Just say, dear friends, the collection
taken here today is for the support of the Christian Institute. Let
us commence our service this evening by singing hymn 1151. The tune is Billing 849. Great sovereign Lord, what human eye
amidst thy works can roam, and not thy liberal hand despise,
nor trace thy bounteous love hymn 1151 tune billing 849 O pray the Lord not here, but
I, Amidst thy wretched world. And of thy name no hand has spied,
Nor trace thy bounteous love. Each star that hangs the heavenly
grave, on earth, each burdened fall, in heav'nly host, Jamboree,
the grave, The lessons each revolving ear
repeats in various ways. Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice!
Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice! The triple-tilted buster's head,
A-thumpin' peace I get, While tithing for my faith is
dear, I count the years of each year. Who but you and I can praise
you, O human heart conceived? O great and rich, and full of
grace, in poverty's souls receive. O'er the last day has gone still,
It's best be done at sun. May we live long as I live and
love so long I've sinned and done. We will read together from the
holy word of God. The gospel according to Mark,
chapter eight. The gospel according to Mark,
chapter eight. In those days, the multitude
being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples
unto him and saith unto them, I have compassion on the multitude
because they have now been with me three days and have nothing
to eat. If I send them away fasting to
their own houses, they will faint by the way. for diviners of them
came from far. And his disciples answered him,
from whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in
the wilderness? And he asked them, how many loaves
have ye? And they said, seven. And he commanded the people to
sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves,
and gave thanks and break, and gave to his disciples to set
before them. And they did set them before
the people. And they had a few small fishes,
and he blessed and commanded to set them also before them. So they did eat and were filled,
and they took up of the broken meat that was left, seven baskets
and they that had eaten were about four thousand and he sent
them away and straightway he entered into a ship with his
disciples and came into the parts of Dalmanutha and the pharisees
came forth and began to question with him seeking of him a sign
from heaven tempting him and he sighed deeply in his spirit
and saith why does this generation seek after a sign verily i say
unto you there shall no sign be given unto this generation
and he left them and entering into the ship again departed
to the other side now the disciples had forgotten to take bread,
neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. And he charged them, saying,
Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the
leaven of Herod. And they reasoned among themselves,
saying, It is because we have no bread. And when Jesus knew
it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? Perceive ye not yet, neither
understand? Have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? And having ears, hear ye not? And do ye not remember? When
I break the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets
full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. And when the seven among four
thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. And he
said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand? And he cometh to Bethsaida, and
they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by
the hand, and led him out of the town. And when he had spit
on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he
saw aught. And he looked up and said, I
see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again
upon his eyes and made him look up. And he was restored and saw
every man clearly. And he sent him away to his house
saying, neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town. And Jesus went out, and his disciples
into the towns of Caesarea Philippi. And by the way, he asked his
disciples, saying unto them, whom do men say that I am? And they answered, john the baptist
but some say elias and others one of the prophets and he saith
unto them but whom say ye that i am and peter answereth and
saith unto him thou art the christ and he charged them that they
should tell no man of him and he began to teach them that the
son of man must suffer many things and be rejected of the elders
and of the chief priests and scribes and be killed and after
three days rise again and he spake that saying openly and
Peter took him and began to rebuke him. But when he had turned about
and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get
thee behind me, Satan, for thou savourest not the things that
be of God, but the things that be of men. And when he had called
the people unto him, with his disciples also. He said unto
them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself and
take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his
life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake
and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit
a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? For what shall a man give in
exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be
ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful
generation of him also shall the son of man be ashamed when
he cometh in the glory of his father with the holy angels. May God bless that reading from
his holy word. May he teach us how to pray. Kind and gracious and most merciful
Lord, that once more we gather around thy word. And all we pray,
Lord, for thy help once more as we attend to the worship of
thy great and holy name. Lord, do put us in that right
frame of mind. Draw our hearts heavenward, we
do pray, Lord, you set our affections on things above and raise us
from the dying things of this world. Draw us each, we pray. Lord, if thou dost draw us, we
will run after thee. Oh Lord, do grant us each then
that thy gracious help here this evening and any that may join
us listening in. Grant, Lord, thy blessing upon
thy own word. O Lord, we pray that thou grant
the power of the Holy Spirit, that he may take of the things
of Jesus and reveal them unto us, that he may apply the things
of God to our souls and give the power of God upon the word
and apply it to each who who would receive. Lord, we pray
that that thou will come and work mightily within each heart
and leave none out, we pray. We ask, Lord, thy blessing upon
our thanksgiving services. Lord, may we have a thankful
heart. Lord, we have many favours and
many mercies. Oh, we pray for our eyes to be
opened, that we may truly see the many blessings that surround
us. We thank thee for maintaining
this cause of truth for another year since the last Thanksgiving
services. We thank thee, Lord, for thy
blessing upon thy word, and for the help given to thy servant,
the pastor here, we pray, Lord, that thou will continue to help
him each and every time he stands in thy name. And as he goes in
and out among the people here, Lord, may he be helped in all
that he does. Lord, we thank thee for the deacons
who hold office here and pray that thou would strengthen them
and encourage them in their labour in thy name. Do remember the
church here we pray, and do, Lord, build them up in their
most holy faith. We thank thee for all that thou
hast done here over many years, and pray that thou will continue
to gather into the church, from the congregation, from the surrounding
area, Lord, wherever it might please thee, we pray that thou
will glorify thyself in the bringing forth of children that seed to
serve thee. Lord, we pray and thank thee
for those who come and attend week by week. We pray, Lord,
that thou would encourage them that, Lord, in due time, that
they may be granted that gospel liberty, to know that their sins
are forgiven, and to have that freedom and that liberty that
thou, Lord Jesus, has purchased for thy poor and worthy people. Grant, Lord, thy blessing to
rest upon the children. We thank thee for them, and pray,
Lord, that thou would encourage them as they come to the services
of this house of prayer. And Lord, be with them in the
very many challenges and difficulties that they face in their day and
generation. Lord, we think of the children
and young people growing up in this sinful world. Lord, there
are many things to take away their desire, to turn their eyes
away from Thee, but very many things, Lord, to distract them.
We pray that Thou will remember them in Thy mercy and visit each
of them with Thy grace. Lord, we pray for parents. We
pray that Thou would help them Help us, Lord, in bringing up
our children. Help us to bring them up in the
nurture and admonition of the Lord. Lord, keep us ever at the
throne of grace. May, Lord, our prayers be offered
up, Lord, unto thee for our children and for our young people. Lord,
we pray that they may be kept from wandering off into the world
and turning away from the things of God. Lord, we pray that thou
will remember this cause of truth and each of the hills of Zion
that are scattered throughout this country and indeed throughout
the earth. we pray for thy one church, wherever
it might be found. Lord, thou knowest what needs
are abounding in this difficult day, nor we pray that thou would
supply every need according to thy riches in glory by Christ
Jesus. Do deliver the persecuted church
of God Lord, there are those in other parts of the world who
are suffering even unto death. Oh, do remember them and visit
them in that special way that they may endure to the end steadfast,
unmovable in the things of God. Oh, that they may witness that
good witness. Do help each, Lord, wherever
our lot is cast, to witness that good witness. O Lord, may we
be among those that declare plainly that we seek a country, a city
not made with hands, a city which has foundations, whose builder
and maker is God. Do, Lord, help us in all things. We look to Thee, Lord, we thank
thee for thy goodness and mercy to us in our day and generation
in sending forth thy servants to preach the unsearchable riches
of Christ. We pray that thou continue to
send forth labourers into the harvest and grant, Lord, that
there may be ever a people to hear thy word. the people hungering
and thirsting after righteousness. We pray, Lord, that Thou would
follow with Thy blessing the distribution of Thy word through
to the four corners of the earth. That we thank Thee, Lord, for
the new translation, the Spanish Bible, And Lord, as it's been
recently launched in South America, we pray that they'll bless that
endeavour of the Trinitarian Bible Society in publishing that
word and distributing it to the Spanish-speaking populations. Lord, we pray that they'll use
these things mightily in Latin America and in Europe, and indeed
throughout the earth. Lord, thou knowest. And we pray,
Lord, that thou will follow with thy blessing, as thy word is
sent forth throughout our nation. Lord, may it be for the pulling
down of the strongholds of sin and Satan. Lord, that there may
be many turning from their idols to serve the living God. Do Lord, remember each in their
various pathways. Lord thou knowest the concerns,
the cares, each heart has its own bitterness. Lord thou knowest
all about each one of us. Those things that are weighing
heavy upon some, Lord, the matters of life, the difficulties that
arise, the disappointments, those, Lord, who maybe walk lonely pathways,
those who have been bereaved, those who may feel to be like
the sparrow, alone upon the housetop. Lord, our lowest, we pray that
in these things thou draw near and visit those that are cast
down, Do lift up their heads, we pray. Do strengthen the feeble
knees. Lord, do strengthen the hands. And Lord, do grant that supply
of grace. Lord, we pray for those in affliction,
those, Lord, with hard and difficult burdens that they carry. Oh,
may they prove My grace is sufficient for thee. My strength is made
perfect in weakness. Do help us then to glory in our
infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon us. Lord, we pray that thou will
keep us close to thyself. Lord, we confess our many sins,
those sins that separate, those things that come between, those
things that steal our thoughts and our affections. Lord, do
help us to lay these things aside. Lord, do grant that close walk
with Thee, or to be found leaning upon Thee, Lord, do remember
us and keep us by thy grace. Leave us not to walk in a path
of indifference, lukewarmness, coldness, or darkness. Lord, let thy light shine, we
pray upon us. Shine into our hearts. Shine
upon our pathway. O that thy word might be a light
to our path and a lamp to our feet. O grant, Lord, thy blessing,
we humbly pray, and forgive us our every sin. O do wash us and
cleanse us from all uncleanness. Lead us each to that fountain
opened for sin and for uncleanness. Lord, do draw the burdened sinners
to thyself. Draw them through the very many
hindrances that there are. May there be that pressing through
the crowd, living faith given. If I may but touch his clothes,
I shall be whole. There might be that healing virtue
flowing, those things done. in the name of the Holy Child
Jesus. Do glorify thyself in the salvation
of souls. So do, Lord, make those seekers
finders. And, Lord, may there be many
in whose heart there is that desire, Lord, what will thou
have me to do? Do help us, then we pray. Do grant us, Lord, Thy blessing. Do lift any up from the pit of
corruption. Do recover any from unbelief
and indwelling sin. And do, Lord, all things for
Thy honour and glory. We ask these things We seek the
forgiveness of all that we've asked and miss, and pray that
thou would make up in giving where we have failed in our asking,
as we ask all in Jesus' precious name, and for his sake alone. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 456, the tune is Hanover, 807. The good hand of God has
brought us again, a favour bestowed we hope not in vain. To hear
from our Saviour the word of His grace, then be our behaviour
become in the place. Hymn 456, tune Hanover, 807. The good hand of God has bought
us again A favour bestowed we have not in vain To hear from
our Saviour the word of His grace, Then be our behaviour become
in the place. Remember the ends for which we
are met, and us, my dear friends, we're apt to forget. The mouth-tips that bought us
the noble estate. But if he has taught us, our
end should be nigh. to worship the Lord with praise
and with prayer, to practice His Word as runners to Him. Spare us this contrition, the
deeds we have done, and take the remission of gifts in His
Son. The Spirit of Christ descend
on us thus. Thy servant assists, teach him
to teach us. O send us Thy action, to teach
us of Him, and touch with compunction, and sprinkle with Will you turn with me to the
chapter we read, the Gospel according to Mark, chapter eight. With the Lord's help this evening,
I'll speak to you from verse 24. The Gospel according to Mark,
chapter eight, verse 24. And he looked up and said, I see men as trees walking. Gospel according to Mark chapter
8 verse 24. And he looked up and said, I
see men as trees walking. These are the words of a man
that had been blind. He is responding to the question
put by our Lord, who asked him if he saw aught, if he saw anything. Having spit on his eyes and put his
hands upon him, he asked him if he saw aught, if he saw anything. And the man replied, I see men
as trees. walking. It's not on my mind to speak
really in any depth regarding the actual words of his reply,
but really to speak this evening regarding the reply itself, as
in firstly, why was it that there wasn't that perfect, complete
cure. You know, we may look at this
and from a natural point of view, view it and say, why? Well, why
didn't the Lord heal him completely and fully at the first attempt,
as it were? Why is it that he put his hands again upon his
eyes and made him look up and he was restored? Why was it that
it was not first but second time? Well, we know why it wasn't. We know we know that the Lord could heal
immediately. We find time and again the Lord
is healing power and immediately they were made whole or immediately
they received sight. Here this man, it was twice the
Lord touched him. It was not first, but second,
before he received fully his sight. And the question then
is, well, why? Well, friends, we have this left on
record. And I believe it's for this purpose
that we must ever remember that The Lord is sovereign and what
he does for one he might not do in like fashion for another. And because he healed one immediately
it doesn't mean he'll heal immediately and fully another. I mean here
we have him taking this man out of Bethsaida away from everybody
else, and then we have Him healing this man. But the Holy Spirit
has been pleased to set this on record in Scripture. And in my mind I hope this evening,
with the Lord's help, that it might be a help to a few here
maybe in a spiritual sense. This is how it's laid on me.
In a spiritual sense. You may see or read or hear of
one another as the Lord deals with them in love and mercy as
he delivers them from the bondage of sin and the power of sin upon
them and as he blesses them in their souls and brings them forth
as his children and as they walk in the newness of that life given
and they're able to walk in the fullness of it and the freedom
of it and then there are those that
aren't and you wonder and how a trouble it is for many when
their walk is not the same. The path that they're called
to walk is not the same as they read of. The Lord hasn't done
for them in the same way as he has for others. And it's a trouble,
and how many have been troubled. May the Lord bring some comfort
through this text this evening. this case of this man, for he
was brought out. And how every child of God must
be brought out. Moving away from this physical
healing of blindness now to a spiritual sense. that the need there is of this
bringing out. The Lord brings out His people. He brings them out of the world
in their affections. He may not take them out of their
workplace, He may not take them out of a family that's living
in sin, but He brings them out in their desires. He brings them
away from the world in their affections. That which was once
their home, the place that they felt at home, they felt comfortable
once in the world, becomes a place of discomfort. The Lord stirs
up the heart, as it were, stirs up the nest, and they can no
longer find that peace and that rest that they once found in
the things of sin, In the ways of sin, there's that stirring
up, and that bringing forth, well, this man was brought out,
and may you and I be brought out. You know how many, before
they've known the Lord's gracious touch on their hearts, have perceived
the Lord at work in their hearts, have felt a moving certainly
toward the people of God or the worship of God or the house of
God. They may know nothing in and
of themselves of the Lord Jesus, they may know nothing of His
love, nothing of the forgiveness of sin, but there is that moving
of their heart They're not the same as they once were. There's
a perceived change within them. And the things that they once
enjoyed and loved, the pleasures of sin, are no longer as pleasurable
as they once were. And the things that they despised,
the things of God, have become attractive. They're made to be
something. rather than the nothing that
they once were. So there's a moving, a moving
of the Lord. And friends, it begins, which
it always does, with that glorious work of regeneration. And that's
where it begins, it's regeneration. And that entering in of the spirit
of the Lord, that regeneration of the soul. Well, with going
back to this man and his blindness, he couldn't see. He had to be
led by the hand and he was led out of the town. And the Lord
was determined that this man, his blindness should end. That
was the determination of our Lord Jesus, that this man would
see. His blindness would come to an
end, and he would see. And, oh friends, what a wonderful
thing. What an unspeakable mercy. If
in the divine purposes of God, everyone in this chapel, the
Lord has appointed a time when they too will see spiritually. We're not talking now natural
sights, we're talking spiritual sight. Oh, that the Lord would
open the eyes of the blind and unstop the ears of the deaf,
grant that spiritual sight to see things for how they really
are. Oh, with this man it was natural
blindness and the Lord was determined that his time of blindness would
come to an end. And he put his hands upon him
and he spat on his eyes and he put his hands upon him and he
asked him if he saw aught. And he looked up and said, I
see men as trees walking. This speaks then to you and I
of sight being given. He once was blind, now he sees. The clarity of sight he hasn't
yet got. But there's no doubt that he
is not blind anymore. His own testimony says, I see
men as trees. walking. He can't see clearly. He doesn't have the clarity of
sight. He doesn't see things exactly as they are. But he knows,
he knows that that which is done has not been in vain. That there
has been a change. His darkness of blindness is
gone. He can now see. And I wonder, I wonder how many
this evening in this chapel, and this is the case with you,
I wonder how many, if you were asked a question along those
lines, regarding your spiritual side, you'd have to say, I'm not blind.
I'm not blind. If you're honest with yourself,
you're not blind. You're not what you once were.
No, you say, I can't see clearly. I can't see myself clearly in
the people of God. I can't see my place clearly
among the family of the living family of God. I can't see that
the Savior, in all his beauty, I can't see what others see regarding
the forgiveness of their sins. I can't see clearly my passage
to heaven, my place in glory at last. Are you still in that same blindness,
that spiritual blindness that you were born in? Or has the Lord begun that work
within you. He looked up and said, I see
men as trees walking. My mind went to another blind
man, we read of in John's gospel in chapter nine. And it was that
blind man who was, we're told was blind from his birth. And
as you go through chapter 9 of John's Gospel, we come to that
time, that place in the account where he has been cast out of
the synagogue, cast out of the temple. He has declared that
he doesn't know whether he be a sinner, but one thing he says,
I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see. That's verse 25. Whereas I was blind, now I see. He didn't know who it was that
healed him and he didn't know by what power he healed him but
he knew he had been healed. He knew that something was done
and he gave witness to it whether he be a sinner they said give
God the praise we know that this man is a sinner they were speaking
of the Lord Jesus he didn't know who he was but he knew what was
done and whereas I was blind now I see and they go on in their
discussions with him and oh there is then that thrusting of him out,
he was cast out. Dost thou teach us, they said
in verse 34, and they cast him out. And Jesus heard that they
cast him out, and when he had found him, he said unto him,
Dost thou believe on the Son of God? What a question. What
a question. Dost thou believe on the Son
of God? How would you answer that this
evening? Can you answer that this evening?
Dost thou believe on the Son of God? Well, this man says,
replies, who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? You see, he knows he's not blind
anymore. He knows it's a miracle. But
does he believe on one who he's not had revealed to him? How
can he? Can he answer that question in
any other way? He answers in a frank way, doesn't
he? An honest way. But he says this, who is he Lord? Who is he? That I might believe
on him. There's no unwillingness on his
part, but he's ignorant of who he is. In that sense he's in
darkness of who he is. His spiritual eye hasn't been
opened, though his natural one has. And the Lord Jesus gives
him such a clear answer. Oh, may the Lord give the same
to those of you this evening, in whose hearts the honest reply
is, who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? The Lord Jesus said unto him,
thou hast both seen him and It is he that talketh with thee. And what was the effect? He said,
Lord, I believe and he worshipped him. Oh, that's Christ revealed
and Christ made precious in all the fullness, isn't it? And the
freeness of the gospel, Christ revealed, Christ made precious. One who's spiritually blind,
whose eyes are opened. Who is he, Lord, that I might
believe? And the Lord reveals himself, reveals himself, makes
known himself to that dear man. It is he that talketh with thee. And he says, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. worshipped
him. Oh this is, isn't it, the beauty
of true worship. Worshipping God in spirit and
in truth. In that response of the love
of Christ shed abroad in the heart. Lord I believe and worshipping
him. Christ being revealed and Christ
made precious. Oh, that dear man, he had his
eyes opened. Oh, I wonder, he's had his spiritual
eye opened. And I wonder if there's a few
here this evening. And this is your desire. or that
you might see clearer, or that you might see more, or that you
might not see through that glass darkly and so dimly that you
can't make out who it is that's at work in your life, or what
power it is that is moving your heart. but that you might truly
recognize the hand of God that is ordering all things for you,
moving your heart, moving things in providence, moving things
in grace. I see men as trees walking, a
shadowy view, a mere shadowy view of things, What is the Lord doing in your
life? What is He doing in mine? If you look back over the past
year, has He been at work? Have you seen His hand at work
in your life? Did you see Him ordering and
moving those things? Those things that were prevented?
Those things that you were kept back from? Those things that
were withheld from you. You see the hand of God as you
pray for things and he said no. Is it his hand that you recognize? Or is it, oh, you can't perceive
it. It's left you frustrated. It's
left you puzzled, bewildered, confused. It's opened Thou mine eyes. There's that desire, isn't it,
to have our eyes opened. That the Lord would make clear
and shine His light into our pathway. You perceive He's at
work. Job, in his distress, He found,
he says, oh that I knew I might find him, that I might come even
to his seat. There was that desire in his
heart that he might find him, he might see him, but oh, he
didn't have it at that time. He says, behold, this is Job
23 verse 8, Behold, I go forward, but he's not there. And backward,
but I cannot perceive him. On the left hand, where he does
work, but I cannot behold him. There's things moving. There's
events taking place. There's things that have been
closed down. Doors that have been shut. Doors
that have been opened. He's at work. He says, he's at
work on my left hand. But I cannot behold Him. I can
behold the work, but I cannot see Him. I cannot see Him. Oh, is that a
trouble to you this evening? Is that your longing in your
heart this evening? Oh, I can... Oh, that I might see Him. Himself. in this thing, in this trial,
in this outworking of something. I can perceive from a shadowy
view that it is him at work, but I want to see him in it,
clearly in it, to know it is him, put all the doubt, put it
beyond doubt, put it out of question, that it is the Lord and then
you can say like Eli let him do what seemeth him good but
until you see the Lord until you can say it is the Lord you
don't have that place of peaceful resignation do you? Eli did it
is the Lord it is the Lord beyond doubt and then he could say through
grace that was given let him do what seemeth him good. Job said I cannot behold him
he hideth himself from the right hand that I cannot see him. Oh there's that withholding of that felt sense of his presence,
or there's a withholding of the fullness of his presence. Something tells you, deep within,
that he's at work. But oh, what a difference when
you see him in it. When the Lord comes walking across
the sea, in the darkness of the night, and it's in the middle
of the storm. And until you can see Him clearly
who He is, well, it's like a terror to you. The disciples on that
ship that night, toiling and rowing, they were fearful when
they saw Him walking on the sea. Until they heard His voice, it
is I. It is I. Be not afraid, it is
I, be not afraid. He says, I see men as trees walking. Job, what does he conclude? He says, I cannot see him. Verse
10, but, He knoweth the way that I take. When he hath tried me,
for this is a trial, it's a trial of faith, and when you can't
walk by sight, and you have to walk by faith, it's trying, it's
trying, isn't it? When he hath tried me, what,
I shall be good for nothing? I shall be swept away? I shall
be finished and at the end of everything? No, what does he say? I shall come
forth as gold. That's faith, isn't it? That
can look beyond a furnace and see the gold. That can look beyond
all of these things that are against. Says the gold must appear. It's the Lord's hands that put
me in it. It must be for the purifying of my soul. It must
be for the purging off of the dross. It must be for my real
good. It must be for what the Apostle
Paul says, but we know that all things work together for good. To them that love God, to them
that are called according to his purpose, Or as he says in
Romans 8, what shall we say then to these
things? Verse 31, Romans 8. What shall
we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? Oh, to have that Oh, that strengthening
of our faith. God-given faith. It cannot be
mustered up from within, can it? It must come from Him. It
must come from God Himself. To put it within your unbelieving
heart and my unbelieving heart that these things will be for
our good. That these things will be for
our real benefit. That we will be bettered by them.
that we will come forth as gold. Job knew it, and the Apostle
Paul knew it, and you could go right through the Word of God,
and saint after saint after saint proved it true. The Lord tries
the righteous. He turns the way of the wicked
upside down, but He tries the righteous. not to blot them out
of his book of life, not to extinguish all their little faith, not to
bring them to ruin and nothing, but that they might ever so slightly
increase in faith and love and joy, that their little faith
might ever so slightly swell at every trying of it, that it
might be found to the praise of the honour and glory of God. This man says, I see men as trees,
walking. I don't have clear sight yet,
Lord. I don't have my clear vision. And the Lord put his hands again
After that he put his hands again upon his eyes. Is that what you thought? You thought you couldn't come
again? You couldn't come to the Lord
again and seek for further tokens? You felt maybe you couldn't come. You should be satisfied with
a dim view, with a shadowy glimpse Friends, you can come again and
again and again. The Lord is gracious. The Lord
is merciful. There is this following on, this
going on to know the Lord more and more. There's a growing in
grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
It might not be, for you as some, a road to Damascus event, a great
shining light, and clear, full assurance of faith given, and
true boldness as the Apostle Paul. It may not be. It may not
be. It well may be, here a little,
there a little, line upon line, precept upon precept. It may
be as it were, ebbing and flowing. It may be prolonged over many
years. Friends, the Lord is in control.
And there is that prayerful seeking for that clarity of view. And the Lord will not despise
the prayers of the destitute that come to Him and seek for
their eyes to be fully opened Think of Lazarus. He was called out of the grave,
wasn't he? Our Lord Jesus, Lazarus, come
forth. And we're told that he that was
dead came forth. And he wasn't in the fullness
of the liberty of the living. He was numbered among the living.
Nobody could doubt in their minds that he was alive. He that was
dead before was now alive. But did he have the liberty and
the freedom that everybody else did? Was he perfectly free to
run out of that grave? He came forth. He that was dead, John chapter
11, the Lord Jesus said Lazarus come forth in verse 43 and verse
44 and he that was dead came forth and the grave couldn't
hold him and death couldn't hold him and the impossible was made
possible but there was more there was still more to be done he that was dead came forth but
he was still bound. He was bound hand and foot with
grave clothes. He still had about his head and
about his body the marks of his death. Think about it. Is that where you are? You still
have the marks of your death. of your unregenerate state. Dead
you were in trespasses and in sins. Do you now have the full
freedom and liberty of the children of God? Or is it like Lazarus?
It's not because the Lord isn't able to do it in a moment. Friends, is it not this, that
he will be yet for this inquired of by the household of Israel
to do it for them? is it not in this that he'll
have us to seek and to pray and to beseech him that he might
give us this liberty and give us the light and give us the
love? Oh, then we're told his face
was bound with a napkin so he Clearly he couldn't see, could
he? He couldn't see, clearly the Lord Jesus, his face was
still bound with that napkin. Poor Lazarus. Jesus commands
the further blessing. Loose him and let him go. Loose him and let him go. Oh may it be so. May the Lord command the blessing,
even life forevermore. That they might have life, he
says, I came that they might have life, that they might have
it more abundantly. Oh, it's abundant life. Is that what
it is? Is that what you're lacking?
You've life, but is it abundant? Oh, is that what you desire?
That abundant life, where will it be found? Who can give it? You can't learn your way into
it. You won't read it in books of theology. The Lord. May He whisper it into your soul. May He speak you into that fullness
of the blessing of the gospel of the grace of God. Maybe it's
legality. Maybe it's a legal gospel that
is entwining you. Maybe you can't see clearly your
place in the family of living, family of God, because it's a
legal gospel that you're bound up with. Oh, the Lord has begun
to open your eyes, but you've only moved so far away from the
law to the gospel. Oh, how needful the Lord is to
bring his gospel into your soul, poor sinner. You know, you can't see clearly
the beauty of Christ Jesus when you're still harbouring in your
own soul some fitness of your own. You can't see the preciousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ in all his fullness, to hell-deserving
sinners, and sept you see yourself as wretched and undone, and while
you still have some marks of your own righteousness within
your soul, you won't have that clear view of Christ Jesus. Oh, may the Lord set free a few legal-bound sinners this evening,
bound with works, bound with their own acceptance before a
holy God who must then make up the rest. Friends, it's to come,
as the hymn writer says, nothing in my hand I bring. All the while you're coming with
something you won't see the Lord Jesus in all his fullness until
you come to him empty until you come to him naked and just as
you are poor sinner then you'll see then your eye will be fully
open then you'll touch your heart again and it will be love and
love will flow into your soul and it will be He will then be the altogether
lovely one. He will. Oh, that there will
be that clear view of the glorious and precious Saviour who will
receive His sinners to Himself, though they're so full of wretchedness
and sin, this man he he was not he did not deny that he was a
friend of publicans and sinners did he he didn't deny it they
threw it at him as an accusation and he never denied it a friend
of publicans and sinners oh they see him Oh, they see clearly. They see what they were and what
they deserve. And it's this that sinners can
say, and none but they, how precious is the Saviour. Well, unto you
therefore which believe He is precious, isn't He? You believe
you're a guilty, wretched sinner. How precious He is in the salvation
of your soul. and the love that he's shown
in blessing you, opening your eye and bringing you to look
entirely, single eye to him and to his grace. Well he looked
up and he said, I see men as trees walking. We carry on with
verse 25 and after that, He, that is Jesus, put his hands
again upon his eyes, and made him look up, and he was restored,
and saw every man clearly. Oh, to have clear views of him. Amen. After the benediction, we will
sing the doxology. Let us now sing together hymn
number 339. The tune is Indulgence, 547. O my distrustful heart, how small
thy faith appears, but greater, Lord, thou art than all my doubts
and fears. Did Jesus once upon me shine? Then Jesus is forever mine. Hymn 339, tune indulgence 547. O my distressed heart, how small
thy fate appears! But greater thou art than all
my doubts and fears. Give, Jesus, once upon a wish
I Then Jesus is forever mine Unchangeable his will Whatever be my prey His loving
heart is still I shall not be the slave My soul through many changes
goes, His love no variation knows. The Lord will carry on and perfectly
perform The work thou hast become in
me a sinful one. Middle my fear and sin and woe,
thy spirit will not let me go. The powers of thy grace
and thirst it freely may, I still shall see thy face, and
feel that God is mine. My soul into Thy arms, my God,
I trust I shall be saved at last. Now may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father, the fellowship
and the communion of the Holy Spirit rest and abide with us
each now and for evermore. Amen. We will sing the last verse of
hymn 220, to the tune Celeste 736. This God is the God we adore,
our faithful, unchangeable friend, whose love is as large as his
power, and neither knows measure nor end. It is Jesus, the first
and the last, whose spirit shall guide us safe home, We'll praise
him for all that is past, and trust him for all that's to come. It hath been the Lord we adore,
A cradle of unchangeable prayer. Whose love is as loud as his pow'r, And night
and day shall o'er him ring. It is Jesus, the first and the
last, whose spirit shall guide us safe home. We'll praise him
for all that is past, and trust Him for all that's to come.