Isaiah

[0:00] May the Lord help us to commence this evening service by singing hymn 35, tune 526.

[0:13] Come thou, almighty King, help us on thy name to sing, help us to pray. Father, all-glorious, all-victorious, come and reign over us, Ancient of Days.

[0:46] Hymn number 35, tune 526. Come thou, almighty King, help us on thy name to sing, help us to pray.

[1:11] Mother, all-glorious, all-victorious, come and reign over us, Ancient of Days.

[1:35] Jesus, bless us, our love, our love. Horse, tread us through our own, Light of Days.

[1:54] Carry God, be united through our love. that oh yeah . . .

[2:49] and give the good success to do it all the holiness on us Jesus.

[3:09] Come, holy come, O God, Thy sacred grace is there in this heaven.

[3:29] Thou, O Lord, and the earth, Thou holy, and the earth, and the earthirae, will Espobone, still be like the King, Let brought me peace.

[3:53] Turn the great God in free, eternal life has been, and separate Lord.

[4:15] This open heart is free, making glory see, and turn me to nothing, love and one.

[4:39] Read together from the prophecy of Isaiah, chapters 52 and 53.

[4:51] The prophecy of Isaiah, chapters 52 and 53. Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion, put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city.

[5:17] Henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. Take thyself from the dust, arise and sit down, O Jerusalem.

[5:33] Loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. Thus saith the Lord, ye have sold yourselves for naught, and ye shall be redeemed without money.

[5:50] For thus saith the Lord God, my people went down aforetime into Egypt to such and there, and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.

[6:07] Now therefore, what if I hear, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for naught? They that rule over them, make them to house, saith the Lord.

[6:21] My name continually, every day is blasphemed. Therefore my people shall know my name.

[6:34] Therefore they shall know in that day, that I am he that does speak. Behold, it is I. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace.

[6:58] That bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth.

[7:12] Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice, with the voice together shall they sing. For they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.

[7:25] Break forth into joy, sing, Together ye waste places of Jerusalem. For the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.

[7:43] The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations. And all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

[7:58] Departee, departee, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing, go ye out of the midst of her, be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.

[8:15] We shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight, for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your reward.

[8:29] Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonished at thee, his visage was so marred, more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.

[8:56] So shall he sprinkle many nations. The king shall shut their mouths at him. For that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

[9:18] Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground.

[9:37] He has no form nor comeliness. When we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men.

[9:52] A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. We hear, as it were, our faces from him. He was despised and we esteemed him not.

[10:08] Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted.

[10:23] that he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him.

[10:38] With his stripes we are healed. For we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone his own way.

[10:54] And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and he was afflicted.

[11:10] Yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers is done.

[11:22] So he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment. And who shall declare his generation?

[11:36] For he was cut off out of the land of the living. For the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death because he had done no violence neither was any deceit in his mouth.

[12:03] Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief. When they shall make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

[12:32] He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many.

[12:45] for he shall bear their iniquity. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spore with the strong because he hath poured out his soul unto death.

[13:09] And he was numbered with the transgressors he bare the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.

[13:31] Dear Lord we come to thee. We need thee thou knowest. And as we come to approach thee Lord at thy mercy seat we pray that thou wouldst have mercy upon us and look down upon us and grant us access nearness to thyself O leave us not who are coming to thy earthly courts Lord to seek thy faith.

[14:15] We pray thou wouldst draw near and bless the foolishness of preaching. It is Lord thou know thy ordained means of blessing thy one church feeding her with that bread of heaven that water of life and granting her to feel thy presence with her that she might be strengthened with all might in the inner man.

[14:56] Dear Lord we have no claim upon thee and yet thou knowest we need thee. And Lord we have so much to confer.

[15:10] Our slopes our indifference our carnality our fallen nature thou seest it altogether the thoughts but they are known to thee.

[15:27] And how much Lord we need that fountain which thou didst open at Calvary to cleanse us from all sin and iniquity.

[15:41] And we pray that this night the day we supply that precious fountain in the hearts of sinners.

[15:55] The day we open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf and there may be teaching power drawing to thyself that there may be communion with the fellowship learness access to thyself as we may hear thy voice that we may go forth from thy earthly court strengthened and given grace to run our race with patience oh may we be enabled to keep our eyes on Jesus fixed and dare our hopes to stay oh thou has to work thou has said

[16:56] I will work and we pray for that work thy will may be done in earth as in heaven that sinners may be brought to obedience to confession to godly sorrow and repentance to come to seek thy face and not to be satisfied until thou dost reveal thyself to them that they may know that thou are their god oh gracious god look down and grant that precious gift of hope it is outwardly a fragile appearance yet thy word speaks of the hope of god's dear people as an anchor which enters into that within the veil and lord we read that tribulation work is patience patience experience and experience hope and hope make us not ashamed because the love of

[18:28] Christ is shed abroad in our hearts and lord shine on that work in the hearts of thy living family as said thou shalt remember all the way the lord thy god has led me read of thy dear son banyan as he looked back over the path when so he took courage and passed over the Jordan of death oh look down upon us lord we have a hope that thou hast visited our souls in the path and yet they know there are long intervals in the journey the drawing of thy smile yet thou know it we cannot rest here without thy felt presence and when thou dost come and visit our soul then we know peace quietness confidence assurance oh look down and accomplish thy will and grant lord that thy work may be carried on we come this night to cast our brain beside all water oh we pray that thou would prospering thou would guide us into thy holy word of truth that it may drop us the rain and still as the dew fall into some heart grant the suffering of thy spirit grant a little weeping and mourning and rejoicing at the same time little brokenness of heart and contrition of spirit for there lord at thy mercy seat when our hard hearts are softened there is peace and we would know those arms of love and mercy about us as thy dear servant knew the everlasting arms underneath we would know thy grace thou have said my grace is sufficient for thee lord we have to confess the solemnity of our unbelief we distrust thee so much we listen to a tempting adversary our own fallen hearts but oh may we have been able to keep our eyes on

[21:34] Jesus things to look to thee for strength and grace for lord we have proved thee in time past to be a god of thy word and lord we would rest in the word of promise oh come and grant that word of promise in the hearts of poor sinner that lord which will stand in that great day manifest as gold silver and precious stone not as wood hay and stubble lord grant that thy word may drop into the hearts of thy dear children and that to lord they may be strengthened by lifted up helped to find their rest in thee and in thy unchangeability for thou art he who changes not now lord we come once again in our need the arrows and vessel we pray thee oh thou knowest that deep in thy holy word which couches beneath and as we come to it this night we pray that thou would open it up to us lead us into the truth and oh grant that there may be in the congregation ears to hear and eyes to see that there may be that revelation that thy servant

[23:25] Peter had of which thou did say flesh and blood has not revealed this unto thee but my father which is in heaven lord we pray thou hast work here amongst young and old thou sanctify the pathway that there may be in it that which shall redeem to thine honour and glory that there may be submission obedience teaching and peculiarly fellowship with thee in thy suffering and lord we pray for the drawing influence of god how did say when on earth no man can come unto me except the father which has sent me draw him we pray for the drawing of the spirit that mighty power that thy commandments may be heard and known that there may be obedience granted in the heart there may be a coming to that word of truth thou art our father we're the clay thou art potter we're all the work of thy hand lord we would ever be there made willing to take up our craft and to follow thee made willing to learn that lesson that thy dear servant learned when

[25:04] I'm weak then am I strong or look down upon the young tonight we pray thee have mercy upon them in this dark and evil time oh may they be born again of thy spirit in their youth given grace to remember their creator in the days of their youth while the evil days come not they may be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time that they may be the subject of the work of thy spirit and have their ears brought to the doorposts of thy house in their youth and be kept from wandering and dear Lord we think this night of the many prodigals that have wandered far not unforgotten oh we affectionately commend them to thee we think of so many in the churches wandered far away from the sound of the gospel yet we believe not beyond thine arms of love and mercy we pray that in that far country prodigal dear they may come to themselves feel thee hunger realize realize realize and be brought in desire i'll go to my father's house oh bring back the wandering prodigal and look down we pray thee and grant that same joy in the church as is known in heaven over one sinner who repented look upon our dear brother at the desk the pathway he walks he's known to thee we pray for him as his loved one so that grant him to feel that doubt with him that doubt his

[27:21] God and to know by his sweet experience not a single shaft can hit till the God of love sees fit for thy dear servant here tonight we commend him to thee be with him in his labour make him faithful over a few things oh lord each of thy servant has his penny it is thy sovereign will we pray lord thy would strengthen him uphold and anoint him grant him fruit to his labour and lord grant him that his times in the pulpit may be his most blessed times in the pathway grant liberty unction and due in the preaching of thy word look upon all thy sent servants lord we remember them before thee wherever thou hast sent a man bless his labour look upon the churches in their solemn condition lord how many said the dear hymn writer turned from

[29:02] Zion's way alas what numbers do i think i hear my saviour say wilt thou forsake me too but we thank thee lord that thy call is effectual thy grace irresistible thy redeeming work fully accomplished father i will all those that thou hast given me be with me where i am lord the government is upon thy shoulder and as thy dear ancient people came made of egypt and not a hoof was left behind so we believe with thy one church all will be safely gathered in those those whom thou hast given me thou hast said i have lost none oh grant in each heart in the sanctuary of god here this night a blessed hope that we may be unable to say with the hymn writer my hope is built on nothing less than jesus blood and righteousness but all thy dear people in sickness and affliction age infirmity crosses weariness pain suffering thou see us thy dear church lord we are all last hastening on to eternity the young may die the old might but lord we pray thou was prepare us bring us to that place one day where thy dear servant the apostle came when he said

[31:01] I'm now ready and all grant us while our life is lengthened day that we may be used of thee in thy sovereign purposes and to the good of thy one Israel today we pray thee lord upon this dark and evil land thou seest the monstrous wickedness the godlessness the carnality the pagan paganism oh how much we see about us it is totally contrary to thy revealed will in thy holy world and lord we see the monstrous murder of the infants in the womb in all its hideous evil we see the burning of the bodies in sheer paganism and lord we see the drug culture of the youth promiscuity living together unmarried evils of adultery and sin the broken homes the sufferings of the youth the vandalism the solemn culture of music among the young in all its devilishness oh lord thou seest all things satan goeth about as a roaring lion thy name is blasphemed every day and worse and greater abominations we see constantly dear lord we pray we may not be left to grow immune to the solemnity of it all heartened but oh may we ever be numbered amongst those who sigh and cry the abominations done in the land lord we pray thou jet stem great tides of wickedness that are sweeping over this country thou seest the royal household their

[33:35] Sabbath desecration and all the evils in the midst promiscuity around the throne as he is our government oh the hideous nature the godless men who reign over us the evils of their lives the hatred of thy people and yet lord the hearts of all men are in thy hand gracious god thou reignest and we are thankful for him oh we pray for the tiny remnant in the land and we know not where they are they know it we come like Obadiah when Elijah said he only was left there were those who had not bowed to eat a bow and already believe there is a tiny remnant and in our parliament raise up godly men a witness to the truth and all come and work by thy spirit and turn the great tides of wickedness lord we know of only one blessed antidote it is the gospel raise up and equip send forth other laborers into thy vineyard whom thou hast eternally chosen to the work may the time come of their showing forth unto

[35:09] Israel and may there be yet a fulfillment of thy promise a day when the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea and we pray this night for thy little Israel Lord we watch here is the land thou didst give to Abraham and his seed forever here is the enemy all about them and Lord thou hast opened the doors of that land for thy people to return and come back from the four corners of the earth and thou hast promised that the day will come and the veil will be taken from their eyes and they will be grafting again and all we pray for that day that thou was work in that land bless the gospel and all grant that they may yet come when they shall know that he whom they crucified at

[36:19] Calvary was the long awaited Messiah and that their eyes may be opened to know thee or pour out thy spirit and all we live in a day when so many of the prophecies of thy word are being fulfilled men are lovers of God of pleasure more than lovers of God knowledge has increased remarkably many go to and fro throughout the earth and Lord we see the signs of the time the last days are rapidly hastening onward they have said that at such a time as you think not the Son of Man coming Lord look down we pray thee thou hast divine purposes and oh we pray that thou move and move and work according to thy sovereign will pray for our nation that thou spare us from union the catholic powers of

[37:28] Europe oh thou see us the solemn nature of that union in all its godlessness and catholicism Lord we pray thou hast yet preserved to us our protestant reformed heritage and constitution oh thou shine upon thy truth the power Lord is thine and we pray for thy workmanship to be manifest in the church upon us now Lord we come to thee fill our earth and vessel grant the anointing of the Holy Spirit touch our lips of thy cold from thy heavenly altar bless thy word in the hearts of the hearers grant fruit grant Lord abdication oh that thou wouldst move and work according to thy sovereign will we leave all in thy dear hands and ask these mercies the pardon and forgiveness of every sin for

[38:41] Jesus Christ say Amen Hymn 481 Tune 357 Descend from heaven immortal dove stoop down and take us on thy wings and mountain bear us far above the reach of these inferior things out hymn and Этот ve'n peu ochús Safety hymn 481 Su shown 357

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[44:35] is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor the Mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace for unto us a child is born unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor the Mighty God the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace word is rested on my mind and securely it's rested on the opening words unto us it is a claim of great significance it is as though God's people are speaking about their knowledge of him that they are saying that was born in Bethlehem for them it is a great claim it is a searching claim it divides and separates this word us appears in the scriptures many times

[46:10] I think of the word of John in the first chapter of his first general epistle and it's always rested with me the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin and you know as the prophet Isaiah wrote this he was speaking of himself and the whole church of God and oh how vital if we are to stand in God's immediate presence and worship before his throne and sing that anthem which is recorded in the first chapter of the book of the Revelation Revelation unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood the song of the redeemed in unison together as one and I ask you here tonight are you there are you able to join in the anthem of that blessed company and I would go further you know and deeper and ask you this do you desire to be found in that company who loved me and gave himself for me do you desire to know it oh we need to be kept from being mere professors and brought to be possessors and brought into the place where we can say who loved me and gave himself for me to know him whom to know is life eternal and to be brought into the opening words of this text no doubt many of you in your schools you young people will have had some scripture readings at this time of the year in some form of service probably some carol service these scriptures are constantly read when I was teaching we always had the whole school assembled and these scriptures were read always this portion was read but how solemn we may sing the Lord is my shepherd but is he is he our how many repeat every week in some form of service our father which art in heaven our father how can we say

[49:30] I can only say that about my own father and so can you about your he is my father he is gone now never any different and so it will be with God's dear children they need to be brought to have a blessed hope in Christ that he is their God he is their redeemer and that centres on revelation he centres on the work of God in their hearts he centres on the opening of their eyes their blind eyes and their deaf ears eyes to see him by face ears to hear his voice and to know the voice of the good shepherd in our hearts and be brought here to have a hope that he was born for us that he was given for us a beautiful word you know unto us that is on our behalf for us a child is born unto us the son the eternal son of God is given given in this world to suffer and breed and die why the sins of poor sinners convicted and convinced of their sin and made to feel their unholiness ungodliness unbelief corruption lust filth leprosy of sin in their souls are brought to his mercies there to beg as the dying thief did in all his sins remember me oh it is the work of God to bring his dear people there and lying underneath our text tonight is a hope that is so here the prophet speaks in unison with the church of God in a glorious note of assurance and faith as he sees this remarkable eternal God coming into this world to Bethlehem's manger for him and the whole election of grace what a sight we have here it strikes me more and more as the years go by the wonder there is a wonder there is a wonder like this why that's the wonder was I may why may one of a city his church is taken two of a family

[52:43] Jacob and not Esau David and not Saul we might go through it in scripture oh how remarkable is that work from the very beginning Abel and not Cain ah there are people which no man can number of every nation kindred tribe and tongue an eternal son of God a child coming here in his glorious incarnation into this world for them he who created all things by the word of his power and the dear disciple John as he penned his gospel says the word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth

[53:53] I would lay the emphasis here tonight on searching yourselves examine yourselves says the scripture whether you be in the faith or no have you any divine revelation in your soul of these blessed truths have you a hope you've been given a glimpse of apostle apostle paul beautifully says in his letter to the church at philippi that i might know him oh we need go no further what a simple blessed prayer might know him christ said when here on earth my sheep hear my voice and i know them and they follow me what evidence have you got in your soul and heart here tonight that you know him that he has spoken to you that he has revealed himself in your soul that i come down if you cannot answer that you do not know the answer yet are you like bunions pilgrim you have been brought i was going to say forced i mean this by the sacred revelation of the spirit of truth you have been brought to leave the world behind you you have been brought to come out of it no longer can you feel at home in it you're an alien as it were on the very shores of time and you feel in that position where you cannot claim to be amongst the people of

[55:44] God you haven't the blessed hope and assurance you would have neither do you find you have a place in the world you are separated from it all the blessed nature of the work of God that separates his dear children often in their youth and brings them to himself my mind goes as I say that to the psalmist the sweet psalmist of Israel in his youth forgotten as he was but not of his God on the hills of Judah there he learnt we know not how what it was to approach his God in prayer and to come to him little did he realise the beauty of this truth unto him a child was born he came as the years went by to pen some of the most beautiful psalms relating to his redeemer the one that my mind turns to is the 22nd psalm where he had such a sight of

[57:14] Christ my strength is dried up like a pot shirt my tongue cleaveth to my jaws and thou hast brought me into the dust of death the dogs have compassed me the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me they pierced my hands and my feet I may tell all my bones they look and stare upon me they part my garments among them and cast lots for my vesture all the sight he had the eternal son of God in his incarnation dying on Calvary's cross unto our revelation we read of Abraham Christ said of him regarding Mount Moriah and laying his son on that altar of sacrifice and raising the knife over him he saw in that sacred holy activity of faith

[58:19] Christ Abraham saw my day and was glad oh what a sight he had of his redeemer that it was under him the Lord led him to look forward to Calvary's cross he led the dear psalmist and when he penned that 23rd psalm the Lord is my shepherd us he could say in faith unto us a child is born we come now to speak of the deep mystery of the incarnation so many errors about today solemn errors in the very mix but there is a beauty here and a glory we read of it in the 53rd of Isaiah when they shall make his soul an offering for sin and in the apostles epistle to the

[59:23] Hebrews he speaks there of the offering of the body of Jesus Christ and he he says this regarding that blessed sacrifice he speaks in this vein how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God and he says this by the which will we are sanctified the offering as a body of Jesus Christ once for all we see here unto us a child is born firstly the virgin birth born under divine creation of the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit the Virgin Mary born in sacred purity and holiness untainted by the sin of the

[60:29] Adam fall he came here into this world scripture speaks of Christ in this way holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens born says the hymn writer to set his people free born for their benefit sacred benefit that they might go to glory born into this world and taking into union with his deity a holy body and a soul in union and as John Bunyan says of it in his holy war he offered himself body for body and soul for soul for his dear church he died to ransom them to the grave to take their souls to glory through his sin atoning blood that they may be as their master spotless how are they to be spotless only through a divine sacrifice for sin born to set his people free coming into the manger at Bethlehem he would say a few things of the manger blasphemies that go on today and the fearful mockery of the manger and the gross abuse that goes on in these cribs and all this around at this time of the year but one thing stands out blessedly regarding the manger and that's this who is the divinely appointed place for the eternal son of

[62:17] God to enter this world no carnality of pomp and pride and ceremony there he came in humility to the manger there to be born to fulfill the words of scripture he was born in Bethlehem of Judea and what a sight we have of the Lord in all his majesty and glory coming into that manger I think of the words of the angels as they spoke to the shepherds over the hills of Judah and the beauty of the words they uttered they said in simplicity on earth peace that is the God of peace who got it here in our text the prince of peace what is that peace not what men imagine that is karma the peace they spoke of when

[63:33] Christ came into the manger of Bethlehem the child was born was this peace between God and sinner the angels spoke of the atonement reconciliation between God and sinner and there was only one avenue of reconciliation through the eternal son of God incarnate and it is not to know about it thousands and millions know of it but how many have had it revealed to them in their hearts and I ask you tonight have you had any revelation of it I would point you to this very simply tonight and some of you young ones it was very sweet to me many years ago when I heard my late father preaching at Southampton on the atonement I left the chapel that night very sad and in my heart was this

[64:36] Lord I know nothing of this but in a moment the Lord showed me I did and it was in this the hymn dropped into my heart this was the hymn every grace and every favour comes to us through Jesus blood oh how I saw then that even the simplest prayer and I believe at that time I felt that the only things I had in my soul were one or two sweet answers to prayer and Satan was my right hand to suggest to me that they were purely carnal things but you know every answered prayer the child of God comes in the fulfilment of it solely and alone through this child born into the manger at Bethlehem this son of

[65:42] God and son of man that was given it's a beautiful word God so loved the world what did he do he gave his only begotten son he gave him and I thought as this word rested on my mind and I gave him why gave him how when you look at it first of all this gave him to come into this world and humble himself and become obedient unto death even the death of the cross gave him as the redeemer of his dear church gave him as their saviour gave him as that one who alone could bring them to glory through his death and resurrection and his ascension and his intercession at the right hand of his father in glory that chapter we read the 53rd chapter is very blessing it comes right into the heart of our text tonight unto us what do you think of the words in the 53rd of isa surely he has borne what our grief here the church speaks in experience in hope and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of

[67:25] God and afflicted then it comes again but he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquity the chastisement that is the punishment for of our peace for the producing of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed I had a blessed example of this in this year some months ago a dear friend of mine in Holland died of cancer at the age of 35 and the last months of his life were months of utter torment for he was young it was unexpected he hoped the Lord would spare him but he realised eventually it was to eternity and then his dear father told me he cried out and cried out oh my sister and he told me his sufferings of his soul are far greater than the sufferings of his body as he lay dying but you know his prayers were answered he made a most blessed end in the last two days of his life when the

[68:38] Lord drew near and and then under divine revelation brought him into this text for he spoke to him out of the 53rd of Isaiah with these words with his stripes we are healed oh the power that entered that dear man's soul he died in utter peace he said to his father I can go now I can go now he'd come here for him a child had been born for him eternal son of God had been given he could see it it was sealed in his heart and there and there alone is peace it is when through the eternal son of God and his finished work on Calvary's cross poor sinners and an eternal God are reconciled that there is peace and there is no reconciliation until it is received the apostle says in the fifth chapter of his letter to the Romans by whom that is

[69:50] Christ we have now received the atonement oh that precious blood has to be applied in our heart not once again and again we shall need it and you know I believe this God's dear children are brought like Jacob to wrestle with him regarding these solemn and sacred matters until they come to a place of reality realizing that if they do not know that atonement they'll be lost forever and they say with Jacob I will not let thee go except thou bless me the beauty of that which the Lord spoke of the unjust judge because of his opportunity he arose and gave him lovely word oh I do say to you tonight seek earnestly the basket seek earnestly to know that blood of the atonement seek earnestly to come into the sweetness of these words that you may be enabled to join with the church above and the church below the church triumphant and the church militant in this precious word of faith and hope and assurance and be able to say enter in with a dear prophet here and be able to come as one of that company of which scripture speaks so beautifully regarding the church they went to their own company unto us a child is born to have a blessed hope that Christ died for you that he came here into the manger at Bethlehem on your behalf that the babe that lay here in the manger was your

[71:55] God dear Anne Steele exercise woman that she was came to that blessed place where she penned that lovely hymn my God my father blessful name oh may I call thee mine may I with sweet assurance claim a portion so divine and I have a photocopy of a diary of her niece Jane Atwater who was present by her bed as she died she records in that diary that her dying utterance was this I know that my Redeemer lives she came to the same place as the Lord's dear servant Joe came to standing upon that rock

[72:55] Christ Jesus and with that blessed hope unto us a child is born unto us a son is given oh the blessed gift of God for his dear church that he has sent him into this world to open the gates of heaven for his dear church through his atonement and to bring about that peace which the angels spoke of the God of peace the apostle Paul often spoke of it I preached a while ago from that lovely word the God of peace sanctify you holy oh how is that done sanctify you holy there will be not a spot or a blemish in your soul and you will come where the apostle Paul in his letter to the church at Ephesus speaks of when he says this that we should be without holy and without blame before him in love how through the blood of his dear son and then he speaks again very blessedly and says he has made us accepted how in the beloved that's a remarkable word you know sinners a dying thief a blaspheming

[74:24] Peter an adulterous David unbelieving Moses made accepted in the beloved as Moses came to die what a sight he had none like unto the God of Jeshurun rideth upon the heaven in thy help and his excellence upon the sky the eternal God that is this child is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms you know chastisement was for Moses meted out in that hour when he said that he was not allowed to enter the promised land yet he was loved of his God for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every sign we receive it but you know the hour came when Christ was on earth and Moses and Elijah appeared with him in glory and Peter

[75:27] James and John were witnesses of it and had a sacred sight on that man transfiguration for him unto us a child was born unto us a son was given they were redeemed with Jesus blood redeemed his beauties called to trace no angel can compare a sinner saved by grace we need we must be brought to this place where before a God who searches all hearts and knows every secret thought and searches out all insincerity all deception all self deception we can truly say before this holy God unto us for our behalf Peter when he spoke of Christ thou art the Christ the son of the living

[76:27] God Jesus said in flesh and blood and how true this is has not revealed this unto thee but my father which is in heaven I say to you tonight press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus wrestle on toward heaven seek earnestly the best the the best plead at the mercy seat the acid test of sincerity is this I'll not let thee go except they bless me the Lord says seek and ye shall find he says ask but you know when he uttered those words he was speaking of the importunity of the unjust judge the one who came to him of his importunity and you know when he says ask it doesn't mean once it means an interminable number of times until we attain and reach forth and seek and never give up and keep pleading at the mercy seat it's like

[77:46] Queen Esther when she went into King Ahasuerus are going under the king said the dear woman and if I perish I perish she needed the scepter of mercy to be extended to her personally so does every poor sinner they need to come and the deeper their knowledge of sin their inability their fallen and ruined condition the greater will be the urgency the need the prayer face the poor sinner as my dear friend was in Holland with eternity no longer was the formality his prayers his prayers descended into cries and groans there was an urgency and the Lord did not answer immediately and yet he did with his stripes we're healed that was application and it brought peace the atoning blood of

[79:03] Christ flowed over his soul and it is in scripture from the very first book of the scripture the garden of Eden he shall wound thy head said the Lord to Satan that is Christ and thou shall bruise his head that refers to the wounds that the dear psalmist spoke of they pierced my hands and my feet oh when Christ on the road to Emmaus revealed himself to those three dear men as they walked and were sad he opened to them in the scriptures the things concerning himself blessed revelation and when he came to leave them such was the sweetness of the blessing that had burnt within them that they asked him out of love in their hearts abide with us lovely words went in and oh what a revelation they had he broke bread and they had a sight of that last supper and of him and they realised that the stranger was this child this son and they worshipped and they broke forth in great joy and though he vanished out of their sight they had such a sweet revelation of him and they went forth in faith and hope and cried the Lord is risen indeed oh the truth is the same in all generation it will never differ we must come into the fold other sheep

[81:01] I have them also I must bring there should be one fold and one shepherd and they will gather in that flock and be the subjects of the Lord's teaching my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me unto us a child is born holy spotless harmless undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens the beautiful words of the apostle in his letter to the Hebrews we have not an high priest who cannot be touched for the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin in all points like his dear people and here we see it in its sacred foundation a child is born a son is given here in his incarnation in this world and it is for his dear people and I close with that desire and expressed in the hymn and now my righteous

[82:33] God shall come take thy ransom people home shall I among them stand shall such a worthless worm as I who sometimes am afraid to die be found at thy right hand and then this forbid here is the prayer of the church forbid forbid it by thy grace be thou dear lord my hiding place in this accepted hour thy pardoning voice oh let me hear to still my unbelieving fear nor let me fall I pray numbered with them may I be now and to eternity amen hymn 965 tune 633 tell us oh our best beloved where their feet thy tender flock where they rest at noon discover shelter us beneath that rock let let no idol air divide us from the lord in whom we live by thy loving counsel guide us and our souls at last receive hymn 965 tune 633 we praise

[84:26] Brown that walk with them before cents cents cents Thank you.

[85:25] Thank you.

[85:55] Thank you. Thank you.

[86:27] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[86:38] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[86:50] and now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ the love of God the communion of the Holy Spirit abide with you each Amen Amen