[0:00] We are the children of worship for our Tamang and community Insider.
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[2:01] Ecclesiastes chapter 7 verse 14. Ecclesiastes chapter 7 and verse 14.
[2:23] In the day of prosperity be joyful.
[2:34] But in the day of adversity consider God also set the one over against the other.
[2:48] To the end man should find nothing after him. God's people often are not the best judges of prosperity or adversity.
[3:15] The world then rejoices when everything seems to go well for him.
[3:32] Like the beasts around, he has no thought of anything beyond this poor dying world.
[3:48] Some of God's people have been spiritually most prosperous when things naturally around them have been most trying and most distressing.
[4:11] On the other hand, in the end, that scripture must be true of all God's people.
[4:23] And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
[4:42] Some of God's people have not seemed to enjoy very much prosperity in their souls.
[4:58] Some of them have not had very much prosperity in the things of this life.
[5:09] Some of them have not had very much prosperity in their souls.
[5:38] Some of them have not had very much prosperity in their souls.
[6:08] An all third and being lie.ен다고 kilometiest, mmHaleens's God, to find that, all those things are世界上, to add so many of those that Christian sin in person.
[6:23] To find that it is my word on father heavenстве. To find our word in your word, any of whom God has been commanded them. Obviously let us know theyенс… That is prosperity when the dear Holy Spirit by his grace enables us to mourn over our sins.
[6:51] That is prosperity when the Holy Spirit puts prayer in our hearts for God's rich and sovereign mercy.
[7:09] That is prosperity when we feel ourselves, poor lost sinners, feel our great need of a Saviour.
[7:26] But God's dear people, when passing through these seasons, do not look upon it as being prosperous.
[7:39] But afterwards, when the Holy Spirit shines sweetly upon the past, who aren't God's people thankful.
[7:54] Their little religion had a good beginning. They didn't take up with it themselves. They didn't start it, like a good many people do.
[8:09] Favour to feel. God commends that work in you and in me. For we read the words of the Apostle, being confident of this very thing, that he which has begun a good work in you, will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ.
[8:40] As I say, it doesn't seem. This is prosperity. You've been singing about the good physician.
[8:54] But these are the people who need the good physician, who feel the malady of sin. A nominal Christ will do for others.
[9:10] But these want the balm of Gilead, applied to their poor hearts. prosperity. As prosperity.
[9:22] When the Lord raises a hope in our hearts. We may not have that full assurance of faith, but to feel our poor prayers have reached heaven.
[9:41] We have a little hope. The time will come when we shall read our title clear to a mansion in the skies.
[9:55] Why, you know, in the heart of this sinner, more joy, more pleasure than the ungodly have when their corn and their wine increase.
[10:13] There is. We had a little of this joy, little of this prosperity, about your poor, weak, sin-stained prayers have reached heaven.
[10:31] It's a day of prosperity when the Lord comes and pardons one's sins. It's a day of prosperity, you know, with that woman in Simon's house.
[10:47] Simon didn't know anything about the matter. He was a total stranger to it. There was a poor woman, a sinner.
[11:01] She wanted pardon. She had faith to believe. There was one on earth who could pardon her sins.
[11:14] She found out where he was. You ever been able to find out where Jesus is? Well, you say, he is in heaven.
[11:26] That is true. But a mercy it is to feel he is there as your mediator. Well, this woman, she found him.
[11:41] We read he could not be hid. Many a poor thing found him. But he said to this woman, go in peace.
[11:54] Thy sins be forgiven thee. What a day of prosperity. Season of prosperity. She would never forget it.
[12:06] She might never have another blessing just like that. But that would stand out.
[12:17] We don't get signal blessings every day. No. You read the old patriarchs. They didn't get a blessing every day.
[12:33] But my friends, the Lord's blessing lasts. It makes rich. The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich. He had no sorrow therewith.
[12:48] So when he comes, pardons one's sins. Grants that sweet forgiveness.
[12:59] When he says, like he did to the man they let down through the roof, son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
[13:12] Time of prosperity. A time of rejoicing. A time of thanksgiving. David says, forget not all his benefits.
[13:31] When David felt some of these flow into his heart, said, bless the Lord. O my soul and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
[13:50] It's a time of prosperity when the dear our Holy Spirit restores us. Time of rejoicing. You think of the prodigal.
[14:05] Wandered a long way off. Began to be in want. And then he thought of home. He had an empty stomach.
[14:18] No man gave to him when he was yet a great way off. His father saw him in rags and tatters. Ran to meet him, embraced him, kissed him.
[14:33] Said, bring forth the best robe. I think if ever anybody felt ashamed of themselves, he did. And if anybody felt humbled at a sense of a father's goodness, that young fellow did.
[14:56] Oh, haven't some of you felt this restoration? David said, he restoreth my soul.
[15:07] And that's a time of rejoicing with God's dear people. Some of us may feel to need it tonight.
[15:20] That divine restoration, that gracious reviving, may not last long, but they're times of rejoicing with the dear people of God.
[15:41] God's dear people of God. And it has been a time of rejoicing with some as they draw near their journeys in.
[15:56] Feel how precious is their heavenly friend when that glorious prospect has laid before them.
[16:11] Someone asked one of our old ministers as he was dying how he felt. And he said, I am too weak for joy, but I haven't a doubt.
[16:29] That was rejoicing. Wasn't it? That was peace. That was calm within when facing that last great enemy.
[16:49] It's a mercy to have a little religion. There's a little rejoicing in it. the Lord making our hearts glad because of his work.
[17:07] My mind did go when I commenced to Paul and Silas. They good faithful ministers of the Lord Jesus preach a good gospel.
[17:28] He got thrown into prison for it. But time of prosperity has a time of rejoicing.
[17:43] Why? God sanctified him. Their feeding stocks, their poor backs bleeding.
[17:56] I should have thought, you would have thought naturally, you would have said, this is a hard lot. This is costly business, suffering like this through preaching.
[18:10] ah, but the dear Lord sanctified it to them. What did they do? They sung his praises, blessed his name.
[18:27] They had more rejoicing after that. When the jailer had that earthquake in his soul, came to them wanting to know what he must do to be saved, it was time of rejoicing.
[18:54] And we read of those seasons of rejoicing that some of the Lord's servants had.
[19:06] suffered the loss of all things. One said, what things were gained to me, those I counted lost for Christ.
[19:18] Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but done that I may win Christ, be found in him.
[19:31] Well, you say you better leave the subject there. not go any further. But you see, he goes further.
[19:46] But in the day of adversity, consider. on the top of our first hymn tonight was one word, and it was that word tribulation.
[20:04] I may have told you before that I was thinking about it before coming to chapel, reading in an old book once about that word tribulation.
[20:22] And the original meaning is a flail, and that means to separate.
[20:33] some of us perhaps remember seeing a flail used in some of the old black barns, the best of the corn was gathered into them, and the flail, two pieces of wood joined together.
[21:03] One piece came down hard upon the corn, didn't hurt it, but it separated it from the chaff, and that's exactly why the Lord sends adversity tribulation into the lot of his dear people to separate the chaff from them.
[21:39] Chaff is no good, got no weight in it, got no life in it, is dead. But we by nature may carry a lot of this but the Lord sends adversity, sends tribulation to separate the wheat from the chaff.
[22:17] You read in the revelation of those who've got safely home. These are they came up out of great tribulation and they've washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
[22:42] Read the 11th of Hebrews tonight before you go to bed once more. What do you find there? God's people had much adversity, had much tribulation done.
[23:02] But the Lord sends this for a good purpose in the experiences of his dear people.
[23:12] I was thinking coming along this morning what good old Rutherford wrote.
[23:24] He said the flowers need night cold darkness sunshine and the dew.
[23:37] Wouldn't be well even for the little flowers. of all sunshine the roots would soon weaken.
[23:49] Little plants are refreshed by the night season very often by the dew that falls. So it is with the Lord's dear people he sees fit that they should have as our text says a day of adversity.
[24:21] we aren't the best judges of these days of adversity.
[24:34] We sometimes think you know at least I've thought it should get along much better without this ballast without these trials without these afflictions and crosses but the Lord knows best.
[24:58] I nearly read that chapter tonight in Genesis where the old patriarch Jacob said all these things are against me.
[25:17] Joseph is not. You will take away Benjamin. Everything seemed against him.
[25:28] Poor old Jacob. They were not really against him. now like we poor things he's rather up against them so we may be like him sometimes but the Lord has a gracious purpose in it.
[25:57] One thing these days of adversity will break down our independent spirits.
[26:09] We are independent or would be if we could by nature but the Lord may send us such adversity put us in such a corner we can't get out.
[26:30] May bring us like he did the psalmist to the very ends of the earth. There was a gracious purpose in it to break down his independent spirit.
[26:50] Job was a good man upright man one that has chewed evil. he got a tidy bit of self righteousness about him when he was severely tried said some things very unwise things and I'm not throwing stones against Job but the Lord had a very gracious purpose in all this.
[27:31] Job must be emptied of his self righteousness he must have the work of grace deep and in his heart when the Lord spoke to him when the Lord showed him what was in his heart the good man said behold I am vile one of the best places on earth one of the safest places proportionate when they really feel that Job said I've heard of thee by the hearing of the year but now mine I seeth thee wherefore I repent dust and ashes what happened the Lord turned his captivity the
[28:31] Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than the beginning whether we like it or not there's very much pride pride in our hearts one of our hymn writers says my poverty and pride you may depend that he was true person needing have a lot of the things of this world to be proud poor old Trump might be proud without five feet in his pocket he might there's pride in all our hearts can't get rid of it against it preach promise the speech be silent still he's there now the
[29:42] Lord may send us season of adversity may cross his hands as it were things may seem to go against us and all this to humble us we shouldn't be any better than others if everything we did prospered now we might soon forget the Lord like poor Ephraim did we might grow fat and kick but the Lord sends us adversity Lord's hand seems to go out against us the
[30:47] Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valor God Gideon said if the Lord be with us then why has all this be fallen us where be the miracles which our fathers told us of but the Lord was with him and as though you may have adversity he didn't mean to say the Lord isn't with you he didn't mean to say the Lord has forsaken you not by any means and so he brings us for his grace to consider things think things over prayerfully we may find as we consider things our heart was wandering far from the
[32:06] Lord one of our ministers now in heaven he had very much to do and he said he hadn't time to preach in the week the Lord said to him I'll find your time the Lord did find him time in a very solemn way yet he sanctified it to the dear man he did indeed so the Lord brings us to consider things think things over to weigh things up one good man in his consideration said it is good for me that
[33:13] I have been afflicted before I was afflicted I went astray God's considering house is a very profitable house he brings Ezekiah into it the good man was sick unto death that pulled you up pulled me up wouldn't it couldn't do anything no the Lord gives Isaiah a message you couldn't tell Ezekiah put his house in order thou shalt die and not live I thought sometimes you know what a solemn word that was to the good king but that brought him to consider things turned his face to wall and wept said oh
[34:30] Lord I am oppressed undertake for me and the Lord heard his prayers now I've often said trouble and adversity itself will never make us pray no will harden us rather make us rebellious make us kick against the Lord's dispensations but let the Lord come answer prayer appear for us and ours we shall feel it was good to have been affected good to have had these trials you take the case of Joseph seemed a day of adversity with him didn't it he obeys his father who is to see of the welfare of his brethren well they said here comes a dreamer we'll get rid of him enmity jealousy pride in our hearts the van of
[36:02] Ishmael eyes comes along they sell him goes into Egypt upright godly young man one who feared God and eschewed evil because of his sincerity and uprightness he's thrown into prison everything must have seemed against him we read in one of the psalms until the time that his word came the word of the Lord tried him that word he had as a young lad when he had that remarkable dream but it tried him everything seemed to go against him but oh how wonderfully the Lord worked in me methinks afterwards he and his old father had things over they would see how necessary the adversity was days of trial we don't know the worth of anything naturally until we prove it we read in one of the epistles prove all things solemn word that's where we know the worth of anything where we know the worth of a minister in proving him in finding that what he preaches conveyed on with power to our hearts by his entering experimentally into our case my dear friends that's how we come to know the
[38:32] Lord Malachi we read prove me now Shesed the Lord and is in adversity very often that is dear people prove him haven't you proved him you may have been up to your next in trouble couldn't see any way out and sometimes in my little life when I couldn't see any way out yet I do feel this trouble election cross providence losses tribulations persecutions never never do us any harm whilst we can pray over them so dear Lord help us to pray in the end shall prove its profitable consideration in the day of prosperity be joyful but in the day of adversity consider consider your state my state consider what we were doing consider how we were going getting perhaps forgetful of God
[40:17] Martha like careful and troubled about many things but oh my dear friends we can humbly consider things and if these things do humble us they bring us to Jesus' feet they make us increasingly feel what poor sinners what poor sinners we are shall find it profitable adversity then there is that adversity of soul deep within Paul knew it he could say for I know in whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day but his old nature the future wasn't changed the future wasn't changed old Saul of Tarsus still there
[41:38] Paul knew it when Solomon prayed at the dedication of the temple he prayed for those they should know they should know the plague of their own heart these people take these things often as being against them but you see they bring us off the flesh bring us off the creature we find at least I find I've got nothing to trust to of my own some of you find the same my dear friends the more you're brought off these things the easier it will be for you when you come to your journey's end it will so what a favour to be brought to gracious spiritual prayerful consideration not to get out of the trouble at once the adversity at once but pray the Lord may bring you out of it show you a way out of it and he will
[43:28] I like the last verse in Psalm 107 who so is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord in prosperity and in adversity just one more thing before I close I was thinking of those words in Hebrews if ye be without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sons that's a solemn word means not real not real children one of our good ministers and I knew him well he had a good many days of adversity and I heard him say this once he could prove his sonship with God as much through sanctified trouble as anything now what a mercy if we are not without this adversity if we are not without this chastening we know a little of the Lord's goodness and mercy in it blessing it to us weaning us from self and from the world drawing us nearer to himself one rope sweet affliction that lays me low at Jesus feet you may depend that is true well in the day of a prosperity be joyful in the day of adversity consider the Lord has set the one over against the other you and I can't make the crooked straight the rough place is plain no the older we grow the more dependent we feel to be upon the Lord may he bless these few things amen shall we close hymn number 307 307 and must it
[46:43] Lord be so must I kill the dead such various kinds of woe but soul flexes fear are they the blessings we expect is this the lot of God's in it those not be sung of earth not look to a storm of lies above your highest note our sadness our sweet violence although our cup seems filled with joy as something see for it sweetens all 307 that pot finish for it to the the sun to the稱 of the earth between the下次 and populations in verse apart
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[48:42] Thank you.