Psalm

[0:00] Seeking the Lord's help, I direct your attention this evening to Psalm 25 and verse 14. Psalm 25 and verse 14.

[0:13] The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant.

[0:37] And the psalmist David is stating a truth here as he knew it.

[0:55] He knew there was a secret of the Lord. Lord, he had good reason to know those who did not know that secret.

[1:14] I name but two of them who lived with him and came to the same solemn end of suicide.

[1:25] One was King Saul, and the other was Ahithophel. How solemnly Ahithophel walked to the house of God with the psalmist, as the scriptures tell us in sweet counsel, went out and took his own life.

[1:48] And the psalmist David had every reason in his life to know there was a secret of the Lord.

[2:02] There were those who knew the Lord and who had had that secret revealed to them.

[2:14] The Lord had revealed himself in their hearts and lives. And they knew their God. When we look at the secret of the Lord, that is, the knowledge of the Lord revealed in the heart, we see the world is solemnly divided between those to whom, as this text tells us, it is revealed.

[2:51] The word that the psalmist David uses here is this, he will show. That is, he will reveal. The secret of the Lord is revealed in the hearts of his dear people.

[3:12] And it is his work to reveal it. The psalmist David had good reason to know this.

[3:22] And when we come to look at his life for a moment and to examine where he first knew that secret, we come to a blank.

[3:39] Scripture does not reveal it. We know when he knew that secret, but we don't know the exact time. We can see when he fought the lion and the bear.

[3:53] He tells us when he came to fight with Goliath, a God who delivered me from the lion and the bear. The secret of the Lord had by then been revealed to his dear servant.

[4:11] We know equally that the eye of his God was blessedly upon him. And the secret of the Lord, which we can see quite clearly revealed in the heart of his dear servant, Samuel.

[4:33] The scriptures are very clear about this. Samuel did not yet know the Lord. That is, he did not know the secret of the Lord.

[4:43] The Lord's voice, his presence revealed to him. And we are told in scripture very beautifully that Eli, man of God that he was, though his life was not all that it might have been, as the scriptures tell us, Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the child.

[5:10] The Lord was on the point of revealing his secret in the heart of Samuel. The secret of his existence, that is God's existence.

[5:23] The secret of his love toward him. The secret of his sovereign grace. The Lord was stooping down to that child in the temple, and his godly mother.

[5:40] And he was coming to that blessed hour, when the secret of the Lord would be revealed. And we see him in his later days, as he dealt with King David, and was sent to anoint him King of Israel.

[5:59] We see how the secret purposes of God in providence, relating to David as King of Israel, were to be revealed.

[6:12] And they were revealed to his servant Samuel. And we see how the Lord worked in the life of David, to anoint him King.

[6:26] To raise him up, the ruler, the sweet psalmist of Israel, and to use him in his day and generation. And we see lying here, in this secret, the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God towards his own dear people.

[6:54] Beautiful words this, the secret of the Lord is with them. Oh, mark this.

[7:04] It is only with them who are born again of the Spirit of God, with them that fear him. Everything regarding this secret of the Lord in eternity past, in electing love and mercy, in regenerating grace, in the opening of the ears to hear, and the eyes to see, in the blessed work of the Spirit, in revealing Christ in the heart as the hope of glory, in the work of the Spirit, in revealing in the sinner, sin in the soul, and the solemn knowledge of sin, and a blessed revelation of the remedy for sin.

[7:59] The work of the revealing of the secret of the Lord in his divine wisdom and counsel, and as this psalm speaks, his teaching, is solely and alone to be known and given to his dear people.

[8:23] It's with them that fear him. Scripture winnows. It separates. It's like the winnowing floor when the wheat is winnowed by the wind.

[8:40] And as it was in the old eastern practice, to throw it into the air and let the wheat winnow the chaff and blow it away. And let the wheat fall to the ground.

[8:53] And so it is in the work of the Lord. It separates between the godly and the ungodly.

[9:05] Between the just and the unjust. And the Lord gives no account of the revelation of his secret.

[9:17] The secret of his eternal purposes. When we look at the case of his dear servant Jeremiah, we see the way the Lord revealed that secret in his heart.

[9:34] He spoke to his dear servant in his soul and he said to him, Before I formed thee in the womb, I knew thee. Blessedly he revealed in the heart of Jeremiah a divine secret.

[9:55] And then he went on to speak to him again and reveal that secret of the Lord. Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love and therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.

[10:11] That's the reason why I have drawn thee. Beautiful word. the power of God's Spirit, the efficacious grace of God's Spirit draws his dear people to Christ.

[10:29] Draws them out of a world that lies in wickedness. Separates them to himself and therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.

[10:44] and the reason I have loved thee for an everlasting love. It was eternal in eternity past.

[10:57] And in time, in time, this blessed secret is with his dear people.

[11:08] It is put by God the Spirit into their heart. When that work of grace is begun there, when that new creature in Christ Jesus is given in the heart, then the secret of the Lord is revealed.

[11:33] The soul is brought to understand spiritually, is brought to hear spiritually, is brought to listen spiritually.

[11:52] The Lord, as he spoke regarding this divine secret, said to his disciples, Blessed are your ears for they hear and your eyes for they see.

[12:06] Many times at the end of his ministry and his preaching in his own day, he concluded his sermons with those separating words, He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear.

[12:28] And the psalmist David speaks here so clearly the secret of the Lord is solely and alone with them that fear him.

[12:41] It tells us so much about these people. They know the Lord.

[12:53] They have an understanding of his greatness, of his majesty and his glory. their hearts have been touched by his power.

[13:07] They have been brought to be aware of the solemn nature of their fallen condition. They have a sight of themselves before almighty God.

[13:22] They are brought down under the work of the spirit to knowledge of their sins. We see this in this psalm.

[13:34] The psalmist had been so taught by the spirit and the secret of the Lord had been so revealed under him that he manifested here in his prayer in this psalm.

[13:49] Pardon mine iniquity, O Lord, for it is great. the work of the spirit had brought that life into his soul, that blessed new creature in Christ Jesus and he was conscious of the solemn weight, the greatness, the magnitude of his sin.

[14:20] He felt the heinous nature of it. The secret of the Lord was with him, the fear of God was in his heart and he was brought under the fear of God to come to God with his sin and to confess it and to tell the Lord what he felt about it.

[14:45] He came to a place where the Lord brought him just as he brought Bunyan's pilgrim with that which Bunyan saw of his own experience that burden of guilt upon his back and brought him to the mercy seat there to confess it.

[15:12] Oh how we need to ask ourselves what do we know about this mighty work of the spirit that is spoken of here.

[15:27] This encompassed in this one word the secret of the Lord that which the scriptures tell us is hidden solemnly from the eyes of the world described as the wise and prudent and revealed to babes.

[15:52] Oh could we ask ourselves tonight what hope have we got what evidence have we got that this secret has been revealed to us.

[16:10] Be certain of this we shall never be able to search this secret out of ourselves. Man lying in wickedness born in sin and shape and in iniquity though he may be brought up in a religious upbringing and a religious background and though he may sit under the sound of the truth all his life and I've seen it in our chapels he comes to his end untouched by the truth.

[16:41] The secret of the Lord never revealed to him. One thing is abundantly clear those to whom the secret of the Lord is revealed or manifested in their life.

[16:57] What is the manifestation of it? It is the fruits of what is spoken of here the fear of the Lord. So did not I because of the fear of the Lord shall I sin this great sin said Joseph and sin against God.

[17:18] The fear of the Lord in his heart kept him. And can you look back in your life to see how the Lord implanting that tender fear in your heart has kept you as a wall of fire round about you.

[17:39] The Lord has promised his dear church created in Zechariah that he will be a wall of fire round about her and the glory in the midst.

[17:52] And we are certain of this that if the Lord is not a wall of fire around his dear people and if that tender fear of God is not by divine grace planted in their heart that they will never be kept by the mighty power of God.

[18:14] But when we read here that the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him we see here the source and the substance and the essence of that keeping mercy the fear of the Lord says the scripture is the beginning of wisdom and when that divine grace is implanted in the heart then the secret of the Lord is given it is revealed all how the sinner is brought to see himself as under the condemnation of God's holy law it is revealed to him this way that he walks hidden from the eyes of the wise and prudent and revealed to be spoken of in scripture is the path that the vulture's eye has not seen and the lion's whelp has not trod but the wayfaring man says the word of God of fall shall not err therein and the fear of the fear of the

[19:31] Lord planted in the heart that divine secret work in the soul beautifully spoken of in the secrecy of it in regard to the words of the Lord to Nicodemus the Lord spoke so simply the essence and substance of the gospel in the preaching of it in Christ's lips was a glorious simplicity nothing involved nothing confusing no labyrinth it was the essence of sweet simple simplicity as he preached the truth it didn't require to be clothed in learned language but it was simple truth and this is the truth regarding this secret of the Lord that he spoke to

[20:34] Nicodemus he said marvel not that I say unto you ye must be born again and the margin reads from above here is the work of the revealing of the secret of the Lord and then it goes on like this the wind bloweth where it listeth thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the spirit how pretty words thou canst not tell it's a secret it's a divine secret the Lord's word drops as the dew silently in the night upon the mown grass the spirit moves with with gentle breath of heaven thou canst not tell we should not look we have no need to look the work of the spirit is the planting of that secret work of

[21:51] God in the heart of his dear children and we're told not told in scripture you shall know them by their beginning doesn't say that it says you shall know them by their fruit we're told they canst not tell the sound of that gentle wind of heaven that blows but the fruits were manifested when the lips are open to speak when the heart is freed to confess when there is a blessed movement of the spirit with almighty power we hear it in the lips of some of these dear men when they walked on the road to Emmaus they were cast down and the Lord watched their pathway and he drew near and went with them and he said to them as ye walk and are sad he knew the path that they were in and the place that they had come to and yet you see we see the secret of the

[23:18] Lord revealed in their hearts the Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared under Simon what a blessed work was manifest in their heart the fruits the fruits they weren't immediately apparent in their dejection on the road to Emmaus but there was a fruit when the Lord drew near and when he preached the gospel in their hearts and their heart burned within them they blessedly constrained him to abide with them went in and did it they listened to their request and he broke bread he knew exactly what he was doing oh how he fanned the flame of that secret work the tender fear of God they had such a glorious sight of Jesus Christ they saw the redeemer himself by faith and all their joys and he vanished out of their sight it didn't affect them at all not their joy his absence didn't bring back their sadness the secret of the

[24:35] Lord is with them that fear him faith was in blessed exercise and they knew him and they rejoiced in him the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and we see in this that the Lord reveals in the hearts of his dear children himself oh he does he comes to them in their need in answer to their prayers pardon mine iniquity for his grave beautifully answered in that lovely hymn law and terrors do but harden all the while they work alone but a sense of blood bought pardon soon will melt a heart of stone and in the fruits that are spoken of here when that secret of the

[25:45] Lord is revealed in the heart it is revealed in power it is revealed in pardon it is revealed in peace it is revealed in liberty it is revealed in hope it is revealed in comfort and oh it will finally be revealed in glory the dear saints of God will know that glorious secret it is revealed to them in their soul by precious faith what is sown in corruption will be raised in corruption they will believe it they will believe it by faith they will die in the sweet and glorious hope that one day they will be in his presence washed clothed body and soul in glory and it is revealed to them every aspect of the truth is revealed to his dear church as a revelation of his secret his divine counsel and foreknowledge and heavenly wisdom is revealed in the hearts of his dear people the secret it covers the whole work of grace in the hearts of every child of

[27:35] God and beautifully put in absolute simplicity it's with them it's theirs it's planted in their hearts they possess it in the sweet possession of it it is given to them the Lord gives them in this life precious secrets regarding his holy mind and will and regarding their life and pathway regarding his relationship with them I refer to the promises of God all those precious promises what has he given to you they cannot in any circumstances be taken they would never contain the strength and power that is in them unless they were given to you personally they are given in personal situations in personal times of need and spoken by the spirit of truth into the hearts of his dear church to be theirs forever and they reveal the sum and substance of the secret of the

[29:02] Lord regarding them eternally I speak of these blessed promises yea I have loved thee with everlasting love and the Lord's words to Joshua as I was with Moses so will I be with thee I will not leave thee nor forsake thee all the precious nature of the promises of God spoken into the hearts of his dear people we preached on the Sabbath morning last Sabbath from the words of God to Abraham I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward beautiful word God's promise to his dear servant spoken into his heart there are many more promises the

[30:04] Lord spoke to Abraham on Mount Moriah in blessing I will bless thee a powerful promise in his heart oh when we come to look at the glorious nature of the promises of God they are blessedly revealed by the spirit in the souls of his dear church they contain the essence of that secret of the Lord his eternal love to his dear church his death on her behalf his bearing her sins in his own body on the tree the sweet words that he spoke so often in his lifetime thy sins which are many are all forgiven thee those words are the essence of pardon and peace and the Lord speaks pardon and peace that secret of the

[31:06] Lord is with his dear people it's theirs it's to be known in their hearts and given to them eternally forever that precious blood is to be known in their souls it is part of that sacred secret the Lord leads as the psalmist David knew his dear church in paths of righteousness for his name's sake and the Lord reveals his secret of his truth and his love to his dear people and his finished work for her he reveals it and it's revealed to those that fear him those who have faith in him those who trust in him those whose hope is fixed are nothing less than

[32:09] Jesus blood and righteousness and then we come to the second part of this text and he will show them his covenant he will show them his covenant that is covenant of grace oh what a place that is their names written in the Lamb's book of life their names written indelibly upon his heart sacrifice for them upon the cross of Calvary as Peter says who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree oh he will reveal unto them his covenant his covenant love in eternity past between father son and holy spirit that decreed as he prayed in that prayer in the 17th of

[33:34] John which concluded the last supper prayed before he went out into the garden of Gethsemane father he said I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am he was the lamb slain before the foundation of the world his dear people upon his heart as he died on the cross of Calvary when he uttered that mighty truth in his dying breath I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do and concluded with those words it is finished then the entire church of God was redeemed with

[34:34] Jesus blood redeemed they were indeed their sins were washed away in that fountain open for sin and all unclean have you any evidence in your heart revealed to you by his spirit that your sins were there I am certain the only way we can ever testify to that is to know that precious blood upon our own hearts and souls to know what it is to be cleansed in that precious fountain and to know the truth that John speaks of the blood of Jesus Christ and to know it in the experience of it in our souls the blood of Jesus

[35:34] Christ his son cleanses us from all sin and you know his dear people under the teaching of the spirit when the secret of the Lord is revealed in their heart are brought to wrestle with him as Jacob wrestled at Brook Japheth I will not let thee go except they bless me he brings his dear people in life's pathway to those solemn waters of affliction where they wrestle with him for pardon and peace the atoning blood may be known in their hearts and they know it they can truly say Jesus thy blood and righteousness my beauty are my glorious dress amidst flaming worlds in these arrayed with joy shall I lift up my head the secret of the

[36:41] Lord is today beautifully spoken of you know in John's epistles John the divine spoke with an absolute simplicity his writings have a sort of cutting edge about them I quote the truth in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God oh the concise nature of the truth and John said this he that hath the son hath life that is now I used to know a dear old minister on the Channel Islands Mr.

[37:35] Bruhul bilingual Frenchman preacher of the gospel on the Channel Islands for many years he died back in 1972 but he's a dear friend of mine godly old man one scripture if there's one scripture I remember him by it's that one all the times he said it he that hath the son hath life he said it doesn't say will have life he says hath it now he that hath but all the solemnity of that truth he that hath the son oh what evidences have we got we have the son the Lord Jesus Christ has been revealed to us we have known him oh how the apostle Paul could speak so clearly that he knew Christ do you know him have you felt the power of his voice have you known the power of his atoning blood have you known the sweetness of his love in your soul and the preciousness of the truth in your heart

[38:49] Jacob knew it at Brook Jabba Christ said of Abraham Abraham saw my day and was glad the Lord put his finger on so many of the dear saints of old as Jonah was three days and three nights in the valley of the world now that is mocked today story of the whale is made a legend by many but no Christ didn't do it he put his seal and his stamp upon the experience of Jonah in the glorious reality of the resurrection and not only do we see today Jonah's experience denied but we see the resurrection denied but oh the truth remains and ever will remain it will stand forever it will indeed the grass withereth and the flower thereof fadeth away all the blasphemies of poor fallen men but the word of our God shall stand forever and here is the blessed nature of the truth these men of God

[40:08] Moses as the apostle Paul so beautifully describes it all in relationship to the mount of the transfiguration where he appeared with Christ we read that choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will show them his covenant oh let us ask ourselves in conclusion tonight this question is the secret of the Lord with me has he revealed himself in my heart has he taken hold of me do I know him whom to know is life eternal amen