[0:00] As the Lord may be pleased to help me, I would direct you prayerfully to Psalm 61 and reading verse 2.
[0:16] Psalm 61 and verse 2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
[0:40] The events of the past day, as you know in our journey some of you were what we call naturally very frustrating having forgotten their articles of clothing left them at Albury and having travelled some two hours up towards you meant we had to return back.
[1:07] And oh, I must say that the devil the devil seemed to get inside me, stir me up. I was tempted whether we should ever have been to come.
[1:20] And yet, last night when I read before, dear one, oh, I felt such repentance.
[1:32] We opened up to read this psalm and I said, there's the text. And that's how, dear friends, I believe, and some of you younger friends, if the Lord deals with you as sons and daughters.
[1:49] You will know what it is spiritually through providential trials to be at the ends of the earth. You may have heard of God.
[2:03] You come and hear the gospel. You read the word of God. I trust. Read religious accounts of men and women.
[2:14] I don't know how far your reading goes, but I know some of you, older ones, are well read in these things. Leave some of us, put some of us to shame, but in the experience of a true believer, a real Christian, there will be that plea, that cry as the first verse says, Hear my cry, O God.
[2:42] Attend unto my prayer. These are the words of the psalmist. These are the words that poor sinners will be taught by the Spirit that their need is God.
[2:57] We have known, or solemnly can speak of it, have known their independence of God. And oh, yet you know, that if you're one of the Lord's dear chosen vessels, sure, he will deal with you.
[3:17] And you'll be brought into such confusion and shame of faith that you will be enforced to cry unto the Most High God.
[3:28] And it will be the experience of the Lord's dear people to the end of their lives here below. There'll be those situations that arise with them that will bring them here.
[3:41] From the end of the earth will I cry unto them when my heart is overwhelmed. And how we get these overwhelming circumstances, whether bodily affliction, whether trying scenes in your studies, in your businesses, in your domestic scenes, in your church matters.
[4:07] There will be the throne of divine grace with the door of mercy that stands open all day to these poor sinners. You see, when the poor and needy seek water and there is none, that's at the ends of the earth.
[4:26] Their tongue faileth a thirst. You're thirsting for something real in God's truth. You're searching for something real in religion. And it's the Lord alone, dear friends, can lead you to this rock and that rock speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ.
[4:48] Other refuge, have I none, hangs my helpless soul on thee, leave, I'll leave me, not alone. Still support and comfort me. Now sometimes these situations arise and you wonder why.
[5:05] Do you not, dear friends? Why should this event take place? Why should this thing happen to me when I've sought the Lord to guide me, govern me, and uphold me, and support me, and sustain me?
[5:19] You know why? Because you have sinned in some way in your life and the Lord is going to show you that you're a sinner.
[5:29] You may have been half-hearted in your prayers, half-hearted in your religion, half-hearted in your attendance, I would even say, to the means of grace.
[5:41] Half-hearted, yes, dear friends, in your meditation for preaching. Oh, it comes to every office, every sinner, dear friends, saved by grace will be brought there where they feel to be at the ends of you and then they'll be forced to cry.
[5:58] I've often said, and you may have heard through the relay that real prayer is crying. You see, the righteous cry, you look through the word of God and see if it doesn't bear out what we try to speak tonight.
[6:13] I trust under the influence of the Spirit because my preaching is nothing, dear friends, unless the Spirit's anointed me. And we have a hope after these many years that the Lord has fulfilled his promise thus far.
[6:27] now, from the end of the earth. And these situations arise that, you know, when we go along smoothly, you know, real religion will be toiling and rowing.
[6:38] We touched on in prayer. you see, the Lord raiseth the stormy when you read the 107th Psalm at your leisure. And if you don't know something of that, dear friends, well, your religion's a little bit thin, isn't it?
[6:55] But if you know something of it, and I'm sure some of you do and others of you will know it in time if you're the Lord's dear chosen people, you'll be knowing what it is that he raiseth the stormy wind.
[7:08] And he makes it a calm as you groan being burdened with your pathway. I cry unto death when, from the end of the earth. So those things that arise in your path and mine, you wonder sometimes where the scene's going to end.
[7:27] But our God is faithful. You know how, how we do need the Spirit of the Lord to anoint us, don't we continually and exercise their souls into being led to this rock.
[7:40] On Christ, the solid rock I stand. That's the religion, isn't it? Is Jesus Christ and him crucified? Other refuge have I now.
[7:51] And when you and I come to the end of life's journey, and oh how solemn a time that'll be, unless we have that blessed favor and of the knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucified, lead me to the rock, Lord.
[8:09] You know, the Lord alone is able to deliver you and me from all your fears. And there's the, there's the second psalm we read, truly my soul waited upon God, from him cometh my salvation.
[8:23] Salvation's all of grace, you know, not of works. Many will tell you, perhaps in the day, they'll preach these, these flimsy truths, don't they?
[8:34] They don't give you the whole counsel of God. And so you see, it's watered down religion. It's a watered down religion. And it won't stand the test, will it?
[8:47] But real religion, and we don't want to, to pick holes in others, dear friends, but it's only as we're taught by the Spirit, as the Word of God is revealed to us.
[8:57] You see, it's the, it's the committing thy way unto the Lord, trusting also in him, and finding him, bringing to pass, and the Lord will give his dear children evidences.
[9:10] They'll have tokens. They'll pray for deliverance when they're brought into these great straits, and they'll prove the faithfulness of God. And oh, it may not be, as Elijah said, it wasn't in the earthquake, it wasn't in the wind, it wasn't in the, in the rain, was it?
[9:29] It was afterwards, it was a still, small voice. Well, remember, you know, when the Lord, I believe, was a still, small voice to me, through his Word, as we had to have an operation, I may have said it before, you'll bear with me, or how we had to wait upon the Lord, and God was our refuge, and how he calmed their troubled breath, that ninth psalm, how, before the operation, we felt calmed, calm amidst tempestuous motion, feeling persuaded that we should be brought through.
[10:09] What a mercy it is that the Lord reigns. And so, he says, I, from the end of the earth, will I cry unto the earth.
[10:19] Those great mountains before you, those mountains of doubts and fears and unbelief, that great, perhaps, Goliath that you've got to meet. Or the Goliaths, you know.
[10:34] Or the Sanballats and the Tobias that want to undermine those things that the Lord has instructed you in, that you feel persuaded will come to pass in your life.
[10:47] and all the Sanballats and the Tobias trying to undermine it and trying to overturn it. Then these things, you know, will cause you and me to cry daily.
[11:00] I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed. Bound down with twice ten thousand ties, oh, let me hear thy call. You want the Lord to speak, don't you?
[11:15] And the Lord, you know, in his mercy does speak. He speaks with authority and he speaks with signs and wonders to his dear chosen people.
[11:26] And this is what leads you and me, doesn't it? The drawing influence of the Spirit, draw me and we will run after thee. For Jesus draws the chosen race by that sweet, resistless grace and bids them come.
[11:43] The gracious invitations, we bless God for in the gospel. He draws you. Something secret working in your heart. Something secret that exercises your soul.
[11:55] You can't yet speak of any religion. You can't yet speak of having a word of God from heaven. There's something secret urging you on. Urging you on in this sense not to do your own will but to seek to know and do the will of the Lord.
[12:12] you want the Lord to speak. You want the Lord to guide, direct, direct and uphold you and support you in this pathway that you hope the Lord is going to own and bless in your life.
[12:31] Now from the end of the earth will I cry. So these trying scenes whether it's the events that have befallen you, you see no thought can fly nor think can move unknown to him that sits above and he sits on no precarious throne neither does the Lord borrow to bear.
[12:54] He is the sovereign God nor that we had more faith to believe that the eye of the Lord is upon his dear people. The eye of the Lord is upon you and me.
[13:05] He looks upon the heart and if that heart has had the fallow ground broken up it will be prepared. You see there's a secret working in you preparing you preparing your heart for the sowing of the seed of the incorruptible word of life.
[13:28] Now this sowing of the seed some we read of that sower went forth to sow. It's very solemn isn't it God's word when you look into it.
[13:40] Some fell by the wayside devoured wasn't it by the birds of the air devoured by circumstances some fell among thorns some fell also upon into good ground some fell upon the rocks and immediately it sprang up but it was a false foundation and you know when the sun was up it withered you know some when they run into trouble in religion you know it proves what the reality of religion they've got because they soon fall away but when it's sown into good ground it made it will die and it will die and it will spring up oh yes dear friends grace can never be hidden it may for a season but it can never be hidden and this is the mercy and favour and love of
[14:45] God to poor sinners that he causes them to be in these uttermost ends of the earth healing and remember this that Jesus saves unto the uttermost and when most we need his helping hand this friend is always near with heaven and earth at his command he waits to answer prayer so you are trying circumstances those difficulties that you and I encounter in our life all known to him all appointed so I was saying our trying day yesterday all appointed by God perhaps dear friends it was a little leaven to leaven the whole love perhaps there was a little ballast to keep us in that right praying frame not be lifted up but to humble us before almighty God and to prove too that we still have a heart that's deceitful above all things and desperately wicked you see this is the warfare that goes on this is the warfare of a newborn regenerated sinner called by grace there's an old man of sin and that old man of sin hangs pretty heavy at times and especially when there's this when the wind is contrary and all things seem to be contrary to our plans and our schemes and so the Lord you know he causes you to pass under the rod he causes things to take place he causes you to realise that you are very much of the earth earthy and so it is why there's no perfection in man's plans or schemes is there here below and you know we're looking for perfection sometimes aren't we there's only one perfect work isn't there and that's the work of sovereign grace in a sinner's hut that causes him to cry you cry daily and you plead with the Lord in his sovereign mercy lead me to this wrath do bind up Lord my broken hut you see this is it my heart is overwhelmed well not broke he rends the heart and marble of your heart and mine that is by nature stony ground no feeling dear friends no thoughts of eternity no concern about the immortality of your soul and mine but when the Lord comes when he breaks up your schemes and your plans when he breaks up the fallow ground of your heart when he takes away that heart of stone and gives you a feeling sense of repentance as a new heart he gives you so he makes you tender in the fear of
[17:55] God and you plead his righteousness you plead his mercy you plead his delivering power and so when your heart is overwhelmed you're brought here aren't you no help in self I find oh how we need humbling don't we we're so full of pride full of pride of the flesh full of self determination and will to do our own good pleasure so the Lord deals with you as a son and a daughter and he causes you dear friends to have a broken heart and then he binds it up in answer to your crimes and you cry unto the Lord the most high God and you pray Lord reveal thyself to me and say unto my soul I am thy salvation and tell me Lord this is not in anger this is not in anger but in thy dear covenant now oh what confession one felt last night to have in prayer have in prayer before God
[19:05] I felt a little softening of the heart and that's something that you would bless God for because often I fear much of their prayer is in formality but bless God I know it's right to venture to meditate upon these things but sometimes when you're brought into these situations then you cry Lord have mercy upon me Lord save me for thy mercy sake and like Peter said depart from me oh God for I am a sinful man and you wonder that the Lord ever condescends to come again and send you an answer but you see David by experience could say this for thou hast been a shelter for me and a strong tower from the enemy now the enemy of our souls is Satan and Satan will sometimes lull you to sleep won't he
[20:06] Satan will do his utmost to turn a poor tried child of God who wants to believe but has so many other things crowd into his mind that they seem to take away all those desires that he felt he had or she had concerning the welfare of their soul and for this wanting of the hearing of the gospel oh Satan is such a wily active powerful foe and oh look how he's got the world today dear friends Satan's blind slaves by the million sporting with death and they die the death of the wicked or why has the Lord spared you and earth is it dear friends for a purpose is it that he might favour you yet though feeling in darkness and in bondage and sometimes some live all their life subject to bondage through the fear of death my mother was one but you know the Lord did save her I believe the Lord gave her a living testimony convinced of her sin at 18 years of age and still had many doubts and fears through her life but she knew this that God was her refuge and she knew the blood of
[21:33] Christ could cleanse her from her sins and what a mercy you see there's no other refuge it's at the throne of grace on your knees pleading God be merciful to me a sinner you see that man was in a state wasn't he he didn't come up self-assured self-righteous and full of pride he came up dependent he came up acknowledging his sins as the hymn writer says here on my heart the burden lies and past offenses pain my eyes the Lord in his sovereign mercy deals with his people like this doesn't he that they can have something that enforces them to the throne of divine grace an affliction a burden the fear of the unknown way ah but we're Christ in the vessel formed in your very heart as the hope of glory Christ in the vessel
[22:35] Christ applying his word with power to your soul comforts you it's a little it's a little a rock isn't it it's a stone of help and you raise your Ebenezer to his praise lead me to the rock ah what a place to be led to dear friends rock of ages cleft for me let me hide myself in thee let the water and the blood from thy ribbon side which flowed be of sin the double cure cleanse me from its guilt from its power and that's that beautiful language of top lady where he sheltered beneath that rock you see that was a living experience that he wrote that hymn by and we believe the hymn writers have penned those hymns these wonderful hymns by experiences such as dear top lady had at that place now you and I will be enabled I believe to speak how we die little of the wonders of what the
[23:48] Lord has done for your soul you're persuaded of it and so you look to him don't you Lord lead me to this rock don't leave me Lord to settle upon a false foundation you see we read don't we that the foolish man built his house upon the sand there was no deck no foundation alright dear friends when the weather was well when the weather was good what happened when the rain came and the wind blew vehemently why that that religion comes to nothing doesn't it comes to nothing doesn't it because it blew vehemently and great was the fall of it but there was no rock there was no foundation no the the wise man the one that was given heavenly wisdom built his house upon a rock when the rains came and the wind blew vehemently you know it fell not for it was founded upon a rock now that's your religion dear friends if it's real founded upon
[24:59] Christ nothing else can satisfy it's what the Lord has given you and what your plea with him to give you Lord give me a true token give me something that I can be persuaded comes down from heaven thou Lord have said I will not leave you comfort less now you'll be very much discomforted in these trials won't you but trials make the promise sweet trials give new life to prayer trials bring us to his feet to lay us low and keep us there you know it's good to have some ballast isn't it not your flesh doesn't like it but faith will approve it well little ballast you see it makes us pray it makes us cry Lord help me Lord I am oppressed undertake thou for me as if I had to be brought there didn't it with that affliction and it was an all wise purpose in it undertake thou for me committing all into the Lord's hand call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me cast he said on me thy king it is enough that I am nigh
[26:21] I will all thy needs supply I will all thy burdens bear thee oh you know what a mercy he has promised to provide may he teach me to resign the two lines that were the commencement of my answering the invitation from Melbourne to come out here he has promised to provide and my mind says how can he how can it be teach me to resign leave the flock at staplest and venture to come out but what a mercy you know that the Lord was in it the Lord was in it and it shall not be a burden upon your shoulder why because you see there's one that gives you strength equal to your day one that has promised to provide oh Lord you say I still at the ends of the earth at times still wonder where the sin is going to end but leave me to the rock because I believe I can say with the psalmist there has been a shelter for me there has been my refuge and strength there has been better to me than all my fears and certainly my justice but oh it's that next trial that comes along unexpected that thing that suddenly arises in your life and when the devil roars where is where is now your
[28:02] God but I we have to realize don't we that from him cometh my salvation from him cometh my deliverance when thou canst no deliverance see ah you can't can you sometimes as such darkness envelops your poor mind but he has said when this messenger from satan buffets you as he did me yesterday what does he say why he said my grace is sufficient for thee and you know why does he buffet us why to prevent you and me getting exhorted above measure oh there's no exaltation dear friends in being a believer and certainly not being a preacher because the lord knows how to deal with us to keep us humbly supplicating the throne of divine grace for his hell you see he is god and you and i are sinful men and we have to pray daily lord do undertake for me do lead me do keep my mind stayed upon thee for blessed is the man whose mind is stayed upon god for his hope will be in his delivering mercies so this is a great favor isn't it this rock of ages from everlasting to everlasting and you know his mercies are new every morning great is his faithfulness to his dear chosen people and so your desires will be this i will abide in thy tabernacle forever i will trust in the cover to thy wings you know and if the lord applies that you will put your trust in him but not your trust in man can you but trust in the living god to undertake for you to guide you direct you and your weight upon him until he does perform these things for you for they that wait upon the lord shall renew their strength didn't we speak upon that on the lord's day they shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as eagles they shall run and not be weary walk and not faint from the end of the earth oh what a mercy you know that nothing is hidden from this blessed saviour jesus he may tarry often till you're ready to find but he does come and our hope is built isn't it upon nothing less than jesus blood and righteousness we dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on jesus name lord do give me something real do unstop my deaf ears do open my hearts to hear thy voice that i might truly have that faith to believe in thee trust in thee and prove yet that in spite of all my fears of these things going against me that they're all working together for my soul's good all things work together for good to them that love god to those who are the court according to his purpose now the sheep of christ as we often say will hear his voice in these things hear his voice and it's committing their way unto him from the end of the earth will i cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the wrath that is higher than i oh you see it's lifting up your eyes unto the hills and whence cometh your help and acknowledging your help cometh from god that made heaven and earth what an almighty god he is you know how as we came up we we see the wonders of creation but oh there's a far greater work isn't there the wonders of redeeming love that jesus should redeem his sheep from the curse of the lord you know we do need something to live and die on don't we oh that oh thou hideous monster sin what a curse has thou brought in all creation groans through thee pregnant cause of misery and you know there is some misery isn't the earth isn't there all the terrible tragedies that take place but when the lord has a people when he calls those people by his grace he'll watch over them protect preserve and keep them and exercise them and give them a desire often faint and feeble that they might know something of the truth as it is in him and so they commit their way and you know the life's minutest circumstance is subject to his eye and there's nothing too small to pray for is there nothing too small to pray for or nature and Satan might say to you what pray for that simple little thing like that ah but you know some of the blessed answers are in some of these simple things aren't they we see God saying he gives you faith to believe in these answers you look on your circumstances things seem to fall into place and you see the Lord sends an answer way made for you where there seemed to be no way oh and it's all by reason of you at times being in such a state over things sometimes a small thing when you come to face this and that problem how you find that the Lord has helped you and helped you and calms your troubled breasts and gives you grace to be still and know that he is
[34:11] God or what a God he is to go to how he calms our troubled breasts and we will bless him for it now from the end of the earth will I cry unto the earth you know you're not so far from God are you as you may feel to be tonight you know he is omnipresent and he waits to be gracious you haven't yet found him but I do humbly hope that you are still seeking him seek him with the whole heart seeking him while he may be found call you upon him while he is near for the Lord waits to be gracious and when he does appear to you and for you all sweet are these moments and how very precious they are when Jesus with his mighty love visits your troubled breaths your doubts subside your fears remove and you're completely blessed you see the blessing of the Lord that makes you rich you see it is a great favor to feel this when the
[35:17] Lord draws near comforts your heart whispers unto you peace be still and there's a great calm there's been turmoil before hasn't there but he makes the storm a calm in answer to your request because he pours upon you in these troublous times he pours upon you a spirit of grace and of supplication he gives you eyes of faith to look upon him and you see the object of faith Jesus Christ that chief cornerstone of whom you're building your hopes for eternity and you know while you're sojourning here below oh what a mercy to be given grace to walk in his fear it's an unctuous light to all that's right to all that's wrong you see there'll be a separation from the world won't there for he says come ye out from among them and be ye separate and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and be a father unto you and you shall be my sons and daughters said the lord almighty ends of the earth yes no help in south yes teaching of the spirit but brings you and me to the footstool of mercy and you know his ear is not heavy that it cannot hear neither his arms shorten that it cannot say your your iniquities have separated you and me from a holy God but you are made nigh by the blood of
[36:50] Christ and that precious blood is that you and I will plead for and ask the lord to give you that real repentance godly sorrow for sin sanctify your trials and your afflictions your sorrows your griefs and pray for deliverance and look to him to encourage you that you might prove that he that keepeth Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth for the eye of the lord is upon the righteous and his ear is open unto their cry from the end of the earth will I cry today when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than I he leads his people forth by the right way he leads them to that fountain open for sin and uncleanness he leads them to Calvary and they see through the lattice of the gospel and feel that he is the one thing needful for without him we shall perish in our sins what a solemn thing is eternity but what a blessed mercy if in your fears of eternity you feel your desires looking to
[38:14] Jesus and plead with him that he will yet favour you with deliverance whether he will favour you with a real living testimony this is what you want don't you something that you can speak of that the lord has spoken to you are living testimonies now what the lord has given you will never be taken from you it may get be clouded and you may be forgetful of it but he will bring it again to your remembrance by his spirit he has told us in his word for when he the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth now David had to prove that he had to go in the strength of the lord and lord alone nor how we shall have to go in the strength of the lord continually I know the eye of faith at times gets very dim very very dim at times and we wonder sometimes where the scene will end because the lord hides his face and we are troubled but did
[39:26] Jesus once upon you shine then Jesus is forever thine or may you and I know more of this blessed language that by experience that Jesus is forever thine because if he's begun that good work in you and you may feel and some of your younger friends may feel so very low in your feelings regarding religion wonder sometimes do I really know the lord do I love the lord do I want to love the lord all the questionings within a portion well dear friends your hearts like mine because we're no better after many years we trust in the world but we do believe that the lord will not give you those promises every day but there'll be those things that you have to wait upon him for you see and you'll ask for this the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man I would say a righteous seeking man availed much and the lord alone can give you a spirit of prayer and of supplication and always when you feel your need of him when most we feel our need of him this friend is always near with heaven and earth at his command he waits to answer prayer there's a set time to favour you with that reality of these visits from heaven and though you get as I say a very despairing at times and very cast down while the psalmist knew it and there's much in the psalmist to encourage us his ins and outs and his ups and downs are very much
[41:25] I believe the pathway of pilgrims to heaven and so he had to say this that like as the heart panteth after the living water brook so panteth my soul after the living God when wilt thou come you see there's a waiting time but though the vision tarry wait for it for in the end it shall speak and shall not lie and so the psalmist says why art thou cast down O my soul hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him there was faith there he was at the uttermost ends of the earth often times but there was faith there to believe in him for a time he has set to heal up your woes a season most fit his love to disclose from the end of the earth will I cry to thee when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than I or may the Lord then in his sovereign mercy bless our few remarks tonight and forgive all amiss
[42:33] Amen