Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. (Quality: very good)

[0:00] The Lord helping us, we will turn to the book of Genesis, the 6th chapter and the 8th verse.

[0:11] The book of Genesis, the 6th chapter and the 8th verse. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

[0:22] The book of Genesis, chapter 6, verse 8. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

[0:33] This word before us this Sabbath morning is a word that should be an encouragement to all of God's redeemed people.

[1:00] To have a hope in his mercy and have been taught of him. For Noah was a man of like passion as other men.

[1:13] And had no claim before God in his own natural person that God could ever show a favour unto his never dying soul.

[1:25] And though he had to live in a very difficult time in the history of mankind, the Lord dealt with him in such a measure that his faith failed not.

[1:44] And the thought occurred to me early this morning. But how near that great adversary thou saw did get to the complete conquest of God's realm and creation.

[2:05] There was but one man. There was but one man. Between the complete overthrown of the realm of humanity, God's fair creation.

[2:19] There was but one man. And the fulfilment of God's holy truth to his created glory.

[2:30] And that man was Noah. Had it not been for Noah, there would be no creation this day. There would be no man to follow on.

[2:46] But it was Noah. When the whole world was consumed, who by finding grace continued in the earth.

[2:58] And by whom the world was again rebuilt. And so we see the awful effect of the steepness of sin and the solemnity of God's demons.

[3:14] But before we pass on to the subject, I feel it may be of a little profit to ask to consider the leading and the teaching whereby we are brought unto this subject before us this Sabbath morning.

[3:35] To be quite honest with you, I must admit that I did the speak of Noah at Lake and Heath last Sunday evening. In that word in Hebrew, whereby we read there, by faith Noah being warned of God.

[3:52] But as this word has been with me all through the week, and is placed upon my heart and conscience, I feel that I must continue even this day in a different line of truth, but with the same person as our subject.

[4:10] Now let us notice in the first instance then, the background of our subject. The dark cloud that seems to hover over the creation of God that was created in purity and holiness.

[4:29] To see just a little of the effects of sin and the sad consequence of sin and the root of sin whereby that sin works, not only actually, but spiritually amongst that creation of God.

[4:46] And we see the word is addressed unto the sons of God. You know we may become very complacent sometimes on enchanted grains, but that to me has often proved a great danger.

[5:09] We live in a day of unity in unions, committees and management of people that bring a full sense of security unto the human heart by nature that works contrary unto God's redeeming grace.

[5:32] And this is one of the sad devils, spirituals, that besets human race at this present time.

[5:42] The castle of the human heart is guarded well in every part by him who dwells within.

[5:53] And that human heart is guarded by the natural man. And that natural man resorts to unity, unions of people, numbers, as a protection in a social order, which does, in itself, war against the spirit of God and divine teaching.

[6:16] And so it was in the early creation of man that the sons of God, yes, not the sons of man, but the sons of God.

[6:31] Yes, God's creation, the spirit of God given to them. And they so solemnly fell that they chose their own ways and not the Lord's ways.

[6:46] Here is the thing. As the Apostle Paul speaks to us, according to lust, the will, and the will of the flesh and of the natural man.

[6:59] And so, by nature, does the heart of man work to choose not the things pleasing in the sight of God, but those things they chose that were pleasing unto themselves.

[7:16] Now, I feel here that this is a negative encouragement, may be, even in these sad days in which the quarter lives. For in meditation during the past few days upon this subject, most solemnly, that we have to pass through, I feel that we have reason, and not only natural reason, but the reason of God, as spoken in Isaiah, that some may be encouraged, that they have been able, by the grace of God, to choose those things pleasing in the sight of God.

[7:55] All my young friends here, who, growing up into life, may you, with prayer and supplications, before a just and a holy God, be helped to underline these words in the second verse, and may the Lord lead you in his truth and teaching.

[8:16] the solemnity of the hinge of this door before us, even this day, is beyond word to express.

[8:27] you are the freshest threshold of life, may be strong, full of energy, yes, but my young friend, the leopard energy, is energised of God, it may lead you into years of sorrow, years of heart-sirking, suffering, but for the grace of God, you may feel, the Lord must cut thee off for eternity.

[9:01] But my friend, if it is so, the Lord bless you. for I am sure of this, that Noah was a sinner in the sight of God, in his own heart.

[9:14] But you see, these people, they chose, and they chose themselves, and they went on their own way, in complacency. The Spirit of God did strive with them.

[9:28] There was a solemn part, the Spirit of God strove with them. The Lord was teaching them, showing them the good and right way. But now we find that the Lord, having been striving with man, a different dispensation of his holy sovereign will was brought to bear on his creation.

[9:58] Not that God had changed or repented as man repents of his deeds or his ways, but that having worn the flesh and having worn the people, they were brought to judgment.

[10:13] And that judgment was that the Spirit of God was taken from them. Oh, my friends, how solemn is this? that they were given away to complete satisfaction and complacency, settled in sin, in themselves, with no thought of God, and themselves being completely satisfied, and yet in the sight of God, in awful wickedness and rebelling against him.

[10:45] so the second part of the thought here is indeed extremely solemn, and God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thought of his heart was only evil continually.

[11:07] Oh, how naturally we may strive against these people, and yet here we have the sad consequence of sin, as the awfulness and deceitfulness of sin inwrought in the heart and conscience, and the sad and solemn effects thereof, and repent of the Lord that he had made man on the earth to grieve him at his heart.

[11:40] Grieve him at his heart. No long could man be allowed to continue in that awful way, but God must deal, and no God does.

[11:55] And there was one in that history of mankind who had awakened and made alive for a soul and necessity of his soul. Yes, the Lord granted to him a realisation and understanding of the sad and solemn conditions in which the realm of creation was found in his days, and so he sought grace.

[12:24] Thought the Lord might have compassion and have mercy upon him and his household, his never-dying soul. He brought a prayer and supplication awakened to the solemn state of his heart before God if to be the Lord might have compassion and favour to his soul.

[12:44] And you all know the consequence. how the Lord instructed him to make an ark a very foolish thing to do on dry ground.

[12:56] The Lord tried his heart to humble him. If to be he might indeed be given grace to be a fool for Christ's sake. It brings down the proud nature of the flesh within the heart but that man of all wasn't able so to do and it must have been for some time.

[13:19] The word of God doesn't tell us how long he was building the ark. Some have suggested presumptuously that Noah might have had some carpenters but the word of God doesn't tell us so.

[13:33] There may have been eighty or ninety years elapsed in the building of the ark before we find that from the days of Shem, Ham and Japheth being born to the entrance of the ark was over a hundred years.

[13:47] So it could have been that Noah's building with his own hands and his sons with him for many a long year that great ark that God had appointed for the salvation of his dear people.

[14:03] And not only Noah and his family but every redeemed saw before us this day who through the faith of Noah finds grace in the eyes of the Lord.

[14:19] And now you see the Lord not only gave him salvation but he gave him glory. There was a covenant. As I journeyed to yesterday afternoon feeling in my heart concerned and I turned from Stephenage to go to Hartford the sun had been shining lovely throughout the day but over Hartford there was a cloud and evidently there was rain and there was a lovely bowl and there that took my heart once again many times in the weeks as it been to contemplate the covenant of God with the earth in the solemn dispensation of his holy sovereign will in providence never to flood the earth again no to be merciful unto humanity that those sinners the Lord should never again enter into that judgment but to set his bow in the clothes and the

[15:21] Lord said regarding that bow I myself will look upon the bow in the clothes and remember my covenant with the earth it's not us looking at the bow it's the Lord looking at the bow the Lord will look at that bow my friends even in natural things and remember his covenant with the earth but this thought came to me so a journey through heart for all what a blessing if the Lord has granted our hearts that greater covenant that eternal witness spiritual in our souls that the covenant of God's redeeming grace is implanted therein and we have a hope of life eternal and it is with those two thoughts as we have been led this way this Sabbath morning that we will consider the text before us but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord first of all then we have the understanding being being enlightened

[16:27] Noah was brought to know himself and you know there's no real salvation before a soul is brought to know himself all God will teach us in the first instance to know ourselves that we may know him whom to know is life eternal the whole need not a position but they that be fit and God's dear people are made conscious of the sinfulness of their own hearts before God and the potential of wickedness that is in them by nature that in them dwelleth no good thing by nature no truth can they merit before God to claim before him one moment's notice of divine compassion but through the gracious blessing of salvation they have hope of life eternal all how the

[17:32] Lord lays in his sanctuary the balances in the hearts of his dear people the balances of truth and their conscience ye shall know the truth and my friend when God speaks that ye shall know the truth ye shall know the truth but that will not be proclaimed from our own natural heart for my friend he alone the truth his word speaks to us I am the wise the truth and the life no man comes to father but find me there's only one way my friend whereby our souls may ascend unto heaven and to heavenly places and that through him who is the truth and the righteousness that he'll make us know the truth and the truth bring the consciousness of our indebtedness unto God all all the solemn balances of the sanctuaries when the

[18:35] Lord lays judgments for plummet and one realises the exceeding sinfulness of sin and this is in the balance sheet the assets and the debits and my friends there's always a debit balance in the hearts of God's people all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God and God requires that which is past all that awful debits in our hearts our consciousness before God we cannot plead before him our own marriage but no my friends the Lord leads his people in a way a just guardian and I believe there is no real sense of salvation before a sinner acknowledges the justice of God I've thought often what a wonderful statement that was from that woman of old when she said truth

[19:35] Lord truth Lord some but sent the lost sheep of the house of Israel no hope there in the flesh she couldn't claim she was a daughter of Abraham no hope there this was no door of hope no but it is hope for the soul Lord did I perceive just a few crumbs from off the master's table sure there's hope there the Lord trieth the writer if you're one of his dear people my friend true born sheep to light eternal the Lord will try thy faith he may have all the honour and glory and you may be helped to say none but Jesus none but Jesus can do helpless in good my friends to be found a helpless soul is a blessed place here alone to be the rock of thy salvation a friend who loveth at all times in thy sinful state yes he hates the sin my friends but he loves the sinner ah here we have a difference he'll hate the sin within thee those things offensive in thy most holy sight but he loves the sinner the sinner ordained to life eternal only confess thy sin and thy transgressions seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near my friends no accord upon the

[21:27] Lord while he may be found no was on praying ground no was alive unto God and conscious of God and his holy eye upon him but he had a sweet grace the favour of God no merit but the grace of God that brings salvation speak to the Lord and while he may be found you on praying grace our young friends here may the Lord bring us right home to your conscience that without him you're lost and that for eternity whatever we may feel to be or seem to be in ourselves our own wisdom oh when the Lord begins to deal my friends in this way I the Lord search the heart I try the reins of man so the Lord searches our hearts he tries the reins give you just a little scope sometimes and you see just what the potentials are in your own natural heart and where you'll be but for the fear of the

[22:33] Lord you try your reins the controls the word means the reins of man losing you just a little sometimes poor sinners and where do you find yourself in the world in the flesh and sin brings death to your conscience felt death but if you're a living soul you'll plead with him with the thomas pardon my transgressions remember me for thy mercy son if thou lord mark iniquities oh lord who shall stand say lord I have no standing room but there is forgiveness with thee he will abundantly pardon not just pardon my friends abundantly not just one to say yes well that will be alright you'll not think any more about that no abundantly my friend in righteousness in justice to all eternity the law honours the law fulfills a god satisfied a sinner saved abundantly pardoned only acknowledged my friends sin can set before a just and a holy god with a god given repentance and the fruit meat of repentance which means a walk in accordance with the spirit of repentance is accepted before god unto salvation it is the holy spirit leading may the lord grant us his teaching noah found grace the grace of understanding discerned the first grace that the lord grants his dear people an eternal favour from heaven not thought of themselves but given by the will of god in his eternal purposes whereby a soul may be sox and that may seem a sad day to you as it was with job the lord looked narrowly into all his past he put his feet in the stock i remember that at one time at robertsbury and preaching from that subject oh my friends would have to live through it he looketh narrowly into all thy past my friends when the lord begins to surge out the omniscient god the omnipresent god looked narrowly into all the past circuit out your heart feeling the very motives and intent of thy conscience and thy feet are put in the stock you cannot go forward until the lord grants you grace liberate your soul to my friends a blessed place the place of god dear people redeem souls and are brought to look off themselves and are found looking unto

[25:43] Jesus they say I know that my redeemer lives he's able to fade unto the uttermost the poor soul says but is he willing wait on the lord keep his way Noah found grace the grace to wait and he had to wait a long time just about a hundred years we may wait in the midst of god's judgment for a few weeks it seems a long time you know a few days sometimes it seems like a year but he waited in the midst of god's judgment for a well not hundred years building the ark of god doing the most foolish things in the eyes and wisdom of man but there he was obedient fruit meat of repentance faith without without without works is dead but my friend when the Lord prompts in the heart true and living faith and repentance there is a work a work of righteousness and the soul flees for salvation and it will flee unto him not only for salvation but for strength my friend and not only for strength but for a witness that the

[27:04] Lord is thy God and my friend you can take no rest nor peace to your soul and to the spirit witness with thy spirit ah you want that sacred holy witness with your soul that the Lord is thy God spoken unto your heart with heaven own power to your conscience you want the quickened word the powerful word you cannot be content with the letter word my friend to his word his word to your soul his truth to your conscience his smile his countenance and then my friend the veil is taken away from the heart when it will turn to the Lord bow down sense and reason faith only dwell here and when the Lord teaches the soul it has to be by faith and not by sight you know yes so great great of discernment both of our need and also of the

[28:10] Lord's gracious holy repentance of the soul and not only so but the Lord's approbation to his supplication we find eventually the ark was made and when all was completed the Lord dealt with them most graciously the Lord dealt with them for no one had only found grace to know himself and no a saving God but my friend he knew a God that protected him to life eternal oh what a blessing my friend to be paying among the Lord's dear people who dwelleth not in temples made with hands in the hearts of his dear people unto life eternal is the one here who says with them numbered may we be now and in eternity like dear Ruth who said this people should be my people

[29:11] I'm sure of that we have no claim in ourselves but my friends there's your heart there's your supplication the Lord bless thee indeed them tokens of redeeming grace the Lord help you to please unto God's dear people so he may not seem to be altogether like unto them no but one with them in heart one in supplication one in prayer one also in hope to find grace and not discernment but grace also to seek you see the word is found and now even the young ones will know that you only find things we're looking for them now young children must look for things to find them and and my friends are many lambs in heaven who have been speaking grace in the days of their childhood and never grown to manhood or womanhood who are now in heaven high court singing his eternal praises out of the mouth of bays and suckling as thou perfect hith prayed suffer a little children to come unto me and forbid them not will he turn thee away i was brought into touch his own one little boy only a few

[30:39] Sundays ago his mother said to me can you go up and read with our little boy he's in trouble through sin he wants to take the rock of salvation he may know it well with his soul for eternity my friends what a blessed case i believe that little boy knew more than some do at 80 years of age you're none too young or the enemy may say sometimes to your soul you're too young but you're not my young friend some here young in years i can witness in this very house of god where the lord spoke to me when i was seven years of age over one sinner that repented a little sinner yet god conscious sinner a sinner brought in the sight of god to life eternal my friend and the lord is able to save them may the lord bless the children the little ones the young people suffer the children to come unto me and forbid them not god forbid that we should forbid them a seeking soul they that preach or find yes you're not to vain restitution it is not so but seek the lord while he may be found none of us know how long the lord hath ordained for us to live upon earth god the sovereign of life my friend none says to him what doest thou do believe our very days and moments are all of him god may take one early year it's his life my friend he must not charge god foolishly in his being to be given the heart of jose to yield it to god all things god i've heard some of our fellow creeds even almost a charge god as a murderer or i had one that shut my conscience sadly a few weeks ago to do what i had to do or the enemy of his heart against all the things of god because his care had been taken from him early in years where my heart did yearn over him the lord might open his eyes give that discernment my friends he might see that good and gracious and holy god who never does deal in unkindness with his dear creatures no the lord is good to all we only need eyes to see my heart to understand and the grace of god in our souls in his dealings to own what he does best but without the grace of god left to ourselves we should rebalance that by the grace of god that reigns over sin and abounds over our sins and all that we are by nature then my friend the heart is brought to be found sitting at

[33:59] Jesus' feet closed and in a right mind we need we need a right mind in god's demons to find grace to our older friends here in the lord's demons we may not have some things others may have god may permit them to have or do he may feel some resentment sometimes regarding those things but when the grace of god that bring salvation triumphed my friends you'll have to say not one thing has failed indeed it has not one thing has failed of all the lord god has promised unto his dear people there's no imperfection in heaven my friend and praise is perfect there's no murmuring there no so god wise are just his counseled wise in all his dealings with his dear people and we need to find grace in his dealings no one might have kept and says this indeed is a grievous thing the lord does not afflict willingly nor grievous children of men no he's right in all his ways and holy in all his works to grace then not only to speak but to find to find by his teaching that good and grace of

[35:29] God the goodness of God leadeth thee unto repentance now here we have a leading a leading of the lord he'll lead them into his truth and teach them the leading of the spirit and if you have a token a mark of this in your heart my friend indeed you may be found as here you are with Noah of old we may not be asked to do as Noah did that seems like a foolish thing to have our faith tried to that great extent no but there will be in other ways the lord will try the faith of his people there will be some things you will have to do in life that your reason and flesh will seem so unusual so out of order with natural wisdom you'll have to walk by faith in many things there may be small things sometimes in your natural life your stuplex of soul there may be such peculiar things such a peculiar path you have to walk yes but my presence will go with thee and

[36:38] I will give thee rest how Moses thought the Lord in that way ordained for him couldn't take a step you know until the Lord gave the word and so will you be you may remain the same place the same till all your life so you have to walk abate so you have to walk up and down in the Lord you have to take some steps in your exercise of soul before God steps of his ordinances and other ways of life and you'll be a waiting soul a seeking soul soul when your help to say hither to have the Lord help us to be helped to look back over life in your ways and find grace to look back over life and say Lord thou hast been our help salvation yes yes the Lord the help of his dear people even unto life eternal thou seeking souls and thou helped souls too indeed they are by the grace of

[37:47] God and not only so he may go on to sight that Noah found salvation he needed he saved and yet you see things went on just the same in the earth here's a solemn part of it and that only brought the heart of man by nature a feeling of complacency self-satisfaction as if God had forgotten his judgment and things were going on just the same as the danger had passed and there they'd carry on just the day nothing now this is the danger we're in in these present days the Lord is speaking he has spoken and I wonder just what the lies in store sometimes for us as a nation seems as if we're going on the downward path in many ways that may our heart be awakened to the solemn dangerous spirituals that abound in these days the solemn rest and refuges of lies in the world were they all over hearts of our young people in the world are sort of secured in a natural way as if the element of their souls could depend on their own natural acumen in education or other things in life to bring their heart to heaven my friends what a swollen and a sad deception i am the way the truth and the life all when the lord teaches his people and you know it hurts us indeed in our hearts sometimes to realise amongst our fellow creatures good people with natural graces some think they shine in natural gifts and graces those are the hope in

[39:54] God's truth and his redemption yes the my friends their eyes are not open their hearts are not awakened unto their sad case and need before God they're completely satisfied God has set the world in their hearts they should not treat him or may the lord turn again unto us the nations may he awaken that living vital godliness though so made known and revealed to us in the days of puritan and the gracious reformation of all may the lord cleanse and pardon and bring in sinners to eternal glory of his great and holy name but all may the lord's people be the thought of the earth the fond responsibility we have in these things salvation there must think to know salvation there must be the thought of the earth a savour of god's redeeming grace the leaven the leaven is the whole lump you see when the bread was made unless the leaven leaven the whole lump it did not rise and so and so it is with the lord's dear people the leaven must leaven our whole lives my friends ye are the thought of the earth but noah found grace then in the eyes of the lord to continue in faith the first effect then is faith the faith of god's elast that moves them in divine principles to seek salvation and as their feet are moved moved to his sanctuary his house how you find a great alertness on a sabbath morning sometimes to speak into a blessing and your heart is prepared of god by his divine providential dealings god's providence that it were his workshop whereby god deals with your people and prepares their hearts for his holy word and gospel truth but now my friends another thought comes here before we close and that is this

[42:11] Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord in faith not only in word but in work he was a preacher of righteousness and there a thought came to me during the week that Noah preached more with his hands than he did with his lips I believe that those planks of go for wood from day to day preached a more solemn sermon amongst his fellow creatures than many words he may have spoken to their natural ears may you hear are exercised by the grace of God to salvation some may not be appointed to speak in his name but all are his servants ye are the thought of the earth my friend is your work an ark of

[43:12] God are your work from day to day a witness to the God of heaven are you preaching by the grace of God as Noah did a preacher of righteousness may the Lord help us my friends we are sinners impotent unworthy infirm sinners may the Lord appear revive us again a preacher of righteousness and by those things which God was justified God was justified before that world and by God's dear people in these days God will be justified without the source of the earth and poor sinners brought to seek salvation and like God they may be helped to seek the Lord while he may be found or maybe they may be strict and they may feel themselves undone and unworthy yet they do they are brought to know him and by the blessing of

[44:24] God the Lord people of work of righteousness they begin to know their master and the ashes masters cring come now let us reason together saith the Lord though your sinning be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow or the poor man said my hurt is grievous my wound is incurable yes he thought it so within himself it ought to do with himself to my friend when the Lord appeared to his heart and conscience become now let us reason together a greatest reasoning between heaven and earth a God of salvation the never dying souls of his dear people redeemed a life eternal who can tell you as by the grace of God are enabled a preacher of righteousness may be in your daily work as you live your life before your fellow creatures all may the work be so ordained of

[45:34] God by his strength and righteousness that you may be a sacred witness before the world to salvation of the souls of God's dear people not in our own strength all might have left to ourselves with no good things our sufficiency must be of heaven trust in him at all times you people you have a solemn responsibility that was teached by the grace of God to bring home to your soul in these last days and perilous times we cannot shut ourselves up to ourselves God shut Noah in yes indeed he did yet to be a priest of righteousness in his days and while by the grace of God you work out your salvation with fear and trembling my friends may the Lord grant us the source of the earth that we may by so doing bring home the truth the consciousness of some of our fellow creatures all how to all eternity the sight of that art must be in the eyes of those lost eternity how that man knower of old must in their vision in that vision that is given them as they pass from time into eternity when all things are known the heart of every soul and the spirit returns to

[47:01] God who gave it that soul vision to eternity of that poor ridiculed mocked man in their own eyes who found grace in the sight of God singing God's eternal praises and they themselves eternal forgiveness all may the Lord grant us his grace to work out salvation with fear and tremor but is that the ark it's not an ark of wood no it's the salvation of your souls as Noah did by fear and tremor every man soul before God all hear the Sabbath morning it all appeared before God to the oldest to the younger with yearning on year by year my friend and all vanities done away with eventually in that time ordained of God need a just and a holy God what then to find grace in the eyes of the

[48:06] Lord while my kind savior stands between sin darm died in blood is he instead of me is seen when I approached to God and my friend has been granted that invite with your spirit to know your conversation in heaven to know the greatest sweet and effect of God's saving grace pure heart as God to shine greater through the man you will never die in soul to be received in him the Lord won't deny these for eternity for sin we can't go to eternity in the generalities of religion we can't go there a company of people but every man for himself it's particular redemption my friend remember all our friends around us with our soul and God how stand the case my soul with these for heaven are thy credentials clear may the

[49:15] Lord bless you indeed in these things and you find his journey on through life that the eyes of the Lord upon you forgive you may be helped to say the Lord hath been mine for us Amen to