Isaiah

[0:00] As the Lord should be pleased to help me, I shall call your attention to a subject you will find in the book of Isaiah, chapter 52, and the ninth verse.

[0:20] Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem. For the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.

[0:40] The book of Isaiah, chapter 52, and the ninth verse.

[0:50] As you ponder a subject like this, many of you who have the mercy to be born again, and a very great mercy that is, you will have in your heart a feeling, oh that is just what I should like to do in my soul's experience.

[1:22] Break forth into joy. And now what is there to hinder you doing it? Let not that question surprise you.

[1:34] If salvation was to do with you, and to be accomplished by the doings of the great eye, you would have no prospect whatever of knowing what the joy of salvation is.

[1:53] But seeing salvation is of the Lord in every jot and tittle, what is there to hinder you breaking forth into joy?

[2:08] As your soul desires. Every let and hindrance that you may think of, and object against doing it, in the gospel there is made a blessed provision for those leaps and hindrances to be removed altogether.

[2:30] And the way is made plain for every poor sinner born again to break forth into joy. I wish you would think of the subject from that viewpoint.

[2:45] And I have the word of Jesus to tell you. Ask that your joy may be full. When prayer is a burden and task, no wonder I little receive.

[3:03] O Lord, make me willing to ask, since thou art so ready to give. It may cause some searchings of heart as you ponder the subject from that viewpoint.

[3:18] But I am sure of this, that God ordained that we should know much more of joy in our religion that he is the author of, if you and I are the subjects of it, than we oft times realize.

[3:38] And that which hinders us doing it is to do with us. Earth and hell conspiring together against us in what you are by nature from within.

[3:52] God is able to make all grace abound toward you. And now, looking at the subject, as I desire, as grace is given, break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem.

[4:15] them. Maybe, maybe, if I show you the setting of the subject, you will understand what the meaning was in Isaiah's day, but not the only meaning.

[4:30] There were some things set forth in the Old Testament that had a fulfillment. And we might call it a local fulfillment. But above and beyond that local fulfillment, it went on into the ages to come.

[4:48] And was for the Church of Christ down through the ages to come. And not just only a local fulfillment.

[4:59] And now, Isaiah was commissioned to prophesy and proclaim these words to Israel when they should be in Babylonish captivity and dwelling there for seventy years.

[5:21] The outcome of their solemn departures from God and godliness and the land of promise was just waste places.

[5:33] The cities were ruined. Jerusalem was astony. The walls were broken down. Solomon's beautiful temple was destroyed.

[5:45] And it looked a very hopeless outlook as you viewed all the waste places to be seen in the land of promise. The ever the children of Israel Israel should dwell there again.

[6:01] And yet God designed that they should do. And while they were sorrowful weeping by the streams of Babylon for seventy years they had got this culmination to come out of it that they should ultimately break forth into joy.

[6:22] For God declared that after seventy years I will visit you and he did and he wrought a miracle. Cyrus was raised up to conquer the Babylonians and it was put into his heart to make a proclamation to the Israelites in captivity.

[6:45] As many as desired to do so they could return to their homeland and dwell therein again and worship Israel's God and build a house for him for them to do it in in Jerusalem in succession to Solomon's temple.

[7:07] And there is a word here which I believe has got an application to the day in which you and I are living. I will only make a brief comment upon that.

[7:21] Isaiah was ordained to proclaim to Israel say unto the cities of Judah behold your God what you do behold is ruins ruins whichever way you look cities no longer standing in Jerusalem in ruins you are not to behold these things as they appear to be before your eyes what are you to do behold your God there is a tendency nowadays I am thinking of our own denominational life to behold causes of truth dying out as it appears to us empty pews and very very few worshippers found in many causes of truth and if you just look at those causes as they appear to be alas you will think your own thoughts as to the low state the church of Christ is in but then this is the word of the

[8:36] Lord behold your God is anything too hard for the Lord and that should be our concern not to continue to dwell upon the ruined state of Zion as you and I may view it in the church of Christ at the present time behold your God and there is this prospect break forth into joy sing together ye waste places of Jerusalem for the Lord hath comforted his people he hath redeemed Jerusalem and now you all know I need not take up time to dilate upon it that Israel many thousands of them returned to the land of promise and they dwelt therein again the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt another temple was erected and

[9:36] God was worshipped therein as afore time and this word was fulfilled the waste places were no longer to be seen there were the cities of Judah and Israel of old dwelling therein and once again they went up to Jerusalem on the appointed feast times desiring to worship God aright and they could say in the doing of it what hath God wrought and now that past tense what hath God wrought is a guarantee that what he hath wrought he can do it again do remember that he is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or even think and now I want to look at the subject as it is applicable to us break forth into joy sing together ye waste places of

[10:46] Jerusalem I want to speak first of all about the experience what sinners born again and only sinners born again know about these waste places that our subject refers to you will keep in mind that Jerusalem is a type of the church of Christ militant and there are waste places to be seen in the church of Christ nowadays but how do they come to be waste places how is it the word of God tells us the Adam fall has taken place and it is an ever increasing reality before our eyes so that this Christmas morn if you look round the world at large you see hell itself let loose whichever way you may look and man is at war with his maker and yet in the midst of it all in this was the

[12:04] Son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil and there is no question whatever but what he is doing it he did it and that is the guarantee that as long as time shall be in hell itself be doing its hellish work the dear Son of God will be counteracting it overruling it and fulfilling his purpose upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it but that which makes the world at large the waste place that you see it to be is on account of what happened in the day that Adam fell sin entered into the world and death by sin so that death has passed upon all men for that all have sinned and now when a sinner is born again and he begins to live unto

[13:13] God as he desires to do and must do if he is born again he finds within his breast what he never felt before he possesses now a new heart a new heart will 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 but that means he is now engaged in a warfare which before he was born again he knew nothing about he was just then like a dead fish that goes down with a current now he is a living fish as it were to flow upstream against it and he finds opposition and he realizes sometimes that in journeying on through life he has a waste place come into his soul's experience

[14:16] I will bring it down to you individually as the Lord shall help me when a sinner is born again and his eyes are opened when he feels as he does feel a guilty undone hell deserving sinner before God with whom he has to do he looks within if to be he can see somewhat of the righteousness which the law requires but look as he will to find it he cannot find one jot or tittle as God requires that righteousness to be righteousness to full perfection must be brought lacking naught fearless of rejection and he finds his soul his heart is a waste place and he cannot produce a good thought a good word a good deed anything spiritual he cannot bring forth and he is brought to feel he is indeed a waste place and in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing and now here is where the gospel comes in when a poor sinner before the law of God feels utterly undone and helpless in things divine when he has to do what you read in Leviticus the very striking scripture if he shall accept the punishment of his iniquity when he says if my soul is sent to hell thy righteous law approves it well when he solemnly confesses what a waste place he is then the spirit of

[16:23] God having made that truth known and felt in his soul's experience he leads him on to where there is a prospect of breaking forth into joy the joy of salvation which is absolutely of the Lord yet save a trembling sinner Lord whose soul still hovering round thy word would light upon some promise there some sure support against despair and into his heart there comes the prospect at least of one day breaking forth into joy because he has got this foundation for that hope which arises in his breast for the Lord hath comforted his people he hath redeemed Jerusalem then as you journey on

[17:24] I can only give you hints about these waste places you will find what you are by nature will often make you in your soul's experience to be a waste place you may be in a good frame in the morning you may have even been helped and good it is to do it to draw near to God and then you go forth to do battle with the things of everyday life and the world comes upon you and the spirit of the world breaks in and you find your souls experience is not what it was in the early hours but you look within and feel that you are now a waste place maybe your own spirit has arisen and very solemn it is to fall a prey to our own spirit that has made all the mischief in our denominational life that has ever been made if any man have not the spirit of

[18:34] Christ he is none of his dear friends it is a great scripture in the proverbs he that ruleth his spirit is better than he that taketh a city so the things of the world encroaching upon one's mind and you fall a prey to these things and the stress and strain of everyday life where maybe you labor amongst the ungodly and you are contaminated and when you get to the end of the day you have to stand where you stood before God be merciful to me a sinner oh God I am ashamed I blush to lift up my face unto thee yet there is still a prospect Jesus blood through earth and skies mercy eternal mercy cries and if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness then time things as you give your attention to them and you judge it to be lawful attention necessary attention but your concentration of mind in giving that attention will wear you down until you realize to be carnally minded is death and in your soul's feelings you have waste places it is a great word to heed seek ye first the kingdom of

[20:21] God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you another thing will bring you to have waste places in your soul's feelings and that is I'm not fitting any caps on to be in a backsliding state the backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways and when you alas become such a character and the things of God are not of the same importance in your soul that they have been heretofore and you know you are in a backsliding state the things of God are not uppermost and even in following on to know the Lord you are like Peter of old who followed afar off till you hardly know what you are or where you are in things divine and all you can say and good it is if you can say it from the end of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than

[21:39] I there is hope for waste places there are wonderful words in the word of God concerning poor sinners born again being in a backsliding state one great word is return unto me and I will return unto you and you shall break forth into joy if like the prodigal you come to yourself and you feel again a deep down want of Jesus Christ and if like the prodigal you can say I will arise and go unto my father and say unto him father I have sinned against heaven and before thee oh you will find in your returning the father is on the lookout for you his eye is ever on returning prodigals and as it was with the prodigal of whom the saviour told while he was yet a long way off his father saw him and ran out to meet him and if you are returning to God you can be sure

[22:59] God is returning to you and your waste place in your soul's experience shall be rebuilt all thy wastes I will repair thou should be rebuilt anew and in thee it shall appear what the God of love can do even when you have been helpless and almost hopeless in your backsliding state yet there is still the prospect in returning of breaking forth into joy and matters being made right once more between your soul and God there is just one other thing which will make your soul a waste place and that is our circumstances when everyday new straits attend and you in those circumstances are helpless you were brought therein to your wits end margin reading all their wisdom is swallowed up and when you were there you feel to be in a waste place but here are your circumstances and they remain a reality and you desire to see the

[24:24] Lord appearing for you what does God say to a poor sinner in such a case call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shall glorify me you shall break forth into joy as God makes plain I lead the blind by a way that they know not and in paths that they have not known I will make darkness light before them and crooked things straight these things will I do unto them and not forsake them your circumstances may be complicated and you may feel like they did in that shipwreck incident recorded in the Acts of the Apostles all hope of being saved was taken away but they were saved and who can tell but what God will be gracious unto you the mount of danger is the place where we shall see surprising grace and he can overrule our circumstances remember a word

[25:38] I read to you a sermon ago thy scepter is a right scepter a scepter of righteousness and Jesus Christ can sway his scepter over your circumstances and you will see his goodness passing before you and the way you are going along is one wherein he is saying 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 break forth into joy sing together ye waste places of Jerusalem and now I look at the subject from another viewpoint and to show you as grace is given what it means to break forth into joy you must understand the nature of this joy it is nothing to do that arises from any earthly source whatever there are earthly joys that we can say thank you to

[26:50] God for them the joys we have in our home life and in happy wedded life and our children around us and to see the goodness of God passing before them in life's way but this joy break forth into joy is that joy wherein a man cannot receive it except it be given him from heaven it is nothing to do with things sentimental and it is nothing to do with things social either do remember this joy is spiritual in its nature it is a joy that does not lead to excitement or enthusiasm no it is not of that nature it is sober you can break forth into joy and humble yourself at the same time before

[28:01] God with whom you have to do and feel like David when he said who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto and this joy is always solemn in its nature and it is always sanctifying that is when you were the subject of it you feel like one hymn writer when he said may I be always thus devout be this religion mine and oh it is a great mercy to have had some joy in our religion and to believe God has been the author of it because it is an earnest of the joy that you will enter into in the fullness of it when you get to the end of life's journey enter thou into the joy of thy

[29:06] Lord break forth into joy sing together and now I will show you some reasons as the Lord shall help me why we should break forth into joy and I address all you who have a hope in God who hope you were born again and I am going to tell you that you ought to break forth into joy because of these things you should break forth into joy because God is approachable what a wonderful thing that is to contemplate God and man can meet together on friendly terms and all guaranteed to us through a dear holy babe born at Bethlehem long ago and as he grew up and fulfilled the law on behalf of all his dear people what did he say

[30:15] I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the father but by me oh dear friends you do not realize the mercy that God is approachable I know you have many searchings of heart about it but you should say thank you to God that he does receive sinners this man receiveth sinners it was said concerning Jesus and it should help you to break forth into joy that he does because it begets in you who can tell but what God will be gracious unto me God is approachable it seems an elementary truth to bring before you but if you only sought to live your lives more in the light of the truth of it it would help you to go deeper down into the things of

[31:20] God than you sometimes can do break forth into joy in as much as he has set up a throne of grace and on that throne he reigns and there he stretches forth his scepter in the exceeding great and precious promises and he declares him that cometh unto me I will never know never cast out let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need you may feel I hope you do like Abraham when he said behold I have taken upon myself to speak unto the Lord who am but dust and ashes but then dust and ashes has been given the privilege to do so and you are welcome to avail yourself of that privilege and then break forth into joy sin together oh dear friends how you should break forth into joy because it is recorded in that day there shall be a fountain open for sin and for uncleanness when the sermon ends you will sing

[32:59] Jesus was born to die we go to Bethlehem we do desire to adore the wondrous infant there Jesus we would bow before thee and own thee lord of all but he was born specifically to die a body hast thou prepared me and as verily man he fulfilled the law and having done that and said I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do he went up Calvary's hill and died and he was born that he might do that and this fountain is now open for sin the blood of

[34:00] Christ oh precious blood what precious blood it is when you realize it in your own soul's experience as the blood of sprinkling it cleanses from all sin doubt it not and reconciles the soul to God from every folly every fault another thing and you can ponder these in your heart as you go on your way in life's journey and seek more often to break forth into joy on account of these blessed realities which the gospel makes known to us break forth into joy in as much as the gospel is preached to poor sinners like you and I the angel sang in the silent night glory to

[35:03] God in the highest and on earth peace good will toward men behold I bring you good tidings of great joy unto you is born this day in the city of David a saviour which is Christ the Lord and now let us get down to bedrock about this line of things break forth into joy sing together ye waste places of Jerusalem and now you do know many of you I hope what it is to hear the gospel and sometimes to feel a little joy in listening to it hope is built up in your breast that you have an interest in it God has given you an ear to hear it and what a great mercy that is there are hundreds of millions of people in the world at the present time who have not heard the gospel yet and that is a very solemn consideration and you and

[36:17] I should lay it to heart because we can bring such a matter before God that he will fulfill his word thy kingdom come thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven but think of the mercy and you take a little time to weigh it up when you get home as to how you came first of all to be under the gospel most of you were born under it and you have lived your lives from baby days on listening to it have you ever yet broken forth into joy that the gospel is what it is good tidings and you have realized it to be a sweet reality in your own soul's experience and you come into that scripture blessed is the people and that means oh the heaped up happiness of the people that know the gospel blessed is the people that know the gospel and realize it to be the joy of the

[37:35] Lord in their own soul's experience blessed is the people that know the gospel's joyful sound break forth into joy sing together ye waste places of Jerusalem you work it out in your lives how you came to be under the gospel and think when you heard it first of all and it was made a reality in your soul it was not just a sermon you listened to then you had heard thousands of sermons it may be before then but something got a grip of you inside and the gospel was saying to you there art the man and from that time you have been glad to be under the gospel and many a time you have said speak lord for thy servant heareth

[38:37] I would hear what god the lord would say to my soul's prophet and peace break forth into joy because the gospel is preached to you and you live in a land where men raised up by god to preach it have the privilege to do so none daring lawfully to make them afraid in going about to do so that is a mercy to be prized one other thought is this break forth into joy sing together there is the righteousness of god which is by faith in jesus christ it is one of the greatest mercies that you and i have not to work out a righteousness of our own for that is absolutely impossible the word of god lays the axe at the root of attempting to do it even by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh living be justified and yet there is the righteousness of god if guilt disturb thy peace or satan harass thee behold the saviour's righteousness which sets the guilty free there is one more thought then i will look at the subject from another viewpoint break forth into joy sing together and now you will find the providence of god is wonderful to contemplate as you journey on through life there may be times when you feel all these things are against me like jacob did long ago and the providence of god to you is a deep mystery and you cannot understand the dealings of god oh they are hard to be understood and yet when they culminate in the purpose god has in his mind concerning you what do you do then you break forth into joy you find judge not the lord by feeble sense but trust him for his grace behind a frowning providence he hides a smiling face break forth into joy who so is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving kindness of the lord and now coming toward the amen i look at the subject from another viewpoint and that is how you were helped at times to break forth into joy there is the joy of hope and if you analyze the dealings of god with you it will help you in doing so if he has dealt with you and you go back to when you first of all felt hope in god and then to think that you should be taught to pray and know the mercy and the joy it is good for me to draw near unto god oh sometimes you do find a little talk with jesus how it smooths life's rugged road how it cheers and helps me onward when i faint beneath my load you can break forth into joy you and god come together on friendly terms he gives you sweet access you can unload your cares and lay them at jesus feet and leave them there and what is the outcome of doing that you break forth into the joy of answers to prayer that christ is god i can have vouch and for his people cares since i have prayed to him as such and he has heard my prayers then there is also the joy when god works for you as he alone can do a deliverance when you are passing through trouble and you know not how matters will fall the lord appears on your behalf sooner or later makes a way where you can see no way and it is a wonderful experience some of us have known about it here a little and there a little to break forth into the joy of deliverance wherein god makes his goodness pass before you and you find your trouble in which you felt you might sink to rise no more you are on the other side of it and you look back and see a way mark set up in the midst of it wherein you have proved the

[44:11] Lord is good a stronghold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him and and and I might say a word to about breaking forth into the joy of worship you may not always feel you can do that in worship but you should always be engaged in the worship of God when there is an opportunity to do it not forsaken the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is so much the more as ye see the day approaching the word of God declares and even if you do not always break forth into joy in worship you are in the place where you ought to be verily my sabbaths ye shall keep ye shall reverence my sanctuary radio and television worship will never take the place of what

[45:16] God has laid down in the word of his grace as to how he is to be worshipped God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth and there is something very beautiful I have felt it shall I say hundreds of times in Union Chapel pulpit in listening to you singing the songs of Zion when we are all together before God and realize that God is with us as we desire to worship him aright it is a delightful thing to see the whole assembly worship thee at once as one day sing as one day pray and hear of heaven and learn the way and you say Lord it is good for us to be here you break forth into the joy of worship and when you may feel as miserable as you can be and come up in a cast down state there is still so many mercies and so many blessings you can count for which you should thank

[46:31] God for and in the doing of that you might rise from your sad state within and break forth into joy remember Eliezer I being in the way the Lord met with me and brought me to the house of my master's brethren then there is also a breaking forth into joy when God has given you a promise and then when in his great mercy you see the fulfillment of it I like that word in the Hebrews obtained promises not memorized promises not read promises not quoted promises but obtained promises when the word of the Lord has come to you and you believe God has lodged it in your breast and you have said since then how many times

[47:35] God alone can tell remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope and then when you realize the vision is for an appointed time though it tarry wait for it in the end it shall speak and not lie it will surely come and not tarry and when it does come you can do nothing but break forth into joy before the Lord in the fulfillment word which he has made known unto you break forth into joy sing together and there is one joy which in this life excels all other joys because it contains all other joys within it and that is the joy of forgiveness of sins you may not as yet have been able to break forth into joy like that and to realize your sins which are many are all forgiven but assures you are on the stretch to know that mercy and it is your concern before

[48:49] God with whom you have to do that you shall realize that joy Jesus will not your cry forget you shall obtain the blessing yet many people have followed on to know the Lord half a lifetime maybe more and then at the last in Jordan swelling they have been helped to break forth into joy and have gone through Jordan swelling and found the bottom to be good beneath their feet entering into joy everlasting break forth into joy and I might have said if the time allowed about the joy of retrospect when thou shalt remember all the way the Lord thy God hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness and when in his light you see light upon the way you have come along and you have a sweet persuasion it is indeed the right way he has led you you can break forth into joy because you are assured you are a pilgrim to

[50:06] Canaan bound and there is yet another joy and that is the joy of prospect more here which may be a help to you as you are helped to think upon it prayerfully break forth into joy sing together ye waste places of Jerusalem listen for the Lord hath comforted his people he hath redeemed Jerusalem and now if you dear people know here a little and there a little of what it is to break forth into joy and you can indeed humbly hope the

[51:18] Lord has comforted you from time to time although you may not be able to go down into deep things or climb into great heights yet this is the thing for you to keep in mind as sure as the Lord has comforted you as he alone can do as the God of all comfort for the Lord hath comforted his people he hath redeemed Jerusalem break forth into joy sing together ye ways places of Jerusalem for the Lord hath comforted his people he hath redeemed Jerusalem what does he say blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted the Lord help you to ponder these things to purpose and profit and may you have the unspeakable mercy to know much more than you have ever known yet for what it is to break forth into joy cast your crown at

[52:28] Jesus feet and crown him Lord of all Amen a one no In the silence of the night, may all the eastern world And burst in glorious heavenly night, the wondrous sea unfold.

[52:56] Number two. Number two.

[53:27] Number two.

[53:57] Number two. Number two.

[54:09] Number two. Number two.

[54:23] Number two. Number two.

[54:37] Number two. Number two. Number two.

[54:53] Number three. Number two. The glorious heavenly throne. The glorious heavenly throne.

[55:16] With who I can see you, And love the echo rose.

[55:33] And love the echo rose. That in the song that you will hear, The soul and angels, The soul and angels, The soul and angels, The soul and angels, The soul and angels, The soul and angels, The soul and angels, The soul and angels, The soul and angels, The soul and angels, The soul and angels,

[56:37] The glory of the Lord, The soul and angels, The soul and angels, The soul and angels, The soul and angels, The Noah's Merciful.

[56:53] And He is the work on earth. The soul and angels, The soul and angels, The soul and angels, The soul and angels, Jesus was born to die.

[57:14] Jesus was born to die.

[57:27] Hail, Prince of Night, forever hail.

[57:38] Redeem, our brother friend. Redeem, our brother friend.

[57:54] Though the world can try and life should fail, thy grace shall never fail.

[58:12] Thy grace shall never fail. Thy grace shall never fail.

[58:32] 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.

[58:54] Amen and amen. Amen.

[59:09] Amen. Amen.