We'll just commence our service
this evening by singing together hymn number 394. The tune is
Chalmouth 867. what various hindrances we meet
in coming to the mercy seat, yet who that knows the worth
of prayer, but wishes to be often there. Hymn 394, tune Charmeth,
867. Glorious pilgrims, let we be,
In glory to the Mass be seen. Yet e'er that knows the worth
of prayer, But wishes to be often there. ? There is a darkened cloud before
? ? Reminds the head of Jacob's soul ? ? It exercised to the
Lord his will ? Faith and love, paint every blessing
from above. Restraining where we cease to
fight, Where makes the Christian armor light, And Satan trebles when he sees the weakest strain
upon his knee. All those that stood with arms
spread wide, Success was found on Israel's right. sky, and ran through weary, lest
they fail, that rode a camel in grail. Have you no Words of thinking
Words for a place where you can play And fill your flattered
preacher's ears With the sad tale of all your
care. The half the breadth that vainly
spent to heaven's suffocation center. Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God in the book of Genesis and
chapter 32. Genesis chapter 32. And Jacob went on his way, and
the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, He said,
this is God's host. And he called the name of that
place, Mahanaim. And Jacob sent messengers before
him to Esau, his brother, unto the land of Seir, the country
of Edom. And he commanded them, saying,
thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau. Thy servant Jacob saith
thus. I have sojourned with labour
and stayed there until now, and I have oxen and asses and flocks
and menservants and womenservants, and I have sent to tell my Lord
that I may find grace in thy sight.' And the messengers returned
to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he
cometh to meet thee, and 400 men with him. Then Jacob was
greatly afraid and distressed, and he divided the people that
was with him and the flocks and herds and the camels into two
bands and said, if he shall come to the one company and smite
it, then the other company which is left shall escape. And Jacob said, O God of my father
Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which said unto
me, Return unto thy country and to thy kindred, and I will deal
well with thee. I am not worthy of the least
of all the mercies and of all the truths which thou hast showed
unto thy servant. For with my staff I passed over
this Jordan and now I am become two bands. Deliver me, I pray
thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I
fear him, lest he will come and smite me and the mother with
the children. And thou saidst, I will surely
do thee good. I make thy seed as the sand of
the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude. and he lodged
there that same night and took of that which came to his hand,
a present for he saw his brother, 200 she-goats and 20 he-goats,
200 ewes and 20 rams, 30 milk camels with their colts, 40 kine
and 10 bulls, 20 she-asses and ten foals, and he delivered them
into the hand of his servants. Every drove by themselves, and
said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space
betwixt drove and drove. And he commanded the foremost,
saying, When he saw my brother, meeteth thee, and asketh thee,
saying, Whose art thou? And whither goest thou, and whose
are these before thee? Then thou shalt say, They be
thy servant Jacob's. It is a present sent unto my
Lord Esau, and behold, also he is behind us. And so commanded
he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves,
saying on this manner, Shall ye speak unto Esau when ye find
him? And say ye moreover that, Behold,
thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him
with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see
his face. Peradventure he will accept at
me. So when the present over before
him and himself lodged that night in the company. And he rose up
that night and took his two wives and his two women servants and
his eleven sons and passed over the brook Jabbok. And he took
them and sent them over the brook and sent over that he had. And Jacob was left alone. and
there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the
hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out
of joint as he wrestled with him. And he said, let me go,
for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee
go, except thou bless me.' And he said unto him, What is thy
name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be
called no more Jacob, but Israel. For as a prince hast thou power
with God, and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him,
and said, tell me, I pray thee thy name. And he said, wherefore
is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of
the place Peniel, for I have seen God face to face, and my
life is preserved. And as he passed over Peniel,
the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. Therefore
the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which
is upon the hollow of the thigh unto this day, because he touched
the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank. May the Lord bless that portion
of his own precious word and grant unto us a spirit of real
prayer. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,
which is an art, an art to come. We are a company of poor sinners,
the fallen sons and daughters of Adam, unclean, unrighteous,
altogether. We read in thy word, O Lord,
solemnly echoed the truth of it in our hearts. There is none
that doeth good, no, not one. Oh, we do pray that thou wouldst
condescend in thy infinite mercy to meet with us here tonight,
to speak to our hearts, to guide us by thy counsel and afterward
receive us unto glory. May we know that gracious preparation
for glory For eternity, prepare me, gracious God, to stand before
thy face. Thy spirit must the work perform,
for it is all of grace. Oh, do come and bless us this
night. What is the hell so lord to me,
unless the master I can see? We come and seek and hope to
find, a portion for our soul. We pray that the bread of life
may be broken, the water of life may be poured
forth, that we may drink, that we may eat, that we may partake
of the gospel table, and that thou would speak to our very
hearts. Guide us, O thou great Jehovah, We're pilgrims in a
barren land. We are weak, but thou art mighty. Hold us with thy powerful hand.
Oh, we pray most gracious Lord that thou would remember us as
a church and as a congregation and work mightily, powerfully,
effectually to the great glory of thy name among us here in
this village in the surrounding villages and hamlets. Bring our
sons from far, and our daughters from the ends of the earth. Grant
the pulling down of the strongholds of Satan, the setting up of the
kingdom of the Lord Jesus in the hearts of sinners. Grant
thy rich blessing upon the word of the Lord distributed, that
it may be a seed sown into good ground, that shall bring forth
good fruit, some 40, some 60, some 100 fold. Gracious God,
come and bless us. Come and spread the gospel table.
Come and make one in our midst. Speak, Lord, for thy servant
heareth. We desire to hear thy voice.
We desire to see thy countenance. We desire to worship in thy holy
hill of Zion. We pray to be led, guided, and
directed by the Spirit. O most gracious Lord, I have
said, as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons
of God. Oh, to be truly led of the Spirit
here tonight, and to feel thy presence. In
thy presence I am happy. In thy presence I am secure.
In thy presence I can easily all things endure. Gracious God,
help us to endure unto the end. Help us to watch unto prayer.
Help us to cleave to thee, to look to thee. As thou not said,
look unto me all ye ends of the earth and be ye saved, for I
am God and there is none else. Lord, we pray that thou wouldst
pour upon us now the spirit of grace and of supplications with
thanksgiving, that we may see thy work and thy power and thy
glory as thou usest to be in the sanctuary. Thy blessing may
rest upon us as a congregation. O Lord, do hear us. Remember
the little ones and the children that come into the sanctuary
and bless them with that rich grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Remember the dear young friends and graciously bless them. Bring
them to living faith in Jesus Christ. Cause them by thy grace
to follow thee and to serve thee in their day and in their generation.
Deliver us from every evil way. every unrighteous way. Deliver
us, O Lord, from walking in sparks of our own kindling. O, but grant
that thou wouldst send out thy light and thy truth, and let
them lead me, let them guide me. Lord Jesus, thou didst say,
I am the light of the world. O, may that light shine here
tonight, the glorious light of the person and work, power and
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Word that was made
flesh and dwelt among us. Oh, we pray that thou wouldst
graciously bless us, grant signs to follow the preaching of the
Word, grant the in-gathering of precious souls, grant that
that foundation may be laid in each heart, of the foundation
can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus. Thou art the eternal rock of
ages. Thou art able to do abundantly
more than we can even ask or think. Thou hast said, open thy
mouth wide and I will fill it. Lord, we pray that thou wouldst
grant thy richest blessing to rest upon all in the midst of
the journey of life. Parents give them guidance and
direction and help to go in that right way. That way, the city
of habitation. And that we read, he led them
forth by the right way. Oh, that the word of truth may
be our guide. And that even tonight it may
be a word of instruction. a word of guidance, a word of
blessing, a word that will enlighten and renew and revive and replenish. O gracious God, do incline thine
ear. We do humbly beseech of thee. But we pray, most gracious Lord,
to be with those of us in the evening time of life's journey. and graciously enable us to commit
all things into thy kind and gracious hands, and that thou wouldst grant signs
to follow the preaching of the word, and that thy people may
be built up in their most holy faith, and that the word preached
may be in power in the Holy Ghost, and with much assurance grant
it, Lord. If the trumpet give an uncertain
sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? May there be that
certain, that sure sound, and may there be that gracious preparation
for the time of our departure withdraweth nigh. Hear us, O
God, we do humbly beseech thee. We think of dear Ina at home
in her old age, pray that thou wouldst bless and be with her.
Support and sustain her. Remember all in the path of affliction
that thy healing hand, thy healing mercies may be put forth. Hear us, Lord. How many times
you read in the Gospels of those that came in great need unto
thee, Lord Jesus, and thou didst heal them all. Oh, that we may. We may know that healing. Heal
us, Emmanuel, here we are, waiting to feel thy touch. Deep-wounded
souls to thee repair, and, Saviour, we are such. We pray thy blessing,
dearest Lord, that it may rest upon all thy servants as they
labour in word and doctrine. Strengthen them, help them, grant
a door of utterance and a spirit of power. And we pray Thee, the
great Lord of the harvest, that Thou wouldst send true labourers
into the harvest, that Thou wouldst build the walls of Jerusalem.
O gracious God, help us and grant us that determination to know
nothing among men, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. O that
Thou wouldst graciously bless us. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou would remember all thy servants in all their various
conditions, concerns. Help them, Lord. Help them to
look to thee and to cleave to thee. We do humbly beseech of
thee. And we seek, most gracious God,
that thou in thy great mercy would remember Our little group
of churches, they'll see us the great falling away, the great
withholding, the diminishing in numbers. Arise, arise, oh
God of grace. It has been a little favored
group of churches. And is there not a cause, a reason
for that withholding? Oh, gracious God. Let us see
thy work. Let us see thy power. Instead
of the closing of chapels, may we see the building of chapels.
Instead of declining congregations, may we see expanding congregations. May thy servants take pleasure
in her stones and favour the dust thereof. May it please thee
to bring us to real repentance, godly sorrow for our sins, that
we may acknowledge our sin, and our iniquity, and our unworthiness
of the least of thy tender mercies. But, O God, arise. We do humbly
beseech thee, and remember thy Zion. Turn our captivity, O Lord,
as the streams in the south. Hearken, Lord. Lord, we do pray
that we remember our nation, Remember all thy people within
this nation. Wherever thy gospel is preached
and thy people gather, remember them for good. Thou didst speak to thy servant
Elijah. Are there not seven thousand
that have not bowed the knee to Baal? Gracious God, do help
us to trust in thee. We do humbly beseech thee. Trust
in thy faithfulness, thy lovingkindness, thy power and thy grace. Lord,
we do pray that thou in thy great mercy remember those who worship
thee in other nations where the name of Christ is hated. Thy
people are persecuted and afflicted. Gracious God, we do pray that
thou would remember us. that thou wilt remember thy Zion,
thy people. We thank thee for the wonderful
glories of Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
We thank thee that he's able to do abundantly more than we
can even ask or think. We thank thee that he is God
over all and blesses forevermore. We thank thee that God so loved
the world, he gave his only begotten son. O the profound glory of
the incarnation of the Son of God, we thank thee that he has
put away sin by the offering of himself, and in that holy
life he lived he has brought in everlasting righteousness
for his people. He has magnified the law and
made it honourable. We thank thee that he died for
our sins and rose again for our justification. O most gracious Lord, we do thank
Thee, for I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor
powers, nor principalities shall be able to separate us from the
love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. We thank Thee
that Jesus is coming again to receive His bride unto Himself. O gracious God, May we be found
looking and hasting unto that great day. Lord, come and touch one's lips
with the live coal from off the heavenly altar. Come and speak
to our hearts. For Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 749. The tune is Saint Anatolius, 555. I hear a righteous
man, a prophet good and great, In deep distress complain, and
thus is grief relayed. I call on God and cry and shout,
but all my prayer he shutteth out. Hymn 749 to Saint Anatolius,
555. ? And God's eternal praise ? ?
In deepest wisdom plain ? ? And justice free we raise ? I could not go and cry and shout,
but all my prayer he shouted out. He Christ hath rise again, and
yet no answers come. He shouts aloud through heav'n
and still the Lord is come. And Jesus speaks truth of His
cruce. that every truth will say, be
great in heaven's hope and glorious O'er the ramparts
we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red
glare, the bombs bursting in air, It rises on the hill, When his
finch-tiples cry, He opened every door, and counted
every sign. of God, with hopes and prepared
music. He lends a dancing hand And gives
a secret word Which keeps them waiting still Till he complete death come.
So let we raise our boldest way, And trust him till the end. Gregor, feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I would direct your attention to Genesis chapter
32, reading verse 26. Genesis 32, verse 26. And he said, let me go, for the
day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee
go, except thou bless me. Wrestling prayer can wonders
do, bring relief in deepest strains. Prayer can force a passage through
iron bars and brazen gates. For with God, nothing shall be
impossible. I often mention to you Lady Lucy
Smith, and I'm being introduced to someone
who said, you're that woman of great faith. Oh no, she said. I have a little faith in a great
God. You know, friends, that is the
right way of looking at it. I have a little faith in a great
God. And it's faith in that great
God. It's faith in that almighty God. It's faith in Jesus Christ. Faith that worketh by love. Prayer gives exercise to faith
and love and brings down blessings from above. have before us the life of Jacob. And my mind in meditating here,
it kept going back to Jacob at Bethel, and as far as we can
discern in Holy Scripture, that was the first time, this is in
chapter 28, that was the first time that the Lord had met in
a personal way with Jacob. He left home, and in verse 10, Jacob went out
from Beersheba and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a
certain place and tarried there all night, because the sun was
set. And he took up the stones of
that place and put them for his pillows. And he lay down in that
place to sleep. And he dreamed, which is sung in our first hymn.
Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw. And he dreamed, and behold
a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to
heaven, Christ. Christ. That's what is in the
ladder. It's set up on earth. and the
top of it reached to heaven. Prayer, prayer makes the Christian's
armor bright. It does. Oh, he pray in solace. One of the marks and evidences
of that divine life in Saul of Tarsus, behold, he prayed. He probably prayed formal prayers
all his life. He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees.
But this is something different. Behold, he prayeth, he prays
from the heart. He prays from the innermost feelings
of his soul. He prays because he's been given
spiritual life. You hath he quickened who were
dead, Saul of Tarsus. Behold, he prayeth. You see,
my beloved friends, a praying soul is a living soul. Prayer's
a weapon for the feeble. It is weakest souls that wield
it best. It's that little faith in a great
God. It's a little faith in the Almighty. It's a little faith in Him that
is able to do abundantly more than we can even ask or think. Just a little faith. The little that a righteous man
hath is better than the riches of many wicked. Now this ladder, this meeting
between Jacob and God, and this dream that he had of
this ladder set up on the earth and the top of it reached to
heaven and behold the angels of god
ascending and descending on it something going on between heaven
and earth there's only one way that can happen that's in christ
there is one god and one mediator between god and man The man Christ
Jesus who gave his life at ransom for all to be testified in due
time. It's the only approach we have
to God. For through him, that's Christ, we have access by one
spirit unto the Father. The angels of God. Christ speaking
in his teachings, he says concerning the Lord's little ones, the Lord's
children, Here upon earth, he said, it's not the angel beholding
my father in heaven, the angel of the Lord. He will give his
angels charge over thee. We know in a primary sense that's
a prophecy concerning Christ. He will give his angels charge
over thee. It's true of every child of God. Angels are heavenly
messengers. As Paul tells us in Hebrews chapter
1, are they not ministering spirits sent forth to minister them that
be the heirs of salvation? This is what, this is how Jacob's
eyes were opened to see. And this ladder, and ascending
into heaven, and behold the Lord stood above it. and said, I am
the Lord, God, Lord God of Abraham, thy father, and the God of Isaac,
the land were on their lives. To thee will I give it, and to
thy seed. What a wonderful promise, wasn't
it? The Lord met him. The Lord speaks to him. And then
he promises, and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth. necessarily just mean the natural
seed of Jacob. It does mean that, but it's the
spiritual seed. The Christian believer today
is the spiritual seed of Abraham. It's made clear in the gospels,
very clear. And hence he says that his seed
shall be as the dust of the earth. Thou shalt spread forth to the
west and to the east, to the north and to the south. And in
thee, and in thy seed, shall all the families of the earth
be blessed. What a meeting, was it? What
a wonderful meeting. And behold. You know, when we
read the word behold, it's drawing our attention in a very special
way. What is to follow? And what follows? I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places
whither thou goest, and I will bring thee again into this land,
for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have
spoken to thee of. I will not leave thee. See, I
am with thee. And those wonderful words we
think of in Isaiah, that well-known promise in Isaiah 41, fear not,
I am with thee. Be not dismayed, I am thy God. I will help thee, I will uphold
thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Wonderful, sacred
promises that the Lord gives unto his people. there when he
calls and now here we have Jacob returning there in chapter 28 we see a
journey out when he left his father's house the Lord met with
him at Bethel it's called Bethel because Jacob said this is none
other than the house of God and the very gate of heaven where the Lord met It was a place
that he would never forget. 20 years later, notice that. 20 years later, he returned. And what we have in our chapter
here is Jacob's return after 20 years. And all the various
things that he passed through between time. He served seven
years for Leah. being deceived. He served another
seven years for Rachel. Then he served another six years.
And Laban saw that everything his hand touched, it was almost
if it turned to gold. He saw the Lord's blessing was
on Jacob. And he prospered greatly because
of the Lord's blessing that was on Jacob. And now Jacob is returning. And the Lord is with him. We notice here in verse 24, and
Jacob was left alone. And there wrestled a man with
him until the breaking of the day. It's quite important, friends,
that we notice, because often it's portrayed that Jacob wrestled
with the man. But, you know, the way it's portrayed
in Scripture is the man wrestled with him. And this man is none
other than a manifestation of Jesus, the Son of God. Long before
his incarnation, he comes to Jacob. And he wrestles
with him. Jacob was a schemer. Jacob was
a deceiver. Jacob, he had this plan and that
plan and another plan. He was going to do this, he was
going to do that, but he had to come alone. He saw his brother
was coming to meet him, vowing, vowing to slay him. He was. But he was all alone
here. One hymn writer says, doesn't
he, for tis decreed that most must walk the darkest paths alone. And do you feel alone? Do you
feel lonely? And Jacob was left alone, and
there wrestled a man with him. You know, and it says here in
verse 28, and he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob,
but Israel. For as a prince hast thou power
with God and with men, and hast prevailed. He prevailed in prayer. This is what we have in our text.
It's really the last part, of course, that was resting so much
on my spirit. And he said, I will not let thee
go, Accept thou bless me. Accept thou bless me. Rest me. Perseverance in prayer. Looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of faith, he was wrestling the man, the Son of
God here was wrestling with Jacob. He says, for as a prince hast
thou power with God, You see, my beloved friends, in the prophecy
of Hosea, it speaks there in the 12th chapter, verses three
to six. This is concerning Jacob. And
he took his brother by the heel in the womb. And by his strength,
he had power with God. This is how we know that this
man that wrestled with him was a manifestation of Christ. Yea,
he had power over the angel and prevailed. He wept and made supplication
unto him. He found him in Bethel, we've
just referred to that. And there he spake with us, even
the Lord God of hosts. The Lord is his memorial. Therefore
turn thou to thy God, keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy
God continually. What a word of exhortation that
is, isn't it? And wait on thy God continually. We just sung that hymn and of
course it refers to Jeremiah. I cry and shout and all my prayer
is shut it out. That's how Jeremiah felt. Doesn't
mean to say he had a right feeling, doesn't mean to say it was a
wrong feeling. The Lord will hear the prayers of his people.
And in due time, in his own time, he will answer them. It's not
that he doesn't hear the prayers. It's not that he ignores the
prayers. But there is a set time to favour Zion. And it's the
Lord's time, not our time. And he will send deliverance.
Or that the Lord would give us that faith that worketh by love,
to believe, to trust, to look, to watch, to wait. Wait on the
Lord. Be of good courage. Wait, I say,
upon the Lord. That's the grace that we need,
isn't it? To wait upon the Lord. And he said, let me go, for the
day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee
go, except thou bless me. You know, the Lord Jesus Christ,
in his teachings, in Luke chapter 18, he gives us a instruction
there concerning prayer, and concerning continuing prayer,
waiting in prayer, or that the Lord would indeed instruct us
to see and to believe and to know these things. And he spake
a parable unto them to this end, that men are always to pray and
not to faint. My dear beloved friends, I heard
a man give an opinion once, and he said, well, you can't always
pray. This is the exhortation. Men
are always to pray. These are the words of Christ.
And this parable is given to exhort us to pray, and continually
to pray, and to watch on to prayer. The exhortation is watch and
pray, watch and pray. To watch on to prayer, not just
to pray and then forget all about it, but to watch on to prayer.
To look for the answers of the things that you've been praying
for. That is what it is to watch on to prayer. You see, Doesn't it say? And give him no rest. And give
him no rest. No. And he spake a parable unto
this end, that men are always to pry and not to faint. How soon we're ready to faint.
How soon we're ready to give up. Then he gives us an illustration
here. saying that there was in a city
a judge which feared not God neither regarded man. And there
was a widow in that city and she came unto him saying avenge
me of mine adversary and he would not for a while but afterward
he said within himself though I fear not God nor regard man
yet because this widow troubleth me I will avenge her lest by
her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, hear what
the unjust judge said, and shall not God avenge his own elect,
which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with
them? I tell you, he will avenge them
speedily. He will avenge them speedily.
He will hear, and he will answer. Again, Let us hear the words
of Jesus. Ask and you shall receive. Seek
and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened
unto you. Whatsoever ye ask in prayer, believe and ye shall
receive. You see, he that cometh unto
God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek him. My dear beloved friends, don't
give up. Don't turn back, keep looking,
keep watching, keep waiting, keep praying. And he gives us
a parable here in Luke 18, a parable that we need to lay to heart.
And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves,
that they were righteous and despised others. And we need
delivering from that spirit. trusting in ourselves, despising
others, thinking that we're better. Two men went up into the temple
to pray. The one a Pharisee, the other
a publican. Publican is a tax collector,
renowned for being notoriously corrupt. getting themselves rich,
taking, instead of putting it all to the government, paying
themselves plenty. The Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself. Now just consider that, friends.
He thought he was praying to God. The Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself. God, I thank thee that I'm not
as other men are, extortions, unjust, adulterous, Or even as
this publican, I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I possess. I do this, I do that, I do something
else. And the publican, standing afar
off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but
smote upon his breasts, saying, God, Be merciful to me, a sinner. You see the difference between
these two men? One was self-righteous, one didn't
need anything. The other, such a deep sense
of his sinfulness, his wretchedness, his helplessness, could not so
much as lift his eyes up onto heaven, smote upon his breast, saying,
God, be merciful to me a sinner. And listen to the words of the
Lord Jesus, I tell you, this man, that is the publican, went
down to his house justified. What does it mean to be justified? To be declared to be without
sin? Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Justified in Jesus Christ. Justified through Jesus Christ. Justified by Jesus Christ. Declared to be without sin because
of the precious blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. Abraham believed God and it was
counted unto him for righteousness. or that we may be given believing
views of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten
Son of the Father. I tell you, this man went down
to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone
that exhorteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth
himself shall be exhorted. And they brought unto him also
infants. You see, these things, my beloved
friends, are written for our encouragement. They brought unto him infants,
that he would touch them, but his disciples saw it and they
rebuked them. But Jesus called them unto him. What a wonderful thing. Even
little children, but Jesus called them unto him. Suffer little children to come
unto me, and forbid them not, for as such is the kingdom of
God. Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom
of God as a little child, shall in no wise enter therein. It says in another place then,
except you become a little child, ye shall in no wise enter the
kingdom of heaven. You know, the Lord makes his
people like little children. They're brought into humble dependence
upon him. They feel their poverty, their
insufficiency. their need of salvation, they
feel their sinfulness, but they're brought to look alone to Jesus
Christ. You know, my beloved friend,
what we have here for our text tonight, and he said, I will
not let thee go except thou bless me. It's importunity in prayer. I will not let thee go, except
thou bless me. And then the last clause of verse
29. And he blessed him there. And he blessed him there. He
was left alone. He was brought to the end of
all his own devices. He, In his way, he planned everything
and he caused his servants and the sheep and the oxen, etc. to go before him and to say,
this is a present from my brother Esau. And then he was left alone. And the angel came and wrestled
with him and brought him utterly to the end of himself. He touched
the whole of Ifar. He could no longer walk on the
hollow of his thigh. And in verse 28, and he said, that is
the angel of Christ, thy name shall be called no more Jacob,
but Israel, for as a prince hast thou power with God and with
men, and hast prevailed, and has prevailed. And he blessed
him there. to prevail in prayer. You know, we read of it in the
Word of God. I think of the Epistle of James,
the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Then it gives you the illustration
of Elijah, or as it says in James, how that he prayed that it might
not rain upon the earth. And it rained not for three years
and six months. And then he prayed that it would
rain on the earth and it rained on the earth. The effectual fervent
prayer. The Lord is a prayer hearing
and a prayer answering God. Oh that the Lord will enable
us to pray to look, to watch, to wait, to plead the precious
promises, all the promises of God, aye, aye, and amen in Christ
Jesus, but to plead those promises. When we go in prayer unto the
Lord, I think it's in the book of Job, isn't it? Take with you
words, take with you words, crying unto the Lord, looking unto Jesus. pouring out your soul unto the
Lord. See, you read it in the book
of Psalms, again and again. How the Psalmist, he poured out
his soul unto the Lord. He was brought into great straits,
places of great danger. He took to prayer. He took to calling upon the name
of the Lord and the Lord heard him and helped him and sustained
him. He says in one place, let my
prayer come before thee as incense. Incense in the tabernacle worship
represents prayer. On the day of atonement, when
the high priest went into the Holy of Holies, he took with
him the golden censer and the precious
spices in that golden censer. He put red hot coals from the
fire in the orchard and he poured those spices, those blended spices
special for the sanctuary. He poured them onto the red hot
coals and the smoke and the aroma filled the place, filled the
place. That beautifully represents Christ. It represents a crucified saviour. It does. The red-hot coals represent
the wrath of God burning, the vindictive wrath of God burning
against Jesus, the Son of God, manifest in the flesh. That is what is typified in that
incense. And David, he says, let my prayer
be set forth before thee as incense. You see, perfumed with the merits
of Christ. That's what it is to be set forth
before these incense, perfumed with the merits of Christ. I
can no denial take when I plead for Jesus' sake. For Jesus' sake. We read in Revelation
chapter 8 and verse 3, And another angel came out and stood at the
altar, having a golden censer, and there was given unto him
much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of
all saints. That incense is beautifully typical
of the person, work, power and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
his sufferings. And that he should offer it with
all the prayers of all saints, upon the golden altar which is
before the throne, and the smoke of the incense which came with
the prayers of the saints ascended up before God out of the angel's
hand. You see, my beloved friends,
the Lord has appointed a place of prayer. The Lord has given
a throne of grace. Sitting on that throne is the
great king and head of the church, Jesus, the Son of God. For such
an high priest have we, who is passed into the heavens and it's
his merits that prevail, not yours, not mine. Whatsoever you ask in prayer,
believe and ye shall receive. Perfumed in the precious merits
of Jesus Christ, the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ.
That's what this incense represents. That's what David means when
he says, let my prayer be set forth before this incense. I think we mentioned on Lord's
Day of Noah coming out of the ark, offering those clean beasts
and the Lord smelled a sweet smell. Why? Because it was offered
in faith. What was the sweet smell he smelled?
The offering of Christ on Calvary. That's what it typified. That's
what it pointed to. That's what Noah believed in.
Noah was a man of God, a man of faith, a man of grace. Even
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. He trusted in him. You see, the
Lord's people, Jacob, trusted in him. And Jacob was left alone. And there rested a man with him
until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed
not against him, he tucked the hollow of his thigh, and the
hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with
him. And he said, let me go, for the
day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee
go, except thou bless me, all that the Lord would grant us.
Remember the words we've read. Men are always to pray, not to
faint. Does Satan tempt thee to give
up? No more in Jesus' name to trust. Does he tempt you that
is no good praying? You see, the devil was a liar
from the beginning. Does he try and hinder you from
praying? And do we not read in the Hebrews,
we looked at it on the Lord's day, Hebrews chapter three, harden
not your hearts, as in the day of provocation, in the day of
temptation, in the wilderness, harden not your hearts. Oh, that
the Lord would give us, like he gave to Jacob at Bethel, a
sense of his love, a sense of his mercy, a revelation of Christ. The Son of Man is come to seek
and to save that which was lost. Wherefore, he is able to save
to the uttermost all that come unto God by seeing he ever liveth. And because Jesus sits on that
throne, let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace
that we may obtain mercy. Remember the words of Jesus,
men are always to pray and not to faint. It's a battle that
we're in. The devil will tempt you, it's
no good praying. My dear beloved friends, keep
praying. I will not let thee go, except
thou bless me. Oh, that the Lord would give
us this same impetuity hoping against hope, just like Abraham
did, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame thereof, and is now set down at the right
hand of the majesty on high. And he said, I will not let thee
go, except thou Bless me. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 397. The tune is Leeds 476. What various hindrances we meet
In coming to the mercy seat Yet who that knows the worth of prayer
But wishes to be often there Hymn 394, tune Leeds, 476. As
the seed has grown, there can grow him in the sand. And his nation praise and song
? Ascend the hills of every land ? ? Indeed they feel
they are ? ? But they know not ? ? Fragile grace ? ? And the
comfort of God's hand ? ? Has set me free ? Namo'valokiteshvaraya Namo'valokiteshvaraya
? The earth's old nest ? ? Has
to break ? ? And again ? ? I'll call him name ? ? Bless him,
Brackett ? ? One of two ? ? We believe in
deepest grace ? ? Reckon for sure as it's true ? ? Guide and
guide us ? ? From grace and grace ? ? God
our Father ? ? Believe us, Lord ? ? Let us never ? ? Waste this
day ? and thy sweet experience, Lord God of our holy land, we
live. 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 forevermore. Amen.