The Secret of the Lord Part 1 (Quality very good)

[0:00] As the Lord shall be pleased to help me, I shall call your attention to a subject you will find in Psalm 25 and the 14th verse.

[0:16] The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant.

[0:30] Psalm 25 and the 14th verse. This is a solemn word to contemplate, because it brings before us a truth that man, as he is born, will not receive.

[1:00] The truth in the text is very offensive to man, as he is born. All to suggest that this religion, which alone will do to live by and die by, is a secret.

[1:18] Man, as he is born, will not brook the truth of it. And yet it is a solemn reality.

[1:32] The word of God is very plain. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned.

[1:51] The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him.

[2:02] And that means that this religion, which you and I desire to possess, many of us, is only known to a few.

[2:14] Not the majority of mankind. A remnant, the word of God describes, the church of Christ, to be.

[2:28] A remnant, whom the Lord our God shall call. And he of whom it is declared, never man spake like this man, said, Straight is the gate, and narrow is the way, that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

[2:48] And if you should have this mercy, to be a sinner born again, you will know. Few there be that find it.

[2:59] And your great concern will be to be made manifest as one of the few that do find it. There are many whom you look on and believe that by the grace of God they have found it.

[3:18] But you are not altogether sure as yet, some of you, that you have found it. And the word of the Lord to you is, I will be inquired of by you, O house of Israel, to do these things.

[3:38] And now, dear friends, let us get down to bedrock, as grace is given, and think upon this secret of the Lord. And the Lord grant us grace to search and try our ways, and discern, if we can, some well-grounded evidence that we do participate therein.

[4:04] There are some scriptures, which it will be well to lay to heart. And one is, the preparation of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

[4:24] And another is, a man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. And I want our dear young people, and you know, I do indeed wish you well for time and eternity, I want you ever to remember that education can help you to attain earthly knowledge in that which will fit you for life's journey and help you to feel a useful sphere in life and serve your generation thereby.

[5:11] But education and that earthly knowledge will never let you into the secret of the Lord.

[5:23] it is worded the secret of the Lord. What does that mean?

[5:37] As thou hast given him power over all flesh to give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

[5:49] and this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.

[6:02] As soon as the sinner is born again and is let a little into the secret of the Lord, he is taught a great truth and all along life's way he goes deeper down into that truth and that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit.

[6:34] Remember that. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him. As I pondered this subject a little I thought on that illustration that I often refer to and it is not vain repetition in doing it.

[6:57] I thought of the wise builder the Lord Jesus tells us about in the parable and it says that he dig deep and everything in our religion hinges upon that grace being given to us to do what that wise builder dig deep.

[7:24] Dig deep! Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and your election sure. and it means to dig down through all outside show in religion dig down deeper than all our chapel going dig down through all that is just social or sentimental and get right down to bedrock it is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing.

[8:17] Oh you must get down to that sure foundation which God has laid in Zion stripped of all our fancied meekness to approach the dread I am and with our feet the feet of our faith fixed on that sure foundation to be able to feel on Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand and you will find if you are in the secret of the Lord although it may be you have had your name on a church rule a long long while that as yet you know but very little of it preacher and people alike all who are taught God must plead guilty here some of us seem to have lived long and learned oh so little and now in life's evening time we find the hymn writer's petition goes deeper down than ever before spirit of truth come down reveal the things of God and now there is our starting point not education good in its place to be used aright not abused all who abuse it will have to give an account unto God in doing it and if you are given education it stores you with gifts that you are to use and remember you have to give an account unto

[10:12] God as to your responsibility in possessing those gifts given remember that open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law so David prayed long ago and the margin reading is revealed to mine eyes you remember it says with Saul of Tarsus I've often thought on it that when he was being dealt with on the Damascus road there fell from his eyes as it had been scales then he who had sat at Gamaliel's feet and was well on the way to being a learned rabbi in the Jewish knowledge and to scrap it all and count it dung and dross and come to this that I may know him and the power of his resurrection the fellowship of his sufferings and be made conformable unto his death the secret of the

[11:35] Lord is with them that fear him and now I want as the Lord to help me to look at the subject from just these two view points and I would as grace is given say just a little about the secret of the Lord and this religion which you and I desire to possess many of us we do hope we do possess it but oh such a little it seems to be is indeed the secret of the Lord and it is declared that it is not with everybody and therefore it is a secret a secret cannot be general knowledge it is that which is known to a few

[12:37] I know that is very humbling to contemplate and I know that man as he is born looks on people who believe in the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him is being narrow minded bigoted and just a little clique in the so called religious world who have very peculiar views yes and they are peculiar people and what they do believe is what the word of God declares to be the truth whatever you may think about it it will never do for any of you dear young people to kick against the traces of parental discipline because in life's mourning you have to be found under the truth because those whom

[13:41] God has given you godly fathers and mothers are under responsibility before God to train you up in the way in which you should go although it is not the way at present some of you want to go we do hope the day would dawn when you will feel otherwise but if you should never feel otherwise and all your life long live as you were born then at the end of it you will die outside the secret of the Lord and be lost shall shall I tell you again as long as God shall God remain so long shall last hell linger in pain so long the joys of heaven shall be oh long delights long misery today if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts the secret of the

[14:54] Lord is with them that fear him and now the opening up of this secret of the Lord as I understand it is first of all to know God aright the fool that said in his heart there is no God and there are many quite good living people who do believe in God as the creator and they look round the realm of nature and admire his handiwork therein but that knowledge is for this life only oh that knowledge is not the knowledge of salvation although it is good in its place and nature with open volume stands to spread her maker's praise abroad and every labor of his hands shows something worthy of a

[16:14] God and now it says and without faith it is impossible to please him he that cometh to God must believe that he is believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of all them that diligently seek him and it might help you to understand this secret of the Lord under this heading to know God aright if you think in the word of God how some people taught of God were helped to know God aright I think of Abraham and he said behold I have taken upon myself to speak unto the Lord who am but dust and ashes and as you enter into the secret of the

[17:19] Lord to know God aright oh that is how you will feel a very solemn experience it is to appear before God and get a glimpse of him as God I told you in the prayer meeting address about Isaiah and he had a glimpse of God and what did he say woe is me I am undone I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips I am a man of unclean lips woe is me mine eyes have seen the king the lord of hosts not only so I think of John in the isle of

[18:22] Patmos and he says in the book of Revelation and when I saw him I fell at his feet as dead dear friends do let your consciences help you in this all important matter how about this aspect of the secret of the lord which is with them that fear him god is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth for the father seeketh such to worship him oh it is very solemn when the secret of the lord is opened up to a poor sinner and he knows just a little of that god with whom he has to do and from that time that knowledge is imparted he is aware thou god seest me yes and if you should get a glimpse of god and the secret of the lord unfolded for you to know god aright as he is revealed in his holy law you will have many many fears and fountains as you think upon him if thou lord shouldest mark iniquity o lord who should stand long years ago when i was ill i had a glimpse of god for a few moments in his holiness in his unspeakable majesty and all i could say was o lord thou art unspeakably holy and i am unspeakably vile and that is to be known in the secret of the lord which shall know every man the plague of his own heart from the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it wounds bruises putrefying sores the secret of the lord is with them that fear him and then there is this secret of the lord when a sinner is born again he is made aware of a secret which you might think everyone who is religious and is found in the attitude of worship does know as general knowledge know know a sinner born again becomes aware and not till then

[21:40] I have a soul a never dying soul which must when I come down to die either be found in heaven or hell what will become of my soul unless I am let into the secret of the Lord and from that time a sinner born again journeys on through life say unto my soul I am thy salvation and when he comes into the secret of the Lord aright oh he feels how stands the case my soul with thee for heaven are thy credentials clear and sometimes he will feel in the early dealings of God with his soul the pains of hell got hold upon me then cried

[22:47] I oh Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul and now how many of us before God this Sabbath morn can appeal to God that we are indeed the subjects of such a concern which is only known as one is led into the secret of the Lord are you here if so be you can get some good for your soul did you come feeling I seek and hope to find a portion for my soul is it the ultimate issue in life with you that you may realize matters are right between your soul and God the Lord bless you if that is how you feel blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled the secret of the

[23:59] Lord is present tense is with them that fear him you may say I'm not at all sure that I come in the category of them that fear him no I would like to help you you could not make your confession of faith like Jonah when he said I fear God I am a Hebrew no I think I can find you a brother in the word of God and his name is Nehemiah and he said let thine ears be attent unto the prayer of thy servants who desire to fear thy name I think I can put in your lips the confession of faith even if you do not feel bold enough to say it on your own behalf

[25:05] I am a companion O Lord of them that fear thee you have looked on them you have known many of them and you have said with them numbered I would be now and in eternity oh it is the secret of the Lord to be numbered with them that fear him and you do know what principle guides you along life's way prompts you directs you instructs you is it godly fear an unctuous light to what is right a bar to what is wrong where are you this Sabbath morn as you are journeying on through life are you after the flesh the things of the flesh and your life is just governed thereby and governed by policy or are you after the spirit the things of the spirit and at whatever cost it is you want to be found amongst them of whom the word of God declares and he did that which was right in the sight of the

[26:33] Lord the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and now there is this secret of the Lord and a very wonderful secret it is it may seem very simple as I state it it might even seem elementary true and that is to be taught to pray do you always feel when you try to pray that you were taught to pray I often think on that margin reading in James epistle in the text it tells us and Elijah prayed earnestly and the margin and Elijah prayed in his prayer oh I should like to do that much more often than I feel to do behold he prayeth and now the secret of the

[27:40] Lord in being taught to pray is always to pray with this starting point Lord teach us to pray that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth might speak and you know the difference dear friends many of you who do try to pray I say you know the difference when it is just words words correct words it may be but you do not feel that you can say it is good for me to draw near to God because it seems so cold formal mechanical and you cannot declare then blessed be God for he hath heard my prayer and turned away his mercy from me eh but when sometimes and it might come to you suddenly remember that it might come to you suddenly you find your heart is on the move after

[28:53] God and your thoughts are taken up and you feel you can do as the woman in the gospel did falling down at Jesus feet she told him all the truth there is a word in Solomon's song you might ponder and may it be your experience too ere I was aware my soul was made like unto the chariots of Aminadib and you do not know at any time anywhere when that experience may be granted you if you should know that mercy and come into that secret of the Lord make the most of it the word of God says open thy mouth wide and I will fill it and remember thou art coming to a king large petitions with thee bring for his grace and power such none can ever ask too much the secret of the

[30:00] Lord is with them that fear him and now there are many so called religious folk and I do not say anything about them critically in a wrong spirit only to show you what is truth oh they do pray and they are just content with what they say words put together ready made prayers it might be and they use these day by day as they journey on through life but that is not the secret of the Lord in being taught to pray no the secret of the Lord is this prayer is the soul sincere desire uttered or unexpressed the motion of a hidden fire that trembles in the breast the secret of the Lord in being taught to pray is sometimes a tear a wish a thought a longing a thirst a hunger yes and the soul that with sincere desires seeks after

[31:18] Jesus love that soul the Holy Ghost inspires with breathings from above the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and there is this secret of the Lord parallel to being taught to pray and that is to be taught to praise to said I sometimes had this thought I suppose you have heard this announcement made some of you at least it would run into hundreds and thousands of times prayer meeting on such a day prayer meeting I sometimes wondered why we should not venture and add prayer and praise meeting.

[32:18] You might think that or because when all is said and done praise ye the Lord it is good to raise your hearts, your voices in his praise and you must admit if you tell the truth and you ought to do that there is much that you should seek to be thankful for as grace is given, grace of gratitude let not his mercies lie forgotten in unthankfulness and without praises die eh but there is the secret of the Lord to be revealed in it and that means create in me a clean heart oh God renew a right spirit within me and that you might say with the psalmist blessed be God who daily lordeth us with benefits margin reading daily beareth our burden oh I do hope sometimes you get a little softening and you feel a little praise welling up within your breast the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and I have thought of this as being the secret of the Lord to worship God a right worship is very beautiful and what is the beauty of it when worship is in accordance with the word of God spiritual worship the psalmist says worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness and now if you let your mind ponder sometimes when you have been helped to worship God a right what did you feel then you found at such a time that you had this feeling may I be always thus devout be this religion mine and you wanted to live unto God live for God and as he has said that his people shall be a people sought out a holy people such was the life you desired to live while you felt in the attitude of worship all you wanted to live right this prayer and this ambition mine living and dying to be thine oh there is the secret of the Lord to worship God a right it might be possible it might be helpful to just look at it in detail and now sing ye praises with understanding and it says making melody in your hearts and you must admit this and I'm bound to be faithful and to probe you a little

[36:06] I say you must admit this you have sung many a song of Zion because the tune appealed to you and it captivated you captivated your spirit as to the music of it but as to the truth of what you sung did you make melody in your heart preacher and people alike must all plead guilty here and yet the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and there is that secret making melody in your heart and as the apostle Paul speaks about giving thanks in psalms and hymns and then when you look into the word of God in the attitude of worship

[37:13] I mean the secret of the Lord is not only as you search the scriptures but as the scriptures you read search you and you can feel as in water face answer with underface so does the heart of man to man and so in the public prayer that you following it along coming into the secret of the Lord if help is given in the public prayer and it is proved where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty to many a petition you will add a silent amen and when the gospel is preached it will not matter much what the text is you might even think sometimes when a text is announced by the preacher that as far as you judge there can be nothing likely to help you with such a subject as that seems to suggest but if you come into the secret of the Lord you will find whatever the text is it will be the gospel of the grace of God that is set forth and if you should enter into the secret of the Lord you will know it like this knowing brethren beloved your election of God for our gospel came not unto you in word only but also in power and you prove that sometimes because you might hear a preacher and as he has helped to preach the gospel you realize the power of it and its preciousness and you set up a way mark and you put a date down somewhere and it is recorded in your memory that you heard that preacher in that place and it was such a help eh but you may go again and hear that preacher in another place or even in the same place and you get no good then because you are not let into the secret of the

[39:48] Lord in listening and maybe when you hear that preacher the second time you forget what the word of God says and they saw no man save Jesus only oh you have to be taught this truth in the secret of the Lord none but Jesus can do helpless sinners good yes much might be said under that heading the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and coming along to the amen there is the secret of the Lord to be one with the people of God and you will find journey on through life and in life's late evening time especially that will stand out love is the golden chain that binds the favoured souls above and he's a heir of heaven who finds his bosom glow with love there are many people you meet and they may be chapel goers and they may be our people too but you cannot always feel as you would like to feel the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace what will produce it when they that fear the Lord speak of one to another and when they that fear the

[41:31] Lord begin to tell out the dealings of God with their souls tell out about the preciousness of Jesus Christ and what they have tasted handled and felt of the good word of life and as you listen it would dovetail in with what you humbly hope the Lord has been pleased to teach you and you come together in the secret of the Lord and prove we know that we have passed from death onto life because we love the brethren sweet blessed evidence sure sign of being in the secret of the Lord yes by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another and if you look back along life's way and if you look around you as you are journeying on there are quite a few people as soon as their name is mentioned it brings feelings up within you of love esteem fellowship and you count them to be hairs together of the grace of life as you are a wonderful mercy to be one with the people of God in the secret of the

[43:19] Lord and you have this feeling at whatever cost it is you want to be numbered with them living and dying the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and it says he that loveth is born of God the fruit of the spirit is love and now there I must leave the subject for you to ponder in your hearts and ponder it prayerfully and may you have this great mercy to be let into the secret of the Lord and then come what will living and dying as you journey on it shall be well amen from test to do哎 little bit can be when you will get increased