Ephesians

[0:00] depending upon the help of God I would direct your attention to Paul's epistle to the Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 13 Paul's epistle to the Ephesians chapter 4 verse 13 until we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith the faith of God's elect and my dear friends what a mercy if you and I have a little grain of living faith in exercise to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ remember the Philippian jailer here was one that by the events the answers to prayer the great earthquake he was brought to that condition whereby he realized he had a never dying soul and in a moment and what what was that in his heart what must I do to be saved and what was the answer given him believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved now my friends belief on the Lord Jesus Christ but you see firstly there's this work in one's soul there's that acknowledgement of their sinnership before a holy heart searching God what a mercy if you and I know something of the sins of disobedience the sins that you and I have committed thought word and deed not only deed my friends thought and you know we have no power to control our thoughts have we and some of us are tempted and tried

[2:55] I would say pressed down beyond measure when we realize the solemn office we humbly hope the Lord has put us in and maybe there are those lesser offices and some of you may be in the church and some of you humbly seeking his face but all you have to realize I believe that the solemn sinful thoughts thoughts that come upon one's mind and I believe the enemy of our souls delights in it but you see if we knew nothing of the righteousness of Christ there'd be no desire in our souls would there to seek as it were the escape from the solemn judgment comes upon sin and we read this whatsoever is not faith is sin and God we read cannot look upon sin and you and I perfectly know know perfectly well that we are given an allotted time here below three score years and ten and what if they're four score years are they not trouble and sorrow yes and it's by reason of sin so then what a mercy if you and I are like that

[4:34] Philippian jailer more or less more or less to seek this living faith and exercise in our souls and the Lord deals gently at the beginning for the most part with his people but then you see there be that desire that you might grow that your faith might grow from strength to strength in our early days we might be favoured to be delivered from this or that trial be it in providence or be it an exercise of soul or be it a concern of someone else maybe in our family or near to us by the ties of nature and we are favoured to be delivered by this and that by prayer but then you see we soon become careless yes and prayerless but then our desire is as we are brought to that those spots and places where the

[5:47] Lord brings us whereby we are as it were brought to depend more wholly upon him and we see that our steps might be ordered of the Lord you see we know this that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and so we look upon maybe elders in the churches or godly deacons put it whichever way we may but we look at those and we see godly mothers in Israel and we see that and hear of their faith and though they are brought into great trials that may be bodily or spiritually they are still trusting in the Lord God who they know has helped them hitherto and they are ready to acknowledge his mercies toward them and it may be that when we are in our early days we we do not have the faith in exercise that we would have but you see the purpose of the gospel is this you see faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God we read so you may be seeking to come into the sanctuary seeking that you might be fed fed by the

[7:29] Lord's servants or fed even some have been favoured to have been fed by the reading of the word or even in prayer and lastly and I would not put it leastly it may be the hymns that we sing and what a mercy that there are such beautiful hymns left on record faithful hymns those men were full of faith I would say when they penned such hymns and so you feel sometimes as you sing them you cannot attain to the language but have you a desire in your heart that you might have you little faith to believe that those hymn writers were only men they're only men friends they weren't they weren't holy men they were sinful men it is true that the grace in their hearts gave them that living faith to believe a belief beyond all hope that the

[8:48] Lord would be mindful of them and so we have such language left on record for our instruction and that we might be favoured to have this increase in faith till we all come in the unity of the faith faith and you see faith will cause us to seek the Lord by prayer and supplication and with thanksgiving faith will cause us to do this and faith my friends will cause you and I to read the word in secret and we shall desire to read it prayerfully and though so often times we read the word and there seems nothing in it for us but there will be that appointed time when the

[9:49] Lord will appear for you I believe because it's this them that honor me I will honor and remember this and whoever we are however older we may be honoring God is to seek to read his holy word and to seek to ask his face to appear for you to ask him for those things pertaining to your providential path seeking his face you say we're exalted to do this seek the Lord while he may be found call upon him while he is near this God is he your God have you faith to believe he is your God he is your father and that he's given his dear son for you he's a ransom he's paid the price for your sins you see this is it we want this living faith to hope in his mercy till we all come in that unity of faith and you know my friends

[11:17] I believe this if there's that little living faith in exercising your soul there will come a time when you'll speak with those other souls that are seeking his face I believe there be this conversation one to another not in a glib manner oh no but I believe there be that drawing out from the Lord's people one to another there be that union in your heart one to another and you will be unable to speak of the things maybe you cannot speak of many things but if you're unable to speak of one or two real things my friends there be joy in that other one's heart that you converse with there be joy one to another you'll feel that union one to another and it's that unity of the faith your faith and your hope hope is built upon the

[12:34] Lord Jesus Christ you know that he is the way of salvation you know that there's no other name given among men under the canopy of heaven where you can be saved but this name of Jesus and my friends this is the name the father loves to hear his children plead do you plead it are you ashamed to plead his name this is the name the father loves remember to hear his children plead and all such pleadings he approves and blesses them indeed he'll give you an indeed blessing I believe if you're enabled by this faith this strengthening of your faith to pray on I believe he will hear an answer because he delights to hear his people plead this name and all such pleadings he approves and blesses them indeed and so he will bless in due time his people with a real blessing you know there's nothing like a blessing to the soul is there so then if you and

[14:04] I are one of those souls that have that living faith in exercise to humbly follow him at the throne of his mercy at the footstool and that you might have a knowledge of the Son of God you see this is it isn't it growing from faith to faith as your favor to as it were with joy draw water from the wells of salvation a little sip here and there from these sweet wells of Bethlehem you know this is what the soul needs it thirsty doesn't it wants to sit by the way and there's a strength and faith and so there's that desire that we might all come in the unity of the faith there's that union in your heart to the friends at the chapel there's that desire too there's that love you see that this is it that

[15:13] Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith and this is it that you might be rooted and grounded in love you see love as we were singing as the golden chain that binds those happy souls above and he's an heir of heaven who finds his bosom glow with love and if you haven't indeed blessing if I haven't indeed blessing our bosom will glow with love no man will take it from you there be such a sweetness in your soul that you will be made willing then in the day of his power to take up his cross and humbly follow him I will there won't be any holding back then the love of Christ will constrain you to humbly follow him into those ordinances whereby you see the

[16:16] Lord will honour you I'm not saying it's an essential for salvation friends but the word declares this if ye love me keep my commandments you see and those commandments won't be grievous to you so then some of us know something of the constraining power well we humbly hope so as we look back the constraining power of Christ to humbly follow him till we all come in the unity of the faith you see there be that union between a poor sinner and Christ in union with the land from condemnation free the saints from everlasting were and shall forever be you see you know that we have that this sentence of death within ourselves we are condemned to die but what a mercy if

[17:23] Christ if Christ and you and we together are in union with this blessed lamb you see nothing will hurt those that are in Christ's fold because he is the shepherd and he goes before them and as you know with a good shepherd in the east he goes before his sheep he clears the way of all the obstructions the trials in the sense of those that would destroy them the wolf and the bear as you know David destroyed when he was looking after the sheep and so you may sometimes feel that the devil that's going about as a roaring lion will destroy you but my friends if you have this union in your soul with the Lord Jesus Christ that union will never be destroyed come what may yes you will be brought into those trials because you see as we go on in the text and of the knowledge of the

[18:40] Son of God under a perfect man there will be this passing through in a measure the trials that the Lord Jesus Christ went through remember that we know he's paid the price for our sins if so be we're in the covenant and what a mercy that is but you see the Lord Jesus Christ had to go through that solemn pathway of suffering to satisfy the just law of the holy God and so there will be this in your desires you'll come here with Paul yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my

[19:40] Lord and in coming to that my friends I mean this it does not mean we shall literally lose all our comforts but they'll take us second place they'll take us second place if you and I want this if we are truly that living faith and exercise desiring to come into that unity there be these secondary things will be really put to one side and there be this that we shall want to come to the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but done but that I may win Christ and be found in him what a favour to be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of

[20:43] God by faith that I might know I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings you see certain fellowship of his sufferings we won't go through this life without sufferings by some by some way or another whether it be trials in providence whether it be trials in the family whether it be exercises of soul there be that nevertheless that suffering being fellowship of his sufferings and being made conformable unto his death and you know what a humbling pathway the Lord Jesus Christ had well we have to confess we're not much like him are we and yet if we're in this blessed covenant there'll be this desire that we might grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour the Lord

[22:05] Jesus Christ ah but you say I don't seem to grow no well it would be a sad case if we were brought there where we saw much growth but my friends we must not quench the Holy Spirit if the Lord has given you a desire if the Lord has blessed you here and there under the ministration of the gospel don't put it away remember that it's only the Spirit can take the words and seal them upon your heart and if he has taught you to trust in his name that's a little faith friends and he will strengthen it and he will strengthen your knowledge of him and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of

[23:11] Christ unto a perfect man you say you say that that we shall become unto a perfect man not this body of sin and death my friends not this side of the grave we know that we read in the day of the resurrection this this corruption shall put on incorruption we know that but my dear friends our living souls if the work of grace has begun in them the Lord started that work and he will perfect it he will perform it and it's grace from first to last if your soul and my soul lends in heaven at last and it's all the love of Christ and it's all to poor sinners and it's rich and free fixed on his own eternally have you a cause to hope that he has thoughts of peace toward you and not of evil to give you an expected end has he given you desires in your heart to humbly seek his face you'll not seek him in vain friends if you're seeking him in this faith if you're seeking him with a little love and little hope in your soul why you see this is the way that it comes and it comes so often through trials and tribulations because in your pathway you'll find this I believe the tribulation worketh experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed so that in spite of all your doubts and fears hope maketh it not ashamed because the love of

[25:30] God is shed abroad in your hearts by Christ Jesus the love of Christ my friends rich and free you think of it fixed on his own eternally and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man and you know my friends one of the marks that we look upon others if we may set them up as an example not to worship them but one of the marks of a perfect man is this and that is a man with grace in his heart it will be this those steps of that man are ordered by the Lord and he delighted in his way and we watch and we have been favored in our little pilgrimage to watch those that feared God and we can see something about their pathway that is different to others we may never have known they read and prayed but there's something about them their countenance is different to those of the world they're not murmuring and complaining about the things of this life oh I know we've got that old man of nature still within us and about to us but my friends for the most part when this living faith in exercise is in exercise they're walking in that way that the

[27:14] Lord has appointed for them to walk in and they're humbled in it there's that grace of humility there's that tender fear in their heart and they're not left to murmur and complain under these trying strokes of thine but while they walk this mournful road you'll see this they they're still and they're being able by grace to say be still and know that thou art God and they'll sit still and see the salvation of the Lord and stand still and so you see whether sitting or standing their faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ and they're humbly watching and waiting his appearing they'll be watching his hand in all matters and tarrying often times till they're faint but nevertheless these men and women too of course you know this includes that they'll be seeking that they're seeking their way to Zion with their faces thitherward they may come up to the sanctuary seeking that the Lord would speak to them through his word through his servant and that they might know which way to take and the Lord remember this

[28:52] God is his own interpreter and he will make it plain which sometimes in such a way that it will drive you to despair and this is the way of the perfect man he's humbly dependent upon his God and he's persuaded in his own soul by that living faith that my God will supply my every need they've got that faith to believe that he is their shepherd and that they know that without him they can do nothing what a mercy if we're given that grace then to be brought unto this knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man finding that our steps in spite of all our fears have been ordered hitherto by the Lord you see and when you're brought there those times when you can raise an Ebenezer you say this hither by thy help

[30:02] I've come and I hope by thy good pleasure safely to arrive at home ah that's our desire isn't it if we're brought there where we're seeking that we might know and read our title clear that to those mansions in the skies Jesus Christ this same Jesus friends he's entered into heaven by that new and living way he has suffered for his people's sins you see and he won't require that payment again payment God cannot twice demand first at my bleeding short his hand and then again at mine do you believe it well my friends he's gone into heaven to prepare a place for his people and his promise was that he would come again and receive them unto himself and it's by this this way that sometimes will drive you to despair when you don't seem to have that fellowship with him you don't have that sweet communion with him and that yet your desires are that you might know him and feel that saving knowledge of him unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ you see a fullness resides in

[31:50] Jesus our head and ever abides to answer our need and this is your and my only hope for eternity this great salvation Christ shed his precious blood that poor sinners might live live eternally what love what love that he should be willing to lay down his life that you and I and we feel such ungodly wretches at times that you and I might live eternally saved from that going down into that pit saved from the burning lake is it a concern to you that you might know him savingly you see our the completeness of our salvation is to be found not in us but in him you see in him all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the

[32:59] Lord and you know my friends if you and I are favoured to have received a word in season or a blessing then you see you're then the temple of the living God and Christ dwelleth in you does he dwell in you are you mourn and lament I know over your sinful heart but if you've received a fear not or if you've received a blessing a little wording season such as I love thee well my child or if you've been blessed with such sweet persuasion upon your soul that this is the Christ you want your desire has been this thou oh Christ art all I want ah what a desire you see this is that little that a righteous man had the perfect man the righteous man had a little it's perfect in the sight of

[34:15] God you see and it's a little that a righteous man hat is better than the riches of many wicked gold and silver can never save us but blessed be God for gold and silver I know in providence but there are those diversities of gifts in there but it can never save their soul so then your prayer is this that you might have the Lord say unto my soul I am thy salvation yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee you want to you want him to tell you where his flocks rest will you want to be taught this as the hymn writer says thy whole dependence on thee fix nor entertain a thought thy worthless schemes with mine to mix but venture to be naught so we'll have to come there nothing in my hand

[36:14] I bring simply to thy cross I cling naked come to thee for dress helpless look to thee for grace foul I to the fountain fly wash me saviour or I die oh what a mercy if we're washed in his precious blood you see washed in that precious blood the devil will never never take that away from you have you learned a little living faith to believe in this God man remember that this man this God man this beloved redeemer he sits at the right hand of God to make intercession for you and that blessed spirit maketh maketh intercession with groanings that cannot be uttered you see sometimes we fall before his face at the throne of grace and we cannot seem to utter a word but we know what's in our heart don't we feeble desires yes they are but remember this those feeble desires those wishes so weak as

[37:40] Jesus inspires and bids you still seek what a mercy then if you and I are unable to seek on if we are being able to cast our care upon him sometimes it means much humility doesn't it humbling ourselves before men maybe in providence and those round about us maybe walking in that path of humility not answering when perhaps in an ungodly state we would have answered but choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season may have to turn your back upon the ways of the world you see grace is separating solemn isn't it but you see it's come out from among them and be separate and touch not the unclean thing we may have to leave things for

[38:48] Christ's sake things that were once a great attraction to us you see we cannot serve two masters if we're to serve the living Christ if we're a humble disciple of his although we shall feel to lack the knowledge that we would have of the son of God we lack that perfection that we would have we lack that stature of Christ but you see it's only a measure of the stature of Christ but it's by a way that is painful sometimes to the flesh because there is that as I was saying conformability to his sufferings and so you remember how the Lord Jesus Christ had to suffer much humility and yet you see what a favoured pathway it is to those humble followers of the

[39:53] Lord Jesus Christ if they are given that grace of separation to come out from among them and be separate and touch not the unclean thing and ye shall be my sons and my daughters you'll be accounted as a jewel rich what a mercy if you and I have that desire that we might be accounted a jewel rich to be made up amongst the Lord's jewels when he makes them up a jewel something valuable something precious in the sight of Christ is he exceedingly precious to you is he more precious to you than earth and all its comforts are treasure of stature of fullness of

[41:14] Christ and this will give us stability won't it in our walk and in our conversation in our actions they will speak of Christ and there will be there to doing the things decently and in order one with another and though men may rebuke you and mock you remember he knoweth the way that we take when he has tried us we shall come forth as gold and gold my friends if there's a little gold in your heart and mine there need to be a little of that work of putting it through the fire why is that why gold in the furnace tried ne'er loses all but dross so is the Christian purified and battered by the cross so that in that humble pathway that the

[42:19] Lord Jesus Christ had to go so will his humble followers follow him and it will be by a way of bearing the cross you'll have a cross because I believe this friend no cross no crown and sometimes when we're brought under that cross that gets us very low but remember this it brings us to that godly sorrow and repentance the cross will cause you and I to mourn over our sins and after him had a few fall in tears of repentance remember this there's joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth rather than ninety and nine that have no need of repentance this blessed gospel dear friends it's for sinners

[43:23] I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance haven't you had that felt sense of repentance at the awful sufferings of Christ did Christ my Lord suffer and shall I repine what a precious saviour is Jesus or we could desire to know and love him more his beauties trace his majesty adore we would live and walk closer with him but alas we seem to walk so afar off and we seem to be like poor old Thomas we want to put our hands in our fingers in his hands don't we in the holes in his hands and see a look upon his side before we shall believe but ah you see when the

[44:28] Lord Jesus Christ did appear in their midst and Thomas was there he believed without seeing all these things you see the Lord has only got to speak to you and to me we shall believe believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and all thy household he said to that Philippian jailer well we know that not literally because one in a family is saved they are all saved but my friends it's a great favor if we have that desire in our heart that we might have this knowledge of the Son of God and to be made unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ but you see that fullness that does reside in his head it ever abides and this is our hope in spite of all our sins that testify against us the

[45:36] Lord Jesus Christ does know the way that we are walking in and or may we be enabled to by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let our requests be made known unto him ah it is a request isn't it to know that your Jesus Christ is crucified for you is this all your desire well watch on wait on for the time of love will come when thou shalt clearly see not only that he shed his blood but he shall sign for me amen you sm oh one