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[0:00] With the Lord's help I will again direct your attention to the word we had before us this morning. The prophecy of Jeremiah chapter 37 and the 17th verse.

[0:13] Reading one question and the answer. The 37th chapter of Jeremiah. The 17th chapter.

[0:25] And this is the question. Is there any word from the Lord? And Jeremiah said there is. When is there any word from the Lord?

[0:41] And Jeremiah said there is. Let God be true and every man a liar. There may be some circumstances.

[0:56] Whether those circumstances are providential or spiritual. In our outside scene or in our inward soul.

[1:11] Yet we may say that there is no word that God can ever speak to us. Well of course that is limiting God.

[1:23] And indeed losing sight. Of the great power. Of the almighty God. We looked as most of you will remember.

[1:35] At a viewpoint relative to this word. Is there any word from the Lord? And Jeremiah said there is. And Jeremiah said there is. We shall not go over the details of our morning discourse.

[1:52] But we'll depend upon the Lord to lead us further. Into the application of these words. Because of course. The question is a very wide one.

[2:05] We may say a very deep one. A very all embracing one. A word which. Is so clear. To whatever our extremity.

[2:18] And our distress. Our concern. Whether it is known or unknown. Whether. Oh it's rather like Nebuchadnezzar. When he dreamed a dream.

[2:30] And he couldn't remember. What he had dreamt. And he required. God. Through instrumentality of Daniel. To tell him what he had meant.

[2:40] What he had dreamt. There. Is there any word from the Lord? And as you will recall. God gave to Daniel. Through another vision.

[2:52] A complete recital. Of all the details. Of that dream. And in consequence. We may look at this word. Is there any word from the Lord?

[3:04] And Jeremiah said there is. Now as the Lord may help us. This afternoon. May we come to one or two points.

[3:16] More specific. Concerning. The. Calling of God's people. And the leading of his people. Through the wilderness.

[3:29] And those prayers and petitions. That he puts within their hearts. As they proceed along life's journey. And are encouraged to press on.

[3:41] Against the storm. And wind. And tide. One of the great things that. Must ever exercise.

[3:53] God's children. Is. To whether. Their experience. Is a right experience. Whether their pathway.

[4:04] Is a pathway. Of the people of God. We are warned. In the scripture. From comparing ourselves. Among ourselves.

[4:16] And many. Have been greatly discouraged. When perhaps. They have heard. The testimony. Of another person.

[4:27] And have said. But I have nothing like that. You are not required. To have anything like that. What is most.

[4:38] Uppermost. And important. Is that you should have something. Where that. When you come to the word of God. You can say. Ah. That's it.

[4:49] So. Is there any word. Of the word. From the Lord. When. There is a concern. As to whether. We are rightly called.

[5:00] By the grace of God. Uh. Uh. And. Uh. Uh. Walking. Uh. In the way that. Leads to. Calvary. Leads to heaven at last.

[5:12] Uh. Well. Why do these things arise? In one of the chapters. That we have read. This afternoon. The heart is deceitful.

[5:24] Above all things. And desperately wicked. Who can know it? And some of us may well know. Uh. The deception of our heart.

[5:35] Uh. And also. Uh. The uh. Temptations of Satan himself. Who puts an if. Uh.

[5:46] As he did to the Lord Jesus Christ himself. If. There'll be the son of God. God. And. Uh. It may be. If. There'll be a child of God.

[5:58] And so. There's a little spring of doubt. That rises up in your heart. And you are disturbed. How can you settle the matter? Well.

[6:09] It must come within the compass of these words. Is there any word from the Lord? And Jeremiah said there is. And I can say the same this afternoon.

[6:21] There is a word from the Lord. There is a description. Uh. Of. Uh. Your uh. Uh. Particular exercise.

[6:32] There is. That which is written. Which will identify those important points. Uh. That. Uh. Stand out. Uh. As.

[6:43] Uh. The very evidences. Of. God's people. In this same book of Jeremiah. Uh. We read about.

[6:54] Uh. A sale of land. And. Uh. In respect to that. There was the. Outward evidences. But also the.

[7:06] Inward or hidden evidences. Now. There may be the outward evidences. In respect to. Uh.

[7:16] The things of God. But there will also be the hidden evidences. And those hidden evidences. Are between your soul and God.

[7:27] Uh. But how consoling it is. When. The Lord shows you clearly. Uh. That your religion. Is not of yourself.

[7:38] But of God. So let us look for a moment. Uh. At the beginning. Uh. There are times when God's children are concerned about the beginning.

[7:51] But is there any word from the Lord. Whereby we may see clearly. That our beginning was right. Let us consider first of all.

[8:05] As to whether your beginning. Was one that you could have operated yourself. And if that is so. You can cancel that one out.

[8:19] Or is it. That. Such a beginning. That has been the result. Of your being coerced. Uh. By. Some. Someone.

[8:30] Uh. That you know. You know. We read. In John's gospel. In the first chapter. Are these words.

[8:44] Uh. But as many as received him. To them gave he power. To become the sons of God. Even to them that believe on his name. Which were born.

[8:56] Now we want to have the new birth. And we want to know that the birth is right. Which were born. Not of blood. Uh.

[9:08] Not of the will of the flesh. Nor of the will of man. But of God. So then. We find. That there are three frauds.

[9:21] And one reality. Is it then. Uh. Not of blood. Or because we cannot say that. Uh.

[9:32] Because. Uh. Uh. Father. Grandfather. And going back. Because religion is hereditary. Then if therefore it's come down to me. Or.

[9:43] Uh. Even where that is so. Yet we can see. That we need God's operation. If we are to be born again of the spirit.

[9:53] If religion came down through the lineal descent. Then it could never be more. Uh. Than. A natural religion. And of course there are.

[10:05] Uh. There. There are those cases. Where a natural religion. Proceeds along those lines. Of God. Uh. Then. We shall be concerned to know.

[10:18] That our beginning is right. which were born not of blood. Nor of the will of the flesh. Nor of the will of man. I might just take a couple of points here.

[10:31] Now the will of the flesh. Is right against. Being saved by grace. And the will of man generally.

[10:42] Is right against. Being saved by grace. We can. Listen. Or read. Or perhaps come in contact with people.

[10:54] Who are in the evangelistic weird world. And. Uh. In professing to gather. Uh. Many into the fold of Christ.

[11:05] But. Is it not by the will of man? Oh yes. But. Is it without man? Oh no. No.

[11:16] You do your bit. God will do his. And in the end. Such people will. Will find. That they've been. Frauded.

[11:29] And that they've been given. Account of it. And when they come to the end. It will not be acceptable. We find that character.

[11:40] In the pilgrims progress. Ignorance. Now he came from the land of deceit. A conceit. Uh. He didn't come in at the wicked gate.

[11:52] And he went along. And he met the pilgrims. From time to time. On more than one occasion. Uh. And. Uh. He didn't want to be disturbed.

[12:04] And so eventually. Uh. We find him reaching heaven's gate. plead. uh. Manion points out that even from the very gate of heaven there is a way down to hell what was he asked for?

[12:23] he was asked for his certificate and he fumbled in his bosom and he couldn't find it what is the certificate the certificate that is signed by David's Lord in all things all as well that certificate certainly is the covenant of grace the covenant of grace this covenant O believer stands thy rising fears to quell signed by thy saviour's bleeding hands in all things all as well so is there any word from the Lord in former days the emphasis was laid upon the covenant and the covenant of blood if that blood was not mentioned in the teaching and preaching of the gospel some referred to it as a gospel that was anemic it had no blood in it now what do we think of the blood?

[13:45] do we feel that we must have the blood? to the natural mind it is of little consequence we are not interested in the blood maybe you are greatly concerned sometimes because of that feeling in your natural mind but if we were honest we just say it says away with the blood but blessed be God if there is a word from the Lord which makes it so clear that you must have the blood for it is the blood of Jesus Christ that bringeth us nigh it is the blood that that is able to cleanse us from all sin and so do we see the blood?

[14:46] have we seen the blood? and do we say but I sometimes I cannot see the blood you might bear this point in mind that when the children of Israel were to go out of Egypt they were to slay a lamb and to sprinkle the blood upon the doorposts and the lintel and then they were to go inside and then the Lord said when I see the blood I will pass over you are we discouraged sometimes because we cannot see the blood well the Lord says when I see the blood and he will know where to look for it perhaps perhaps we are looking in the wrong place and trying to mix it up with with other other things other matters but the Lord said when I see the blood

[16:00] I will pass over you how important it is to have what I might call a clean religion the thought crossed my mind while I was in the vestry of a verse which you find in hymn 220 remember oh Christian with heed when sunk under sentence of death how first thou from bondage was freed say was it by works or by faith on Christ thy affections then fixed what conjugal truth didst thou bow with him was there anything mixed then what was thou mixed with him now so it is a question of Christ our only salvation

[17:08] Christ in his finished work Christ in those glorious words where he said it is finished where he said also father forgive them for they know not what they do is there any word from the Lord and are you concerned relative to your own salvation as to whether you've been deceived now there's another aspect whereby you may rejoice in this word is there any word from the Lord we read in one of the epistles of Paul the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his and let him that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity is it justification that we need but justification without sanctification is not justification at all we must be walking in a new life is there any word from the

[18:43] Lord there is there I believe sometimes there is much to be said for reading the 119th psalm I believe it was read some of it today here the prayer meeting and that tells you where that man's desires were how love I thy law as I mentioned this morning rather thy law is hid within my heart that I might not sin against thee but then how love I thy law he says and how love I thy testimonies and he asked this question wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy word this expression according to thy word recurs again and again in the scripture and it certainly does in this 119th psalm so you see how attached the psalmist was to the word of God and what it said is there any word from the

[20:03] Lord then do you find that your heart is enlightened and instructed because your anxiety is that it may be according to the word of the Lord it was a solemn day for one of the eastern kings when there was the writing on the wall the writing on the wall and the man's knees knocked together and his joints were loosed until he knew the answer thou art weighed in the balances and found wanting the remarkable thing is that as soon as he knew the explanation he went back to his drinking about how many of God's people have been greatly concerned when that word has been so pertinent to their situation thou art weighed in the balances and found wanting and this is perfectly true so what is to be done is there any word from the

[21:18] Lord when I weighed in the balances and found wanting there is Jesus Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believe it that is the word of the Lord so if God should have put you in his chaos and all you can see is that which is lost and undone all hope you've resigned and yet is there any word from the Lord there is and look unto me all the ends of the earth and be he saved for I am God and there is none else he is able to deliver the needy when he cried the poor also and him that hath no helper in order that we might consider another mark that we are born of God again we may notice some of the prayers that are disclosed to us in Psalm 119 teach me

[22:30] O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it unto the end give me understanding and I shall keep thy law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart make me to go in the path of thy commandments for therein do I delight incline my heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousness turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and quicken thou me in thy way now is that a word from the Lord to any of you this afternoon does it discover to you your inward feelings and the desires of your heart the longings of your soul and again let thy mercies come also unto me O Lord even thy salvation and listen according to the word of the Lord not according to people's opinions but according to the word of the

[23:45] Lord and then another example people of the inward experience and it is the inward experience you can look at the outward experience of people but you can never discover the inward experience unless God tells you what it is so we come to the 49th verse where we read remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope so here is a man that has had a word from God and that word from God was indeed in answer to this question is there any word from the Lord there is it was not just so to speak a one off thing about the man comes and he says remember the word the living word the powerful word the upholding word the strengthening word and the lively word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope with what result this is my comfort in my affliction for thy word quickeneth me the proud have had me greatly in division yet have

[25:06] I not declined from thy law another point which is in word of God and remember is there any word from the Lord there is what do you feel toward the Lord God himself not what you say necessarily to others but what you feel in your soul secretly with the God we have therefore these words thou art my portion oh Lord I have said that I would keep thy words I entreated thy favor with my whole heart be merciful unto me according to thy word so if you read through this 119th psalm you will surely find many indications of that will give you encouragement and hope in regard to your own salvation there is another word in the 89th verse forever oh

[26:23] Lord thy word is settled in heaven now this may answer the point which might tax your faith sometimes as to whether it is a word that you thought came from God but because of things that had happened and the things of which you had been guilty that word could no longer obtain forever oh Lord thy word is settled in heaven whom once he loves he never leaves but loves him to the end we have a few well known and remarkable instances in the word of God in respect to God's unchangeable word which means also his unchangeable love minds is an unchanging love higher than the heights above what do you think would have been the case of poor

[27:32] Peter if this had not been true forever oh Lord thy word is settled in heaven when Peter denied his lord and master what did the look convey God is faithful oh God is faithful he faithful is he who calleth you who also will do it thy word is written in heaven it is settled in heaven and this is the comfort and consolation of all of God's children surely it is so then is there any word from the lord search the scriptures and pray over the scriptures is there any word from the lord that will answer the suggestions of satan and the deceitfulness of my own heart that will tell me that

[28:39] I am that I am a child indeed oh the great blessing and favor when God speaks to his children in such wonderful words and he speaks words so pointedly when he says something like this that the thought and the knowledge that I am thy child now God is able to confirm that God does confirm it is there any word from the lord there is so God speaks to his people in their troubles in their sicknesses sometimes I remember him speaking to me on one occasion with just two words my son and not all that while after when I was in hospital these words

[29:55] God dealeth with you as with sons now you see that is a word from the lord and that will put every question out of question so is there any word from the lord oh there are words of consolation words which will strengthen our faith words which will enable us to look far forward words that will enable us to rejoice in Christ Jesus you will no doubt recall the words in the 34th psalm when the psalmist called upon others to join with him and he said I my soul shall make her boast in the lord the humble shall hear thereof and be glad oh magnify the lord with me and let us exhort his name together and why

[30:58] I sought the lord and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears so it is a time for rejoicing has god accomplished this in your soul so that he gives you the answer there is there any word from the lord and there is because this tells you that you've got so to speak the photostat of your very heart I sought the lord and he heard me and delivered me out of from all my fears that this poor man cried and the lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles and the angel of the lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them oh taste and see that the lord is good blessed is the man that trusted in thee so is there any word from the lord do you feel your soul is pent up because of the goodness of god to to your soul and will you go and burst forth burst forth and tell out that which you couldn't wouldn't couldn't and wouldn't tell out before but now the lord has come in the greatness of his glory and has revealed to your soul his excellency how excellent is thy name in all the earth so that your soul has been absolutely flooded with the love of god i sometimes think of luther's words on well known i could do no other now that's a good word when god brings you to a point i could do no other but declare what god had done for my soul i could do no other but stand firm having that humble and precious hope in my soul i know whom i have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which i have committed unto him against that day coming round 19th psalm we have the wonderful words concerning his own feeling toward the word of the word of god great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them great peace now you've got a mark here are you looking round is there any word from the lord is this my experience my feeling at the moment a right feeling great peace of they which love thy law and nothing can offend them so are you feeling great peace and from whence do you trace it to source is it that you have recured it by some self righteous act or is it because from the absolute power of the grace of

[34:46] God you have peace the lord jesus said my peace i give unto you not as the world giveth give i unto you let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid peace peace like a river ever flows peace and you know the peace of God passes all understanding you cannot be able to you are not able to describe it but have you felt the peace what does that peace really mean it means being reconciled to God how can two walk together except they be agreed has that been a word that has come to you is there any word from the lord how can two walk together except they be agreed and so this has been a word of instruction and you have had to consider where's the difference where have

[35:54] I gone wrong how can I get back now we all know I'm sure some of you much more than others that if as sheep we stray away we can never find our way back oh but is there any word from the Lord when I have strayed away as far from God as sheep can run but see how heaven's indulgent care attends their wanderings here and there here and there and what does he do well those of you that have had the experience as well I might say of those of you that haven't will know from what is in the scriptures that he doesn't beat them back but he kills them with his love and you know if we have been back sliders in heart or outwardly he will kill such with his love and that love will be in demonstration and in power because instead of chastising them in the way that most people would expect will stick he takes them up in his arms and carries them back into the fold and has he done that with you

[37:29] Dr. Goodwin in one of his sermons I think it is he refers to Joseph and he said when Joseph received his brethren and revealed himself to them he said I am Joseph whom ye have sold into Egypt and then he takes us to the scene on the shore when the Lord Jesus sees his disciples the ones that have fled from him on block not just Peter but on block they have fled from him forsook him he says children have you any meat oh children have you any meat is there any word from the

[38:34] Lord when you have forsaken him when you have gone your own way when your heart have been unheartened or perhaps as we read on another occasion the Lord Peter said I go fishing this was a very nice while it lasted but now the Lord is dead and I go fishing I am going to return back to my own way it was just at that point you see that the Lord came and spoke unto them in this loving way a way which will surely break your heart and make you willing to follow him and listen what the Lord will say and hope to follow that is there any word from the Lord ah there is but not the word you expect could those people those disciples have ever thought that the first word they would hear would be children have you any bread and there was said a meal prepared for them on the shore but this is the point that

[39:52] Dr. Goodwin makes he didn't say whom you crucified whom you left and fled from me when I most needed you oh no he couldn't do that because by his atonement by his death and resurrection their sins have been put away so is there any word from the Lord yes there is the violent sin rat of hell that lives to fear his need is welcome to the throne of grace the saviour's blood to plead is there any word from the Lord yes there is oh listen to the words that we have in the 43rd chapter of Isaiah where we read I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will remember thy sins not remember thy sins put me in remembrance let us flee together declare thou that thou mayest be justified and very similar words in the 44th chapter where we read again

[41:09] I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins return unto me for I have redeemed thee sing sing O ye heavens for the Lord hath done it is there any word from the Lord shout ye lower parts of the earth break forth into singing ye mountains though forest and every tree thereof for the Lord has redeemed Jacob and glorified himself in Egypt in Israel so is there any word from the Lord and is it the unexpected word when you have written yourself off so to speak when you have said but there's no hope for me there's no mercy for me yet does the

[42:10] Lord come and speak a word which he he has reserved in his covenant in his heart to be spoken at the appropriate time I shall never forget the time when so powerfully he spoke those words to me there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit and those words were spoken to me after a very bad season in my life and the Lord has his appointed times for saying his words God doesn't say his words any time and therefore they're not cheap words but they're precious words have you any precious words that you look at sometimes and you say they are precious why are they precious because they have come forth from God's lips and therefore they are words which will not alter they are words which will last me right down to my dying day one of our hymns has this line

[43:36] I hope to die shouting the Lord will appear now has the Lord appeared for you I'm sure he has for some of you and is he appearing still and will you not go along with the poet when he says I hope to die shouting the Lord will appear only if we ever need the Lord to appear it will certainly be when we come to the end of our journey and lay upon our deathbed there is only one that can help us there and God will not forsake you men may forsake you we read sometimes in the newspapers or perhaps medical journals of cases which are beyond recovery and nothing more can be done we shall never be in that place in regard to the

[44:38] Lord when he has to say I'm sad I'm sorry but I can do no more the fullness of the atonement the riches of his grace the extent of his power is so great that he is able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto him by Jesus Christ so then is there any word from the Lord is there there is whatever your situation whether it be a matter of providence is there anything too hard for the Lord I am the God of all flesh has God spoken to you if you've got troublesome people to deal with and perhaps you're the troublesome person is yourself God says I am the God of all flesh is anything too hard for me and if

[45:41] God can deal with you well will you not say he can deal with anybody he can make other people's hearts softer because he's made my heart soft he can do great things and holy is his name the word of the Lord is pure all God's words are pure all God's words are penetrating all God's words are effective and if you should be concerned and wondering whether you will be will endure to the end there is a word that is quite a favorite of mine in the prophecy of Isaiah he is able to declare the end when from the beginning and he can tell you at any time in your pathway from the very moment you start on your journey to heaven you'll get there oh you'll get there there's no if or but to fail the stream no peradventure there and if we think of some of the sips by the way if such the sweetness of the streams what must the fountain be where saints and angels draw their bliss immediately from thee so is there any word from the

[47:18] Lord Jeremiah said there is and so say I may you prove this to be a word in season and if you feel still that there isn't may God destroy all that unbelief and bring to you the right word which you know must be an apt word which you know must be a word that fits completely the Lord commands his blessing pardoning all that has been amiss for Jesus sake Amen shall we conclude by singing hymn number 293 the tune is Hazleton 743 hymn number 293 encompassed with clouds of distress and tempted all hope to resign

[48:38] I pant for the light of thy face that I in thy beauty may shine disheartened with waiting so long I sink at thy feet with my load all plaintive I pour out my song and stretch forth my hands unto God yet Lord if thy love has designed no covenant blessing for me ah tell me how is it I find some sweetness in waiting for thee almighty to rescue thou art thy grace is immortal and free Lord succor and comfort my heart and make me live holy to thee 293 to chapterh o hol l h twenties

[49:45] The street that of distress And tenderly purging time I ban for the light of thy face That I in thy beauty shine This earth on this way to turn out I sing at thy feet In my light The light that I put

[50:45] That my soul That strength of my hands Look through the light Shine on and my terror Shall cease The blood of the servant Of life And lead with her Jesus' love The rock that is my And lead with her And lead with her Speak together

[51:47] Sweetest high voice Thy presence is fair to me And lead with her And lead with her And lead with her Thy spirit With Christ And praise And glory And lead with her Jane Detectives Amen Ages Ahmed Let's To Perhaps Once Does Might Lie edition Am Until Right To The

[52:47]  The King Into Das May