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

[0:00] depending upon the help of God we'll turn again to Psalm 107 verses 28 and the two following then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble and he bringeth them out of their distresses he maketh the storm a calm so that the ways thereof are still then are they glad because they be quiet so he bringeth them unto their desired haven most of you know that we try to speak a little this afternoon from the first clause of our text then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble we spoke first of the people the people that cry unto the Lord the people that cry we said these people have a spiritual life every one of them that enter into the text that is to cry unto God have spiritual life have passed through the gate of regeneration born of the state and they cry unto the Lord because they have been brought into need and they know that none can appear or relieve them but God these people often have proved that the arm of flesh files no confidence in the flesh nor in man and as we said these dear people are brought somewhat in the experience of the poor woman who went to the Lord with the issue of blood she tried everything and everything had failed then she cried then she made her way and having that faith in her heart as we have read of in the 11th of Hebrews that living faith she believed that in that dear man she saw there was the remedy there was the virtue and she knew by living faith she would obtain what she so earnestly cried for we spoke a little of the work of grace in the heart that the Holy Spirit unfolds and reveals to this people the Lord's people that in their heart by nature there is much sin being convinced of sin they cry unto the Lord in their trouble and we spoke also how prayer is offered up yea a cry that cometh forth from this people because of a withholding of the Spirit of God in Zion and in the causes and in the churches and in the preaching there is trouble in the hearts of these dear people that they have to look up unto the Lord and cry unto him that he might revive revive us again then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble perhaps there is a poor soul here this evening in trouble in respect how they stand for eternity cannot trace what they would like to trace haven't got the evidence within the heart never received it may be of promise and you are walking in a lonely path under sore temptations and so on you cry unto the Lord in this trouble to know whether you have a religion that God is the author of that you are standing upon the rock on a firm foundation for eternity and you long to know that it will be well with you that you will eventually by the grace of God be brought to this haven spoken of in the text well my dear friends still cry and I believe

[6:01] I quoted this afternoon the time of love will come when thou shall clearly see not only that he shed his blood but thou shall say for me then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble and he bringeth I believe we got as far as this this afternoon he bringeth no other one can you cannot deliver yourself you cannot take one step toward the haven in and of yourself in and of your own strength and ability self-righteousness no God frowns upon it because he will have the praise he will have the glory and if we could take one step we would shall I say steal from him the glory so the Lord says he will do it by grace are ye safe through faith that not of yourselves it is the gift evening he bringeth he bringeth some of us have been thankful at times it is of grace and not of the great he bringeth them out of their distresses as some of us

[7:32] I believe we have experienced this we've been in trouble but the Lord has been pleased to deliver us from the trouble the trouble of sin yes some of you I believe have received pardon forgiveness you've had the sealing the sealing of the holy spirit within your poor heart the Lord may have sealed it home or given you some view of redemption I believe the Lord gave me a little sight by living faith just for a few moments some years ago of Calvary and who was hanging upon that cross yes dear friends that will bring you out of distress in one sense of the word you will find deliverance because you will see in him as the man the son of God thy savior and thy redeemed and yet there will be a mingled feeling of sorrow and of joy sorrow because of our sins that caused him the suffering and yet there will be a little joy within our hearts because we see he so willingly lovingly has laid down his life and bore our sins upon Calvary a mingled feeling but the poor soul will then be brought to good hope and he will be able to say as I believe I have said at times and at that time my hope is built on nothing less nothing less than

[9:37] Jesus blood and righteousness if her hold things in other directions than his blood love and mercy and righteousness we are on the wrong path but my friends if the Lord has brought you out of trouble and out of your distresses there will be the sweetness experienced here that he has done all things for thee then they cried unto the Lord cry unto the Lord in their trouble and he bringeth them out of their distresses mourning an absent God my mind goes to that poor woman blessed soul why she was a sinner Mary Magdalene seven devils within our heart she was in trouble when the light of the spirit shone within our soul she was in trouble at a little later date let me take you or your minds for a few moments on the resurrection of Christ dear

[10:58] Mary Magdalene she saw that dear man hanging she heard his voice the third day she hastened to the sepulchre look within it oh the trouble the trouble the distress she had to cry out and say where hast thou laid by the other hands what is this manifest why in that poor sinner's heart there was love love that manifests life and though her heart I believe was so full of love toward him it did not compare her moment in the slightest of the love that he bore to her why that dear man had died for her shed his blood that her sins should be pardoned and her soul cleansed but he is the poor woman in trouble in distress where hast thou laid and who was she speaking to but the very one she desired thought it was a garden where hast thou laid she spoke he spake unto her called her by her name

[12:32] Mary that was enough though she did not recognize him at that time she recognized his voice dear friends if you hear his voice you'll recognize it my sheep hear my voice and I doubt now he speaks in when the poor soul is in distress and he speaks in life and he will bring that poor soul out of distress it may not be for long it may only be for a few moments but friends oh to feel a little of this resurrection power that's rising as it were out of the grave and being brought out of distress and feel a little of the peace of God come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest yes there's a little foretaste of heaven a little peace within the soul this will bring the poor sinner out of distress and he bringeth them out of distress and we can look upon this as being a promise a promise unto his dear people because he has said he will he bringeth them out we have come into trouble we have come into distress rest but he bring us out many are the afflictions of the righteous but the

[14:10] Lord delivereth them out of them all you may have to wait to the closing of your days but he dies I must not remain any longer upon these words but try and take another step into the text he maketh the storm a calm what have we read in that gospel of Matthew this evening oh there's something very sweet I felt in that portion and straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship I like that constraining power we do not read that Jesus spake unto the disciples but he constrained them constrained to get into a ship and go before him unto the other side while he sent the multitudes away and when he has sent the multitudes away there's something very comforting

[15:26] I believe it's a connection here with our text he went up into a mountain of heart to pride he was a fine man he prayed for these people in the text day that cry unto him he did not pray for those who are unbelievers those who should be lost we have that proof in the 17th of John I pray not for the world but for those whom thou hast given me have a little sweet communion with

[17:08] God in heaven and that sweetness comes down and drops into thy poor soul this will help you to still press on in the way though it may and no doubt it will be in the path the apostle Paul speaks of through much tribulation he hasn't told us an easy way to happen it's through much tribulation he shall enter into the kingdom of God he came just where his disciples were he knew what was going to happen he knew what was happening in the fourth watch he knew about the storm he knew the fears in the heart of the disciples he knows the fear in your heart this evening dear friends and if you are among them in the text that are crying unto him he will come just where you are in the storms of life he won't leave you to perish now

[18:22] Peter Peter called out and said the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were troubled saying it is a spirit and they cried out for fear oh I like this portion here but straightway straightway Jesus spake unto them words of rebuke no he says be of good cheer it is I be not afraid here's the gospel friends here's a gracious saviour here's one who can deliver here's one that can speak peace and bring the poor troubled soul out of distress be of good cheer it is

[19:24] I be not afraid and Peter answered him said Lord if it be thou bid me come to thee on the water Jesus said God are you being tossed on the way on the sea why the Lord will never turn thee away this word still drops from the lips of Christ still in his heart come poor sinner come I won't turn thee away the Lord has never turned away a poor sinner that's in the dance that are crying unto him in their trouble and in their distress there's another word I like here in the thirty first verse Jesus he cried out Lord save me and immediately there's something very very sweet here there's something that has helped me many times

[20:35] Jesus never left it for a few moments never left it for a few hours now immediately immediately why poor Peter was beginning to sink have you as there have been times when you felt to be sinking you needed a hand to lift that hand is stretched out immediately and caught him and said unto him oh thou little faith wherefore didst thou doubt oh how many depths in the midst of all our doubts and our unbelief the Lord still stretched out his hand he is still delivered oh may we be given that grace to ever watch and pray unto him in all our troubles he maketh the storm a calm some of you have been in the storms of life storms of affliction storms of temptations you've been at least some of you in that experience when you've had to cry all these things are against them and they've been of storm unto you well what does our text say he maketh the storm a calm here again we can say the gospel for it all comes from that direction you may be in the storm the storm might beat against you but the

[22:44] Lord in a moment can calm the way yes just one word just one word sealed home one touch of his love a little of a peace of God one look from him that can calm the troubled heart yes he maketh the storm a calm is it so have you experienced the storm that you fear even in the future it may be you look upon eternity at times as a storm will the Lord ever make that calm under those sore temptations of Satan I believe we hinted upon it this afternoon when he comes in like a roaring lion says to one of these dear people in the text why you are a deceit you're not among the

[23:52] Lord's people you've never really cried you've really never prayed thought you had many words but no prayer no inditing the blind you got no right here but dear friends when

[25:12] I commenced in prayer the Lord broke in the Lord appeared on the scene Satan was gone the storm was a calm he has the honor and glory have I a poor soul here tonight in this storm of temptations Satan Harrison thee Satan going before you behind you on every hand by day and by night wondering where the scene would hand let the Lord speak let the Lord appear on the sea there will be a calm in your heart yes yes he's the one that can cause the troubled the ways to be still in the heart of a child of his near the worldling he knows nothing of these things he knows nothing of crying unto the

[26:12] Lord he knows nothing of prayer he knows not the Lord he knows nothing of being sanctified troubles he knows nothing of being brought out only in a natural way he has his storms of life of course he has his troubles he has his afflictions they're all of earth cannot rise above it oh what a favorite people we are if we know anything of this crying and prayer and being delivered out of the storms of life and then our text says then are they glad why some of the world the poor worldlings they look upon us as being poor miserable people they they little know of the joy of heaven they've never tasted it know nothing of it their joy will cease when they come to death not so with the people here the apostle

[27:26] Paul tells us to rejoice ever more we know a little of it here the fullness is to come then are they glad have you ever been made glad I believe some of you have made glad well friends to rejoice the Lord has given you the word of pardon you rejoiced I remember the time when I was first I believe brought here when the storm was made a calm the ways were still and I was brought to a good hope through grace I was in my teens

[28:28] I walked over twelve months in darkness not a glimmer of hope all all that I could see before me was punishment for my sins I couldn't see the gospel I couldn't believe if God was merciful that he could pardon my sins I well remember the Sabbath morning making my way to the cause of truth to hear the word and I felt for the last time and told the Lord nothing to die give it all now the Lord spake into my heart words of Jeremiah yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love and therefore with loving kindness

[29:29] I have drawn thee I came into the experience of this then are they glad they're delivered from the trouble they're delivered from the distress brought into the gospel with a good hope that it would be well then my friends you can see the mercy of God then you'll realize a little of his love then you'll realize he has loved thee but an everlasting love and more it he has redeemed thee upon the cross then are they glad because they be quiet just for a moment returning to this twenty-ninth verse he maketh the storm a calm so that the ways there are still it comes to my mind the words of David in the twenty-third cell the lord leadeth his people beside the still water nothing will trouble here no distress here he leads them don't forget it's the lord does it you cannot go there you cannot experience such you cannot enter into the sweet experience of it it's the lord's hand takes these dear people that are in distress and in trouble beside the still waters oh how sweet

[31:07] I speak to you of being through the storms of life oh how sweet to come to those still waters no storm here you'll lay passage within his hand and desire no will but his it's a little foretaste only a little a foretaste of heaven if we ever enter into that place heaven there'll be some still waters there no storms and so our text tells us so he bringeth them here again my friends is the grace of God it needs that almighty end to bring his dear people where to unto the evil I believe I said this afternoon or may have done this evening we in and of ourselves cannot take one's death toward it not one so he will it so he bringeth them unto their even no desired it's to the even oh yes he'll bring you there but my friends do we can we say we desire it by nature now the poor worldling he wants to continue in this world of sin and enjoy the pleasures of it he would live here forever but these dear people who have handled and tasted the word and tasted the gospel why they're sickened of this world yes they're sickened of it they don't want it because there's sin here they want holiness there's trouble here they want to come in the calm and beside the still waters the lord lays his hand sometimes heavily he lays affliction he brings us into difficulties and i believe it's to stick us to the world and make us more fond of him that dear man top lady i believe as the letter still can be seen own handwriting in one of the little churches in

[33:54] Wiltshire and where he says that every affliction is as a nail to crucify us to the world sickness of it that we might desire desire behavior not only desire it but seek for it and how often your cry has been prepare me gracious god to stand before thy face it's a prepared place for a prepared people are you being prepared and i prepared why the lord will subdue this old nature that is in us by his grace and through the way he leads us and by his grace the old nature is subdued grace shines and out of that grace there goes forth a desire lord bring me out of this body of sin and death i desire something far beyond this earth the apostle paul felt it oh wretched man that i have who shall deliver me from this body of sin and of death do you desire a haven my friends if you do you'll be crying for it and he so he bringeth them unto their desired haven what does the poet say why these fears behold is jesus holds the helm and guides the ship spreads the sail catch the breezes sent to office through the deep to the regions where the mourners cease to weep are you after that haven do you desire that haven have you been crucified as it were of this poor world and of self and long now to enter into the place that we have rid of in hebrews oh there's a sweetness here friends what do we read these all died in faith not having received the promises that you've had a promise blessed soul but having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them and embraced them loved them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth is it so are we strangers are we pilgrims on the earth could the apostle

[37:05] Paul say respecting us as he did to the Ephesians ye are no more strangers and foreigners but of the household of God these are the people and they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country in the world can our fellow creatures see that we have been with Jesus do we carry shall I say enough fruit upon the branch in our life in our conversation that we know and have felt made manifest that we have been with Jesus that we are seeking another country but now they desire a better country that is an heavenly heavenly holy full of righteousness where there's no sin nothing that defiles ah you say shall I ever enter there my dear friends that precious fountain that blood of the Lord

[38:19] Jesus Christ will cleanse thy poor soul yes to the full to perfection before you enter into this heavenly country nothing disfiled there nothing at all it's a holy place with an holy God and a holy people yes glorified stead is there a desire yes I'm sure I can hear a number saying this evening yes oh that the Lord will cleanse me and at last to take me to heaven and now they desire a better country that is unheavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he he hath prepared for them a city what did he say to his disciples a little before he left them to go to Calvary let not your heart be troubled believe in

[39:24] God believe also in me in my father's house are many mansions I would have told me but I go to prepare a place for you ah he's he came to deserve he accomplished the work on the cross at Calvary he died he rose he's now living in heaven the mansion the city is prepared for his dear people and out of love he'll bring each one into the gates of heaven yes the poor dying thief we just ended upon him this afternoon there at the very gates of hell on the borders of eternity manifestation of the love of God he was quickened in the life he has confessed his sins yes he cried in his trouble confessed his sins and sought for this city and it was given he received it remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom this day thou shalt be with me in paradise oh may we each dear friends though now in the path of tribulation now in the storms of life yet to be able to cry unto him that he may give us a little taste of the calmness when the waves are still and bring us at last into that haven of eternal rest and there to praise him and there to see him face to face without a veil betweenayan and and in source and to understand and out inắn and and in look in米waryn