The Lord's doing marvellous in our eyes. (Quality: Very good)

[0:00] 19th Psalm, verse 23 This is the Lord's doing, it is marvellous in our eyes The 23rd verse, the 118th Psalm This is the Lord's doing, it is marvellous in our eyes The temptation today, no doubt it is a temptation Was for a Christmas text The time of year when the Lord's servants, I suppose For the most part, take Christmas texts But here we have in the word before us tonight

[1:07] Surely that which takes in everything to do with Christmas What is Christmas anyway, friends? What does it mean to you?

[1:21] To many men it will be a time to rejoice What in? In Christ? For the most part, in the flesh The satisfaction of being able to do those things Or endeavour to That one has not been able to do For a period of time before The season of the year when men Seek to obtain the satisfaction Enjoyment, as they call it A giving of gifts To one another Perhaps in this Obtaining satisfaction In winning, perhaps The love of another If one will Or seeming love

[2:22] Strange opening, isn't it, friends? What is Christmas to you and me? What does it mean?

[2:33] Not the season of the year But that which is the very essence Of the word Christmas The coming of Christ Does it mean anything to us?

[2:49] For our text tonight, if the Lord will Surely opens up to us The wonders of free and sovereign grace For this is the Lord's doing That he has a people A people settled on her Time began A people in and of themselves In their flesh Worthless Utterly ruined in the fall And by practice I add that continually, friends For there are no holy ones In this world There never have been There never will be Utterly ruined By practice As well as In the fall of Adam By practice means That all have indeed Those desires In their hearts

[3:51] To attend to those things That satisfy the flesh Not to fall under The determined will And purpose Of the living God But if possible To thwart that will And to satisfy the flesh But what infinite mercy This is the Lord's doing He has a people He eternally decreed That people should be his people He saved them Because he would save them He loved them Because he would love them He chose them Because he would choose them He saw no merit in them at all But found it all In his own eternal decree In the finished work Of his own dear son Tis salvation then

[4:52] My friends This is the Lord's doing The great necessity Continually is Is it In our hearts That salvation Not the salvation That belongs to Religious flesh Plenty of that about Brought up under The sound of truth Yes Accepted in one's head Yes Knowledgeable In religious things Yes Oh friends How solemn To be found In this place And to come short Of an experimental Knowledge Of salvation To be found In Christ Here's the necessity The character Then again

[5:53] We must set forth It is a sinner Born in sin Shapen in iniquity No different to any other A day of unregeneracy As out of the womb A day of unregeneracy Even if it be Brought into the house of God As a child And a continuation of it There is no change Until the spirit of God Quickens that one And sets in his heart Knowledge What knowledge That he is a sinner That he needs mercy That without mercy There is condemnation And that if There be condemnation That hateful word To proud Religious nature

[6:54] Hell Will be your portion Doesn't it come close Friends It only comes close If the Lord Has begun a work in you For men hear These things Again and again And it goes over Their heads Or runs off them Like water Off a duck's back There is nothing in it Oh what a mercy It is then To be concerned To truly ask oneself The question Has the Lord Dealt with me Has he made these things Real in my heart Has he given me A concern As to where I shall spend Eternity For my friends Eternity is Before us each And none of us Know how soon There is surely No need to remind you That men day

[7:54] Every minute Of the day Somewhere And within Our own notice From time to time We hear of them It happened In my own case Only two or three Doors from me The early part Of the week A man In the moment Of time Had gone Never to return Could be you Tonight Here is the Solemnity of it This God With whom We have to do Gives no account Of his matters Nor will he ask Any of us Whether we want To die or not He takes away Our breath We are gone And Tis a settled Eternity Tis already Settled Heaven or hell

[8:57] Men The cynical Men Say What then Why should We be Concerned If Tis settled If eternity Is the place Where men Must go And Of the two Places Tis settled Where each Of us Shall go Out of them What need We to worry A cynical Man Who oft times Speaks of fate Has no Knowledge Of grace People of God How a concern Have you A concern To know Oh how dreadful The thought What if my soul Be sent to hell You can't always Say it

[9:57] Can you His righteous Law Approves it Well So my Friends Can we Try and See where We are Seek to Know whether The Lord Has indeed Begun with Us The text Is a Wonderful Word This Is the Lord's Doing First Of all I'm going To just Touch For a Few Moments And the Way He Has done It That Which Will Be in Men's Minds Whether We be Critical Of how It's in Their Minds Or not In the Next Few Days Christmas Men Will be Talking Of the Birth Of Jesus We've Read About It Tonight Eternal

[10:59] God A Triune Jehovah For Sore People Determined In that Determined Purpose Of love To have A people Saw Them Utterly Ruined In The Fall As Yet Uncreated In Adam But In That Great Foreknowledge Of The Living God He Knew Man Would Utterly Destroy Himself Yet Determined This People Shall Be My People And I Will Be Their God But Away Must Be Found This God Hates Sin Will Hate Sin Right Through Time Until He Finally Deals With Sin Sin Unpardon Sin He Made A Way For This People He Took Of His Own Dear Son

[11:59] And In That Full Agreement Between Father Son And Spirit The Way Was Made The Eternal Son Of God Was To Leave His Glory For A Time Come Into This Low World To Be Born Of A Woman Under The Law Made Flesh And Blood Without Sin To Be Born Of The Virgin Mary That Holy Thing Set In Her Womb By The Eternal Spirit No Man Had Any Hand In This The Work Of A Holy God For That Holy Thing In Her Womb Must Be Undefiled Defiled Came Into This Lower World As Recorded In The Chapter We Read And

[13:00] The Devil Set Up Opposition Right Away For This Is The Lord's Doing Twas His Eternal Purpose Salvation For A People And It Was To Be Accomplished Through The Work Of His Own Dear Son Twas To Be A Perfect Work Sin Was To Be Put Away Forever His Holy Law To Be Fulfilled In Every Jot And Tittle Infinite Justice Fully Satisfied And The People Made Holy As He Is Holy The Devil Reared His Ugly Head The Purpose Right At The Very Onset Was To Destroy This Purposed Work Of Salvation He Worked

[14:00] In The Heart Of Herod Set Up In Herod's Heart Jealousy For Here Was Reported To Be The King Of The Jews King Of Israel Herod Would Have None To Stand Before Him Or Stand Over Him None To Be Exalted Over Him His Purpose Now Was To Destroy The Child At Birth And So Under The Inspiration Of That Great Adversary Satan He Spoke To The Three Wise Men The Object Find Out Where Jesus Was Born Where He Lay The Very Place And Then Under The Guise Of Going

[15:00] To Worship Him To Destroy Him My Friends This Is The Lord's Doing That Jesus Came Into This World None Shall Stay His Hand No Matter No Matter what He Puts His Hand To None Shall Overthrow It What A Favour To Be Brought Here At Times And To See Then That Anything That Concerns Us If We Can Find Our Interest In This Precious Name Jesus Whatever The Lord Puts His Hand To On Our Behalf Neither Man Nor Devil Will Ever Be Able To Overthrow The Wise Men Didn't Go Back To Herod The Lord Didn't Permit That The

[16:00] Lord Directed Them To Return To Their Home Another Way Herod Tried Still Further Under That Great Adversary In His Heart To Destroy All The Babes Two Years Old And Under But Jesus Wasn't There Gone Into Egypt The Lord Had Made All Arrangements For His Life Nothing Should Destroy The Work Of Salvation This Is The Lord's Doing Now My Friends Here Is The Beginning Tis What We Shall Hear Of Frequently In The Next Few Days

[17:01] Christ Jesus Came Into The World Born In Bethlehem We Shall See Here And There Cribs Hear Men Talking Of The Wonderful Birth Of Christ What Is Needed Knowledge In Our Hearts Not To See These Things Outwardly Not To Hear Men Talking About It But To Know Without A Doubt He Came Into This World For Me You Me This Is The Lord's Doing He Convinces Of Sin This Great Work Of God In Sending His Own

[18:01] Dear Son Into This Lower World Was To Obtain That Which He Had Eternally Decreed Should Be Obtain Full Satisfaction For Your Sins This Is What It Must Be Friends Again And Again I Say It Is No Good Hearing For Another You Got To Hear For Yourself You Got To Be Able To Say Christ Jesus Came Into The World To Save Me Or Else You Go To Hell Doesn't It Matter Oh How Many Today Seem To Be Satisfied With The Letter Of Truth How Many Are Satisfied With

[19:01] Hearing These Things And Looking At Them In The Abstract That Is To Do With Somebody Else Not You As There Needs Be To Be Right Friends The Lord Then Begins A Work In His Dear People By Convincing Them Of Sin And Leading Them Into The Pathway Of Prayer Do You Pray Not Formally Not Pray That You Can Remember Next Time Do You Pray My Friends For Mercy Here's The Character For As The Lord Convinces His Dear People Of Their Sins He Leads Them Into The Pathway

[20:01] Of Exercise And Need Of Mercy God Help Me God Help Me God Help Me Is That Reality To You Do You Know What It Is To Speak That Language In Secret You Don't Have To Shout It From The House Tops You Don't Have To Tell Your Fellow Or Your Nearest And Dearest Is The Way You Walk It Is To Tell The Living God It's The Only Way You'll Get To Heaven Sinner Communion With With With Him Who Can Send You To Hell Unless You Be Found In Christ But This People Whom The Lord Loves As He Quickens Them Into Life Convincing Them Of

[21:01] Sin He Makes Manifest He's Put His Precious Grace In Their Hearts There Is No Turning Back Now This Character My Friends Having Been Brought Into A Knowledge Of His Utter Ruin He Prays For Mercy And He Obtains Mercy You Come In There This Is The Lord's Doing What Is Mercy It Is To Know A Little Of Peace It Is To Have Been Brought Into That Place Of Realization That The Lord Has Heard You Cry It Is To Have Settled In Your Heart Something That Will Often Be Unsettled

[22:02] The Knowledge That Is Your God Can You Come In It Got To Be Real Things Friends Else You'll Come Short And This Is The Only Way It Is A Sinner Saved By Grace Who Finds Access Of The Mercy Seat Because It Has Been Foreordained That He Should Plead For Mercy And That Mercy Should Flow Through Jesus And His Precious Atoning Blood You Come This Way Well Then My Friends We Come Again To That Which Is An Essential Part Of A Child God's Life Experience And That Experience Will Most Surely Be A

[23:03] Continuing Need Of The Help Of God What A Place It Is Is It Any Wonder The World Don't Want To Know Is It Any Wonder Proud Nature Who Hasn't Been Touched By The Finger Of God Won't Walk This Way Doesn't Want To Walk This Way But Says Again And Again I Can Manage I Got Wisdom I Got Natural Ability I Got Strength I Not Going To Lean Upon A God I Can't See The Child Of God Is Brought Of Necessity Into That Place Of Leaning Upon This God He Knows The Meaning Of The

[24:03] Word Recorded Here In The Psalm In The Eighth Verse It Is Better To Trust In The Lord Than To Put Confidence In Man For He Finds As He Journeys Along Through Life That Men Are Rotten Props The Best Of Men Are As A Briar Edge He Finds They Let Him Down Again And Again He Finds Those Who Are His Friends At Times Have No Time For Him When He's Got Trouble Things Are Alright When They Are Alright There's Only One Place To Look To The Living God You

[25:04] Got An Experience Of These Things In A Word My Friends Have You Got A Cross To Carry The Lord Knows For All His Dear People Have Got A Cross And It's Something That's Very Personal It's Something That Brings Them From Time To Time To The Uttermost Ends Of The Earth Why Do You Have A Religion Like This Why Don't You Choose Something Better Why Don't You Run With The Giddy Multitude In The World Because The Lord Hath Made A Difference Because This Is The Lord's Doing Because He

[26:04] Has Determined You Will Go To Heaven At Last But What A Path Way Children Of God From Time To Time Wonder Where The Scene Will End Perhaps There's Someone Here Tonight Like That Something In Your Life You Can't Manage May Well Have Come About Quite Suddenly A Great Mountain A Deep Valley Something That's With You Continually That's Nagging At You All The While How Are You Going To Manage How Will You Get Through The Day How Will You Meet This Or That What Will Happen Next Week Or Perhaps Next Year The

[27:06] Anxiety Of A Child Of God At Times Brings Him Exceedingly Low This Is The Lord's Doing How Ridiculous It All Seems The Devil Says What A Fool You Are To Walk In Such A Way As This Can't Manage Why If You Hadn't Got This Religion That Keeps On Pulling You Down You Be Able To Do The Things You Used To Do You Be Able To Manage You Wouldn't Be Groaning In Spirit What Am I Going To Do What Will The End Be The Lord Knows What He Will Do This Is

[28:06] The Lord's Doing That You Got Something That Brings You To The Mercy Seat Something That Is Going To Open To You The Language Of The Psalmist Experimentally It Is Better To Trust In The Lord Than To Put Confidence In Princes That Is Even Those Who Stand In Such High Places Of Authority Men Of Natural Wisdom Men Who Are Able To Do Many Things Because They Have The Opportunity To Do To Do It In This World But It Is No Good To A Child Of God Who Has Something Laid Upon Him Found Under The Word Before Us Tonight This Is The Lord's Doing The Man Of Natural Wisdom Won't Be Able To Make A Way For You

[29:06] When The Lord Has Decreed You Walk In A Dark Valley For A Season No Man Of Natural Wisdom However Great His Ability Will Be Able To Lift You Out Of That Dark Valley It Is The Lord's Doing Why It Is To Bring You To The Mercy Seat It Is To Confirm In Your Heart My Friends He Loves You What By Permitting You To Walk In Trouble No By Delivering You Out Of That Trouble By Showing You That He Is The Almighty God The Lord God Omnipotent By Showing You That He Knows The Way That You Take And That He Is Able To Save To

[30:07] The Utter Most That Nothing Is Too Hard For Him What A Merciful God He Is For If You Are This Character My Friends It Will Be At Times A Rebellious Spirit Do You Know That Way Why Should It Be Like This Are You Any Stranger To It In Secret Why I've Done The Best I Can I've Tried To Lay It Before The Lord Yet It All Goes Wrong It Is Very Nearly Saying I Don't Deserve It Rebellious Spirit Yet It Is Of The Lord's Doing Not Your Rebellious Spirit But The Pathway

[31:07] You're Walking In You Haven't Come In It By Chance He For Knew Your Pathway Before You Were Born And He Decreed Every Step Of It It's To Keep Your Soul Alive It's To Ensure That You Won't Destroy Yourself Children Of Israel The Record In That 107th Psalm Sets Forth Again And Again Then They Cried Unto The Lord In Their Trouble And He Delivered Them Out Of Their Distresses It Is Of The Lord's Doing Your Pathway Then My Friends Is In The Hands Of A Faithful Covenant Keeping Guard And He Never Will Turn Back From His Promise For He Hath Said I

[32:07] Will Never Leave Thee Nor Forsake Thee Yet Again He Declares Emphatically For The Benefit Of His Dear People I Am The Lord I Change Not If We Were To Stay Just There It Would Be Really All That Was Necessary But The Lord Confirms It Further By Saying Therefore Ye Sons Of Jacob Are Not Consumed Dear Jeremiah In His Lamentations How He Speaks Of These Things His Pathway Such A Deep One He Came To The Conclusion The Lord Was Against Him He Opens Up A Chapter In The Lamentations By Saying I Am The Man That Hath Seen

[33:07] Affliction By The Wrot Of His Wrath He Hath Led Me And Brought Me Into Darkness But Not Into Light Surely Against Me Is He Turned He Turneth His Hand Against Me All The Day But Then He Comes To A Wonderful Place Where He Says It Is Of The Lord's Mercies That We Are Not Consumed Because His Compassions Fail Not They Are New Every Morning Great Is Thy Faithfulness This God Is Your God Sinner Isn't He Where Would You Be Were He Not Your God Where Would You Be Now Had He Not Helped You Hither To Had He Not Made Ways In Those Places Where There Were No Ways Where You Were At Times On The Very Edge Of The Precipice

[34:08] Why Didn't You Go Over Because Underneath Were The Everlasting Arms The Eternal God Thy Refuge Change This Is The Lord's Doing The Psalmist Says It Is Marvelous In Our Eyes Why Do We Say This I'll Tell You Friends Because If It Is Indeed The Lord's Doing That He's Brought You This Way That He Has Appointed Your Pathway Brought You Into This Place Where Again And Again You Seek To Commit Your Way Unto Him In That There Is That Exercise Cry In Your Heart Lord Help Me Surely You Will Say Why Me Why Me Oh

[35:08] Blessed God Why Such A Wretch As Me Who Must Forever Lie In Hell Were Not Salvation Free Not Empty Repetition Friends Of The Words But A Real Exercise In Your Heart Why Indeed As The Lord Looked Upon Me A Wretched Hell Deserving Sinner Why Why Did He Choose Me Out Of The Mass Of Humanity Set His Love Upon Me Undeserving As I Am It Is Marvelous In Our Eyes My Friends As We Can Look Upon This Word And Say Yes I Do Know A Little Of It It Is A Wonderful Thing Indeed It Is Marvelous In Our Eyes Because

[36:08] There Is A Certainty Salvation Is Yours The Lord Hath Not Dealt With You After Your Sins But Instead Set You In Christ He Sees You Continually In That Glorious Finished Work Of His Own Dear Son His Love Passeth All Human Understanding He Will Never Turn Back He Never Give You Over To The Enemy He Never Leave You To Yourself To Destroy Yourself His Eyes Upon You He Jealous Of You You Belong To Him By Purchase The Purchase Of His Own Precious Blood This Is The Lord's Doing Is

[37:09] It Worth It Oh How Many The Time The Child God Gets That Question Set In His Heart By The Evil One That Great Adversary Is It Worth It And A Father Joe H A Peace到 was dead and out of it rather than continue in a pathway like this. It's sin. And if the Lord dealt with me with regard to that sin he surely would cut me off forever. But that great adversary of souls knows the utter ruin even of the dear people of God in their flesh.

[38:15] And he plays upon their disposition. For there is no difference in the flesh to any other.

[38:26] It is grace and grace alone that subdues sin and it is the precious blood of Jesus Christ alone that hath put away that sin whereby there is no condemnation. This is the Lord's doing. It is marvellous in our eyes. Now let's see if we can find some comfort, consolation, joy. You've got a pathway you can't bear at times. A pathway that tries you oh so much that sometimes it is how shall I get through the day. Perhaps waking up early in the morning in the darkness, depressed, depressed, cast down, what will the day bring? Perhaps it is with you but another day a repetition of what has gone through the day. A pathway that tries you oh so much that sometimes it is how shall I get through the day. Perhaps waking up early in the morning in darkness, depressed, depressed, cast down, what will the day bring? Perhaps it is with you but another day a repetition of what has gone before. There seems to be no deliverance. This is the Lord's doing. He's brought you to that place of total dependence upon you.

[39:39] You can't go anywhere else can you? When in that condition you can't find any comfort or consolation in man. You can't find any possible help in your soul.

[40:06] Does it not bring out of your heart, if not in actual words, save Lord or I perish. It's keeping you alive, keeping your soul alive. There's a foundation to all this, friends.

[40:31] And this dear man, the eternal Son of God, who came into this low world, a bay, born in Bethlehem, unwanted, no room in the inn, not wanted by man. He came unto his own. His own received him not.

[40:55] But he came for one grand purpose. To ensure you should endure to the end. Pass through all the changing scenes of time under the help of the ever living God.

[41:17] To be sustained, succored and supported by him who is able to do all things. Because this dear man.

[41:29] Because this dear man stood in your room, place and stead. That in the time state, as he continued through life, he fulfilled the whole holy law of God.

[41:47] Made it completely holy again. Made it completely holy again. Satisfactory in every possible way to the living God who demanded it should be so.

[42:07] And in the ultimate, he laid down his holy life. To pay those demands of infinite justice, blood for blood.

[42:19] He saw me ruined in the fall, yet loved me notwithstanding all. He saved me from my lost estate.

[42:32] His loving kindness. Oh, how great this is the Lord's doing. He took of his dear son and gave him into the hands of wicked men.

[42:48] He bore the curse of sin, your sin. He endured those awful sufferings on Calvary's tree in body, mind and soul as there was set before him that joy.

[43:09] The joy that he knew would be fully satisfied. That joy which one day will culminate in a glorious triumphant church around the throne.

[43:33] You amongst them. But it's now, isn't it? There's the foundation. And the word again declares, if the foundations be destroyed, what shall the righteous do?

[43:50] But the foundation can never be destroyed. For the foundation is that accomplished work. When the Lord Jesus on Calvary's tree cried out in ecstasy, it is finished.

[44:09] The salvation accomplished. The sin of the whole church of God taken into the world of forgetfulness, never to be seen again to consign them to hell.

[44:25] Payment God cannot twice demand. First at my bleeding short his hands and then again at mine.

[44:37] This is the Lord's doing. This is the Lord's doing. And it is marvelous in our eyes that he should take of his co-equal, co-eternal Son and lay upon him the iniquity of his dear people, your sins and mine.

[45:00] But we come again then to that great matter. We're still in the world.

[45:12] Oh, how easy it is for a man, a man of religion, to speak about these things and say, Well, it's going to be all right.

[45:25] Nothing to worry about. For Jesus died. But my religion is a practical one. I know what it is to worry, friends.

[45:38] And I believe the people of God do. We come again and again to that place. Lord, I believe.

[45:51] Help thou mine unbelief. Can't take hold in ourselves. But, friends, this is the Lord's doing.

[46:07] He's opened the mercy seat. It's never closed, night nor day. And Jesus sits on the mercy seat.

[46:19] And he waits to be gracious. And the child of God finds himself in that same place again. Lamentations of Jeremiah.

[46:33] He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out. He hath made my chain heavy. Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.

[46:45] This is it, isn't it? The pathway, such a tried one. Though we know there is the mercy seat.

[46:58] And it's open night and day. It's getting there, isn't it? He shutteth out my prayer. I cry and shout.

[47:09] What way? Rebellion. My friends, again and again, there is a need, a particular need.

[47:25] Lord, deliver me from myself. We've got to be brought into that place where Hezekiah had to come to.

[47:36] He turned his face toward the wall. You and I have got to turn away from ourselves, too. That's the place when He turned his face toward the wall.

[47:49] He turned away from everything else. And he cried out of his heart, Oh Lord, I am oppressed. Undertake for me.

[48:02] What a need there is of reality. Though the Lord set His precious grace in our hearts, There is the experience of the hymn writer, Rebellious thou hast been, and art rebellious still.

[48:23] Oh, the blessedness, friends. It is the Lord's doing. It is marvelous in our eyes that He should say, But since in love I took thee in, My promise I'll fulfill.

[48:43] I've bound thee up secure, safe from the rage of hell. The curse thou never shalt endure, for I'm unchangeable.

[48:54] Your pathway hasn't come by chance. Your trials don't come by chance either. The devil, though he rejoices when he sees you cast down, He's not the author of your trials.

[49:08] The Lord permits them. Oftentimes they come about through one's own folly, One's own sins, But they're under the permitted hand of your God.

[49:20] He won't lay upon you more than you can bear. I know that could be a clich. So easy to say. But tis true, my friends.

[49:33] For the Lord loves His dear people with an everlasting love. Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love.

[49:44] Therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee. You see, again and again, We come to that place of realization.

[49:57] We don't understand the Word of God. We can so easily quote His ways, And not our ways, nor His thoughts, our thoughts.

[50:08] But do we accept it when we come into these places of trial? Something we can't understand. Easy to say He is a sovereign God, Except when He lays His rod upon us.

[50:22] We are brought so low, Then to accept His sovereignty, His right to deal with us as He will. But the Lord will not alter His ways.

[50:37] His ways are past finding out to the human mind. But He works according to the counsel of His own will.

[50:50] The outcome of it all will be everlasting peace. Yes, I shall endure to the end, As sure as the earnest is given, More happy but not more secure, The glorified spirits in heaven.

[51:13] Have you never been there? Never said that? My friends, It would be a sorry condition to be in, If all our pathway was darkness.

[51:26] But there have been times, Surely when we've set Him up on high, King Jesus. When we've been able to say, Precious, precious Jesus, Thou art my Jesus, And thou knowest I love thee.

[51:47] It is one thing set against another. But this is the Lord's doing. It is marvelous in our eyes, That He bears with us, Puts up with us, Our unfaithfulness, Our unfaithfulness, Our backslidings, Our determination at times, As we walk in that pathway, I'm not going to have this man to reign over me.

[52:21] A long suffering God, It is marvelous in our eyes. What is the purpose of it all?

[52:33] He led them forth by the right way, That they might come to a city of habitation. There remaineth therefore a rest, For the people of God.

[52:50] There's going to be an outcome. There's going to be an end. And thine expectation shall not be cut off.

[53:01] Quite good to find that proven in the time state too, That when one comes into these strange places, These deep places of trouble, And there seems as though there was to be no end to it all, The Lord makes a way.

[53:20] He opens a door that wasn't there naturally. He overcomes the trial. There is an end. And thine expectation has not been cut off.

[53:35] The expectation of him being your God, An all-sufficient God, Proving that same way as the leper of old did, Lord, if thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.

[53:55] The same return that ever will be, Jesus touched him, I will be thou clean.

[54:07] Is it a strange pathway to you with regard to that? Dare you say that all through your experience, It's been trial after trial, Never a time when Jesus has touched you, Melted your poor heart, Enabled you to say, Father, thy will be done.

[54:35] My friends, Tis a blessed way, Not till the flesh never will be, Tis a blessed way, For the Lord has ordained, By these things men live, He keeps your soul alive, He'll keep you near your God, And ultimately there'll be that time, When he takes you home to glory.

[55:09] Dare you say you'll never look forward to that? I know, Nature doesn't want to think of death, Ruin nature, Doesn't want to leave this world, But let's bring it closer still, Tis natural surely, If one has loved ones, They don't want to leave them, Don't want to leave everything behind, That is legally right, And surely it is legally right, To love one's dear ones, Want to be with them, And to consider, And to consider, How they will fare, As you're taken away, Here's nature, But the Lord hath prepared for his dear people, Heaven, Heaven,

[56:10] To be with Jesus, To be with Jesus, You never looked forward, With hope, Not lightly to turn away from these things, That tie you to the earth, To be with Jesus, But sometimes to look forward, With a sweet desire, To see him whom my soul loveth, To be swallowed up in his love forever, Never more to part, To be able to say, My lovely Jesus, All my desire is before thee, One day, Take me home, No more to part, To be swallowed up in everlasting love, Amen.