Waiting for a token from the Lord (Quality: Good)

[0:00] dependent again on the help of the Lord I assure attention to the second chapter of the book of Joshua and verse 12 the second chapter of the book of Joshua verse 12 now therefore I pray you swear unto me by the Lord since I have showed you kindness that ye will also show kindness unto my father's house and give me a true token now therefore I pray you swear unto me by the Lord since I have showed you kindness that ye will also show kindness unto my father's house and give me a true token we must not try to go over the words which we had this morning or said this morning but with one exception having read those that chapter 6 we saw that the token was given

[1:25] Joshua the two men of the company of Israel fulfilled the promise they gave the true token we read this morning too in this chapter hell that the scarlet cord was put into the window she bound the scarlet line in the window we said that it did represent the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and again just to I'm trying not to repeat what we said but we must just as it were bring one or two things which will help us to continue then that we looked at the gracious desire of the people of God and whether they are found in his house or at other times the cry from their heart is for this true token

[2:34] I still feel my friends that there is something particular about a true token there are many tokens that we have providentially I suppose we must never lose sight of the tokens we have from the Lord the good prophet Jeremiah in his lamentation speaks of those tokens and he said that it is due to the faithfulness of God thy mercies are new every morning and great is his faithfulness well every morning we see the token of his faithfulness and so on we could continue even in those things we trust but a true token something that is of great import and a child of God looks to where that token has come from nothing from earth but all from heaven and a true token is what God will give he does nothing that is not true but a true token is something that is substantive it is as he is and it ever shall be as he is that it can never never be taken away we have tokens of his providential care and they go with the using and some of the tokens of his kindness they go with the wearing out of them but the true tokens and I want to keep to these eternal blessings those mercies that you and I shall oh I trust it is so with us all that we have a desire for it's the desire that makes us cry for this true token that these eternal blessings that are in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ which we desire for which we pray for we may be granted those from time to time a true token and my friends it's nothing more valuable than that

[4:51] I thought too we quoted the words of David in the 86th Psalm when he said show me a token now the the woman here the dear woman Rahab said give me give me child of God wants those matters from God which he will give he will not merit these tokens neither will he in any way work for them nothing that we and you and I can do will ever merit these tokens from the Lord and out of his grace out of his mercy and through his covenant love and through the person of his dear son will come these true tokens to the church of Christ and they will live on these tokens I believe this dear friends if you really and truly seek a token it is because you're in need of it it's not only a desire in the heart and God will put that desire there but it's because you've been brought into the state and condition of experience that you so need it because it's the most necessary blessing you and I cannot if we live in souls in Zion we can't go on without a token you know we can't go on you come to a stand sometime child of God surely you've been walking in these paths long enough to know it you come to a stand and you can't put a foot in the way before you unless the Lord's pleased to grant you a token how can you continue in the darkness how can you continue in the way you look at those dear souls and go back some of you many years

[6:50] I'm sure but when the Lord called you by his grace convinced you of your sin you suffered under the sense of condemnation you come to the point and you did come to that point if you can remember where you went to the Lord's house and on your spirit lay the exercise and the desire that he would grant you a token a real token not and I want to be so careful because any blessing from the Lord is real isn't it but you know what I mean you don't get carried away with emotion or anything like that but something from the Lord that will bring peace into your conscience and a blessing into your soul well was it not so but I'm sure of this that he was driven almost to the grounds of despair before he was so pleased to do so but this is in accordance to his covenant love this is not the hard heart of a gracious

[7:54] God my friends in the purposes of his mercy in the purposes of his grace you and I are often caused to wait on him and before him those lines of a hymn just drop in very gently tarry his leisure then wait the appointed hour wait till the bridegroom of your soul reveal his love with power blessed is the man oh god whose mind is stayed on thee who waits for thy salvation lord shall thy salvation see well a soul that is destitute of comfort there's not a gleam in the darkness that you could say revived your spirit you wait on the lord and you mourn over your sins and after him and you go to the lord's house or you go to the throne of grace and this is what you pray for is it not that it might please the lord and by his spirit and through his son that there might be a word for your sin stricken soul and a word that will lift you out of despair a word applied in the power of the spirit that shall encourage you to go on a little step in the way think of those that word in the first of kings isn't it about chapter 19 I think it is where

[9:44] Elijah was ready to perish he had seen a remarkable event in his life and now he was running for his life he was he says in verse four of the 19th chapter of the first of kings it is enough now oh lord take away my life for I am not better than my fathers and he laid and he lay and slept under a juniper tree behold then an angel touched him and said unto him arise and eat and this he did and he did the second time and he went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights a token have you come to destitution yet have you come to that hopeless and helpless state in your own soul's experience perish you feel you must one day all is dark and all is distressed

[10:51] I often quote this I know and god forbid that I do it but to try to encourage the people of god in their exercises but remember Jonah yet when I look again towards thy holy temple I read from my instruction the other day the account of Samson in the book of Judges and you know how he lost his strength by giving in to a woman and telling her where his strength was but his strength returned and a poor man blinded by the Philistines who was brought into that place to give smoke to the Philistine people and he sought for this token once more once more I love those words it might be

[11:54] Samson's words but it's your words and mine once more he said let me indeed be given that token I will read it if I can find it but the state that he was in was in a poor state wasn't it but the appearance for him of the Lord now in the 16th chapter of the book of Judges we read this and Samson called unto the Lord and said O Lord God remember me I pray thee and strengthen me I pray thee only this once O God that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes child of God oh I don't know it's not a foreign language is it to the tried and troubled people of God to seek for a real token a true token an evidence that we're not going to the pit an evidence that through his saving grace and mercy compassion covenant love that there might be a portion for the soul a real token give me a real token something that

[13:28] Satan can't remove neither can he set at naught the servant of God here on Wednesday night in his closing benediction I think no it wasn't in his benediction his prayer where he said Lord grant us a blessing we won't lose on the doorstep I understand the language and I'm sure you do how often have we I trust had a warming of our hearts in the house of the Lord and it isn't long you know before you have to search and find out what it was that warmed your heart Satan's come and snatched it away a real token I believe you know if the Lord grants his people a real token it's a token that will abide I met someone this afternoon you know who I met who was so blessed in his soul so blessed in past years and the dear old man come in the vestry and I said well how are you and he said I fear I'm going to hell you don't hear that too many times in our chapels do you

[14:38] I fear I'm going to hell that's real you know that's real that's not no boasting tongue that's the feelings of his very soul and I said what what then is the matter he said I've lost the comfort of his word I thought I wish he was here tonight not that I can do anything but perhaps the text might abide with him and I said well now you come to chapel and listen and see where there's a portion for you because that's what the child of God would desire wouldn't he you would if you want a token you'll come up to the Lord's house you don't need to come to the Lord's house for a token of course you don't you can be in your own house if the Lord in his sovereign mercy should be so pleased to do he meets his people where he will but he has given a means of grace you know and they are the places which we long for us long for those occasions when he will come down and grant the real token and give me a real token well what then is this token what a sinner wants

[15:50] I would say this you know and I say it very carefully could you really catalogue before the Lord what you truly want could you be able to describe chapter and verse as it were those tokens that you really did want the Lord to do for you one of our hymn writers says this and I believe it's in various verses of the same hymn it ends with this line give me Christ or else I die now there is the real token I was going to say and I don't mean it wrongly nor coldly whatever you need tonight could be wrapped up in those words could be the means to the comfort and assurance of your poor soul if that is by his grace and mercy he should bestow that blessing on you you may thank you and I'm sure I don't say that wrongly you may pray for forgiveness you may pray for the application of that precious blood that flowed at Calvary you may you may you may pray for you may pray for the nearness of his presence you would pray surely for his blessed voice to be heard into the soul you would pray for these things these are the tokens these are the real tokens you know and they come from glory as we began to say as we said as we began rather give me

[17:38] I can't merit it just by the side for a moment remember remember the woman in the 15th of Matthew it just drops into my mind she had a trouble we read then Jesus went thence and departed into the coast of Tyre and Sidon now this dear woman had a trouble and it was her daughter and you know the place where she was brought and he answered her not a word and his disciples came and besought him saying send her away for she cries after it but he answered and said I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel thence came she and worshipped him saying Lord help me but he answered and said it is not meet to take the children's bread and to cast it to dogs everything seemed to be discouraging didn't it even from the precious lips of the saviour everything seemed to be discouraging but what was really happening my friends trying a faith that was what was really happening it isn't contrary to his own word his own word says all that the father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me

[19:12] I will in no wise cast out but experience teaches a child of God that faith is to be tried but this is the word that's long been upon my spirit many years I've carried this word and it is this she said truth lord yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table then Jesus answered and said unto her oh woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt and her daughter was made whole from that very hour I used to quote or used to say do still I suppose sometimes you know delays are not denials the trying of faith doesn't mean the overthrowing of faith the waiting upon the Lord as we quoted that verse in that 330th hymn the waiting on the Lord my friends is the in the purposes of God for his dear people give me a true token and a sinner draws near with this exercise and burden and as I was saying my friends it's you could say it is all contained in that one word

[20:36] Christ it's all contained in that one person what you and I need as a true token well my friends if he's convinced you of his sin he'll do so again he'll bring you into soul trouble over sin if it's the first time he's convinced you of his sin you can be sure of that I don't want to discourage you but in soul trouble my friends you'll need his pardoning love and his forgiving mercy many times as you're spared in this evil day and in this wilderness journey a true token we quoted this morning of that dear disciple who would not be content till he saw until I'm told by God's own lips that he has chosen me a true token the token is from God it will be there for a true token given by his love and according to his mercy and covenant dealings with his people and all these tokens will be as it were contained in the person and work of the

[21:55] Lord Jesus Christ tokens I do believe dear saints of God have known what we might simply call yet graciously desire tokens of heaven how often do the Lord's dear people in their old age and in their infirmities as we mentioned the ones this afternoon fears condemnation fears to be lost fears that they've been deceived throughout their life and their cry would be Lord grant me a token for heaven a real token give me a true token my friends is there a subject more than your never dying soul that's important is there a subject more important than your eternal habitation is there anything more important you have ever sought and prayed for the

[23:06] Lord that he might give you a token of that glorious abode that you may know that you're only to pass out of time and you'll be with Christ which is far better that when the work of grace is finished that heaven's door shall be indeed walked through and I say that very reverently a true token of heaven give me and give me a true token what would you consider to be that which would be the token of a glorious heaven to be where Rutherford describes in that lovely poem or hymn Emmanuel's land he had such a sweet view of that place you know but what was his heaven what was his heaven there's been all sorts of silly descriptions of glory hasn't there do you know my friends

[24:11] I've told you before and I tell you again my view of heaven is where the person of Christ is let alone whatever else the word of God tells us of heaven that is heaven to my poor soul now I said just now if whatever you whatever is the token whatever you may describe before the Lord the true token that you want him to give you that all these true tokens are found in the person of Christ thanks and so we have us I will not gaze at glory but on my king of grace not on the crown he weareth but on his pierced hands that is the blessing my friends the lamb is all the glory in emmanuel's land. I do believe my friends if you want a token of heaven, that is if your exercise is such that you desire to have that assurance granted to you, you're brought to see that the pathway is not so long before you that you may in your heart have fears concerning the end how it will be but my friends if the Holy Spirit is pleased to show you that glorious person that has purchased heaven for you you will find that there is your heaven

[25:57] I know Rutherford said if one soul from Anworth be found at God's right hand, my heaven will be two heavens in Emmanuel's land but I don't believe he would view that as being more important than the person of Christ and give me a true token well he said himself I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I'll come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may be also and I've often had to feel too as we read these solemn truths of glory my friends the token is a free token as well it's given as it's described and give me a true token it's a free token but consider as you may be able to the cost of that free token of that true token my friends what was what was indeed a price paid the ransomed people of God the very word ransom speaks of cost it's descriptive of something that has to be given so that those that are in possession of the blessing have been ransomed they've been bought what has been bought but my friends what has been paid the very life and the precious blood of Jesus Christ that is what's been paid the price the hymn writer says the line says in the hymn doesn't it the price his own heart's blood that is the price of the true token 33 years he lived on earth 3 years he preached his blessed gospel and went to a place called Calvary and there he paid the price gave himself a ransom for many so that these ransomed forgiven sinners shall be granted not only while they dwell here below a true token but that they shall have the entrance into it in glory at the end of their journey and give me a true token we said or we quoted sometime today that words of

[28:39] John Newton again am I his or am I not my friends it is a question that only the Lord must put out of question the soul that is under divine grace will be also brought unto brought into times of sore temptation sore temptation not discouragement not just distresses not just seasons of darkness doubts and fears alternate rise my friends that is a lot of the people of God what will remove the doubts and fears what will take away or clear from the spirit of a child of grace the sore temptation a true token a true token you know that which is of grace has a reality that which is of the flesh hasn't

[29:42] I look to those words in Matthew where the Lord Jesus Christ speaks of the wise man they that hear his word and believe in his word the wise man who built his house is like unto a man who built his house upon a rock and the rains descended and the wind blew and the floods came and beat upon that house and it fell not because it was built upon a rock how descriptive it is of God's dear family the church of Christ and personally because it is me here and give me a true token whatever you may describe as winds and rain and floods whatever they may be in your experience they are very effective if the foundation of God if the foundation was sand there would be an overthrow there would be disaster despair would set in but in the case of the child of grace it is not disaster nor despair because the lot the house the hope the experience the comfort and assurance the atonement all those things which are in

[31:43] Christ to his people and for his people rest upon him that is the blessing my friends whatever comes against it and sometimes we come into times and seasons long seasons I read this morning after breakfast these words if I can find it for a moment forgive me just wandering around the word of God but this is how I feel to be directed I read these words and we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest the next day they lighten the ship and the third day we cast out our own hands the tackling of the ship and when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared and no small tempest lay on us all hope that we should be saved was then taken away who was it that was hopeless and all hope that we should be saved was then taken away but it wasn't the apostle but this is the token this is the real token the sailors the soldiers the governor of the ship

[33:07] I believe he's called and all those characters who were no doubt used to this business of sailing a ship in storm they come to the conclusion that all hope that we should be saved was then taken away but after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them and said sirs you should have hearkened unto me and not loose from Crete to have gained this harm and loss but now I exhort you to be of good cheer in the midst of the storm be of good cheer for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you but of the ship and this is the token for there stood by me this night the angel of God whose I am and whom I serve saying fear not

[34:09] Paul thou must be brought before Caesar and lo God hath given thee all them that sail with thee wherefore sirs be of good cheer for I believe God that it shall be even as it was told me and give me a true token you ever wonder whether your pathway was right let alone anything else you know we can quote often enough we do I suppose he led them forth by the right way that they might go to a city of habitation but you know when circumstances in your life seem to be cross-handed and it seemed to be nothing anything in no description like the right way because of the opposing things in it the distress in it the trouble in it the cross-handed providences and so on give me a true token my friends do you ever wonder whether the way is right the hymn writer

[35:12] I must quote him but not instead of the scriptures but it just drops in the way I walk cannot be wrong if Jesus be but there that you know confirms the way that confirms the way you may have had tokens I moved from one house one part of Kent to another and I thought I was doing right and the final part of it was all of a sudden made straight and I began to think that it was the right thing to do we settled in and such was our home and so on we went to the sanctuary of God that was nearby and it was a barren place there was no food for my soul it was as if I was a stranger my friends it is we may shall we say hold on to tokens that we would pursue and say well now that's evident

[36:15] I've heard godly people say well if the matter's wrong the Lord is stopping if the matter's wrong the Lord might let it go on so that we fall out it fall into the fire my friends and have to learn to trust even in the dark when we return to where we've come there was the token we should never have left and give me a true token well my friends I have to confess it's a few poor words in my view this night of what these blessed tokens are and we come back to where we began this is a desire this is found in the hearts of all believers it doesn't matter my friends whether you've been in a way many years or not this will be the exercise of every believer in the person of Christ every member of his mystical body everyone who is found in the bride of

[37:16] Christ my friends it will be for this true token you won't live without it you can't live without it it's no good like some of these people in religion they go on never doubt from start to finish that they're wrong never doubt never seem to be concerned or bothered never seem to be exercised respecting whether they've been deceived or whether they're counterfeit they just go on and it seems as if the sun shines on them all the time but I believe true born child of grace will have many tribulations in the way not only in the way but within many opposing things concerning grace and concerning the way that is the way that they should go my friends I don't boast of temptations are too solemn but I know this that in the path of temptation the Lord alone must deliver us out of it and he will do so by revealing the true token now therefore

[38:26] I pray you swear unto me by the Lord since I have showed you kindness that you will also show kindness unto my father's house and give me a true token amen god will end us a prayer meeting on Wednesday evening next Lord's day we hope Mr.

[38:51] Crane will preach and on the following Wednesday the 26th of May shall we close with hymn 934 all Jerusalem my happy home name ever dear to me when shall my labours have an end in joy and peace and thee when shall these eyes thy heaven built walls and pearly gates behold thy bulwarks and salvation strong and streets of shining gold hymn 934 hours the mand roy of night of our day

[40:24] And shine a light And shine a light And shine a light And shine a light And shine a light

[41:25] And shine a light And shine a light And shine a light And shine a light And shine a light And shine a light And shine a light God's grace

[42:31] God's grace God's grace Try singing Protechиль Thank you.

[44:00] Thank you.

[44:30] Thank you.

[45:00] Thank you.

[45:30] Thank you. Thank you.

[46:02] Amen.

[47:02] Thank you. Now we thank thee for all thy mercy through thy day and we seek forgiveness for everything that has been amiss in our services.

[47:41] Now take us to our homes and abide with us. May we travel in peace and safety. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the fellowship and communion of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, abide with us now and forever. Amen.

[48:06] Amen. Amen. Amen.