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[0:00] As the Lord may be pleased to help me, I would seek your prayers to bear us each up in speaking or hearing, to be enabled to look to this Jesus, to see him by the eye of faith, behold those wondrous things in the book of his law, that we might realise that he has shed his blood to cleanse us from all our sin.

[0:33] How vital it is then not to look anywhere else, but unto Jesus, this friend that sticketh closer to the brother, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured this cross.

[0:58] Oh, how these intense sufferings must have been for the only begotten Son of God, who endured hardness because of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, which was bestowed upon him by the Father, and revealed to you and me by the Holy Spirit.

[1:26] Jesus, our friend, that hung on the tree, that opened the channel of mercy for me, and it is of his mercies that we're not consumed, and we bless him for this favour and privilege.

[1:41] And, yes, if we have faith, as he says here, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience.

[1:55] But I don't know about you, I'm sure it's not running. We've run the other way in our unregeneracy, but through grace, and if we're not mistaken, born again by the Spirit, we have an aching void that the world cannot fill, but look to the Lord Jesus Christ, kind and strong, mercy, joy, and power.

[2:21] And so it is, having the eye of our understanding enlightened, that we may behold these wondrous things out of the book of law.

[2:32] He's magnified the law, and what a hard way he had to do it. Shed his blood on Calvary's tree, laid down his life for his friends, and you are my friends, if you do whatsoever.

[2:48] I call you to do. This is it, the calling. There's not many mighty, not many noble, your Lord has chosen.

[3:00] The foolish, the poor and needy sinners, that seep water, and risen on their tongue, finally for thirst, I, the Lord, will hear them.

[3:13] We groan being burdened. We have those sins that do so easily beset us. And we have to learn more and more that without him, we can do nothing.

[3:27] Oh, this hideous monster sin, what a curse has brought, what a curse has been brought in. All creation groans through the pregnant cause of misery.

[3:41] And to consider him, oh, we seem to get so self-centered at times. It's here and there in our lives.

[3:53] Everything seems to be against me. But as grace is given, all these things work together for good to them that love God. We've got to have this spiritual calling.

[4:08] None of him that will it or of him that will it. God alone has shown mercy. Everything must redound to the honour and glory of God the Father through Jesus Christ.

[4:20] His only begotten Son. Oh, to be enabled to feel to come to the feet of Jesus. to lift up our eyes from him to whence cometh his help.

[4:33] His help laid upon one that is mighty. We need an almighty Saviour to save us. And we need the Lord to quicken us and make us cry.

[4:45] Give me Christ or else I die. Oh, what a mercy to be brought here. That we should be favoured to have this gift of living faith as the author of it.

[5:00] As the author of it. And also to know something of that joy and peace in real believing.

[5:11] He shines into your heart to lighten your darkness. He favours you and me with a token of his love. All the love of Christ is nothing, dear friends, compares with the love of Christ.

[5:24] It's rich and free, fixed on his own eternally and you'll wonder at it if you receive it. You despair sometimes to ever think you'll get it.

[5:34] It's pressing then, isn't it, toward this mark. It will have a mark upon your life and your walk and your conduct if Jesus reveals himself to you and me.

[5:49] We are poor disciples. We're so full of sin and only Jesus can cleanse us from all this sin and unrighteousness. But blessed be the Lord.

[6:01] We shall find it, I believe, at the cross. We shall find it, dear friends, when Jesus himself crawls near, girds up the loins of your mind and mine and sober and hope to the end for the gift of grace to be given to welcome you and me through mercy to heaven, to know he has made our heaven secure.

[6:25] We are here all good provide while Christ is rich. We can't be poor. What can we want beside? We look around the nation. There's a lot of poverty.

[6:37] There's a lot of homelessness. There's a lot of things that we may view it ought not to be. Some of those, dear friends, have procured these sins unto themselves.

[6:51] And some are full of arrogance and pride and full of the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. And we see it very much, the denying of God and his holy word.

[7:03] But what a mercy the Lord reigns. What a mercy the Lord reigns and knows the way you take. He hates your sins.

[7:16] But a mercy if he doesn't hate He said, mercy if he doesn't hate you and me dear friends. He said, wonder of wonders.

[7:28] He hates your sins. But he came to seek out and to save lost sinners and you and me the worst and all to see Jesus.

[7:39] See him through the lattice of the gospel. See him through the truth. That the truth might be stored up in your soul and it will if it's applied. the entrance of his word that we often say give it light.

[7:55] He lightens your darkness. You've had to sow in tears and in due time you'll reap in joy and bless him for these tokens of his love.

[8:06] And not only this, this is a loving sympathy if you receive it. You will sympathize with the suffering of Christ. and you'll say well Lord why me?

[8:18] Why such a wretch as me? I must forever lie in hell. We're not salvation free. It's without money without pride. Some go to great lengths to produce some form of religion.

[8:32] They'd want to do things and they're quite satisfied of where they're going. that you and I have been taught the right way and that is to humble ourselves before Almighty God that we might be exalted in due time casting all our cares upon him because he cares for you.

[8:53] And this is our mercy. And so this terrible suffering of Christ crucify and away with him not have him to reign over us that's your unregenerous state isn't it?

[9:07] When the Lord touches your heart and mine it'll be looking to Jesus. He opens your blind eyes. He unstops your deaf ears and ultimately illusion your tongue to praise and blessing what he has revealed to you through his word.

[9:27] You found him you say whom my soul loveth wandering once in the waist-hailing wilderness of the world you began to be in want and you go on your way rejoicing that the Lord has touched your heart and made you conscious that he alone is the one thing needful and he engraves it there.

[9:52] And the joy that was set before him in doing the process and you and I you know you feel unworthy of these tokens that he's shown you that has drawn a little love out of your soul toward the Lord Jesus Christ what you trust he's done for your soul and I hope mine but oh we want confirmation confirm my soul Lord with signs following some evidence that I am born of God and that my treasure is above because where your treasure is there will your soul be and it won't be on material things although you acknowledge that there needs to be given diligence in your life what you are high and finding to do it as to the Lord and though you are not and cannot say you're religious but you hope you have been made conscious of the need of making you and me a true

[10:55] Christian washed in the dear Redeemer's blood and so who for the joy that was set before him you see he looked beyond because he had that power that power given him to look beyond the present trial you and I can't when we're in the depths of some dark trial and these things weigh us down and cause us to be much burden but he has said cast thy burden upon the Lord whatever it is and I will hear thee but oh it's seeking that patience to to tarry that appointed time when he will come and confirm yourself you are persuaded that you must be looking to Jesus and Jesus alone and oh though he's despised and rejected a man a man of sorrow and acquaintance with grief and he did seem to hide his face from you for a while but the time you are set to heal up your woes as he is the most fit his love to disclose blessed be the Lord joy and peace in believing to a poor sinner causes him to rejoice and then something else comes along and it crops up and he so tried where is the blessedness I knew when first I saw the

[12:21] Lord where is the soul refreshing view of Jesus Christ my Lord you're able to say my God and my Saviour oh this is when faith is in life and exercise you've been looking for him you've found him he's comforted you then he seems to have gone from you for a season but once in him and him forever thus the eternal covenant stands he will come again and he will receive you unto himself but where he is ye shall be forever more blessed Jesus in spite of his chastening hand not for the presence in to be joyous but grievous no you see that is chastening is not joyous but grievous nevertheless afterwards

[13:23] I'm sure some of you had afterwards following heavy trials and darkness and bondage and wondering where the sin is going to end afterwards you see he doesn't stand still with his dealings with his chosen blessing he comes again I will see you again and your heart will rejoice and you'll go on your way rejoicing we often feel would to God they will come more frequently more frequently let thy blessings be and let them last longer that is that you see we feast upon these blessings of the gospel they make us truly content with our lot even though you might have trials around you because you know that all their times are in his hand and all events at his command so we have to pray Lord don't leave me to be a fornicator one of those dreadful sins of time and all the breaking of his holy laws but all to be favoured to know what it is to be favoured to find as thy days demand so shall thy strength be as he pours upon you the oil and the wine of gospel to heal up your wounds that sin have made blessed

[14:55] Jesus then he for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and he sat down you see he conquered this there was joy in looking beyond the cross that he knew to bear because after all he's omniscient even in his sufferings he's omniscient with the father and the holy spirit and he's omnipotent it's almighty power the grave could not hold him because he was a chosen son of God and he was sent to do a very heavy trying pathway of affliction and he didn't live long did he in the early thirties and he was taken because he had fulfilled the work that his father gave him to do and so he endured the cross and there were many laughed him to scorn and they did not know that he was able to deliver himself to be raised again by the father we know that he was dead but he appeared to

[16:18] Martha and we heard to Mary and they were so so favoured to feel that when he called her Mary she instead of thinking the gardener she saw that it was Jesus himself raised to the dead touch me not he said I'm not yet risen and he did rise to heaven itself because he said to the other the other other man on the cross when he when he pleaded Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom and he said today shalt thou be with me in paradise and so what a blessing that will be if you and I each receive that voice come thou blessed of my father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from before the foundation of the world you see one of

[17:31] Jehovah's choice the other one departed into hell and how solemn it is the great divide between heaven and hell heaven and hell Jesus on that cross in between and now he is in thy kingdom and in his kingdom the kingdom of immense delight where pure enjoyment reigns and what a prospect this is for you me though very much dark in the path that you're walking out now but oh what a mercy you'll be brought to know the joyful sound yet of the gospel is perseverance he that perseveres unto the end shall be saved this living faith and exercise in your soul that trusts in the Lord at all times and pours out your heart before him because he has revealed himself to you and he draws you by the cords of a man by the bands of his love such is the love of

[18:36] Christ it's beyond their comprehension is all this suffering what he had to pass through but he has conquered sin death and hell for all his chosen people he says you have not chosen me I've chosen you and ordain you to go forth go up and go forth as calves from the stall made tender made tender in the fear of God and this will be your desire and mine though you don't dwell upon these things and they're not profitable unless the Lord really exercises your soul and mine more and more as to know how the case stands bless God for a little hope you have built upon nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus name and that name becomes precious unto you therefore which believe he is precious these truths are precious all to feel more reverence before them and see what he has done gave his life as a ransom to pay the price for your sins and mine this is the saviour we want to know and hear of and this is the saviour that we want to reveal himself to us and show us a real token of his love look unto me all the ends of the earth and be separate they have to come out they have to leave things behind don't we we lose sometimes we lose those near and dear to us in the ties of nature and that is a sorrowful time and what a mercy if we have a good hope for them they're in the kingdom of God the kingdom of glory and all how we do need the

[20:31] Lord to exercise our own souls to be graciously prepared to stand before his face his spirit must have worked for all of his free and sovereign grace we cannot give others grace we would desire to but we can do nothing without him and though they be subject to their prayers could it please the old God to melt them down to soften their heart by due degrees and make their spirit meek humble before almighty God that they might be exhorted in due time casting all their care upon him or to know that he cares for you and me it's a patiently waiting time we know when we think of what Jesus has exhorted us to do to look to him Lord give me living faith give me that true faith the faith of God's elect we don't want the fleshly religion to come and end do we we want the spirit of truth to come down to reveal the things of God to make to us salvation known and witness with the salvation it's all of his free and sovereign grace why would we hurt it why has not the

[22:00] Lord yet confirmed it with a promise all the promises of your name and in Christ Jesus is the refuge for your weary souls and mine he has opened up that new and the living way he said follow me oh what a mercy to be following Christ following on to know him waiting for that time when his love will be shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost because you have had a broken heart and contrite of spirit for all your sins of thought word and deed through life's journey you're a sinner and he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repent he saw them ruin and the fall he loved them notwithstanding all his loving kindness his loving kindness will not be stopped you may think when will I ever get the blessing of his loving kindness when will

[23:02] I be able to speak of a promise when he's applied it and he knows your hunger he knows your thirst and he knows that you without Christ and his righteousness you're perishing your sins and this is a great exercise and you don't perhaps haven't got beyond yet now yet you know you need the pardon the pardoning voice of the good shepherd he says my sheep hear my voice and I know them and I give unto them eternal life and none can pluck them out of my hand blessed soul that hungers and thirst it will yet be filled because you know you need to see Jesus suffering in your room place instead all that friend of sinners that sticketh closer than a brother and we wait upon him that we might have clearer views of him Lord order my footsteps by thy word show me now a token for good a token of thy special love tell me that I'm born of

[24:10] God and that my treasure is above because where your treasure is there will your heart be also I think we touched on this morning the world he has his earthly treasure he wants his millions and he wants his billions and so forth what good will it profit him if he gains the whole world he'll lose his soul as thy days declare so shall thy needs be supplied as thy days demand so shall thy strength be given he strengthens the poor sinner he gives power to the faint to them that have no might he increases strength power almighty power of rest this and that sinner no doubt there have been a good many souls have passed through this sanctuary that have received the gospel that have received the word of God as it's read or as it's applied or the language you've sung through a hymn oh don't deny these things dear friends the Lord uses what will he will what means he has at his disposal and they're limitless his disposal of the truth is limitless to God's will if he sees to meet your case or another case he knows the way you take him he's watched you he's waited for the time of love to come as you've carried in the city of Jerusalem until the power of the spirit came upon you he loosened your shackles to the world you had to begin to hold them with a loose hand and look to Jesus kind and strong mercy joined with power this is the religion

[26:05] I want Jesus himself draws near you can't go to him it's like we read the man with the bad hand reach forth on arm the the the the the the wounded hand was drawn by the Lord he strengthened that hand to to touch the hem of his garment to touch his garment and so with you and he reaches you for to touch a word he illuminates the portion of his scripture is for your strength and for your help and for your hope and mine because this is the purpose of Jesus coming he came amongst his own and his own received him not amongst the Jews but as many as received him to them gave he the power to believe and to and to covet earnestly the best gifts which are through the glorious truths of the gospel

[27:13] Jesus Christ and him crucified is the theme of your religion and there's no other refuge but in the merits of Jesus and so he endured the cross because he was looking beyond and he was capable of looking beyond because as I said earlier omnipresent omnipresent omniscient omnipotent almighty power given unto him in earth and in heaven this same Jesus yesterday today and forever always the same in spite of your sins your backslidings your felt weaknesses and failings he's the same yesterday to now forever he's ever mindful of his people's needs and though you feel unworthy you have to say to the Lord if it could please thee do grant me a token of thy love that

[28:14] I may have words to be able to lay claim to what the Lord has bestowed upon my soul it's a personal gift of God through Jesus Christ to your soul and mine he saw you ruining the fool he loved you not with his loving kindness oh how great beyond comprehension is the sufferings of Christ but when you have a little glimpse by faith of this Jesus and it's made for you over by the spirit it's a personal experience you've had and you know and while you experience these things call upon him while you live looking to growing grace in the knowledge of your Saviour Jesus Christ look unto me and be separate come out from among them and be separate and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and ye shall become my sons and my daughters saith the

[29:21] Lord Almighty not a bastard religion that's that's a self will religion but this is that that sanctifying of your chastisement makes you humble yourself before him you might be exalted in due time and you wait to be patient the patience to be fulfilled we said you have neither patience after you have done the will of God you may receive the promise and it's yea and amen so be it and blessed be the Lord and so you have to pray Lord keep me from the love of sinning give me grace to be on my watch tower to wait upon the Lord to renew my strength that I might mount up with the wings as eagles that I might truly be favoured to be abundantly blessed with these tokens of his love yes you may have chastening we need to be put into check at times don't we by some chastening some application of his word as we wait upon him to truly bless us with a glimpse by faith of him as Jesus looks upon you and favours you and me to exercise your soul and mine to walk worthy of the vocation we will be having called looking unto

[30:56] Jesus who for the joy was set before him endure this cross and oh when we think of the terrible sufferings of Christ we see of much suffering in the world but compared with Christ there's no sufferings dear friends like his suffering but blessed be the Lord if you're one of his he won't give you more than you're able to bear and he'll hold up your goings in his paths in your footsteps and if not but as thy days demand so shall thy strength be and what a favour to know him the only true God and Jesus Christ and the sent and you know you won't be weary and faint in your minds bearing in mind what he has spoken to you of and what you so long yet to receive because you want that witness and seeing of the spirit that you have been born of

[31:59] God that you have been born again by the water and the spirit and he's humbled you as to wise and the wherefores that he should come right where you are and give you a desire to have it fulfilled that desire of the imputed robe of Christ's righteousness that covers with the mantle of his forgiving love all your sins and all your transgressions and all iniquities he blots them all out through the shedding of his blood for without the shedding of blood there can be no remission for our sins blessed be Jesus then that he is the author we have it in the scriptures and whatsoever is on the scriptures will be fulfilled and so you have to pray too for those terrible judgments of God that are in the word of God and you pray Lord in wrath remember me in mercy and do yet say unto myself that thou hast eternally loved me and he's the eternal refuge and the refuge of your soul and all he'll never leave you to be perished to perish in your sins because he's laid down his life for his friends and you are my friends if you do whatsoever

[33:25] I command you and he says and he does say to his people and we're not always expecting what we perhaps read in the word of God to come and be applied but he may pick up a scripture which he knows from Genesis to Revelation he takes it and seals it upon yourself and you're unable to say by grace that promise is mine because he has promised to save me for his mercy's sake yes but if you and I backslide and if you and I get careless and prayerless you know he will not come for a season again but if you're in that covenant he cannot forsake you or will not forsake you he looks upon you with anxiety and concern but having brought you with a price he's loved you to eternity and their mercy is that you have ever been looking to Jesus kind and strong mercy join with power to touch your heart and ultimately you know you'll follow the footsteps and the cross you'll have to bear you'll know what it is

[34:45] I must expect a daily cross Lord sanctify this pain and keep me walking closer in the footsteps of the flock that I might be more than a conqueror through him that has loved me and washed me from my sins in the blood of Christ he waits to be gracious oh may you and I be helped to continue ever looking to Jesus there's nowhere else for salvation but through the merits of Jesus may bless our few remarks acceptable today may he pardon all amiss for he knoweth my frame he remembereth I am but dust may all be pardoned that is not pure in the eyes of Jesus may he get to his honour anything acceptable in heaven in our services this day and go before us in the untrodden step of the way to keep us waiting upon the

[35:47] Lord to walk worthy of the occasion where we trust we have been called looking unto Jesus and all may we be favoured to still continue in the pathway of the just which has a shining light that shines more and more unto the perfect day and mark the perfect man the upright for behold that man shall find peace amen let us conclude with hymn number 145 the tune is nottingham 485 christ exalted is our song hymn by all the blood brought throng to his throne our shout shall rise god with us by sacred ties shout believer to thy god he is once the wine press trod peace procured by blood divine cancelled all thy sins and mine iative to thy dreams אם to thy hero i fear无 in jeżeli God out whines to His Ark that so shall rise

[37:50] God will add my sacred price.

[38:01] You shall believe unto thy soul.

[38:14] He that loves the divine best trauma.

[38:25] His perfume my God divine.

[38:36] And shall all thy sins and fire.

[38:49] Hear thy breathing words, thy air. Share, condemn, and fall, and seal.

[39:11] Praise the purpose you maintain.

[39:22] Christ without arrival, pray.

[39:34] Through the mountain fell with me.

[39:48] Darkness, darkness, guilt, and sin. Still through Jesus turn my eyes.

[40:10] Heaven's hope and sacrifice.

[40:22] In thy surety thou art ready.

[40:34] In his dear hands were pierced for me.

[40:46] With his spotless bestiaire. Hearted as the holy one.

[41:09] Oh, the heights, the depths of grace.

[41:22] Shining with meridian blades.

[41:34] Hear the sacred record share.

[41:46] Sinless black blood coming too.

[41:57] Saints, dejected, sister of God.

[42:10] Faith shall serve division too.

[42:22] In the kingdom shall not be.

[42:35] And with Christ exulted reign. Amen.

[42:46] Amen. Amen. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. The love of God the Father. The fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

[42:58] Rest and abide with us each. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

[43:09]  Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.