou will
comfort those that mourn. And Lord, as we think of one
who has been recently taken, who was such a pillar here for
so many years, and a widow as she was for so many years, that,
oh Lord, we do pray Thou will comfort her for thou knowest,
and we do pray that thou wilt comfort all who mourn. Lord,
there may be those where there are times of the year as they
come round, and there are those reminders of those whom thou
didst take in former years, and yet, O Lord, what a mercy when
we can indeed not mourn us those without hope, but rather we may
declare and we may indeed be encouraged that the memory of
the just is blessed. So, O Lord, do sanctify all thy
dealings with thy dear people. Remember the young and the rising
race. Have mercy on them. Gracious
God, in this so difficult day, this evil day, O Lord, preserve
and keep them, watch over them, grant to them thy tender fear. O may they be constrained to
seek thee, and to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. and that they shall prove that
thy word is true, and all these things shall be added unto you. Oh, bless the dear younger friends,
Lord, and do help any particular special need. Oh, Lord, do appear
and help them to seek thy divine direction. Remember
those in the midst of life with their many cares and responsibilities. Lord, do deliver from those choking
cares, the cares of this world, the many things. Oh Lord, do deliver and grant
that there may be those helps in times of great need. Oh, help each one to cast all
their care upon thee. And then, Lord, our aged friends,
Lord, and we're all hastening on, and thou knowest, Lord, the
effect as years pass by. Oh, Lord, we pray that thou will
grant thy sanctifying grace but do remember those in increased
weakness and infirmity. And oh Lord, do help them day
by day and sustain. And Lord, in those sore afflictions,
Lord, do appear that they may indeed prove sweetly that thy
word is true in all their affliction. He was afflicted, and the angel
of his presence saved them. So, Lord, look down, we pray. Remember thy Zion everywhere. Oh, Lord, the little hills of
Zion that we know and love. Oh, that thou, Lord, in mercy
wouldst arise, that there may be many seasons yet, which come
under thy promise, the set time, to favour Zion. Oh, that we might
be given spirit of prayer, that thou wilt bring it to pass. But do remember the places where
there are so few, and we tremble as to the future. Help those
who have the oversight, help those who are trustees, grant
them much wisdom, grant all needed help, and oh Lord, may it please
thee, Lord, that there may be those little places that shall
be kept open, if it could please thee, that thy word may still
be proclaimed, and that thou wouldst yet constrain and even
compel, as thy word declares in one place, oh, that there
may be those compelled to turn in and to seek mercy for their
soul. Lord, look down upon us. Have
mercy also upon our guilty land and nation. How to pray, we hardly
know. Truly, O Lord, iniquity abounds,
and there is that, as thy word declares, there are those who
wax worse and worse. O Lord, in mercy hear the cries
of thy remnant, and in deserved wrath remember mercy. O Lord,
do yet appear, do grant wisdom to our leaders, do overrule and
help and cause that they shall do those things that are right
in thy sight. O Lord, have mercy upon us. And now then, O Lord, we do pray
that thou would draw near and go with us For it is toward evening
and the day is fast bent. O come, Lord Jesus, tarry with
us, and grant thy blessing. Bless the hymns, make up in giving
where I fail in asking, and pardon all our many sins. For Jesus'
sake. Amen. our service by singing hymn number
526, tune is Haslingdon number 544. Thrice happy are the men who
know the joyful sound, they glory in the lamb, their hopes upon
him found. They see how justice, truth and
grace agree and shine in Jesus' face. A joyful sound indeed to
sinners in distress who have no works to plead but what are
vile and base, who fill their hearts a dreadful den of every
murderous, hateful sin. Hymn number 526, June, Haslingdon, number 544. ? With the joyous sound ? ? Ring,
o'er ye heavens ? ? And earths above ? ? Ring now ? May she evermore sit true and
praise the freedom, joy, and peace. I shall know that thou shalt
be with me, Till I see thy face again. ? We will answer thee ? ? And walk
the right and left ? ? We'll hear thee call ? of God. O touch me in the hand, serve
me, take me to the throne. Sancti veneratus Sancti veneratus
Sancti veneratus Sancti veneratus ? Continue it still ? ? And go
to sleep ? ? Well, we'll never be told to sleep ? If I were to exit the gates of
my castle, ? Heav'nly King of Kings ? ? In
heav'n's blessed throne ? ? O'er heav'n and earth adorned ? God save the Queen. in much need of the help of God
by and through the Holy Spirit. I venture this evening to direct
your thoughts and attention to the word you'll find in the prophecy
of Isaiah chapter 35 and reading verse 10. Isaiah chapter 35. Verse 10. And the ransomed of
the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting
joy upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. And the ransomed of
the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting
joy upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. This verse encloses some wonderful
promises which are really centred on this returning to Zion with
songs and everlasting joy. Oh friends, what a subject is
here. And I feel we can briefly say
that there is here a word that relates to the returning of the
ransomed of the Lord to Zion here below. And also, I feel
that the promise here does refer to that final going home to glory. I know that is an expression
that perhaps not everyone likes, it seemed to come just like that.
But dear friends, there is here, I feel it is in the subject,
there is heaven. and how these words really fixed
upon my thoughts around the middle of the day and all the circumstances
that surrounded me and things that were as they were through
the morning and on beyond. But these words, oh friends,
They did seem to speak the last clause of the verse, and sorrow
and sighing shall flee away. Oh, friends, how much sorrow
there is in the world, the sorrow. I feel the older I get, the more
I see of the sorrow that there is. And why is there so much
sorrow? Chiefly, it is because sin has
entered into the world, and death by sin. And those lines have
been with me on and off over the last few days. Well known
in our hymn book, O Thou, hideous monster sin. What a curse hast thou brought
in! All creation groans through thee,
pregnant cause of misery." And I feel misery and sorrow are
very close to each other. So there is a great deal of sorrow
in the world. Surely we have the evidences
of it. We have those things that have
taken place and continually take place. So many different things,
apart from the walls and so on, how much there is in everyday
life, things that happen in our land, around us, in the streets,
in homes, in people's lives. Oh, how much sorrow there is. But then there are things that
come closer, aren't there? There are the things that affect
us personally, those sorrows, that we may not, wish to think
or speak of at least. But what does the word say? Every heart knoweth his own bitterness. What a word that is. And yet
the other side of that is, but a stranger intermedleth not with
his joys. But there is that reality. There
are those things which cast us down. And we sorrow over them. We mourn over them. And we are where the psalmist came
to sometimes. Why art thou cast down, O my
soul? And why art thou disquieted within
me? Well, we may have answers, we
may have things we could say, well, it's this, and it's that,
and if this were not like this, and so on and so forth. But dear friends, yes, there's
sorrow, and there are other sorrows, there are sorrows, that concern
the cause of God and of Zion. Oh friends, there is another
aspect, isn't there? Do we not have those sorrows
over the things that happen and have happened? And we mourn over
these things. sometimes we have to mourn over
our own part in them too. And that is a path of teaching
and a path of sorrow. And how that may be so in our
family life and in other ways. Or we might indeed have those
sorrows over things that we have done or said or even those things
we may think? Have you mourned even over your
thoughts sometimes? Well, friends, there is much
sorrow. You know, there's no pretending
that there isn't. I know that there is that and
I feel Yes, it is right in a sense. We need to put the best face
on things as it were. We need to look on the bright
side as some people say and so on. But there is an underlying
cause of all these things. And, oh dear friends, the word
of God is clear, isn't it? Many are spoken of, many who
knew much sorrow, many who were mourners and Oh friends, how
the Lord's judgments also at times find us and we know what
sorrow is. Oh dear friends, you think of
how it was with David at the time when he had numbered the
people. and how the Lord appeared and
sent judgment. David realized that he had sinned
and he confessed. And yet dear friends, I feel
he knew sorrow in this respect when the angel of the Lord was
destroying? And David spake unto the Lord,
when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have
sinned, and I have done wickedly, but these sheep, what have they
done? O friends, Sometimes there is
sorrow in that regard. And, oh friends, how we have
to bow at the feet of the Lord and seek to come to the feet
of Jesus in these things. David there desired that the
judgment should be upon him and his house. He was brought to
such a place. But there is then, there are
the sorrows. And sometimes we do not know
why, altogether why. We see others in sorrow, and
especially if they are near and dear to us, what an effect it
has upon our spirit. And oh, we might indeed wish
that There could be that which would bring rejoicing, that might
bring a change to some who suffer. There is that, isn't there, in
the past. I don't suppose it would be wrong
for me to say that your dear pastor had that season in that
regard with his dear one before she was taken. Oh, what a pathway. And surely
there was much sorrow. The reality of affliction. So, friends, the effects of sorrow,
oh how great they are. But dear friends, is this strange? Is this to be unexpected? If we consider how the Lord speaks
of the pathway of his dear people, there are many places where he
makes it plain. It is through much tribulation
that we must enter into the kingdom. And those words that I read in
the second portion this evening, as the Apostle John was given
those glimpses of many things, and then he saw that number.
I was very struck in reading that portion this evening. I
perhaps just mention it As I'm sure you know, there were those
at one time who were so strong, about the 144,000. But sometimes the Word of God
is so simply plain, I thought, however could they get like that,
saying there was a select number? Because we read, didn't we, that
Tribes are named, and the 12,000s of each tribe, and then we come
to that ninth verse. After this I beheld, and lo,
a great multitude, which no man could number, which no man could
number, of all nations, and kindreds,
and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before
the Lamb, clothed with white robes and palms in their hands. Oh friend, how solemn, some of
the delusions there are surrounding the word of God through the history. But anyway, that really is an
aside, but you see, those words that were given in answer to
the question put by the elder, what are these? which are arrayed
in white robes, and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir,
thou knowest. And he said to me, These are
they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed
their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Now
friends, I've maybe not very orderly, but you see there was
a fulfilment of the words here, the final fulfilment of it. And
the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with
songs and everlasting joy upon their heads. They shall obtain
joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. But
there is that at the conclusion of that chapter, and God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes. And friends, when God wipes
away the tears, there won't be any more. There won't be any
more. And sorrow and sighing shall
flee away. You know, friends, how it is,
isn't it? With us and those near and dear
to us, We may even help some to wipe away the tears, but there's
no guarantee it's the last, is it? No guarantee it's the last. And what about ourselves? Oh
dear friends, yes, here below, in this veil of tears, but there
is that final entering into that final rest, and sorrow and sighing
shall flee away. Well, that is in the Word, but,
oh, that the Lord would help this poor sinner, and the ransomed
of the Lord shall return. Now, there is this description. There is the people described,
the ransomed of the Lord, Now, friends, this is a wonderful
truth. And it is these who shall be
favoured to enter in to the great blessings here, the ransom of
the Lord. Ah, dear friends, it speaks of
the work, the finished work of the Lord Jesus. Oh, here is really
a pointer to one who is the great redeemer, one who gave his life
and shed his own heart's blood, who paid the ransom price and
no other Dear friends could manage it if I might for want
of none other could manage it. Today there are still those who
are held to ransom and there are sums of money that are demanded
to set them free. And of course sometimes the greater
the prisoner the greater the price asked. a great sums of money. But dear
friends, there's none who could ever have paid the price to ransom
sinners from the grave. None. Oh, that price is beyond
all calculation. The ransom. When the Lord appears,
when we read in the book of Job, I have found a ransom Deliver
him from going down into the pit, for I have found a ransom. And ha, friends, that ransom
was the precious blood of Jesus. Oh, that precious, precious blood. I have found a ransom. And really,
his very life was the ransom price. I lay down my life for
the sheep. nothing less would do, nothing
less. And yet it was sufficient, complete. And by his death, by the death
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and all that he bore in his suffering,
and that stroke of divine justice that was laid upon him. And they
shall look on me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn
for him. Dear friends, oh, here is another
aspect to sorrow. It came into my thoughts when
I began to speak. You know, friends, I don't know
how quite to set it forth, There is a sorrow for quickened souls when they look
upon their Lord, yes, when they look upon Him whom they have
pierced and they mourn for Him. Oh friends, one of the poets
comes in doesn't he or she, dear Lord may I a mourner be over
my sins and after thee. Now dear friends, what a coming
to the Lord Jesus that is. With weeping and with supplications
will I lead them, the word says, in another part of the prophecy.
And so it is, for sinners convinced of their sin, it will be with
weeping and with supplications. For consider him who endured
such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied
and faint in your minds. O friends, but here is the one
who has paid the ransom, Oh, what a wonder! And those tears
of sorrow will presently turn into tears of joy. Worthy is
the lamb that was slain, worthy. Oh, dear friends, we cannot begin
to comprehend it. And yet, there will be, first
of all, this coming to Zion. Coming to Zion. There are those
who have literally gone away, as we know. Some of our own flesh
and blood, some certainly of mine. And they have gone away. And the time is passing. Eternity is ever nearer, both
ourselves and they. And will the Lord ever be merciful
to them? Or are those who lay upon your
heart and upon your soul? The weight of precious souls
is a heavy thing. But dear friends, here the Lord
declares, the ransomed of the Lord shall return. And friends, that's where there
is that foundation, the foundation of God. Stand is sure, having
this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. Oh, dear friends,
we may conjecture and so on and so forth, and our hearts ache
if we have any feeling at all, but the Lord knoweth. And there
is that word, you know, in the prophecy of Malachi. And sometimes
it's been a little help to me considering some of these who
have gone away from the sound of truth. And it's this, when
the Lord declares, and they shall be mine. I know it comes in in
a slightly different context, but the Lord says, they shall
be mine. in that day when I make up my
jewels. And dear friends, nothing will
prevent the return of the ransomed of the Lord. Nothing. It cannot be prevented, for the
price has been paid. And wherever and whoever they
are, they shall return. and that they shall come to Zion,
not with an angry, sullen countenance, but, dear friends, with songs
and everlasting joy. Oh, friends, what a wonder it
would be! And unbelief says it's impossible,
but if some of thee should come, and come with a song and say,
Come and hear all ye that fear God, and I will declare unto
you what he hath done for my soul. Well, the ransomed of the Lord
shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy
upon their heads. And that is the Lord's word. And our friends, isn't there
some encouragement? Who are these people? they are
referred to in the preceding verses two or three times and
it begins in a way in that 8th verse. There is the declaration
of this highway. If some are going to come and
return they need a way to come don't they? They need a road.
There is a highway. When the prodigal son returned
to his father He came back along the highway and his father was
looking out for him because he knew that there was only one
way to God. And so it is. But oh, friends,
what does it say? How many times have you read
this? Oh, has it been a little help? the way of holiness, and
you may feel so out of it, the unclean shall not pass over it. You feel even more cut off, but,
but it shall be for those, the wayfaring men, though fools,
prone to wander. Prone to wonder. Friends, it's
not always what is visible. You and I may have been kept
to continue to come to the house of God. Not like those I've been
speaking of. And yet, where have our hearts
been? Or where has my heart been at
times? Now the wayfaring men, though
fools. O friends, O the folly, the foolishness,
the wretchedness. O friends, are you a companion
with the apostle Paul? O wretched man that I am. He was one of the characters
here. He was brought in his own estimation to be nothing but
a fool. When I would do good, evil is present with me. And
what I would, that I do not. And what I would not, that I
do. What a description of a fool. If somebody stood up in front
of a an audience of people today and said things like that in
modern language, they'd all laugh. And friends, so there are those
who come under this description and are friends. How is it with
you and I? Though fools, but what a promise
shall not err therein. shall not err therein. Why? Because the Lord keeps them.
You cannot keep yourself. Oh, how the poet says so plainly. Myself I cannot keep, myself
I cannot save, but strength in thee I fain would have, whose
eyelids never sleep. They shall not err therein. And
our friends, then again in verse nine it says, no lion shall be
there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon. It shall
not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. The redeemed. Oh, those who are bought with
a price. And ye are not your own, for
ye are bought with a price. and the ransomed of the Lord
shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy
upon their heads, they shall obtain joy and gladness, and
sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Oh, friends, what a promise
that is. and it came with a little sweetness
and a little power this morning, late this morning, and sorrow
and sighing shall flee away. Oh, you are a heavy heart, a
heavy path. There seems to be not much to
lighten your heaviness and brighten your gloom. But the Lord says
there it is because he has ransomed his people, a people, and they
are his, and he has ransomed them from the power of the grave.
And dear friends, they shall come, they shall obtain joy and
gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Oh dear friends,
do you know what it is? Even to sigh. Sometimes a sigh
is so expressive, is so expressive. There is a psalm for the oppression
of the poor and the sighing of the needy. Now will I arise,
saith the Lord, I will set him in safety from him that puffeth
at him. O friends, are you there? Is
there that one who puffs at you, those conflicts, those troubles,
those who oppose, that which so stands an obstacle and frowns
upon you and you know not what to do? for the oppression of
the poor and the sighing of the needy. Oh, dear friends, the
Redeemer will come. Yes, He will set these needy
ones free. He will raise up the beggars
from the dunghill and set them among the princes. Oh, friends,
what a song Hannah had. but what a path she had to walk
before she could sing that song. Yes, what a bitter, sorrowful
path it was. How she came again and again,
year by year, up to the temple of God, but she had no real pleasure
or joy in her heart when she came thus. And what did she say? when she prayed in the temple
before the Lord. And as you know, Eli was mistaken
and thought she had been drunken. And Eli said unto her, how long
wilt thou be drunken? Put away thy wine from thee.
And Hannah answered and said, no, my Lord. Oh, dear friends,
oh, what a declaration. No, my lord,
she knew she wasn't drunk. Though she was, according to
appearances, it may have seemed as though she was, and it makes
me think of the psalm, and those who stagger to and fro like a
drunken man. and are at their wits end. Oh
friends, what can we say? Well, can we say a little, can
we come with dear Hannah? No, my Lord, I am a woman of
a sorrowful spirit. That's the trouble, a sorrowful
spirit. But there was a particular cause
for this. And the Lord knows what the cause
is for your sorrowful spirit. He does. A sorrowful spirit. Oh, how she could clearly tell
that it wasn't wine or strong drink, but she could say, I poured
out my soul before the Lord. Friends, that's what we need
help to do. You know, sometimes I wish I could, do you? Oh, that
I could pour out my heart, my soul before the Lord. Oh, what
a favour it is. And with dear Hannah, the Lord
heard, the Lord answered. And soon Eli, with the grace
of God at work, realised the truth and how he could send her
away with a blessing and with encouragement. Go in peace, and
the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked
of him. Sorrow and sighing shall flee
away. Friend, what a day it was when
Hannah came again with her Samuel, and she could say to the same
priest of the Lord, to dear Eli, oh my Lord, As thy soul liveth,
my Lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto
the Lord. For this child I prayed, and
the Lord hath given me my petition, which I asked of him. Therefore
also I have lent him to the Lord, as long as he liveth, he shall
be lent to the Lord. Well, friends, what an illustration
of this and they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and
sighing shall flee away. Well may it be yet the blessed
apportion of one and another for the Lord knows what causes
each sorrow. And how the Lord Jesus, as I
come towards a close, how the Lord Jesus so understood in those
that last, just before he was to suffer
and yet his heart though he faced that awful, awful suffering and
the hidings of his father's face and the drinking of the cup of
divine wrath against all the sins of his dear people, yet
how his heart, oh his heart of love, so went out to his dear
disciples. And he had begun to indicate
a little of what was to take place. And sometimes, friends,
that happens with us. We may have those things, indications
of what will take place. Jesus did not say, oh, I see
you're so sorry. I would speak this with reverence.
He did not say, I see you're so sorry and upset. We cannot
go through with this. No, no, no, and friends, Sometimes
that's how it will be. The Lord will not take away the
cup that is only but a drop compared with His. But what does He say,
and what does He promise? Why, friends, what a blessed
word He spoke, and ye now therefore have sorrow. but I will see you
again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from
you." What a promise! Oh friends, he knew he must go
through. He had undertaken what it was
his Holy Father's will, and he would come to the place were
hanging upon the cross, he could say, he could declare, it is
finished. Oh friends, who but the Lord
Jesus Christ could say that. And oh friends, how much was
gathered up in it. But then he was laid in the grave
and rose again. I will see you again, I will. And everlasting joy upon their
heads they shall obtain. Then were the disciples glad
when they saw the Lord, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Well, may the Lord in mercy pardon
anything that has been amiss, but bless his own word. Amen. Conclude our service this evening
by singing hymn number 423, to his Ribble number 54. Not with our mortal eyes have
we beheld the Lord, yet we rejoice to hear his name and love him
in his word. And when we taste thy love, our
joys divinely grow unspeakable like those above, and heaven
begins below. Hymn number 423, tune Ribble,
number 54. Yet we rejoice in thee. ? In it live and love it in its
heart ? ? Lord of the older sight ? ? Of our
believers praise ? ? And all the heavens ? ? So cheer-bright
? ? Do ebbeth from thy praise ? And when me days are done, And
my day-binding crown, O gracious Lord, in thy mercy, pardon, forgive
all that thy pure and holy eyes have seen amidst. But, Lord,
do grant the fulfilment of thy gracious work, and thou knowest,
Lord, all things. Do take us now each to our homes
in peace and in safety, and we trust thou wilt bring Thy servant,
the dear pastor here home, also in peace and safety. And now,
may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.