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[0:00] May I hear the prayer of our hymn and help us now as in dependence upon the Lord for all needed help I venture to draw your prayerful attention to John chapter 14 verses 1, 2, and 3.

[0:54] Let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God. Believe also in me.

[1:09] In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you.

[1:20] I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself.

[1:40] That where I am there, ye may be also. Waiting upon the Lord with much prayer and exercise of soul for divine guidance, for his leading, for his direction, for this poor sinner to receive a word from himself to bring here this morning.

[2:16] And it was in that spirit of prayer, not that I said to the Lord, I'll open the Bible and the first word.

[2:27] No, that never entered my mind at all. But what did come was that spirit of prayer. I did open my Bible. I did open my Bible.

[2:39] And it was these words that I first read from therein. And they laid hold on me. I hope it is of the Lord.

[2:51] I don't want it to be of me. Of me, it would be of no profit at all. I want it to be of me. I want it to be of me. I want it to be of me. I want it to be of me. I want it to be of me. I want it to be of me.

[3:02] And these, we must remember, are the words of Jesus himself. This precious Jesus. These precious words.

[3:17] And these are words that will never be overthrown, always fulfilled, standing forever. And these are words spoken by him, the eternal Son of God, who knows our weakness, our weariness, our sinfulness, our temptations, our sorrows, our tears, the darkness of the way.

[3:46] Yes, and mingled with it all, the little beams of light, the little tokens for good, those kisses of his mouth.

[3:56] Those times when the Lord draws near. So I do pray that we may be helped there to speak of these precious, sacred words.

[4:10] When we come particularly to this part of the word of God, though we do not pick out one part to another, yet there is, if we may put it, an added solemnity upon our spirit, because we feel, if we may with reverently say it, that we are actually permitted to stand where the disciples stood.

[4:38] In this way, that we hear the very words that were spoken to Jesus. And we realize that we are, if we may with reverently say it, that we are.

[5:16] Just a thought there. Just a thought there. Don't just look at that as a point of just, well, that's the next step.

[5:26] Think what that word hence means. We go hence. We'll see. We'll see you.

[5:37] We'll see you. But then, in the 17th chapter, which is the prayer that the Lord Jesus offered for his people.

[5:50] I have so often felt one's utter unworthiness to be permitted to read the words that Jesus prayed to his Father.

[6:07] It seems so sacred, so heavenly, so spiritual, so sinful, so worldly, so selfish.

[6:22] And I have so often felt one's uttered, and I just touched those words in passing. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also.

[6:38] Hang on to that. Them also. Are you one of them? Them shall believe on him through their word.

[6:53] My dear friend, I don't thought of going as far as that in this, and it's the 17th chapter, but I must just name it. Did he pray for you?

[7:09] Some here may have that sweet assurance. Yes. Even that would be tried. Some of you, I would hope the rest of you, is my longing desire, is my earnest prayer.

[7:27] Oh, I do want this dear Jesus. Oh, pray on dear friend, pray on, that you may be led with sweet assurance of an interest in all the Saviour has done, and the blood that he has shed.

[7:52] Now, coming back again to the text, the background of this text, and there's that reason that I read the 13th chapter.

[8:03] It leads us to the leading of the dear Lord Jesus, step by step, and those steps are getting very near now, to Calvary.

[8:14] And we find here, of those things through which he passed through. And amidst them, while he says, let not your heart be troubled, yet we read, now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say?

[8:36] Save me from this hour, but for this cause came I to this hour.

[8:47] In life, there may be an hour, solemn hours, when perhaps you've got to have an operation, perhaps some great decision, and no need to enlarge that.

[9:08] Have you dread it? Have you dread it? But oh, to pray, to have the very presence of Jesus to help you, and bring you safely through.

[9:22] And then he says here in the chapter that we've read, we read here, that he was troubled in spirit, and testified.

[9:34] What was it about? Knowing that there was a betrayer in the nest, that one of you shall betray me.

[9:45] One of you. How solemn. How solemn. My dear friend, we've been reminded of the solemnity and the reality of death in our opening hymn.

[10:02] Are we ready? Are we prepared? Have we a trembling good hope in Jesus?

[10:14] Are we cast upon him in our prayers? Do we come again and again, God be merciful to me a sinner?

[10:26] And do you not find, instead of being, shall I say, well, that might be some... Now, I want to get careful and explain this rightly.

[10:38] Indeed, it is a mercy when in life we are, the Lord helps us and we have conquered the power over Satan and sin, and over some of our darling sins.

[10:51] That's God. And yet, what I'm coming to is this. And we think that when we get old, perhaps we should be more heavenly minded.

[11:02] Perhaps Satan won't bother us anymore. And perhaps sin won't lie so heavy upon our soul. And we think that when we get old, we think that sin is more dreadful than ever.

[11:18] You say, well, what have you been doing? It's not that. It's what I am doing is staying with sin. And I see that sin as never before.

[11:29] I've seen it before, but, increasingly, the sinfulness of it. Our thoughts, just think of that. Our thoughts, the intentions of the mind, all the uncleanness, all the sinfulness attached to them.

[11:45] But let not your heart be troubled. You remember how that even, I think it was just the communion service, either just before or after, how that there was a division among themselves.

[12:02] And who should be the greatest? Just think of it. Hear the dear Lord about to go to all this suffering and know what he's going to do.

[12:13] And these men debating among themselves. Here's a Peter, and we love dear Peter for Christ's sake, if I put it that way.

[12:24] And yet saying, Lord, I'm ready to go with thee. I'll suffer with thee. I won't fail thee. And there among them would be a Thomas that would be so full of unbelief.

[12:36] And so much more, as you think of it, as he grew nearer to the cross. And even in the chapter we have, from which the text is taken.

[12:47] Lord, it says, Peter, Philip, show us the Father, that we may know him. And, have I been so long time with you, Philip?

[13:01] Yet hast thou not known me? Now, come now directly to the verse, let not your heart be troubled. Now this does not mean, I think one looks at it sometimes with what it does not mean.

[13:17] That we can be careless and in trouble, I needn't bother, I'm alright, I'm going to heaven. Some people, misguided people, perishing in their sin I fear, have that feeling.

[13:32] They're so assured, and have no temptation, no trial. Oh, it's all well. At that I leave, I'm not judging them.

[13:43] God will do that. But it's not the path I walk. And I, sure it's not the path you walk. It's right to be troubled over our sin.

[13:58] It's right to be troubled when we are praying earnestly for repentance. It's a precious gift. The power of the Holy Spirit conquering our sin.

[14:12] We pray for it. At the low state of Zion. People just say, well what is to be is to be.

[14:23] My friend, we can't leave it at that. We pray, Lord, for revival, but at least we do pray. If it is but a few comparatives be, may this few be faithful to God, enduring as seeing Him who is invisible.

[14:47] Let not your heart be troubled. But here we see the dear Lord. And He says, ye believe in God, believe also in me.

[15:01] These dear men believed in faith. They're godly men. Judas Iscariot had gone out now. I've just come back to that point.

[15:13] Mustn't pass it over. Because we've been reminded. When thou, my righteous judge, shalt come to take thy ransomed people home, shall I among them stand.

[15:28] For you remember how, as I say, there as we look back on this previous chapter. I'm sorry.

[15:39] The thought has gone from my mind. It may come back in a moment. But there were those things that were so sad and so solemn.

[15:51] There was death. Judas Iscariot admits them. Heard all that Jesus said. Witness what he did. And yet. There was Satan.

[16:02] There was Satan. Some of us know. What is to be tempted by Satan. It's awful. But here with this.

[16:16] Judas Iscariot. We read that. In the beginning of the chapter here. That Simon. That the devil. Put into the heart.

[16:28] To betray him. Lord. Stop the devil putting anything wrong into my heart. Stop him, Lord.

[16:40] But then. Deeper. More dreadful still. We read here. That how that.

[16:51] That Satan. Entered. Into him. To him. Took possession. To possession. Believers in Jesus.

[17:03] However weak you may be. However poor you may be. But you are. We trust a believer. Struggling his little faith. But my friend.

[17:15] Hold on to it. Cling to Jesus. Pray to him. Pray to him. It's a great mercy. To feel our poverty. It's a great mercy.

[17:27] To be. As it were. Feelingly exposed. As we are. That. We don't say. Well I'm ready for the devil. I'm ready for this trial.

[17:38] I'm ready for that. Thorn in the flesh. We tremble at it. But Lord. What we. Do pray. Is for that. Grace.

[17:49] All sufficient. To bear us up. And yet. To keep us. Humble. We need. Even to be kept. In that. For the. Bride.

[18:00] Being proud of ourselves. For perhaps. Be. Gaining a victory. Lord. Keep me. Humble. Now he says. They believe. You believe in God. They believed.

[18:11] In all that the Lord. Had done in the Old Testament. I don't think. There was any doubt. About that. At all. They believed in. The deliverance. Of the old. Ancient people.

[18:22] Of God. Of their. Deliverance. Of the Red Sea. And we might go. Right the way. Through. And now he says. Believe. Also. In me.

[18:33] I. And my father. Are one. So he says. Believe. Also. In me. This precious. Gift. Of faith.

[18:44] This gift. Of heaven. This work. Of the Holy Spirit. Of God. And this. Is. Always. In the case.

[18:55] Of a born. Again. Sinner. Because. As the Lord. Blesses. With that. Spiritual. Life. There will be. That spiritual.

[19:06] Life. And there will be. This gift. Of precious. Faith. And. As. That. Work. Of grace. Begun.

[19:17] Will never. Be. Overthrown. I do not. Say. That. The. Believers. Never. Overthrown. The word.

[19:28] Of God. Will never. Fail. Filled. So. Here. As we. Look. At the. The. Case.

[19:39] Here. We. Are. Reminded. That. There's. I. Believe. Help. Thou. My.

[19:50] Unbelief. You may. Say. But. The. The. The. The. That. How.

[20:27] see but my friend believe also in me and look how dear people came to Jesus Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me scream who was that that was a leper full of it full of it Lord I believe help thou my unbelief and Jesus put forth his hand that's amazing to me the hand of omnipotent and purity and holiness to touch the letter and the power of God's grace the healing of it immediate he moves on to say now in my father's house are many mansions I like to think of this my father's house oh God my father may I call thee mine may I with sweet assurance claim a portion so divine oh beloved friend you know even the prodigal said

[21:46] I will arise and go where he's convinced of his sin he's empty the world hasn't got any time for him he hasn't much time for the world now there's only one way that's the way God works I will arise and go where can you go go back to your friends now go back to feed the swine no go back to the world no I want somebody with me I want a friend I want my sin to be forgiven I've been foolish I thought I could have a wonderful time I thought I could do such wonders and yet I've been stripped of all help in myself all hope that I should be saved brought now to seek that help and I'll arise and go to my father I'll go to that home that I've left that place where

[22:49] I've turned aside that one that I've set at naught I'll arise and go to my father and tell him I've sinned no more worthy to be called his son but oh what do we read and this is the gospel any poor sinner here struggling struggling yes longing yes you feel I've so sinned sinful sin to cover almost overwhelm you and you've been almost a blot out or any thought spiritually at times it can be for a moment or two or a limit a bit longer and yet you can't give up crying yet you can't give up praying that the Lord will still have mercy upon you and remembering this that he the father saw him a great way off and where he saw him he ran we don't read the prodigal ran there is a running to the throne of grace of course but we read the father ran embraced him my friend that's the gospel this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ

[23:58] Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chained and there won't be mock humility there are times when we feel indeed the reality and the awfulness and the fullness of sin that we feel to be the worst of all yes you may be an avarice to be preserved from the grosser outward sin of mankind but it's this indwelling sin isn't it in my father's house are many mansions this speaks to us of heaven this speaks to us of the home that the lord has gone to prepare for his dear people he says I go to prepare a place for you and one thinks so friend how we can only think as our poor mind helps us to think we think even of the wonders of creation we think of the beauties of creation we think of the way so amazing and how people cannot see that it's the hand of God but they're blind they don't want to see it but my friend

[25:15] I don't know I may speak I'm afraid I am very simple but I've known what it is to look and I've seen just lately in my walking the smallest little flower just enough colour you can see it remits the high grass by the verges little thing there created God the creator and sometimes we look on those birds as they come and you see them I remember looking at watching a bird and with others but it hadn't got the courage to move onto the tableware where the others were feeding and I was very taken with this bird just a little one trembling there and then the mother bear suddenly came and took food to its little trembling little trembling baby

[26:16] I know that's soft it touches my heart friend it takes me to my heavenly father that knows you have need of all these things and it comes it may not be with great blessings in the sense of the word but if it's a blessing from him it's a blessing and think from whom it comes from the hey that God the Father Son and Holy Spirit with mercy toward your poor soul in many mansions this speaks of well I don't know how to describe it really it speaks of such a fullness durability comfort peace love mercy all that you can think of and my friend we don't need to kind of try and visualize what those mansions will look like what they are in a way we know that

[27:19] Christ is heaven and he is heaven to our souls and therefore these mansions they are many and my dear friend it's well we read them loudest of the crowd are saying when you think of that great number that no man can number and the Lord make all provision she take the world and its creation there's sufficiency in the world for all it's man and sin that bars it all but you see how from the greatest take a wild for example or an elephant and you take the smallest ant that grows it's food wonderful in my father's house and many men if it were not so I would have told you the late mr.

[28:13] frank goston told me or i heard him preach on it and made a note on that on that or quoted that line and how a dear man godly man is visiting near the end and he turned to mr.

[28:28] god and said if it were not so I would have told you and he says he hasn't said anything in this way it still stands it's his so if it had been otherwise the lord would have said so but he hasn't said that on that point my dear friend it's all here of full submission and i want to come to this god i go to prepare a place for you for you is these two words for you for you personal is it mine is it for me this is the concern others will say well i when i started i have no doubt about it well i must leave that some have greater faith than others when it's true faith but my dear friend i say this is for you what we need and this i need i need those tokens for god i need show me a token lord for god and i was under very low place hearing a dear friend when it's up in and recently oh show me a token and lord how good god how it comforted it renewed it you had a little helping hand and a few more steps on the way to heaven you didn't have the full assurance but there's little more help a little more guidance and you're waiting for this full assurance pray for it pray for it and seek the word of god to know my jesus crucified by far excels all else beside oh to know my sins are forgiven my dear friend is the returning to christ is he all in all to you is there any other you can turn to is there any other what about that rock of ages are you a stranger to it isn't it a pressure to yourself it's a ribbon rock it's a room for you to stand it's a room for you to be a hiding place therein yes or the storm may blow and the wind may blow you may be tossed about but you have been never as he rightly said tossed off that rock never you may be shaken there's a place by me said

[31:10] God to Moses I'll cover thee with my hand rock of ages cleft for me let me hide myself in thee let the water and the blood from thy ribbon side which flow be of sin the double cure cleanse me from its guilt and power he says I go to prepare a place with oh what does that mean he says I go yes yes he was going to go to heaven but wait a minute he says I go we must look and never lose sight of what he did the path he took to make that way open for us to go to heaven you see we have it all here he says now is my soul from I've quoted the word before when we read his soul being troubled I meant to mention this right at the beginning when we're troubled and we are troubled but so much is stirred within us not always spiritual but sometimes that which is sinful something marsy but with the Lord

[32:27] Jesus when he was troubled it was as it had been described a glass of pure water you can stir it but it's still clear my friend there it is but he went forth and we read wish you know that I must be about my father's business we see Gethsemane and we see Gabbatha and Gorgatha we see the steps that the saviour took we see how he set his face toward the cross and he never turned when he said never turned he did turn to look upon Peter that wasn't turning from the cross that was turning to a poor man that miserably failed was as it were almost in the hands of Satan but no the Lord said no he's mine I'm going to the cross but I'll just pause if I say that reverently I don't want to make up something but it seemed to come to my mind before he went further he just turned to look upon

[33:34] Peter and that's why you read in the gospel of Mark you read in Matthew and Mark that when the angel appeared to the women at the sepulcher no one told his disciples says Matthew but Mark says and Peter they're wonderful words they've done my soul don't miss him out he's though he's failed of all of them failed the most as you might say and Peter so my friend here he goes to prepare a place here as he goes forth and one reads through the sufferings of Christ my friend do you see yourself I thought you might say don't you see Jesus I want you to look at yourself for a minute those sins you're committing if we're a child of God and it will be made known to us we'll see my sin you see

[34:46] Pilate gave permission for them to crucify him but now we see now my sin and oh friend it's a great mercy when you have a broken heart and a contrite spirit when you see they were done I use a very simple illustration it seems awful to name it really when I was a boy at school and I did reasonably well but why did it I still don't know but I told lies to my mother so we've got a day off and I stayed at home and I did it again the head master phoned when's your boy oh send him to me so I went came across the garden and met he said rose hill was a school rose hill do not do things like that just anymore

[35:50] I saw the reproach that brought on the school I see through my sin it's him and yet his love is unchanging I go to prepare a place for you and there yes he rose again triumphantly from the dead and there as he ascended into heaven oh and he they lost sight of him the angel said this same Jesus shall come in light manner as you see him go I must hasten just a little I go prepare a place for you and you will be a prepared people that will reach heaven that's the reason why there's some rough paths that's the reason why there's that disappointment why there's that thing you cannot understand

[36:55] I should never forget those words what I do thou know is not know thou don't know here after when I just tell you I try to go through the story but the last time I had my wife with me I travelled to Canterbury I was preaching there for the evening and my wife came with me I was just about walking into the chapel and my wife had fallen and walked with a fractured femur and a fractured arm and I was the only man there to take the service but the Lord had given me that text I was enabled somehow I say somehow my feelings but God helped me to preach the last sermon she ever heard me preach was oh death where is thy sting where is thy victory that was in the morning not knowing this was before I say the Lord said I go and prepare a place for

[37:59] I will come again that is his coming again oh my friend the blessed prospect I come quickly he says the earth is waiting for it the church should be waiting for it it's groaning under all his problems his difficulties all his persecutions his trials his all the world and this land the very men in parliament seem to be rising up in hatred to anything about the bible or christ i don't see all of them but there seems intense hatred it seems to groaning we don't know what may be before us but we do know I go and prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare and that if is no not the if if I shall do it or shan't do it it means as I go as I am going

[38:59] I shall go as I go and prepare a place for you I will come again now that's just what we want isn't it on earth this is even before he comes again where you say well what is it well I want Jesus to come to me I want a word from heaven I want another kiss I want another token for good I want another word from heaven and I want to hear him help me and receive me yes I will come again and he says and receive you have you some thought sweet evidence that some of you can't say much but have you some evidence dear friend that he has received you have you gone to him and I like that him just as I am without one plea but that thy blood perhaps you can't say put it in this way but then in the hope thy blood was shed for me and that thou bids me remember that bids me come to thee oh lamb of god

[40:16] I sum blind bar to me be quiet no more noise he cried them all the same prayer and they went to him he called it the dear Jesus that poor blind beggar ah but what a prayer what a cry what a learned earning for help oh your case is too beyond look you you're just a wretch of society ah he was loved by Jesus wasn't he and I often think of that picture when he stood there before Jesus just I know he cast away the outer garment but he just stood there a blind beggar and heard the Lord open his eyes and he followed Jesus in the way oh friend this is the way receive you he doesn't pass you if I ask him to receive me will he say me name not till earth all that the father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me

[41:26] I will in no wise cast out receive you unto myself into my arms as it were into my love into this home that I've got and my sufferings on the cross your sins are forgiven Satan is defeated and this is heaven and I receive unto myself that where I am there ye may be also father says Jesus in his prayer I will that these also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory they shall see my glory soon when the work of grace is done partner of my throne shall be say poor sinner loves thou me Lord I do love thee I want to love thee more than ever and then just a few closing thoughts heaven or what can we say no darkness there you know there's a love

[42:31] Lord is the light they had no need of the sun no devil there he's cast away no pain there no disease there no sin there no no sea there you say why that sea is that which parts nations sea is that which speaks of turmoil and tumult and storm but my friend be peace perfect peace in heaven no to prepare a place where I will come again and receive unto myself that where I am there he may be also and my friends as I think on these words and the lamb which is in the midst of the throne that's sweet that takes you to the Passover that takes you to the blood that was shed then takes you to word as this when I see the blood I will pass over you now

[43:50] Christ our Passover lamb is slain for us the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin it's all there this is I go to prepare a place for you and that where I am there you may be also and my friend there be one flowing together sweet and a song ah what about that harp sometimes with us it's hung there on the well it don't seem you can sing a note of praise for a little while and you but there's one dear minister I don't know who he was but he told me he didn't throw the harp away he was still there waiting for the Lord to come again and I had that in a very dark experience I've had recently in a spiritual experience so dark and the

[44:54] Lord brought back a sweet word to my soul he said that that's strange the word goes for me it will come back in a minute it comes in the word and the Lord says the Lord shines and it shines forever I don't think I'll leave my hand on it it will come back maybe before I close down you bear with me friend he came and gave me the text oh it come oh Israel thou shalt not be forgotten of me a dear minister preacher and that just after my pastor died sweet and you think you're forgotten thou shalt not be forgotten of me and ye may be also then loudest of the crowd

[46:11] I'll sing while heaven's resounding mansions reign with shouts of sovereign praise oh there's a line in this sunday school hymn book which says they enter into the gates and hallelujah sing it is so oh what will it be to be there on earth the streams I've tasted or deep I drink above there an ocean fullness as mercy doth expound oh yes through many changing scenes but an unchanging thought may the lord bless these few scattered thoughts pardon all amends grant his blessing among you tonight with a reading service

[47:14]  I'm sure you don't despise that reading service God uses it and may you be blessed with it amen