A people enquiring their way to heaven (i) (Quality: Very good)

[0:00] thereof are still, then are they glad, because they be quiet, so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

[0:19] Psalm 107, the 28th and the two following verses. We have a people in the text who are inquiring, inquiring the way to heaven, because we have prayed that they cry unto the Lord.

[0:58] And he has promised to bring them out of their distresses. He has promised that the storms of life should be made suitable, that the waves should be still, that they should be brought to know what we have now sung in the hymn.

[1:33] To the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

[1:49] He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad, because they be quiet, so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

[2:12] Psalm 107, the 28th and the two following verses. We have a people in the text who are inquiring, inquiring the way to heaven.

[2:42] Because we have read that they cry unto the Lord. And he has promised to bring them out of their distresses.

[3:03] He has promised that the storms of life should be made suitable.

[3:16] That the waves should be still. That they should be brought to know what we have now sung in the hymn, to rejoice in God.

[3:33] And then eventually to bring them to the haven. And it's a desired haven.

[3:45] As our text speaks. As the Lord may be pleased to help me, we would first try and speak of the people in the text.

[4:03] They. They. Not all men. Not all the inhabitants of the world. Far from it.

[4:14] Jesus said when here below. That there would be a few. Now is the way that leadeth unto life.

[4:27] And few there be that find it. And that few is the church of God. The chosen. Redeemed.

[4:38] And they are the people in the text. They. They. Oh, what a favored people.

[4:51] What a favored nation. What a favored. What a favor that cometh down from heaven. That is bestowed upon this people.

[5:05] We can say. It's those whom the Father hath chosen from all eternity. Some.

[5:18] Dislike the word. Elected. Chosen. But it's very plain, dear friends, in the holy scriptures. That God chose a people for his own praise.

[5:33] Please. Jacob have I loved. Esau have I hated. We could speak, I suppose, of many.

[5:50] And not only people individually. But as a company. Look at the Israelites of old.

[6:00] God brought them up out of Egypt. A chosen people. They entered into the storms of life.

[6:12] That these are the people in the text. Then. That. Then they cry unto the Lord. The dying thief.

[6:26] A poor beggar. A robber. A blasphemer. And yet he was one who cried unto the Lord.

[6:37] In his last hours. Yea, moments of his life upon the earth. He by the grace of God.

[6:48] He cried unto his Savior. So these people in the text. Are redeemed. As I said.

[6:59] Chosen of God. Loved of God. Placed in the hands of Christ. And he has redeemed everyone. Oh, the electing love of God.

[7:16] He said he would take one of a city. And two of a family. Or one of a family and two of a city. And bring them unto Zion.

[7:26] And I can but say dear friends. That these people. Come and are drawn to one place. And that is the mercy seat.

[7:41] The Lord knows how to bring them. He knows how to deal with these people. By his spirit. First there is the quickening.

[7:54] The operation of the Holy Ghost. Every one of these dear people. That cry unto the Lord.

[8:05] In the years of the past. In our day. And in the future. Down to the end of time. They are brought in need.

[8:18] And one of their great needs. As they cry unto the Lord. Is for his mercy. As I've hinted.

[8:30] A soul is born again of the spirit. That's the foundation. That's the entrance. Into the paths of righteousness.

[8:42] Jesus said unto Nicodemus of old. Ye must. Ye must be born again. We read in the gospel of John.

[8:54] That he is the door. And not only the door. He is the way. And the life. Of all his people. That's the entrance.

[9:05] Dear friends. Into the text. Christ. And when we have been quickened. Into life. I believe we are brought. To some knowledge.

[9:17] It may be but little. At the commencement. That there will be some knowledge. Of what our heart is. Before God. That's the work of the spirit.

[9:32] To quicken. And then to give us. A little understanding. Understanding. Having our eyes open. A little. To see. What there is.

[9:42] Within. That is. By nature. And this will bring us. Into. The experience. Of our text.

[9:53] To cry. To cry. Have you. Have I been brought. Thus far. In our religion. Have we been.

[10:07] Convinced of sin. Have we been. Shown a little. What there is. In the heart. By nature. Can you take. The words. We read.

[10:17] At times. That the heart. Is deceitful. Above all things. And desperately. Wicked. If we know. A little. As I said.

[10:29] It will. Bring us. To this place. It will cause us. To take. One step. Into the text. And that is. To cry. Unto the Lord.

[10:43] These dear people. Have their eyes. Taken. From the world. Sympathy. From those we love. Good.

[10:54] As it may be. But these people. Will have to cry. Cry. Unto heaven. Then they cry.

[11:04] Unto the Lord. Oh. What a wonderful thing. It is. That. These means. Are used. Yea.

[11:15] That. This one. In the text. The Lord. God almighty. That. Gracious God. The son of God. Yea. Jesus Christ.

[11:26] Himself. Now. Now. On the right hand. Of his father. For his dear people. To come unto. By his grace.

[11:37] And to fall. At his feet. And a cry. Out of the heart. Unto him. For. Mercy. For that's the first thing.

[11:48] We shall cry for. Mercy. Mercy. Mercy. Having some knowledge of ourselves then by nature. And what there is in the heart.

[12:01] Disgraceful. Sinful. Realizing. That it is polluted. Yes. Nothing in it. By nature. That is acceptable.

[12:12] Under God. To be brought to this knowledge. The plague of your old heart. This will cause you to bow to me. And put a cry up unto heaven.

[12:25] Desiring that the almighty God. Who can deliver to the utmost. Christ. And shows mercy unto Zion. Might have mercy upon you.

[12:41] A wonderful thing dear friends. I stood amazed at times. As I tried to meditate. And to realize. That this great God.

[12:53] King of kings. Lord of lords. In his greatness. Glory and majesty. Should condescend. To give an ear in ear. To poor unworthy sinners.

[13:05] A wonderful thing that is. Then they cry unto the Lord. This poor soul.

[13:18] That is crying unto the Lord. Has been brought off themselves. And all their own ability. All of their own self-righteousness.

[13:33] This poor sinner. Will act to fall before God. And cry unto him. Knowing that there is none. Can deliver. But me. That dear woman.

[13:45] We speak of at times. And read of. In the holy scriptures. That dear woman. Who had that affliction. The issue of blood.

[13:55] Twelve years. Why the poor soul. She was brought here. Now it is thee. She spent everything. She tried everything.

[14:07] For a cure. Failed. Failed. Have you come there dear friends. For all your own strength. Spent everything. Spent everything.

[14:17] As it were. Now a poor. Bankrupt soul. Nothing in my hand I bring. That was her experience. And she.

[14:29] Heard of Jesus. She pressed toward him. You'll find a crowd. You'll find much to endure.

[14:41] As you make your way to Christ. As the poor woman. But. Oh the grace. Her case was urgent. She knew.

[14:52] Of her affliction. She knew. None can cure her. But. Jesus. So she. Pressed her way. Through the crowd. What manifested.

[15:04] Faith. Oh. The faith in her heart. She said. As it were. If I can only touch. Have you come there.

[15:16] Have you come there. Poor seeker. You who are crying. Unto the Lord. For mercy. Have you come there. With that faith. Believing.

[15:26] That if you could. But. You are crying. Here. Touch the hem. Of his garment. Your poor soul. Would be healed.

[15:38] You're crying. For it. There may be some. Here this afternoon. Who has been crying. For this mercy. And to find. The healing. Of the soul.

[15:49] Now for many. Many years. And you fear. At times. And under the temptations. Of Satan. You'll never taste. Of that mercy. You'll never experience it.

[16:03] Let me give you. The words. Of the poet. The time of love. Will come. When thou. Shall clearly see. Not only. That he shed his blood.

[16:15] That thou. Should say. For me. Nothing. My friends. Can heal. This poor sinner. That feels. The burden of sin. But the blood. Of Jesus.

[16:27] Not all the blood. On Jewish. Or to slain. Can give the guilty. Conscience. He's. Or wash away. One stain. But there is. A fountain. Filled with blood.

[16:38] Drawn from. Emmanuel's veins. And all. Who's plunged. Beneath that flood. Will lose. All their.

[16:50] Gifty. Stakes. Then. They cry. Unto. The Lord. And truly. It will be. A trouble.

[17:00] It will be. A burden. I believe. The poor. Publican. Was here. Not the Pharisee.

[17:13] No. The Pharisee. He went up. To the temple. He got many words. He uttered many words. But no prayer.

[17:24] No cry. Nothing real. All of self. He was wearing a garment. Scripture speaks of it.

[17:35] It was a filthy garment. Nothing but rags. Not acceptable to God. That the poor publican. He was in the text.

[17:46] He went up. Crying. To the Lord. In his trouble. He got a different robe on. He got the robe of righteousness.

[17:59] His prayer came from the heart. Short as it was. Only a few words. But real. That prayer went to heaven.

[18:10] In his heart. There was the faith. Believing. Yes. He cried unto the Lord. In his trouble. God be merciful.

[18:22] To me. I sinner. You know it. My friends. If you do. You will come. To the last portion.

[18:33] Of their text. Into the haven. You will. Then they cry. Unto the Lord. In their trouble.

[18:44] I believe. The Lord's people. Are crying unto him. In these days. Not only for mercy. And to have the forgiveness.

[18:54] Of sin. And to have the application. Of his precious blood. And to have the robe. Of righteousness. There's a crying.

[19:05] Unto the Lord. In their trouble. Because. There's a withholding. Of his spirit. In these days. Isn't it so?

[19:20] There seems a withholding. Of the spirit. In the preaching. Of the word. There seems a withholding.

[19:31] Of the spirit. In our partitions. We are in a most sad. And solemn day. And if we have life.

[19:41] In the soul. These things. Will be. A trouble. Unto us. You come. To the house of God. You may come.

[19:52] With those desires. To meet with God. You may be able. To say. With the serenity. Of the old. Oh.

[20:03] Or with Job. Of the old. Oh. If I knew. Where I might find him. And has the heart. Parted. After the water brooks. So parted. My soul.

[20:14] After thee. And yet. You come. Into the house of God. You may hear. The preached word. And yet. There's not the power.

[20:24] Attending. As it did. In years. That are past. I believe. Our dear forefathers. Oh. How they cried. Unto the Lord. How they was blessed.

[20:35] With spiritual food. Supported. By the hand of God. Strengthened. Time to time. Why. Why. There was a. Spirit in it.

[20:48] And I have to say this. That those dear men. And women. In those days. They were in the midst of trouble. Many of them.

[20:59] In much poverty. Having large families. Not knowing where the next meals. Should come. Where were they. Crying.

[21:09] Unto the Lord. In. Their trouble. And the Lord. Heard their prayers. And came. And how we've often. Read.

[21:20] And heard. Of those dear men. And women. Who were crying. Unto the Lord. And how the Lord. Brought them. Out of their distresses. I said at times.

[21:33] Dear friends. With the poet. If half the breath. Thus vainly spent. To heaven. To heaven. To heaven. In supplication sent. Our song. Would often be.

[21:45] Hear. What the Lord. Hath done. For me. Then they cry. Unto the Lord. The meth. I say. Well friends.

[21:57] There's many things. That will cause. A living soul. To pray for. In the things of providence. we need the Lord to go before us and to direct us in the path that he will have us to go we have to cry unto him that he will not only lead us but to be with us in this very psalm I believe we read and he led them forth by the right way and it's the desire of these people to be led in the right path knowing well that if they were left to themselves they would go astride my mind goes to the cell of Miss David a man well taught of God so blessed with grace and yet the time came when he turned and forgot God for a season he went in his own path there's covetousness in his heart jealousy we must not enter into the details of it that poor David was left for a time and the Lord in a most mysterious way sent a prophet

[23:22] Nahum unto him and Nahum said unto David thou art the man thou art the man in his backsliding where did it bring in Psalm 51 have mercy upon me O Lord wash me he says and cleanse me and make me white as snow yea white as snow these are the people in the text and they cry unto the Lord in their trouble desiring to be kept by the power of God under salvation and then again the Lord we've often quoted the word the verse God moves in a mysterious way well dear friends the Lord will hear from his people and if we should be somewhat like David the backslide and forget him for a season he'll lay some cross at the door there'll be some cross before us we shall hear that voice as it were from heaven this is for you my child take it up this is the cross yes and we often think it's a heavy cross that the Lord knows it's for this purpose to make us cry or to pray unto him that he will deal with us in mercy now when the Lord casts these burdens upon us and the cross for us to carry is not out of his wrath when he lays his afflicting hand is not of his wrath to one of his dear children no you may have been praying with one of old when he prayed that he may be taught by the spirit that we might be taught in the things of God and in answer to that prayer the Lord lays some cross at the door some affliction upon us why if it's not in wrath it's in his mercy in other words dear friends there is to hear from us the Lord lays us down brings us low and the low we are at his feet louder will be the cry unto him so the Lord lays his afflicting hand often upon his dear people to cause them to realize that the affliction is a voice cry unto God and he hears those prayers of his afflicted people and we read in one of the Psalms many are the afflictions of the righteous that he delivereth them out of them all then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble

[26:40] I may have a godly parent here this afternoon who has a near and dear one a boy a girl who has been brought up under the truth and oh the many many times you have cried unto the Lord prayed unto the Lord that that one should manifest very to life for the last may be left the house of God left the truth left the gospel and gone forth into the world is that so and you are crying unto the Lord in your trouble respecting that dear one that young man as we read over time the prodigal oh how he left his father's house but he came back he came back yes I got it

[27:47] I feel there are some here this afternoon who have known or may be in the midst of this trouble and this trial the prodigal returned he came back to his father's house I am no more worthy no more worthy to be called the son now what did the father say did he say well I have no more to do with you oh no no he sat upon his neck and kissed and that would be your experience dear as you see that dear one returning from his sinful ways and taken again the seat in the house of God you would be as the poor father fell upon his neck and kissed him now here's the gospel here's the gospel oh haven't you haven't I as it were run away from the truth that is in our experience and have been brought back again and who has received us oh that gracious

[28:55] God that heavenly father and as indeed as it were fell before you and upon you in his love and mercy and given you the kisses welcomed you again to the throne of his grace then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble my mind just goes to that one who came down from Jericho to Jerusalem and fell among thieves and how they dealt with him how they wounded him how they stripped him how they left him half dying my dear friends I believe I've got some here who have come up out of Egypt making your way to Canaan and the Holy Spirit has convinced you of your sin made a wound in your heart in your soul and there's festering sores as it were what about the good

[30:08] Samaritan why this Jesus my friends he comes along and sees his dear people there he doesn't pass by on the other side no he comes to that poor sinner he falls over that poor sinner in love he pours in his love he pours in his blood he pours in his grace and the wound is healed blessed Samaritan heavenly Samaritan this one I'm speaking of is none other than the son of God yea he is thy savior and thy redeemer I cry unto the Lord in their trouble where we might go on dear friends and speak of many many other troubles that a child of God enters into what did Job say he said man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upwards and where did it all come from oh thou hideous monster sin what a curse has thou brought in all creations grown through thee pregnant cause of misery that's that's it that's where the trouble commenced all trouble comes from sin it does fallen creatures but before

[31:43] I leave this word I don't seem to be able to get away from it this afternoon that they cry unto the Lord in their trouble you know the Lord Jesus he never had a smooth path far from out we may think at times that our path is very rough but nothing compared with his he had trouble caused by sin yes yes is sin no no that dear man was holy pure righteous nothing of sin in him and yet he carried sin he carried the sins of these people that are crying unto him he carried them he bore them he took them to care of him that holy spotless lamb of

[32:45] God never sinned never ever thought of sin never handled things of the sin he never walked in the paths of sin and yet that dear man came to that very spot he into the text and cried unto his father what was the cry my God my God why hast thou forsaken me oh in the path of trouble across the valley I said at times dear friends if that dear savior carried my sins the sins of you and from those days to this all the sins that I committed he had a heavy day but he carried the sins of the old election of God every child of his he bore the sin he stood in their room placed still he opened the channel of mercy and forgiveness flows through him unto

[33:57] Zion they cry unto the Lord in their trouble and he bringeth them none other none other put not confidence in man not in a harm of flesh he let us put the crown my friends on the right hand head he he's worthy of all praise and remember he can and he will a fullness resides in Jesus our head and ever abides to answer our need he bringeth them out of their distress we have one here who is able to save to the uttermost one here who understands the trouble understands the distress understands the heart and therefore he can deal with it and he can deal with it in his love and he can bring the poor sinner out of it he can here's the word it's true he bringeth them oh how we are apt to try to middle

[35:20] I was going to say with our troubles and our distresses and what happens well we get deeper and deeper into it oh my friends for that grace to cry unto him to pray unto him to cast it before him cast thy burden upon the Lord yea to bring it to him in faith spreading the matter small or great things of providence or things of grace matters not cry lay it before him he is able because he understands he bringeth them out of their distresses have I one here this afternoon in and under the temptations of Satan it seems as if Satan is with you yes cry unto the Lord he can bring you out why because he has brought the power forty days and forty nights in the wilderness tempted of

[36:22] Satan he knows my friends and therefore when his dear people are brought into this trouble and under these sore temptations he bringeth them out of their distresses Satan is ready to tell us well the Lord God will have nothing to do with you all your religion is vain nothing in it so only the flesh you'll be lost at last and if he could he would remove your names from the Lamb's book of life he would take us out of the government but he cannot the text tells us the Lord he bringeth them out of their distresses now have you experienced this in the past dear friends I must sit down have you known a little of this sweetness in crying unto the Lord in the midst of your trouble and yet he has brought thee out of thy distresses it may be with some present you have or you may be in this very trouble or distress and the

[37:33] Lord seems as if he's never put his hand to it nor will and you fear that you will have to continue in your distresses and in your trouble and you'll never be brought out in the fifty third fifth sound David says this cast thy burden upon the Lord and he will he doesn't say may no he will sustain that that's it the Lord at times isn't pleased to bring us out of the distresses out of the troubles but in it he will sustain he'll give you strength strength to strength and help you a little it may be breathing in a little of the spirit in your heart and you feel relieved as you spread the case before your garden yes you're still in the distress you're still in the trouble you've still got the burden but he's sustaining he's with you and so he will be honestly then they cry unto the

[38:41] Lord in their trouble and he bringeth them that's a promise he's never failed yet he never will he has said I love thee with an everlasting love and he will bring his dear ones out of the trouble and out of the distresses and sanctify it to his dear people amen