In returning and rest shall ye be saved: (1) Quality: Good

[0:00] As the Lord may help us speak here in chapter 30 of the prophet Isaiah and I'll read our text verse 15 For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel in returning and rest shall ye be saved in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength and ye would not Verse 15 chapter 30 of the prophet Isaiah Now this chapter is like so many more in the Old Testament for it speaks of God's goodness in pleading with his early people who had turned from here in many generations and as we find it here they desire to take more notes of Egypt and to plead to Egypt that rather than live under

[1:10] God's gracious rule in their own land But you see we find in nearly all these prophecies Isaiah, Yomar, Ezekiel and Hosea and so on how the Lord is pleased to speak to them and yet if we read in this very last part of our text we read And that ye would not You see friends we can't turn to the Lord unless the Lord is pleased to turn us to him We know we look around us today and see all the wickedness and ungodliness on every hand and we do wish that things were different but you or I have no power to change their hearts and force them to give up their sinful ways that the work only the Lord can do It doesn't mean though that we can always be silent We shouldn't be afraid to speak as opportunity occurs to speak

[2:14] But here the Lord calls these people rebellious children And they've gone so far away from their God as we read in the verses 10 onward a little We've perceived our text This is rebellious people Lying children Children that will not hear the Lord, the Lord We've saved the fears, see not The prophets, prophesy not unto us Right things Speak unto us Smooth things Prophesy deceits Isn't that the exact state of our country today that we have numerous ministers I don't mean our own lovely nomination There are crowds and crowds of people that prophesy unto the people smooth things One thing they preach is that God loves everybody

[3:15] No matter how they live or die it will be well with them forever And again you see they mix up the world with religion not from leaders in it So it's pleased with nature to love these smooth things And even we find it too another degree of thing that maybe a good many young people we've known quite a few ourselves have gone from their own causes because they've liked something as a gledia where things have been a little smoother You see we were brought up some of us under a ministry which pierced us Our old minister he has by no means spared us even we young people We used to sit at the back of the chapel a very large one right at the very back seat of the gallery but didn't just see us and often he would say very solemn things to us also

[4:26] I hope now we remember some of those things the good man said we do indeed well there are not many of those today friends are there who speak the truth in love and who desire to be faithful and to speak the truth and not all these easy easy smooth things which of course people natter it means they go to a service perhaps one Sunday morning and the minister being worldly in power it means that they can say well that man is very knowledge it's not so narrow as time now we can go out and spend a week in our sins and our feet like we've all done well friends that may be terrible for the flesh as it won't do in the day of judgment here the Lord speaks he sees you see these people in this grievous state that they are in knows he sees where people love smooth things and so you see he speaks against them here and he may even go farther get you out of the way turn the side out of the path listen to this cause the Holy

[5:58] One of Israel to cease from before us wherefore thus seth the Holy One of Israel because you despise this word and trust in oppression and perverseness and say thereon therefore this iniquity shall be you you have you have reached lead forth and so on and so they wanted even the Holy Spirit remove a religion of the flesh which was pleasing and a turn to all the joys which Egypt provided well what a blessing if the Lord had freed us from Egypt their forebears were very pleased to get away from Egypt those many generations that were brought there because Jacob was called by Joseph to visit him they suffered oppression the silver

[7:00] Cesar went on near Jeremiah tells the same thing that remnant were left after people carried to Babylon they asked Jeremiah if he would pray to the Lord for them what they should do the Lord told them to stay and all be well but they said nay we will go down into Egypt what the column thing prays Egypt in a list of spiritual things why it's all around us now if the land is full of Egypt of a kind where all things are done which are pleaded for flesh people know it nothing but the mighty power of God can bring people to seek under those things which will be their spiritual good and their soul salvation and I want to come to our text friends now because it's a text of great sweetness in fact one part of it as I could probably tell you when we come to it has been a tower of confidence to me this last week or two preparing me for what the trial which we must pass through our lungs that the

[8:29] Lord has been so kind to me in more ways than one that I have been very touched and do believe the Lord will indeed be pleased to bring me safely through and in a beneficial way too let us look at this verse saying is the Lord speaking again to these people for thus saith the Lord God the Holy One of Israel this is the one that is speaking friends the word of God is called of the wonderful things that he has said what he has mercifully left on record for us right down to this generation to he is the language what he speaks to them for thus saith the Lord God oh these words friends may look to many it's a very common place we read them in the word of

[9:30] God but it is a wonderful title you know the Lord of God the Lord over all creation one who is the creator in fact the sustainer of the universe he is the Lord God almighty that reigns omnipotent reigns in heaven none of the inhabitants of the earth can stand at him what do is thou he is so great friends that we are unable to arise so what we would do in seeking it seeking to give him the title and the praise which he is so worthy of but he is the Lord God the Holy One of Israel God has always loved this ancient nation friend of Israel you see how in Genesis the Lord taught Abraham to lead his brethren he would lead him and choose him to be the head of the streets of

[10:38] Israel if you and I are children of God then we are sons and heirs of Abraham Isaac and Jacob spooked with his saints we Gentiles but we are Israelites if we are the spiritual seed of Jacob we are indeed and this one that pronounces these blessings upon his dear people is the holy one and more than this he pleases to impart holiness to his dear people isn't that wonderful every child of God is a holy one some may say well they don't seem to me sometimes to be very holy they don't seem to me to be such one for people you see all their pulse of course you do they have two natures there's the old nature that's distinct from the new and that old nature that takes a lot of forgiving and those old habits though that's subdued are still seen often in our poor nature

[11:56] God has given them a new nature and that new is quite distinct from the old is imparting of this holiness of God within them it brings them to see their need of salvation the Lord mercifully and graciously past give them they have holy desires if they live in Christ they desire to live holy and when they leave this world it is their hope that they'll go to a holy place for one said heaven is that holy place where things no more defiles where Jesus shows his lovely place and looks and loves and smiles that's where that heaven frames nothing to defile we read in the book of

[13:00] Revelation again that nothing to defile nature that can enter the heaven what a mercy have he imparted them these holy principles in us for they're very needful without which as the one says dear poor it is without holiness no man can see the Lord no none whatever all are brought to this wonderful precious state of their souls have been washed and made clean through the precious shed blood of the dear saviour and thus that they are made meek to be partakers of inheritance of the saints in life and though we live day by day often with very caramel thoughts in our mind don't we the very earth of the earth and earthy yet there are times

[14:07] I hope when we have a feeling or a touch of the holy principles within so that the Lord might give us more of them not unless we do know we look up to him by faith and admire and bless our God that he is the holy one of Israel of all his dear people all whom we have loved throughout eternity all whose names have been so great to describe in his book all for whom he died for and rose again all of these constitute the body of the church and of the holy one of Israel they do indeed now we'll look to what the holy one of Israel says and who he said it he said it on this occasion to a people who repeal to hear it

[15:14] I know the Lord can make people hear things he makes them otherwise they never would listen but with these people well as I turned away from the living God they knew what wonderful he had done and were still doing but yet they were pleased to turn away and decide and rather the Lord said of them and he would not now what he says in the first clause is this in returning and rest shall ye be saved now in returning means that the Lord is speaking to them that they return to the fold if you're reading Hosea Hosea speaks on the same lines as

[16:16] Isaiah Isaiah in fact I think if you read in the beginning of the prophet Isaiah you'll find that he lived and prophesied in the days of Isaiah though I was staying just apart of the country but he said in one place O Israel return again to the Lord thy God see he preached the same fruit turn again but they won't return friends I won't return you won't return and let the Lord is pleased to make you return so he said here speaking in the general saints in returning if only these people knew if only knew the joys of being brought to repentance and compassion they would find it to be a joy to return unto the

[17:21] Lord their God there are you now God dear people also to whom these words are official because there are such things as backsliders we've all been guilty of that being a backsliding state and some of the season turned altogether away from the past of righteousness haven't they the word goes out return ye children of men here then the Lord is speaking in returning to return from the way of evil as the prophet says in chapter 55 he said to them how everyone thirsted come into the waters and so on but he goes on to say this let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his force and let him return unto the

[18:27] Lord his God for he will abundantly come like that dear prodigal you know the father gave him his fortune of goods and he committed him to go away but you know the Lord followed that young man though he had what he would call the time perhaps the degree of having a good time with those people he met he was rather given to spending his money fast and to indulge in wrath of living we don't know how deep the dear man did think but we know this that he spent all that he had all everything that he had nothing left to call and we're told he began to be one and then was the time when the Lord began to work in that young man's heart and he remembered his father's house and all the good things he had he knew he had to go forth and do shall we say days of work on the farm he he he knew this that he had at home and comfort and a good father all that was necessary to be contained in life he told me that I would arise by constraint

[20:05] I would arise and go to my father he knew that he returned didn't he he didn't go and he felt the want of it and it's quite true that him right to say that he came to Jesus still reduced to despair until they had nothing while they had some of their own they have no full discharge they carry on in their path that when the Lord brings them into the place of need then they are brought friends to return there's no evidence in that this part of the scripture concerned these people in that particular generation that they needed a word and return we can look at the word of God always in this life that he is still the word of the living

[21:07] God the seal is here for us to read in this modern diary the word still are the same God's pleas are the same God's sweet indications are the same and there are still these people that turn from the living God there are still sinners multitudes of in the earth in the Lord speak still and encourage them when he flies a word to them that they may indeed be brought to return in returning and rest now you see this is the point these people are brought to rest you see that young man that was in the land far off from its heart was without rest do you find sinners that all their sins are contented and restful why they are most unrest agitated contented it may be for a few weeks and then they bring forth discontent again they tried this they tried the other and they find nothing to sacrifice them remember a man that used to do business with my son in black boy he was quite a wealthy man mind you he turned from a business point of view very favorable for my son in law because this man had a large pound and spacious gardens and so on but he would buy a machine and then after a few weeks he would be tired of it and come and fetch another one so he went on spending spending all his happiness changing his home going right down to

[23:20] Devon dissatisfied there coming back friends in the neighborhood of black boys again one day in my son laws one of his rooms this man was there and the same rest of the world in man and I said this to him may I speak a line to one of our kings he looked rather strange I said this happiness bless thou lovely name where I see oh tell me where learning pleasure wealth or pain or try out it is not here not the wisdom of the wise nor the grandeur of the great than can the bliss I see create well I don't think he had much effect upon him poor man it wasn't long after the poor man died as he lived a stranger apparently to the grace of

[24:30] God if you see what I mean there's this this can even those who have a million pounds they want to get killed oh what a blessing if we are brought as Paul has said to be content with that thing that we have for he has said I will never leave thee nor take thee it's a very sweet experience to look round and see the goodness of the Lord through you and me and to quietly reflect upon all these mercies and be restful and say well the Lord indeed has been good even to me to find the joys and the simple things of life to have those that are near and near to you some of us favourite children and grandchildren what joy they bring and and also friends and our dear friends who will become of you

[25:34] I hope all of you I find it to be a very pleasant thing to live so simply I know I know that in the year 19 let me say 40 or 41 when I deeply exercised concern and reason that's a long time ago I woke up one morning with some words I didn't even know where they were in the word of God and it was from one of the psalms and it speaks on this wise the lines are fallen in a pleasant place in pleasant places yea I have a gripping heritage and I thought well where are they well I searched and I found in psalm 16 well I must say this and I almost now completed 34 years of trying to preach and this was before

[26:37] I ever preached at all I still find it a very pleasant thing preach account and from time to time to come in different places such as you here and in my simple way to preach the word for you I find it a pleasant place indeed I do indeed I'm quite content yet the lines all alive have fallen in pleasant places though I have a good heritage and I hope and believe the Lord will still spare me proceed yet declare these things that you have taught us in our very simple life so we enjoy that it were a major rest and where is this rest saintly it is centered in that rest which is found in the

[27:39] Lord Jesus the lovely hymn we sometimes see Jesus in Zion is a holy rest whatever weary pilgrims need is richly centered here there's the center of our rest all our works to gain faith with God be all in vain many labor hard and long to justify themselves many go to great length to work and work and work and they think God is pleased with them with all such things friends of know about what's the way know that there is this rest that comes through being looked to see that the work the labor was accomplished by the dear Savior oh what work he did for his dear people and with that find rest in his sweet and precious promises rest in the promises says one of our hymns which

[28:56] God has made in all things are done even for you and me yes the rest too and that all in the peace that work for the Lord Jesus Christ you can't find rest anywhere else but in what he has done friend can you it does bring rest it does bring us to feel that it is indeed a resting place of joy and certainty so we rest in what the dear Lord has done and we rest too in our ability then as we find this rest to meditate upon it with a consideration and some we squeeze know we have a rest for time and for eternity so that the dear Lord then may grant even for me and you that we may rest in what the dear

[29:59] Lord has done and of course the Lord meant too that if these people were brought back to their own country and given rest from their enemies Israel in those days was surrounded by enemies and if you would know anything near this history today it is still the same it is telling months late the birds are all around around around her and you know how that Israel is hated by those nations around you know it is easier to spend time as seeking to make peace with them but we hardly see this a genuine thing now all these people are against God's ancient people and all the people of the world in their sin are against

[31:03] God's dear people so he meant that they had rest from their enemies and when Israel led by Joshua were on their journey right through the lands which the Lord gave them they had a hard hard battle to destroy their enemies but we know this they did as the word says at last they found rest from all those who would destroy them and what is one wonderful thing if you and I are brought to find this rest over that we may then indeed do the word said by the greatest help in returning and rest shall ye be saved in returning and rest shall ye be saved well this word saved is very important isn't it to be saved from our enemies to be saved from ourselves it's so important that the

[32:26] Lord Jesus Christ his name is Saviour it means that we have been saved by him saved from what and this ruin a deep despair we shall never know while we live on earth the depths of this salvation I often feel you know that we don't appreciate or understand it's not a half or a quarter of what we ought to do but we shall realise it then when the end of our days come on earth and we know that there is that great salvation which they have asked their friends at heaven and we are also saved from the two aspects of this salvation saved from I think sometimes and I've read in days past that some of our old people in years gone by that in talking of salvation they would say well not so much that we are saved from hell but that we are saved in heaven but my dear friends we are saved from hell is the most wonderful thing the Lord

[33:55] Jesus Christ turned the veil aside once in the gospels the only one that did that took it were and opened the door that we saw inside the place there he points out to us that wicked man that had fared sumptuously every day upon earth and then to his end he was carried to that dreadful place one who despised and wouldn't even give a meal the feet of Lazarus at his gate was so poor and needed that he had no doctor to come even the poor the dog would come and lick his sores to relieve him but you know he died and went to heaven and carried in the Abraham prison the Lord Jesus shows us the mark of the unrepentant and the wicked shows us that man whose tongue was parched all three parts you know not just receiving but forever no court of appeal that comes from hell it's a place that he turned about it for me well this man wanted someone to tell his brothers that they may repent that the

[35:29] Lord Jesus said they had the prophets and if one was raised from the dead they would not believe one came back from the dead I never realised it you know until a few years ago that the Lord Jesus was created himself because when the Lord Jesus was raised from the dead they didn't believe not even those that were passed to be religious Pharisees didn't believe but there were those that did believe that Christ arose their own hearts but men in general today don't believe such things but they will believe and I've been told that hell is what you make it on earth not what is yet to come I may have told you in the past that a certain lady rather a rough type of lady she had a plan of her brother father died and she and her brother took it on

[36:41] I used to risk the plan for many years and this woman one day said I was one that was religious as people say she told me she said you know I got the book of psalms by my bed and I wouldn't go to sleep until I read a psalm but mind you shall say this I don't believe there's a hell I only need what you make it yourself and I really believe that there hell if not many of our third huntsman who speak of her in that way what they may hear oh I would repeat you know what they say the useless words by way of it swearing don't they that they'll find for their dismay one day true that they have not been saved so you see salvation has a double aspect it is the Lord

[37:47] Jesus saved us from hell and raised us to the pain of heaven the Lord of said to him that loved us every lay concealed beneath the path of clay to him that loved us every hell and saved us from the pain of hell what about him that so clearly held us and wanted to bear this in mind I hope we do because it's so right important then when we realise that certainty that face of punishment we realise that the Lord will the ones who have been in love that the Lord has saved us to dwell with him on high in that blessed abode where he lives and dwells with dear people

[38:48] I say that something to glorify God for us under him that loved us and saved us from falling falling into that pit bridge under him the glory and dominion and power both now and forever Amen so this is that great salvation I know that we said the word here say that the Lord was pleased and he is pleased now to save us from many things he saves us from the dangers which are ever present in our lives he saves us from what we call accidents doesn't it he saves us from afflictions it may be very often he saves us from being taken up to the things of this world these are all one other thing wonderful things the Lord does with people and he has saved us for his health even to enjoy and eternity in his presence so it's very very wonderful indeed for thus saith the

[40:16] Lord God the Holy One of Israel in returning and rest shall he be saved it is these dear people whom the Lord saves from perdition saves from the just sentence which the Lord executes against us you see this is the one thing the Lord condemns us we are all brought in guilty but if the Lord Jesus Christ stands between and pays the debt that we owe we have no longer debt to pay we are paying from pain because the Lord Jesus Christ hath so graciously and wondrously paid the debt we owe even to him oh then isn't it too that we are saved from despair are there not times in our lives when we are much passed down when we wonder where the thing will end is indeed where we saved from despair he pushed in our hearts for who could tell whether

[41:39] God would be gracious to us dear Job who was brought in an extraordinary terribly low place poor man yet he was saved by faith from despair he could say though he slay me yet will I trust in him so faithful what the Lord did him giving him this faith to trust and not be afraid well friends I do hope what you said thus far the Lord may be free to own and that it may be applicable to us for thus said the Lord God the Holy One of Israel in returning and rest shall be saved the Lord help us after that to continue our meditation from this same portion of his word

[42:41] Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen