Let us commence our service this
afternoon by singing together hymn number 711. The tune is
Eshterhol, 332. Amidst the sorrows of the way,
Lord Jesus, teach my soul to pray and let me taste thy special
grace and run to Christ, my hiding place. Hymn 711, Tune Eshdahol
332. It's the sorrows of the way Lord
Jesus, teach my soul to pray Oh, let me taste thy special
grace, And wonder, Christ, my heart in place. Thou know'st the fondest of my
heart. So proud to have a rebel's heart. And without her outside her lovely
face Where can I find a voice? Lord, I, my sin, behold, bring
thee, and, O return, have mercy, save thee. I hope to trust Thy sovereign
grace, Thou alone may hold my life in grace. Oh, how unstable is my heart,
So tender, fair, and gentle spot. That's like the tokens of Thy
grace, And seems to walk the hiding place. where thy spirit shines within,
and makes me feel the pain of sin. And how I long to see Thy face,
Tis' then I hold my heart in place. Jesus Christ, Lamb of God, I
come. Filled with mercy, salvation's
plan. ? And as a sinner ? ? Live always
? ? Through Christ the Savior's life be blessed ? Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in Psalm 107. Psalm 107. O give thanks unto the Lord,
for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed
of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the
enemy, and gathered them out of the lands, from the east and
from the west, from the north and from the south. They wandered
in the wilderness in a solitary way. They found no cities a-dwelling. Hungry and thirsty, their soul
fainted in them. Then they cried unto the Lord
in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
He led them forth by the right way that they might go to a city
of habitation. Oh, that men would praise the
Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children
of men. For he satisfies the longing
soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. such as sit in
darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction
and iron, because they rebelled against the words of God and
contemned the counsel of the Most High. Therefore he brought
down their heart with labour, they fell down and there was
none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord
in their trouble and he saved them out of their distresses.
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and break
their bands in sunder. Oh, that men would praise the
Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children
of men. For He hath broken the gates
of brass and cut the bars of iron in sunder. Fools, because
of their transgressions and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.
Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat, and these are all near
unto the gates of death. Then they cry unto the Lord in
their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.
He sent his word and healed them, and delivered them from their
destructions. O that men would praise the Lord
for his goodness. and for his wonderful works to
the children of men. And let them sacrifice the sacrifice
of thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoicing. They that
go down to the sea and ships that do business in great waters,
these see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep.
For he commandeth and raises the stormy wind, which lifteth
up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven.
They go down again to the depths. Their soul is melted because
of trouble. They reel to and fro and stagger
like a drunken man and are at their wits end. Then they cry
unto the Lord in their trouble and he bringeth them out of their
distresses. He maketh the storm a calm so
that the waves are of us still. Then are they glad. because they
be quiet. So he bringeth them unto their
desired haven. O that men would praise the Lord
for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children
of men. Let them exalt him also in the
congregation of the people and praise him in the assembly of
the elders. He turneth rivers into a wilderness
and the water springs into dry ground a fruitful land unto barrenness,
for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. He turneth the
wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into water springs. And there he maketh the hungry
to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation, and sow
fields and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.
He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly,
and suffereth not their cattle to decrease. Again, they are
minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow. He poureth contempt upon princes,
and causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is
no way. He setteth the poor on high from
affliction, and maketh him families like a flock. the righteous shall
see it and rejoice, and all iniquity shall stop her mouth, who so
is wise and will observe these things, even they shall understand
the loving kindness of the Lord. May the Lord bless the reading
of his precious word and grant us a spirit of real prayer. Holy, holy Lord God Almighty,
which is an art, an art to come. We do desire to bow before Thee,
the glorious Lord, the eternal God, he that ever liveth. We desire to humble ourselves
before Thy holy majesty. We desire to come to Thee as
poor sinners, For Lord, that is what we are, poor, guilty
sinners, unclean, unrighteous. As thy word declares, there is
none that doeth good, no, not one. We go forth from the womb
speaking lies and hypocrisy. Lord, we desire a spirit of true
confession of our sins and of our wanderings and of our backsliding. We leave undone things that we
ought to do. We do things that we ought not
to do. We find a law within our members that when we would do
good, then evil is present with us. And Lord, we painfully feel
these things. The carnality of our minds, the
wretchedness of our depraved nature, the temptations of Satan. Lord, we do pray that thou wouldst
Grant that we may prove to be a miracle of grace, for Lord,
it will be a miracle to reach heaven at last. Oh, we pray that
as we've just read together in thy word, whoso is wise and will
observe these things, even he shall understand the loving kindness
of the Lord. And that we do pray, Lord Jesus,
we do thank thee. We thank thee for that. wonderful,
profound mystery within thy person, God, manifest in the flesh. And the Word was made flesh and
dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the
only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Oh,
we do pray that we may lay hold of thee here this afternoon.
that we may hear thy voice, that we may see thy countenance, that
we may truly worship in thy holy hill of Zion. We thank thee then
for that wonderful mystery. We thank thee for the law fulfilled
and honoured and magnified in the glorious person of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Jesus has made an end of sin
and has brought in everlasting righteousness for his people,
for this, O Lord, is our only hope. Therefore, being justified
by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank thee, Lord, for that
peace, for that consolation, in spite of all our sins and
our wanderings and our backslidings. A door of hope is open wide in
Jesus' bleeding hands and side. So we thank Thee for that holy
life He lived as a man here upon earth. We thank Thee for the
law fulfilled and honoured and magnified in His glorious person,
something, Lord, that we cannot do. We thank Thee for the everlasting
robe of Thy righteousness, Lord Jesus, that Thou hast wrought
out for Thy people in that holy life here upon earth. Oh, we
do thank Thee that Thou wast made of a woman, made under the
law to redeem them that are under the law. And Lord, we do thank
Thee for Calvary. We thank Thee for Gethsemane,
where the iniquity of us all was laid upon Him, where He was
made sin for us. And He took our sins and nailed
them to His cross. O most gracious Lord, we do thank
Thee for that dear Saviour who shed His precious blood to cleanse
us from all sin. We thank Thee for that precious
blood. We thank Thee that He died for our sins. He paid the
ultimate price. And yet He rose again on the
third day. He rose again. O the glories
of that resurrection of Jesus Christ, death is swallowed up
in victory, life in immortality is brought to life through the
glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. We do thank thee that
his body ascended into heaven and has made a new and living
way into the holy place. Gracious God, all do accept the
tribute of our trembling tongue, we're so unworthy of thy mercy.
How great is thy mercy, how great is thy goodness. Truly the psalmist
says, great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his
greatness is unsearchable. We pray that thou would be with
us here this afternoon. We pray that thou would remember
our dear aged sister, Ina, and be with her in the remaining
steps of life's journey. and grant her thy divine support
and blessing and help, and at the appointed time, grant her
an abundant entrance into thy heavenly kingdom. We pray that
thou will remember thy servant Robert Field, who is expecting
to have major heart surgery in this coming week, that we would
lovingly commend him to thee and to the word of thy grace.
Pray that if it's thy heavenly mind and will that would bring
him through these deep waters, we humbly pray thee. And as he
passes through the waters, may he prove I am with thee. Oh,
gracious God, so bless him, bless his church, his congregation,
bless his dear wife and family. And Lord, thou knowest what thy
heavenly will and purposes are. Thy will be done. on earth as
it is in heaven. We pray for all thy servants
as they labour in word and doctrine upon the walls of Zion, that
thou would set them free and set them at liberty. And I will
graciously return to Jerusalem with mercies, and may bear thine
holy arm in the gospel, and send out thy light and thy truth,
and fulfil those ancient promises. I will bring thy sons from far,
and thy daughters from the ends of the earth, and they shall
come from the north and from the south and from the east and
from the west. O Lord of hosts, O God of Israel,
who thou that dwellest between the cherubim shine for, we do
humbly beseech thee. Let thy hand be upon the man
of thy right hand, the son of man whom thou madest strong for
thyself, so will not we go back from thee. Turn us again, O God
of hosts, and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. Other refuge have I none. Hangs
my helpless soul on thee. Lord Jesus, hear us, we pray. We thank thee that in thee we
know the love of our eternal Father. We thank thee for the
sacred gift of the Holy Ghost. May we know his heavenly power
this afternoon. May it please thee, Lord, to
grant power in the pulpit and in the pew. That there may be
those mighty signs and wonders. Oh, that we might see an ingathering.
Oh, that we might see a building up. Oh, that thou wouldst revive
us again. That thou wouldst grant the renewings
of thy grace. That thou wouldst make bare thine
holy arm in the gospel. that thou wouldst pull down the
strongholds of Satan, that thou wouldst send out thy light and
thy truth and return in thy power and in thy glory as thou usest
to be in the sanctuary. Arise, arise, O God of grace,
into thy rest is send, thou and the ark of thy strength, and
let thy priest be clothed with salvation, and thy saints shall
shout aloud for joy, grant that the prodigals may return, and
that we may see thy mighty grace in this. O Lord of hosts, hear
our prayers. We do humbly beseech them, make
bare thine holy arm. We do pray for any that are in
darkness, that they may be brought into light. Any that are in bondage,
that they may be brought into liberty. Any that are far off,
that they may be made nigh. O Lord, let thy work appear unto
thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. Pray, most gracious
Lord, that thou wouldst constrain one and another to come and testify. Then shall I tell to sinners
round, what a dear Saviour I have found, and point to thy redeeming
grace, and say, Behold the way to God. Hear us, Lord, we humbly
pray thee, Let us see thy work and thy power and thy glory as
thou usest to be in the sanctuary. We do pray, O Lord God, that
thou would remember the little ones and the children. We lovingly
commend them to thee. Remember the young friends in
all their concerns and in all their needs and bless them with
that rich grace that is in Christ Jesus. Bring them to saving faith
in him. Guide them in life's journey.
Grant them a partner in life's journey. Lord, we lovingly commend
them to Thee. Remember parents and give wisdom
and grace to bring our children in the nurture and admonition
of the Lord. Remember all in the midst of the journey of life
and undertake for them. Deliver us from the temptations
of Satan. Deliver us from the power and
dominion of sin. O gracious God, do hear our prayers,
we do humbly beseech thee. Help us to fight the good fight
of faith and lay hold on eternal life in our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank thee for those words,
I give unto my sheep eternal life. Gracious God, we thank
thee for that eternal life that is in Christ Jesus. We thank
thee for the good shepherd And we pray that thou would guide
us safely and honourably through life. Remember those of us in
the evening time of life's journey. Remember us with the favour that
thou bearest unto thy people. And as the outward man perisheth,
grant that the inward man may be renewed day by day. We do
humbly beseech thee. O Lord God, we do pray for all
thy people everywhere and all the assemblies of thy saints.
and pray that thou wouldst send us a reviving shower. May there
be showers of blessing upon the little hills of Zion. May thy
power and thy grace be seen. Come and touch one's lips with
a live cold from off the heavenly altar. Come and open thy word
to our heart and to our understanding. We ask for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 76. The tune is Saxby 409. There is a period known to God
when all his sheep redeemed by blood shall leave the hateful
ways of sin, turn to the fold and enter in. Hymn number 76,
tune Saxby 409. When all is sheer, great is thy
power, ? Show me the way for peace on
sea ? ? Death to the foe, death to the free ? ? In awe and awe ? ? His chiefs
of grace ? ? In awe and awe ? ? With gold and gold ? ? And children
born ? ? Best of all, God shed His light on us ? ? Watch, see,
how heav'nly bright our God is made ? ? Presents their glory to you and
me ? ? Still on earth you will hear this day ? ? We pray for
you, we pray for you ? ? And make the world a better place
? ? A better place ? ? A better place to live ? ? A better place to live ? ? Glory to God in the highest heaven
? ? King of the nations of the earth ? ? God save the Queen ? ? God who
I praise ? ? God save the Queen ? Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I direct your attention to Psalm 107 and we'll
read verse 3. for our text. Psalm 107 verse
3. And gathered them out of the
lands from the east and from the west, from the north and
from the south. And gathered them. We want to look at who these
are. and gathered them. It's the psalm of thanksgiving. O give thanks unto the Lord for
he is good, for his mercy endureth forever. And then we are told who these
people are and gathered them. Let the redeemed of the Lord
say so. whom he hath redeemed from the
hand of the enemy. Christ has redeemed his people
from the hand of the enemy. Christ alone could redeem his
people. We have that promise in the prophecy
of Isaiah, that the Redeemer shall come to Zion. and unto
them that turn from transgression in Jacob. In other words, to
repent of their sins. The Redeemer. We have that word
again in Isaiah, that when the enemy comes in like a flood,
the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. And that standard is the glorious
person of the Redeemer, of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. And the exhortation here is,
O give thanks unto the Lord, O give thanks unto Jehovah. If
you notice, it's written with capital letters. Give thanks
unto Jehovah. Unto the Father, unto the Son,
unto the Holy Ghost. These three are one. O give thanks
unto the Lord. And the Apostle says in the Epistles,
he says, and be ye thankful. Be ye thankful. Are we thankful? Do we return thanks unto the
Lord for his goodness, for his wonderful works to the children
of men? Do we render thanksgiving? You
know, friends, even in our darkest places, in our times of bondage,
et cetera, we are still surrounded with mercy. Even though we may
feel to be so cast down, Yet we're surrounded with the Lord's
mercies. As Jeremiah says in the Lamentations,
it is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, because His
compassion's found us. The very fact that you're still
on praying ground is because of the Lord's mercy. Oh give
thanks unto the Lord, for He is good. That means He's essentially
good. Goodness its very essence is
what God is. The Lord is good to all and his
tender mercies are over all his works. You may at this time perhaps
in your spirit, in your soul, in your heart, you feel to be
in bondage, you feel to be in darkness, you feel to be far
off, you're perhaps not in a comfortable place, yet look at all the mercies
that surround you. Look at the providential things
that the Lord constantly gives you day by day. The Lord's mercies. O give thanks
unto the Lord. Let the redeemed of the Lord
say so. Whom he hath redeemed from the
hand of the enemy and gathered there. and gathered there. There is a people chosen. Chosen. Now in that beautiful
prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ in John chapter 17, I've often
felt that that is what should have been called the Lord's Prayer
in John 17. And that the Lord Jesus He opens
up his own loving heart to his people here in John 17. These
words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said,
Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy son, that thy son
also may glorify thee. As thou hast given him power
over all flesh, my beloved friends, give thanks unto the Lord. Why? The Lord Jesus said when he was
about to ascend up on high, and he said it for our comfort and
for our instruction, all power, all power is given unto me in
heaven and in earth, as thou hast given him power over all
flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast
given him. You see there the choice of God,
chosen by the Father, redeemed by the Son, sanctified by the
Holy Ghost. And this is life eternal, that
they might know Thee, the only true God. and Jesus Christ whom
thou hast sent. We can only know this true God
in a personal way, in the person of his son, Jesus Christ, who
himself said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh
under the Father, but by me. They're the redeemed of the Lord.
And you know, he says, I have glorified thee on the earth.
I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. What was
that work? He says here in verse 6, I've
manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out
of the world. Thine they were, and thou gavest
them me, and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that
all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. See the
eternal love of our Heavenly Father. given to Christ, chosen
in Christ. And I have given unto them thy
word. Oh, my beloved friends, has the
word of the Lord entered your heart? Under the divine power of the
Holy Ghost. And here, when he speaks of his
chosen, he says in verse nine, I pray for them. I pray not for
the world. Do you have a part in this prayer?
I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given me. They are thine, and all mine
are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. He prays in verse 11, Holy Father,
keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me. that
they may be one as we are. Oh, what a wonderful thing to
know that oneness, union, communion. Is it one of Gad's hymns, isn't
it? In union with the Lamb, from condemnation free, the saints
for everlasting were and shall forever be. None of these chosen
ones shall ever be lost. Look at verse 12. whilst I was
with them in the world, I kept them in thy name, those that
thou gavest me, I have kept, and none of them is lost, but
the son of perdition, that's Judas Iscariot, that the scripture
might be fulfilled, see, none of them is lost. The other thing here, I pray
not that thou should, in verse 15, I pray not that thou should
take them out of the world, but thou shouldest keep them from
the evil. As the Apostle Peter says, kept.
These are those that are gathered, these are those that are redeemed,
kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to
be revealed at the last day or to be kept unto an inheritance
incorruptible and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for
you who are kept by the power of God. through faith, unto salvation,
ready to be revealed at the last day. You see, I pray not that
thou shouldest take them out of the world. The Lord calls
his people, some of them in very young, and they live to be very
old, and he keeps them all the journey through. When we become
a child of God, When the Holy Ghost quickens our soul, when
we're brought to faith in Jesus Christ, we become followers of
Him and of those who through faith and patience inherit the
promises. Followers of Christ and of the Lord's people. It's a lovely thing to be brought
into union with the Lord's people. I love to meet among them now,
before thy gracious feet to bear, thou vilest of them all. He gathered
them. We read in the word of God, unto
him, that's Christ, unto him shall the gathering of the people
be, or that we may be truly gathered unto Christ. sanctify them through thy truth
thy word is truth in verse 17 as thou hast sent me into the
world so have i sent them into the world we're sent into the
world my beloved friends we're not to be cloistered in a monastery
we're not to shut ourselves away and separate from everybody as
what the pharisees thought they could do That's what the Roman
Catholics think they can do. They think they'll be sanctified
and separated if they live in a monastery or in a convent. We need a greater sanctification
than that. We need union with Christ. And
when we have union with Christ, with it comes sanctification,
separation. He is made under us wisdom, justification,
sanctification and redemption. sanctify them through thy truth
thy word is truth. You see here he says in verse
21 and this is his desire that they all may be one as thou father
art in me and i in thee that they also may be one in us that
the world may believe that thou hast sent me and the glory which
thou gavest me i have given them that they may be one, even as
we are one. I in them, didn't the apostles
say, Christ in you, the hope of glory, I in them, and thou
in me, that they may be made perfect in one, that the world
may know that thou has sent me and has loved them as thou has
loved me. And then this wonderful prayer
of Christ which will be fulfilled on every single one of these
precious souls. Father, I will that they also
whom thou hast given me be with me where I am. That they may
behold my glory which thou hast given me. For thou lovest me
before the foundation of the world. And gathered them. unto Christ. Every one of these
precious souls will be gathered unto Christ. Every one of these
precious souls for whom Christ prays, the Holy Ghost will enter
their hearts. The Holy Ghost will quicken their
souls. The Apostle says doesn't he in
Ephesians, you hath he quickened who were dead. There was a time
when we knew nothing about spiritual things and had no desire for
spiritual things. You may have been brought up
to chapel, you may have been always at the chapel, but you
had no spiritual desires, no spiritual longings, but until
the Lord came and opened your heart, until
the Lord came and quickened your soul. And that work of redeeming
love and grace in gathering His people sometimes is a very gentle
word. It is. Hear a little. So it's like it with many, many
of the Lord's people. Hear a little. There a little. Line upon line. You may say to
yourself, if only I had a more dramatic experience. If only
I knew what real conviction of sin was. If only I had a clear,
beautiful, glorious revelation of Christ, I'd be satisfied then. You may hear others of the Lord's
people that were stopped in their mad career, that had a very dramatic
conversion, and Christ was made so precious to them, and you
think, if only I could really say that. Sometimes you look
back through your life and you say, where was I called by grace? You can't really put your finger There came a change, but it was
here a little and there a little. Line upon line, precept upon
precept. Gradually, your eyes were opened. Gradually, you were brought to
feel your need of salvation. Gradually, you were brought to
know that you're a sinner. Gradually, you were brought to
realise that you're not right with God. And you began to pray. Can you point to that? Like Saul of Tarsus, behold he
prayeth. Can you remember the first time
that you really prayed? You know, when we're brought
up in a godly home, and quite rightly so, we teach our children
to pray. And I believe that's quite right
and proper to do so. But you think of the little hymn,
I often say my prayers, but do I often pray? And do the wishes
of my heart go with the words I say? And that may be a question with
you. I do pray. I've always prayed. But there
comes a time when you pray out of necessity. You pray because
you need something. You're looking for something.
You're waiting for something. And gather them. This is how
the Lord gathers his people. Let the redeemed of the Lord
say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy and
gathered them out of the lands, from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south. The Lord gathers his people. My mind, it just goes to the
Prophecy of Isaiah in chapter 43. And it speaks there of the Lord's
people being gathered. He speaks to his children. Verse 5, Isaiah 43 verse 5, Fear
not. Maybe you come to chapel and
you are fearful. You are troubled and you are
fearful. Fear not. for I am with thee. I will bring thy seed from the
east and gather thee from the west. I will say to the north,
give up, and to the south, keep not back. Bring my sons from
far and my daughters from the ends of the earth, even every
one that is called by my name, for I have created him for my
glory. I have formed him Yay, I have
made him. You see, what a promise, isn't
it? I will gather them from the east
and from the west, from the north and from the south. Now the divine
commission unto the Lord's servants is found in the words of our
Lord Jesus Christ, go ye, this is quotation from Mark 16, go
ye into all the world preaching the gospel unto every creature. That's what the Lord's servants
have to do. Why? Into all the world, because he
has his people in all the world. He has them in the north and
in the south, in the east and in the west. And he gathers them. And the apostles said, it is
through the foolishness of preaching that the Lord gathers his people.
They're gathered unto Christ. and gathered them out of the
land. We've just sung that beautiful
well-known hymn of John Kent's. There is a period known to God
when all his sheep, redeemed by blood, shall leave the hateful
ways of sin, turn to the fold, and enter in. There is a period. There is a set time. The time when a divine call reaches
their heart. As I say, sometimes that call
is very gentle. Sometimes it's that very still,
small voice. And maybe you can't even remember
the time. You know, some of the Lord's
people, they are called when they're very young, when they're
but a child. And it's not a great, dramatic
work. It's a very gentle work. But
they're brought to know their need as a sinner. And they're
brought to know the need of salvation. They're brought to know the need
of Jesus, the saviour of sinners. In a very gentle way, they're
brought to know it. Gentle Jesus, meek and mild. I remember learning it for a
Sunday school prize giving. Gentle Jesus, meek and mild. look upon a little child, pity
my simplicity, suffer me to come to thee. It's a beautiful little
hymn. Now you dear children, just remember
what the Lord Jesus said, suffer little children to come unto
me and forbid them not. You know my beloved friends,
we should encourage our little children, That's the meaning
of those words. Suffer little children to come
unto me and forbid them not. We should never hinder them in
any way in praying unto the Lord Jesus. Forbid them not. For of such is the kingdom of
heaven. Except ye become as a little
child, ye shall in no wise enter the kingdom. And that is what
the Lord does with each one of his children. He brings them
like a little child. Now, what is a little child?
You think of a little child dependent on his father and mother for
their daily food, for everything they stand in need of. And that
is what the Lord does to his children. We're dependent upon
our Heavenly Father. We are. We're dependent upon
His Son, Jesus Christ. and gathered them out of the
lands, from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south. Now, it speaks here of the experience
of these precious souls that are gathered. They wandered in
the wilderness in a solitary way. Do you sometimes feel solitary? Do you sometimes feel all alone? wandered in the wilderness in
a solitary way they found no city to dwell in hungry and thirsty
their soul fainted in them then what a wonderful thing my beloved
friends were brought to that place then they cried unto the
Lord in their trouble and he delivered them out of their distresses
and he led them forth what a mercy isn't it sends his spirit into
their heart and he led them forth by the right way that they might
go to a city of habitation. What a wonderful thing when you
look back and it's often when you look back at the time you
can't see perhaps very clearly the way the Lord is leading you but
when you look back you see so clearly the way the Lord led
you The way the Lord taught you, the way the Lord humbled you,
the way the Lord caused you to hunger, he led them forth by the right
way, that they might go to a city of habitation, to be among the
Lord's people, no more a stranger or a guest, but like a child
at home. Now, the exhortation, I said to you, it's a psalm of
praise, O that men, would praise the Lord for his goodness and
for his wonderful works to the children of men. For he satisfies
the longing soul. Oh, have we any longing souls
here this afternoon? You long to hear the Lord's voice.
You long to see his countenance. You long to worship in his holy
hill of Zion. You long to be able to say thou
art mine. My beloved is mine and I am his.
longing soul. He satisfies the longing soul
and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Now listen here, such a sit in
darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and
iron. Then he tells us why. Such a
sit in darkness in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction
and iron because they rebelled. against the words of God and
contend that he despised the counsel of the Most High. It's a very solemn thing to contend
the counsel of the Most High or to despise the counsel of
the Most High. Therefore he brought down their
heart with labour, they fell down and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord
in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distress. The
reason he brought you down is because you're rebelled. The
reason you're sitting in darkness is because you're rebelled. The reason you're bound in affliction
and harm is because you're rebelled. You know the hymn writer hits
the nail on the head, doesn't he? Rebellious thou hast been. and art rebellious still, but
since in love I took thee in, my promise I'll fulfill. He brought
them out of darkness and the shadow of death and break
their bands into liberty, the glorious liberty of the people
of God, union with Christ, Christ made so precious to your soul.
Now you desire to follow him with us wherever he leads. He
brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and break
their bands in sunder. Oh, that men would praise the
Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children. Many have broken the gates of
brass and cut the bars of iron in sunder, falls because of their
transgressions, and because of their iniquities are afflicted,
their soul abhorreth all manner of meat, and they're drawn near
unto the gates of death, then they cry unto the Lord in their
trouble. And he saveth them out of their
distresses. He sent his word and healed them
and delivered them from their destruction. Oh, that men would
praise the Lord for his goodness. You see, O give thanks unto the
Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. All that
wonderful goodness of God in Christ. Let them sacrifice the
sacrifice of thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoicing. Now, we have another experience
here. They that go down to verse 23.
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in
great waters, these see the works of the Lord and his wonders in
the deep. You know, it's a wonderful thing
when we go down to the sea in ships, do business in great waters. When thou passest through the
waters, the waters can mean many different things. There's the
waters of affliction. There's the waters of temptation.
There's the waters of trouble and trial. There is. They do business in great waters.
They wonder sometimes if those waters they will drown in them.
These see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep.
For he commandeth, who? God does. He commandeth thee
and raiseth the stormy wind. You may have come into some great
trouble, great storm, great trial. He commanded it. Why? To humble you. To bring you in
a path of complete dependence upon Him. To bring you to be
found looking unto Jesus and casting all your care upon Him.
For He commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind which lifteth
up the waves thereof. And this sometimes is the experience
of the Lord's people in various trials. They mount up to the
heavens. That's on top of the waves. They
go down again into the depths, their soul is melted because
of trouble. They reel to and fro and stagger
like a drunken man and are at their wits end. Have you come
to your wits end? So you know not what to do. Then,
then, the only reason my beloved friends is because you're in
great need. Then they cry unto the Lord. These are the people
and gathered them out of the lands. Then they cry unto the
Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves are of us still.
Then are they glad, because they be quiet. So he bringeth them
unto their desired haven. You see, and he led them forth
by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. The
right way. sometimes it seems to you that
it's the wrong way but it's the right way then are they glad
because they be quiet you know it's a wonderful thing when we're
brought if the lord give peace and quietness who then can make
trouble oh that men would praise the lord for his wonderful works
to the children of men sometimes the lord allows the enemy to
come in like a flood and his temptations are so powerful.
You think you're going to sink under them. You think you'll
never come out of them. The enemy has great power. But
never forget, Jesus has greater power. The enemy has great power,
so don't underestimate him. But Jesus has great power. You
see, And then we have this, verse 32, let them exalt him also in
the congregation of the people and praise him in the assembly
of the elders. How? Come and hear all ye that
fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. You
see, let them exalt him in the congregation and praise him in
the assembly of the elders. You know, we have that in Psalm
116. I love the Lord because he has
heard my voice and my supplications because he has inclined his ear
unto me. Therefore, will I call upon him as long as I live? And he tells us his experience.
The sorrows of death compassed me, the pains of hell got hold
upon me, I found trouble and sorrow, then called I, upon the
name of the Lord, O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Gracious
is the Lord, and righteous, yea, our God, is merciful. Return unto the rest, O my soul,
for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. Thou hast delivered
my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from
falling. I will walk before the Lord in
the land of the... I believed, therefore have I
spoken. I was greatly afflicted. I said
in my haste, O men of Elias, what shall I render unto the
Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation,
call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord
now in the presence of all his people. says in verse 17, I will
offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call upon
the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord
now in the presence of all his people in the courts of the Lord's
house in the midst of thee O Jerusalem praise ye the Lord and gathered
them out of the lands from the east and from the west from the
north and From the south, the Lord will gather each one of
his children. And where does he gather them
to? There's that lovely word in Deuteronomy,
unto him. Unto him. Who's the him? It's
Christ. It's Jesus, the Son of God, manifest
in the flesh. And the gathering of the people
shall be unto him. And he will get all the praise,
all the honor, and all the glory. See my beloved friends, let them
exhort him also in the congregation of the people and praise him
in the assembly of the elders. See the wonderful things that
the Lord has done and does do, a fruit He turneth rivers into
a wilderness and the water springs into dry ground. This is the
work of Almighty God. A fruitful land into barrenness
for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. He turneth the
wilderness into a standing water and dry ground into water springs. And there he maketh the hungry
to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation, to dwell
in. Come back to those lovely words,
no more a stranger or a guest, but like a child at home. And to settle down, to sow fields
and plant vineyards which may yield fruits of increase. He
blesses them also so that they are multiplied greatly. Isn't
that what we long for? We've just read it in Isaiah,
I will bring thy sons from far, thy daughters from the ends of
the earth. There's barely a day goes by
when I do not pray that prayer, with such a yearning and longing
that the Lord may gather in, that the Lord may build up, that
the Lord may renew. He blesseth them also, that they
are multiplied greatly and suffereth not their capital decrease. Again,
it is a constant experience. Again, they are minished and
brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow. You see,
this is the work of God and whoso is wise and will observe these
things, even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord. Oh, the wonderful loving kindnesses
of our God. How great is His goodness. How
great is His loving kindness. the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
his precious blood, his glorious righteousness, his goodness to
his people, the gift of his Holy Ghost to convince you of sin
and to reveal the things of Jesus unto your soul, that the precious
gift of his word, that thy word is truth. And we have a wonderful
gift, my beloved friends, from God. We have the word of God
in our own language. How thankful we should be for
the Word of God. It's our guide, it's our director. Let thy Word be a lamp unto my
feet and a light unto my path. It does. May we often be in the
Word of God, prayerfully read in the Word of God, seeking the
Lord's direction in the Word of God. Whoso is wise, and will
observe these things, even they shall understand the loving kindness
of the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord,
for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever. I the Lord change not, therefore
ye sons of Jacob are not consumed, We've already quoted Jeremiah.
It is with the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed. I, the
Lord, change not. In spite of all your rebellion,
in spite of all your disobedience, I, the Lord, change not. I've
loved thee with an everlasting love, and I still love thee,
and I always will love thee, because I am not like you. I'm not like a human being. I'm
not like unto one of thy self. I have God and there is none
else. I change not. Yea, I have loved
thee with an everlasting love. Therefore with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. You see that drawing. Loving
kindness have I drawn thee and gathered them. What a wonderful
thing if you and I know what it is to be drawn into spiritual
things and gathered them. out of the lands, from the east
and from the west, from the north and from the south. May the Lord
add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number nine, The tune is Woolwich, 442. Awake my soul in joyful
lays, And sing thy great Redeemer's praise. He justly claims a song
from me, His loving kindness, O how free! Hymn number nine,
tune Woolwich, 442. Oh. Angels we have heard on high. So may you, when in the fire,
let the flame of wisdom be gone. Be safe, be calm, by God's best
hand, is the pain, kindness, oh, how great. The new Christ comes, the mighty
comes, The earth that held my way of
life. His faith in me, my soul alone,
His love in kindness shown, strong. When troubled mind and weary
cloud are scattered thick and thunder-proud, The divine soul has always stood
His loving-kindness stood I often feel a sinful heart,
and drop my Saviour to depart. And that I am Have him for God,
His loving-kindness strangers not. Soon shall I pass the gloomy
path, Lord, my mortal passion fell. O make my lost expiring prayer,
His loving kindness sing, in death. Then let me burn and soar away
to the bright world of endless day. Now may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ the love of God the Father, the
sacred fellowship of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us
each, both now and for evermore. Amen.