Following Christ (Quality: Average)

[0:00] Once again, I have a desire to draw your attention to the fourth chapter, the gospel recorded to St. Matthew, the twentieth verse.

[0:13] The twentieth verse of the fourth chapter of the gospel recorded to St. Matthew. And they straightway left their nets and followed him.

[0:30] You will remember that we ventured upon these words this morning. And we were speaking concerning the following him.

[0:44] Not to go over the same ground as this morning. We would come immediately to follow on as far as we are enabled from this morning.

[1:00] We were speaking of how there would be a following him through his life. And also following him in his word.

[1:19] Well, there is a following him, as we mentioned this morning, to the cradle. And the few things we were enabled, we hope, to mention this morning concerning it.

[1:33] And also how he came, and we follow him as far as when he began to speak. How to the doctors of law, and who were conversant with the Old Testament, and yet could not understand the Lord and Savior.

[2:01] And then we went this evening, and there he began to preach. And so, as I knew, he began to preach.

[2:12] And so it was, at the time appointed, he began to preach the gospel unto sinners. Well, I feel that this evening as far as we are enabled, if we may be able to follow him onwards to the time when he came unto the Garden of Gethsemane.

[2:42] We've rid of it this evening. but the depth of it we shall never be able to enter into by reading the letter of truth only so we heard me say before we love the letter of truth but we want something more we want the revealings of the incarnate world as revealed in the written word and then made applicable unto our own cases therefore to be led of the spirit for a few moments to follow him as he entered into the God of Gethsemane there were those who went with him and beheld in some measure and that his sorrow of heart as he was sorrowful

[3:48] I'm sure that if we have a place to allow dear Savior as we follow him to the God of Gethsemane it will cause us to sink into nothingness and surely will bring forth out of our hearts a desire if not already enabled to repent because he was not for himself he was there and not that he needed any salvation himself for he being holy and undefiled almighty God as well as man oh then to follow him in his manhood as we see him suffering the agony of soul as he prayed unto his father if it be possible let this cup pass from me oh we must come a little into it to know the the blessedness of it to know and feel a little of that love unto him when in any particular sorrow or trial we have desired that the cup might pass from us some of us have known this path cried out unto God for it and now a little of what that sorrow of heart is not anything to be compared with Christ oh no but we have felt in the measure that we can bear sorrow of heart and burdened in spirit because of some trial or difficulty that martinian laid upon us and not like our saviour he was willing to go through and for that very cause he came as we ran but we have endeavoured to try and get round it and a long while before we've been able to say thy will be done it's a wonderful favour as we have come in ready trial and we have laid passage in his hand and know no will but it's it's not that we come there sinner no but he brings us there and for that purpose that we might have fellowship with him in his sufferings as he lay passive though we shall never understand his passive-ness but lay passive in the hand of his father willing to be obedient unto his father even obedient the death of the cross that he might bring many sons unto glory that he might bring them out of darkness into his marvellous light that he might bring them away out of all those things that are equal to him and to cause them to rejoice in him there is no rejoicing that has any lasting effect but that joy and that peace that emanates while the joy and peace that our saviour obtained for us in the garden of Gethsemane and upon the cross there is not following him here following all in that path oh it is I believe following all as he leadeth in that path and saying he alluded there to him you know they sing it very lustily

[8:31] I used to sing it in my way when I went among them as a young man follow follow I will follow Jesus they sing and where we lead if I will follow on but not so easy as that sinner dear Peter thought he could do it he'd follow him he said and so he did but when tribulation can't even look at him see to follow our Jesus like Peter did I followed him to the judgment wall but let some persecution come I let some opposition come that will test our ways how how forgiven we are in these things oh yes and I'm sure that we have our heart no better than Peter when he denies my school but all this you see in

[9:36] God's hand in his case and I believe in ours I was all to teach him teach him his weakness teach him his own inability inability to do any one thing of himself and when put him into Satan to Satan's as he was found that he had nothing of any value of his own and how God caused to be sitted out even on the border of the judgment wall oh my friends if you and I come into that path to follow him there and then that there is spot we are thrust into

[10:36] Satan's sin we shall have much religion left you've only saved me poor no doubt but he bears repeating and reminding that we shall find but if we have as much as dear Peter what was that say you what did he have well he had blessed repentance blessed repentance a repentance that needed not to be repented of and that repentance was no more than when he went out and wept bitterly there tears are come intuition so for sin blessed tears you know well I say when they are they are there are such tears that some of us have known in the past years gone by and so that

[11:36] God in his wonderful wisdom permits these things to come to show us our weakness to bring forth to bring forth contribution and sorrow tears of repentance and then something far greater in my dear and there are lasting forgiveness that is embodied in the life work and death of the dear Redeemer so that in all these things it is made manifest that Jesus himself accomplished for and on our behalf all that the sinner needs both for time and eternity to deliver him from the power of Satan though he would have appeared to men to overcome the of Peter and we know not we wouldn't make anything supposition in regards to Peter but I have no doubt that under that ordeal

[12:53] Satan must have troubled him concerning his sin oh the condition of conscience some of us have known in the past the lashes of it and those things that have come against us and yet though there have been these mighty enemies within been that mighty enemy that have been against us yet through God's grace and mercy having been able to follow him in his suffering and see that in him and through him alone we have victory over Satan and over her soul and something more far more blessed victory over all things at last and we follow him in those things which he shall blessedly accomplish for and on our behalf so then having followed him to the garden there be a following him as he comes from the garden to be betrayed unto our wicked man man and how the solemn truth that for that doing purpose was

[14:43] Judas Iscariot risen up that he might betray the dear Savior I don't know if I mentioned it here but I have recently somewhere concerning this point however when Christ says have I not chosen you twelve but one of you is a devil it did not mean that he was chosen with the eleven in the covenant of grace for there is no such thing as falling from grace thou shall redeem his vain thou believe his vain for we believe that the holy election of grace were in Christ Jesus before all worlds but he was called chosen so deep as chosen that he might be a deep betrayer of our dear

[15:50] Savior not to gloat of it might have been us you know some might say well that's rather a sweeping statement it might have been us I say again we might have been chosen for some particular purpose to sin against God the divine oath of carnal reason can't fathom neither would it receive it but God is so mighty and great that he does not inquire of man of any of his counsel or any of those things he does but he does righteously according unto his divine will and purpose and therefore and while man may cavil at it faith God given faith how will hold to it say that are righteous and just shall man reply against his maker where he not a right and power to take of the claim and mold it as he will

[17:08] I know that searching for being searching I am sure that not one of God's children could be offended at it because I would that I look at it with wonderment that I would never land in that safe condition to be banished from him forever while these followers these that follow him too as Peter did and the others as are following him too as he came from the garden and was taken to the judgment hall and also there we are following him as he came before the high priest and his accusers very solemn chapter

[18:13] I feel in Matthew it sets forth more fully than one or two of the gospels how they treated him you know how they spit upon him and how they said all a manner of blasphemy against him and the very thing that they accused him of well we read it we've all heard what was read tonight and we know those things that they did against him and there I'm sure there'll be a father with him and it will give us solemn heart it will indeed and not only that it won't rise anger in our heart against them no but I'll tell you what it will do it will rise up righteous indignation against them two different things entirely but you'll remember our dear

[19:21] Savior almost his last breath said father forgive them for they know not what they do so they'll be up following him even in that willingness even to have that same spirit that we shall not rise up in anger against the enemies of God and against his against his Christ don't misunderstand me here I'm speaking about their person and therefore there will be that in our hearts I feel a sorrow as we look upon such that oppress and also that are against these truths and rather than to be bitter which appear sorry that they are in that position and shall rather pray for them from time to time that their eyes may be opened to see these wondrous things that are revealed in his world knowing this and whereas once we were blind and would have remained there unless he had opened our blind eyes to see the difference between the false and the real all these things have the whole bar upon them you know the true things of

[21:12] God they have that will be received in heaven it's like the jeweler you know has the silver and other things to have the whole bar upon it that is to say literally it has the bar of the whole that is the jeweler's all upon it according unto what they have devised to put upon it I can't go into it fully but I know it is to do with the jeweler and so with God he who is the master jeweler may I say who is molding and shaping his jewels for which he said they shall be mine in the day that I make up my jewels well then there has a hallmark upon them and that will be received in heaven in the great day when he gathers together all the kindreds of the earth in one and divide them as a shepherd divineth the sheep from the goats well there there be a following there be a following him then to the to the judgment hall but I wanted to pass on because of the time there be a following him on the way to

[22:55] Calvary as he bore his cross yes or how there you see he was compelled to go there to Calvary to the place of crucifixion and we must remember this he being almighty God and knew the agony to suffer so different to man a man knows what agony would be agony but he doesn't know the quantity of it I think you'll understand me here what I mean because we being only puny men the dying thief didn't know the agony of the cross until he came to it but Christ knew it because he was almighty God and one of man and he knew every iota of what he was to suffer and he did suffer and if we are favored to follow him there and behold him as he hung upon the cross there were those you know in that day they followed him afar off we read in the world to worry about that beholding him upon the cross but your love is so toward him you are following him afar off feel unworthy to come near feel unworthy to come nigh unto his sacred majesty for

[24:41] I am a sinner and I fear to come unto him well are you following him to the cross are you watching him there are you beholding him as the only the only sacrifice the only way whereby you can receive full remission and that you know that there is no efficacy in the blood of beasts for we know by the word of the Old Testament while they were types and shadows of good things to come above Christ come to fulfill he came to as he said with regards to law think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill therefore he came to fulfill every iota that law that you and

[25:51] I might be delivered from it and not only delivered from it but to receive an everlasting salvation in and through his dying love so that following them into the cross and those of you may fear to only following him a power of well he does bring these who are following him a power of he brings them down he draws them by the cords of his eternal love and he brings them nearer and nearer and nearer to the cross and so near in his covenant love and his own time and way that they shall know what it is to have an application of that atonement out of the soul precious precious blood they are told in blood of the dear saviour so efficacious so blessed so great my tongue found me to know how to set forth the love of

[27:09] Christ and the deep deep ocean of that love which brought him from above to lay aside his kingly glory to come here on earth and willing to be a servant a servant of the father and more a servant of the church for he said I am among you as one that served can you follow him here as you see him one that served we will deny how he served his dear disciples and so he does spiritually he he serves him with the finest of wheat he comes with the blessed gospel and he preaches it by the blessed spirit into the soul the hungry soul receives it and revives and I feel strengthened thereby to go on a little further in the pathway though he may be a checkered path in the pathway which are known to glory and then blessings on his holy name the day will come according unto his word he will be with us in heaven forever all to be able to follow him even to the cross there will be a following him to to the sepulchle like those dear women that came unto him very early that makes things look to us doesn't it sometimes as though we are not quite like these dear women they loved their

[29:05] Lord sufficient to be there very early in the morning even at dawn and how they came there they followed him to the sepulchle oh to follow him there and then in following him there to have some humble hope that our sins were all swallowed up when he rose triumphant from the grave and that they were buried in the sepulchle never to be remembered anymore and then to follow him as far as Bethany to see him with his dear disciples when you know he led them out as far as Bethany and there he blessed them the wonderful favour to follow him as far as Bethany and then to see him ascend up on high oh that death you hear that our dear saviour having swallowed up death in victory led captivity captive and received gifts for men gave their better soul so how then he entered into heaven and there as a mighty conqueror follow him then as far as we may

[30:30] I want to be careful of this particular point as far as we dare by faith follow him as he went into heaven behold him there by faith at the father's right hand above there is our great high priest forever pleading our cause poor too decreases we are troubled on every side driven in or do yet pleading our cause above before the father and there presenting our cases whatever they may be at this time whether it be in body mind or soul your body troubled your sin pains your body many fears as to the consequences take it to heaven by prayer our priest above is there to hear prayer whatever prayer it may be and so he there to answer our every need well there is a beholding him then following him by faith even into heaven itself see if they are then crowned in glory crowns upon the sacred brow of our dear redeemer oh you see how the blessed exchange as there was here whereas that dear sacred brow once crowned of thorns is crowned in glory now wonderful thing to follow him in his sufferings and to follow him to that place where he is gone to be forever and one day to gather his people in one and

[32:38] I wanted to come because of the time just for a few moments to the other following that we read of this evening there be a desire to follow him in the ordinances of his house for how he had laid it down in his words so perfectly clear and there will be a following him I feel even into that place where he gathered his disciples together to administer under them the ordinance that particular night before he suffered and how he I set the pattern in the world that this is the path that his people should walk even to enter into that blessed path which he himself walked in and of whom dear

[33:49] John John the Baptist how he was made of God to baptize in Jordan is so perfectly clear I wonder why it is that in this day that there seems so little of the fulfillment of it well can it be only one thing that the Holy Spirit seems to be with the Holy these things then let us try as enable to follow him to the throne of grace and there ask him once more to pour out his Holy Spirit upon the people upon the churches that there may be a movement among the mulberry trees once more and there may be once more fruit to be seen in this path why you know the disciples they preached this doctrine and though you know

[35:01] I seldom mention it but I seem to have a peculiar mind on this particular thing today that one would not turn away from it but rather enlarge upon it as being that which God appointed in his word and our dear saviour as I hinted a moment ago walked in that path when he came to dear John and you know how John seemed to shrink from it but our saviour to set the example said suffer it to be so now for thus it cometh us I like that word us a little word that it means so much there I view thus it cometh us to fulfil all righteousness that is the righteousness of the spirit as he hath laid it down in his word and show us the path it is the right path in them and though there may be many hindrances in the way yet

[36:17] God can and he will remove them all I know Lord that there is one in here under the sound of my voice today is there any one way exercise concerning this God knows that I don't but if there be such a one what is it you're waiting for some great revelation that may never come some great thing to happen that you may never experience may I say this in the still small voice in thy soul just for whisper in thy soul you won't be able to keep back if you hear that whisper and I'm not trying to not to fresh into the church God forbid you know me better than that but

[37:18] I say if you hear that whisper in the soul there is nothing that can hinder and may I say this too let not man be the hindrance for his breath is in his nostrils and God can hold all those things in check that there is nothing to fear from man for I'm a living witness that he changed them down in iron bands he does indeed if they so needed at any particular time oh may you then consider these things think upon them and give God no ransom till he leads you into that path that is God on him God exalting while you yourself will feel they love thou know the least of all and also

[38:29] I believe that when these things do come to pass God enabled those who hear what testimony one might have to give to say come in thou blessed of the Lord Why standest thou without thy following?

[38:50] They follow him in the path that he hath appointed in the word. Follow him in that way, that they might do his commandments.

[39:02] And also that they might be favoured to come and partake of the ordinance at the Lord's table.

[39:20] And there have that fellowship with those who have already been favoured to walk that way. It's a wonderful path, but at one point, don't be surprised if Satan tries to jump away.

[39:40] And then there is another point to just here. I don't say this is discouraged, because I've already tried to encourage, but there is, I believe, there are with some then experiences after their baptism, like our dear Saviour had, because we read, we do read, that immediately after his baptism he was taken into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

[40:16] Well, that's not always the case with all, to the same extent, but he'll have some temptation upon it. You'll have many questionings come upon it sooner or later, and he will try to trouble you, for he hates the commandments of God.

[40:38] He hates the power that God leads his people in, and if he cannot destroy it, he'll worry the poor sheep. He will indeed, I know that by a living witness.

[40:51] He'll worry the sheep, and he'll drive hizzle and hizzle, and they'll begin to wonder afterwards. They didn't know what to have been, quiet, and not said anything about it.

[41:03] Well, don't be surprised. I speak this to you, comfort, any of you. As long as we are, as long as we've been in that path, we're still troubled sometimes, and to our amazement, even in the ordinance, sometimes will try and trouble us and bother us.

[41:23] But the earth will carry similar. He cannot destroy the faith of God in the soul. He cannot forbid you to follow, following him in his paths, following him in those paths he laid out his wood.

[41:40] He cannot overthrow the decrees and purposes of God towards you, and he will in his old time of way, cause you to walk that way, the despised way, the way which many have, in days, in after life, have been brought to that place where they have regretted that they have not walked that path.

[42:14] Don't say that to frighten, don't misunderstand me here, but also, there was a case with a very dear friend of ours in London, you know how he waited for some years before he felt he had come forward, which no doubt was right, I believe that, but you know, he came before the church, but before it was time to be baptized, he was taken.

[42:44] You see, there are many things to be considered. Did not always be standing, oh no, I don't mean that, did not always be standing in the covenant, and in grace, but he would have had, for a short time at least, an answer for good conscience, before God.

[43:04] I've said these things before you, and love, because, how we do design, to see the manifestation of it, and one thing more I might say here, I've longed, longed, again and again, to have a seal, on this particular point.

[43:25] I have seals, I hope, that God has blessed the world, of one another, here, up and down our land, that I've cried, and with great, feeling, a feeling, from time to time, one looks upon them, we have many friends, we have many enemies, but I say again, there are those things, that have been to the rejoicing, of our hearts, but one feels the need, one more token, that he hath, indeed, blessed the world, through the administration, of it, through the spirit, while this poor sinner, might be humbled, in the dust, I can say, on this before my God, I want no exaltation, of the pledge, I want my dear Jesus, exalted, I want to see, the exaltation, of him, who is worthy of it,

[44:28] I want to see, I want you, who is already exalted, far above all, principality and power, might and dominion in heaven, and above all, I want you, to be under him alone, all praise is due, while man shall have nothing, but into glory, and then, there they are following him, as shortly, the way he said, unto his dear disciples, where I, where I go, you cannot follow me now, but you shall follow me, hereafter, where the yearafter, will come, when he will call us, by that, wonderful call, say, friend, come up higher, and he'll show us, all his glory, what a blissful exchange, isn't it, to be able to see him, as he is, throughout the conversation, of eternity, so then, now there will be, a following him, hereafter, though, though his disciples, could not understand, until he, until he explained it, to them, yet, they knew, when he, opened it up, to them, that he spoke, of that time, when, they should follow him, into glory, well, may the Lord, grant, that, what I have been spoken, this night, might be blessed, under some, poor sin, or more, and that, we may, have, the witness within, and also, that there may be, fruits attended, and that, that fruit, shall be, to his own glory, and that, it shall be, that fruit, that shall remain,

[46:25] Amen.