Jesus the same for changeable sinners (Quality: Very good)

[0:00] Yes, we would seek your attention to the epistle of Paul to the Hebrews, chapter 13 and verse 8.

[0:20] Paul's epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 13 and verse 8. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever.

[0:41] Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever.

[0:56] We read in the 102nd Psalm two things really which brought my mind to that psalm.

[1:12] Psalm two things really which brought my mind to that psalm. Psalm two things really which brought my mind to that psalm. For thou hast laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish but thou shalt endure.

[1:25] Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment. As a vesture shalt thou change them. And they shall be changed but thou art the same.

[1:37] And thy years shall have no end. Now the Lord help us then to look at this most familiar word.

[1:52] And be it his will that we might draw out of it something that has not been seen before. It is a mercy to have the word of God.

[2:04] And it is a deep that is underneath such words as this. And that we may profit by it. The first thing I want to say concerning this 8th verse is this.

[2:21] Who is it for? Because it is for somebody. It is for some people. It is for some poor soul.

[2:35] When you come to need this word. My friends you are ready to perish. When you come to need such a promise as this.

[2:47] Everything of self is gone. There is no trust in himself. There is no waiting upon self.

[2:59] There is no reliance on self. And we quoted in our poor prayer. Pour not on thyself too long. Lest it sink thee lower.

[3:11] Look to Jesus. Kind as strong. Pity joined with power. Now we could spend our time. This morning and tonight I imagine.

[3:24] By just talking about the sameness of Jesus Christ. But to my exercised mind and spirit I trust.

[3:36] We must look first. At the people whom it is to be applied. The Holy Ghost apply it.

[3:47] If you and I are in such a circumstance. Now that this word shall be made a blessing by its application. Now who is it for?

[4:00] Well who did this dear apostle write to? But the church of Christ. This word does not mean anything to the destitute of grace.

[4:14] This word does not mean anything to a mere professor. This word has got no value to those dead intrepancies and sins.

[4:25] They do not believe in Christ Jesus. So how are they interested in the sameness of Jesus Christ? But may I. As the Holy Spirit enables me at this time.

[4:38] To take up the case of those who find this promise to be sacred. And to be a word in season to their condition and their standing.

[4:51] As at this time. And as they travel on in the journey of life. The day or two back I read this chapter at our family altar.

[5:04] And it came to my mind as I was trying to pray. Of the difference. And my friends it's the most solemn difference.

[5:17] Between the children of God. And this glorious person of Jesus Christ. And in my. I hope it was the Spirit's leading.

[5:29] And I went back over the many days. Months and years. Of the years. We might say of a spiritual profession. Or indeed of the.

[5:41] Pathway of which we have been led. And taught. All these many years. I went back to the times when. In the days of unregeneracy.

[5:52] We cared for none of these things. The 53rd of Isaiah. Could well be read. As far as.

[6:04] Every believer. In Jesus Christ is concerned. For he shall grow up before him. As a tender plant. And as a root out of a dry ground.

[6:15] With no form nor comeliness. And when we shall see him. There was no. There is no beauty. That we should desire him. He is despised. And rejected of men. A man of sorrows.

[6:26] Was unacquainted with grief. And we hid as it were. Our faces from him. He was despised. And we esteemed him not. Now that's not only the world. My friends.

[6:38] But the unregenerate. Child of grace. That applies to. But then. May we take up also. What we might call.

[6:49] The years of experience. Of the divine teaching. Of the Holy Ghost. In the. Now quickened into divine lives. Of the souls.

[6:59] Of the people of God. Some of you. Can go back. To days. And times. And seasons. Where the preciousness.

[7:11] Of Jesus Christ. Was felt. And the love. To Jesus Christ. Was realised. And he was the. One thing. Needful. The altogether.

[7:22] Lovely. Both times. My friends. Are blessed times. In the remembrance. Of them. But what now. What now.

[7:35] Those days. That you strayed from. Those backsliding days. Those times. Of distress. Those coldness.

[7:45] That lukewarmness. That indifference. The things of time. And sense. Have gained. The. Ascendancy. Of your affections.

[7:57] You've gone. From blessed times. And sacred times. And you've gone into. Places. And spots. And circumstances. Sin. And iniquity.

[8:07] That has brought. Darkness. To your spirit. Oh. I read last night. Revelations.

[8:20] Three. As we. Read. The family altar. Revelations. Three. Why did I read it?

[8:31] Read. The state. Of the Laodicean. Church. That's why I read it. Oh. The indifference. Oh. The lukewarmness. Oh.

[8:42] The coldness. My friends. Which is described. As the condition. Of the Laodicean. The laodicean. Church. And I had to fall. Before God. And say.

[8:52] This is me. This is me. Times of blessing. Have been the children. Of God's experience. Seasons. Of mercy.

[9:04] Times. Without number. You could say. Honestly. Before God. Your very heart. Was warmed. If the name. Of Jesus. Christ.

[9:15] Was mentioned. Your soul. Was hungry. For the things. Of God. And they were. Blessed seasons. And time. Surely. To your poor soul.

[9:25] And mine. But then. My friends. You carry about. With you. A body. A sin. And death. This. Is a word. To the children. Of God. Today. This.

[9:36] Is a word. My friends. Which I hope. The Lord. Will apply. To my soul. That it may. Bring. Comfort. Where there is. Darkness. That it may.

[9:47] Bring. Light. Where there is. Distress. That it might. We might. Feel. The sweetness. Of this word. In. As it were. A confirmation.

[9:58] That the work. Once begun. Is carried on. Now. My friends. You and I. Know. Therefore. If we are. Of the people. Of God.

[10:08] We know. What it is. To. Flip. And fall. We know. What it is. To feel. Destitute. We know. What it is.

[10:18] To feel. To be in darkness. And have no light. We know. What it is. To go. From. Jerusalem. To Jericho. And fall.

[10:29] Among thieves. Don't we not. My friends. That's the experience. Of every child. Of grace. Can you. Keep your soul. Alive. Can you.

[10:39] Keep your. Attentions. And your. Affections. Upon things. Above. And not on things. Of this earth. Can you lift. Your poor soul. Today. From the.

[10:50] Yesterdays. And the. And the. Weakless past. All those things. Which crowd in. As it were. And bring you. Into bondage. Into captivity.

[11:02] Why did the. Psalmist. Say. Bring my soul. Out of. Prison. That I may. Praise him. My friends. Because he couldn't. Himself. Do it.

[11:13] Now. Then. This glorious. Truth. This sacred. Truth. My friends. This support. In grace. This. Comfort. Of hope.

[11:25] That the Lord. Raises up. Amongst his people. In their adversity. If you. If you go. And look. At that case. Of the prodigal.

[11:35] In the. Gospel. As recorded. By Luke. My friends. You will find this. He came. To a time. When he was. In want. He came.

[11:47] To himself. And said. How many. Hired. Servants. Of my father. And bread. Enough. And despair. And I. Perish. With hunger. It's a most.

[11:57] Blessed exercise. My friends. Is restoring. Grace. It brings. Once more. The. Desire. The urgency. And the. And the. Exercise.

[12:08] Of returning. To those. Reviving. Days. Where is. The blessedness. I knew. When first. I saw. The Lord. My friends.

[12:20] Where is it. It's gone. You say. No. It's not gone. Because it was. God's work. And it was. The Holy Ghost. Working. Your precious soul.

[12:30] If you're in this. Text. This day. Oh. You've lost sight. Of Jesus Christ. You say. You've not heard. From him. For a season. Sin.

[12:41] And iniquity. Seems to abound. Satan. Distresses. And cruelly. Mocks you. Because. You thought. You was a child. Of God. My friends.

[12:51] Whom once he loves. He never leaves. But loves them. To the end. And the Holy Spirit. Of truth. My friends.

[13:02] This blessed. Sacred. Book. That is recorded. Holy men of old. Wrote as they were moved. My friends. When this. Gracious. Apostle.

[13:13] Wrote that letter. To the Hebrews. Who would know. In the. In divine mercy. Who would know. What a blessed comfort.

[13:24] This word is. To the children of God. In all ages. In all. In all circumstances. You know. The hidings of his face. You know. The silence.

[13:34] Of his lips. You know. The withdrawing. Of his presence. You have known. Better days. Than this. You say. But where is the evidence. Of those better days.

[13:44] It's in the memory. And you. And the Holy Spirit. Will revive it. And the Holy Spirit. Will record. This precious.

[13:55] Promise to you. And apply it. To your pathway. That will lift you. Out of the bondage. That Satan. Brings you. In out of the captivity.

[14:05] That you feel yourself. To be in. And sin. And iniquity. Will be dealt with. By a gracious God. In through. In and through. Christ Jesus.

[14:17] Now you see. You've learnt this. Haven't you? If you're a child of God. You've learnt this. Instability. Changeableness. Change and decay.

[14:28] And all around. I see. And feel. O thou who. Changeth not. Abide with me. My friends. If ever.

[14:39] There was a. Lesson to be learned. Is this. You know. On the one hand. You cannot keep alive. Your own soul. You cannot exercise. Your own soul.

[14:50] Unto godliness. But there's another. Lesson to learn. That he. Which hath. Begun. A good work. In you. Will perform it.

[15:02] Unto the day. Of Jesus Christ. Now. This. This precious word. Then. Is the foundation. Of hope. And it's the foundation.

[15:13] Of comfort. The application. Of it. My friend. Is not of man. But of God. If the blessed spirit. Of truth.

[15:24] Should come. This day. To some poor sinner. Whoever. Whoever he is. However far off he is. However dark he is. In his own mind.

[15:34] Towards. Spiritual things. If there's a separation. Felt. From the comfort. Of those things. If the holy spirit. Should come.

[15:44] At this time. Through this day. And so. Sweetly apply. Such a precious. Truth as this. And unfold it. Because.

[15:55] There is. In these. In these words. And in this. Description. My friends. There's first. The person. Of Jesus Christ.

[16:07] First of all. There is the person. Of Jesus Christ. Christ. Going back. To the prodigal. Where was his blessing.

[16:19] To be found. You know. He couldn't turn. To those friends. Who helped him. Spend his. Substance. In rioters. Living. They want no more.

[16:30] Dealings with you now. They've. Extracted. As it were. Out of you. All the comfort. That you had. Where can you turn.

[16:41] Poor sinner. Where can you turn. And you can't turn. But the blessed spirit. Will turn your very soul. In its desire. Its exercise.

[16:51] And longing. To this. Glorious person. Jesus Christ. That is the. Blessed and glorious. Person.

[17:02] That was revealed. To you. In those. Days of desire. When you knew. Yourself. To be such a. Wretched and ruined. Sinner. And that was by revelation.

[17:13] And you fell under. Such teaching. And you. Grown under. Such knowledge. And you wonder. Whether you should. Perish. Forever. In hell. And then.

[17:25] The blessed spirit. His work. And you. Wrote you. The blessed spirit. The blessed spirit. And you. Out of self. And to Christ. And revealed. Such a sacredness.

[17:35] In the person. Of Jesus Christ. Your very soul. Went after him. Jesus Christ. The son of God. Deity. And holy.

[17:46] Humanity. Eternally joined. and you would have read and I'm sure you would if you were gracious and not only read in your own experience but you could read in Holy Scripture those things which he accomplished Jesus Christ the Son of God now my friends let's look as the Spirit will unfold this word concerning the person of Jesus Christ the unchangeable nature of Jesus Christ and furthermore the glorious work of Jesus Christ which is as he is unchangeable because you see what he accomplished in his walk and pathway in this yesterday when he was here on earth there is another yesterday we'll come to in a moment but in this yesterday when he was here on earth he did what no one else could do deity worked amongst sinners and in sinners dealt with all their complaints healed them from their afflictions put away their iniquities the greatest miracle of all pardoning sinners of their sins yesterday now the other yesterday from all eternity he became the surety of the fallen church from all eternity with God the Father and the Holy Spirit my friends he became the substitute for the church before all worlds the glorious plan the blessed eternal deed was settled by the eternal three that Christ for man should bleed my friends and there was no sinner on earth there was no earth there was one God one eternal God three glorious persons

[20:03] Jesus Christ the same yesterday in eternity past the covenant of grace was entered into in every aspect of the covenant of grace you can only say this about the covenant of grace you know it's mercy and who's it for it's for sinners this word is mercy to sinners this day this word if the Holy Spirit will so mercifully and graciously apply these things to your soul my friends will be a most holy remembrance of a most sacred truth that will gather up all the slips and falls of a child of grace may it be applied as a potion may it be applied as a balm may it be applied as a most precious word that heals the broken hearted and restores liberty to the captives and gives sight to the blind

[21:17] Jesus Christ the same yesterday now we entered into that office in eternity past to save poor sinners the church of Christ fell as it would do at the fall of Adam to save poor sinners from their sin blessed are these truths you know the Lord help you to believe them Jesus Christ the same yesterday but then we would look at this word too in another aspect and that's the yesterdays of your experience child of grace oh my friends this is not general distribution to all mankind as I said when I began who's it for it's for those poor sinners that were called by grace called out of nature's darkness that have slipped and fell times without number that have walked in darkness who've had no light and have known as it were in a certain way the same the same as David when he penned his psalm of repentance oh how he longed for the return restore unto me the joy of thy salvation who are now where will restoration come from but a glorious head of grace his work my friends will never be undone his promises will never be withdrawn his sacred teaching by the spirit of truth to the living in Jerusalem shall never be erased now Jesus Christ the same yesterday those good times those seasonable times those blessed seasons when he was more precious to you than everything else in the world or anything else in the world when he became the one thing needful the altogether lovely

[23:37] I looked you know I'd been all over the Bible for a text I tell it straight I went to bed last night and I said Lord if it's thy will that I should go to the Lord's house tomorrow settle a word I'd been all over the scriptures for a text and they're all sacred words and with the help of the spirit my friends we could preach from all and each one of them only with his spirit and I went to the second chapter of the Song of Solomon now we did have a dear pastor here who died in 1991 who used to say when you read the Song of Solomon read it carefully because you know you've got to determine who the speaker is it differs verse from verse sometimes sometimes it's the bridegroom sometimes it's the bride but there's no mistake in my friends when this was recorded who it is that that is spoken of here and it's the words of the second chapter of the Song of Solomon and it speaks about this my beloved

[24:57] I looked at these words the voice of my beloved behold he cometh leaping upon the mountain skipping upon the hills my beloved is like a roe or a young heart behold he standeth behind our wall he looketh forth at the window showing himself through the lettuce and I came to this my beloved spake my beloved spake and you that fear God you that have the grace of God in your soul my friends you won't ever be able to describe that mercy my beloved spake and said unto me rise up my love my fear one and come away now Jesus Christ the same yesterday those days when your beloved spoke you was one with him by eternal union one unchangeable relationship you was in union with the lamb from condemnation free my friends and you've known days since then when you've wondered whether you're a child of grace sin and iniquity has come

[26:08] Satan has troubled your poor soul taking your hope and comfort away as it were made you desolate and destitute as well but you say this is a word that speaks of that early work convinces us of our sin and lead to Jesus blood this is a word that confirms that work that he has accomplished which he does accomplish which he will accomplish and which he will never remove oh you'll say those were days but now I seem to have lost sight of them well then the Lord replied the Lord apply this word then Jesus Christ the same yesterday where's the alteration where's the change who's turned away who's gone away where is the preciousness of this person when sin and iniquity come and Satan bears all his spite and spleen against poor sinners you know sometimes they're robbed of their comforts and they're robbed of their hopes and they have to say well if I was taken out of time now where should my poor soul be remember this

[27:45] Jesus Christ the same yesterday so there's no change in him no alteration cannot be so you know there's a word somewhere here in this epistle I believe speaking from it in times past the first chapter of this epistle again it is a reminder to us of the uncertainty of life the certainty of death but also it is a reminder to us of what we're trying to declare in this eighth verse well the first chapter says this thou lord in the beginning the foundation of the earth the heavens are the works of thy hands they shall perish but they remainest and they all shall wax old as a garment and as a vesture shalt them fold them up we read those words you know and they shall be changed but thou art the same and thy years shall not fail and it was a year or two back that

[29:10] I spoke from those words and it was in Lamberhurst but it came like this to me you know it's a sacred truth Jesus Christ the same but you see this is the sacred truth and it's built upon this eternal truth you know that he can't change we can change we blow hot and we blow cold especially in spiritual things and many a poor soul has to prove that you know but the same poor souls who prove that will prove this it isn't in Christ to change because he can't his nature cannot change you know in the day of his temptations those forty days in the wilderness and they weren't the only temptations because we read that Satan left him for a season so there were other times of temptations and how

[30:14] Satan would have pulled down deity if he could have done if he could have possibly moved the very soul of the saviour in one degree one minute moment my friends we should all be lost but he's deity he is of the godhead he is god and he cannot change Jesus Christ the same yesterday now you that have yesterday experiences the beginning of the work of grace the acknowledging of your own poverty and wickedness and evil and sin and the condemnation that it brings upon the spirit and the times of the holy ghost teaching is to your soul profitable but in due course according to the eternal mind of a triune god night shone upon a dark soul in our reading this morning there was another purpose in psalm 102 there was another purpose we read about the condition of the psalmist and how he felt and so on his enemies and his own spirit was very low he was in the dark but then he said this but thou oh lord shalt endure forever and thy remembrance unto all generation thou shalt arise and have mercy upon

[31:57] Zion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come now in God's divine order dear friends there was a day in the experience of every grace taught soul when it was in his hand according to his time there was this refreshing season you had a view of Jesus and you saw him and you long for him and your heart went out after him and you saw him as the way of escape the way of mercy the way of pardon the way of forgiveness the way to heaven this is this glorious person and that was made over to you and applied to your precious soul and it raised up hope in your soul that one day you'll be with him and you'll sing his praises here and you'll sing his praises for all eternity but you see we carry about this body of sin and death we are the subjects of the intimidation the persecution and the work of

[33:18] Satan and our own wicked heart as well and my friends although there's a trinity of evil you know the Lord keep us very sensible of this truth you know the world the flesh and the devil has a trinity of evil and it comes against the grace of God in the soul and it will have this effect that it will cast you down and distress you and that's what it's meant to do but holding a child of grace up my friends is this truth Jesus Christ the same yesterday those days of experience when he was made precious precious in the want of him my pastor in Kent used to say precious in the want of him and it's so poor sinner your heart goes out your prayers are made supplications come up to

[34:19] God that he might be revealed to you but you see he's the same yesterday I have to say too my friends he's the same in his holiness he's the same in his justice cannot alter that for a minute moment ever be altered he cannot look on sin in any degree of allowance but this word my friends to my mind spirit at this time is for the children of God what he's done for them what he's accomplished for them in his own body on the tree how he shed precious blood how he willingly laid his life down thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sin and it's an unalterable subject and an unalterable blessing astonished angels stand amazed that

[35:27] Christ should die for man this proves the eternal love of God who gloried in his plan what but what can poor lost sinners say when once they get a view and hear the blessed spirit say all this was done for you why was it done I said when we started in this word with this word that who is it for it's for sinners whom Christ has loved it's for sinners whom the love of the Trinity is poured upon the eternal choice of an eternal father sovereign mercy is in this choice sovereign love in orderable love go to the eighth of the Romans and read those concluding verses they are dismissed by many as being no separation but you will see there why there is no separation between the church of

[36:40] Christ and Christ who can separate us from the love of Christ if you have a view of that glorious saviour once born of a woman born under the law conceived by the holy ghost born and laid in a manger in Bethlehem if you have a view of him in his childhood if you have a view in his years when he was revealed there is a space you know between twelve and thirty and nobody knows of that space at eighteen years when he was hidden from the majority of men but at the age of thirty he was revealed and the Holy Spirit confirmed Christ as the Son of God now my friends there was a day when he was revealed to his church he was shown to his church personally individually the poor wretched ruined hell deserving wretched as you and I are by the revelation that grace will bring to us my friends he was he was revealed to that soul who longs for him by desire one thing is need for Jesus said the day of blessing the set time to favour

[38:13] Zion came and he was revealed as the saviour of their soul the burden bearer of their sins the one that stood in their place room and stood at the bar of God's justice and he's the same glorious Jesus Christ that stands at God's right hand a prince and a saviour to give repentance unto Israel and forgiveness of sins he cannot change poor sinner you can change I can change and if but for his grace we'll fall into sin daily and we'll sin and you'll say surely it's beyond light and knowledge your old nature can do nothing but sin your new nature sin is a reproach to it it fills its condemnation it mourns over it it begs for forgiveness and it truths in it all the Lord

[39:14] Jesus Christ is the same yesterday we might also just add this the same yesterday when he was here on earth we said earlier that he healed the sick opened the eyes of the blind and so on and so forth but his greater work was forgiveness what mercy you ever looked you know the instances of holy scripture where he pronounces forgiveness look at the characters there isn't a shadow of a doubt you know that those dear disciples of Jesus Christ with the exception of Judas there isn't a doubt in my mind that they were not pardoned sinners how can they go forth and preach the preciousness of Jesus without the knowledge of forgiveness in their soul

[40:17] Peter said to Christ on that one of on one of those occasions thou art the Christ the son of the living God my friends they were pardoned sinners but what I was going to say was this you look at the cases public sinners they had a name you know the sinners that Jesus Christ dealt with they had a name that everybody knew they must have been street sinners as we might put it Mary Magdalene out of whom he cast seven devils the that woman at the well of Samaria she noticed she didn't go home she went to the men of the city now the men of the city would have known her for her sinful pathway life and experience but it was that sinner and such sinners deep died not not 30 pence debtors but 100 pence debtors the worst of sinners yes the very worst of sinners who upon his grace rely shall of endless bliss be winners and shall sing beyond the sky it was such my friends that he revealed the way of mercy come see a man that told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ that was her testimony oh she could have hid things from

[41:52] Christ she thought he asked her didn't he go call thy husband I have no husband oh the truth of that solemn statement I have no husband she had men but she didn't have a husband she lived in sin and Christ saw her heart Jesus Christ the same yesterday you see the blessed spirit of God is a spirit of revelation and as it's revealed as your nature is revealed as it is felt you know this same apostle said this about that revelation we've often referred to it in the seventh of the Romans as you well know it speaks about the holiness of divine teaching for I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me and how to perform that which is good

[43:15] I find not for the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do now if I do that I would not it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me I find then a law that when I would do good evil is present with me and so he goes on and then he said oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord that's how he comes to write there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus when he is revealed he's the sin bearer he's the surety he's the substitute that's what he is when he's revealed the way of escape the way to glory the way of pardon and peace what did he say what did this what did the apostle

[44:21] John say and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin it's on my mind and oh how many times we've referred to it the Lord make use of his word again we spoke about the adversity of sin we spoke about the separation that sin makes between a believer and his God doesn't alter his standard doesn't alter such a promise as this but it brings a separation and times would outnumber I suppose in this pulpit we spoke about Jonah you know the extremity of his position and his circumstance and his situation how he come to be there and he came to be there by the mercy of God but he came to be there by his own wicked sinful heart his disobedience brought him into the chastening hand of

[45:28] God I am cast out of thy sight well you say in a whale's belly at the bottoms of the mountains well how impossible can it be that such a soul can be restored you read the rest of the word you read the rest of that chapter and you read what it says at the close of that chapter salvation is of the Lord and my friends it's a proven blessing it's a truth no less and it's a statement no less and it's descriptive of this glorious person Jesus Christ but what it is to the people of God is the proven state my friends and that's where joy and gladness will replace darkness and sadness Jesus Christ the same yesterday unalterably the same by his divine nature unalterable and by his divine promises he's unalterable and by divine mercy the covenant of grace is unalterable because the covenant is a sealed covenant you can't add to it you can't retract anything from it you can't withdraw it you may wonder whether your name's in it you may be amazed to find that despite your falls your slips and your wicked heart and your wicked ways and your wicked thoughts

[47:00] I sometimes said to God you know and I say it reverently I hope I do if you are housebound as one has been so for some weeks you almost say to yourself and to God as well that you're thankful to God that you've been kept from outward evil well some people's view of outward evil is how it is expressed outward evil you know you've not gone into anything which would bring your conscience to be disturbed or distressed you can't by reason of the circumstance you were in you can't go and do something which was utterly evil but you know you look in your own heart could you say before God just because I've not walked with the wicked just because

[48:00] I've not said anything that the wicked say just because I've not trailed in the pathway that Satan would have us in the broad way which leads to destruction could you say then well my soul is it is indeed clean there's no sin that troubles it thought word or deed my friends you have to confess before God Jesus Christ the same yesterday who were the characters we said didn't we look at the publican that well known that well rehearsed that well quoted example of what sin did no doubt he did a publican was a wretch really he embezzled his own fellow men he gained financially from probably ruining other people but you see that man had a sensitive soul he was made aware of his wickedness and it had such an effect upon him not this bold arrogant sinner that you read of and see and hear in the days that we live he could not so much as his eye lift up his eyes unto heaven but smote upon his breast saying

[49:28] God be merciful to me a sinner he and him when all around my soul gives way he then is all my strength and stay but for a moment let me just read these words as the friend of sinners Jesus Christ the same yesterday we've spoken about his company we've spoken about his presence we've spoken about his voice go back again to the Psalm 102 and read what is said of the experience of the psalmist for my days are consumed like smoke and my bones are burned as in half my heart is smitten and withered like grass so that I forget to eat my bread by reason of the voice of my groan in my bones cleaved to my skin

[50:40] I'm like a pelican in the wilderness I am like an owl of the desert I watch and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top do you feel to be alone sinner?

[50:58] do you feel to be alone? bereft of every comfort removed from every support that you may have felt you've known my friends listen to the word Jesus Christ the same yesterday the bond, the union between Christ and his church sinners may despise it sinners may set you at naught sinners may want to have nothing to do with you the glorious head of grace will never never be like that one with Jesus by eternal union one Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever amen amen theνε amen the notices for this morning are as follows

[52:23] God willing there will be a prayer meeting on Wednesday evening and our pastor will be with us next Lord's Day let us conclude this morning's service singing hymn 191 O why did Jesus show to me the beauties of his face why to my soul did he convey the blessings of his grace O how could he so sweetly smile on such a wretch as I

[53:26] I who his name did once revile and his dear truth deny hymn 191 O why did Jesus show to me the truth of his face