the notices for the week. If the Lord will, pastor will
preach next Lord's Day at 10.30 and 2 o'clock. Pastor will also
preach on Thursday evening at 7 o'clock. There will be a prayer
meeting on Tuesday evening at 7 o'clock. May the Lord help us to commence
our worship today with hymn number 302, the tune Hillmartin 713. If unto Jesus thou art bound,
a crowd about him will be found, attending day and night, a worldly
crowd to din thy ears, and crowds of unbelieving fears to hide
him from thy sight. Hymn 302. ? When Jesus died on the cross
? ? And on the cross Him will be found ? ? God shed His grace
on earth and heaven above ? He crowns you in thine ears,
and crowns all the weary with tears, who cry him from thy side. ? In an icy well ? ? His heart
was thin and iron-clad ? ? And his lips were full of lies ?
? The rest of the crowd will die
? ? For if the faith to Jesus cry ? ? The meek and senseless
shall die ? And more, O may not Thou wilt
do, A frost that day be gone? They stand by proudly first,
and passing through a thousand words, they get to hear me howl. to run the race, and in the crowd
to check their place, God only run with sin. ? Of many men turned on their knees
? ? Their case and their ruin they missed ? ? Which we desire
still ? O say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? ? I plan to hear my early creed
? ? Golden or blue, the single stem ? ? Young or old, that's
how I'll choose to be ? As the Lord may be pleased to
help us, we'll read from two portions of God's holy word from
the Book of the Psalms, Psalm 9 and Psalm 25. The Book of the Psalms, Psalm
9. I will praise thee, O Lord, with
my whole heart. I will show forth all thy marvellous
works. I will be glad and rejoice in
thee. I will sing praise to thy name,
O thou most high. When mine enemies are turned
back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence. For thou hast
maintained my right and my cause. Thou sattest in the throne, judging
right. Thou hast rebuked the heathen.
Thou hast destroyed the wicked. Thou hast put out their name
forever and ever. O thou enemy, Destructions are
come to a perpetual end, and thou hast destroyed cities. Their
memorial is perished with them. But the Lord shall endure forever. He hath prepared his throne for
judgment, and he shall judge the world
in righteousness. he shall minister judgment to
the people in uprightness. The Lord also will be a refuge
for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that
know thy name will put their trust in thee, for thou, Lord,
hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Sing praises to the Lord, which
dwelleth in Zion. Declare among the people his
doings. When he maketh inquisition for
blood, he remembereth them. He forgetteth not the cry of
the humble. Have mercy upon me, O Lord. Consider my trouble, which I
suffer of them that hate me. Thou that liftest me up from
the gates of death, that I may show forth all thy praise in
the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in thy salvation. The heathen are sunk down in
the pit that they made. In the net which they hid is
their own foot taken. The Lord is known by the judgment
which he executes. The wicked is snared in the work
of his own hands. Higeion, or meditation, Selah. The wicked shall be turned into
hell, and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall
not always be forgotten, The expectation of the poor shall
not perish forever. Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail. Let the heathen be judged in
thy sight. Put them in fear, O Lord, that
the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah. Now turn to the 25th. psalm the 25th psalm a psalm of david unto thee oh lord do i lift up
my soul oh my god i trust in thee let me not be ashamed Let
not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on
thee be ashamed. Let them be ashamed which transgress
without cause. Show me thy ways, O Lord. Teach me thy paths. Lead me in
thy truth and teach me. for Thou art the God of my salvation. On Thee do I wait all the day. Remember, O Lord, Thy tender
mercies and Thy lovingkindnesses, for they have been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth,
nor my transgressions. According to Thy mercy, Remember
thou me for thy goodness' sake, O Lord. Good and upright is the
Lord. Therefore will he teach sinners
in the way. The meek will he guide in judgment,
and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the Lord
are mercy and truth. unto such as keep his covenant
and his testimonies. For thy name's sake, O Lord,
pardon mine iniquity, for it is great. What man is he that
feareth the Lord? Him shall he teach in the way
that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease,
and his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the Lord
is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant.
Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he shall pluck my feet
out of the net. Turn thee unto me and have mercy
upon me, for I am desolate and afflicted, The troubles of my
heart are enlarged. Oh, bring thou me out of my distresses. Look upon mine affliction and
my pain and forgive all my sins. Consider mine enemies, for they
are many, and they hate me with cruel hatred. Oh, keep my soul
and deliver me Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in
thee. Let integrity and uprightness
preserve me, for I wait on thee. Redeem Israel, O God, out of
all his troubles. May the Lord add his blessing
on the reading of his holy word. May he help and teach us to pray. O Thou most holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty, to whom we approach at the throne of grace. O Lord, we come. Lord, hear this
Lord's Day morning as a company of poor sinners. O Lord, that
is all that we can ascribe ourselves to. Lord, we come unto thee. Lord, hear once more at the beginning
of another Lord's Day. O Lord, we come unto thee as
that mediator and that intercessor through thine own dear Son as
a mediator and intercessor and as that friend of sinners. And
O Lord, we come with all our need once more. Lord, as we come
to the throne of grace and as we begin another Lord's day,
Lord of worship, may we come, Lord, Our praises too, for Lord
thou hast lengthened out the brittle threads of each of our
lives, Lord, down to another Lord's day. Thou hast allowed
us once more to come and worship Thee, and O Lord, may we come
with those right desires to crown Thee, Lord of all. May we come
too, Lord, with our needs, our hungerings, our thirstings, and
Lord, do not send any empty away, but Lord, grant unto each one
Lord, a cup that runneth over. Lord, and though there may be
those that may feel to go away this Lord's day, saying, well,
I have not got my cup running over, but Lord, may they be granted. A crumb of mercy then, no Lord,
and may there be that desire here, this Lord's day morning,
with the hymn writer, a crumb of mercy, Lord, I crave. May we come into thy house, Lord,
with those cravings after thee, that coveting earnestly of the
best gifts. Lord, thou knowest how we have
come. Thou knowest, Lord, all about
each one of us. Lord, for thou seest into the
very depths of our hearts nothing is hid from thee, and Lord thou
knowest how we have come, whether out of mere formality, whether
dry and dead, whether lifeless, Lord, or whether we have come
with our needs, whether we have come with our hungering and thirsting,
Whether we have come, Lord, with our tomorrow, with all our future
before us, Lord, Thou knowest the needs of each one, and, Lord,
those that may have come into Thy house this Lord's Day. with
no concern, Lord, we beg that thou would send them away with
a concern for their never dying soul. And Lord, leave none, Lord,
and send none empty away. But Lord, do not allow the devil
either to steal away thy word. Lord, as we leave thy house,
do not allow him to steal it away. And Lord, as we sit in
thy house and hear the word preached, Lord, thou knowest so often the
devil can be at our right hand to resist us, drive him away
from us, Lord, keep him from us, and help us, Lord, to have
our eyes and our minds fixed on thee, Lord, for these few
hours in a week that we seek to come and worship thee. Lord,
draw us away from all the things of time for a few moments, Lord. Lord, thou knowest those things
that may weigh heavily upon us, And Lord, may cause much thinking
and much cogitating, but Lord, we do beg of thee that thou wouldst
draw us away from them and that our eyes might be on Jesus fixed. Here this Lord's day, Lord, we
have come to worship thee. And Lord, leave us not, as it
were, to bring in the buyers and the sellers into thy house,
into our hearts either, Lord. For Lord, thou knowest our hearts
are like a den of thieves. Lord, they are like a cage of
unclean birds. Lord, come and drive it all out. Lord, come and purge us, Lord,
with this. that we may be clean, wash us,
that we may be whiter than snow. And, O Lord, do come then and
enter into our hearts. Thou knowest, Lord, the paths
that each and every one, Lord, hear this Lord's day, and those
that may be listening in. Thou knowest what they have walked
in. Thou knowest what thou hast led them in. And, O Lord, thou
knowest just what their hearts need, Lord, and needed to prepare
them and their heart, Lord, for thy day. Lord, for thou knowest
what our hearts are by nature. Thou knowest, Lord, how they
are so cold and dead and lifeless and so hard, Lord. O Lord, we
need Thee to come and prepare our hearts, that they may be
found as that good ground, ready to receive the seed of Thy Word. Lord, that it may then bear that
root downward and that fruit upward. And Lord, may Thy Word
go forth, Lord, this day with that power of the Holy Spirit.
Lord, Only thou canst give it, and, Lord, thou knowest, O how
this poor sinner, as it were, can beat the air. We can raise
our voice, we can Do whatever, but, Lord, if it is not applied,
and thy word is not applied by the Holy Spirit, Lord, then it
will fall to the ground, and, O Lord, it will return unto thee
void. But thou hast promised, Lord,
in thy word, that thy word will not fall to the ground, and that
thou hast promised, Lord, in thy word, that it will not return
unto thee void. Do then, Lord, send thy word
by the power of the Spirit into the hearts of thy dear people,
and may they be found, Lord, here this Lord's Day, as awaiting
people, waiting to be fed. And, O Lord, and Lord, that may
there be those whose heart thou hast prepared by the Holy Spirit,
and Lord, that then thy word enter into that heart that is
being prepared, that it may be applied by the Holy Spirit, sealed
by the Holy Spirit. Lord, for it is all of the Spirit's
work. Lord, do then come, and Lord,
help there to be that prayer in the pew, that there might
be the power in the pulpit, and that the people, Lord, here may
pray the word out of us. And Lord, that we might be made
Lord's messenger in the Lord's message this day. Lord, these
are great things to ask for. Lord, the hearts of all men are
in thy hands, both preacher and hearer. And, O Lord, thou alone
can direct thy word, direct this poor sinner, Lord, into the cases
and needs of each one. Lord, that there might be those
then here this day that might go on their way rejoicing. that
there might be those here this day convinced and convicted of
sin, that those here this day, Lord, encouraged, guided, directed,
comforted, blessed, Lord, by thy word, Lord, thou knowest
just what is needed for each soul. And Lord, have mercy upon
us then. And do, Lord, open up thy word
to us, Lord. O do break the bread of life
to us, and help us, Lord, to feed upon thy word. Lord, remember and be of the
dear people here then, Lord. I'll be with them and help them,
go on before them as a dear cause of truth that they are, and O
Lord, do bless thy word in their midst, and Lord, do work mightily. And O Lord, in this village too,
Lord, O do cause there to be those so constrained, Lord, to
turn in with them, that they might be given, Lord, an aching
void that no man can fill. And Lord, that they may, out
of curiosity perhaps first, may enter into this house of God,
But Lord, we do beg that thou wouldst breathe then by the Holy
Spirit on this village and the villages and the towns up and
down our land. Lord, that there might be many
turned out of nature's darkness into that marvellous light. Lord,
and do make open blind eyes to see the vanity of all things
here below. O Lord, Thou knowest, Lord, the
hearts of all men and women and children in this town and in
the towns and the villages up and down our land, Lord, are
in Thy hands. None is too far from Thee, none
is too hard for Thee, none is too high and mighty for Thee,
for Thou art no respecter of persons. No, Lord, do then have
mercy on Britain, all guilty as she is. But Lord, we are part
of this guilty nation, and it is our individual sins, Lord,
that make up the collective sins of this nation. And no, Lord,
surely there is more guilt upon our heads, Lord, as professing
Christians. O Lord, have mercy upon us then. O do, Lord, revive us once again. O Lord, God of hosts, and cause
thy face to shine upon us. Help us to be truly repentant
for all our sins, individually, as churches, as a denomination,
Lord, and in Zion. Lord, for we have grieved thee.
And O Lord, as in thy word in years gone by, they grieve thee
then and thou didst bring them very low and oh lord we are found
there now lord revive us once again oh lord god of hosts cause
thy face to shine once more upon us lord remember then each one
Remember the dear pastor, Lord, as the cause of truth here, be
with him where he is. Be with him as he labours this
day, Lord, do help him to be made the Lord's messenger in
the Lord's message once more to never dying souls. Lord, bless
thy word through him. Be with him there. And the cause
at Hanover, Lord, be with them too. Lord, they are brought low
also. Build them up, we beg. But Lord,
remember thy servant, Lord, He is now bereaved of his dear one,
Lord. And remember the family and the
church and people here, Lord, as they no doubt still feel to
mourn the loss of their dear mother, their dear. wife, their
dear sister, Lord. And oh Lord, go before them and
be of the family and help them, Lord, at this time of the year
as those remembrances, those anniversary seasons, those empty
places now, in particular this time of year now. Lord, when
there are those things brought back to their memories perhaps,
Lord, comfort them and support them. Be unto them all that they
feel to need O do, Lord, help them each, and the grandchildren
too, Lord, in all that it means to them. O Lord, have mercy then
on thy servant, Lord, help him and encourage him, support him
and uphold him, O Lord, and help him to feel underneath those
everlasting arms. O Lord, have mercy then on the
young, Lord, that are found here, Lord, we would beg that thou
would keep them, preserve them, watch over them, Have mercy upon
them, Lord, in this day in which they live, Lord, is so much,
to draw them away, to draw them aside, to pollute their poor
young minds. But, Lord, keep them, preserve
them, have mercy upon them, draw them, Lord, by thy resistless
grace whilst young in years. that they may be kept by the
power of God, kept from evil, that it might not grieve thee
or grieve themselves, Lord, in years to come. Have mercy upon
them. Lord, do put that love within
their hearts from a young age. Lord, we do beg for thou knowest
in and of ourselves, left to ourselves, there is no beauty
in thee. But, Lord, do put that desire
within, that aching void within them, Lord, from a young age,
Lord, that they may be drawn to Thee, drawn to Thy Word, drawn
to Thy ways, drawn to Thy house, drawn to Thy people. And, Lord,
have mercy upon them, work mightily within them, Lord, and we fear
what they may yet walk through in their lives, Lord, in this
land. But Lord, do grant unto them those shoes of iron and
brass, as their days, their strength shall be. Lord, remember the
parents, have mercy on them, be with them, Lord. O Lord, grant
all needed wisdom to them. For, Lord, Thou knowest, much
wisdom is needed in this day in which we live. O Lord, do
grant it, we beg. Help us to set that right example
before our children. Lord, we fail so much. But, Lord,
we need Thee to help us to bring up our little ones in that right
way. Oh Lord, do remember those in the midst of life, those perhaps
going out into life, be with them and help them, Lord. In
this day when so much is needed and wanted instantly, Lord grant
all needed help and strength. Do not allow, Lord, the busyness
and the busy scenes of our life to stifle thee, to stifle the
spirit, no, Lord, to deaden the soul. But, Lord, we beg, have
mercy, Lord, on each one of those that may be seeking those suitable
partners in life. Be with them and help them. Go
before them and help them to lay these things before thee.
No, Lord, do seek out for them, Lord, and do direct them to that
husband, that wife appointed by thee. We do beg, Lord, of
thee. Help them to lay it before thee.
Lord, those in the midst of life bearing the heat and the burden
of the day, Lord, help them, support them, go before them,
have mercy upon them, provide for them, Lord, appear for them,
lead them on. We do beg, Lord, of thee. Lord,
remember those in the evening time of life, feelingly drawing
nearer to their journey's end. Lord, help them be with them,
go on before them. And O Lord, strengthen them with
that might within their inner man as they may feel their earthly
body begins to fail, begins to grow weak, but Lord, strengthen
them within. Lord, remember our friend unable
to meet with us here this day. Be with her and help her, strengthen,
support her. Lord, in each one, Lord, that
is not found here through affliction, grant thy healing touch. We do
beg, Lord, of thee, and that they may be found in thy house
once again. Lord, we do beg. Remember then,
Lord, the gatherings of thy people, wherever they are, up and down
thou land and throughout the world, wherever thy word, Lord,
is faithfully preached, Lord, do bless thy word abundantly,
Lord, that it may be said, of Zion this day, it has been a
good day in Zion. And oh Lord, do them remember
our pastor, Lord be with him and help him. Oh Lord, may he
be made the Lord's messenger and the Lord's message this day.
And Lord be with the dear friends at Trowbridge too, Lord help
them, be with them. And be with those, Lord, that
will be taking that reading service this morning, bless thine own
word. Lord, sown perhaps many years ago, But may it be as that
bread cast upon the waters found after many days, and may it be
he being dead yet speaketh. And O Lord, remember thy servant
that hopes to labour among them this afternoon. Lord, be with
him and help him, and grant him thy word, and may there be the
blessing upon him. Do then, Lord, make up in giving
where we have no doubt failed in our ask, and we thank thee,
Lord, for thy journeying mercies to take us home, each one of
us, Lord, at the appointed time in peace and safety. and watch
over us, we beg. Bless the hymns, Lord, and be
with us each now. Leave us not to confusion, Lord,
but Lord, help them to be that pouring out of the Holy Spirit,
Lord, from heaven into this poor sinner and from this poor sinner
into the hearts of thy dear people. Make up in giving then, Lord,
what we do fail in our asking, to pardon what we may have spoken
amiss. For thy great and holy name's sake, amen. Tim, 709. June, Wiltshire, 268. The Lord that made both heaven
and earth, and was himself made man, lay in the womb before his
birth, contracted to a span, hymn 709. He who ever loved and was himself
made man, I in the world ? His birth, contracted to herself. ? ? He came forth, born in Israel,
? the brave Salvation Friars. The strength of love is unrivaled. ? And do His will as well ? ? There comes the sun ? ? And with
its light ? ? Where fragrance so misty ? ? And glowing sea
? ? Gave proof through the night ? ? As heaven ? ? And sea ? ? Expand
to me ? ? The meaning of ? ? The tempted flame ? O'er the land
of the free and the home of the brave? Oh say does that star spangled
banner yet wave Blessed in the days of blessed
be the fruit in which the cross hath been raised. ? Star with us all ? ? At home
again ? ? Gleaming through the perilous fight ? The land so mighty and free! There on its rocks so green, which through the years of heaven
and earth we have remembered thee. As the Lord may be pleased to
help us, I direct your attention to the word that you will find
in the Book of the Psalms, Psalm 25, and reading from our text,
verse five. The Book of the Psalms, Psalm
25, and reading from our text, verse five. Lead me in thy truth, and teach
me. For Thou art the God of my salvation. On Thee do I wait all the day. Lead me in Thy truth and teach
me. For Thou art the God of my salvation. On Thee do I wait all the day. This psalm is one of those psalms
that we have titled as a Psalm of David. And dear friends, as
we know of David and as we read of the history of David, yes,
he was the king of the land, but yet he came through that
path. where he began his life as that
shepherd boy. He began there in those fields,
tending his father's sheep. There he was, the sweet psalmist
David. And dear friends, but yet we
too know that dear David was no stranger to the wickedness
of his own heart. He was no stranger to the wanderings
of his own heart. He was no stranger either, dear
friends, to the onslaught of his enemies, the enemy of his
body and his kingdom here on earth, but also the enemy of
his own soul. He was no stranger to it. And
here, dear friends, we have in this psalm, that is begun with
that, unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. Unto thee, O Lord,
do I lift up my soul. And dear friends, in the, I believe
it may be the Lamentations or the Ecclesiastes, we read there,
I shall lift up my heart with my hands unto the heavens. And
I believe, I haven't thought of mentioning that word, but
I believe I preach from that here. one Thursday evening. But yet you see, dear friends,
for us to be there lifting up our soul or our heart with our
hands onto the heavens, what does the Lord require? He requires,
dear friend, a broken heart, a broken and a contrite heart. The Lord, through the Psalmist
David, again tells us, a broken heart and a contrite spirit,
O Lord, thou wilt not despise. And what does the Lord's word
also say? It says this, rend the heart. and not the garments, because
dear friends, the Lord does not want a religion of the rending
of our garments. And you younger ones might say,
what does that mean? In the Bible days, there were
those when they were in great sorrow, when they were in great
trial. We read of David and different
kings and different ones in the Lord's word. when they came under
great sorrow and it seemed as though the Lord's hand had gone
out against them. It seemed as though it all was
against them. They would sit down and they
would rend their clothes, tear their clothes, and put ashes
upon their head as a sign there really of sorrow and humility.
But yet the Lord wants deeper than that. The Lord doesn't want,
dear friends, just a show of humility, a show of religion,
a show, as it were, of rending or tearing our garments of an
outward show, which is what that was. It was an outward show of
their humility, their sorrow, their repentance, perhaps, over
what had come upon them and why. But yet, dear friends, the Lord
will have the heart torn the heart torn open broken and a
broken and a contrite heart oh lord thou will not despise the
psalmist tells us but you see the lord needs our hearts and
you children and us older too our hearts by nature As I mentioned,
perhaps in prayer, but our hearts by nature, and as we get older,
I believe we know and learn of it more and more, they are but
a stone. And as the hymn says, they unconcerned
can look upon eternal misery. They're that stony, they're that
hard, they're that, as it were, sealed up. But you see, dear
friends, for the Lord, to enter in, he must break the heart.
he must come in with the arrow of conviction, the arrow, dear
friend, of the entering in of the Holy Spirit, to open our
hard, stony, steely hearts, that he might enter therein. And he
enters in, dear friends, by, as the psalmist says in Psalm
139, he says this, doesn't he, in, if I, In Psalm 119, sorry, not 139.
In Psalm 119, the Lord says, and it was the, I can't remember
the exact text or is it location of it, but you know, it was the
first text that I, the preach from Broad Oak on
what would have been this Lord's Day morning, I believe. And it was this, the
entrance of thy words, or thy word, giveth light and giveth
understanding to the simple. Now dear friends, well here you
see in our text, the dear Psalmist, he had three things in this text. Here we have, lead me in thy
truth and teach me. Then we have, for thou art the
God of my salvation. Then we have, on thee do I wait
all the day. When you look at those three
breathings out of the Psalmist, lead me in thy truth and teach
me. There was a desire. And dear
friends, the Lord alone can give that desire after Him. But yet,
you see, dear friends, the Lord will do it when He comes and
enters into our heart. He has begun to give that desire
after Him. Lead me in thy truth and teach
me. That was His desire. But yet,
dear friends, his point of rest was here. His assurance was here,
that the Lord who had been his salvation would help him in this
or that trial that he was now found in, for thou art the God
of my salvation. Thou art the God of my salvation. There was his assurance, there
was his point of rest. But yet, dear friends, here was
faith being tried, you see. But yet here was his faith, in
the last clause, on thee do I wait all the day. Faith didn't allow
him to give up. Faith didn't allow him to turn
out of the way, though, oh, he may have fallen, he may have
slipped, he may have made many mistakes, many errors in the
way. But yet, thou art the God of my salvation, could not allow
him to fall, to fall eternally. You see, dear friends, where
was he? Oh my God, I trust in thee. I trust in thee. You know, dear
friends, so often we must grieve the Lord so much because we do
not trust him. And you might say, oh, well,
I do trust the Lord, but yet we're full of unbelief at times.
We are full of unbelief. And yet, dear friends, so often
we will wrap unbelief up as a grace, but yet it's a sin. And the Lord,
in God's eyes, unbelief is a sin. But yet, you see, where the dear
Psalmist, he had a grain of living faith here, I trust in thee. I trust in thee. And dear friends,
and you younger ones, in your paths, in your lives, when you
perhaps are brought into things that you do not understand, into
things that seem so difficult, into things that you cannot work
it all out, into things when you perhaps are scared, but yet,
dear friends, I trust in thee. Yes, the Lord who rules and reigns
in the heavens, but also in the earth. The Lord, dear friends,
who is far higher, far mightier than we. We cannot get any higher
than the Lord. No, you think even the prime
minister, the king of our land, we think of them as high and
mighty perhaps, but in God's eyes, they're nothing. He is
the King of kings and the Lord of lords. I trust in thee. Oh, that we might be found more
often there. I trust in thee. But what all
of your unbelief, all of your sins, all of your shame, I trust
in thee. I trust in thee. Yes, because dear friends, Nothing is impossible with Him. Nothing is too hard for Him.
The hearts of all men are in His hand. I trust in Thee. Lead me in Thy
truth and teach me. But you know, dear friends, our
problem by nature is that we think that we are wiser than
God. Too often we think we're wiser than God. We think we know. And we often will say, well,
I thought, I think. God has no regard for what you
think. And then dear friends, we think
that we are wiser than God and we have unteachable spirits because
by nature, We are rebels to God. By nature, we are loveless. By nature, we hate to do as we're
told. By nature, we want to be a free
spirit and do just what we want. But the Lord won't have it so.
Thy ways are not my ways, neither your ways my ways, or however
it may be. Thy thoughts are not my thoughts,
neither your ways my ways, saith the Lord. And the hymn says, Thy way, O
Lord, not mine, however hard it be, lead me in thy truth and
teach me. And dear friends, we are just
like, and it came to me like this in that way, because by
nature we are, we are unteachable, we hate to be told and you know
we are like the rebel schoolchild. We cannot, when we're there,
we would rather try hard not to learn than try hard to learn
and we would rather, dear friends, in that way, cause disruption
and sit meekly and mildly and listen with a childlike spirit. And you see then, lead me in
thy truth and teach me. You think of the child at school
and you think there when they may say, well, I don't want to
learn. I can't see any point in learning.
I don't understand what benefit this has got to me. I don't understand
and I don't like the teacher. I don't want to learn. And you
see, dear friends, we by nature are just the same spiritually. But you look at the child that
doesn't want to learn. They don't want to be taught.
They cannot see the point. because they see and think that
there's no purpose in it. What is the point? And then we
say, well, we don't need to learn because, again, our old self-wisdom
rises up. We think that we're more intelligent. We think we know best. But yet
you look at it, dear friend, oh, how we need to be broken,
you see. Spiritually speaking, we're just
like that child. We say, well I don't want to
know, I don't understand. What benefit, what purpose has
this got that the Lord is showing me, that the Lord is teaching
me, that the Lord is here revealing? But we say, no. No, I know best. I am all wise. No, God is all
wise. God knows best, we don't know
best. How we need to be brought here,
lead me in thy truth. and teach me. Now who needs to
be led? Well, you younger ones again.
You look, perhaps, when we think of a guide, often those that
need a guide do not know the way. Generally, it is always really,
those that need a guide do not know the way. Whether that be
one leading us around the museum, whether that be one leading us
down some treacherous path, perhaps one leading us in snowy conditions,
there is that need of a guide, because we don't know the way.
And God in his wise decrees, he wisely hides the way. Because dear friends, when we
don't need a guide, and again I speak to you children, When you go on a journey and
you know the way, and your parents will know the same, when you
go perhaps where you walk to school or go on the bus to school,
or when your mum or dad take you somewhere and you know the
way, You go on that journey and there'll be those times, and
even those of us when we're driving, when we will hardly even remember
certain parts of that journey because we are complacent and
we are really and truly daydreaming our way along. We have no need of a guide because
we know the beginning from the end. We know that journey, we
know the end result, as it were, of that journey. We know where
we're going. the Lord's way dear friend is not that way. The Lord
wisely hides his path and you see dear friends then there is
that need of the guide and the Lord knows if our pathway was
revealed to us from beginning to end we would either shrink
and fail and faint and say not so my Lord, not so, not that
way. But he wisely hides it. He hides it at every turn and
way so that we need that guide, that we might follow him, that
we might be there. Lead me in thy truth. And you think then, dear friends,
of the one that does need a guide. Why do they need the guide? As
I said, they do not know the way. They do not know what they
are perhaps looking for or looking at. They perhaps don't know the
dangers. There may be a guide and we might
look at the journey down through perhaps a snowy difficult path
and we might say, well, it all looks okay. And we might hear
of good report from others, how they had gone and how it had
been with them. But yet we don't know dear friends,
even there, when we may hear of the good report of others
on a journey with a guide. They may have taken this course
or that course that day, but yet dear friends, when we try
and walk alone, when we try and steer our own course, each path, for the child of God,
each path, they each have their own ordained path. foreordained before the world
began. Yes, to the child of God it will
end in glory, but yet each path will be different. And there
the Lord will have it so that then they are found depending
upon him as their guide, as their counsellor, and as their friend. But you see where you might say,
lead me in thy truth, what did the psalmist mean? Lead me in
thy truths, the Lord's Word, the inspired Word of God, our
guide through life. Oh dear friends, often we'll
look here, we'll look there, we'll go to this place, look
to that man, talk to this one, talk to that one. But here we
have before us God's guide really and truly through life. And what is truth then? Well
the Lord says himself in John He says there doesn't he? In John 14 in the sixth verse
the Lord tells us what truth is The Lord tells us what this
truth is spoken of here, leave me in thy truth And the Lord
Jesus himself says, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth,
and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me. I am the way, the truth, and the
life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me. Lead me in
thy truth. Lead me, we might say, in Jesus. We may be a follower of Jesus. Yes, to walk a little in his
ways. Lead me in thy truth. The truths of the gospel, and
what are they? That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. in due time Christ died for the
ungodly? That we love him because he first
loved us? Yes, and where are we all then?
We are but poor sinners. There is our hope. Is that how you've come into
the Lord's house this morning? Perhaps you've come with your
hopes and fears that all turn at rise, and comforts mingle
with my sighs, but what is your desire? As you've come into the
Lord's house, what is your desire? How have you come? Have you come
with a desire like the psalmist, lead me in thy truth and teach
me? You may say, well, I can't come
in with the next part, for thou art the God of my salvation.
Dear friend, if you've come in with the first part, then I believe
the Lord has begun that work in your soul, and then in his
own time and way, or if you come truly seeking for him in the
first clause, he will reveal himself unto you in his own time
and way in the second clause. Lead me. You see, then he's got
a teachable spirit. He here, dear friends, is made
to see that he cannot, as it were, walk alone. He is here
brought into that felt weakness, that felt nakedness, that felt,
as it were, and the Lord will at times bring us there, that
fear. fear to walk alone but dear friends
what a mercy if he does bring us there to wean us to bring
as it were break our stubborn will to break there also our
old nature our old nature that is a rebellious it is rebellious before God It
rises up against him. It says, I will not have this
man to reign over me. Here, dear friends, the Lord
has begun with the psalmist. And the Lord, in that way, has
brought him here, lead me. Lead me. I can do nothing without thee.
And perhaps the Lord has brought you there this Lord's Day. Perhaps
things are overwhelming. Perhaps things feel as though
they are too much. Lead me in thy truth and teach
me. Teach me. But you see, dear friends, by
nature, as I said, we don't like to be taught. By nature, we resent
being taught. Yet, dear friends, the Lord will
empty us of all of self, all of our unbelief, all of our stubborn
pride, that we might be made right, teachable, simple, meek,
and mild. Meek. And the Lord will break
us to bring us in meek, because we do not have meekness by nature. Lead me. Is that how you have
come this Lord's Day morning? Lead me. Lead us, Heavenly Father,
lead us through this world's tempestuous sea. But the Lord
will bring us there that we might know and feel that it is a tempestuous
sea. Because dear friends, as I said,
while the way is smooth and easy, while we feel like we have no
need of a guide because we know the way, we become complacent,
we drift, and the devil loves drifters. He loves to see those
that drift out of the way, those that sit back in complacency
and think now all is said and done, but no dear friends. The
dear psalmist and those of us dear friends that may have made
an open profession, here the dear psalmist have made an open
profession too, for thou art the God of my salvation, he'd
owned and confessed it. Yet dear friends, he was brought
back here, lead me in thy truth and teach me. And you might say,
oh, but I fear, and I fear that the Lord will not help me. But what do we read in the psalm? The psalmist there says, in the ninth verse, in the ninth
chapter, In the 9th Psalm, the 9th verse, the Lord says this,
the Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed. A refuge in
times of trouble. Then you listen here. Now you
children, listen to what I say here. Now listen. And they that
know thy name will put their trust in thee Now, for thou,
Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. And dear friends, all through
the scriptures and all through the time of man here on earth,
the Lord is faithful to that promise. Thou, Lord, hast not
forsaken them that seek Thee. There is not one that is in the
Lord's Word that there has sought the Lord, that the Lord has forsaken. He may not have answered their
prayer how they desired it, but yet, dear friends, the Lord knew
what was best for them. They may have said, I thought,
like they did in the Lord's Word at times, I thought. But no, the Lord answered them. He did not forsake them, but
he did not answer them how they may have desired. But yet, dear
friends, may we be given the faith to rest here, for thou,
Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Seek thee. lead me, here was a seeker, lead
me in thy truth and teach me. And dear friends the Lord will
have it that all through the life and pathway of a child of
God it is constant teaching Because dear friends, we often get it
wrong. We often misunderstand. We often
have our own spirit. We often desire to go our own
way. And dear friends, we will often,
like the children of Israel, grumble and murmur at the Lord's
ways. We'll often almost there tempt
the devil to tempt us. We will there tempt the Lord. And they're like they did, grumbling
and repining, with blessings in their hands, wanting to return
to Egypt, where the Lord had there so mercifully delivered
them from. And there they had the Lord leading
them, going before them with a pillar of fire by night and
a pillar of cloud by day. There they had the Lord leading
them in His truths and teaching them in the way. yet dear friends
what rebellious spirits they had. And then dear friends what are
we not to trust in? The hymn came to my mind. Hymn 742. He that trusts in his
own heart acts a raw and foolish part. Base it is and full of
guile, brooding mischief in a smile. Does it boast of love within?
So it may, and yet may sin. Peter loved his master well,
yet a loving Peter fell, as did dear David. Well, here he is. Does it feel as melting frame? David also felt the same, yet
he made a woeful trip and perceived his mountain slip. Does it talk
of faith and boast? Abraham had as much as most,
yet beguiled by unbelief, twice he durst deny his wife. Every
prop will first or last, sink or fail, but Jesus Christ, on
this sure foundation stone, let me build and rest alone. And dear friends, those things
that make us unteachable are really and truly those in that
hymn, really. Our own wisdom, our unbelief,
our rebellion, our stubbornness, our pride, that really and truly
set ourselves on a pedestal and try and set ourselves above God. God won't have it so. No, teach
me, lead me. And dear friends, the hymn writer
says, "'Tis pride and self must be brought down, that Jesus may
be all in all." Lead me in thy truth. Yes, Jesus is in that
truth. Jesus is the truth and the way. Teach me. For thou art the God of my salvation. Well, can we come in there? You
may say, oh, I can't. Is it your desire to come in
there? Thou art the God of my salvation. There was his assurance. Oh,
there he was clinging to that. He was clinging to it, dear friends. And dear friends, when we think
of it, It says, doesn't it? Hold fast that which thou hast. Let no man, no devil, no world
take thy crown. Thy crown. That crown, dear friends,
from the God of our salvation. And here this Lord's Day morning,
we've all got a never-dying soul. Do we know that it will be well
with us when called to die? Do we know that it is well with
us while life endure? You may say, oh, I've got years
to worry about that. I'll worry about that when I
come nearer to my end. Dear friends, we do not know
when our end shall be. And what does the Lord then say?
In one of the Psalms, I believe it is, Teach me to know mine
end, what it is that I may know how frail I am. Teach me to know mine end, yes,
to know my salvation. Teach me to know mine end, my
frailty, that the Lord could take our breath away in a moment.
None of us know whether we will see the next Lord's day or not.
yet death stands before us each and then an ever-ending eternity.
I'll ask you this question from the hymn, how stands the case
my soul with thee? Not the one sitting next to you
in the pew, not your mum, not your dad, not your brother, not
your sister, not your grandparents. No. How stands the case, my soul,
with thee? Personal religion, because dear
friends, when we come down to die, we cannot rely on our parents'
prayers, on our wife's prayers, on our husband's prayers, no.
It's between us and God. and the judgment seat. And we
should give an account, and it comes so very close, we should
give an account of every idle word. Not one of us here this
Lord's Day morning can say we've never uttered an idle word. It
comes that close. Give an account. Dear friends,
do we know that when we come there, that this God of our salvation,
the truth, the light, that the Lord Jesus will stand beside
and say, deliver him, deliver her from going down into the
pit. Why? For I have found a ransom. I am that ransom. I am their
salvation. What does him say? Let's finish
that. How stands then the case my soul
with thee? For heaven are thy credentials
clear. Is Jesus' blood thine only plea? Is he thy great forerunner there?
You may say, but I'm a sinner, I'm all vile and all unclean. But it was for the sinner and
for the vile and for the unclean that Jesus came to die. Not the
righteous sinners Jesus came to call. The vilest sinner, there
we have it in the hymn, the vilest sinner out of hell, who lives
to feel his need, is welcome to the throne of grace. And there
we have it again, the Saviour's blood to plead. The Saviour's
blood. And what does the hymn say of
the Saviour's blood? I'll point to thy redeeming blood,
and say, behold, the way to God. Then will I tell to sinners round
what a dear Saviour I have found. I'll point to thy redeeming blood
and say, behold, the way to God. Thou art the God of my salvation. So then, dear friends, what do
we know, you and I, of this God of our salvation you might say
well I know he's the God of salvation but can you put that my salvation
the little word my brings it personally you know that hymn it says it's
not in our book is it but that hymn that says blessed assurance
Jesus is mine oh what a foretaste of glory divine The God of my
salvation. Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost, dear friends,
that kindled the desire in your heart. The Holy Ghost that entered
into your heart. And then, dear friends, the loving
kindness of the Almighty God in sending his only begotten
Son into this poor dying world to save sinners from their sins
and from destruction. undeserved and unmerited. The psalmist had done nothing
to deserve salvation, had he? And neither of you nor I, but
where's our point of hope? Our point of hope is in that,
that his blood was shed for sinners, such as you and I. None so vile, none too vile,
none too unclean. But it is to the vilest sinner,
out of hell, who lives to feel his need. And the psalmist in
that first verse, dear friends, is brought into a need. Lead
me. He may have felt, and you and
I, dear friends, in the days of our unregeneracy, before the
Lord ever works in our heart. We may feel, and there may be
those here this morning, you feel no need of leading, no need
of being taught. You feel as though you know where
you want to go, you know all things, you're all wise. But
what do you know about the things of God? What do you know about
the eternal standing of your never-dying soul? Because all
the wealth, all the wisdom in this poor dying world, you can't
take beyond the grave. Here, dear friends, David was
given God-given wisdom to seek and covet earnestly those best
gifts. Lead me in thy truth and teach
me before thou art the God of my salvation. Dear friends, though
you may not feel to be able to say thou art the God of my salvation,
but may you seek it more earnestly May you, dear friends, take it
to the Lord, Lord, reveal thyself to me as my salvation. And perhaps
the prayer of the psalmist, say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. And the hymn says, doesn't it,
mercy through blood, I make my plea. There is our plea. sinner needing mercy, brought
to see their simpleness, their barrenness, their vileness before
God, taught of themselves. And we need it continually, dear
friends, because, oh, when the Lord begins to reveal to us a
bit of ourself, we have to say and humble ourselves in the dust
and say, oh, that I had not a myself. Dear friends, often our self
is our worst enemy. We blame too much on the devil
at times, we say it's all his fault, but yet, dear friends,
too often it's our own heart that's the fault. The hymn says, doesn't it, mighty
enemies without, much mightier within. Yet you see, dear friends,
the psalmist was brought in too. that knowledge of himself. He
was emptied of himself. Lead me. He was now given a teachable
spirit. Lead me. Lead me in thy truth. We might say, lead me to Jesus
and teach me of him. What does the Lord say? Take
my yoke upon you and learn of me. Learn of me. And why does the Lord have it
that his people will learn of him? Because as the Lord's word says,
grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, not head knowledge, heart knowledge, knowledge of him. But yet dear friends, as he once
said, wasn't it, and that's where the Lord will have us here, lead
me in thy truth and teach me there was that one wasn't there
the highland kitchen made you children may the lord you may
have read it but may the lord apply it is she there was in
that place wasn't she where that minister had gone and he was
asked to she asked to speak to him and she wanted to be taught
a prayer and he said i believe this is how it was and she said
he said to her when i Now you learn this prayer, Lord teach
me myself. Teach me myself. And he went
away on his journey. And she prayed and prayed that
prayer, but dear friends, she didn't realize what she would
be shown. And it almost drove her to despair. But yet he returned. And he then
said, she said, I feel in utter despair. I don't know what to
do. The Lord hath revealed to me myself, and dear friend, she
was shown what a hideous thing she was by nature. He said then
to her, while you pray this prayer, Lord, show me thyself. Show me thyself. And the Lord
hath revealed himself to her, or revealed herself to her, and
revealed her need of him. made her to see what a vile sinner
she was in His sight, and her need of Him. And dear friends,
when the minister saw that woman again, her face was beaming,
and she said, the Lord has answered my prayer, He has shown me Himself. But you see, dear friend, until
the child of God has shown them themselves, and only then will
they desire to seek Him. break the stubborn will, and
turn our feet to Zion's hill. On thee do I wait all the day.
Now, dear friends, on thee do I wait all the day. Not in unbelief, but here, dear
friends, the psalmist had laid it before the Lord and followed
it with prayer. and mixed with faith. God give
them faith. But faith is God's gift to give. And it is ours, dear friend,
to ask for it, to seek it. And the dear disciples were no
stranger to their felt need of faith because they, in their
prayer recorded in the Lord's words, said, Lord, increase our
faith. We need it, dear friends, because
there's much to attack and try and destroy our faith. But yet,
dear friends, on thee do I wait all the day. Why? Because as
the Psalmist said in Psalm 9, who is again was the Psalmist
David, he said, and here was his faith found here, thou, Lord,
hast not forsaken them that seek thee. And he will never leave
us nor forsake us, dear friends. will not those that come unto
him dear friends he will in no wise cast out no and the lord's
word says seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened
unto you on thee do i wait all the day we could look at that
in two ways dear friends awaiting upon him to answer and dear friends
The time of waiting is often painful because it's a time when
our flesh gets in and the devil gets in. And we want everything
instant, but the Lord knows what we need and when we need it,
how we need it, because dear friends, his way is perfect. But then also we may look at
that word, on thee do I wait all the day, like a servant waiting
upon his master. willingly waiting, waiting on
Him to do His will, to follow Him, to do that which pleases
Him. On Thee do I wait all the day.
And willingly doing so, like a willing servant, not grumbling,
not complaining, but willingly waiting on Him. like a servant
waits on his master. And but yet you look at it, dear
friends, the servant is not above his master. He waits, he watches,
he does that which pleases him, and he serves. On thee do I wait
all the day. For the time has gone, lead me
in thy truth. And teach me, for thou art the
God of my salvation. On thee do I wait all the day. May the Lord add his blessing.
Amen. We'll close with hymn number
1058, June, Vienna, 517. Lord, if thou thy grace impart,
Pour in spirit, make in heart, I shall, as my master, be rooted
in humility. Hymn 1058. Thou shalt not die in mercy,
but live in humility. ? There was a little boy ? ? A
little boy ? ? Chained to a little doll ? ? Little doll ? ? Little
doll ? ? Little doll ? ? Little doll ? ? Little doll ? With the Lord, the world is at
ease. God have pitied my soul on thee,
and every evil let me be. Happy in thy precious blood. O Lord, do pardon anything that
thy pure and holy eyes have seen amiss, and anything, Lord, that
we may have spoken amiss. Do, Lord, be with us in the interval. Grant there to be much prayer,
Lord. Lord, bring us up into thy house again in peace and
safety, and bless thine own word. Lord, that we have sought to
sow this morning. Lord, have mercy upon us then,
Lord, now. Be with us, Lord, and go before
us. And now may the grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the fellowship
and the communion of the Holy Ghost, rest and abide with us
each, both now and forevermore. Amen.