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[0:00] In dependence upon thee, Lord, for all needed help, I will venture to draw your prayerful attention to Psalm 118 and verse 25.

[0:24] Psalm 118 verse 25

[6:35] And my, my dear friend, the word declares that the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin.

[6:47] And whilst and all the time we are on this earth, we sin and we need and we seek and we plead the precious blood.

[7:01] And that precious blood, why? The hymn tells us, dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood shall never lose its power till all the ransomed church of God be saved to sin no more.

[7:20] And then you may plead and doubt this to and will if you are a child of God, a new creature, a born again sinner, a believer in Jesus.

[7:35] Oh, how you long for the kisses of his mouth. How you will pray to know more of that love of the Lord to your soul.

[7:48] Is this vain repetition? I think not. That you may be able with all saints to comprehend what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge and to be filled with all the fullness of God.

[8:11] That you may be able with all saints.

[8:41] Asured of it. A sweet hope in his mercy that we may be granted gracious and liberty and assurance.

[8:53] So my dear friend, plead on, pray on. We have to confess the poverty of our prayers. And yet, my dear friend, I believe there's more prayer when we don't think we pray.

[9:11] And maybe very little prayer when we think we have prayed. I believe there's much prayer that is without words.

[9:24] I believe there's much prayer that is expressed in a groan. Therefore, as the apostle writing to the, in the epistle to the Romans speaks of it, And it's a very precious word and of much encouragement as we would go to the throne of grace.

[9:53] And there the apostle says, And likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities. For we know not what we should pray for as we ought.

[10:04] But the Spirit itself make it intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

[10:14] It's a great mercy to have a spiritual groanings. And a groan gives the evidence of life. The dead groan not.

[10:28] You may feel under the groaning of your soul. Not far off, as it were, from death.

[10:39] I mean feeling that there's death on everything. And wonder what reality there is in your religion. And yet, my friend, a groan.

[10:51] You don't know how to word a prayer, perhaps. You don't know how to express the anguish of your soul. Under the burden of your sin.

[11:03] And a sense of the holiness of God. And how shall I flee from the wrath to come? What will become of me? Where shall I spend eternity?

[11:14] Is it well with my soul? All the groans. My dear friend, the psalmist said, All my desire is before thee.

[11:29] And my groaning is not hid from thee. Seek now to examine these words that are repeated.

[11:40] And we would look first at this little word, I. Is it true of you?

[11:54] Friend, you've come to the house of God tonight. What prayer has there been between your soul and God before you came here?

[12:07] What prayer has there been in secret? The Lord knows. He knows. He knows whether you've been as Nathaniel under the fig tree.

[12:19] And you're here, I. You know, I have a prayer. My dear friend, we ask another question. Are you this I? Do you know what it is to come to the Lord?

[12:33] Do you know what it is to cry for mercy? you may say to me well surely you're assured of that aren't you? because we're here in chapel tonight I'm not assured of it at all I dare not be I feel and I fear and I dread that there are many that their lifetime have sat and do sit under the truth and will sink to hell that live just on an outward form and a dead profession thou be as the foolish virgins oh they were with the wise they were in good company they looked like the wise dressed like the wise even the wise didn't know they were foolish and hadn't the oil that's a very solemn thing isn't it?

[13:45] no minister can make any dividing line in a congregation now mark what I say the minister can't do it we know not who are the lords by that I mean of course we are assured as one and another come before the church we have the sweet hope that they are the lords and some that haven't come before the church we mark their conversation and we mark their walk and have a hope that it is well with them but no minister can draw the line but the word will that will separate and so my friend it is a very solemn observation that I make in this matter that we can be dead as the seat we sit on and sit there all our life under the truth and yet my friend to be destitute of the power of it

[14:53] I say this I and I don't know just the number that there are here tonight but you see my dear friend each one of us have a never dying soul the body will die and that will be buried if as we view it unless the Lord should come but what of the soul we know that the body will be raised on the day of resurrection and we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ but the soul returns unto God that gave it and where will eternity be spent you see the dear Lord will then separate finally and eternally the sheep from the goats the wise virgins and the foolish it will be it will be discovered then won't it and it will be a lamentable cry if any of us should cry out in that great day our lamps are gone out the spark of our own kindling our religion that is a dead one

[16:21] Christless one lifeless one and it's too late what a solemn matter this is and what little thought we give to the value of the soul and yet if we really pause to consider that it costs the Saviour his precious blood to redeem sinners and what shall a man give in exchange for his soul should he gain the whole world he will be the poorer and lose his own soul my friend does this I then I know this is the I of the psalmist but is this you does it gather you in then do you know what it is to pray very earnestly that your soul may be made ready for eternity are you a stranger to a cry like this prepare me gracious God to stand before thy face thy spirit must the work perform for it is all of grace now be very careful there we may be guilty of just vain repetition we may just utter the words and yet there be no thought or prayer in our heart but my friend is it give me Christ or else I die

[18:03] I says the psalmist now come to the next word beseech what does that mean it means to beg it means to prostrate ourselves down at the feet of the Lord it means to come as a poor guilty sinner it means to speak from our poor hearts and plead that the Lord will have mercy to beseech it means urgency it means that a poor thing may be ready to sing may feel in despair and may feel that there's none to help I beseech thee the illustration of the beauty and power of such a word as this there can be seen in the gospel who was it that came beseeching

[19:13] Jesus Christ well the leper was one the centurion was another Jairus' was another the father of the poor lad that you know was so possessed with the evil spirit that it tear him they all besought Jesus and that word indicates their felt need desperate condition and they came to Jesus why the man full of leprosy when he saw Jesus he besought him came to him beseeching him it was a real matter wasn't it it was a heavy burden and my friend is sin like that to you what do you think about sin oh it worries you sometimes alarms you sometimes touches the conscience sometimes but is it a burden is it that my friend under the conviction of it that leads you to the

[20:32] Lord to seek for mercy and to plead for pardon you see many can be alarmed maybe under the ministry maybe like Felix as Paul reasoned of righteousness and temperance and judgment to come he trembled but he said I'll call for you to convenience season he put it away many may be alarmed for a moment as it were and then it's all forgotten but if we're truly convinced of sin there will be a burden that we shall bear and there's no relief but through the precious blood of Jesus Christ no peace but that perfect peace in the knowledge of blood applied and sin pardoned I beseech thee oh my friend that there might be more urgency in our prayers and then to whom does this poor sinner come we take the next three words together thee oh lord thee well haven't you anyone else no other way you say that's one thing I know if ever my poor soul be saved at last is

[22:07] Christ must be the way whom have I in heaven but thee and there's none upon earth that I desire beside thee will thee also go away lord to whom can we go thou hast the words of eternal life I beseech thee it's thou oh Christ art all I want all in all in thee I find there's none other neither is there salvation in any other there's none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved what about the next little letter a word with one letter oh and don't pass that over too quickly what does it signify well

[23:07] I feel it sets forth the expression of the pent up longing desire of a living soul it's springs from the very depths of his heart it rises up over the mountains of his sin over the great guilt that he feels it rises up though it seems how can there be mercy for me how can there be hope for such a wretch as I and yet oh oh lord I said there's more eloquence perhaps in silent prayers I know that's a paradox but you'll understand what I mean how often my friend you'll know what it is in providential distress and spiritual trial to come and perhaps go no further than that oh lord you as it were feel you can't put it in words but you prostrate yourself at the throne of grace and plead the lord to have mercy upon you and the expression oh lord is lord

[24:35] I cannot tell thee I cannot put into words the burden of my sin the trial I am in the felt corruptions within and the dark path and all that is overwhelming me but I come oh lord as like Jeremiah did oh lord thou knowest remember me and visit me so thee prayer I beseech thee oh lord now you will observe that the word lord is in capital letters that means the trinity that means god the father god the son and god the holy spirit and oh my dear friend how you will seek the jehovah god the trinity in unity all concerned in the salvation of the election of grace why you'll plead to know the father's love you'll plead to be led of the spirit to say my father and to know the rich blessing your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things my god my father blissful name oh may

[26:10] I call thee mine may I with sweet assurance claim a portion so divine bless me with this lord and though it may be under the chastening hand of god the father yet to see there his love and there to have the assurance whom the lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth I beseech thee oh lord a coming to the lord jesus just as I am and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot to thee whose blood can cleanse each spot oh lamb of god I come nothing in my hand

[27:13] I bring simply to thy cross I cling oh lord and oh for thee sweet teaching influence power and unction of the holy spirit to take of the things of jesus and reveal them to us to convince us of sin and lead to jesus christ conduct bless guide thy sinner train to calvary where the lamb was slain and with us there abide the love of god says the apostle which is shed in our hearts by the holy ghost which is given unto us and you know that's a very beautiful word that's shed abroad in our hearts it means the heart is drenched with it it means it's saturated with it as it were or as you think of a penetrating rain and softening in its influence or you may think of oil how it penetrates that's what it means shed abroad in its penetration into my heart oh lord

[28:37] I beseech thee I beseech thee oh lord and then lord oh lord the one that is the only one that I can go to I even I am god and there is none else and so my friend it is to the lord alone and the god that is above all what a mercy this is his throne endureth forever thou oh god remainest the lord god omnipotent reignest the earth is tottering to its ruin sin in the nation a lack of the spirit in the churches and declension of very very solemn antichrist and all the evils of this country apart from the world that nighth in wickedness

[29:51] I need not enlarge the solemn state Zion is in a low place the name of god and the word of truth is blasphemed and set at naught and many have turned from the old past broken homes broken marriages lawlessness disobedience unruly children my friend strikes drug taking all the evils that we can possibly name or think of lust of the flesh lovers of pleasure and of themselves my friend it's a very solemn state and the evil power of Rome modernism atheism communism but god is above lose not sight of that brethren the lord god omnipotent reign all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth so let us thank god and take courage and pray for grace to walk in his fear and to be a light in the small corner in which we are placed a witness ye are my witnesses and that we may show forth the praises of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light and then one more thought here and we pass on thou oh lord the only god the lord god that is above all and the god that is able and blessed be god for that is anything too hard for the lord your providential case he can cause iron to swim he can make water to stand up as a wall he can feed the multitude and my friend

[32:12] I say he can command ravens to feed he can make that handful of meal and little oil to supply the need I say he can shut the lion's mouth and the fire shall not kindle the hair of your head shall not be singed the bonds loosed in the fire our god is able and then spiritually able to save to the uttermost able to succor those that are tempted able to deliver able my friend I say to keep that which we have committed unto him against that day able to keep you from falling able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or even think able to make all grace abound toward you my friend what a

[33:22] God I speak with reverence how great he is how good he is then my soul go to him now let us consider the last word of these repeated words and it's the little word now I don't know what your now is the Lord does Job says he knoweth the way that I take and when he hath tried me I shall come forth as gold well my dear friend however dark your now is however perplexing however lonely however difficult take it to the Lord in prayer ye now therefore have sorrow but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice and your joy no man taketh from you the Lord knows what your now is burdened sinner cast down soul weary one come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and

[34:29] I will give you rest oh what encouragements there are now so my friend look up Jesus Christ your father's son bids you undismayed go on but now let us consider the two petitions then the few remaining words one word remaining is save and the other two send prosperity save save now this may be viewed providentially then maybe you're in trouble maybe you know not what how your providential need may be supplied maybe my friend you're in some path when like

[35:30] Peter you're looking at the waves and you begin to sink save me Lord or save now my friend our God is a very present help in trouble and my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus us are not five sparrows sold for two farthings not one of them is forgotten of God fear not you are more value than many sparrows all think on it save now perhaps you're in a path in trouble and there seems no way out it seems a mountain that can never be brought down a valley that seems to be the valley of death to you it may be my friend that you're pressed beyond all measure and it seems so impossible save now take it to the

[36:40] Lord in prayer have faith in God seek grace to look up call upon him I will be with him in trouble says the Lord the Lord can make a way and does where there's no way oh I say my friend isn't this a prayer we need save now I beseech thee oh Lord oh Lord I beseech thee save but oh save me from my sin thou who art able to save to the uttermost the dear Lord Jesus his name is Jesus thou for he shall save his people from their sin save me Lord oh say unto my soul I am thy salvation assure my conscience of its part in the redeemer's blood bear thy witness with my heart that

[37:41] I am born of God save now oh Lord the years are passing I need the assurance I need credential for the end I know not how near the end I may be save now save me from myself save me from my pride save me in the day of prosperity what in the day of prosperity what do you mean by that I was speaking to a friend who's been much favoured in a business and I felt very touched with what he said he felt to need the Lord and he had to beg of the Lord that he wouldn't be left to Nebuchadnezzar who looked upon that Babylon and said this Babylon that I have built it or words that effect my friend we need this prayer when the sun is shining when your field is full when your crop is a heavy one and your barns are bursting if ever the shutter die you need to pray earnestly in the day of prosperity lest our heart should grow cold lest idols should be formed lest we should abuse

[39:08] God's gift and certainly of course to pray in adversity Lord help me why is it that thou dealest with me thus what voice is it is it correction for my folly is there is there secret sin is there an idol is it that I have grieved thy spirit save me Lord save me from this world that lies in wickedness save me from error save me from these people that so plausibly speak of the word of God and yet whose heart is not right save me from Satan's power his temptation the onslaughts of the enemy save me yea Lord when he comes with the wiles of the devil save me when my path is dark save me when I'm ready to despair save me lest

[40:10] I should turn back and walk no more with thy people and lest I should not follow thee save me Lord when I fear I shall deny thee when I fear that I shall love the world more than Jesus Christ save me lest I should be ashamed of Jesus Christ save me when my flesh shrinks from taking up the cross and following thee save me Lord save me lest I should fall keep me from falling now lastly and briefly send now prosperity oh my friend I do pray that personally we and collectively in Zion we may see yet more spiritual prosperity now I feel before this there will be much to be done I feel that there is much rubbish a builder that is going to build he will clear the ground do a good foundation or to take a homely picture of you dear friends in the country with your rose bushes your fruit trees

[41:28] I looked at some as I journeyed today as I would gather that had been pruned and cut back and I noticed the shaping of them the expert hand I couldn't have done it I should have probably harmed the poor tree and done it good but you see the expert hand why all that cut off I remember as a little boy in my grandfather's nurseries I earned pocket money by picking up the pieces that the men that pruned the trees had cut off and some you know there was a lot to pick up and we might think well why all this why all this shouldn't you let it grow the bigger surely the more fruit well you know the answer there more better than I lively in spirit send now prosperity the showers of blessing or have we not grieved the spirit is there not a withholding of the spirit in the churches is there something in our heart a wrong spirit to somebody else have we lacked in forgiving someone have we lacked because we not said to someone look

[42:56] I'm sorry I was wrong these things could be damaging and hurtful to spiritual prosperity and robbing to the enjoyment of these spiritual blessings joy and peace in believing but I must leave the word the time has gone I pray that this may be our prayer then save now I beseech thee oh Lord oh Lord I beseech thee send now prosperity I just add this that there was a king a godly king of old Isaiah I think it was that the testimony was all the time or while all the length of time that he sought the Lord he prospered and this is our place to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things should be added unto us the

[44:01] Lord grant in the midst of Zion a godly increase spiritual prosperity a gracious reviving Amen Amen