in complete dependence upon the
help of the Holy Ghost. I ask your prayer for attention
to the Gospel according to Matthew chapter 11. and to verse 28 Matthew
11 and verse 28 come unto me all
ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Matthew 11 verse 28 come unto
me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you
rest. The Lord Jesus was a merciful
saviour and as he now reigns in glory as God's great High
Priest fully understands and knows the cases of the poor and
needy here below and John the Baptist though such
a great man and a precursor of the Lord who prepared the Word
of the Lord was one of those poor and needy sinners and as
we read in the lesson under great trial of faith great trial of
faith he preached Christ behold the Lamb of God which taketh
away the sin of the world and he delighted to do so but though
he be such a mighty man and Emmanuel's comment of him was of those born
of women there were none greater than John the Baptist and to
silence our inquisitive minds nevertheless he that is least
in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he and so he sends that
message you see under great trial though in his heart he really
held fast to the truth there were so many distressing things
and of course a natural fear of death the temptation flooded
in you're mistaken, you're mistaken so he sends a message, art thou
he that should come or look we for another am I mistaken? but notice you see he sent the
message to Christ and faith ever will inquire after Christ unbelief
looks every other way and we can't deny that there was an
element of unbelief in the very heart of John the Baptist poor
man we can understand it and when you're under trial and you're
in distress doubts and fears rise but eternal life will never
die Because eternal life, my friends, he shall live. As we read, I was looking in
the vestige and it came to my mind just before the service. And this is the Father's
will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me
I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last
day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every
one which seeth the Son and believeth on him, John the Baptist did,
may have everlasting life. I'll raise them up at the last
day. Blessed Gospel. David, though he sinned foully,
fell foully and a number of places in the holy record of his sins
and mistakes you see he had eternal life Solomon reading the service
in our private readings at home in the family this morning how
Josiah put out the idolatrous altars that Solomon had reared
Fancy Solomon, the wisest man on earth, naturally speaking,
by the gift of God, God gave him wisdom above all, apart from
his own wisdom. And yet, such a man could go
astray. So as we look at John the Baptist,
we can only marvel but the Lord's wondrous grace. He wasn't, as
it were, full of unbelief, but he was tried, sorely tried, like
when a man is dying in hospital, a believer. Oh, he may, at one
part of his affliction, have sweet hope and commit his way
and trust The days pass, the weeks pass, you see. Fears come. Temptations come. Flak from hell. Gunshot from Satan. Look at your
sins. Look at this. Look at that. Ah,
but he cries to the Lord in his trouble. It's a pathway, believer,
of crying to the Lord in your trouble. Well, I'm not dealing
with a text, am I? But I just wanted to just mention
the message of Immanuel. He didn't say, oh, go and tell
John the Baptist that he's full of unbelief and he's doubting
and, well, he's not really worthy that I should remember him. You
ought to do better than this. He fully understood him. He understands
you here, in your distresses, in your griefs, in your woes,
in your wounds. He sees in our sins, He sees
all that goes on in our heart. We have to plead Christ and plead
Christ and plead Christ. Go again and tell John the Baptist
about me, about me, what I'm doing. And the poor have the
gospel preached to them. So you see that is fulfilled
and will be fulfilled in every dying generation. as the prophet
Zephaniah declared concerning Jerusalem and of course in that
particular part the Lord is making promise to Jerusalem I'll leave
in the midst of the afflicted and poor people and they shall
trust in the name of the Lord well I must pass on and come
to this verse come unto me all ye that labour and a heavy laden
and I will I will blessed God this is a divine declaration
I will give you rest the gates of hell cannot prevail against
the kingdom of God and everyone that is born of the Spirit born
from above the margin in John 3 has eternal life and in John
10 we read and none can take them out of his father's hand
Christ said and none can pluck them out of my hand he that liveth
and believeth in me shall never die whatever his record his sinnership,
his weakness whatever his wanderings as Gadsby says in Ephesians 6.33
not all the wanderings of a heart that's the bride's heart can
make his love from her depart I want to look at this word the
Lord helping come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy
laden and I will give you rest first I want to notice this as
being the pure word of God The Scriptures can't be broken. Every
Word of God is pure. And this is the Word of God declared
by Him who is the Word of God. There are three that bear record
in heaven, the Father and the Word and the Spirit. These three are one. and as we
read in the opening of John you see in the beginning was the
Word and the Word was God and the Word is God and the Word was with
God and the Word was God Christ is the Word and as the Apostle
in declaring to the Hebrews that God in sundry times spake unto
their fathers through the prophets that spoke unto these last days
by His Son, Christ. He shows Him to be the Heir of
all things. Therefore Jesus, that Word, the
Word made flesh and dwelling among us, the Incarnate Word.
Therefore He is the Angel of the everlasting covenant in the
message that God has sent with Him to the earth. The angels
indeed sang of that message around the shepherds on the hills of
Bethlehem. Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth and goodwill
toward men. Why aren't you born this day
in the city of David, a saviour which is Christ the Lord, Christ
the anointed of God, the Lord, the Lord of heaven and earth? so I want to observe that this
divine statement my friends is pure and true and immutable and
the blessed substance of it can never pass away they shall all
know me from the least unto the greatest All that the Father
giveth me shall come to me. And him that cometh to me, blessed
gospel, be no wise cast out. None shall perish that really
sink down and plead Christ, believing him to be the blessed Christ.
Oh, they have to come naked, poor, needy, wretched, destitute. But they have that faith like
Jacob. I will not let thee go. except
thou bless me that's what your pilgrimage is like friend you
can't let him go you have to press on and plead him and look
to him well this precious word is the word of God declared by
the incarnate word who now lives and reigns in the court of heaven
yes watching over caring for his people right down to the
end of time in every generation on the United States General
Assembly, cast their care, casting all your care upon Him, for He
cares for you. He knows your care and my care
here this afternoon. He's got us from one person to
another, but casting all your care upon Him, all of it. Why? I am gracious, I delight in mercy. So it is the Word of God. Come
unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest. Therefore may we Consider properly
the authority. The authority. May that authority
in the Word of God, yes, dictate to our own souls. Have power
over us. Oh, persuade us in our heart.
Draw us to Him. None can come to me except the
Father which has sent me. Draw Him. And again, I, if I
be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This
he said, signifying what death he should die. Oh, this, my friends,
has authority. And therefore, it is a word that
shall never fail. He will give the come a rest. As that word cannot fail, and
him that cometh to me will in no wise cast out. So, my dear
friends, the precious truth of this covenant stands and stands
sure in Christ. Stands and stands sure in Christ. So, let us look at the Lord helping
me. Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden,
and I'll give you rest. Firstly, consider the people
addressed. the people addressed that identifies
the people of God in the earth my dear friends there are a people
in the earth among all nations and tribes and tongues in this
low world whom God has given to his son his dear son and when
the Holy Ghost begins to breathe that life into that people whom
God has given to Christ you see they then enter into a pathway
that we find in the text, an exercise yes, poor and needy,
that labour under heavy laden so consider this firstly and
then secondly you see all who we are instructed to go to Christ
me that glorious holy lovely blessed eternal me I can't speak
rightly and fully of him who fills his father's throne I'd
ever speak reverently in true gravity under holy respect and
desire, as it were, to exalt him in my poor way of preaching.
But we must die to speak of Christ, you know. Oh, as they enter in, you know,
they crown him Lord of all. crown Him Lord forever and forever
and forever. Oh, free, free from sin, free
from death, free from hell, free from every sorrow, every danger,
every distress, past and past forever, where Christ is all
in all but mustn't digress upon that point. And the promise then,
I will give you rest. I will give you rest. the labouring and the heavy burden,
those that are bowed down under the weight of things. Why do
we labour heavy laden? Where do I begin? Well, we begin
with the greatest trouble in our life, sin and self, sin and
self. Oh my friends, I find some Christian
folks sometimes, I don't want to be harsh or critical, but
everybody else is a trouble. So many other troubles, yes we
know there are troubles, and I have troubles and so do you.
But the greatest trouble I find is this, the old folks used to
call Lord Myself, Lord Myself. and I'll express it here in the
ministry of years ago and again I'll pass you to say oh that
I had not a myself but I have he's always in the way he's always
getting up to mischief he's up to no good at any time but the just shall live by his
faith I give unto them eternal life and you see where sin abounded
grace did therefore much more abound so the poet says with
my burden I begin Lord remove this load of sin dear child of
God you know the sacrifice that God
offered when Jesus offered himself was a tremendous weighty matter
it was the greatest event the world had ever witnessed that
the eternal Son of God co-equal and co-eternal with the Father
and with the Holy Ghost should stoop so low and assume our nature
without sin the loving man Christ Jesus who could only do good
and be kind and he was kind to all He fulfilled the law. Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy might and all thy soul, and thy neighbour as
thyself. And the holy record shows him
loving his neighbour as himself, doing good unto all men. Yet a day came, according to
his father's will, blessed day, dreadful day, most solemn and
awful day. Oh, what a day of great wickedness
was committed. and what a glorious day that
everlasting righteousness has brought in sinners made free
sinners reconciled to God that the sins of the election of grace
should be put away forever to be seen by God no more therefore
not a mere point of dogma it'd be a true dogma though, a true
doctrine It's not merely just a dogmatic point of view that
we should be convinced of. Everyone we gathered in would
have repented of their sins in this life. The dying thief rejoiced
to see that fountain in his day. Oh, what a mercy he can say.
There are vile as he, and maybe some have to say, Lord, I feel
more vile. washed all my sins away. Now,
there may be one sitting who says, oh, but I can't quite say
in my conscience I felt there's sins to be washed away, but I
long for it. He's faithful. I will give you
rest. You will see him. You will know
him. You will get to heaven. He will
not cast you away and you're seeking him in confessions. It's
a sealed promise, isn't it? If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse from
all unrighteousness. He cannot lie concerning that
matter. So I point to you that labour, sins past, the struggles
in the flesh now, and a solemn realisation of our need to be
kept tender, an exercise in the fear of God, how quickly a hasty
spirit can overcome us, an evil spirit of unbelief can take hold
of us, or an angry spirit, the lust of the eye, the lust of
the heart, the pride of life, things unmentionably of human
nature. Oh, how that light-hearted, worldly, flippant spirit can
take us over in a moment, my friends. That consciousness defiled
again, again. Pilgrim, you have to keep going
to the Lamb. as a poor needy sinner not a
man righteous in yourselves but valuing the Lord our righteousness
feeding him who died for the ungodly the sacred word that
is, what a beautiful expression when without strength in due
time Christ died for the ungodly Oh, not for a righteous man,
or a godly man, or a nice and wonderful man, but for the ungodly. It's a gospel. Come unto me that
labour under a sense of many sins and shortcomings and failings
in the past, backslidings, heavy youth and childhood and early
days, but now subdued by sovereign grace. My spirit longs for thy
embrace. What mercy can say that, my friend?
Oh, God is witness. With your own heart and conscience,
you long for the embrace of Christ. Poor and weak and helpless as
you are. We that labour in a heavy laden. Then there's the trying of our
faith. The trying of our faith. I mentioned John the Baptist
because here is a prime example of one whose faith was tried.
There are many other great examples in the scripture. David's faith
was very tried. Oh, how no doubt in his own heart
as he was promoted to the house of Saul this is a promise beginning
to be fulfilled you see and he goes in the house of Saul but
things soon turn very sour and dangerous for him and there's
one who's been anointed to be king over God's people hunted
from pillar to post like a flea upon the mountain and Saul determined
to kill him I'm so favored to see Saul brought to his feet
twice. Unbelief, I said about John the
Baptist, didn't I? And when unbelief comes over
him, after two single deliverances, there's nothing better for me
than to flee to the land of the Philistines. I know one day I
shall perish by the hand of Saul. David, he just had two deliverances. But no, unbelief. The poor man
goes and he gets into more trouble. The Lord save us from that mischievous
sin. Padre J.H. Goss used to speak
of it being the cardinal sin. I'm sitting in the middle of
the chapel there at Maystone as a lad, thinking, in the pure
think to myself, but unbelief's not the greatest sin or the chief
sin. My schoolboy sins seem much worse. But I know now, we're all guilty
of schoolboy sins and adult sins as well. One way or another,
my friend, but unbelief is the sin that directs its sword at
the sweet truth of Emmanuel to destroy that truth but it cannot
prevail and it didn't with David and I'll tell you why it didn't
prevail because the Lord was to chasten the poor man and bring
him to a place he shouldn't be there he shouldn't be helping
the ungodly yeah nearly going against Israel my friends you
have stayed in the promised land but unbelief prevailed so off
he goes you see he nearly perished but faith prevailed he inquired
of the Lord encouraged himself the Lord his God but I mustn't
dwell on this point the trying of your faith and he was eventually
brought back you see and Saul perished again Jacob in deep waters far from the promise
that you may have had some word of grace or encouragement in
your early days all things are so dark now walk in the pathway
of Job have pity upon me my friends have pity upon me know the Lord
has forsaken me but in early days he knew his Redeemer and
he said very beautifully it's recorded for I know that my Redeemer
liveth Just then, Loretta died upon the earth. Oh, worm shall
destroy at this my skin, yet in my flesh shall I see God. He knew that one day he would
rise and see Him who was standing the latter day upon the earth.
But, oh, forsaken, tempted, afflicted, brought so low, so troubled,
so distressed, harassed by the enemy, and religious friends,
as it were, making his case worse. They couldn't minister what he
needed. Satan had got hold of poor Job and the Lord was allowing
it that Satan should get hold of him. He was so tried. And
you see Jacob, the promise of the twelve sons, in thys, ye
shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And he was
far from it. Often think of Jacob, often mention
him at home. He came to a place when he was
alone. Alone. The eleven sons, he was forced
into this, had to go down to Egypt. and sadly his favourite
son, for your idols will I cleanse you his favourite son of course
had been torn many years before by wild beasts and eaten and
here he was, where's the promise now Jacob? well we don't read
of Jacob's little exercise except he cried up before he sent them
he had to agree to send them all these things are against
me I shall go with sorrow to the grave I shall go with sorrow
to the grave Well, you know, he felt really that if they perished,
then that the Lord's will be done. He just had to sink down
on God's will. Oh, they come back with... Joseph's
alive. He couldn't believe it, poor
man. Now I want to address you who are laboring under the trial
of your faith in dark places, tempted, harassed. You find it difficult to pray
sometimes, difficult to trust. The storm is blowing. Storms
distract us, don't they? Thankfully I've never been in
an actual hurricane or anything like that, but I've been in strong,
very strong winds and violent storms. You have to notice it.
Especially if you're out at sea, you see, you can't just go to
sleep, can you? Because there's so much danger.
And the Lord leads his people through dangerous pathways. The
trying of their faith. They find themselves weak within.
Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble. Their strength
is found in the eternal life given to them. and that eternal
life is brought into exercise as deep calleth under deep at
the noise of thy water spouts all thy ways my billows go with
me says the psalmist he knew the pathway and saints today
illnesses afflictions heavy family trials sorrows things too hard
a lonely pathway In one sense, all believers find it a lonely
path. I know we may have a godly husband or wife. I know there
may be those dear brethren we love in the unity of the spirit
and the bond of peace in Zion. And they're our real brethren,
our friends. We can commune sometimes from heart to heart about the
Lord's mercies and dealings. But it's still lonely. You want
to know the Lord's blessing yourself. You will need His help in the
dying day. You need His help in the way
He appoints you to walk. Difficulties at home, difficulties
at work, trials here. How hard to be afflicted. Many
are the afflictions of the righteous, but it's the Lord that delivers
them. Therefore, while we value the prayers and love of friends
and the help of friends, they cannot redeem us. They cannot
console our inmost spirit. Only Emmanuel can come where
you are. Like the poor man of Bethesda's
pool, he was impotent, he couldn't get in. But Jesus came where
he was. You see, and ah, he healed him. And the Lord alone can satisfy
your soul, my friend. Exercise to win Christ, exercise
to get to heaven. Oh, satisfy us early with thy
mercy. Yes, my dear friends, and again,
that the bones of a house broken may rejoice. The psalmist said
in the penitential song. Come unto me all ye that labour.
Feel the solemnity of eternity. Feel the solemnity of eternity.
Look back over their life, a wasted life. Many godly men and women though
they have lived really really fruitful lives, yet they've been
brought to sin, they feel they've failed in all they do. J.K. Popham
spoke of his black sins on his deathbed, but he could say they're
all forgiven. He spoke of his own failings
in the ministry, yet it exalted Christ. None of us have anything
we can boast of before God. We come as poor needy sinners
laboring, Now, one or two other thoughts before I pass on. We
do need help to pray, don't we? Now, I know that we know the
words to pray in our mind, intellect. We know that, you know, how to
address God and things like that. But, you know, you want access. You want to touch the end of
His garment. You want, my dear friend, to know His deliverance
in your trial. There's a natural line of faith
when you can't, it seems, so pour out your heart and get the
access or get the blessing you long for. This is an exercise
of faith. You're still a believer. Believers
have to pray. Believers must come. Destitute
men. Think of that word in Psalm 102. He will regard the prayer of
the destitute, not despise their prayer. You may feel yourself
to be a destitute person, yet he'll not despise that prayer.
Destitute people must pray. Poor, troubled, anxious, tempted
pilgrims must pray. I cry and shut it out, my prayer
says Jeremiah and again thou has covered the heavens with
clouds that my prayer cannot pass through but they still pray,
Jeremiah still pray and Jesus said this concerning us poor
sons of men that men ought always to pray and not to faint and
in the parable set forth an impossible case Ah, you know we have to go like
the disciples to the Lord Jesus. I know we have the pattern set
which is called the Lord's Prayer at that time as he told them
the pattern. Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his disciples. Now, if you believe he's the
Christ, in one sense you know how to pray. You value that name. But you see, it's unburdening
your heart, unburdening your case. Now, men ought always to
bow not, come to me all ye that labour, heavy laden, yes, bowed
down by twice ten thousand cares. Call upon me in the day of trouble,
I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. We plead his
precious name. Oh, believe wherever you may
be in your soul, call upon that name, plead that all-prevailing
name. Jacob in deep water said I will
not let thee go except thou bless me in that night you know how
the man that appeared and wrestled with him and he didn't see the
man with a dark knife but he felt him it's a pre-incarnation
appearance of Christ he put his thighs of joint and so Jacob pleaded the covenant
and he prayed in weakness and wrestled in weakness in bodily
pain as well as distress of soul but he'd taken hold of one the
blessed one oh there's one who will never send you away in your
prayers did you plead that precious name and look to him when he
prevailed that night his name was changed from Jacob deceiver,
supplanter to Israel as a princess of power with God and prevailed
And notice in that narrative how he was blessed in asking
after his name. Tell me I pray thee thy name. The Lord didn't tell him his
name then did he? But he blessed him. Wherefore
is it that I ask after my name? And he blessed him there. this
is the name the father, as I believe I quoted in a prayer this is
the name the father loved to hear his children plead and all
such pleadings he approves and blesses them indeed I must really
hasten I see but may we ever plead that precious name neither
is there salvation in any other but is none of the name under
heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved labouring fears
of dying fears under temptation of the enemy we can go on but
I must perhaps hasten because of time come unto me all ye that
labour oh there's not a sorrow too great for God you know there's
not a sorrow too great for God Ah, my dear friends, this man
receiveth sins and eateth with them. He's covenanted, and I
come back to that word in John 6, of course it is. All that
the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh unto
me I will in no wise cast out. well may we plead that name just
one text brings to my notice in person if you ask anything
in my name I will do it again in John's inner peace we are
told to ask according to his will and this is the constant that
we have in him if we ask we know that he heareth us he heareth
us so we may plead his name only going to be the Christ and believing
Him of goodwill to do all that He's pleased to do with us in
His everlasting covenant. He'll not destroy you. Oh, He
came not to destroy men's lives, but to save men's lives. He's
a faithful Prince, but I must now pass on, and quickly. as
I said later, I must try and speak of that glorious hymn or
this glorious me in the text come unto me, me, yes, the man
at God's right hand Asaph desired it in Psalm 80 let thy hand be
upon the man of thy right hand the son of man whom thou madest
strong for thyself the saviour of the world in drawing near
to Christ, sinner, you draw near to Almighty God Almighty God who is from everlasting to everlasting
you draw unto Him who, my dear friends, is the Son of His love
the man at His right hand for God so loved the world He gave
His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish
but have everlasting life that glorious whosoever that embraces
every poor, seeking, confessing sinner, every weak, tempted pilgrim,
that embraces the poor and needy, that at the ends of the earth
that cry unto Him, the psalmist, from the ends of the earth will
I cry unto thee, lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Oh
my dear friends, the Lord Jesus Christ. Come unto me. Come unto me. Tell me your case. Pour out your heart. Tell me
your secrets. Spread before me. Yes, those
things too heavy, those things too hard. Yes, you fear the future,
how things will develop, how things will unfold. Cast it upon
me. I am He. If you believe not that I am
He, you shall die in your sins. He said to the Jews, I once preached
that in Wiltshire, it seemed a strange text to preach from,
I must admit, but it seemed so sacred, to believe in Him. Yes, He gives eternal life to
believe in Him. He's the author of that faith.
And if he's the author of that faith, he'll finish that faith.
You say, how do you know he's the author? In personal experience. And no man can keep alive his
own soul. You live to prove that, don't
you, in your daily life. So, evening and morning, during
the day, Lord, keep me right here. Keep me exercised. Keep
me in my right place. Keep me dependent, you see. You
know that without him, You can do nothing. For without me, John
15, without me, severed from me the margin, he can do nothing. But the psalmist says, I can
do all things, no, the apostle, I can do all things through Christ,
which strengtheneth me. So you come unto this blessed
one who alone can satisfy your soul. You must speak of him in
his glorious offices, in his glorious person. You know, my
dear friends, the poet puts it this way, 379. Thou art coming
to a king. Large petitions with thee bring. For his grace and his power such
that none can ever ask too much. A glorious king. A glorious king. He reigns. May we ever reverence
him. I'm sure, as we would be good
citizens of England, or this nation you see, we would ever
do the right honour we could if we were in the audience of
the Queen, wouldn't we? Overall, she'd been a good Queen.
Sadly, of course, she's forced into things which I would imagine
against her inner conscience, but she has to do. That's the
way things work in our country. Sadly, it's sad to say. But nevertheless,
we'd ever give her the honour we could. And we are to give
honour to all in authority. that we are to walk in God's
laws now my friends consider the authority
and the dignity of Jehovah as shown us and the great love
with which he loves his people in his dear son see mercy and
truth meet together in Christ Righteousness and peace kiss
each other, Psalm 85, and truth springs out of the earth. Think
of the authority and the dignity of the Lord Jesus Christ, with
Jehovah the Eternal Son. Oh, is anything too hard for
Him? You'll find it's too hard for
you and I. We really will. But my dear friends, he said,
as he spoke to Abraham at Mamre, and Sarah laughed in unbelief,
poor lady, and she denied it and lied in the very presence
of God, poor lady, came short, didn't she? Just like you and
I come short, oh the Lord help us and keep us tender. But you
see, he said, wherefore did Sarah laugh? Should I laugh? Not yay, but I did laugh. And
he said at that time, is anything too hard for the Lord? Anything
too hard for me? Jeremiah 32, and the angel Gabriel
brought the message to his virgin mother Mary. He said this, for
with God nothing shall be impossible. Isn't that a wonderful truth?
or believer you find that your own pathway and your case sometimes
is so impossible but not with God in Christ not with God in
Christ and think of this power when he rose from the dead he
said all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth and he loves every one of his
dear children great and small like he loved Jeremiah The Lord
doth appear of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an
everlasting love. Therewith lovingkindness have
I drawn thee. And you who know that drawing
love to Christ is lovingkindness that draws you. And that's an
everlasting love. And the gates of health, your
own sin, your own black record in the past, their own weakness
and fears and death itself and the devil himself can't sever
the bands of everlasting love. Do you need such a gospel? Why? Because we're so weak, we're
so poor. But we cannot fail while Christ is
strong. My friends, we cannot perish
while Christ lives in the presence of God. so he's that great king
with all power and he loves his people yeah he loved the people
we read in Deuteronomy and I must hasten on unto me is God's great
high priest I just touched upon at the beginning didn't I there's
one that well understands your case I felt sometimes in my personal
exercises and thoughts before God you know It's a great mercy,
he knows my case better than I do, because he knows my future. You who fear God, your times
are in his hand, not in your own. The devil may say, well
they're in my hand, I'll get you. Well, the devil may suggest
in your heart, well, you know what you're like, you fail at
last. Left to ourself we will fail, but there's a throne of
grace to one you may go in all your failings, whose faithfulness
cannot fail. Now he's touched without sin,
yet he's touched with the very feelings of our infirmity. He
fully understands your misgivings, fears, troubles of your heart,
or past sins, or the present sinnership, the weakness in the
flesh, but he's been appointed by God and anointed by God to
intercede at the right hand of God for all that come unto him,
all that come unto him. Therefore he himself being a
man of sorrows, tempted in all points, yes, like as we are yet
without sin, who fully understands the case of the poor and needy,
and my dear friends who wept with the bereaved godly family. Oh, and how he suffered the manners
of Martha even then. In faith she said, but I know
even what thou now askest of God, God will give it thee. Strong
faith in Martha. A few hours later they're at
the grave weeping and Jesus began to weep because he felt a real
sympathy. Oh my dear people, this is what
sin has done for you. It's brought death, it's brought
sorrow, it brings the grave, it brings bereavement into all
loved ones and their family relationships. All must pass away wet. in loving
sympathy and so he says to Martha to show his power as resurrection
and the life, roll away the sin. Oh no, she says. Lord, he's been
dead four days, you sleep by now, we can't do things like
that. Said I not unto thee, if thou wouldst believe thou shouldst
see the glory of God. Lazarus come forth, he came forth
bound with the grave clothes, loose him and let him go. You
come to God's great high priest who can shower blessings down
upon you in everlasting love and mercy. One who will never
deny the case of a poor sinner. If you and I have to go to court,
I hope you won't, but if we had to go to court, it were with
the authorities. You may be employed by a skillful barrister. You
can get. But if you're guilty, you're
guilty. And that's a fact. So what do
the guilty do in the court of heaven? They confess their sins
to God's great High Priest, their advocate, their heavenly advocate
with the Father. And he pleads the cause of the
guilty, not denying their sin, but says, yes, but their sin
was laid on me. Their sin has been punished in
me. I've died for the ungodly. So God has raised him from the
dead at his right hand to plead your cause in heaven. Oh, what
a merciful high priest! He ever lives to see before his
Father's face, give him my soul thy cause to plead, nor doubt
the Father's grace. Why, his loving heart engaged
to be the everlasting surety. As heartless as in twenty-three,
that human heart he still retains, though thrown in highest bliss,
and feels each tempted member's pains, for their affliction's
his. Oh, there's none like unto the
God of which I shudder, who, looking right upon the heaven
in thy help, is actually upon the sky. Yes, blessed High Priest,
You may go and plead in your troubles His great offering for
sin. His great offering for... He
offered Himself. And it is a parable in this life
in the courts of heaven. And you see He looks as the Lamb
has been slain. Yes, in that glorious throne. You may plead the Lamb, the blood
of the Lamb. The blood of Jesus Christ is
sanctified from all sin. Come on, do that labor, heavy
laden. And you know, I know we think of, we plead that precious
blood for it to be washed, cleansed and justified. We plead his offering
for your blessings in providence. Every grace, every favor comes
to us through Jesus' blood. Well, just be very careful and
tenderly, but you know, dear friends, He careth for you. He
cares. You like prayers against our
dying day and our deathbed. He cares for you about your deathbed
and your future and your fears. He knows and is a high priest.
He understands your case. May He plead His great offering
for sin, His everlasting love. His victory over sin, death and
hell, and He is the resurrection. He's risen. The Saviour's risen.
Why? And the government shall be upon
His shoulder, to reign over those who fear His name and tremble
at His word, who long to win Him, who long to know Him. May
we plead His precious love right down to the details of your providence,
His loving care. We love our wives, of course,
through the tender mercy of God. in the gift of these things,
not all are favoured as others but oh it's a blessing to have
a wife who you love he loves his bride in such a holy way
far better than we can ever love our wives there's sin in our
love isn't there? sin's mixed with our love but not with his
he loves his bride the very hairs of her head are all numbered
he knows the way that she takes He's leading her through tribulation
here below to bring her home to heaven, to be with Him. Where? The marriage supper of the Lamb.
These are they which came out of great tribulation, washed
their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore
are they before the throne of God and worship Him day and night. I have to haze, it's nearly time
to close. Hardly got anywhere. Now, yes, come on to me. Oh, that real, solid, eternal
friend of publicans and sinners. There's none like Christ, Ram.
Oh, His precious blood speaks. The blood of Christ, a precious
blood, cleanses from all sin, doubted not, and reconciles the
soul to God for every folly, every fault. Now, come unto me. I must speak of this coming. I have to close, I see. Now,
this coming is by faith. I spoke the outset of the doctrine,
the drawing love of the Father. You see, He has begun a good
work in you. We'll perform it until the day
of Jesus Christ, if that's why you come. The author and the
finisher of our faith. If Christ is the author of your
faith, you will need Him to finish it. That shows a real work of
grace, a real mark of grace. You need the Lord to do what
you cannot do. You're given faith to believe
He's able to do these things. You need all the love and mercy
in Him. He's able to do everything for you to bring you safely to
heaven when you're so poor and needy, but you believe He alone
can finish it. So there's a cry to Christ from
this lower world, from poor sinners' hearts, and they cannot let Him
go. See, He's the author. He'll finish
it. He'll bring His people safely
through. So it's a coming day by day. Calling on his precious
name, drawing near. It's a coming in the heart, isn't
it? We can't, we don't go on pilgrimage to a particular place
in the earth. With the heart, man believes under righteousness.
And with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. My dear
friends, it's a believing in your heart. which is the gift
of God, and he that's begun that work, as I said just a moment
ago, he will perform it. The Apostle was confident, read
Philippians, for being confident of this very thing, he which
has begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day
of Jesus Christ. See, it's a gift of God. A word
in John 6 comes to mind. This is the work of God, that
you believe on Him and we are saved. This is work in your heart.
There was a day come in your life, if you're a believer, a
day came when you began to be exercised. You began to want
God. Mr. Frank Godson said this once,
he said he didn't, in his earlier days, he didn't quite know what
was taking place, but he began to want God. It was never before. He wanted God. Ah, and that work
goes on. To bring you to God. Yes, the
other side of the grave. Death passing safely. I'll see
you again. I've got to close. It's nearly
half past. I mustn't keep time. There's so much more I wanted
to say. To all you in the labour heavy
laden, I will give you rest. I will. It's the most glorious
truth, friend. God cannot lie. Heaven and earth
shall pass away. But my word shall not pass away. Blessed gospel. He's faithful
but promised. The strength of Israel cannot
lie, friend. Well, I must close. Yes, come
unto me, all ye that labour. You know the pathway, believer.
You know your ups and downs. They're in the Psalms, aren't
they? They're in the narratives of God's people. For child's
sake, the things they pass through. But the apostles persuaded with
a holy persuasion. Are you my dear friend? What
a mercy! I know he's the Christ. So I
must continue. I dare not turn back. I know
He's the Christ. There's much I don't know. Oh,
I stand in awe of His divinity, His almighty God the Son. I stand
in awe of His sacred humanity. I don't fully understand it.
He's completely God and completely man. Remember, He's not half
God and half man. He's completely God with His
Father and with the Holy One. He's completely man. He's God
with us. Without sin. Without sin. A vital distinction. He's a blessed one, your friend,
and you'll see Him, the King of Glory. You gaze upon, yes,
the King of Kings, you gaze upon the Son of Man which is Heaven,
your Lord and your God. Oh, my friends, I believe when
your heart is soft at times, you begin to take up that lasting
song here below. And what is it? Worthy is the
Lamb. Oh, I believe that He's precious
to your soul. You long to give Him the glory.
You long never to sin again. You want to deliver Him all your
transgressions, all your corruptions, and you need Him to do everything
for you. He's faithful that promise. I
must close. Come unto me ye that labour.
I'll give you rest. Rest and joy and peace in believing
here, Romans. You now live with joy and peace
and belief. The rest of your soul is near
at times, as Christ is precious to you. But death is on the road. So you fight the good fight of
faith and plead that name, and you'll prove Him faithful. He
brings you to the glorious rest, where you will crown Him Lord
of all. and love him, as McShane says,
with an unsinning heart. Come unto me, all ye that labour
in a heavy laden, and I will, I will give you rest. Let us ask the Lord's blessing
upon the Word. O Lord, bless that which has
been true and of the Holy Ghost. And may thy name be exalted,
and may something remain to be a help to us as we journey home.
Pardon, Lord, all spoken wrongly, and so take us all under thy
shadow. Oh, have the glory, and bring us home to give thee all
the glory at last, we plead for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.