Isaiah

[0:00] If the Lord should be pleased to help me, I should call your attention to a subject you will find in the book of Isaiah, chapter 49, and the 11th verse.

[0:23] And I will make all my mountains away, and my highways shall be exalted.

[0:40] Chapter 49, the book of Isaiah, and the 11th verse.

[0:53] The speaker in the text is Jesus Christ, speaking as the sinner's friend.

[1:07] I wonder if you realize every time a text is announced from which a preacher hopes to say something to help you, that it is the word of God that is read.

[1:25] God spake all these words. And sometimes you may begin to let your thoughts run on the text that is given out, as to whether there might be anything in it that will fit in with your case, throw any light upon your circumstances.

[1:49] But if you have been waiting on God, that you may obtain help, whatever the text is, the preacher will be directed by his master to say something that shall convey some help to you, whether it seems to fit in with the subject or not.

[2:18] Do remember that. And now, if you went right through the word of God, and how many wonderful subjects there are in it, what texts that you can remember being preached from that have been made of help to you, and yet, I say, if you went through the word of God from cover to cover, you might not be able to find another text that could be so helpful to you as you journey on through life than the one I have read.

[2:55] And it seems especially laid on my mind to say something about it, as grace is given. And the meaning is, if you and I are sinners, thought of God, sinners born again, if our great concern is to win Christ and be found in him, and if as we journey on through life, our concern is that God should come into our life, and that he has come into our life, so that we are what we are and where we are, do you realize that God has guaranteed, I will make all my goodness to pass before him?

[3:50] You may fear tomorrow. You may have your thoughts about the future unfolding, regarding your business life, your family circle, regarding your own case before God.

[4:07] you may sometimes feel that you walk in obscurity and darkness, as to the feelings of God with you.

[4:18] and yet, this word is in the sacred pages, the mouth of the Lord has spoken it, whatever difficulties may arise, whatever opposition from earth or hell may come against you, things within, things without, I will make all my mountains away.

[4:49] And in that way you shall travel. And as grace is given, you shall realize you are being led forth by the right way.

[4:59] And I can assure you, it is a wonderful mercy, a mercy to prize, when you hear, he who is the speaker in the text, say to you, I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit, and which leadeth thee in the way in which thou shouldest go.

[5:29] You might think about that word, shouldest, it is not wouldest. The way that you would go, if the choice were left to use, is not the way that God ordains that you should go.

[5:46] But in that way, God will go with you. In the way that you would go, God will leave you to go alone. Remember that.

[6:00] And now let us look at this subject from just two viewpoints of it. And the second of the subject is very instructive, for it is primarily to do with the children of Israel when they were released from Babylonish captivity, Oh, they were a long, long way from their homeland, the land of promise.

[6:29] But as you all know, I need not take up time in going into details, God stirred up Cyrus, who was the deliverer to conquer the Babylonian kingdom, to issue a proclamation that the children of Israel, who had so long been captive, 70 years long, in Babylon, could return, as many of them as were like-minded, return to the land of promise, and all provision should be made for them to go along the long way they had to go, notwithstanding the enemies abounding on either side in safety.

[7:20] safety. And they went not only under the guarantee of Cyrus, but a much greater than Cyrus, he who is the speaker in the text.

[7:34] And I will make all my mountains away, which is to say that all things that are pulled shall be leveled down, and my highways highways shall be exalted.

[7:51] And I want to impress this, shall I say that, the Lord impresses on your mind how this is worded. And I will make all my mountains away, and my highways shall be exalted.

[8:12] The troubles that come into our lives do not come by chance for aphazard. If you and I are people taught of God, there is an overruling providence that wisely marshals every circumstance.

[8:30] And now, in approaching the subject, think again of who the speaker is. I said, he was Jesus Christ, speaking as a sinner's friend.

[8:44] And remember, Jesus Christ, as a sinner's friend, is omnipotent incarnate. The omnipotence of God was displayed when in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

[8:59] But that is what is termed his native omnipotence. God that there should be a number which no man can number save with an everlasting salvation.

[9:19] And when the Adam fall took place, and that seemed to be indeed a mountain of a truth, opposing it, what was in God's heart to do.

[9:32] But God had made all provision that even that mountain, the Adam fall, should be made a way for a mighty display of his mercy, his grace, his wisdom.

[9:49] And as you sing sometimes, God in the person of his son hath all his mightiest works outdone.

[10:01] And I say this with great reverence, God disdain his native omnipotence whereby, as I said in the beginning, he created the heavens and the earth, needed to do much more than that, that sinners should be saved with an everlasting salvation.

[10:26] And he did it. blessed be his name. He devised means whereby poor sinners should be saved.

[10:39] And on that basis that he decrees, and what was that decree? Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin.

[10:54] all the angelic hosts, all the holy angels gathering together, could not devise means, whereby heaven could be opened to poor sinners like you and me.

[11:11] But God in his infinite wisdom made it manifest. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoso ever believeth in him should not perish, and have everlasting life.

[11:32] So, as I often quote, and you need to think on it, and carefully ponder it, and it will do you good. when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his own son, made of a woman, made under the law.

[11:52] And that little bag, in the Bethlehem manger, cradled there, was omnipotent, incarnate.

[12:03] Verily God, verily man, his shoulders held up heaven and earth, when Mary held up him.

[12:15] And being verily man, he had his wondrous holy humanity. He could suffer therein, a body that thou prepared thee.

[12:28] He could suffer in that body, and bleed, and die, and thus he became omnipotent, incarnate.

[12:39] And because he is omnipotent, incarnate, God is approachable. There is one God, one mediator between God and man, the man, Christ, Jesus, and it is he who speaks in our text, speaks to poor sinners, concerned to have an interest in his doing and dying, and I will make all my mountains away.

[13:12] Yes. Not only is he omnipotent, incarnate, but thinks that he is immutable, which means this.

[13:25] It means something beyond any creature to really describe as it ought to be, set forth. but, I am the Lord, I change not, therefore, ye sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

[13:45] the immutability of God is a beautiful and blessed doctrine, I was going to say, and so it is, but what I want to say is, it is a beautiful and blessed reality, and where would you be, where should I be, if God was not immutable, and changed not?

[14:12] Our soul, through many changes, goals, his love, no variation, no. Oh, you may well say, great God, how infinite art thou, what worthless worms are we, let the whole race of creatures bow, and pay their praise to thee.

[14:38] And now, think of the speaker in the text then, and think of him like this, and never forget it. Let it be offer most in your thought, unto him who is able to do, exceeding abundantly, above all that we can ask, or even think, according to the power that worketh in us.

[15:05] Able to do, he has this wondrous ability, he is omnipotence incarnate, he is immutable, he is able to say, to the uttermost, yes.

[15:23] And now, I want to look at some of these mountains, because they rise up in life's way, and it is amazing how soon a mountain can rise up in our lives.

[15:35] I was going to say, and I will, many a time in my life, in my long ministry, the morning post has brought a mountain in my life, something in letters that were read, difficulties that must be met, liabilities too, and they are mountains, and you need God.

[16:05] you need divine aid, and here it is, I will, it is not maybe, if you do this, I will do that, no, no, I will make all my mountains away.

[16:27] And now, when a sinner is born again, he soon finds that he has got to live a new life, he has got to live under new conditions, he has got in his life now a new outlook, and he finds things arising in life's journey, which he has known nothing whatever about before.

[16:54] take a sinner, take a sinner, when he is born again, when the eyes of the blind are opened, when he is brought before Sinai's mount under the law, when he might hear the law's loud thunder, pay me that which thou owe it, or when he might read what he whose law it is, declares, it is very solemn to think about it, cursed is the man that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them, and this sinner is born again, he is anxious, he is earnest, he wants to get in touch with God, but here he is listening to the law's loud thunder, do this, do not do that, and he finds, in all his attempts to be better and do better, that he can do nothing if God requires it to be done, and now, here is a mountain, here is a broken law, yes, and it says, who shall offend in one point, is guilty of all, and the sinner ponders this great mountain, oh, its top seems to reach heaven itself, and blot out the prospect of ever going to heaven, and the sinner, realizing his undone state in the Adam form, knows that he cannot produce the righteousness which the law demands, what does he do, he is brought at length to put his mouth in the dust of self-abasement, if to be, there may be hope, but he is made to say, if thou,

[19:00] Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, oh, Lord, who should stand, if my soul is sent to hell, thy righteous law approved it well, and now, this word is very apathetic to such and one, and I will make all my mountains away, and the Spirit of God will lead that sinner to where this mountain, a broken law, and the curse devolving upon a poor sinner's head, as being he who has broken it, is moved, and a way is made, for that poor sinner to draw near to God, and be welcome in doing it, the Spirit of God would teach indeed, essence of the gospel, and the essence of the gospel is this,

[20:02] Christ is the end of the law for righteousness, to everyone which believes, and that sinner will drink in the message of the gospel, and rejoice in hope that the mountain has been leveled at Calvary's cross, yes, and a way made, I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me, and I will make all my mountains away, I can only give you hints about these mountains, and now, another mountain, and oh, how some of us at times have felt what a mountain it is, our guiltiness before God, is, if you let your conscience tell you the truth about your life as you have lived it,

[21:04] I am making no reflections on you, nor fitting any caps on, I am only asking you to be honest before God, and to look down into your own heart, and see what goes on there, and look at your life as you live it, which, as much as you can, is consistent before God and man, but, when you think of what you are, and what you ought to be, there is a mountain in between the two, and that mountain produces our guiltiness before God, which is indwelling sin, it rises up in everyday life, sins in thought, words, and deeds, sins in omission, sins of commission, sometimes at the end of the day, you have to say, no sinner needed mercy more than ever thought,

[22:06] I think, because, you look within, can ever God dwell here, and yet, underneath it all, you have got a real, honest, desire, to be a real Christian, but you keep learning, I would do good, but evil is present with me, and that evil presence comes into a mountain, and it stands between you and God, and God alone can overturn that mountain by the root, and he can do it, and he will, but he says, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and I will make all my mountains away, or sins unnumbered as the sands, and like the mountains for their size, the seas of sovereign grace expands the seas of sovereign grace alone.

[23:21] Another mountain, and I hope you will ponder it in your heart, is our backslidings before God, and dear friends, I'm going to turn aside and make a comment to emphasize that why we are where we are in our denominational life, and why so many causes have gone down, and remember they have gone down from inside, and why so many after lament, that they are in such a low state, in their soul's experience, it must be the outcome that so many people, even those with names on church rolls, and those who desire to live a right, whose names are not, they are more or less, in a backsliding state, and it says the backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways, and I'm bound to tell you this, because I shall not be here much longer to tell you what I have in my heart to make claims, if you weigh matters up,

[24:46] I mean before God, and look round your home life, and see what you have got there, they ought not to be, if you look at your family circle, and see what your government is of your family, whether there are things done by those in your family, which you have in control over them, they being young enough for you still to be responsible for them before God, if they do things which ought not to be done, then that reaction reflects on you, and you are in a backsliding state before God, so that when you come, desiring to draw near to God, there will be this mountain rising up, and God will say when he speaks to you, your sins and your iniquities have procured unto you these things, but he will say also, only acknowledge thine iniquity, be like the woman in the gospel falling down at Jesus' feet, she told him all the truth, and when you do that, you will find, return unto me, and I will return unto you, what a lovely word there is in the book of

[26:17] Hosea, I have no doubt you have lighted on it, and felt glad of it, I have many a time, and there the Lord speaks to people in a backsliding state, do listen, O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity, and now think, that Jesus Christ is the sinner's friend, could say this, take with you words, and turn to the Lord, do you say, I cannot find words, to say what I really mean or feel, then I will give you words, says the Lord, take with you words, and turn to the Lord, and say unto him, take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously, so will we render the calves, the fruit, of our gifts, and that means, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, oh, if any of you are in a backsliding state, more or less, such a mountain can be removed, but you must wait on God for it to be done, and I will make all my mountains away, and now another mountain, and you do need it to be moved every day, is our inability to do good,

[28:07] I've already quoted one text, I will quote it again, because every sinner born again feels like it, I would do good, but evil is present with me, and now you were not born like that, when you came into the world, you did not possess a will to do good, because it seems astonishing how soon even babies grow in bigger, can evidence that they are not inclined to do good, but according to how they were born, and what they are by nature, and now if you have got it in your heart to do good, God has lodged that concern within you, he has wrought a miracle, a new heart will

[29:07] I give you, a new spirit will I put within you, I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, I will give you a heart of flesh, and in that you have got a will to do good, but you find, I would do good, but here is evil arising from what you are by nature, and that produces inability, it rises like a mountain, so that you say, I would but cannot pray, and when you come up to worship, you come with a real concern, to draw near to God, and worship, but according to how you feel, you may be as hard as the seat you sit on, and you have to wait on God, for a worshiping praying, and now he can, and he will, remove such a mountain, here is the guarantee, and I will make all my mountain away, and you are not to sit down in a kind of fatalistic attitude, and say,

[30:15] I can do nothing, things, the saviour said, without me, ye can do nothing, with me, what can you do, I can do all things through Christ, who strengthen me, do remember that, and not think, you have got to sit down, as I said, in a fatalistic ease, and expect God to move you, you can wait on God, and desire him to move you, if you're a sinner thought of God, that should be your attitude, not to go to extremes, and view the truth, with a fatalistic outlook, no, think of what the saviour said, you should believe what he said, ah, and you shall receive, see, and you shall find, not, and it shall be opened unto you, for every one that asks that receive it, and he that seeketh find it, and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened, it is beautifully simple, it is the gospel preached by he whose gospel it is, yes, and I will make all my mountains away, he can help you to pray, yes, he can help you to worship, he can grant you grace to help, whatever your time of need, but there is another mountain

[31:59] I must touch on, and now, you will have Satan's opposition, if you are a pilgrim to Canaan, bound, and oh, what mountains he may raise before you as you journey on, seeking to oppose your progress in following on to know the Lord, but then, you must remember what you see, it would do you a lot more good if you remembered it more, and better still reduce it to practice, and now what do you see, trust in him, ye tempted hate, tell him all your sad complaints, he a present, help will be, give you strength, and victory, and I will make all my mountains away, the Lord will make the tempter flee, and as thy day thy strength should be, but here is a mountain,

[33:03] I hope you know what it is, our ignorance in things divine, oh, some of us have made a long, long profession, yes, and yet, when you come to look into the word of God and search the sacred pages and way matters up, how little do you know of God and godliness, what little evidence, any of us give, of what it is to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and it rises up before us like a mountain, and yet, the dear Saviour said, this is life eternal that they might know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, and going back again to Oseah, then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord.

[34:06] How is it then, you and I know so little of the Lord? we have not been so earnest as we should be often in following on to know the Lord.

[34:20] When prayer is a burden and fast, no wonder I little receive. O Lord, make me willing to ask, things thou art so ready to do, and here is this word, to inspire you, and I will make all my mountains away.

[34:40] Another mountain, and I know you know something about that, some of you, another mountain is formality in our worship, going through it like a routine.

[34:59] Have you never been troubled in thinking about vain repetition? When you think of your life as you live it, in your worship, especially in your private life, there is repetition in it, but when out of the abundance of the heart the mouth is speaking, although it is repetition and must need be, because every day you need the same help from God.

[35:30] It is not vain repetition. No, as long as it is how you feel before God, you can say, all our desire is before thee, and our groaning is not hid from thee.

[35:48] But, oh dear friends, if you could separate that which is formal in our worship, and that which is of God, wherein you have worshipped God aright, you would find the formality in our worship would be indeed a mountain for its size.

[36:12] And yet, this word should help you still, and I will make all my mountains away. I might name other mountains, although I must not take up too much time on this viewpoint of the subject.

[36:28] There are afflictions, and they come into our lives and are mountains, and sometimes the nature of the affliction is such that it seems as if it will remain a mountain.

[36:42] And according to what the physician says, there is no help in man regarding it, eh, but there is help in God. Yes, and I will make all my mountains away.

[36:58] And the day may dawn when you can thank God that such an affliction came into your life because of how it was overruled in your life, and what it brought you in your soul's experience, and it is a wonderful confession of faith, it is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes.

[37:29] Yes. And the psalmist goes on, the law of thy mouth is more unto me than thousands of gold and silver. And our circumstances sometimes may be like mountains rising up.

[37:47] You may scrape the bottom of the barrel, you may hold up the cruz and there is only a drop of oil, and you may even over the weekend have been perplexed as to what you would do regarding the future as it shall unfold, because there are mountains.

[38:07] and now there is a word in Isaiah also that says this, it might be well just to mention it, thou shalt fresh the mountains and beat them small.

[38:24] And there is the promise of a weapon to do it. fear not thou worm, Jacob, and ye men of Israel, I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I will make thee a new sharp dressing instrument having speed.

[38:48] Thou shalt fresh the mountains and beat them small. And now this new dressing instrument, sharp dressing instrument having speed, what is it?

[39:04] It is that of which you read in the Hebrews. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were compassed about seven days.

[39:17] It is living faith, faith as a grain of mustard seed, death. And it will fresh the mountains as it is in exercise.

[39:29] And a way will be made, even where you seem to feel there can be no way. But God sees a way we cannot see.

[39:41] And the things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Yes. What you and I need, all of us thought of God, is this, Lord, increase our faith.

[39:57] Faith in Jesus can repel the darks of sin and death. Faith gives victory over hell. Who can give us faith? Much might be said under that heaven, and I will make all my mountains away.

[40:16] And I just say a word here, there might be, as the future is unfolding, in the land that you and I are living in, where there is much chaos and confusion in the commercial world.

[40:31] And many of you dear young people going out to earn the bread which perishes, and you dear young husbands and wives with your little family circles, you will find there a mountain, rising up, that you look not to be in life's pathway, when you first step out therein, as you are.

[40:56] Eh, but the wickedness of the land you and I live in, and the nation's guiltiness before God, is beginning to bring terrible repercussions, and the harvest is coming according to the seed which has been sown, so that while it is designated a welfare state, it will not be very much longer a welfare state.

[41:25] No, no, and now as you see these things coming to pass, you have a God to go to. It is not what this statement says of that.

[41:40] Those in authority in the House of Parliament are adopting all kinds of methods whereby to right the ship of state, but it is still sailing in very stormy water, and by strength no man should prevail.

[41:58] Our nation needs God. Needs God to take the helm of the ship of state and guide it through the troubled waters wherein it is rolling.

[42:09] In you, dear friends, you dear young friends especially, you will find you need God more than ever, and he will be at hand to level down the mountain as they lay that.

[42:26] Do remember that. His word is sure, call upon me in the day of trouble. I will deliver thee, and thou shall glorify me.

[42:40] All that you may learn, wrestling prayer can wonders do, bring relief in deepest praise. Prayer can force a passage through iron bars and brazen gaze.

[42:53] I will make all my mountains away. and remember this, what God has done for you, I'm now addressing the dear young people especially, you do hope in God.

[43:08] What God has done for you will never be undone. He will do much more for you, yes, but you will learn, I will be inquired of by you, all house of Israel, to do these things.

[43:23] And if you will help to do that, then God will do this, I will make all my mountains away. But I must look at the subject coming towards the amen from another viewpoint.

[43:38] And this word goes on, and my highway shall be exalted. And now according to what I told you at the outset, that the children of Israel returning from Babylonian captivity, sea, that meant that there should be a way made for them to journey all that long distance and once more dwell in their homeland.

[44:05] But we're looking at it from a spiritual interpretation of it. And that is the deep that couches beneath. My highway shall be exalted.

[44:17] And now there is one highway that is exalted. you have found it to be so, and that is the highway of prayer. You think of Job, and he had mountains riding up, and what did he say?

[44:34] I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause. And oh, dear friends, young and old, as these mountains rise up, under your home rooms it may be, all in your everyday life, your business life, the remedy lies before thee.

[44:57] Pray if thou canst thou canst not speak, but pray with faith on Jesus' name. This highway of prayer has ever been exalted.

[45:14] And you find those who have made use of this highway of prayer. How do they confess what they have found God to be?

[45:27] Listen to David. Blessed be God, for he has heard my prayer, that turned away his mercy from me. Listen to Joseph's heart, that Christ is God, I can avow, and for his people cares, since I have prayed to him of sight, and he has heard my prayer.

[45:51] Yes, the Lord see the surprise, and you will see the highway of prayer will be exalted, God will be glorified, and you will get the good of it, and the mountains will be leveled, and you will be encouraged to believe you are being led forth by the right way.

[46:13] yes, but there is another highway, all that may be exalted, in your soul's experience, the highway of prayer.

[46:27] Yes, think of the Selma, blessed be God, who daily loaded us with benefits, and you look round your home life, and you look back over your everyday life, and think of the benefits conferred upon you, that you should be what you are, and where you are this Sabbath afternoon, and under your home roof, you have got the home that God has provided for you, and your family circle round about you, and the blessing of God attending them also.

[47:06] Praise you the Lord, it is good to raise our hearts and voices in his praise to him right ahead. Yes, bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all is, then it is, my highway shall be exalted.

[47:27] The highway of prayer, the highway of praise, yes, but there is another highway, and that is the highway of promise. you remember the Selma says, remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast called me to hope, and whatever mountain rise up in the way you are going along, if you search the scriptures, you will find there is a promise to help you regarding hope in God concerning it.

[48:05] Yes, and God who cannot lie hath spoken all these exceeding great and precious promises, my highway and the highway of promise will be exalted.

[48:24] His promise is yea and amen and never was forfeited yet. And I might say also, though I must come to the amen, there is the highway of precepts and that will be exalted.

[48:37] And now you dear young people especially, and you older people might remember it too, in what you do and what you say and where you go, let this be your word, what says the scripture, so that is the highway, yea, there you see, in the precepts, the good and right way, wherein you and I should be going along, if we are following on to know the Lord.

[49:06] And sometimes you go along it, make me to walk in thy command, it is a delightful road, let my head or heart or hand offend against my God, my highway shall be exalted.

[49:24] There is another highway and that is a highway of providence. What is providence when you rightly understand it? As people thought of God, are enabled to understand it, it is just this, and the angel did wondrously, and Manoah and his wife looked on.

[49:47] And Abraham called the name of that place, Jehovah, John. The Lord will provide, for in the mount it shall be seen.

[50:00] Yes. And had there been time enough, I would have given you one more highway, and you can think about that, and ponder it in your heart, and that is the highway of obedience, in taking up your cross, and following thee, who hitherto has helped you, so that you are what you are, and where you are, by his grace, but you have not yet done what you ought to do, according to what the word of God may say.

[50:36] Then they that gladly received the word, were, that tithe, let all obedient souls, their grateful tributes bring, submit to Jesus' righteous rules, and thus obey the king.

[50:53] Do you say there are mountains in the way? How can I, maybe young as I am, think of going before a church full of people to tell out my innermost thoughts?

[51:05] You can do that, as God shall help you, and they will be glad to hear what you have got to tell them. You will find a welcome, a listening ear, a ready heart to receive, what God has done for your souls, and you older people too, if you think about it.

[51:26] This word will be still applicable, and I will make all my mountains away, and my highways shall be exalted.

[51:39] busy. And now, all I need to say, and that does need to be said, this is the way, and walk me in it, and you will find heaven awake until you get to the end of it.

[51:56] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[52:06] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.