Jonah

[0:00] As the Lord shall be pleased to help me, I shall have to continue with the morning subject.

[0:16] The book of Jonah, chapter 2, 7th verse. When my soul painted within me, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came in unto thee into thine holy temple.

[0:44] Chapter 2, the book of Jonah, and the 7th verse. I have no doubt that many of you who have the mercy to be sinners born again have felt like Jonah did when he entered into the experience outlined in our subject.

[1:15] You have known many a time what it is for your soul to faint within you.

[1:26] And now, if that experience has been known and felt by you, then it proclaims you to be a living soul.

[1:41] The dead know not anything about what it is to faint, although there is a saying that sometimes people are in a dead faint, but their pulse still beats, and their heart is still maintaining them in life.

[2:08] And when our souls are at such a low ebb, that all you can plead before God is that your soul is painting within you, it is still a mercy to Christ that you are what you are before God with whom you have to do.

[2:33] I want, as the Lord should help me, to look at the subject from one or two more viewpoints of it.

[2:45] And there are some lessons to be learned in looking in the setting of the subject. I showed you in the morning sermon, a little, of where Jonah missed the mark in being a prophet, and how he was so disobedient in fulfilling the command which was given to him, the word of the Lord which came to him, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I be to.

[3:24] I might turn aside and make a comment there about preaching. Preaching the gospel by one who is ordained of God to preach it will ever be of that characteristic.

[3:43] It will have to be the preaching that I bid do. Those of us who know what it is to preach and try to preach find at times that our minds are altogether turned from what was in our thoughts to bring before the people what we had pondered in our hearts in meditation and that prayerfully too.

[4:13] And other matter wells up in our breath and grace is given for out of the abundance of the heart for the mouth to speak.

[4:24] And then you find to your encouragement and sometimes to your surprise that poor sinners have been helped with some special help.

[4:38] And that is because you have been enabled to preach the preaching that God has bid on you. And not just that which you had got locked up in your breath thinking it was that which you were to spread on the gospel table.

[5:00] And another thought has come to my mind looking at the setting of the subject. And it might be helpful for you to remember when you hear men preach and especially if they should be only just beginning on Zion's walls.

[5:23] And maybe they are young and only as yet which is all to the good in life's mourning.

[5:35] And you may listen and you may discern that maybe later on in life's journey they will perhaps set forth the truth in a different wording to what they do it in life's mourning.

[5:59] Although it is the truth they will find a more acceptable way of presenting it. And now go back to Jonah.

[6:15] Jonah was a sinner born again and he was taught of God. And he was ordained of God to be a prophet.

[6:29] But as I said in the morning sermon when God made his engagement to preach and that was to go to Nineveh and preach to Nineveh Jonah would have none of it according to his feelings and how he reacted to it.

[6:50] And the Lord dealt with him. He chastened him sore. Sent him into the belly of hell. And there he was as man never was before.

[7:04] Living for three days and three nights in the belly of a fish. I might tell you young people in case your scripture teachers at school should tell you that the book of Jonah is just the myth.

[7:19] That this word reads in the original Now the Lord had prepared a great preserver to swallow up Jonah.

[7:30] There is no need for men to cavil at it to criticize and say it could never be. There is no whale who could swallow up a man as the word of God declares that Jonah was swallowed up.

[7:43] There was a great fish and it was prepared by God. And the book of Jonah was inspired by the Spirit of God to record it.

[7:56] And Jonah had to be in such a place to learn Jonah to preach what you would have thought that when he began to preach he knew and needed not to have it emphasized in his own soul's experience.

[8:17] Jonah tells us when the Lord granted him such a merciful deliverance I will pay that that I have vowed.

[8:27] Do listen salvation is of the Lord. And now I suppose you have heard that from our pulpit and other pulpit thousands and thousands of times.

[8:42] Just the wording salvation is of the Lord. But when Jonah began to preach he did not realize it only as a doctrine and not what that doctrine meant when it was reduced to practice that Ninevites could be saved as much as Israelites.

[9:05] And that is what it means. And every man ordained of God to preach if he is going to preach salvation is of the Lord must go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature that the word of God may be fulfilled and that what godly John saw when he had a peep into heaven itself as you read in the book of Revelation people of every kindred tribe and tongue and they are there as redeemed spirits because salvation is of the Lord.

[9:43] It is not just for Israelites it is for Gentiles. Salvation is of the Lord.

[9:55] In other words every man going out to preach a right having a right understanding of his commission to preach must ever keep in mind what God has declared I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy and sometimes preachers of the gospel get some surprises at the sinners that are wrought upon and saved by grace.

[10:33] And you sing and you sing it well sovereign grace or sin abounding ransom souls the tidings swell tis a deep that knows no sounding oh you want to remember to ponder it in your heart who its length of bread can tell on its glory let my soul forever dwell and now when Jonah said salvation is of the Lord he said to the Lord as it were Lord if you want the Ninevites to be saved I will go and preach the gospel to them and it shall be according to thy will and that is just how the church of Christ is to be built up thy kingdom come thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven and now looking at this subject again when my soul painted within me

[12:01] I did show you in the morning sermon some things which bring about a faint in soul in poor sinners born again and I might tell you that this is nothing unusual to be the subject of because the word of God makes it plain that some of the most notable saints at times have had painting souls and their behaviour then has not been very good to read about you might think to illustrate that truth of Elijah when he fled into the wilderness death and God proclaimed to him foundation truth there he was in a cave and there was much that was done there was the earthquake and the wind but it says the Lord was not in it nor in the fire after the fire a still small voice what doest thou here

[13:28] Elijah Lord I'm the only one left to witness to thee in all the land of promise wherever you go they have all died out as far as I can judge and I am just here with a fainting soul Elijah you were laboring under a very wrong misapprehension I thought seven thousand yet who love me and my truth and worship me aright and have not bowed the knee to Baal and are not going to do it because by my grace I shall sustain them that they shall endure unto the end as witnesses for me and my truth you may have a fainting soul like that nowadays as you view the church of

[14:29] Christ and those of us who preach might fall a prey to it and say Lord who has believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed there seems such a dirt the people being born again and conversions and additions to the church of Christ and you may have a fainting soul but when you have quoted that scripture you can turn over the pages to the Acts of the Apostles and read again and the Lord added unto the church daily such as should be saved and that word is being fulfilled although preachers often seem to be preaching with fainting souls because there seem so few signs following their labours upon

[15:33] Zion's walls and now think of Job and you know Job is a friend of mine I told you quite a bit about Job in my time and he was declared by God to be a perfect man one who was accepted in Jesus Christ as the beloved one who did fear God and estu evil and he had a good religion and it shone out in the midst of the dealings of God the Lord gave the Lord of taken away blessed be the name of the Lord and the days roll on and the trial gets more severe with poor Job and he ponders these things in his heart and all at once he begins to paint as for my hope who shall see it my hope that he removed like a tree or that

[16:40] I knew where I might find him that I might come even to his seat I would order my course before him I would fill my mouth with arguments and that line of thought is very much in agreement with our subject as to how Jonah felt when my soul painted within me I remembered the Lord and my prayer came in unto thee into thine holy temple and dear friends what a record it would be if it could be gathered together and published as God would publish it I mean speaking with great reverence some of the spots and places all over the world where people thought of God have been in when it has been with them as it was with Jonah then

[17:41] Jonah prayed unto the Lord is God out of the fish's belly oh that would be a monster of a volume and it would be good to read and you would find that north south east west God is approachable yes I like to think too of Jeremiah and at one time his soul was ravished as God declared I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee and you might think if God said that to you that you would never question your religion or the dealings of God with your soul as long as you live but Jeremiah later on in his lamentation says water flowed over my head and then I said I am cut off my hope is perish from the

[18:45] Lord perish as to any happiness I feel in the possession of it is what Jeremiah had in his mind the reality of it was there and the Lord granted Jeremiah a gracious reviving of his hope afterwards but that is how he felt when he had a fainting soul and that is just how you will feel you will wonder what you are and where you are whether you have got any religion that God is the author of whether you have got a right that your name should be on the church roll although long years ago you hoped it was of God that it was recorded there oh oh you oh you have some strange cogitations of mind when you have a fainting soul and your thoughts then are all out of perspective and you say all these things are against me this is the way when my soul painted within me

[19:58] I remembered the Lord I thought in pondering this subject in the dinner hour how sometimes sinners born again have a fainting soul because they are brought low by sin and Satan the apostle Peter speaks about mark how he words it if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations very solemn it is if it should go forth concerning you Simon Simon Satan has desired to have thee that he may sift thee as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not oh what a time it was for the apostle Peter when he was sifted in Satan's Sid I have told you he went into it and out sized

[20:59] Peter he came out just the right sized Peter to preach the gospel and encourage poor sinners to hope in God and he could tell just as Jonah could as he learned it salvation is of the Lord by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of work lest any man should bow when my soul fainted within me and sometimes our souls do faint through temptation oh Satan knows what are our besetting sins and he knows our weaknesses and there it is he plants his artillery and seeks to gain some ground gain some advantage over us in our profession of the name of

[22:04] Jesus if to be he can bring us down to bring a reproach on it and undo the influence of it oh you do need to remember the Lord at such a time Lord hast thou made me know thy ways conduct me in thy fear and grant me such supplies of grace that I may persevere sometimes you have a fainting soul when affliction is laid on you it needs a great deal of grace to behave aright and give glory to God when affliction is laid on us because affliction undoes you for the time here you are with good health and you feel some fear in life and you labour therein according to what the word of God says whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might and then you awake and affliction has come upon you and you cannot be living your everyday life and your pleasant picture especially if it is in business life is marred and there you are with a fainting soul laid low by affliction and and you do need to remember the lord then and it says in all our afflictions he was afflicted and instead of kicking against the pricks of his dealings with you oh how good it is if you can humble yourself under his mighty hands in his dealings with you and say it is the lord enthroned in life whose claims are all divine who has an undisputed right to govern me and mine to feel shall not the judge of all the earth do right and remember that when you should be with a pain in soul and affliction is indeed laid upon you and that may be for weeks that a stretch that your hands cannot perform their enterprise if you help then to remember the lord you will find what his name is

[24:53] Jehovah Jarrah the lord will provide i could tell you a great deal from my own experience over the years from that viewpoint of truth and how needful it is to remember the lord i remember many many years ago when i was exceedingly busy on zion's wall many many engagements to preach special services here and there and yet in our circumstances in our earlier life it was at union chapel here we had mountains rising up that needed to be overturned by the roof and there was difficulties attending day by day and i said to my dear wife when i was contemplating the future and looking at the range of mountains needing to be overturned if i can be helped to go forth and preach until all these engagements god has made for me as i go out to do that work on zion's walls i have no doubt whatever the lord will appear for us and the mountains will be overturned by the roof and i went out to begin to preach and fulfilled some of these engagements and then i was laid aside away from home and there i was not able to preach and for five weeks i could not preach and all those engagements to preach were cancelled and yet when at length i recovered strength and i returned home i had enough lfd to overturn all those mountains by the roots and they were leveled down by the help of god at that time and i had to learn deeper down what that word means trust trust in him trust in the lord and do good so shalt thou dwell in the land and betterly thou shalt be fed fear him ye saints and you will then have nothing else to fear make you with service your delight your want shall be his care i learnt a lesson in that experience as i tossed on my bed at hooke norton that i have never forgotten every man taught of god and sent to preach needs to learn it and that is that god is as much glorified when you do not preach as when you try to preach because his word declares i will work and who shall let it much might be said along that line of talk when my soul painted within me i remembered the lord and when you are painting through affliction laid on you do remember there is no affliction but what he can enter into it he can sympathize with you he knoweth our frame he remembereth that we are but dust

[28:54] and remember too jesus is a wise physician skillful and exceeding kind through him sinners find remission and enjoy sweet peace of mind going back to that experience for our dear young people i'm going to say this when i was at hook norton tossing on my bed and in great pain for a while a word was given to me that many as i love i'll rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent and that is what i desire to do repent and when that word came to me i had a letter from my wife the following morning and in that letter it was said that a word was being sent for me a word that might be a word of comfort for me and it was just a day's text taken off the calendar and it was as many as i love i rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent and now you will find dear friends whether young or old that often what god is pleased to give you later on you will have a sweet confirmation of it whether it be to do with his words or whether it be to hear the gospel what you get from god he does not fail to confirm by his grace in your soul that it is indeed that which he has wrought therein and that is the meaning of that word the saviour says whosoever should drink of the water that i shall give him it shall be in him a well of water springing up to everlasting life because when you get a further sip of that living water it makes all your past experience to live again in your soul as you remember the way the lord has led you along sometimes it seems hidden and in obscurity but when you get that living water it refreshes not only your soul but it enlightens your eyes the eye of faith and you can look back then and see what god has done for your soul and thank him and take courage when my soul painted within me

[32:07] I remembered the lord there is just one other thought about a faint in soul and you know if you should be remember I said if if you should be a backsliding soul you will be a faint in soul when you are made aware of it when like the prodigal and he came to himself and when that happens with you then you begin to realise where you are and what you are and god speaks to you and tells you this thou hast procured to thyself and you a poor backslider with a faint in soul and if you should be you can still take courage as you ponder this word when all is said and done Jonah was a backslider and what did he say when my soul fainted within me

[33:16] I remembered the Lord and the Lord is wonderfully good to returning prodigals mark the word in returning prodigals you remember the prodigal said he said it under the influence of life divine he had indeed a fainting soul but his mind was made up I will arise and go to my father and say unto him father I have sinned against heaven and before thee and you know while he was yet a long way off his father saw him and ran to meet him fell on his neck and kissed him made him welcome and God ever deals with returning prodigals like that there is a great word in Jeremiah where God says only acknowledge thy iniquity put your mouth in the dust of self abasement as it were if to be there may be hope acknowledge thine iniquity you shall hear no more about it your sins your iniquities

[34:34] I will remember no more when my soul painted within me I remembered the Lord looking at the subject from another viewpoint I remembered the Lord and now Asaph did that and what did he say I remembered God and I was troubled and I'm very sure of this if some of you remembered God you would be troubled too because you would find your soul was a painting soul and your conscience might be loaded with guilt with guiltiness before God when Asaph said I remembered

[35:35] God and I was troubled he had a fainting soul what did the dear man say and he was indeed a Selmist and God inspired him to record some Selm but when he remembered God and was troubled the dear man says I complained and then he says will the Lord cast off forever will he be favorable no more is his mercy clean gone forever does his promise fail forever more hath God forgotten to be gracious happy in anger shut up his tender mercies and there he is with a fainting soul and drawing his own conclusions about the dealings of God and those conclusions were all on a wrong premise what does he say and I said this is my infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high when you a poor sinner with a fainting soul desire to remember the

[37:01] Lord you can do that from varied viewpoints and it will be helpful and profitable whichever viewpoint you may seek to remember the Lord you could remember what you hope he has done for you you are not without hope that he has done something for your soul and if you can remember that something which he has done and remind him of it remember the Lord in that which you hope is your past experience if you seek to remember what the hymn writer says did ever trouble yet befall and God refused to hear thy call not anything by the way and they answered nothing I remembered the Lord and if you could do that this

[38:03] Sabbath afternoon when you get home continue in it you would be surprised at what the Lord has really done for you and much that he has done you have overlooked too often overlooked it too long thou shalt remember all the way the Lord thy God hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness and it is good to remember the Lord like this our good guidance saviour has helped us thus far and tis by his favour we are what we are I remembered the Lord you can remember the past good it is to have a past experience although at times it may seem to be hidden from the eyes of your faith but there it is a reality though bleak winds the boughs defaced the rooted stalk shall still remain leaves may languish fruit decrease more shall grow again dear

[39:15] Job said the root of the matter is found in me and it was indeed a reality I remembered the Lord it might be helpful to not only in remembering the past if you sought as well as grace is given to remember the present and you know there is an occupation like this count your many blessings count them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done you look within you look without and yet if you were to view things remembering the Lord regarding not only the past but the present that you should be where you are dwelling under your own home roof surrounded with comforts innumerable with a good hope through grace to inspire you as you journey on and the house of prayer which God has made to be a home to you where you can worship him and at times worship him aright and get good for your soul oh how many mercies do attend you as you journey on through life and we would not let them lie forgotten in unthankfulness and without praises die you can remember then the present and following that line of thought

[40:59] I would say you can also remember the prospect although I have told you to try to learn to live a day at a time and take no anxious thought about tomorrow yet you can remember still the prospect and that is he whom you desire to remember is Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever and you must remember this he hath delivered and he doth deliver and we trust he will yet deliver us and that is the prospect for you to remember as you journey on through life thy love in times past forbids me to think thou wilt leave me at last in trouble to sink each sweet Ebenezer I have in review confirms thy good pleasure to carry me right through and then in remembering the

[42:07] Lord not only to remember who he is verily God and verily man and to remember the Lord is approachable at any time anywhere what I would emphasize is this here you are and yet with a fainting soul but even though that is the truth as to how you are before God it can be said of you faint yet pursuing you are still asking the way to Zion with your faces thitherward yet pursuing you still have a goal in your mind's eye that I may win Christ and be found in him you are still desiring to run the race that is set before you looking unto

[43:12] Jesus and looking off all beside and it is good in remembering the Lord to remember sometimes how long it seems that you have had a fainting soul and yet though you are fainting you have not died under it and now how can that be that with your fainting soul you are still held up and held on the word of God says I read it to you he giveth power to the faint and when that word is recorded you must not conclude your own interpretation upon it to be that the power will always be of such a nature that you can go on your way like

[44:13] Jacob did at Ma'anaim when the angels of God met him and lift up your feet and make good speed as you go on in the way of life sometimes this power is communicated to the faint hear a little there a little line upon line precept upon precept I have told you of that word in Daniel and they shall be open with a little help and so these fainted souls are open with a little help and as they remember the Lord so in their souls experience they are favoured with bigger tokens for good and they get help by the way and weak as they are fainting often as they feel to be yet they have only got one concern in their minds going back to this word faint yet pursued there is no discouragement shall make him once relent his first avowed intent to be a pilgrim when my soul painted within me

[45:44] I remembered the Lord and my prayer came in unto thee into thine holy temple my prayer you may depend there were not many words with Jonah's prayer but what was best of all out of the abundance of the heart the mouth was speaking oh there was reality therein and it is good when you can feel that in your prayer there is reality the Lord requireth the truth in the inward parts and a painting soul sometimes force forth his prayer like this does does thy heart for Jesus pine and make it secret moan he understands a side divine he marks the hidden groan these pinings prove that

[46:52] Christ is near to testify his grace call on him with unceasing prayer for he will show his face dear Jonah proved the blessedness of it and he leaves this testimony to encourage poor sinners in all the ages to come till time shall be no more and my prayer came in unto thee into thine holy temple Lord teach us to pray in the midst of all those things that bring about our souls to be fainting souls help us to remember thee who thou art whom though we cannot comprehend knowing thou art the sinner's friend we love thee and adore and it means I remember the

[47:52] Lord to remember his mercy and remember his grace where sin hath abounded grace shall much more abound to remember that this man receiveth sinners and to remember his word let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need let us remember the Lord that he is approachable approach my soul the mercy seat where Jesus answers prayer and humbly lie at his dear feet for none can perish there amen

[48:53] Heh goat to callahn to say have to two hands that is reached Joy retract into danger