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[0:00] subject to receiving needed help of God. I shall hope to say a few things to you this evening on a portion you will find in the 8th chapter, the book of Proverbs, the verses 35.

[0:23] The book of Proverbs, chapter 8, verse 35. For whoso findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favor of the Lord.

[0:51] The most important step to take first, I feel, is to clearly state who this little word me refers to.

[1:07] We shall fail to reach the heart of this matter, draw true information and instruction from the word, unless we are fully aware of whom we are speaking, of whom this word tells us, leads us to.

[1:35] He is spoken of here and other places in the book of Proverbs under the name of wisdom.

[1:49] Obviously, this is not his usual name. There is no difficulty remaining as to who this is because of another word in the verse.

[2:05] This word is life. There is only one who can give life, particularly this life, which we shall presently see is eternal life.

[2:26] We have scriptures which will clearly inform us who it is who gives life.

[2:41] The Apostle John in his epistle speaks of a certain record that God has given us.

[2:54] He goes on to say, And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

[3:09] He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son hath not life. How clear is this scripture.

[3:23] How simply expressed. But how clearly, how definitely, it leads to the Lord Jesus. Now let us come to his own words.

[3:39] You will find in the 10th chapter of the Gospel according to John that he says himself I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.

[4:00] Here then is the gracious person of whom it is said in my text Whoso findeth me findeth life.

[4:13] Let me remark here that this is the exact opposite of what the human race was originally condemned to.

[4:29] and that condemnation still applies to all, includes all who fail to find this precious Jesus.

[4:45] That appointment, that condemnation is the absolute opposite of life. It is death.

[4:55] death. It doesn't mean only the death of the body. The word assures us and I must pass this word on to you although it's solemn.

[5:09] It means the second death. death. But we have before us this evening clearly set forth a way of escape from this provided by God himself.

[5:29] Now let me turn in my thoughts to what usually occurs before anyone finds anything anywhere at any time.

[5:43] There's usually some seeking done, isn't there? Some searching for that he's become then and are referred to in the scriptures as they that seek.

[5:58] And I seem to remember reading only a little while ago a very gracious promise concerning those who seek him early.

[6:10] they shall find me. Do couple this in your minds first with being a seeker then the blessedness of having the promise fulfilled and proving to be a finder then turn your thoughts as well to my text.

[6:33] whoso findeth me findeth life. The absolute opposite of the condemnation.

[6:46] This means freedom from condemnation. This means exemption from the second death. This means more than that it means the added wondrous gracious gift of eternal life.

[7:08] Now you may perhaps wish to ask the question where shall we find him? Where is he to be found?

[7:21] If I should be helped I would like to bring before you at least four places where the Lord will be found, can be found.

[7:38] The first place that occurs to me, it isn't necessarily the first in importance, this is in the hands of God himself as to where you first find the Lord.

[7:51] but one place, the first place it occurs to me is in his word, in the scriptures of truth.

[8:04] He's to be found there for seekers who seek earnestly and diligently with a desire in their heart to receive instruction of willingness to find him.

[8:20] That's a question, wouldn't be out of place. Here, asked quite kindly, how many of you here this evening, my dear young friend, and I wish you well in what I'm going to say, how many of you take up the word of God, open the pages, hoping to find Jesus?

[8:45] serious question, isn't it? I'm going to say something else too, quite kindly, a very solemn thing if you don't.

[8:57] I know that you are busy, I know you have a great deal to do, I very often get told, oh, we haven't got time for that, you see.

[9:12] There's a lot of time for something. Oh, my dear young friend, use as God may help you the means he has given, you have his word.

[9:25] ignorance. And you know, you can't plead ignorance. You can't say we didn't know. You can't say we've never been told. And here am I this evening trying to direct you to the word of God to find Jesus there.

[9:44] Now he himself said, search the scriptures. In them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me.

[9:57] That is to say, in another way, I am to be found there. If you search, you'll find, you'll find many things about him too.

[10:09] I can't go into them this evening. I wish I had the grace and the gracious ability to stay for a little while and tell you a few things about Jesus that you can find there, but why should I?

[10:24] when you can search and seek for them yourself, the Lord help you to open your eyes, open your understanding.

[10:35] I know this is necessary. The psalmist found it was, you'll find he's got this little petition in the word of God, open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

[10:54] Some of the wondrous things you'll find if the Lord opens your eyes are the things concerning himself, Jesus. By the way, that was my second text when I first tried to speak in the Lord's name.

[11:12] And I've never exhausted the subject and I don't suppose I ever shall. The things concerning himself. They're blessed things and you can find them if the Lord open your eyes and grant you a willing spirit to seek and search in the scriptures of truth.

[11:35] Where's the second place that he can be found? Well, it's in the sanctuary. I believe I quoted in my prayer his own promise.

[11:55] And I might say this, he is faithful that promised, hath he said, shall he not do it? Hath he spoken, shall he not make it good?

[12:08] He has said, for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I. In the midst of them, so he's to be found in the sanctuary, in the house of prayer, where his people meet.

[12:26] There's a sanctuary wherever they meet, so there is in one little hymn, I wish I could quote it, but it won't come clearly to mind. However, it's well known to some of you, Jesus, where'er thy people meet, it's in that hymn, they bring thee when they come and going take thee to their home.

[12:51] I'm encroaching on another place where he may be found. Come then to the house of God. Come with expectation and earnest desire to find Jesus there.

[13:08] As what? As who? As the Savior, as your Savior. The Lord helped you to come so. You'll find it a blessed day, a day you'll never forget if it should please God on some blessed occasion when you come into his house to reveal himself to you.

[13:36] Now I must say this is necessary you won't see him with the mortal eye. And I know that young people and children find it difficult when ministers start speaking about the eye of faith, like some of us grown-ups find it difficult to understand too.

[13:56] So you needn't be too discouraged but there is such a thing as perceiving things by faith because the spirit of truth reveals them to the soul.

[14:11] Now the spirit of truth is a divine author and a divine worker and the work that he does in the soul is a secret work which you'll know when it begins and if he reveals to you two things, one very sad, very solemn and the other so sweetly precious and so blessed, will come from the time of sorrow to the time of the rejoicing with his people.

[14:43] What's the time of sorrow? When the spirit of truth reveals to you your fallen condition, the sins that you've been capable of and have committed and may yet be left to commit until you begin to see that you need a savior.

[15:01] it's a sad experience in the initial stages. Many of God's children commence weeping, but they little know and are apt anyway to forget that the scripture has said that's exactly how they shall come.

[15:21] They shall come with weeping and with supplications will I lead them. Oh, but it's to a blessed redeemer that the spirit will lead them.

[15:32] And when he is revealed to that comer, and all who come unto him are under that description of comers, I wish there were far more comers.

[15:47] I hope you'll be among those who are comers because he has said, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out, however black he may feel to be or she, however unworthy, however burdened, heavy laden, distressed, come, and when this is made home to you, and the spirit graciously reveals to you a loving, welcoming savior, absolutely and fully able to discharge you from all your guilt, and to give you peace in your conscience, I say you'll join a certain hymn writer, I hope I did, early one morning, years ago now, this is what I sung, though I didn't make any noise, lo, glad I come, and thou blessed lamb shall take me to thee as I am, nothing but sin I thee can give, nothing but love shall I receive, blessed comers, this is finding him as you will be told so frequently perhaps, and may wonder what on earth a man means, this is rejoicing in the salvation of the Lord

[17:10] Jesus, rejoicing in hope, rejoicing in expectation, enjoying that joy of which perhaps you have sometimes sung in the Sunday school, joy is a fruit that will not grow in nature's barren soil, no, this is heavenly joy, it's the joy of finding the Lord Jesus to be your savior, your redeemer, this means he's now your friend instead of your judge and your enemy, and this will mean that you who sometimes were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ, this will mean that the little line in the hymn too is true in your case, a foe received a favorite, an alien made a child, find him there in the sanctuary,

[18:14] I earnestly hope you may, may the spirit be your revealer, may that blessed day come when you find liberty instead of captivity, rejoicing instead of mourning, the garment of praise one has it to the spirit of heaviness, oh, you'll thank the Lord that ever you sought for the Lord Jesus, that ever he kindly induced you to seek for pardoned through the Lord Jesus Christ and his atonement and salvation, you'll bless God for the Lord Jesus, especially when you find him to the joy and rejoicing of your own heart.

[19:03] Religion, yes, I must say it is a very personal thing, and true religion, and believe me, consists of a very small matter for the most part, it is secret, silent, but sincere communion between a sinner and God, the way being made open for those two to meet because of the Lord Jesus Christ, who so findeth me, findeth life.

[19:43] Where is the third place, that Jesus is to be found? I'm going to find this difficult. This is another thing that requires the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

[20:02] It's extremely difficult to explain, to be understood by the natural mind, but I must do my best as the Lord may help me.

[20:12] I'm speaking, of course, of those who've already found him before they can find him in this third place.

[20:24] There's been seeking, there's been some measure of finding, hope has been raised up in the heart, and then there will presently be this revelation of what salvation really is.

[20:40] I'm going to quote scripture, it's no fancy of mine, the words are not mine, they're the words of God, as recorded through the ministry of the apostle, and this is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

[21:03] This means that he's to be found in the heart of his people, dwelling there, and how you can see, I believe you will perceive, young friends, why it's so difficult to explain this.

[21:22] You see, there are other scriptures which say, know ye not that Christ dwelleth in you, except ye be reprobate, and God knows we don't want you to be reprobate, we want you presently to be led along in the path of truth, to be so instructed by the spirit of truth, that presently by seeking and searching, and by much, much labor at the throne of grace, you will find him in your heart.

[21:59] How will you discover this? What little evidence might there be of its beginning? What token might one have of hope that the Lord Jesus Christ will or does reside there, in the heart?

[22:21] Well, we do regard the heart, rightly or wrongly, as a seat of affection. My medical friends won't have this, they describe it as just an organ for the circulation of the blood.

[22:39] Ah, but my dear friends, the seat of affection is somewhere and what feels warm when you love someone? I'll leave that to you, as to what it is that feels warm.

[22:53] Well, now, that's only just to lead you to where I want to come. Did your heart ever feel warm toward the Lord Jesus?

[23:05] Did you feel drawn to him? Did you feel a desire to bow before him and praise his name? Did you wish you could worship him?

[23:17] Did you almost venture to say, Lord, thou knowest all things? Thou knowest that I love thee? Well, I should begin to feel very hopeful about you, very hopeful indeed.

[23:31] I should begin to believe the Lord has visited you and touched your heart and while he may not actually dwell in his person as Jesus, you've still got this scripture to depend upon, so do I, seek to.

[23:50] God I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, even the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him.

[24:09] I want you to listen to this. Jesus said, but ye knoweth, for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you.

[24:22] Now, I'm not going to attempt to explain to you the mystery of the Trinity of the Godhead. I can't explain it.

[24:35] Faith requires that the children of God shall believe that which cannot be understood. And this is a matter of faith.

[24:48] But it's also a matter of experience because, my dear young friends, if God deals with you as I hope he will, you will live to prove that there is a God the Father, the supreme ruler of heaven and earth.

[25:05] You will know that there is Jesus because he has been revealed to you as the only Savior for sinners, and I'm hoping he will be revealed to you as your Savior, and you will know that for this knowledge you are indebted to the Holy Spirit for the instruction given and the revelation made and the application that you have received.

[25:34] and so may the Lord make you and I true believers in the Trinity of God. While we love and seek to serve and follow the Lord Jesus, let us ever remember that this is in strict accord with the mind and will of God the Father, and we are led into this by the Spirit of Truth.

[25:58] And what a mercy it is, what a privilege it is, for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

[26:11] So he is to be found in the heart, Christ in you, the hope of glory. The fourth place, he is to be found again, not with mortal eyes, but he is to be found in heaven.

[26:32] How will you prove this? Well, let me quote another hymn writer to help me here.

[26:42] I am in need of help on these solemn occasions. This is what that writer said, that Christ is God, I can avouch, and for his people cares, for I have prayed to him as such, and he has heard my prayers.

[27:09] Now, that's a most wonderful and confirming thing to know. It means that Jesus is to be found by prayer and supplication in heaven.

[27:23] Now, what does this mean then? well, this means that the precious me in my text is a living savior, and this is of the utmost importance.

[27:41] Oh, there are people who deny the resurrection. You will find in the word of God, it says the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, and there are a lot of Sadducees about today who say just the same.

[28:00] But my dear friends, our hope is if we fear God and have sought Jesus, we seek a living Lord who rose again and ever liveth now, and we seek one who can be found because he has said this, and because I live, ye shall live also.

[28:27] Now, this is leading me right back again to my text. Whoso findeth me findeth life because the Savior lives and the power, it was divine power, that raised the Lord Jesus, will be, is needed to be, exerted in the resurrection of all his children, but I've already said to you that heaven and earth shall pass away, my words shall not pass away, and consequently the Lord Jesus who made these precious promises, his word is infallible.

[29:21] He said to me, 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 that where I am, there ye may be also, my young friends, whatever you may seek for in this life, whatever you may succeed in finding, and the Lord may permit you, may even bless you, with many things which in finding are quite lawful and enjoyable, people, but, oh may you ever be preserved from setting your heart's affection on them.

[30:16] There's such a difference in this. You see, the Lord in the word of God never at any time tells people to cease from all activities, never tells them to give up all their business, never tells them that they needn't work, quite the reverse.

[30:39] You will find a word, if only I could get it clearly in my mind, not slothful in business, doing the things that are lawful, but what does the word say?

[30:53] This is what it says, set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth, consequently, you may work, I may work with the hands, use the intelligence as is right in God's sight, laboring lawfully for the bread which perishes, but it's wrong to love the things of earth.

[31:24] earth. Jesus said set your affections higher on things above, on divine things, and where your affections are, there will your heart be also, obviously.

[31:44] Seek first then, these are the Lord Jesus Christ's words, seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these necessary things in providence which he had previously referred to, shall be added unto you.

[32:08] Now, I want to, just for a moment or two, remind you and myself that he was found in a certain condition, in a certain place, on a certain occasion, and for a certain time.

[32:29] And to verify this, I am turning to the first chapter in the Gospel according to John. Where was Jesus found?

[32:41] This is past tense. He has been found. He was found on earth. And what a wonderful mercy to think this was so.

[32:55] Now he began to call some servants together, whom are described as disciples. One of these disciples was named Philip.

[33:11] Philip findeth Nathaniel, and said to him, we have found him, of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did right, Jesus of Nazareth.

[33:26] We have found him. Oh, my young friends, I felt I must emphasize this to you this evening.

[33:38] What a wonderful thing it would be if you could go to someone near and dear and dear to you like Philip did to Nathaniel and say, I found him.

[33:52] I found him who was prophesied in the word of God. Moses wrote of him. The prophets foretold him. I found him.

[34:03] It's the Lord Jesus and he's my savior. That's what I want to bring before you this evening, the wonder of being a finder.

[34:15] And so it's a blessed thing to be a seeker. Oh, I would wish that in this sanctuary and many others, there might be many early seekers.

[34:27] I believe the servants of God that you hear will frequently ask the Lord to grant this, that there may be seeking souls. They know, you see, that God is faithful.

[34:41] They know that everyone who sets out on the path of this seeking for Jesus will presently find it. and when they do find him, it means they find life, life eternal.

[34:57] Now, I wanted to say that whatever you do attain to, whatever you seek for and find in this life, it will terminate.

[35:10] Nice it may be, profitable it may be from a natural standpoint, perfectly lawful it may be, but it isn't unending.

[35:23] And it may end suddenly, may leave you at a moment most inconvenient for you. Now, I've only said this, of course, to emphasize the blessedness and wonder of that which is enduring, eternal in its nature, endless, and will never leave you.

[35:47] And the mercy of it is, my dear young friends, that you won't be permitted when once the work of grace is begun in you to leave that. There may be many temptations to do this.

[36:02] You may have many fears whether you will yet hold on your way or prove faith less. but there's this rich blessing in the word of God constantly reiterated.

[36:16] The work once begun will be perfected, will be performed until the day of Jesus Christ. And so the hymn writer who helps me out again says, whom once he loved, he never leaves, but loved them to the end, at the end of this life and then they enter fully into his love.

[36:42] Findeth life, then is life eternal. I can't explain it. I marvel sometimes at the scripture because it seems so impossible in my heart.

[36:57] And yet you see the word as I quoted it to you says, he that hath the Son hath life. Now I borrow from a much more gracious and able minister than ever I shall be.

[37:14] I read one of his sermons on one occasion in which this occurred. The Lord doesn't say may have. He doesn't say will have.

[37:26] He says hath. Hath it now. How is this then? By the divine impartation or imputation of divine life in the soul at regeneration when the new birth is imparted.

[37:49] It's a divine principle and everything that is divine is eternal as lasting as endless as God himself.

[38:02] And it's a living principle and it's though damp one says it never dies it cannot die. This then is the life which is in the child of God.

[38:16] It is the gift of God. He has given it he will nourish it and he will maintain it until the day of Jesus Christ when we expect hope for entry into that wonderful kingdom which is called the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

[38:43] I haven't finished my text. Great as these blessings are and eternal as they are there are some blessings now which follow in the rest of the text to be enjoyed by his people here and shall obtain favor of the Lord.

[39:09] Favor. This means that he will commence from that wondrous manifestation of the work of grace begun he will commence to bestow certain gifts.

[39:26] God is a beneficent and benevolent giver to his people. God is I want to emphasize that and would say this I do hope with a desire for his honor and glory in this he is a generous beneficent giver freely gives all that he bestows grace.

[39:51] James had a little look at this you know when he gave utterance to or caused this to be written every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the father of life in whom there is no variableness neither shadow of turning and those gifts some of them may surprise you I hope you'll soon receive a few of them let me start with one godless sorrow for sin another word for that is contrition oh that is a wonderful gift I do hope you people have it quite soon if it will and if you have received it you won't need me to tell you what it caused you to do because another gift soon follows that gift and what is this gift confession with which is closely united repentance and it's quite impossible for any man to overemphasize the importance of repentance

[41:17] Jesus preached this so did John Baptist read the word of God and you'll find that they began to preach and to say repent God this is the gift of God and it's an essential let me verify what I've said so far godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation not to be repented of rather to be relished and enjoyed and to thank God for the next thing one will do is seek for mercy by the means of prayer this is one of the richest gifts of God that are bestowed upon poor sinners here for their use it's a privilege I do wish you would understand this and regard it as such and I wish I did more often regard this prayer as a privilege a gift from God it's a great privilege to be permitted to go to him at any time in any place with any trouble take your troubles to him and confide in him and say things to him from the secrets of your heart that you wouldn't to one nearest and dearest to you you can you may pour out your heart before God oh what a rich gift is this prayer one says

[43:06] I praise the privilege of prayer yet he complained of a backwardness to pray of course what is implied in that is that it is a gift it is a gift and when God gives prayer you will be able to pray and if he withholds it you will have just a formal petition the Lord help you to pray because when you pray the Lord will hear because prayer is indicted by his spirit precious gift he shan't exhaust his gifts of course I can only bring a few before you this evening the next one I want to bring to your notice is a very beautiful one mercy mercy what a precious gift is mercy it's revealed in so many different forms is God's mercy

[44:06] I'll only mention two this evening his providential mercy which means his loving care to all the word of God says God is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works and we all live whether we fear God or not on the mercy of God this providential mercy but there's another mercy I sometimes call it his special mercy special mercy it's pardoning mercy it's adopting mercy it's loving mercy it's a father's mercy oh the wonder of this mercy and he that findeth me shall obtain this favor of the Lord mercy oh you'll need mercy all your journey through providential mercy and God's special mercy and daily you will feel to need as you journey on his pardoning mercy ah for it the gracious savior said this

[45:20] I do wish I could make more use of this privilege ask and it should be given you seek then for his mercy that saving mercy which will flow to you through the merits of the Lord Jesus and help you to sing with the hymn writer without thy free mercy I could not live here sin soon would reduce me to utter despair but the word says shall obtain favor of the Lord if you ever looked into Cruden's Concordance and turned up the word grace if you have you'll find that there's fifteen different interpretations of that word grace but the most important one to a poor sinner is interpreted thus the free favor of

[46:25] God the free favor of God that's his grace and the word says this evening for your instruction and mine for whoso findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favor of the Lord free grace free favor this spells salvation the word of God tells me and it tells you if you look for it for we are saved by grace through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast this then this free favor is a free gift I'm still within what I said that you will obtain gifts through the favor of God and this gift of grace will be the means of your salvation for it is a saving principle and it flows from and is frequently described as the grace of our

[47:41] Lord Jesus Christ now you see the importance and the blessedness I hope of being a seeker first because of the promise they shall find then of this extenuation of the promise for whoso findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favor of the Lord one last word and then I won't detain you any longer I'm referring to this word shall in these days that we are living there is so much that is uncertain not dependable moving changing fading away the things of God are positive his words are positive and only he can be so positive we say we will we say

[48:56] I shall aha but we say that wrongly only God really has the authority and the ability to carry out what he says only he can really say he will or shall consequently when you hear the servants of God as you sometimes may bless God for his shall and will that is what they mean bless him for that which is positive absolutely dependable unchangeable like himself well I only just touched the fringe of this scripture I venture to hope that I said enough to give you something to think about my friends have kindly said to me sometimes on leaving the house of

[49:57]  God you have given us something to think about and I say to them well you're in the scriptures for the scriptures say think on these things amen