Psalm

[0:00] has helped turn to Psalm 119, reading verse 175.

[0:13] Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee, and let thy judgments help me. Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee, and let thy judgments help me.

[0:37] Our thoughts this morning led us in various experiences that I believe we have known and felt and tasted ourselves.

[0:58] In our pilgrimage to some of us many years of traveling in the path, shall I say, of tribulation.

[1:14] But we believe at times these things we mentioned this morning has been sanctified to us. And this short prayer, let my soul live, has been handed down to us through many, many generations.

[1:38] And it will continue. And it will still be the real desire, heartfelt desire, of every living soul.

[1:52] Living in Christ, upon Christ, in the covenant of divine grace. Every one that is taught of God.

[2:05] So it's a prayer, my friends, will never die out. And we can say, as we mentioned this morning, that this is our prayer.

[2:22] Let my soul live. And in answer, and by the mercy of God, it will continue throughout a never-ending eternity. For the souls of such people will not be lost.

[2:40] They will not fall into that place where the devil will be forever and the wrath of God. Let my soul live.

[2:52] Well might we pray the prayer that we might be prepared. Prepare us, gracious God. I've mentioned it a time or two today. And if that prayer is answered, our soul will live and live forever in heaven.

[3:11] Not in the pit of corruption. Oh, we can see as if we go along more and more in this short prayer. Let my soul live.

[3:22] It's this side the grave and the other side the grave. It's doing this life and doing eternity to live.

[3:34] Let my soul live. All depends upon the Lord, not us. We can do nothing in this matter. I believe again we have read today that God first loved us before we loved him.

[3:53] How many today say, well, we do love Christ and we've given our heart to him and many other things that they've done.

[4:03] But a child of God comes here, poor, helpless, undone. And they're the ones that can enter into our prayer in the text.

[4:17] Let my soul live. And there must be a preparing by the Holy Spirit for our souls to live in heaven glory.

[4:31] Oh, how we need the Holy Spirit then to lead us, teach us, to be with us, to humble us, and give us those blessings that we have so often sought for.

[4:50] Let my soul live. Dear friends, we're completely helpless in this matter. Entirely resting. I believe the other evening I made somewhat remark about the bride coming up out of the wilderness.

[5:10] Or coming from the wilderness, leaning upon her. This is the very experience of these people who desire this, that their soul should live.

[5:22] Not resting upon themselves. Not resting upon their strength, their own ability, self-righteousness, and so on. They are entirely falling, shall I say, into the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ, their Savior.

[5:41] I know that no other can do. Without me, he can do nothing. Jesus is the one thing needful. I, without him, perish much. Yes.

[5:52] Needful in all stations. Needful in all life. Needful at all times. Oh, to feel it more. If so, we shall come deeper and deeper into these words of our text.

[6:07] Let my soul live. And thinking upon this afternoon service caused me, my mind to go to the portion we have read in the Gospel of John, of the fruit.

[6:24] You know, where there's fruit, spiritual fruit, there's life. If there's no spiritual fruit. Well, the Lord gave a solemn word to his disciples, did he not?

[6:40] No fruit upon the branch. How often do I feel we've got no fruit? That is spiritual. Fruit of sin, but not of us, spiritual.

[6:55] Well, the Lord has said, cut it out. No good to me. No fruit? Well, we know that naturally, don't we? If there's a tree and bears no fruit year after year, year after year, it might as well be cut down and burnt.

[7:12] And so it is from God's viewpoint. With those who have no fruit upon the branch, cut it down. But he has seen at times a little fruit.

[7:27] It might be your thoughts at this time. Do I bear a little? If there's a little, dear friend, upon our branch, that is fruit acceptable, God, God has given it.

[7:42] And that branch, you will not be cut down. You will not be destroyed under this rod because there's a little root. And how often we feel we, well, if we've got any, it's only a little.

[7:56] A little that a righteous man hath. Really? A little. Well, it points to me, dear friends, there's life. And if there's life, who has given the life?

[8:07] Very true. Life. Why, the Lord, will he destroy then? Can he destroy the work that he has commenced in the heart of a poor sinner? No. So what's he have got?

[8:19] Well, he has told us in that blessed portion, you're purging. There's a cutting down. There's an entering into the furnace.

[8:31] Certain things must be cut down or destroyed, but not the old branch. Because there's sap, and that's coming through Christ himself. And through the Trinity, as we read at times, that it is in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

[8:54] Let my soul live. Live. And what is the fruit? Well, we mentioned one or two of them this morning.

[9:04] And I believe the greatest and most acceptable to God is this. To bow at his feet does nothing but as a poor and needy sinner seeking him.

[9:18] And that's most God honouring. He accepts that fruit. He can see, may I say it, he can see Calvary. He can remember what he has done for you on Calvary's cross.

[9:32] Where he has opened the way whereby you may be cleansed from your many, many sins. Let my soul live.

[9:43] It's the cry of the living. To bear more fruit. And I believe we hinted upon one or two this morning, such as more faith.

[9:56] Did we enter a little into the pathway of love? Oh, I'm often troubled. I don't know how you feel. But I'm often troubled to see so little love in my heart toward him.

[10:08] There has been times, I believe, when I felt that that he showed me a little what love he has manifested to one.

[10:19] So poor and wretched. Oh, that great love in coming. In suffering. In the garden of the Severe. And the Calvary.

[10:31] Oh, what love, dear friends. Laid down his life for the ransom of many. Laid it down willingly. And in love in his soul. Let my soul live in love toward him.

[10:44] It's right that we should live in love to brethren. We know we are part of death unto life because we love the brethren.

[10:57] Is that so? I believe it is so with you. And that's the one reason why you come to the house of God and gather together from time to time. There's a little love.

[11:10] And may this love flow from heart to heart. Let my soul live in love. Love to him what he has done.

[11:20] And also love to the brethren. Oh, it's his most blessed when a brethren can walk together in love. One toward the other.

[11:32] It's sin if it's otherwise. And that sin will meet forgiveness. Let my soul live in love. And if we are in the love of Christ.

[11:43] Well, we should desire to follow him in his various pathways. As this dear man says, Oh, how love I thy law.

[12:01] It is my meditation all today. Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies.

[12:14] For they are ever with me. Now understand more than the angels. Because I keep thy precepts.

[12:26] All the times the dear man speaks and cries out for blessings that will bring his soul into the love, deeper love, toward his Saviour and his Redeemer.

[12:40] And that's my soul then live in love. Oh, I wish it could be so in my heart. There be more running, my friends, to the house of God. There will be.

[12:52] I wish it could be with me as it was in the years when I, can I say, was dangled upon the knees of the Lord Jesus Christ early night, when he often spake to me when there was a coming to the house of God in dark.

[13:13] For many years, many years, I had the key, I still have it, actually, of a little chapel at Hawkerst, when I was living at Hawkerst.

[13:29] And the old deacon, Mr. West, how he asked me to go in and open the ventilators of a morning, or at least Monday mornings and close on Saturdays, before the services on Sunday.

[13:51] My friend, I felt the pleasure and I felt it a horror to do it. Yes. And I think I can say words fail me to describe what I had felt in that little sanctuary when no eye could see me but God.

[14:08] And no ear to ear my cries in that sanctuary when I was troubled and burdened under the exercise of the ministry and many other things that laid upon me in those days.

[14:24] Oh, I breathe there's some love in my heart towards that place and more to the one who dwelt there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

[14:41] Let my soul live in love. I've often quoted, no date in your hearing it seemed to come again, the words of the girl.

[14:59] She died very young in years. What did she say? Give me a Bible in my hand, a heart to read and understand the sure and early word.

[15:11] I'll urge no company to stay but sit alone day by day and converse with my God. Love, difference. No hatred there.

[15:24] Love, heart, must be in full and love into the word, into the word. Is the word of God the scriptures being made powerful to you?

[15:38] And if so, I'm sure this is drawn at your affections and drawn at your heart and your love toward the writer, shall I say. It's the inspired word of God written by the Lord's prophets and servants but overluled by the third person in the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.

[16:03] Let my soul live. Is it your desire? I believe it's mine. I'm sure it's yours to live in that fruit of love, to live in it.

[16:15] Dear friends, what would the world be to us if we were enabled to live in the love of Christ? Be nothing. Nothing at all. Just a shadow as it were passing over.

[16:29] We cannot love the world. We cannot serve God and man. We cannot love the world and things of it and the sins of it and love the Lord too. No.

[16:39] It's one or the other. And the Lord so works in us by his Holy Spirit to drive out in some measure the world, the spirit of the world and give us grace to be seeking more earnestly the blessings that he bestows upon his chosen vessel to mercy.

[17:03] So, let my soul live. And this prayer, my friends, to live in love, to live in it, to all times, that means heaven.

[17:19] Heaven, glory. Glory. Yes. There are other atmosphere there. No atmosphere to the world or a cell. It's love.

[17:30] Love. There's a verse where I don't know if I can quote it. Heaven is that holy happy place where sin no war defiles.

[17:43] I believe it reads something like this where Jesus sits with smiling face and loves. True he does. Let my soul live then.

[17:56] Really, in this short prayer of four words, let my soul live, it's asking for heaven. Let my soul live in love, it's for heaven.

[18:07] Nowhere other place, no love in hell. No peace there, it's heaven. Let my soul live in love.

[18:25] And in the profession, now we've made at least some of us a profession of his name. I mentioned something about this morning, I believe, following the Lord in his commandments and rightly so.

[18:44] And you'll be, the faith will be tried before, and faith will be tried afterwards. yes, Satan may set at you more than perhaps ever before if you should mention a desire to follow the Lord.

[19:03] But the Lord can turn out Satan and his many suggestions. And he has told us in his word to resist the devil and he will flee from us.

[19:14] The devil is a liar. God is true. And this is the commandment, follow me. Let my soul live in the profession of the name of Christ.

[19:31] Too far short I've gone. I've often thought of those words, it was sung when I was baptized for the late dear Lord Mr.

[19:44] Kemper Bittenden. Let him after his example rise.

[19:56] Oh, far short I've thought many times I've come to that. After his example rise. Let my soul live. And here again dear friends, we could see a little of the love of the Lord Jesus in walking in that commandment to show us the way we should walk in love.

[20:18] In love. He did it in love. That we might follow in those same footsteps in love toward him. Knowing he had walked that path.

[20:29] Yes, that watery gray. Let my soul live. Yes, after his example rise.

[20:41] I thought of that hymn the other evening attending a baptizing service. And I thought, oh, how far short I've gotten in the following.

[20:52] But not that we can possibly friends walk out what Christ walked out. That's impossible. book. But we would desire in our profession to follow him as dear as we can as grace is given to us.

[21:14] Let my soul live. Well, we may go on in several other things, bearing more fruit to his honor and glory. But here text says this, and it shall appraise thee.

[21:31] How little do we acknowledge the Lord and his many masses. How little real praise cometh out of our hearts toward him for his many masses.

[21:52] Like a multitude, are they not? They are a multitude. Words something like this in the Lamentations of Jeremiah. He will not cast off forever, though he cause grief, yet his mercies.

[22:09] a multitude of mercies. And we find that so, and we desire to praise him. And it shall, if my soul lives, it shall praise him.

[22:21] That's the only time when we really and truly praise him, is when our souls are a lively exercise in spiritual things. And it shall praise thee.

[22:35] So, we could say with the psalmist, well, he did not hesitate over it, did he? He said, it shall, my soul shall, if I have my living soul, if it's exercised within my arms, if I see the mercies of God, then I shall praise him.

[22:56] Have we in any time, dear friends, been able to praise him? such a thing as praising him and singing when he comes to the heart, but it only just drops a mere lips, there's no praise to God in there.

[23:16] It's when our soul is alive, when we can sing with the very words that fits in with the very exercise of our soul, then we can praise him.

[23:36] Well, and it shall praise thee. How much we have to praise the Lord for in not only providence.

[23:49] We would not by no means overlook providential blessings, for God is a God of providence as well as a God of grace. To us as a nation, think of us as a nation, ruined in sin, and we departed from it all, yet God's promise still stands good, and he's faithful to his word, seed time, harvest, there's been a seed time, year by year, in gathering of the harvest, in gathering of the fruit, for man and for beast.

[24:26] Oh, how much we have to thank God for amidst all our sins, our own, sins in our denomination, and sins of the land, in our nation itself.

[24:39] Oh, how much we have to praise him for amidst all our wickedness, and it shall praise thee.

[24:51] But what are providential things compared with spirit to God? Oh, when we sin the doxology, how it brings in the trinity, does it not?

[25:06] Praise God from all the blessings flow, praise him all creatures here below, praise him above ye heavenly host, praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

[25:19] we often sung it, I believe in my own experience there's been a few times when I could sing heaven very hard.

[25:34] Sing it which is acceptable unto the Lord, and it shall praise him. Just for a few moments, just to think of these blessings in the Father.

[25:50] You know, if you've come here this afternoon with spiritual life in your soul, the Father's had, I was going to say, speak with all reverence, he's had his hand in it.

[26:01] He has. Praise him for his eternal love, from eternity to eternity, never to be removed.

[26:15] Never, think of it, his mercy endureth forever. Oh, we need to praise the Father for his many mercies.

[26:28] Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. The Father.

[26:43] Let my soul live, it shall praise the Father in sending his dear beloved son, his loved son, his begotten son.

[26:57] With him in heaven, he's sent into this earth to suffer, bleed, and die. Dear friends, oh, can we have some little view of the love of the Father in permitting, sending his dear son, whom he loved with an everlasting love, into a world to save sinners.

[27:24] Why, sometimes one stands amazed at the Lord of it. Amazed. let my soul live, and it shall praise thee, for that unspeakable wit, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

[27:46] Yes, sir, can we, by the help of God, say a little of the kindness of the Father, and the love in his Son, causing him to be willing to suffer for those whom the Father had chosen love from all eternity.

[28:19] Oh, should not our hearts at times bubble up in praise and love toward him, for his unspeakable wit, his Son, and then to think of the Son coming down from glory.

[28:39] Heaven, as we read at times in the eighth Proverbs, yes, with him, by him, daily denied, for the world was created.

[28:55] Oh, the wonder workings of God. Isn't he worthy to be praised, dear friends? Oh, if we have some little sweet experience of salvation in and through Jesus Christ, and how he has delivered us to come, that will cause a few notes of praise.

[29:20] Few, I say, it may cause many, but in the full there will be an eternity. Yes, that man, that real man, with wounds still gaping wide, by the seeding glory, to behold him there.

[29:37] let thy soul live, and it shall praise thee. Oh, what that dear man endured, no tongue can tell. One has said, to save my soul from death, from hell.

[29:52] praise him. And then this is thought, not only of him coming, and suffering, but oh, that wonderful way of deliverance from sin.

[30:11] Have you ever praised him? I know some of you have. You've praised him for the founting of his precious blood. precious blood.

[30:24] Nothing else, dear friend, can cleanse us. Nothing else can prepare our souls for heaven, that holy happy place. Nothing else. Blood, blood, blood.

[30:37] Not all the blood on Jewish waters, they could give the guilty conscience, he's all wash away one state. But there is a fountain. Jesus' precious blood.

[30:54] Oh, I wish I could exalt him, I wish I could lift him high and praise him, praise him for that wonderful way whereby he saves so poor vile sinners, deserving internal misery, yet be brought to stand upon a rock, the rock of good foundation, Jesus Christ himself.

[31:23] And it shall praise thee. And oh friends, we would praise the father in raising his dear beloved son from the grave, from the sepulcher, and praise him as he receded back into glory.

[31:42] Now there, and oh how we would desire to praise the one that gives us life, and keeps that life, spiritual life, alive in our souls, exercises our souls, and that's the work of the Holy Spirit.

[32:00] And therefore, we come back again to the doxology where it says praise father, son, and holy ghost.

[32:12] What's the work of the Holy Spirit? Well, he teaches us, he unfolds, he reveals Christ, he leads us, and it's the work of the Holy Spirit to prepare us.

[32:30] So the Holy Spirit, he leads us along, and oh much we have to praise him for it. Protect us from harm, provide that which is necessary, and above all he teaches us, by the Holy Spirit teaches us the way he brings us into some paths at times, which we, shall I say, rather against, kick against it maybe, or nature rebels against it, but it is for our God, little do we realise this, when we're in some path of tribulation, deep distress it may be, but it's for our good, it's a teaching in it ever.

[33:16] And all amounts to this, to separate us more from the world, and the things of it, the spirit of it, and to follow closer, and to be more diligent in search of eternal life.

[33:30] So the poor sinner says, let nice all in, whatever it may be, pass through. what he sees most fit, words of God from me, that the poor sinner comes, the poor belief, whatever the Lord does, the Holy Spirit, into one's life, in providence for the grace, it is the point path, and submit to it, and grace to fall under it.

[34:03] How often there's been, oh Lord, it may be laid upon us, we've fallen out with it, maybe some lot of affliction, there's been a murmuring under it, but oh, when we've got grace to fall beneath it, not my will, but thine be done.

[34:26] It is the Lord, let him do what seeming good. and it shall praise thee, and just a thought or two here, before we come to her little service, and let thy judgments help me, let thy judgments, the judgments, as it were, that the Lord lays upon us, in various ways, and the psalmist desired they may be sanctified, for he says, let thy judgments help me, be made more profitable to me, give me grace to accept the path thou hast designed for me, let thy judgments, as if the psalmist might be saying to himself, well, if I'm left to myself, in respect of these things, the Lord lays upon me,

[35:38] I shall burn that, I can't fall beneath it, but he says, help me, God's judgments, God's hands sometimes, in cross-handed things, in providence, the judgments of God, may be affliction, when he afflicts our bodies, and we look at it as being judgments of God upon us, to condemn us, but the psalmist says, may these things help us, I believe some of us have been brought to fall beneath the judgments of God, the rod of God, and say, even with one of whole, the prophet, I would bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, maybe in some affliction, and dear friends, sometimes, the judgments have been to us as it was to the psalmist, help me, do you see in his hand in it, you know, it's his power, a way he is designed for you, and there's a falling beneath it all, oh, what a mercy, how good the Lord has given us that grace, to bear these things, to endure these things, especially if we do not murmur against them, the judgments of God, you may be sure of this, if the

[37:13] Holy Spirit is thus working in us, in our heart, in our souls, it will be for the honor and glory of God, and for our good, sickening us of the world, and the things of the world, and causing us to be more fond of our Savior, and our Redeemer.

[37:37] Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee throughout eternity. Dear friends, there will never be an end of praise in heaven, in the Lord.

[37:53] I've quoted that verse, have I not? A man a real man, with wounds still gaping wide. Oh, to view that man, to remind us a little of his suffering, and what he passed through, that we have been brought to glory, to heaven, through his precious heart, and what is a healing, and what is he not?

[38:22] something to praise God for, what's here below. We praise him for a little faith to believe it, faith to do it, hope within our heart, and to be able to say, my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood, and righteousness, and it shall praise thee, and let thy judgments outplay.

[38:51] I feel I perceive it, dear friends. Just with this thought of a hymn, I turn the page down, the Savior lives no more to die, he lives to save the Lord enthroned on high, he lives triumphant o'er the grave, he lives eternally to save.

[39:13] Only three verses may I read it. He lives to still his people's fears, he lives to wipe away their tears, he lives to calm their troubled heart, he lives all blessings to impart, he lives all glory in his name, he lives unchangeably the same, he lives their mansions to prepare, he lives to bring them safely there.

[39:44] Better sermon, dear friends, in that hymn than all my ramblings. May the Lord bless his word. Amen. to be love.

[40:16] Thank you.

[40:46] Thank you.

[41:16] Thank you.

[41:46] Thank you.