Consolations for God's people (Quality: Very good)

[0:00] As the Lord may be pleased to help me, I would direct you prayerfully to Psalm 62 and verse 8. May the Lord be a helper in hearing and speaking.

[0:18] Trust in him at all times, ye people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. Selah What a mercy that the psalmist has left on record under the inspiration of the Spirit in the Lord's dealings with them, which are for time here below.

[0:48] And will stand you in good stead in eternity, if you are a favorite amongst those that truly are waiting upon the Lord God.

[1:03] For from him no other source. From him cometh my salvation. And so he goes on here to tell about those that will be mischievous men under the influence of the devil.

[1:25] But what a mercy if he's quickened your soul and mine and brought you to realize that he only is your rock and your salvation.

[1:38] He is my defense. I shall not be moved. Now we're often moved. Now we're often moved by trouble. We're often moved because of doubts and fears arise and the enemy of our souls is so active and trying and will delight in lies.

[1:57] Though they may try and make out they bless you with their mouth but they curse inwardly. The solemn thing to have those enemies, dear friends, that are in unregenerate state, living with us under our roofs or in our daily lives.

[2:20] You cannot move anywhere without coming across the ungodly and the ungodly lies that they bring forth.

[2:32] But what a mercy if the Lord has given you that authorship of faith. It may ebb and flow much in your life and mine.

[2:43] But it's trusting in him at all times. And that's a great blessing if the Lord has called you by grace.

[2:57] No help in self. Yet have sought it well. Native treasure your mind. Your mind. My mind. Sin, death and hell. What a darkness that seems to envelop our minds at times.

[3:09] We're without hope at times. And then hope against cope causes you to seek God. It's the object of your soul.

[3:21] It's the object of your soul's desire. Jesus, crucify you and me. And oh, it's the desire of your soul as a believer. Crucify this self in me.

[3:34] And bring me into the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. Trust in him. And to feel persuaded that in him you live and move.

[3:47] And have your very being. And it is of his mercies you're not consumed. His mercies are countless as the sand upon the seashore.

[4:00] What a great blessing then. That await for you and me to receive at God's hand. It may be in the deep waters. It may be in the trials.

[4:12] But those waves and those billows will go over your head on occasions. When he brings you out into a wealthy place. And you bless the Lord for his mercies. And it's ye people.

[4:25] The people of God. The people that have been born again. The people that have been chosen before the world. To live to show forth his praise. I'm sure you've had moments.

[4:37] Sweet moments. Before the cross. When you think not a just a wooden cross. Or a cross that we see everywhere in these religious places.

[4:52] But this dear friends is the sufferings of Christ. He suffered the just for the unjust. That he might bring them to God. Oh what a mercy.

[5:04] For them without hope. So. He said trust in him at all times. Ye people. Pour out your heart before him. There it is.

[5:15] If you trust him. You'll call upon him. Be careful for nothing. But in everything. Not some things. Everything. Bring your hard things to him.

[5:29] And he will hear them. You cannot deny that you haven't had answers of prayer. You cannot deny it. And neither can I.

[5:40] But we don't feel to be very active in prayer do we? We murmur and complain with our lot. And yet. Occasionally in sheer despair.

[5:54] There is that trust. In a living God. In a living Saviour. Co-equal. With. Father. Son. And Holy Ghost.

[6:06] And you bless the Lord for a little faith. You lift up your eyes unto heavens. From whence cometh your help. No help in self as we've sung.

[6:17] But looking to the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Ye people. My people. He says. You'll know the joyful sound of the gospel.

[6:29] My people should know it. You're searching for it. You're waiting for it. You're pressing through the crowds of doubts and fears and unbelief. To touch the hem of his garment. A set time.

[6:42] And you get like that. When will the Lord come? When will he send me sweet relief? When he make my crooked things straight. And rough places plain. And the darkness light before me.

[6:53] Because I thirst for God. What a mercy. You know. Natural thirst dear friends. Won't thirst for God. It's thirsting for the living God.

[7:06] You don't want to fall down and worship idols do you? What are they? What's a crucifix on the wall? What's a cross on the trough of a building?

[7:19] There's no satisfaction in that friends. Men say yeah but it reminds me. Of Christ's suffering. Does it? You can't get that feeling in your soul without the Lord touching your heart.

[7:35] And I fear there are many religious people today. That have not had these experiences. And that being brought to feel that sacredness of a glimpse by faith of the Lord Jesus.

[7:48] He's not been their object. He's only been a letter religion. The letter killeth. But the spirit alone can give life.

[8:00] And I'm not going to be a judge of anybody. But we know this. That so much depends upon all their religious paraphernalia. All their clothing.

[8:12] And all their crowns. And we're told, aren't we, that man should not worship with his head covered.

[8:26] Ah, they seem to forget these things. These real things in the scripture for the people of God.

[8:38] They will bow the knee in reverence and godly fear. They will pray for the Lord to give them this trust. And for you and me to hasten to the place where he unveils his face.

[8:53] You won't want to, as it were, of necessary keep from coming to worship God in his house. He's provided it for us.

[9:04] And as I've said before, I know countless souls that have come through this house of prayer over the years and have benefited by it. By the Lord's blessing upon them as the people of God.

[9:18] And they've poured out their hearts. And we do sometimes in prayer, pour out our hearts. Lift up our hearts, it speaks elsewhere.

[9:30] Lift up our hearts with our hands. Come with broken hearts and contrite spirits for the Lord to be a rock of my strength. God is our refuge, a very present help in our trouble.

[9:45] Therefore, therefore he says, come unto me. And you come and you look for the Lord to bless you with a comfort and hope that your heart is right before him.

[10:02] At the throne of grace. He's your refuge and your strength, a very present help. And that's what we need. And that's what we need the Lord to come and revive us here below in our pathway, in our churches.

[10:17] To ask for the old paths and stand in the old ways. And to restore, dear friends, the true religion of God's elect.

[10:27] That will ask the Lord that they might truly be favoured to know him experimentally and know the truth.

[10:39] Brought as sinners. Burdened with their sinners. But oh, he says, cast thy burden upon the Lord. He shall sustain thee. They will never suffer the righteous to be moved.

[10:52] But you seem to be tremble sometimes. Is there any life in my soul? When wilt thou come? Years and years have been coming. Waiting for the Lord to confirm my soul with a word.

[11:05] Well, what a mercy that you're looking to him at all times. There's a time to heal, a time to seek, a time to be born, and a time to die.

[11:22] But oh, to know something of the Lord's blessing upon you, to make you rich, to enrich your soul. And he's your hiding place.

[11:33] He's your refuge and your strength. A very present help. He warms your cold heart. He sets your soul and mind on fire. And we go in the strength of that word.

[11:46] And oh, what a mercy to have your weak faith strengthened with a visit from the Lord. And giving you a spirit of grace and of supplication.

[11:58] And so, he tells us, trust not in oppression. And so, he tells us what we are. Men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lie to be laid in the balance.

[12:12] They're altogether lighter than vanity. But you know you'll be burdened. And you'll be looking for the Lord to lighten your darkness, Lord. Shine into my heart to give me that light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus.

[12:28] That I might truly feel that union and communion with him from off the mercy seat. Trust. Well, we cannot always trust.

[12:40] Can we, human beings? We have to prove, dear friends, their loyalty to us. We have to prove their loyalty to us and faithfulness to us.

[12:51] And oh, when the enemy comes in like a flood. What separation that comes about, doesn't it? We want to know the truth, don't we?

[13:02] But it is, as he says here, truly my soul waiteth upon God. And what a good place this is to be, to wait upon the Lord to renew your strength.

[13:14] Strength of faith, this is not necessarily bodily strength. We know that he weakens our strength in the way. But this blessing of the Lord, as you wait, you tarry his leisure then, the weight the appointed hour, wait to the bridegum of your souls, reveal his love with power.

[13:34] Let's show me, Lord, what I have to do every hour. Every hour in our lives, how often is our mind taken away from every hour, waiting upon the Lord.

[13:48] We have much, much, dear friends, to weep over, to mourn over, our shortcomings and our failings. But I am the Lord. This comes back.

[14:01] I am the Lord, I change not. Therefore, the sons of Jacob are not consumed. It's word to God. We know we're a son of Jacob, of the seed of Jacob.

[14:13] We'll never be lost, you know. We may have darkness. We may have oppression. We may be cast down.

[14:25] But yet hope, though in God, for I shall yet praise him. There's a little hope you'll yet praise him for his great goodness toward you. Trust in him at all times.

[14:38] Oh Lord, burn this text into my soul as the people of God. The people that shall know the joyful sound of the gospel, the good news of salvation, their good hope through grace that they'll get the victory over this body of sin and death through the merits of Jesus.

[14:58] Are the refuge? Have I none? We haven't got a refuge, have we? We've got a refuge in our homes, in our buildings, from the elements.

[15:11] Bless God for them. But this refuge of your soul, the hiding of you under the shadow of his wings till these calamities, calamities that touch you and me in our lives.

[15:29] Calamities, calamities, dear friends. you feel they're going to destroy your little faith. But these calamities draw more prayer out.

[15:40] Pour out your heart. Bring that hard things to me and I will hear it and I will deliver you. And when most we need his helping hand, his friend is always near.

[15:54] With heaven and earth his command, he waits to answer prayer. This is it, waiting upon the Lord. You see, you're a privileged soul if you're waiting, if you're trusting in him to deliver you.

[16:11] When there is no deliverance yet still this man thy peace shall be peace that he has procured with his great sufferings on Calvary's tree.

[16:23] Oh, how the fiery darks of the wicked one were fired at him. But he endured and you all endure of seeing him who is invisible, whom having not seen but does a desire and also a feeling of love to the Lord Jesus Christ who has done great things for his people.

[16:48] And his people are those that repent and believe. And he has given them a spirit of repentance, a spirit of grace and of supplication. and he draws out the prayer from their soul.

[17:00] He squeezes it out. And when most they need his helping him, this friend is always near him. And what a mercy if he's that friend of you and me.

[17:12] He's touched your heart. We dare not deny it. We want to have more visits. We want to have more evidences, don't we, that he alone can save us for his mercy's sake.

[17:28] And there's a salvation in your providential lives, in your families. You look upon him and you think, how will they escape the breath of God except they're born of the spirit and made wise under salvation.

[17:43] It's an awful thing, a dreadful thing, isn't it? To think that their souls are doomed to hell if we never repent and to believe. No escape.

[17:55] But my people shall know, my people. Oh, to have that blessing of the Lord, to enrich yourself, he's given you faith, a little substance, hopeful, evidence of things that are not seen.

[18:13] Whom having not seen, ye love. And that love, dear friends, will bind you and me to the truth, and to the psalmist, the language, it comes right down where you and I are at times.

[18:28] Your hope built upon nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. They don't trust the sweetest flame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. Is anything too hard for the Lord?

[18:41] And if he's chosen you, he'll cause you and me to approach unto him, because you trust him in his faithfulness. What a mercy then to be able to trust him and his people too.

[19:00] Yes, we've been able to trust them for what they have declared unto us, what they have shown us, what they have taught us, and by the teaching of the Spirit, the gospel to bear our drooping spirits up, a faithful and unchanging God, lay the foundation of our hopes in oaths, in promises, and in blood.

[19:23] Precious Jesus, blessed Jesus, as we sung of in the opening hymn, and what a mercy this is, and he only. There's no other substance, there's no other hope, but the merits of Jesus.

[19:38] He is that rock. On Christ, the solid rock, I stand, all other ground, is sinking sand. Or may we not be left to build upon false hopes, from a wave of notion or emotion, but things truly known and felt in your soul and mine, because he says, ye shall know it.

[20:04] The truth will be burnt out, burnt in to your soul and mine, and you won't get burnt out in your body before it comes to confirm your souls with signs following.

[20:17] It's in God, God alone, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and may the blessed spirit of truth come down, reveal the things that God has made to us, salvation, no, you say, I believe I've been saved, and that's some statement to make, but we want to be sure, don't we?

[20:37] blessed is God, my salvation, he is my rock, and my salvation is your only hope, it's the narrow way, and striving to get in at the straight gate, that we have those blessed evidences and assurances with sons and daughters of God by blessed adoption.

[20:59] salvation, it's not for any of your doings and my doings, or so good works as many seem to think that you can gain God's friendship through your good works, they're commendable maybe, but they're not salvation, there's only one way where we can be saved, and that's the blood of Christ, and that'll have a gracious effect upon your walk and your conduct, and mine too, alas we come short, I know, but there'll be those evidences that the Lord has shone into your heart to lighten your darkness, and you felt you must trust him at all times, all times, you people and pour out your heart, oh what a mercy, he binds up the broken heart, he heals the sick, and he comforts the dying, and we'll have to pray,

[22:04] Lord, do keep alive my soul, until thou does come and take me out of this world, I trust to heaven myself, and your loved ones around you, you want them to know it, don't you, to know the exercise of pouring out your soul before him, casting all your care, as we said earlier, casting all, not all, not some of it, everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God, always a daily exercise, sometimes it's morning, noon, and night, sometimes a little spirit comes upon your soul, in your situations, Lord, help me, and it's real, it's not a repetitive prayer, it's real in your case, it is right before you, in front of you,

[23:04] Lord, help me, Lord, save me, for thy mercy's sake, bless me with some truth burnt in, that I will come again, because he said, I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and this is what we want, some heart rejoicing in our pathway, to know the truth, and the truth to free you from that condemnation, the broken law, pour out your heart before God, he says, a new heart will I give you, a heart made tender in my fear, or not a slavish fear, but that filial fear, that reverential awe of the majesty and holiness of God, why, if we were to see him, and see him, dear friends, with our natural eye, we should have trembled, we should have trembled his majesty, and the miracles that he performed while here upon the earth, well, we shall each be a miracle of grace if we're saved, and bless the Lord, and we shall have that confidence of faith, ere we die, of bringing all these things, all our times, that are all events at his command, my times, said David elsewhere, my times in thy hands, all events at thy command, that's trusting him, and David knew that, and so will you, know what it is, to truly realise that

[24:43] God is a refuge, he puts that righteous robe upon you to cover all your sins with a mantle of his forgiving love, and he bids you come, all to have these blessed invites of the gospel, come unto me all ye that weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest, it's the pathway of God's dear children, their people, come unto me all ye that weary and heavy laden, you get weary laden with the burdens of this life, I'm sure, but he's the burden bearer, and so he says come, and he invites you to come, and leave not the throne of grace until he answers your petitions, we get so careful and troubled about so many things, like one of old did, but Martha did, but what a mercy, to overcome all these troubles and bring them to the

[25:51] Lord, and bring them to his feet, and to truly leave them there, and wait for the Lord to send an answer, and he won't tell you and show you a token of his love, and assurance, that he is your God, your saviour, and you're among his chosen, his adopted people, he's adopted you for his own, and you bless him that he has truly caused you to follow him, his track I see and I'll pursue the narrow way till him I view, the object of faith, Jesus, crucify for me, so he says here my soul wait there only upon God, for my expectation is from him, you can't get it from man, you might come with the hope to hear a preacher or read a sermon with the hope there might be something there, will suit your case, you may feel that this and that was a good sermon that's recorded by the

[27:00] Lord's servants through our magazines, but it's the application isn't it you need, the same as hearing this poor sinner speak as enabled by the Spirit of God for the set time and he said you have need of patience and so this waiting upon the God of him, from him cometh my salvation, he only is my rock, we must look to him as the source and give her a good, only he can save you, only he can quicken souls and make them cry for the gift of Christ to be revealed, poor things out in the street there they think they know where they're going, but unless the Lord speaks to them, assures their conscience of his part in the Redeemer's blood, what hope have they, what hope have you, but you want the Lord to grant you this power that belongeth unto God, oh truly

[28:06] God then becomes your refuge, your only hope, your hiding place, a covet, a covet dear friends and the tempest, the, that river that he speaks of, there is a river that he speaks of in the 46th Psalm, a river flowing with the goodness of the Lord amongst the living of God and there are many dear friends that have passed by but what a mercy if he's chosen you, a vessel found unto glory and honour that is appearing, oh we pity those that are so dark, dear friends, so worldly, so interested in the riches of this world and lose sight of these durable riches and solid joys and lasting peace that the Lord bestows upon sinners such as you and me, sinners can say and only they how precious is the

[29:13] Saviour, ye people, a people chosen before the world were made, shall live to show forth his praise and a blessed soul you are if you've got a little evidence of this in what we're trying to speak of tonight, oh I mourn over that darkness and bondage and I mourn over the trials and I murmur and complain at times with my lot but the lot is cast into the lap and the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord oh tarry his leisure then or keep pressing toward the for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ is pressing toward the mark you say well marks of grace I cannot show all polluted is my breast there's room then for prayer isn't there there's room for desiring the trust in him at all times you can't put your trust in man you can't put your trust in princes but trust in the living God who is able to do great things for you whereof you will yet be glad and praise him for his great goodness a time the time he has set to heal up your woes the season most fit his love to disclose tarry you here in the city of Jerusalem until he will be endued with power from and high a mighty saviour the time of love will come when thou should clearly see not only that he shed his blood but he shall say for me trust in him at all times you people pour out your heart before him

[30:58] God is a refuge for us sealer I know that was a musical term for pausing but pause and see what the text says pause and see it and bless God when you get a fulfilment of it as he shows you a real token yea I've loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee you'll love him you'll love him you'll hate sin but you'll love the Lord Jesus Christ because he has told you these things and he's blessed you through the searching of the scriptures you've found him whom my soul loveth what a blessing that the blessing of the Lord maketh rich and addeth no sorrow thereto all your love sorrows of a different sort but you see be of a sorrowful spirit but nevertheless you have no sorrow when he visits your soul your bosom glows with love and you go on your way rejoicing believing you've had a good time under the sound of the truth and you hold fast that that the

[32:09] Lord has bestowed upon you blessed Jesus it is true we sing may pardon all amiss and get to himself honour and glory anything acceptable in heaven tonight take us each home in peace and safety meditating upon trusting in the Lord at all times you people pour out your soul before him amen let us conclude with hymn 720 the tunis hearts 468 endless blessings on the lamb broken hearts repeat the same his dear heart was broken too when he bore the curse for you your dread crimes once pierced his heart sank his soul in vengeful smart but his sin atoning blood now obtains your peace with

[33:14] God 720 end the blessings of the land broken hearts repeat mercy His dear heart was broken too When he bore the curse for you

[34:16] Your great crimes was pierced his heart Sank his soul in vengeful smile Through my gracious sorrow And my precious thanks for gathering One of the things that's not true As blessing on him rests, O good hearts in him are blessed,

[35:22] And thou lay my trembling stand, He upholds them with his hand, In his heart they have a place, Established their first sovereign grace, And in him set time and way, In the mountains and the mountains,

[36:24] And in him shall be the same, And in him shall be the same, As in him be tempted saints, Tell him all your sad complaints, He our present hell will be, If you betray and beg thou be.

[37:10] Blessed Jesus, fill each heart, With thy love and blood and smart, Let thy love and blood and blood And adore thy matchlessness, Endless blessings rest on thee, Thou hast set the captive free,

[38:18] Wayward shout aloud and sing, Glory to our God and King.

[38:40] May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each.

[38:57] Amen.