[0:00] I would direct you to the chapter that we read in the book of Proverbs, chapter 30, and verses 8 and 9. The book of Proverbs, chapter 30, verses 8 and 9.
[0:23] Remove far from me vanity and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches.
[0:36] Feed me with food convenient for me. Lest I be full and deny thee and say, Who is the Lord?
[0:49] Or lest I be full and steal and take the name of my God in vain.
[1:00] It matters not who the writer is.
[1:19] Some have said this is solemn. But friends, the word says the words of Agur, the son of Jacob. It matters not.
[1:32] What it does matter, dear friends, is that this is the word of God.
[1:42] And it has been left on record for the teaching of the people of God.
[1:53] And although the book of the Proverbs is full of gracious instruction for life in general, yet underneath, dear friends, that the blessed spirit work in the son.
[2:15] And the expressions, dear friends, in the Proverbs, as God enables us to see by his spirit, you will find that these are the very breathings of the child of God.
[2:32] And we have before us this afternoon these breathings of the child of God. But let us just consider for a moment how good this is in a natural way.
[2:51] To be delivered from vanity. To be delivered from lies. That we might live honestly and uprightly before our fellows.
[3:09] Ah, dear friends, this is not salvation. But you know, the world looks upon the people of God. And it expects to find an example.
[3:29] Oh, may we be tender in the fear of God. As we walk before God and before the world. We feel the solemnity of God.
[3:42] In this day, we come into the house of God and we profess to worship Him. We profess to walk before Him.
[3:53] And in His fear. And what happens? We put our religion away. For their best time.
[4:08] Monday morning comes. And we're in the world. And up to our neck of it. Is this offering in God's sight? Oh, may we be given advice.
[4:26] To seek to walk up by faith. And tenderly in the fear of God. That those things that we utter.
[4:39] They're for men. Are truth and sadness. To be delivered, dear friends.
[4:51] From a deviant spirit. To be delivered from a lying tongue. God sees it. God sees it now. God sees it now.
[5:01] That in all our dealings. We may be clean and clear. In God's most holy sight. Let all things be done decently and in order.
[5:18] And in His holy fear. And then. He desires to be preserved and kept.
[5:32] From poverty. And from riches. Now let us consider that for a moment. In a natural way. The love of money.
[5:45] The love of money. Is the fruit of the people. Of all the people. So is it that. A word to our dear young friends.
[5:56] Here. This afternoon. You have your. Aspirations in this life. The word of God says this.
[6:12] In all my ways. Acknowledge Him. And He shall direct thy paths. And again.
[6:24] The word of God says this. Seek ye great things for yourself. Seek them not. You may look at your friends around you.
[6:43] Your colleagues around you. You may see them prospering. They have everything they have to desire. And they may appear to be happy. And you for so.
[6:55] And you are walking along. With very little. And with very little. And few prospects. Oh may you be preserved.
[7:05] From envying. The world of the wicked. That you may commit.
[7:16] Your way. Into His hand. Friends. It will be better for you. If you have to live in a shed in a world.
[7:26] With God in your heart. By divine grace. Than to live in a palace. And to know death.
[7:37] Eternal. Oh may we be given grace. To walk humbly. In that path which the Lord directs you.
[7:51] Whatever path that is that He leads you in dear men. If He's in it with you. You're the richest person. In the world. And so is every child of God.
[8:03] That walks in the path. Which God has directed them. With that sweet contentment. With their eyes up under Him. To supply their everything.
[8:17] May God bless you. With that. And give you that. Grace of contentment. Contentment. To walk that path. That He's leading you in.
[8:28] We need much grace. It may be a path of. Of poverty. It may be a path of riches. It may be something.
[8:40] Somewhere down the middle. But if God gives you grace. To walk in there. He'll also make you. Dependent upon Him. In it. But you see the.
[8:54] The writer here. Agur. Give me neither poverty. He wanted to walk tenderly before God.
[9:07] Don't bring me into such need. That I need to stay. I need to stay. And don't give me. So much of this. These things in this life.
[9:19] That causes me to be proud. And arrogant. And not. Dependent upon me. Gracious character.
[9:29] Gracious character wasn't he. But now. As we may be unable. We would.
[9:42] Look a little. Into. What we. Trust the Lord has opened to us. In regard to the.
[9:52] Spiritual application. All that. Now the word of God. Declares. That. Man.
[10:05] In his best state. Is. Altogether vanity. And that was the conclusion. Of Solomon. Vanity of vanities.
[10:19] All is vanity. Now dear friends. Has God. Begun to teach you. That your best side.
[10:36] Has he begun. To teach me. That. That my best side. Is altogether vanity. As fallen.
[10:50] And sons. And daughters. And daughters. Of Adam. Dear friend. We have. One. Desire. And that is.
[11:01] To make. Our home. Here. Black. To be comfortable. In this life. To be contented. In this life.
[11:11] To have as much excitement. As we can. In this life. And to live. To our own pleasure. Now that's our state. By nature.
[11:21] Is it? Do you find that? Do you find that working in your grace?
[11:36] Do you remember the time when it was so? Up to your neck in the world. And the things of it. You couldn't get enough of it. Could you? Do you find that?
[11:55] But blessed be God. By the teaching of the Holy Ghost. In the blessed work of regeneration. Dear friends.
[12:05] He opens his people's eyes to see vanity. Those things which cannot profit. Those things that are empty.
[12:21] Those things that are divine. So that in. Divine calling. Dear friends.
[12:31] There will be a separation. A separation. When God begins. Dear friends.
[12:44] By divine calling. He places within. His dear people's heart. A living principle. Divine grace. That can never save.
[13:05] And gives them to feel. By sweet revelation. By sweet teaching. Of the Holy Ghost. That anything. Short of Christ. Is vanity.
[13:15] Is vanity. And vexation. Of the spirit. Now this dear man knew that. Was taught that. Remove.
[13:27] Far from me. Vanity. Is that in your heart. And in mine. Vanity. What did he mean? Welcome to you.
[13:38] I'm verŅ. Well friend. Those things that cannot profit. Those things that are empty.
[13:48] is that in your heart and mine Lord preserve me from the world and the things I do preserve me from the love of time there will be the separation dear friend it won't be all at once to be here a little and there a little this separation from the love of the world ah yes some of you say I trust I've been in the way many years now but oh I find that my heart goes back into the world what's the difference now then dear friend well you mourn on account of it that's the difference now it's a burden to you that it is so you see we still have this wicked mind it hasn't been taken away but you see God's and kills it by sovereign grace is it not so dear friends remove from everything that separates me from my life remove from me everything that separates me from my life everything that separates me from the tender walking remove far from me everything that bars, hinders, sweet community now the world will do that and the love of it and the love of it friends we cannot have one foot in the world and one foot in religion the religion of the Holy Ghost is that separate dear young friends as we said earlier you have your aspirations but oh may we be given place to seek earth's the kingdom of God all these righteous things all these other things be added to you all that you have need
[16:28] God hasn't promised to supply all your wants that he has a promise to supply our needs and our needs oh may we as we come before him at the throne of Christ seek to pray in accordance with his will that he'll give us those things that are pleasing in his sight remove far from me Lord don't let it contaminate don't let it get in the eye the love of the world and the future do we know a little of this separation are you where you once were dear friends the love of time things the pursuit of time things the pursuit of earthly pleasures remove far from me this vanity it'll make you honest for the ways of God and then remove far from me vanity that is creature religion creature religion that's vanity it cannot profit it is worthless and useless and that is religion and that is religion and that is religion and that is religion and that is how many of us here have been brought up to the house of God in the veins well it may be all of those are thanks to you does it ever concern you dear friends that your religion has been acquired you might have learned it in the summer school you may have learned it around the family time you may have learned it in the house of God yes you know the truth you know when it's preached because you're used to it but dear friends is your religion of the heart has God begun with you has there been the application of the blessed spirit to your heart in taking the word of God and applying it do you know what it is dear friends to come in as a poor hell deserving sinner to plead your case to seek for mercy oh what a solemn word that is concerning
[19:55] Joseph and Mary as they came back from Jerusalem they thought that their son Jesus was in the company supposing him to be amongst the company that went a day's journey now how far have you and I gone dear friends supposing him to be in the company that is in your heart what evidence have I now one in whom the grace of God has been planted dear friends will have this desire in their heart remove far from me the vanity of an empty profession of a creature religion of a head knowledge oh it is good to read the scriptures it is good to have a knowledge of the scriptures but friends there is more to do it than that we need the application of the spirit to make the word of God sweet and blessed and powerful to ourselves that we may feed upon it that it may do us good and that was the desire of this dear man feed me with food convenient for me remove far from me that is you see I said that the grace of God in a man and a woman will make them honest and this will be your fear and your desire before God the fear will be this
[21:46] Lord don't let me be deceived deceived your one reality your one truth how is it with us dear friend and those that stand in a pulpit you are are no different oh how exercised we've been at night concerning Judas Iscariot if we may so to admit he stood in a pulpit he preached the word of God he was given gifts he met the brethren he walked about with them but they didn't spot him they didn't know the treachery in his heart he was not revealed until God revealed him and that's a most solemn matter and it's a most solemn burden to this poor son you see the heart knows it's own business and we know what is within dear friend that home of Skain's Hill just across the road there's a rooster but every time
[23:24] I go into air vestry at home this rooster crows away oh it comes it comes a denying remove far from me vanity lord don't let me bring anything to me which is not a life which is not a life smelling oh that we may give a chance to examine ourselves whether we be in the faith now do you desire that before God friend who began your religion who keeps your religion alive if God began it he'll keep it alive and he'll bring it to a blessed end remove far from me vanity dear young friend may you go home this day if you've never gone home before and may you bend down and kneel down in your room at home and seek out something like this lord give me living reality the religion of the holy god the religion of abraham isaac give me real things don't leave me destitute of my work in myself but do come and deal with me deal with me deal with me in mercy bring me to feel and know my lost condition and grant to me repentance on account of my sin he's promised to do that to give repentance unto
[25:50] Israel there's no vanity there dear son i'll tell you where vanity is it's shown manifested in that parable of those two that were in the temple i thank thee oh lord i'm not like this public that's vanity but but where was the living reality of religion dear friends it was in that public he couldn't lift up his eyes up unto heaven but spout upon his breast and cried god be merciful to me that's it this is the poor son that has this desire in air takes remove far from the vanity and lies lies i would have heard this is true to a living child life to live in life to live in deception friends we shall never deceive god we may deceive the we may deceive ourselves but we shall never deceive god we come very close doesn't we do some of us do we live alive is it a burden to you sometimes dear you know your heart as god opens it up to you and i know mine in that measure in which it's been revealed but let us answer this question of ourselves you you you you see we can be one thing in the house of god we can be another thing in home before our dear lives we can be another thing in secret and we can be another thing before our colleagues in the workplace god sees us exactly as we are wherever we are now if the grace of god is intended to exercise in your heart dear friend this desire will be god mine lord don't let me live mine just a minute one may be saying are you perfect then no dear friends and that's how I have to plead for my own experience for my own burdens as god reveals the evil the desperate wickedness is in my heart how many of us here know what it is and I believe to ask to ask that desire earnestly before god to live and to walk tenderly in his fear day by day wherever we are you see if you had secret you know i would i would not say this to in any way elevate myself far from it but you know in our office some few years ago now a young woman said to me she said there's something different about you what is it i said i don't know i don't know what is it she said you don't use strong language you don't swear she said there's something different now dear friend i leave it there because she didn't know what was in my heart and if she did she wouldn't have said that but you see the world watch satan is ready ever to bring a child of god down oh what christ we need to walk tenderly in the fear of god and not to walk alive i know i can't come close to this poor man but oh may we be made honest in the fear of god and friends if there's any of us here that are living in this path of vanity or living alive oh may we see to bring him to the throne of lives that we might be able to confess him before him create in the clean heart of god and renew life there's mercy there's mercy with him should there be one here to die there's mercy with him take him to confess it as he grants you that ability oh how easy it is isn't it to say that we're sinners we have abundant proof of it every day having been brought up under the sound of the gospel and as the word is opened up to us in a natural way we have abundant proof that we're sinners but friends there is this in it is one thing to say we're a sinner and it's another thing to know it is and that must be by the spirit of god lord show me what i am and lead to thy precious blood remove far from me vanity and lies and dear friends we bore in his bucket concerning an acquired religion in the head oh it's a solid matter to profess the name of lives it's a solid matter to walk before our fellows in a profession without the position oh what mommy it is oh to be preserved by it remove far from me vanity and lies now give me neither poverty nor riches i shall pass that by as the time has nearly gone but we hope to come to that as this may be kept upon the spirit lest i be full and deny thee and say who is the lord or lest i be poor and steel we would deal with it in that way the two together but now the dear writer says this feed me with food convenient for me the word convenient we often use it to die don't we convenient that which is pleasing to us that which we can cope with and deal with that's how we use it to die it's suitable convenient to go and see somebody they'll be prepared to receive it dear friends that doesn't mean it's not the meaning of the word here feed me with food convenient for me that which will do me good that which will be for my profit that which will be for thine honor and glory oh lord this is it that which is in accordance with thy will and purpose this is it my dear friend to feed me my dear friend if you feel to need feeding if you feel to need feeding dear friend you'll know what it is to hunger and if you're in this text friend you'll prove this that all vanity whatever it is this world a creature profession the love of time things all these things cannot feed your soul all they can do is dead and bring down to destruction but there's the earnest desire feed me lord how many of us this afternoon have come into the house of
[37:04] God seeking this feed me lord what is the desire you come in for a token you come in for a word you come in seeking a soft heart a tender spirit before God you come in seeking Jesus isn't this the desire of a seeking soul and this is what it is dear friends to desire to feed upon lives feed upon them you see there's different ways in which the lord will feed his people but we will speak of that firstly this afternoon concerning the desire of a living son and indeed a lively son would be this earnest in the spirit for the word of the lord to be made life and character is it a burden to you dear friends that you can come and go to the house of
[38:22] God you can come and go to the throne of grace you can come and go to the word of God yet you will see nothing it seems a vain thing to attend the house of God a vain thing to call upon God a vain thing to be the word of God and the adversary Satan will suggest that to you and you say what's the use give it up for that life which God has planted within dear friends will never die although faith hope and love may be there's a low and they'll never die and he'll stir you up dear friend to a desire to feed to feed one word will feed your soul one drop of heavenly deer let down into your soul will feed you will refresh you will send you on your way to the sea one blessed and blessed will put holy joy into your heart you say what will do you say yes i will have that she came up to the house of god under the tempter's power satan was at her elbow and she came up dear friend at her wit's end she sought her god time and time again and it seemed as as how he thought to yet there was an appointed time for god to send down a little deer with persuasion into her heart and she fed me with food convenient for me the dear hannah dear friends was left in that state long enough for god to have completed his work in her heart concerning that match what was that you see the son that was to be born was to be a servant of god and she had to come to this lord if thou just give me a son i'll give him back them keep the hand
[43:58] Thank you.
[44:28] Thank you.