Transcription downloaded from https://sermons.heritagesermons.org/sermons/6600/psalm-quality-poor/. Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions. Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt. [0:00] Here now is a recording by permission of a sermon preached by Mr. Crane at Oakington Strict Baptist Chapel on the 24th of July 1985. [0:18] Psalm 103, verses 8, 9, 10. [0:41] The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. [0:53] He will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger for again. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor reported us according to our own prayers. [1:11] Psalm 103, 8, 9, 10 persons. You could read 2 verses 11 and 12, which further continue. [1:24] The thoughts of love and mercy of God toward his people. We see him. [1:37] We glanced into Job this morning, and something we read seemed to take us to this portion here. The Lord is merciful and gracious. [1:51] And lines of hymn several times through the day seem to be quite sweet. Who is a pardoning God like that? [2:04] And where is mercy so rich and great? When the spirit, when the soul is made tender in his fear and softened, then the mercy of God is brought forth in sweeter, more brilliant, glowing colors. [2:37] While we are hard at heart, strong and able, often we have no love toward mercy. [2:51] While the hymn again puts it, too proud to seek a hiding place. But when the Lord is pleased to soften the heart and deal with his people in any measure, we can't set a standard up as to how much God will bless because he is his own interpreter and he is the author of the work. [3:25] He is pleased to bless as he will. He does not necessarily work in such a way that you can even anticipate his coming. [3:47] Unexpectedly perhaps. Gently perhaps. When at least we look for it perhaps. And yet he comes. [3:58] We read a little further. Like as a father pitieth his child. So the Lord pitieth them that are healed or them that fear him. [4:11] He comes when he thinks fast. The Lord is merciful and gracious. Slowed away and fainted in words. [4:24] He is always God is light. He is a jealous God that never alters that he is always God is light. [4:45] He hates sin. He cannot look upon sin with any grief allowance. He will deal with sin. But it will never alter the truth that God is love. [5:05] It will never alter the truth that the Lord is merciful and gracious and slow to anger and pleases in mercy. it will never alter the truth. It will never alter that he is a farmer. [5:18] Life is a farmer. And has their concerns that are. That is perhaps a poor way of putting it but he will never change. [5:33] He speaks so in his word I am the Lord and I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. The Lord is merciful. [5:45] but he is only merciful to the living family God. [6:01] He is only merciful to that great vast number that are eternally chosen and loved. [6:19] Are we embraced by that covenant of love? That covenant of grace that is ordered in all things assured that is steadfast and immoral all that are embraced by that come under this covenant the Lord is merciful and gracious slow to end. [6:50] They that lie in trespasses and sins in the love of sin they give no evidence of a God of mercy and a God of praise until there is done for them that work of conversion that work of regeneration of quickening into mind being born of the Spirit. [7:24] We are all born into this world sold under sin and we are all of the earth earthy none give forth at the beginning those marks of grace. [7:44] The Lord is merciful. We had a portion last Sunday evening and the foundation of the Lord stand sure having this seal the Lord know them that are his. [8:03] And all that are his he will go the Spirit of God will go and like the lost sheep upon the mountains upon the black mountains he will seek out and search for his own sheep until he finds them. [8:26] He says in John my sheep hear my voice and I know them and I know them. [8:39] There are the beginnings of this gracious merciful and long suffering God I know my sheep and he then speaks like and and no now they shall be brought to know their God this God of mercy in his own time and life but first he deals with them first he calls them first he finds them in this world of sin and world and then he gives by means and the Lord has many means in his hands to bring to his feet the Lord is merciful and perhaps some of our decks may suit any it will suit as they come those characters that may be brought through the rise and through the thorns through the rough places because on the mountains that's where the dry scroll and that's where the bogs are and that's where the deep places are that's where the dark places are uncultivated the tops of the mountains are uncultivated they're rough places thawly places and he finds more than that and he may problem until they begin the journey down why should him [10:21] I want you may use means which may seem to be severe they may include some measures of chastisement or rebukes chastings scourgings you may have a few marks in your experience there may be a few marks in your body there may be some marks in your mind there may be some marks in your providential experience there may be some marks in your home the babe will testify as you look back that the Lord was intent on his sheep coming down from the mountains because he's murdered and you may be in some of these places where you may think that he will always chide that he will always be angry as you think as you see as at first it seems that way he's chiding he's rebuking there's never anything of comfort to my soul all there is is hard things it's in the way of his judgments that he makes you to learn of him but it's mercy to be taught by [11:48] God it's a mercy to be in that way where he deals with you the Lord is merciful he takes means that may seem to be sharp and the parent may do the same with the child the child needs rebukes he needs correction they need chastisement they need sharp dealings they need the sick from time to time like his father they keep his children and what's the purpose on it that they shouldn't grow up with such bad wives that they might be corrected in their youth before habits of an evil nature are formed so he rebukes a father naturally so God will do the same but he will not always chime perhaps he's chiding you at the moment perhaps he's rebuking you at the moment he may seem to be in anger at the moment but it's important to think and ask the question which way does it make you go when he deals when he rebukes or when something troubles you which way does it make you go does it drive you further or does it bring you near does it in any measure humble does it soften the heart does it bring you to a measure of prayer does it begin to teach you to pray because he the disciples came saying lord teach us to pray not how to pray not necessarily with lots of words but coming before god with the need to pray with your need with your urgent pressing case and so it may be that god is deep he is merciful may he use the means that bring you to the place where one day you'll show the smile of his face the lord is merciful later on he goes on to say he hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our inequities when the sheep come down from the mountains when they are brought through all those briars and thorns when they are brought into the folds does the shepherd then take a counter and beat them does he take a stick and beat them about the head and the body no does he brave back to the slave you took a long time coming down you beasts you brutes no do you think of him that you think of your own spirit sometimes you might be a little bit like that ready to take vengeance you took longer than you should have done but really would it be good for the sheep why if you label them too much he might break the back you strike them too hard they may jump and you hit a leg and break it then it's only good for carcass so is that what the shepherd does no he doesn't he takes a lot of pain they are his flock they are the sheep of his pasture and he knows the rabbit way we sang at the anniversary not so long ago was it last year how [16:11] I was a wandering sheep I did not love the fold I did not love the master's voice I love to roam and so forth but eventually that sheep was brought to love his home and to love the master's voice and he speaks about the good shepherd that went the rugged way to bring the wondrous home because he's merciful and gracious and slow to anger I wonder how slow to anger you are with the pigs when they get out if they ever get out and I expect they do sometime or no to get out myself I wonder how patient you are and they dive here and they dive there and at the end you seem right at the end of your tether and you could get them off you might even do so that's not like our [17:18] God with a wandering sheep will be thankful that perhaps you're not like a swine or the goats that receiving the shepherd's care in love and tenderness gentle full of compassion full of mercy looking them up seeking them out finding them upon the mountains in all their hiding places in this little hollow behind that rock amidst those thorns hidden by that deep of the bracken you picture them can't you but my sheep I know my sheep how's that all being protected I know my sheep he says my sheep will hear my words the Lord is merciful and goes that rugged way to bring them home the spirit seeks them out and finds them and brings them from the mountains down into the hole guides them perhaps he calls them perhaps he whistles and they've got to learn to know that voice brings them down it might take a long time may be much tempting [18:58] I mean in the sense of gentle encouragement little sips by the way little sips from the stream as it were they come a little lower and there's a little pool perhaps he made that pool special perhaps a shepherd got it ready because he wants to draw them down and they come to this little pool that's cool and they sit that's the Lord giving you a little sip from the stream that makes glad the city of our heart come right down to the fold and it's little by little tempting you down guiding you down perhaps he'll send the dog around the back with a sharp bark and it's just enough to just push you a little bit further down and there's perhaps he's teaching you to pray little by little or don't you feel like a sheep at all don't you want to be like a sheep perhaps you've seen and they run as it were with their heads down and they won't like this and you never want to feel like that perhaps you want to be a proud being that skips upon the hills and has got liberty and freedom to do as he will and he snorts as it [20:17] Joe speaks about a wild ass that snuffs up the breeze and he snorts and he runs and he gallops and his hoofs and he perhaps might be like that would you freedom but winter is coming winter is coming the asses have been warned of winter that comes the lack of food and fodder but the sheep are brought down and they are very humble little heads of oh and they trot down and they have been and they have been in my mind you see I've got them in my mind and you see them trotting down that mountain path rocky little steps down pieces of rock jumping out I can picture that all in my mind right now and these sheep are all being gathered down the still side not lifted up and tired they've gently been brought in they've provided a few little watering places for they've sick but it's time to move on can't stay there come along move a little further the Lord is merciful and I say I wonder what wakes us down the bottom being brought down like this leaving all the things that we do [21:44] I wonder what there is down the bottom in the valley yea though I walk through the valley the Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger and they don't do as they're told and they don't do that turn that they should have done oh we ought to say that God is not surprised my father he is bound up in the child as well as the sheep isn't he it's all in the character to turn here and to turn there he didn't cry as quick as he should have done but neither will he keep his anger forever turn and think upon that the whole church has been called through time and it says neither would he keep his anger forever he dismissed anger in eternal time as soon as the son said here am I [22:58] I will go his anger was turned away forever and serve his church as me neither would he keep his anger forever if it says neither it means that he hasn't got it forever neither would he keep his anger forever I know the word keep implies that he has it in possession at some time and then lets it go neither would he keep his anger forever but forever is eternal isn't it when does eternity begin in eternity part will he keep it forever well the very opposite to that and yet the compliment to it is I have loved things with a never lasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn so one matches the other one is a negative seemingly a negative blessing and the other is a positive but they're both blessings but they're both blessings he doesn't retain his grave he will not always chime he will not always be correcting reproving chastising rebuking sending in the dogs with a bark here and a bark there no he will not always shine [24:35] Christ has blessings to impart praise to save thee from thy fears oh the love that fills his heart sinner wipe away thy tears is that what he has in store Christ has blessings to impart that in the fold he will more particularly lay his hands upon you not at a distance but in the fold he will there begin to dress you more take out the thorns there may be thorns in the feet that make you whole there may be briars in your wool that pierce into the flesh well he will let those remain [25:43] Christ has blessings to impart grace to save thee from thy fears oh the love that fills his heart sinner one way thy tears he will not always child for he is merciful gracious slow to anger and stop how slow to anger how plenteous in mercy the slowness to anger is God shall God be angry with his children slow to anger we mentioned yesterday about Aaron and [26:44] Moses Moses is the type of the Lord certainly he is in many many places and in other places he is a type of Christ but in the thought that comes he is a type of the Lord and Aaron is a type of Christ now there was a time when God's anger was kindled against Moses when he said that he couldn't go when he couldn't speak when he couldn't lead this great people out of Egypt and he said send by whom thou wilt send and God's anger was kindled against he slowed anger but immediately he comes Aaron thy brother is a good speaker he can speak well and he retained not his anger for him oh the love that filled this time sinner like white like [28:02] Jesus he is slow to him plentous and burst he will not always chide neither when he did his anger forever he hath not dealt with us after our sins now I seem to picture them being brought down down to the fold a little bit near well perhaps yet in a place where they need attention they're not yet to be put amongst those that are washed or clean or they come by dirty yet full of the brides that cling to them full of thorns thistles bars brides all their warmest clog they need attention we have not doubt those after our sins comes to mind like [29:04] Joseph's brethren how they were like the sheep now in the fold they were gentle now before they were mighty men they were strong men willful men determined men evil men men of argument and strife especially against Joseph their brother and years pass by the whole history passes by they come and they bow they are made known to their Joseph and they acknowledge him they have they bow the dream is fulfilled all has come to pass Jacob comes to live and then Jacob dies and they sigh now that he's got us in his hands he'll begin to deal with us as if [30:09] Joseph now would begin to ill treat them now that the protection of their father has gone that oh they feared that he would begin to bring them short and kick the wings as if were him them in he hears of him and he's free and he says to them he says God meant it unto God to save much people alive and he wouldn't hear of their fears he have not dealt with us after our sins no no that he has the sheep in his care he doesn't take a culture to beat them to knock them senseless to drive life out of them to send them into darkness bring them into pain he has not dealt with us after our sin and as he may reflect upon the long journey he may reflect upon that most difficult of sheep that was up in that most awkward of places he was there down upon a ledge in a most awkward position wretched beast he might say [31:35] I'll give him what for he was a trouble to me but he doesn't he took pains to deliver him from the ledge he took pains to bring him down from that difficult place he took pains to bring him a long rough faulty road because the love that fills his heart he hath not dealt with his heart cry sins and as soon as they pass through the gates he describes them as my sheep my sheep he loves each one he doesn't hate any god is not hate god cannot hate he hates sin but sin has been dealt with sin has been put away sin has been rebuked the law has been rebuked [32:41] Moses has been rebuked yes by the coming of Jesus by the coming of Jesus Christ the father sees the sheep as one without spot and blemish he hath not dealt with us after our sins from where he gather us from where he drew us but he is full of mercy full of love he forgets their sins why when did he forget them the moment that Jesus Christ the promised Messiah the son pledged himself a sacrifice and stood in the room base instead of this people this sheep this flock he forgot his anger he retained it not he was full of love towards this people he sees them as sheep clean sheep washed sheep bubbly sheep the sheep of the pasture and he loves them without aim there's no sin in them now to correct not as the father sees it [34:25] I venture to say that the father sees no sin in the church not at all but I venture to say that the Lord Jesus Christ does see the sin of the church he does see it and he does know their daily falls and their daily sins but he is evermore interceding on their behalf evermore displaying his own wounds and his blood and the father does not see the church by reason of one that stands between now when I draw near to God tis thee instead of me so he hath not dealt with us after our sins and whence we come that those places we have been one of our hymns if I have finally speaks no place hence everybody thought sarg M as it speaks no glory to his name we say he loves tomorrow as today our point no place where all air history people have been but sovereign love was underneath love eternal strong as death he will not always chide neither will he keep his anger forever he hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquity if there was a reward for iniquity what would it be the wages of sin is death that would be the reward of iniquity those would be the wages due to sin eternal death but he hath not rewarded us according to our iniquity goes on for as the heaven is higher above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that fear him how high are your sins higher still is his mercy is his mercy are there as high as the mountains higher still is his mercy your heavens reach to the crowds his mercy is above the crowds as high as the heaven is above the earth poor earth works yes the canopy that is above us all the heaven impenetrable but this heaven is above the earth so high and so great is his mercy toward them that fear is above them we are like worms of the earth when you think of a worm when it works in the garden it casts up little heaps of earth doesn't it there's little tiny little places perhaps where the worm has been working he casts up a little heap of earth where he's worked what is that to the mercy of God surrounded by this canopy of love and compassion and mercy towards sin if we were not found in the covenant if we were not surrounded by mercy if we were never called from the mountains and never brought down if we were left to wander we would need one ledge to cast us forever into power one little heap of sin one spot as far as the east is from the west so far have we removed our transgressions from us all contained in this rehearsal of the goodness of the mercy of the Lord of all his living people a people that he loves and if we hope there is still a people that shall be formed that shall save forth the honour of his name you would like to witness characters that are sane that are guilty that are notorious that are strong in sin so do there's the evidence of grace not the proud looks not the willful looks not the determination not the lofty ideals but that sheep who begins to listen to the voice perhaps he's wandered and he's turned hither and hither this way that way and then sharp barkings are pushed him a little further this way down the hill moving step by step but in the right direction toward the father toward God toward prayer a contrast of what you were before the Lord is merciful and gracious slow to act plenty sin and mercy there is that plenty of redemption the redemption [41:22] Christ should never be questioned you should never take your sins and say they never can be part the redemption Christ of Christ of Jesus Christ is immense it's always greater it's always heavier will always tip the balance towards compassion mercy we didn't see them yesterday but we used to see the scales along the promenade where they weighed this one there was always invitation for Christ of course to be weighed for our scales huge weights and there would be the very large the fact we might say come along and there might be many we might call it mocking fears [42:30] I shall break the scales as they clomp in one side heavy white large that the master of the scales he begins to put in the weights on the other side and the Lord Jesus Christ can take the weightiest character in the scale and put the weights in the other side grace crying grace grace unto it mercy compassion love for this weight and sin put in until the balance is on the side of salvation salvation deliverance oh brings us again in the journey deliver her from going down into the pit for I have found a ransom when the [44:08] Lord Jesus places his compassion his love his blood in contrast to you and salvation triumphs there never was any doubt but he approved sometimes to you in your soul's experience one day when you least expect perhaps least look for it perhaps don't feel to be the sin of tree fever but the Lord is able to come and just press his compassion upon and your soul is set up with it it is not captivated it is delivered the Lord is merciful and gracious slow to anger lent us in mercy he will not always chime neither will he keep his anger for it he hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities for as the heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy toward them the thing as far as the east is from the west so far have we removed our transgressions from us to phlegies though and of us who preach next Wednesday in 1015 1015 my soul repeats his plays whose mercies are so late, whose anger is so slow to rise, so ready to abate in 1015 [46:33] I can generate my soul remind him his grace Where's the last in the cross of grace? [47:12] Where's the land of peace? Where's the last in the cross of grace? [47:27] Where's the last in the cross of grace? [47:40] How's the last in the cross of grace? Where's the last in the cross of grace?