[0:00] Independence Matthew chapter 14 verses 27 to 30 But straightway Jesus spake unto them saying Be of good cheer it is I Be not afraid And Peter answered him and said Lord if it be thou bid me come unto thee On the water And he said come And when Peter was come down out of the ship
[1:02] He walked on the water to go to Jesus But when he saw the wind by stress He was afraid And beginning to sink He cried saying Lord save me This was a most memorable night In the lives of the disciples of Jesus Christ A night they would never forget There are those days and nights In our little lives That we shall never forget What an unspeakable mercy
[2:05] How mercy it is that when we are brought Into such places and times Of difficulty Of difficulty And perplexity Of darkness Of darkness With none to help To have a dear And I say that Feelingly A dear Jesus To go to And a dear Jesus That comes to us To help us Though not always at once Faith often is tried The disciples of John Baptist Buried that body And they came And told Jesus A very sweet A very sweet Precious word
[3:06] In the gospel And perhaps Today You've had to Tell Jesus I hope Every day We pray But sometimes There are particular needs Heavy burdens Perplexing powers And sorrows too That we come and have need To tell Jesus And you will remember That in another gospel We read how that the Lord Jesus Said to his disciples Because come ye yourselves Into a desert place And rest a while For there were many coming And going And they had no leisure Not so much As to eat The Lord knows Our physical need
[4:08] He knows our frame And there are times When the Lord And this in his compassion Leads us aside Into a place of rest Not necessarily To lay an afflicting Hand upon us Sometimes it is that But to bring us Into a place Of rest For a little season Just like The Israelites From Marah From the waters of bitterness Were led To Elim But the people Followed And they Heard their The Lord Jesus Speak to them And the day Passes And the Lord Says To them Well First they say To the Lord Send them away That they may have time To buy food What precious words
[5:08] Jesus uttered They need not depart We don't wish to Take these words Out of setting But surely I see And I'm sure You do A sweet beauty They need not depart If And when I say If That's no doubt about it Because it was so As it was so That with the multitude They're in literal Need Of food For their bodies And Jesus said They need not depart Then what can we say And what do we say When we think Of the words of Jesus For a poor Hungry Burdened soul Coming They need Not depart All that the Father Giveth me Shall come to me And him that cometh to me I will in No wise Cast out Yes
[6:09] There was But so little But in the hands Of Jesus All were fed And I shall never forget In my Days of youth Reading This That twelve disciples Said It could not be done Twelve baskets full Said It could be done Now As the multitude Then Were fed They sought To make Jesus An earthly king And so we read In the record In The gospel Of John That when Jesus Therefore perceived They would come And take him By force To make him A king He departed Alone Into a mountain To pray It was for this Cause And the purpose Of God To In the That the Events that Followed That he
[7:09] Constrained The disciples To get into The boat To go to The other Side And that he Himself Sent The Multitudes Away One has often Wondered Whether the Disciples Even themselves United Did somewhat With the Multitude To seek To make Jesus An earthly King Well that We must Leave But this We know That the Multitude The Lord Himself Sent away And his Disciples Were bidden To go Into the Boat And to go Before him To the Other side When he Himself Went up Into the Mountain To pray I'll just Confess Friend I've had Such a Perplexity For a Text Tonight And I've Been very Tried Because sometimes You may Say well I've heard You preach From that Before Time and Time But I Hope there's A purpose In my Bringing it Tonight I hope
[8:09] The Lord Will direct This word For some Poor Needy Or maybe Others But don't Lose sight I do Sometimes The precious Words of Jesus here The other Side Oh you Say I Shan't Get there Shall I Reach heaven Will I Be there Oh will It be well With my Soul Oh is It well With me And as We hear Sudden Death Is a Word to Us But oh Dear One You that Fear God You that Hope in His mercy You that Pray Yes you May say Oh I'm So tried Do I Really Pray Well dear Friend do You know Something of What we've Been singing About mourning Over your Sin Do you Have an Aching void The world Will never Fill Do you Have a Longing for Christ Do you Oh you Say So you Say it Only I could As it
[9:09] Were With my Feeble Arms Clasp Him And say Jesus Thou art Mine It will Be all That I Seek After Is what My Soul Lulls For And Tell me Is this Gospel Precious To you Is Jesus Himself Precious To you Oh You say Yes in the Very Desire For him He's so Precious To my Soul Then dear Friend Take courage Take courage Yes I'm sure Of this And I'm Would comfort See that the Lord will comfort And confirm Your soul But yes Those in Glory We read In the book Of the Revelation Those that Feared God Both Small They are not Thrown out The door Isn't closed To the little One Yes They are Found in Glory So it's The other Side Mind you As dear Old Mrs.
[10:09] Dickinson Used to Say David's Mother Is sweating Work Getting to Heaven There's no Easy way No not That I mean To say And we Compare the Journey to A voyage That every Night and Every day It's storm No But there Are in The way These storms And not Only that Perhaps More dangerous The treacherous Calm When there's No movement No movement Of their soul No exercise No hunger And thirst After Jesus Christ Well Yes I Know we've Said it Before We say It Again One would Say yes Dear Disciples Don't we Read about Peace Don't we Read about Perfect Peace Don't we Expect
[11:09] That in Nothing Obedience To the Commands Of your Lord And the Constraints Of your Saviour And your Obedience To that Constraint That I Don't expect You'll find a Ripple on That lake It will be Calm It will be Peaceful It will be A wonderful Night Wonderful Night it Was Not in The way That they Thought Though Never in The way That they Anticipated Oh friend I believe I know a Little bit Of what I'm Trying to Speak about Tonight These Wonderful Days and Nights Have been In ways That we've Never Thought there Could be A blessing In it But it Has been So Now look We read The ship Was in The midst Of the Sea And it Was tossed With waves For the Wind was Contrary
[12:10] Up and Down Down and Up Tossed Hither and Thither And it's Dark And Jesus Was not Come to Them Remember What I Say Read each Account of The gospel And Here The wind Was against Them And perhaps Poor soul Tonight And we're No strangers To it We feel So much Is against Us And we're So perplexed And you see In the midst Of the storm In the midst Of this path The devil Roars Now where's Your God If you were One of his You would Be walking In a path Of peace And you see They're alone We have Referred before And To a Previous Experience When the Lord was With them In the
[13:10] Boat When they Could go To him And wait Him And say Master Carest thou Not that We perish And he Arose and Rebute the Wind and Said peace Be still But now They're alone I name this Because this Again Is an experience And where the Devil would tempt You were helped There You were delivered There But now He's forsaken You He's forgotten You You're going To perish Now You're going To go down You're going To sink And rise No more And Jesus Was not come To them But were they Out of his Sight All we Read He saw Them Toiling In rowing Is a Precious word To my soul He sees The struggles That prevail One of our Hymns
[14:10] Speaks of it If I can Lay my Hand on it I don't know Whether I can But it is So sweetly True How that The Lord Does know All that Through which We Pass This is it He sees The struggles That prevail Between the Powers of Grace and Sin He kindly Listens While they Tell the Bitter Pangs They feel Within Though pressed With fears On every Side They know Not how The strife Will end Yet he Will soon The cause Decide And judgment Unto Victory Ascend He saw Them He knows All about You Friend He Knows The way That I Take He's Made no Mistake And we Might say Why doesn't He come And you Know We might Turn to A word Like this God is Our refuge And strength A very Present Help in Trouble But you
[15:11] Say I'm In trouble I'm in A dark Path And when I Say trouble I don't Necessarily mean Providential Trouble I mean Soul Trouble Darkness Of mind Precious And all That you Can think Of And you May say But he's Not come I'm alone And it Seems Is a Trouble An exercise That is Unbearable You would Say if Only I Felt he Was with Me If only I felt That comfort Of his Love in My soul Then I Surely would Be able To bear It But we Read in The fourth Watch of The night Jesus Went unto Them He knew Where they Were He knows Just where You are And he Knows just The time When he's To come To you Just the Time When he Will appear For your Help And who Have no Need for Me to Remind you Of this Fourth Watch
[16:11] It was The last Three hours Of the night I think Largely Three o'clock To six o'clock In the morning And we've Often felt And from Little experience When we've Had to stay Up at night And watch At night That it's There that Our Power Seem to be Very much Diminished But what I do See in It is This That Here's An Extremity Here's A time Of great Need Here's A time Of utter Weakness And it's Prolonged It seems As though It will Never End But Though The ship Is in The midst Of the Sea Though It's Tossed With tempest Though They're Toiling With Rowing Though It is Dark God Is in The midst Of her She shall Not be Moved God Shall Help Her And that Right Early He came And what a Sight It was They saw Him Jesus Went Unto Them Walking On The
[17:11] Sea Oh It's A wonderful Favor When You and I are Given That Face We Know In Our Mind That Our God Is Omnipotent We Know That All Is Under His Feet But To See And To Rest Upon It And To Know That He Is In Control And Dear Job I Looked At That Word You Know That Dear Man In All The Depths Of His Trouble He Did Break Forth In A Face And Looked Up To His God And Said This He Is Wise In Heart Mighty In Strength And Which Removeth The Mountains They Know Not Which Overturneth Them In His Anger Which Shaketh The Earth Out Of Her Place And The Pillars Thereof Tremble Which Commandeth The Sun And It Riseth Which Alone Spreadeth Out The Heavens And This Is It And Treadeth
[18:12] Upon The Waves Of The Sea And I Was Very Strung Because He's Got The Marginal Rendering The Height Of The Sea Which Seem To Me Those Waves So Very High Overwhelming And Yet Treadeth Under His Feet The Disciples Then Were Sore Afraid Perhaps Now More Afraid As They Did Not Know Who It Was More Afraid Than Even The Storm Itself But Straightway A Word That We Find Often Repeated In The Gospel Straightway Immediately At Once We Need To Wait For This But When It Comes And It Is Immediately It It It It's Straightway It's Power It's Our Jesus And We
[19:12] Know The Sudden Transformation In Our Own Soul As The Lord Is Pleased To Come And Speak A word When Yes We Noised Theyよ가 speak unto them, saying, It is I.
[19:45] Oh, what a word. Yes, you have all your fears, all your difficulties, all your sins, all your temptations, but when the Lord comes and says, It is I.
[20:03] It pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell. I, your Savior, your Redeemer, this Jesus that, yes, perhaps you cannot lay claim as yet, but this Jesus that you seek, this Jesus that you love, this Jesus that you long for, it is I.
[20:32] And just to think, look on one side of your path, look on one side of all your need, look at one side of all your burden, and then look at this, I, I, your Savior, your Friend, all in all, the Shepherd, all sufficient, it is I.
[20:54] And he said, Be of good cheer, it is I. Be not afraid. Be of good comfort. Take courage. Oh, friend, the Lord knows how discouraged we may be, and are at times.
[21:09] The Lord knows how cast down you may be. I hope my message tonight is not too low. I would speak to encourage any that might be in a low place tonight.
[21:22] And we do come to these low places. And I think I'm right in saying, I've been told that the late Mr. George Rose, that dear minister of the gospel, at times, he was in a low place, and I think it was his wife, that used to say, George, the Lord is getting ready to lift you up again.
[21:43] And so it is. This is our mercy. It is I, says the Lord Jesus, be of good cheer, be of good courage. It is I. Be not afraid.
[21:54] All these fears. We have so many fears, as though we have no Jesus to go to, no Jesus that loves us, no Jesus that cares for us, no promise that has spoken to us.
[22:05] Oh, shame on us. Oh, I'm ashamed of myself. And have to come again under that tender rebuke of the dear Lord Jesus in that other place that we're referring to.
[22:18] Wherefore didst thou doubt, O thou of little faith. And Jesus straightway spake unto them. And do you know what that is? In the midst of some particular path or burden or spiritual exercise, temptation, and the Lord to speak a word, and the transformation, the power, is at once.
[22:43] Just as we say the miracle, when the Lord said, peace be still, and the storm abated, and the waves were hushed, we know that when the wind drops, it's a long time before waves subside.
[22:58] And even it might be said, well, that was but a lake. But we know that from even literal history, that the lake of Galilee surrounded largely with mountains, and the wind would come through those valleys, and make the sea, the water, very rough.
[23:16] But it was immediate. There was a great storm. There was a great calm. And we know it, friend. I don't want to sing a song to a heavy heart tonight. Perhaps you're still in that storm.
[23:27] Perhaps you haven't got to the fourth watch of the night as yet. But the Lord will bring you there. The Lord will appear. The Lord will come. He won't forsake you in the darkest hour. He won't leave you to perish.
[23:39] Be of good cheer, it is I. Be not afraid. And you see, when the Lord comes, and when he speaks that fear not, so then our fears subside.
[23:50] It is the dear Savior. Now, dear Peter, then, turns and answers the Lord, and says, Lord, if it be thou.
[24:01] It seems perhaps, yes, was a little measure of doubt here. Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
[24:14] Just go back and make one more observation of those disciples in the boat, which has been often a precious thought to my soul.
[24:26] And that is, I heard a dear minister in Wales express it. And that is that these disciples, in the midst of that storm, in the midst of their weakness, in the midst of their darkness, they didn't turn the boat round.
[24:40] They kept persevering, trying to go on. And here we prove God gives that enduring grace, that endurance to continue.
[24:54] The righteous shall hold on his way. There are times when you feel, I must give up, I must go back, I must, oh, run away almost like Elijah.
[25:06] But, friend, seek grace to hold on, and pray for grace, to lay hold on that hope which is set before you, that good hope through grace, that anchor of the soul, which is centered in a risen Christ, in glory.
[25:24] Peter then says, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. He did not venture without a word from Jesus.
[25:38] And this again, it is of spiritual instruction to our soul. What did Jesus say? Come. And this is a gospel word, a precious word, so very dear to our soul.
[25:55] And again, I do not wish to lift it out of its setting, but I cannot forbear, when I am reminded in the gospel, of that precious word, come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
[26:13] And here is the authority, here is the open door, here is the dear Savior, that speaks such a word, and so all that are burdened, and laboring, and in felt need, are welcome.
[26:29] Yes, all that the Father giveth me, shall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. Come.
[26:40] So, poor soul, has he ever said you're not to come? Has he ever said you're not to seep my face anymore? Has he ever said that the door of mercy is shut to you?
[26:52] Oh, I say, what a mercy to feel, and to know that that door of mercy is still open. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, and then we read these sweet little words, to go to Jesus.
[27:14] That's very precious to my soul. Struggling, venturing, Jesus. To go to Jesus.
[27:26] To go with all my sins. To go with all my sorrows. To go with all my perplexities.
[27:37] To go though so unworthy. To go to seek the blessings in the Lord Jesus Christ. To seek that help for my soul.
[27:50] To go to Jesus. Jesus. And there's this too. There are times in our path, when you haven't anyone else to go to.
[28:02] Jesus. No one else. Jesus only. Now, we do not, by that, despise dear ones in family ties, or dear friends in spiritual ties, and their prayers, and their love, and that walking together, sharing together the burdens, and praying one for the other, but are there not those times, many, many times, when it's your soul, and Jesus Christ, going to the Savior alone.
[28:41] Going to him, and him only. Nothing, I so often quote it, but nothing, in my hand I bring, but simply to thy cross I cling.
[28:54] Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood, was shed for me, and that thou bidst me, come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come.
[29:06] And what a mercy it is, that we may go to that dear Lord Jesus, just as we are, with all our sin, with all our perplexities, and fall at his dear feet, and plead for his mercy.
[29:20] And it's good, when we're going to Jesus, good, when the eye of faith, is fixed on our Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ. But what happens?
[29:32] You may be much stronger, in faith, than I am, but oh, the number of times, I have to mourn, yes, I start to go, I start to pray, I start to have faith, in exercise, I start to feel, yes, the Lord will appear for me, and then, I start to, turn my eyes away, I start to look around, I start to look at myself, I start to see, my poverty, my unfitness, my weakness, I start to look around, and see friends, they can't help me, I start to look around, and, at all the difficulties, that surround me, and the sins, that overwhelm me, and, I take my eyes, of Jesus Christ, and what happens, it's very painful, but it's very true, as it was, with dear, Peter, he says, when he saw, the wind, boisterous, the wind, so strong, so powerful, he was afraid, and yet, what did Jesus say, it is I, be not afraid, are we ashamed, of ourselves, has not the Lord said, fear not, and then, why, we are, so afraid, why, it's because, we're not looking up, it's because, we're looking down, and within us, instead of up, to Jesus, and then, what was the result, that we read this, the beginning, to sink, and so, it will start, to go down, now I've often felt, comfort in this, and oh, beloved friends,
[31:07] I say, perhaps some of you, know what it is, you haven't sung, utterly, it's a miracle, we've not been, cast into hell, it's a miracle, that yes, at times, we know it, when there have been, those seasons, in our life, when we've been, so depressed, so cast down, and so burdened, and feel, I should never, come out of it, should never rise, over this, should never, come through it, and what we're, beginning to sink, but you know, there's something, beneath you, I may, refer it, into two ways, one, is, that the everlasting, arms, you've never, sunk through those, and they're, always beneath, out of the depths, have I cried, unto thee, and though, those depths, have been so dark, and so deep, yet those, everlasting, arms of his love, have held you up, and supported you, there, or, as we, may also, speak, of being, sinking, yet to find, there's a sure foundation, the rock, of ages, beginning to sink, and yet, he cried, here, though the waves, and the billows, doubtless, were well nigh, going over him, yet, there's still, that cry, there's still, that, seeking the Savior, again, instead of, walking, as it were, on the water, he's now, going down, but he, is still going, to Jesus, in this way, as he cries, and this isn't, just a whisper, this is an, urgent cry, this is an, urgent desire,
[32:50] Lord, save me, or, I'm ready to sing, I'm ready, you see, Peter, didn't turn to, John, and James, and Andrew, that I think, I'm right, saying, we're all fishermen, he didn't think, that they would come, to save him, no, it's Jesus, and that is it, Lord, save me, it's a great mercy, if we're no, strangers, to this, petition, and it's in, every direction, of, our life, and there are times, when, when, well, we are brought, to need, this dear Savior, mighty to save, able to say, Lord, save me, save me, from, my sin, that's the, greatest burden, that's, the greatest, anxiety, oh, how I need, a Savior, a mighty Savior, how I need, that precious, sin atoning blood, how I need, that inward, witness, of thy, love, and of, thy, mercy, oh, do, grant,
[34:02] Lord, a knowledge, in my soul, of sin, forgiven, oh, do come, do save me, Lord, and then, and I come to, a conclusion, how, we need, these words, when, we're brought, into, a path, of temptation, you know, the devil's, very real, very active, and, would, almost, overwhelm us, and we, I feel, to need, this prayer, Lord, save me, not only, when, the enemy, comes in, like a mighty flood, not only, when, the devil, roars, but, when, he would, beguile me, the wiles, of the devil, save me, from being, allured, led aside, save me, from, finding, an easy way, out of my trouble, save me, from my, sinful self, save me, from the pride, of my, heart, save me, in the, times, of, trouble, and, distress, when, there's, none, to help, oh, appear for me, save me,
[35:32] Lord, from this, wicked world, this, world, that, is so, bewitching, and, to our, fallen nature, is still, so, attractive, save me, from being, a coward, give me, courage, save me, from dwelling, on myself, save me, from self, pity, grant me, grace, to bear up, to my trials, with courage, and, yes, even to pray, for cheerfulness, oh, what grace is needed, save me, and, this is, our mercy, that, our Jesus does, as dear Mr. Stanley Delves, used to say, all the saving, is a complete, and it is, a full salvation, was there no hope, did Jesus say, to Peter, you haven't trusted me, I've said, be not afraid, but we read again, as we read straightway, now immediately,
[36:35] Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, oh, thou of little faith, little faith, prayed, little faith, sought the saviour, little faith, cried to Jesus, when he was beginning, to sing, and the Lord, lifted him up, and we read, when they came, into the ship, the wind ceased, and they worshipped him, and they acknowledged, that of a truth, thou art the son of God, well, I leave these few thoughts, which have been very tried, about it all, I hope it's not been, monotonous, or, you say, well, you've spoken of it, again and again, but friend, have to come back to it, and I have to leave the issue, with the Lord, and pray, that there might have been, some purpose, in my attempting to speak, so feebly I confess, that these precious words, and may there be a comfort, to our soul, a strength, in our faith, and remember this, and, that precious word, that we read, in the song, and so, he bringeth them, to their desired haven, to the other side,
[37:49] Amen. We'll close our service, by singing, hymn 257, hymn 257, to Remington 395, Ye humble souls, complain no more, let faith, survey your future store, how happy, how divinely blessed, the sacred words, of truth attest, a kingdom, of dimensit delight, where health, and peace, and joy unite, where undeclining, pleasures rise, and every wish, has full supplies, Jesus to thee, I breathe my prayer, reveal, confirm my interest there, whate'er my humble lot below, this, this my soul, desires to know, hymn 257, tune Remington 395,
[39:00] Her, and her in the of, in the THE END THE END
[40:24] THE END THE END THE END
[41:54] THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END THE END The End
[43:02] The End The End The End
[44:32] The End