[0:00] The words that I hope the Lord may be pleased to help me speak from, you'll find in the first chapter, first epistle of Peter, verse 7.
[0:17] The seventh verse, the first chapter, first epistle of Peter, that the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
[0:55] That the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
[1:20] It is a very solemn work that we read, all men have not faith. And as faith is a gift of God, we realize our utter dependence upon God for the least grain of it.
[1:47] But I have often said, and I say so again, if we have real faith, it will be tried.
[2:01] In fact, the very trial of faith is that which will prove it to be genuine, God-given.
[2:11] And it will stand the test, whatever test is put upon it. So we have here before us this evening for our consideration, in the first place, the trial of faith.
[2:32] And then we have, secondly, the great value that is put upon it. Not just merely and alone, because Peter was led to write it, but it is among the old scripture that is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable.
[2:58] And what of mercy, my friends, if our consideration of this particular passage of scripture shall be profitable to us, and we might have the sweet realization, as we consider these things, that we are among those who are in possession of living faith.
[3:25] How beautifully does James, in the last chapter of his epistle, speak of it, when, as I have noticed it here above, the chapter we read, he speaks of the prayer of faith.
[3:45] And how often we come into those spots and places in our experience, where the Lord does try our faith.
[3:59] In that respect, he brings afflictions to lay upon the loins of those that are near and dear to us, and some not very old, and here we need the Lord to give us that prayer of faith that shall save the sin.
[4:21] And to know that, yet, as at other times, the Lord will praise them up, and if they have committed sins, forgive them, forgive them, the trial of your faith.
[4:37] And the value of it is here set, being much more preckless than a cold that perishes. If you and I have this faith of God's elect, we have something with us which is imperishable.
[4:57] It cannot perish. It is something that will, like love, it will live.
[5:10] Yea, as the poet speaks of faith, lives and labours, under load, though damned, it never dies.
[5:22] What a wonderful blessing, my friends. And if you and I have a grain of living faith, we shall often be coming to the Lord, as did the apostles in the days of his flesh, when he was with them, and they came to him.
[5:42] I noticed on the calendar today in the friend's house, where I had my day meal, that word where Christ said, have faith in God.
[5:56] And if you and I have faith in God, we shall often be coming to him with that prayer. Lord, increase our faith.
[6:09] And I often speak of that as by way of encouragement to the Lord's people, and tell them that if they ever pray that prayer, it is a proof, an unmistakable proof, that they already receive, have received faith.
[6:30] Because you can't have a thing increased, that you have not already received. If you've ever asked the Lord to increase faith, you have a proof, beyond all doubt, that you have faith.
[6:45] Although you may be tempted many times, that you have not faith. I remember once, in particular, some other time ago now, I was visiting one of my own members, and I happened to mention something about faith to her.
[7:03] And she just partly said, but not wishful thinking. You know, Satan took all of that. Oh, he made it like a dagger, like an arrow in my heart.
[7:17] And I went home, feeling very, very low indeed. But that very circumstance was the means that God used to furnish me with a subject the next time I had to stand up in the Lord's name.
[7:33] And that's often how the Lord works. By things that, to us, are most opposite. Things that we wouldn't dream of are working, as we said last evening at Maupra, working together for good.
[7:48] So I was on that occasion. For I was favoured to preach from those words in James. Faith without works is dead.
[8:02] And if you and I have living faith, my friends, there will be that desire in their heart. So that faith shall be seen as, does he not say, you show me your faith.
[8:15] It's your works. I'll show you my faith by my works. And does he not say, was not the harlot Rahab justified by works when she had received the fire with peace?
[8:33] And so we might go on. Speaking of faith, but not only is the faith precious and more precious than the gold that precious, but the very trial of it is.
[8:49] So you have, so to speak, two things that are most precious. The faith itself and the trial of it. And you will prove sometimes how precious that faith is and how precious that trial of it is.
[9:07] And this faith is, as Peter says here, kind with fire. Kind with fire.
[9:18] I made a remark in the early days of my pastorate that one of my members often reminds me of. I said this.
[9:29] The Lord knows how long to keep you in the purpose. And how long is that? Until he sees his own image.
[9:45] And that is so with the natural fire. The fire that is, that the precious metal is put in. The goldsmith, he will watch that metal.
[9:59] And when he can see his own image in the metal, then that is, currently and truly purged and through the fire.
[10:10] And so it is with the fire of pain. Kind with fire. And the end, and God's way and purpose in all this is that it might be found under Christ.
[10:26] Can we not go back in our experience this evening, my friend? And remember those times when those very things that we thought and Satan was ready to suggest that they would be our undoing have been the very things that have established us.
[10:50] Brought us to a more gracious understanding of God's healing. As it was in the case of dear old Job. Ah, dear man, he says, changes and war.
[11:07] But you know, he was brought out, wasn't he? He was brought through. Many vices he knew. Many were his losses. Many his crosses. Many his trials.
[11:19] But he says this. Oh, how beautiful. Is the language of Job. When he was tied with fire. He says, I look backward into the path.
[11:38] Can't see him. He wanted to see his Lord. He wanted to see his God. He said, I look on the right hand. And on the left hand, where he does work, in providence and in grace, I cannot behold him.
[11:56] But I've often said, you know, that there was one more place for Job to look. He may look back. You and I may look back. You can't see him.
[12:08] You may look forward and can't see him. You may look on the right hand and not see him. You may look on the left hand and not see him. But where shall we see him? In the same place that Job saw him.
[12:22] When Job looked up. Then he could say this. And have you and I not been able to say that? But he knows the way that I take.
[12:40] And when he has tried me, I shall come forth with gold. And he did come forth with gold, didn't he? I've often thought of Job.
[12:53] When here Job was instructed of his God to offer sacrifice for his friend, the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he cried for his friend.
[13:08] And there would be times when you and I would have to thus cry for our friend. I remember a day in particular when I had to cry for my friend.
[13:19] Those friends were acting more like enemies. But I just had to bring them to the throne of life. Commit the whole thing unto the Lord and trust also in him.
[13:33] And I have lived to prove the truth of that word. He shall bring hearts. He shall bring forth thy righteousness as a light and thy judgment as a noon day.
[13:46] And what a wonderful thing it is when a man's ways please the Lord. He might see the enemies and the enemies of the people.
[13:59] And their ways do not please the Lord only as he causes them to please them. Only as he puts his blessed fear in their hearts. That fear of God which is an unctuous light toward his right and a bar toward his wrong so it be kind with fire might be pound and prize.
[14:25] The Lord has said concerning his people as they are mentioned before here in this chapter they're elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.
[14:38] They're a sanctified people. They're an obedient people. They're a watched people. Oh, what a blessed people they are. And you say, can I say this evening with that number my own please now and to return.
[14:57] Dear Ruth, you know, she was one of these people. It matter not how much Naomi sought to turn Ruth away and even tell her that her sister-in-law had gone back.
[15:16] Why didn't she do the same? Oh, she says, do you say it? Can you say it, my friend? As you feel such a love and a union toward the Lord's people and entreat me not to leave thee nor to cease from following after thee.
[15:34] Whither thou goest, I will go. Thy people should be my people. Thy God, my God. Nought should part us. And you won't be parted either.
[15:48] Now, there's obviously that. Oh, if there's that desire as was found in the heart of Ruth. Rather than being parted from them, you'll come closer to them.
[16:01] That was what the Lord's mind, will, and purpose was in the case of Ruth. Little did she think when she went out that first morning to glean in the field of Boaz that presently she was to become Boaz's wife.
[16:18] and can you and I not say sometime, Jesus, my power is, is gospel for you all the place where I are gleaning down.
[16:40] Praise and honor. Yes, the Lord will be honored, the Lord will be glorified in the trial of faith, whatever it may be, whatever way in which the Lord may be crying us and testing us and bringing us into various things, even as also James says, we count them happy which endure.
[17:12] You have heard of the patience of Joe and have seen the end of the Lord. The Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy. Have we not proved it to be so, my friend?
[17:25] I have thought recently of what I have said sometimes and it was brought rather vividly to my mind only yesterday where we think and read and meditate of the Lord Jesus Christ being crowned with a crown of the Lord.
[17:51] Why was it? Was it not so that you and I we crowned with loving kindness and tender mercy? What a different crown he places upon the head of his people than was placed upon him.
[18:09] Although there will be times when we shall know what it is to suffer with him and if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him no cross no crown no trial no deliverance where there's the trial there will be sure to be the deliverance where there's the trial of faith there will be the deliverance from that trial being brought through to his honour and his glory.
[18:46] it is all for his glory my friend that his people pass through the fire. Wherefore glorify God in the fires this people he says have I formed for myself they shall show forth my praise and we cannot but praise him when he seeks it to deliver us and there will be times when even in the midst of the fire we shall praise him we shall be brought to those spots and places where we feel we would not have one thing or oh what a wonderful blessing is sanctified afflictions that which weans us from work and earthly things weans us from ourselves weans us from those near and dear to us and we have to say sometime with the soundness my soul is even as a weaned child a child that is weaned his very painful work is weaned but God knows how to do it my friend he knows how to do it and he do it most effectively you do it in such a way as you will even rejoice in that weaned and this praise and honor and glory will be at the appearing of Jesus Christ surely it is as though
[20:37] Peter would say well no you now see him not you cannot see him you're like no you cannot behold him for presently when you see him when you behold him when you realize that he is looking on all the time and he shows you himself as his disciples when he showed them his hands and his side then my friends there will be praise there will be honor there will be glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ and I'm sure Peter knew something what he was speaking about the epistles of Peter are not mere theory these epistles of Peter my friends were the result of the fire the Lord had said to Peter
[21:42] Simon Simon Satan hath desired to have you that he might sift you and weep what a wonderful thing for Peter it was that he not only said that to him he coupled something else with it one of the greatest blessings my friends that any poor sinner can be brought to know and that is I have prayed for I sometimes feel delight in remembering I had praying parents and knowing now that I'm the subject of the prayers of God's people my own church and the other little churches where I minister but my friends why that is so great if we would desire to esteem it a great blessing but oh the great blessing of having the prayer of Christ we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with a feeling of their infirmity but was in all points tempted like that we are yet without sin and when we read the word all in God's word it means all it means some just some of you all points whatever way you and I may be tempted and tried the Lord
[23:09] Jesus Christ was too are you tempted he was too deserted yes he was deserted his disciples forsook him and fled he told them they would he said all ye shall depart and leave your love and that's a great blessing that these tried and tempted people these people that know what trial of faith is there will be times when they realize however much alone they are they're not alone because the father is with them the father is with them what a word is that word father no sweeter word especially if you can look up and say as Christ has commanded us to when we pray aside our father blessed word
[24:17] I know often times the experience of the Lord's people is very blessedly described by one who says my father my father blissful dying oh may I call thee mine I honor with sweet assurance claim a fortune so divine but this is how it will be brought to pass by knowing what it is to go into the fire and also to know the flame cannot hurt you he only designs your drust to consume your gold to refine when you come into a fresh temptation or a fresh affliction or some bereavement how at first you might fear less and Satan will be ready to tempt you that it's going to seal you but you live to prove that it's only the drust only that which you will be well rid of you'll be bettered by the rid of it so the Lord knows how to purd away as he says
[25:43] I will truly purd away thy drust and take away all thy dead and this will be out of the praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ well now shall we look further a little at the trial of your faith this is not a word which will be received in any way by those who do not understand something about it the apostle was helped to write concerning faith to the Hebrews and what a wonderful description and a very few words he gave up faith is a substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen and if faith is in your heart my friends it will enable you sometimes to believe that which to you and to others around you is quite impossible as it was in the case of
[27:08] Abraham was it not who is spoken of as the father of the faithful and the Lord appears to him he says now take thy son thine only son Isaac whom thou love love this I believe Abraham would have willingly taken Ishmael but the Lord said it must be Isaac he's the one who was taking an opera up in the mount which I was holding after and what a trying time it was to Abraham as he was going up the hill and his son Isaac goes up with him and presently he says father he says behold the wood and the fire but the most important thing is missing as far as I can see where is the lamb
[28:08] Isaac knew well that there could be no acceptable sacrifice without a lamb and so Abraham was given the answer that was right was it not God shall provide himself a lamb for a sacrifice the Lord had already instructed Abraham what he must do but he goes on up the hill that's a very that's in him we used to sing concerning it at Cranbrook years ago see Abraham walking up the hill and I did fondling by him still and prattling in his ear at length the lovely child is found the hand is stretched the knife is found and then the Lord appears the Lord appears Abraham
[29:10] Abraham lay not thine hand upon the lad now I know that thou fearest me in that thou hast not withheld thy son thine only son from me I had a great trial in my own self and in my own church relative to my own dear son who I let preach it was no easy matter seven years we waded through that trial of faith before it actually would have come there but I shall never forget there was other arguments the Lord I believe gave me those words to help me in that we had sent forth one into the midst now I know thou fearest me in that thou is not without thy son from me what a great blessing these things are still up to date my some people speak of the word of
[30:14] God and the ways of God as being old fashioned and so they are but they're just as up to date and the Lord will make them up to date in your experience and mine we should have to walk by faith and not by sight and as we walk that pathway of faith we are like the beloved we need on coming up out of the wilderness leaning upon him and you never lean too hard upon him and he is almighty to save and to direct and to uphold and to strengthen and to bring you through yes he will bring his people through the trial of your faith God given and what he gives he will not ask back something he gives he has given his well beloved son we read last evening in that eighth of
[31:25] Romans that if he has not withheld his son then all things are given to us will he not freely give unto you all things all things that are necessary all things that will be for our soul good and profit and all things that will be for his honor and for his glory as the apostle said all is yours and you are Christ's and Christ is God's the trial of your faith you may often feel as we do at times our faith is feeble we confess we faintly trust his word but does he pity us the less did he pity that dear man the less when he cried out
[32:33] Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief oh he attended to that case and many that came to him in the days of his fact how often he would say to them according to your faith leave them in this faith is a wonderful thing my friend a wonderful person a thing that we do not realize the value of and yet it is valuable and the trial of it is much more precious than a gold edge however much gold we may possess and we need it we need that which will help us in our journey through life to do those things that are right before
[33:35] God and to our fellow creatures but you know what when this precious time it's something more precious than gold precious gold precious riches take to themselves wings and fly away but this will never take to itself wings and fly away the only way it will be worked out in the experience of the Lord's people will to bliss give place in sight we hope should lose now what a wonderful blessing this is faith in the bleeding land oh what a gift is it hope of salvation in his name how comfortable it is the trial of your faith being much more precious than a gold that perish there is something that is imperishable no time can orbit no age can make it decline it is like the giver it will remain and while there is faith surely there is also hope and love and we know that whilst presently we shall not need hate but love shall still remain nor can its glory cease no other change should that sustain save only to ingredients and these three things go together faith hope and love where you have faith and the trial of faith there will always be that hope which hopes against hope be like
[35:44] Abraham who against hope believed in hope and however dark however distressing however distracting however impossible things may appear to be to our carnal mind and our natural reasoning and even to those around us the Lord will see to it that faith shall live it's living faith isn't a dead thing faith is a living principle in the heart principle of faith which he puts within the heart of the sinner and that faith will live a neighbor alone so that it helps and though it is tried with fire it is you see being unperishable the fire can't destroy it no can't destroy it and what a mercy it is that this faith can't be destroyed however hot the fire surely we have those two particular cases of it in the
[37:11] Old Testament whether it be Daniel in the lion's den a dear man of God faith helped him through this faith was indeed tried by fire it was not a matter of Daniel going round the den of lions he was going down into the den of lions to be delivered those three Hebrew children Shadrach Meshach and Abednego they must go into the burning fiery furnace and what for to lose their bonds and to have all those things burned away which found them and they shall come out with no smell of fire upon them he lions and ravens contain all creatures obey his command then let us rejoice in his name and leave all their cares in his hand you say
[38:24] I wish I could so do I my friends and there's times when we can there's times when we can he kindly to prevent my fears says leave it all to me I remember once when an ungodly man railed on me called me everything but a Christian but those sweet words came to help me at that trying hour say not my soul for whence can God relieve thy care remember that omnipotence has servants everywhere so has my friends yes the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them there'll be times when he give you songs in the night songs in the night if you've ever known what it is to have a song in the night you've had the sweet earnest but we also read weeping by a deer for a night but joy cometh in the morning and I've often said and I say so the longer your weeping night the more joyful your mourning then hi-oh ye happy mourners a strange word that is it not to the unbeliever but not the person that possesses faith you soon shall meet with comfort sweet it is the
[40:16] Lord's own promise though it be tried with fire oh the many ways in which the Lord dear people are tried some may be tried in one way some may be tried in another but you see they will stand the trial they will stand the death the Lord tryeth the righteous the way of the wicked he turns upside down but he won't ever turn the righteous upside down I was much encouraged once when I was in a great trial of faith I believe it was when I was being prepared for the solid work of the ministry and I walked for days under the sentence of death
[41:16] I used to go out in the morning to my business and under that dreadful temptation you won't get back home to dinner but I used to go back home but when I went back again after dinner the same temptation you won't get back home with me day after day I had that and yet at night we had been reading those postulis letters of the late William Huntington and I used to read in those letters the very things that had been passing through during the day and I had many a night gone up to bed like another man and then wake up in the morning and there was that great cloud over me again but I remember one thing I read it never left my mind really he said this dear Huntington you'll find it if you've got those postulis letters he said the Lord will never cast away a hoping soul as a man casts a stone into the sling oh that help me that encourage me tried with fire yes but it will be found under price yes however keen however cutting however deep however solemn and searching however great the trial of faith may be my friends it will issue well oh yes verily I know says the wise man it shall be well with them that fear
[43:05] God say ye to the righteous it shall be well what trial of faith that was with that dear woman who lost her son have you ever pictured that dear woman who ever followed her in that journey she took to the man of God the man of God didn't know quite what had happened he says he could tell her soul was troubled in her there was something the Lord hadn't shown to him what it was and she wouldn't be satisfied with the servant coming it must be God's servant oh you want it to be God's servant if a man has been made a blessing to you and you've been brought to cleave to that man you'll say well no one else will do and that's not resting in the creature when it's like that it's the work of
[44:09] God to put a man into our hearts or us into another one's heart the soul of David was knit to the soul of Jonathan so it was with this poor woman she was knit to the man of God she couldn't leave him he sends his servant on to lay his staff upon the child but no the child is not white but what does a woman say heavily she has two kinds in a sense two kinds of faith there are degrees and differences of faith and at first she says as she looked to the future she says it shall be well have you got such a faith this evening are you in the midst of some trying of faith and you just don't know really how it will issue but you can say with that dear woman it shall be well that's a
[45:13] God given faith just as much as when the dear woman afterwards said it is well it is well and it is a great blessing when we can sign it is well it is well well with them while life endure and well when caught dying and it is found under price oh what a wonderful thing it is to be enabled to praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children men to sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare his work with rejoicing they that go down to the sea and ships to do business in great waters these see the works of the
[46:16] Lord and his wonders in the deep for he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind that lifteth up the waves there are they go down to the depths they go they go up to the heavens and they go down up and down in and out is the pathway of the Lord's living family but it's in and out to find pasture in and out to find pasture and if you find pasture my friend you won't mind how many ins and outs you have it will be the pasture you will be after that which is winnowed with a shovel and a fan and you will want to have that yes it will be found under Christ and where the feeblest lamb in Jesus fold is brought to praise him he will bring honor and glory to his name you might say well
[47:24] I'm that feeble one never mind how feeble you are my friend the weakest saints you win the day though earth and hell obstruct his wife and I've often said this and I say so again because I've proved it to be so the weaker the better yes in themselves as weak as words how can poor believers stand these who are in possession of living faith when temptations foes and storms press them close on every hand weak indeed they feel they are but they know the throne of grace they know the throne of grace do you say yes I can't keep away from and go with you if you're among these people that have this faith and this trial of faith which is more preggers than called a faith you'll have to be often found at the throne of grace pleading with him for something or other sometimes for yourself sometimes for your loved ones sometimes for the church of God sometimes for the servants of God sometimes for your guilty land and nation we do appreciate the prayers of God's living family in this
[48:58] Indian of house often think of that wicked queen there you know we understand that she said she dreaded the prayers of John Knox more than army of men and well she might and well might all their adversaries dread their prayers because you see God will answer prayer when he turns away from the people he'll turn their way upside down but he blesses people with peace peace may not always feel that peace as you would desire but it is something you're longing after peace perfect peace in this dark world of sin the blood of Jesus whispers peace praise and honor and glory three things that the
[50:03] Lord has seen to sees to it will be joined together in your experience cause for as we're led to praise him so we shall honor him and as we're led to praise honor and honor him so we shall glorify him what a wonderful thing it is that the Lord causes such poor sinners as we are to glorify him for the wonders he has wrought let us now our praise is given and by sweet experience taught call upon him while we live do not those answers of prayer that he gives us encourage us to go on in prayer as you say can he have taught me to trust in his name and thus far abroad he have put me to trust each sweet
[51:07] Ebenezer by having with him confirms his good pleasure to help me quite through thank you so much for faith get in prayer to thank you