Isaiah

[0:00] As the Lord shall be pleased to help me, I shall call your attention to a subject you will find in the book of Isaiah, chapter 48, and the second half of the 17th verse.

[0:21] I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

[0:37] Chapter 48, the book of Isaiah, and the second half of the 17th verse.

[0:52] This is one of those exceeding great and precious promises which are scattered throughout the sacred pages of the word of God.

[1:07] And it is a great mercy to be a sinner born again with an ear to ear.

[1:20] And sometimes to be assured that the way you are going along in life's journey is the way that you should go, seeing God is your guide.

[1:35] How glad some of you would be. It may be this Sabbath afternoon, if you could hear the still small voice.

[1:48] I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

[2:01] There is no greater mercy to be known by poor sinners beneath the sun than to be taught of God.

[2:15] This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

[2:27] Some of you have the mercy to be taught of God. Some of you desire to be taught of God.

[2:39] And I would encourage you to wait on God inasmuch as he has made you teachable. And if he has made you teachable, you will come into the fullness of this exceeding great and precious promise as you journey on through life.

[3:01] You may wonder at times if what you know is that which God has taught you. But there will be times when in heaven's own light, you will see light and you will realize the way you are going along is the way that you should go.

[3:22] And that is, it is ordained of God for you to go therein. It is a wonderful mercy to be on the right side of that scripture.

[3:36] The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall arise, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

[3:51] And now I want to look at this word from two or three viewpoints of it. And I want, as grace is given, to say something that should be helpful to you and encourage you to believe that you are in the way God is leading you.

[4:14] The way to God. The way to heaven. And it is a great mercy to be concerned, to be found in that way.

[4:27] Straight is the gate, narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. And now, first of all, looking at the setting of the subject, this must have been an exceeding great and precious promise to many in Israel, when Isaiah was ordained of God to proclaim it.

[4:58] It was at a time when Israel were, as alas, they so often were, badly behaved.

[5:11] And were in a sad national backsliding state. And to such an extent, had they departed from God, that his patience, I say this with great reverence, his patience could no longer hold out.

[5:33] But Israel were to be driven into Babylon's captivity. And there remained for seventy years.

[5:44] And during that seventy years' captivity, those who were Israelites indeed, none others, would be taught to profit.

[5:59] And when it came to pass that they were there, you will remember, the psalmist tells us, by the rivers of Babylon, we sat down and wept.

[6:11] We wept when we remembered Zion. They were being taught to profit and valued their privileges when they were not able to use them in the land of promise, which was their own homeland.

[6:31] And you remember, and you remember, how they made known, how they felt? If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.

[6:46] Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer not thee, above my chief joy. Oh, they were being taught to profit.

[7:00] And they were learning. You and I must learn it to be taught of God. He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.

[7:13] That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the spirit is spirit. And there there is one word in the subject I want especially to dwell on, if God will help me, so to open it up, because it will be well for you to lay that word to heart and as it were look down into your own souls and weigh up what you humbly hope is your soul's experience by what this word means.

[8:01] I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit. As it were, you want to have a balance in up and go back over life's journey and gather up your evidences, your way marks, sure signs whereby you humbly believe God has been pleased to teach you and teach you to profit and otherwise to remember Peter's word wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make you a calling in your election sure.

[8:52] Let us look at it from that viewpoint. I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit. Many of you dear people I from the pastor's viewpoint know that you have the root of the matter within and that God is indeed leading you into his truth.

[9:20] but there is much more land yet to be possessed. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord and you do not want to be classified with that people of whom the word of God tells ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

[9:49] And another thing I must warn you about with all kindness and that is you may know a great deal about doctrine and yet not know deep down in your heart the essence of it the secret something that must be known and felt whereby out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speak it.

[10:27] It is a very solemn consideration and some of us in life's evening time have to go back and weigh matters up as to how things are between our souls and God and it is only that which God has been pleased to teach us to our soul's prophet that will make our dying pillows soft and help us to find the bottom to be good in Jordan swelling.

[11:01] Good it is to be found in the house of prayer good it is to be always there when it is possible to be there but when all is said and done the word of God is very plain and the saviour told a parable whereby he said there came a time when he came to see what every man had gained by trading he had given them wherewithal to trade and then he came to see about the prophet and it is what you and I have gained by trading in heaven's marketplace that will be our soul's prophet and now first of all there is this word to think about the meek will he guide in judgment and the meek will he teach his way in other words has God made you teachable do you daily plead lead me in thy truth and teach me are you concerned in everyday life to hoard up the sacred word and feed thereon and grow go on to seek to know the Lord and practice what you know it is of unspeakable importance yea it is of eternal importance that you and I should be taught of God otherwise whatever we may profess to be whatever other folks may think about us it matters not how stands the case my soul with thee for heaven are thy credentials clear which is very searching very solemn but you and I are poor sinners with never dying souls and there next sabbath day there might be a great dig for one of us before God this sabbath afternoon preacher or people oh that you and

[13:43] I might ponder it in our hearts search me oh God and try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting lead me in thy truth and teach me I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go and now looking at this word prophet here are many of you I am saying this with all affection here are many of you with names on the church roll and do you remember every day that they are there are you always concerned to let your lives and acts express the holy gospel you profess and when you are found in the ways of God is it just to go through the routine of worship in a cold and formal manner or are you sad disappointed cast down if you gain no profit you see the business world is run for profit and in the church of

[15:35] Christ all who belong to it are right God teaches them to profit and they get good for their souls and God gets the glory of it and other people round about get the benefit of it too as ye have therefore opportunity do good unto all men especially they that be of the household of faith is a word that will come into your vocabulary if you are taught of God you will understand Joseph Hart's lines behold the gospel plan trust in the Lord with all your heart and do what good you can but I want to come to look into this business of getting profit for our souls in all places where

[16:41] I record my name there will I come and bless thee the word of God declares and now when you are in the means of grace where you are this sabbath afternoon is it your concern to get profit for your soul or are some of you waiting for the amen that will conclude the service and set you free to go your own way and not in this way it would be a wonderful mercy for you if God should lead you therein when you sing the songs of Zion are you captivated by a sweet tune or are you looking down the words you sing and glad to find you in the hymn writer are walking in agreement in your soul's desires and that the singing of that song of

[17:48] Zion has made melody in your heart because you have sung praises with understanding sin and when you get a touch like that it is indelible on the Monday morning you may have lost the sweetness of it but the fact that you had it is eternal and can never be erased by earth or hell and it is profit when you read the word of God sometimes you read chapter after chapter and nothing seems to do your soul good but there are other times when you can look into the word of God and find as it were your eyes are glued to the sacred page and as in water face answer with unto face so does the heart of man to man and you find the word of

[19:01] God to be as a mirror to reflect what you humbly hope and believe God has led you into the self same truth and you and God walk in agreement and you say I rejoice in thy word as one that findeth great spoil when you get home and you have a little leisure which you can make to do it you go through the Bible that you use in everyday life which you read if so be you can get profit and search out all the markings therein like the godly woman did who when a godly minister went to see her when she was laid up with a sore affliction and he took off her

[20:07] Bible and he also looked at her hymnal and on many a page there were just two letters TP and he said to her oh my friend what do these letters mean which you have got sprinkled here and there in the Bible and in your hymnal and she said oh that means tried and proved and now that is to profit there is a word in the Old Testament where it reads like this I have learned by experience and now that word experience in the original so godly scholars tell us means proof I have learned by proof and so it was with godly John that which we have tasted handled and felt of the good word of life declare we unto you and that is teaching to profit out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speak it and now how often you have got a little touch sometimes more than a little

[21:27] I hope when you have tried to pray it has not always been cold and formal and mechanical worship with you you have known and felt it is good for me to draw near to God and you have proved a little taught with Jesus how it smooths life's rugged road how it cheers and helps me onward when I faint beneath my load and you have got out of that experience answers to prayer and answers to prayer a prophet you can say as good Hannah did she was a wonderfully well taught woman in the age in which she lived an outstanding woman was Hannah and what did she say for this child I prayed and his name is

[22:28] Samuel asked of God and if you have got a Samuel somewhere along life's way or something equivalent to a Samuel which enables you to say blessed be God for he hath heard my prayer and turned away his mercy from me that is in the category of prophet oh it is the currency of heaven dear friends never to be devalued no no it will remain an everlasting reality that God has done these things for your never dying soul and taught you to profit it is this alone which makes religion to be real and that which is of God which alone would do to live by and to die by and then think about hearing the gospel sometimes you come along and you hear it and you go on your way and you seem to have heard with approval but you have not got into that experience thy words were found and

[23:59] I did eat them and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart often you may have heard the word of God approvingly but there is a word like this the meek shall eat and be satisfied and increase their joy in the Lord sometimes you hear the gospel and the power of it saturates your soul as it were then you know blessed is the people that know the joyful sound they shall walk oh Lord in the light of thy countenance then you enter in to what you sung about before the sermon what a divine harmonious sound the gospel trumpet gives no music can with it compare the soul that knows it lives think that line over prayerfully before

[25:13] God and go back over life's journey and see how often you have proved that the soul that knows it lives and why blessed are your ears for they hear and you in preparation for such a hearing come along I would hear what God the Lord will say for my prophet and the Lord appears for you blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled prophet you have got prophet under the gospel you have known it to be the power of God unto salvation you may not have got yet what your soul longs for and that is for the great question to be put out of question and you be able to say my

[26:22] Lord and my God but there is this to encourage you you are in the school of Christ and God is your teacher and you know something of prophet here a little there a little line up and line precept upon precept the Lord has done great things for you but the Lord will do greater things yet I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit and then this teaching to profit is made manifest in our everyday lives sometimes our plans are overturned and our pleasant pictures are marred and then you are brought down before

[27:28] God lead me in thy truth and teach me if now I have found grace in thy sight O Lord show me now thy way and the Lord appears for you and he shows you wherein is the way that you should go it was not the way you were purposing to go but God has overturned that prospect and now he says I am the Lord thy God you belong to me I am teaching you to profit I am fitting you to dwell forever with me at the end of life's journey making you meet for the inheritance of the saints in light I am teaching you to profit therefore you see gourds are blighted and your prospects are overturned and then the

[28:43] Lord opens the door and says this is the way walk in it and he goes in with you and goes along with you and makes his goodness pass before you and you can see that he has a purpose to fulfill a purpose of love a purpose of mercy and that in his dealings with you he is infinite in his wisdom and he only designs to do you good and when trouble looms on life's arising and oh how we do shrink when we see much tribulation and we know the way we have to go is to go through it and yet when the Lord is pleased to say the flame shall not hurt thee

[29:44] I only design thy dross to consume thy gold to refine I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit how glad you are then that he takes the infinite pains that he does to teach you lead you into his truth and make you manifest as one whom he has loved with everlasting love I've thought a deal lately of those words you can think of them too the God of patience the God of patience dear friends patience and he needs that patience being the great God that he is in teaching his dear people for you read in the word of

[30:48] God especially in the book of Judges seven times over again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord but they were his people there were those among them who were not only Israelites but Israelites indeed and he did not give them up or cast them off what did he say rebellious thou hast been and art rebellious still but since in love I took thee in my promise are fulfilled and in this teaching to prophet you learn one or two scriptures and you do not just memorize them either they are written indelibly in your soul's experience as many as I love are rebuking and chastening be zealous therefore and repent going back a moment to Israel as they went into Babylon's captivity and to the great majority it seemed so hopeless that they would ever be found again in the land of promise though God had given it to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob forever mark that word in forever but there were Israelites indeed in that vast host and they pondered these things in their hearts and one scripture they had not only memorized but as I said written indelibly in their soul's experience if my people transgress

[32:46] I will visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquity with stripes and when you have learned a lesson along that line of teaching what is the outcome?

[33:03] it is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy law thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go and now do think dear friends some of you of how you have purposed to go this way or that as you remember the way you have come along in life's journey you have had plans purposes purposes and they seem to be lawful and you may even have asked the Lord about going along those ways but what you had to learn was very hard to learn it the answer to prayer was no and not yes and you had to learn

[34:25] I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go not the way that thou wouldest go if the choice were left to you you keep being reminded as you journey on if you are taught of God of the doctrine of divine sovereignty it is a wonderful truth a mighty truth and what man is by nature resents it man as he is born says I can do as I like I intend to do it too and that is his attitude before God and man but when it comes to God doing as he purposes which he has a wondrous right to do man resents it thinks God is unreasonable to exercise his sovereignty that you should do this and not do that but God in the scriptures to reveal his will as condescended what he has said there he'll fulfill though man should be offended and now it is a great mercy when you can accept the sovereignty of God and realize there is an overrule in providence that wisely marshals every circumstance along life's way and when you think who is your guide

[36:23] I am the Lord thy God you say if I could be sure God is indeed my God I think I could go forward anywhere where God so fit to lead me and in the feeling of that knowledge you would be able to do so I am the Lord thy God you do not feel quite sure yet that he is thy God wait on God to be sure about it he will delight to make you sure but he says I will be inquired of by you O house of Israel to do these things my God my Father blissful name O may I call thee mine may I with sweet assurance claim a portion so divine the day will dawn when you will realize the Lord is thy God and how happy you will be then you will realize that the way you have come along though sometimes there were things hard to be understood therein yet you will solemnly have vow thou hast dealt well with thy servant

[37:59] O Lord you will say with Jacob I am not worthy of the least of all the mercy and all the truth which thou hast shown unto thy servant O it is good to get on the right side of this word I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go there is another thought about this word prophet ere I leave that viewpoint of the subject and now it says in Malachi you know it as well as I do then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord heartened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before the Lord for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name and now when you get together as brothers and sisters in the Lord as many of you are before God is it you are concerned in your conversation that it should be what shall profit your soul and that when you go on your way you can wish each other well and love us brethren and not carry away a guilty conscience because you have been spending your time in what is just gossip or the news of the churches and things like that and discussion other matters in which there is no spiritual profit suffer the word of exhortation dear friends

[39:51] I am in the latter days of my ministry and I am very much concerned to be more and more faithful as God shall help me to be to you and before him with whom I have to do and that should be our concern and in the times in which you and I are living we should speak one to another encourage one another in the things of God and seek by all means to let brotherly love continue and you will find in it there is prophet what prophet is this we know that we have passed from death onto life because we love the brethren saints fellowship says Bunyan if it be managed well we'll keep the saints awake and that in spite of hell

[40:58] I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit and sometimes there is an experience like this David speaks about musing meditating and he tells us in one psalm I muse on thy dealings with me words equivalent to that I put it in plain language and the hymn writer says I muse on the years that are past wherein my defence thou hast proved nor wilt thou relinquish at last a sinner so signally loved and you see in remembering the way God has led you as you seek to do it and in his light to help to see light you will see how much profit you have gained through the spirit of

[42:07] God leading you into the truth and working it into your own soul's experience so that you can say all taste and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusted in him let us look just a little coming to the amen of the way that thou shouldest go go along is one wherein you will learn two great truths what you are by nature what God is by nature you will learn more and more deep down your sinnership your guiltiness before

[43:11] God which you know every man the plague of his own heart and that knowledge is knowledge whereby you were taught to profit it but God will also reveal to you what he is by nature he will make known to you Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and as you're going along the way that you should go you will find you take deeper route down into what you are by nature and more and more do you realize your need of Jesus Christ and glad you are to ponder in your heart his name shall be called Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins and I can tell you another truth dear friends and you have sung about it this

[44:24] Sabbath afternoon and ere you die you will go down into the depth of that blessed teaching and say thank you to God that ever it is recorded whereby you may be taught to profit the vile sinner out of hell who lives to feel his need is welcome to the throne of grace the saviour's blood to plead in other words Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief is given given under heaven among men none other name whereby we can be saved the way that thou shouldst go sometimes it will be a way in the dealings of God with you in providence where you may come to wit's end and you know the margin reading all your wisdom is swallowed up and there is nothing left for you to do as you view matters but this and good it will be for you to do it then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble and he saved them out of their distresses many teachings to profit are learned when you and I are at our wit's end when you can only sigh

[46:33] Lord save or I perish or when you say with Hezekiah O Lord I am oppressed undertake for me or like the poor woman in the gospel before the Savior Lord help me and He did and He delights to do it much might be said along that line of thought the way that thou shouldest go it may be a way sometimes of darkness wherein you walk and have no light on the dealings of God with you hardly know what you are or where you are or you may be in heaviness through manifold temptations or God may lay a sore affliction upon you and it alters your outlook in life altogether and you cannot go on in life's journey as you have traveled maybe you're in you're out but God says this is the way that thou shouldest go and if you go in it you can be sure

[47:47] He will fulfill this word I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit and you will say it is the Lord enthroned in light whose claims are all divine who has an undisputed right to govern me and mine and when all is said and done the way that thou shouldest go is the way of prayer I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass and oh my dear friends when you get to the end of life's journey and look back over the way you have come along then to see the Lord thy God has ordered all thy goings and now being taught to profit possessing a religion

[48:56] God is the author of which He has wrought in your soul to live by He will give you some to die by and what then in thy presence is fullness of joy and at thy right hand are laid up pleasures forevermore this is the blessed outcome of the Lord thy God teaching you and I to profit the Lord in His great mercy so teach us some of us do hope He has been teaching us a long while alas that we seem to have learned so little but there are some of you under Union Chapel roof who was yet do not know the Lord as thy God and our earnest desire our heartfelt prayer is that God will grant you this mercy this is life eternal life eternal that they mayest know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent and be this religion yours and mine

[50:24] Amen Amen Amen Amen Thus God will enter the ordinance and the Lord is mattress fully attending to our饉ous service young people service exterior at 6 between collections of the slave that contains the funds rare meeting and address on Wednesday telephoneでは number 5 in the supplement June and D 679 to now.

[50:56] Lead us, Heavenly Father, lead us, all the world of the land that you see, guard us, die us, and keep us to feed us, for we have no help for thee, yet we will be heavenly for us, for we have our help for thee.

[51:12] Number five, the Son. Lead us, Heavenly Father, lead us, for the world's temeth and sea.

[51:35] God has guided us, give us feed us, for we have no help but thee.

[51:54] yet thou us in every nation in the world's kingdom.

[52:06] God bless you.

[52:36] God bless you.

[53:06] God bless you.

[53:36] God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you.

[53:50] God bless you. God bless you.

[54:04] God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you.

[54:19] God bless you. God bless you. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father, the communion of the Holy Spirit be upon us and upon all who love the truth everywhere. Amen and amen.