Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound (Quality: Good)

[0:00] who adventure again as the Lord will help us to turn to Psalm 89 and the 15th verse the 89th Psalm and the 15th verse blessed is the people that know the joyful sound they shall walk O Lord in the light of thy countenance I spoke a little this morning of the solemnity of the preceding verse which is the glory of the gospel that we have a pure gospel a holy gospel a God justifying gospel a God that cannot and will not condone sin has made a blessed one his own dear son in that joyful sound from heaven whereby sinners are saved everlasting salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ the sinner's friend may we ever have that thought in our minds and in our judgment and our meditations anything inconsistent with the glory of God attached to the gospel is inconsistent with the truth

[1:17] I will not go into that at the moment but there are many things that might be inconsistent and are inconsistent as the dear man says all things are lawful all things are not expedient and may the reproach of the name of Christ ever be in our hearts affections and our thoughts beyond what we are and our own personal interest in matters may we seek his glory his honor in everything and so we come to the point of the subject that mercy and truth shall go before his face that in infinite mercy he deals with poor sinners otherwise there be no hope at all and he delighteth in mercy not man's mercy but that mercy that flowed down from heaven through Calvary's cross the Lamb's redeeming blood the wonderful provision that he has for his dear people both in time and eternity to come

[2:22] Abraham had a son given to him a miracle of nature was Isaac a child of promise unto him and notice his heart rejoiced and fulfilled a God's promise toward him with that very same son he was told to take up the mount and to have a sacrifice and Abraham obeyed he obeyed as it were to lay all his religion on the altar and as he went forth to the mount and they sent the mount the two of them Isaac and Abraham Isaac said to Abraham my father behold the wood and the fire where is the sacrifice and the Lord Jesus Christ Abraham beheld my day and was glad said my son

[3:25] God will provide himself a sacrifice nothing less would do my friend to appease divine justice and judgment in heaven but God's own eternal son in our flesh that divine incarnation of heaven in our human flesh that perfect nature tabernacle given to him he might live in the Lord room instead of his dear people to work at righteousness on their behalf he might lay down that holy life the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world he might lay down that love a substitute for his dear people to purge away their sins and their transgressions and present them holy before the God of heaven and this end he suffered upon Calvary's cross the awful ignious shame of that solemn event but he also suffered it for the joy set before him the joy of those precious souls his dear church redeemed by Jesus blood redeemed he endured the cross despising the shame and is now set down the right hand of the throne of God in heaven henceforth expect him till all his enemies become his footstool and the last enemy to our soul is death and to our lives too friends and so we have a great high priest above we spoke a little this morning in a feeble way of that trumpet being blown not only of alarm and also to lead and guide Israel but also when it was a time for the die of atonement that precious yearly sacrifice of Aaron and the high priest after and they were men of infirmity as we are but it's most blessed in the word of God that's set before us our great high priest in heaven has no infirmity he's the eternal son of God in our nature but he does feel for the infirmities of his dear people the high priest of all sometimes maybe was not touched with the feeling of the troubles of those around him that being a man as man would be he had not the capacity to understand all the whole

[6:11] Israel there's many thousands and thousands of people that surrounded him to enter into all their troubles and their sorrows and their difficulties because he was limited as a man he was a type he had an office in the old God's divine wisdom but all when that was passed the gospel came in the greater glory we have not an high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but Lord put the law like as we are yet without sin these poor sinners come before him with all their infirmities through nature they have their deafness they have their blindness they have the weakness they have in their hearts their unbelief their fears and all the things spiritual that trouble their poor hearts and so they are tempted in all those matters by the enemy of their soul that they never will gain heaven because they are such infirm weak helpless sinners so foolish and carnal that they can never get to heaven ah dear friends there is a secret

[7:31] Lord with them that love him and fear him he shows them his covenant and all these poor fearful trembling helpless souls are the very one whom Christ will bless all the riches of his grace they are the very souls our great high priest listens to them that the very ones he will heal with that perfect healing and turn their sorrow into joy put new song in their heart even praise unto God that trump she blown in their very hearts most innermost feelings so sorrowful and helpless they are that he's a friend of sinners I would make all grace abound to them to lovely word that is isn't it he's I would make all grace abound toward you I look to that word sometimes you know it would have been wonderful it said all grace to abound which I know it will do in the

[8:36] Lord's wisdom to his people his church but it says toward you there's something personal in application to the soul's deep need that only the soul knows before the Lord God is that him you know is a help to us sometimes all the fitness he requires you to feel your need of him this he gives you the wonderful wisdom in the gospel record of the sovereignty of God in electing love as if all those souls with all their cases and conditions that brought them the feet of Jesus and not one can I find in that gospel account to whom the Lord said well you're not among my elect I'm ever so sorry I'll do nothing for you the son that came with the wrong motive and received no blessing the son came to trip him by his words and therefore had no help but every honest soul every needy who came seeking mercy whatever his case was of infirmity or need be a leper be blind lame maimed or haught whatever he was even those that were dead he healed all those that had need of healing and he perfectly healed them all and when the Lord heals your soul dear friend it's a perfect work there's no half measures with him it's not a matter of alleviating the suffering of the little war friend there may have been little comfort in your poor heart for a few moments in your life no he's a perfect saviour helpless souls have here a friend he is born their misbehaviour and his mercy knows no end we sing those hymns friends they're full of truth divine you know and do we believe them that the saithry gospel of god's grace the poor sinners upon this earth he healed all those near your mercies and mine if we have a need before his heavenly majesty for none can come unto him except the father himself draw him that's a very deep subject the infinite wisdom and the holy divine will of the heavenly father before time ever began that does draw and bring his dear people as poor humble recipients of the grace of his own eternal son the lord jesus christ in heaven to view him as their saviour and their friend the chief is among ten thousand and the orthodox are lovely now you see

[11:42] Aaron was the type the lord jesus christ the antitype he ascended by his own precious blood into heaven those divine merits are a divine sanction to his claim he has a heavenly right it's not our righteousness he pleases it's his righteousness salvation he demands points the name upon his breast spreads his wounded hands thereby signifying that he has a glorious right so I've redeemed thee thou mine the lord says and so first of all they had to have their call above a trumpet the joyful sound of thanksgiving in memory the lord's deliverance it was a passover and year by year they must ascend to the sanctuary to give thanks that god in his mercy delivered them from the hand of

[12:44] Egypt brought them the land of Ham in the land of promise they were in servitude and in sadness and in distress and trouble and anguish and the hard task masters to whom they served and the lord heard their groanings and their cries we may have sold you to die some who many long years ago remember god's mercy live in the hand of the enemy to bring them forth on the blood of the paschal lamb to make them pilgrims to canian bound true followers of the lord jesus christ in heart and in life and in soul there may be some here are still in bondage and corruption and the awful chains and captivity of satan themselves and sin crying out well I speak to you first dear friends be anyone here today in that awful captivity of mind and feeling chained down by ten thousand sins mourning weeping and lamenting before the lord their god and pleading for mercy and as I looked

[14:09] I've seen thy hard bondage which thou caused to serve oh yes deliverance is no hard bondage to Egypt was it the land of Ham no they loved the world in which they lived and so does nature but God in his mercy delivers his people and what becomes the liberty and love of the natural heart because of bondage to a quickened sinner the greatest danger they can fear is to possess their portion there to live and to die as they are born in the world becomes a great solemn matter with their souls before God and there they're mourning and crying and groaning what can they do they're lawful captives and there's groanings and tears in their hearts before God a solemn feeling before his heavenly majesty they have no right with him that he shall have mercy upon them and so the time came to speak briefly when the

[15:27] Lord would deliver them and when that time came there had to be the paschal lamb slain to be eaten with bitter herbs with the loins girt about and the staff in their hand as pilgrims and strangers in the earth now you have passed through that brought as pilgrims in this wilderness below journey on to Canaan's happy land we hope believe and trust yes you remember the time when by the mercy of God that first hope would grant you of deliverance and you became a pilgrim the staff in your hand your loins girt about oh yes no encumbrance then to be a follower no encumbrance then to leave all the troubles and captivity you're in the world no encumbrance would have you then to be anyway deterred from being a follower to be with the

[16:34] Lord's dear people spiritually I mean in worshipping and in blessing and praising his glorious name you feel like godly Ruth was when she herself said this people should be my people and their god should be my god where the ghost I will go where the lords I will lodge and so she continued with not only against all the sad outlook before her but she was fast holden by the love of heaven in her soul with that dear one of old and she went to Bethlehem the house of bread and so god's people are pilgrims upon this earth with their staff in their hand the Lord got about prepared for the journey but the the paschal land they received in their hearts the merits of the Lord

[17:34] Jesus Christ to separate their souls from the world themselves and sin and draw their hearts unto himself to feel the effects of that precious sin atoning blood in their hearts bringing hope and mercy in their souls but how did they go forth friends they had to be the blood sprinkled upon the lint of the doorposts of their houses enemies they did not put their names up they could have put their lineage right back to Abraham but now there would have been no effect at all but only one thing would separate them from this drawing angel that flew over them that solemn night only one thing stood between their souls and a holy God but in the name of Abraham was good enough to do that but only the blood of the paschal lamb upon the doorposts and the lintels and Israel lightened their dwellings and the angel that passed over all Israel and so it was a time of remembrance all my friends be thankful you may brought forth from nature's bondage the Lord's liberty of the children of

[19:00] God have that sweet hope in your heart of life eternal to be a true follower Lord's people and to love to be with them and to worship with them and to love and hear his voice and so it must be remembered every year and the trumpet had to be blown a joyful sound it was to Israel they should not forget those things Lord's merciful deliverance for them and how it was attained to them so it's all past now that dispensation I feel we're very guilty friends in not recount the Lord's mercies to our souls sometimes we can't live our past experience I know but it's very sinful to forget him those people so forget his works and it became sin unto them and be careful my friends my aged friends if we ourselves in that solemn condemnation through present circumstances and different trials and temptation of the way that we forget his wonderful works of old and that sin is laid upon our conscience and soul before God and needs cleansing from us and we're separate between us and our

[20:26] God in our prayers if I regard nicotine in my heart the Lord not hear me the psalmist says we need it cleansed dear friends convinced of our sin then lead to Jesus blood to our wandering view we feel the secret love of God unchanging never ending you don't enter into when you're a long way off from the Lord only when you're brought nigh again that everlasting love that will never ever end is only felt and known when you walk near the Lord your God in humble obedience the heavenly divine will and have communion with him his own dear son the Lord Jesus Christ now I had no thought of this when I came here at all but it comes to my mind dear friends and perhaps the preacher first of all then the people in times of distress temptation and difficulty we soon forget his wonderful words well friend there needs to be the trumpet blown then the joyful sound to your soul yes as I was with

[21:41] Moses so I will be with thee the Lord says will never leave thee nor forsake thee may boldly say the Lord is your helper not feel man shall do unto you yes so year by year that remember being brought out of captivity and where they would have been had not God had mercy upon them and you may say was I made to hear his voice and then toward this room where thousands make a wretched choice rather starve to come why was it dear friend do you desire it do you long for it no your poor heart of wickedness would have nothing of it would it no Lord overcome that wicked heart he grant a heart of faith a new heart will I give you you I put within you I take away the heart of stone give you heart of flesh a believing heart true and clean and that same heart receive with joy the joyful sound deliverance to a poor captive soul to set the burden sinner free the lawful captains delivered and so that must be remembered yearly in the case of the

[22:57] Israel of old and it should be remembered often in the case of God's dear people still and so they had to remember the day of Passover when the strong angel passed over them through the blood of the Paschal Lamb and they went forth with their loins girt about and the staff in the hand to help and support them and so there was still a journey in the wilderness and still journey to Canaan's happy land and then again there had to be the time when we spoke of of atonement when the Lord in his mercy would know that pardoning joyful sound unto them the pardon of their sins the law had to be given to them they had trembled on the divine justice of heaven but oh then the Lord came in mercy there's no condemnation to them that are in Christ

[23:58] Jesus no for what of the spirit not of the flesh your heart is the spiritual things friends not the spirit of man the spirit of heaven the Holy Spirit of God come down in the soul of all you are by nature and your heart goes out did not once say thou said seek ye my face my heart said thy face Lord will I seek you know in a responding heart friend sometimes Lord renewing to you the days of old come a parting love in your spirit to respond to divine teaching may it sow the spirit shall the spirit reap life everlasting if we sow the flesh we should reap only destruction corruption if we mind earthly things alone the end of that must be destruction and the apostle

[25:04] Paul says so who mind earthly things whose god is their belly whose end is destruction and all their god is what they can get for themselves and so the end of that must be at the end come to nothing because the end of all things is that of creation and so therefore their god is natural things and earthly things and creative things in nature and so therefore the end of that is not eternity in happiness because flesh and blood come to enter the kingdom of heaven but not so with the child of god the other spiritual things they've given a mind to regard the spirit teaching in their soul they've convinced their sins and transgression against a holy god they've brought to a gracious consciousness of the lord's dealings with their soul and so they become after the things of the spirit and they're the sons and daughters the most high as many as are led and were they led to dear friends by the spirit of god thou the children of god the sons of god because they received the spirit friends that's the evidence of heaven and where they led to they led the sanctuary of god's grace but only place of refuge for poor tempted tried and unworthy sinners have not to plead their nature no it's a joyful saying to those poor needy souls have nothing to plead in their nature friends because god is not their belly but their god's in heaven friends he's the great high priest above and their poor trembling hearts and eyes look unto him as poor needy sinners pleading for his pardoning grace and what a joyful noise sound it is to their souls thy pardoning voice oh let me hear to still my unbelieving fear let me fall

[27:20] I pray I utter spiritual things friends are you laid to those heavenly things are they precious in your sight do you yearn after them long for them the lord bless you a time he hath set to heal up thy woes pure poor sinner if you have got woes given to you by divine teaching there's one word that's very beautiful in its oneness and we have in the Acts of the Apostles he's exalted a prince and saviour to give repentance and remission of sins the exaltation of our dear redeemer in heaven to give repentance and where he gives godly coupled with it no man can separate remission of sins and assure us a repentance given to any poor sinner here upon this earth so surely shall the time come in god's divine appointment when that pardoning voice thou hear that joy will send the trumpet to their soul of the gospel let enter in savingly powerfully and graciously this heavenly truth that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and so time is set his love to disclose a seasoned mouth fit his love to disclose we're always ready we sometimes wonder why we have to wait as a psalmist for god's mercy to him but he did wait he did not wait in vain but psalm 103 was written it says oh bless the lord my soul all to present me bless his holy name and so the time comes in god's time and purpose when that pardoning voice is heard that joyful sound enters in the heart of that poor sinner and that time is the lord's appointment unto them but says a joyful sound in anticipation oh yes it's not all sorrow and sadness in looking for that time of deliverance and help from heaven if you feel your state before a holy god but all of sweetness even in repentance in the book of

[29:54] Nehemiah I think it is we read when worship was ordained and reinstated at Jerusalem and they had the first services they couldn't deserve the weeping and the rejoicing and they've often felt that's true repentance friends it's not just a doleful thing it's a bitter thing is sin an awful thing to feel sin upon the conscience a terrible load in the heart of a living child of God tender in the fear of God and oh they long to be delivered from it but oh there's some sweetness in being led in the fullness of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ able to save the uttermost all that come unto God by him the gracious sweetness and the joyful sound of the gospel save the uttermost even that pours on and so there's even a joyfulness in the gospel sound in waiting upon the

[30:56] Lord and to keep his way you may inherit the land at last there may be someone here to die as a burden upon their heart and soul before God with my burden I begin Lord remove this load of sin thank God for load friends many people sin lightly and speak of sin lightly and arrogantly but not so would one intend a holy fear before the Lord and knows that sin is exceedingly sinful in the light of heaven to know little of the awful sufferings of a dear redeemer who bore the weight of the sins of his dear church the chest of our peace was upon him oh you think of it friend every moment's peace in your poor troubled heart was purchased by the sufferings of the dear redeemer in all our affliction he was afflicted out of his presence saved us his love and his pity bears all the days of old the dear man says and so that sin is exceedingly sinful in the soul before God not a light matter but a joyful sound and I feel that it is by this means that one grows in grace the knowledge of the

[32:28] Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ it's not by learning these things in our minds so much as the Lord write them in our hearts but experience Lord dealing with our cases is there no healing balm is there no balm of Gilead there's no physician there yes there is and so if there be any burdened soul here to die there would be mourning and weeping over their sins and transgressions before God there's pardon peace in heaven for those sinners brethren be it known unto you men and brethren that through this man in heaven is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins oh blessed joyful sound it's not trifling friends no not excitement but oh it's a joyful sound that the Lord preaches to our souls that divine ministry in our hearts those ministering spirits and forth to minister to them we shall be the heirs of salvation oh what a precious time it is when the

[33:38] Lord comes with peace and pardon in the soul and then there were other times when the trumpet was blown the times of thankfulness the Lord's mercies to them in providence they had to go up to worship and they send the trumpet and there was that those times when there was time of thanksgiving we may feel that an appointed time of thanksgiving can just be a matter of flesh and carnality and a form of service but I believe that as it was ordered in the Old Testament so it's right and proper that we should gather together from time to time in humble thanksgiving and praise to see God's mercy to us that we may be in a right mind so to do in spirit and truth to give thanksgiving and praise to his holy name for all his mercies unto us and so there is that joyful sound of thanksgiving when the heart is given a new song to sing to put a new song in your heart even praise unto God oh have the

[34:56] Lord lifted that soul up and put a new song right in the heart you know in the time of captivity they asked for a song of Zion by the streams of Babylon and they said we sing the Lord's song in Babylon how can it be so well they couldn't sing the same melody in their hearts they'd known the liberty of the Lord's blessing upon them in the land of promise they couldn't sing the same in Babylon in captivity it was not the occasion for that singing and so you desire a joyful sound in your heart Lord to impart there that true praise and thanksgiving in your spirit to sing the Lord's song with a gracious nearness and worship in our hearts for his heavenly majesty for that new song within your heart turn the captivity of your soul and remember his mercy is unto you and that joyful sound of thanksgiving and then we come they shall walk oh Lord in the light of thy countenance there's one more a joyful sound of blessedness that will come in the experience of all of God's living family and I venture to speak of it just a little before I close this afternoon we shall each soul be there dear friends when that great trump shall sound the last moment nor shall descend from heaven in the clouds the dead in

[36:45] Christ shall rise first my friends I'll be there and you shall be there poor song that trumpet shall be blown and that time is coming when the heavens shall melt away and the earth with fervent heat the heavens shall back as a scroll all to be found then in that blessed and divine heavenly place in a dear redeemer's love and grace the soul of poor sinner in Christ Jesus blessed are the dead which die in the Lord and I look upon the stone on my dear former wife's grave and I feel how wonderful it is to be there with a sweet hope of a soul blessed what a joyful sound that redeemed us to be raised incorruptible to eternity that mortal on immortality that flesh to be raised up incorruptible and heavenly in the glory the dear redeemer the dear man says I shall be satisfied when I wait with thy likeness

[38:06] I get tired of my poor old nature friends I mourn over what I am in myself I find no satisfaction in all I am in my poor unworthy body but all the glory the joyful sound to be found in Christ likeness to be found one with his dear people don't this time state return to you to come well I mustn't speak of personal things but I could speak a little to you about this what my dear one gave me before she was taken yes the joyful sound well I must leave that there we have here the walking out of it then they shall walk oh lord in the light of thy countenance those things I've spoken of very feebly today are the walking steps of

[39:07] God's dear chosen family thou the way they walk to heaven friends as you have received the lord jesus christ in your heart so walk ye in him we don't walk in ourselves friends do we what is your soul made known to yourself you have to walk in that friends as revealed to your soul all the preciousness is grace and mercy unto you they shall walk oh lord in the light of thy countenance what light is this then friends the light of heavens is a wonderful creative light the sun the moon and stars are wonderful orbs in the heavens that no man can discover or in any way understand but we're told in the word of God I believe it is true that they shall pass away at the last what is this light then the light spoken in the 27th psalm is that the

[40:11] Lord is my light and my salvation and in heaven friend the Lord himself the light of that place and on earth in the heart of God's people is the light of the soul of redeemed sinner and that light will never go out friends that gospel day will never come to an end the natural sun has days but the gospel day is eternal those blessings in the Lord Jesus Christ will never ever come to an end did Jesus once upon thee shine Christ form your heart the hope of glory that will never end no that shining your soul will never come to end he is forever thine poor sinner now you want to know then to walk the light of his countenance his heavenly smile upon your soul we might speak of a frown for a start then shall we you're conscious then speaking this way in tender holy godly fear of his countenance in psalm 42 i think it is the psalm speaks of the lord's countenance the poor man was cast down in his soul this or she yet praised him for the health of his countenance and though his son is cast down in him he can still hope in god lord look upon him in his mercy but it seems there's a frown there's some of a frown in our lives you know i've had many frowns from heaven i believe but they're diserned they're diserned the question is why is it sometimes it's very clear and evident we depart from the lord our god in foolishness maybe in carnality in wandering from him like a strange sheep but there are times when we have a frown and we wonder why it is like it seems with poor job he had a frown from heaven didn't he and it seemed to be to him and so did jacob and others in the word of god they had some solemn frowns but that frown to job was not through job's sins and transgressions it were that hiding of the him so bountifully to make him a man eschewed evil in such a wonderful way was so wise amongst his fellow creatures in heavenly things and then it was taken from him it was not through job's sinful departures from the lord it was to perfect that work of grace in his heart and that's where job's friend made a terrible mistake in judgment it was not the justice of heaven it was that they should say such things of job put such charge against his person and his life they put against him and so it was that when the lord appeared to job in the end of the matter and job appeared to his dear redeemer from heaven lord made himself known to him they had to receive pardon for their sins and transgressions against god they had not spoken rightly concerning god's servant job my friends beware this we do not speak rightly as we sum up matters the lord deals with our fellow creatures the infinite mind of god cannot be explained or understood by human nature nor ever does lord make known his mind unto his people secret things belong unto god we are to pry into them the things revealed the sons of man and some things revealed and some things not revealed and when things are not revealed we are not to make judgment upon the matter and

[44:33] I believe much harm has been done sometimes as in the case of Job regarding that but oh there may be a frown seemingly upon a poor sinner but all the lord dealings with that soul you've seen the patience of Job or the happiness of Job's case the end of the lord no termination friends now man thinks the end is a termination that's all man can think of is puny wisdom in religion even but now there's no termination in God's dealings friends no he's the infinite eternal God what was the end with Job then the lord is very pitiful friends of tender mercy that was the end in view with Job does God change today dear friends no but they who once his kindness prove find everlasting love yes the lord end with his dear people though a frown sometimes may be broad is very pitiful and of tender mercy as a mother with a child blessed that people hear that joyful sound friends that walk and look the light of that countenance of heaven and have little feel as light shines upon the path that the lord is good a strong hold in the dark trouble he knoweth them that trust in him great or small ever they may be the light of the lord countenance then and then there's sometimes a smile isn't there a heavenly smile upon the soul of a poor sinner the lord grant that gracious blessing upon your spirit turn your sorrow into joy and grant unto you that blessedness to realize the lord to look upon you in divine pleasure even a poor unworthy sinner departed from him may be because a smile from heaven in your soul and that smile is a smile of recognition there's something very sweet naturally speaking when our friends recognize us isn't there lord who sorrows would interchange to meet in

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