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[0:00] The Lord is pleased to help me a little this morning.

[0:14] I would direct your thoughts to the 13th chapter of Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 13 and we will read verse 8.

[0:34] Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever. This may not seem perhaps a suitable word for this occasion, but I can see in her decks Jesus.

[1:04] Jesus. And we have been singing a little of his sufferings and we have read that portion this morning which has been called by many the chapter of the Bible and I believe it is rightly named thus.

[1:30] It speaks of Jesus from the beginning to the end and now we have Jesus Christ in the text.

[1:41] If Christ, my friends, is not in the text, I often try to flinch, as it were, from the text.

[1:53] My prayer has been many times unto the Lord that he would give me texts that I can refer to Jesus.

[2:05] For there your hope I know and my hope ends upon him for life and for eternity.

[2:17] Jesus Christ. I have heard it said, I believe it will be true. A Christless sermon will not be of any help to the poor and needy in Zion.

[2:40] And as you know, the apostle Paul who penned these words said, I am determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified.

[2:59] Now Jesus Christ, the same yesterday. The hymn writer says, and we read in the scripture, What think ye of Christ, whose son is he?

[3:18] To what conclusion have you come to? As you've read and thought and possibly heard preached from those words?

[3:36] What think ye of Christ? Well, I must leave that with you, between you and your God, what you really think of Jesus Christ.

[3:59] He's the same. We read in the eighth of Proverbs of this dear man. It's his own voice.

[4:12] He tells us in that proverb, or rather in that portion of scripture, that he was by his father.

[4:27] He was. And this is one of the great mysteries that no man can really, really understand or explain.

[4:43] The Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And we have, dear friends, those three in our decks.

[4:56] For if we've got Christ, we've got the Father. And if we've got Christ, the Father, we've got the Holy Spirit.

[5:07] The three in one, one in three, Jesus Christ. What think ye of Christ? What think ye of the Father?

[5:24] Christ is in the Father. And the Father sent his dear Son, as you know. What do you think of that?

[5:37] Think of it in this viewpoint. If the Father had never sent his dear beloved Son, formed of a woman, gave birth in the usual way, apart from sin, would we be here this morning?

[5:56] Could we have our text to speak from? Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. Well, here we see a little of the mystery.

[6:12] And yet, we can see the loving kindness of the Father to his dear people. It's a mystery that no man can really enter into.

[6:24] But just in the words as we have it before us this morning, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday. Yes, I've been thankful at times.

[6:40] It's recorded in that eighth of Proverbs of this, of the Lord Jesus. And as I've said, he spake and he said he was near, as it were, his Father.

[6:59] He was his Father's daily delight. He's a saint today, dear friends. That is, in his holiness and in his office.

[7:15] He still stands in that office as a redeemer. He still stands in that office as being, and in that relationship, can I say, to his Father.

[7:30] No alteration. Though he was born into this world, he still is the Son of God. is, is in his Father.

[7:44] Oh, we read this again and again in the Gospels, and especially in the Gospel of John, how he was with his Father, in his Father, and his Father sent him, and through his Father many was brought to believe.

[8:03] Jesus Christ, the same, yesterday, from the time, well, from eternity. Jack did the same as he is today.

[8:19] Jack did the same in his great compassion as he had when he came into this world to suffer, to bleed, and to die, and to enter into those experiences you have been singing of at this time.

[8:36] Oh, the death, my friends, in the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Though he passed through that pathway suffering which no man can truly describe, yet he's still the same.

[8:58] He's still the Son of God. Nothing can alter it. Nothing can in any way remove the nearness in relationship as between the Father and Son, naturally nor spiritually.

[9:21] Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, from the commencement of time, he was there in heaven, in glory.

[9:34] But as the Father had chosen the people, as you've heard many times, even from my lips, the Father chose the people, and they were born in sin and shaped in iniquity.

[9:51] And yet, previous as it were to that, the Father, the Father had these in his mind, in his affections, in his heart, as it were, close to him, a people that no man could number, to be brought to heaven.

[10:10] But they've entered into a world, into a body of sin, sin throughout. and there must be a one from heaven, a holy one, to fulfill the law that you and I have broken.

[10:33] Now, Jesus is the same yesterday, yesterday, and what a mercy this is, dear friends, because as the lambs come along in the hold, as the children, and we trust that the Lord is still working thus to quicken souls into spiritual life, bring forth the lambs within the hold, and he's the same unto them as he were, can I say, to us.

[11:09] Jesus Christ, the same, he looks upon the lambs in the fold in the covenant of grace, he looks upon them in his love and in his mercy, and he's the same unto the young as he were and so today.

[11:31] Suffer little children, come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Now, Jesus Christ, the same, in his power, in his life, the same in body.

[11:50] Do we not read and sing at times that hymn, a man, a real man, with wounds still gaping wide, in heaven, the efferves, he's a same to die.

[12:05] He can be seen, I believe, those glorified spirits in heaven. and as I've told you in prayer, that there's been those upon one's mind in coming along this morning who worshipped here at Sabbath by Sabbath, and on these occasions with others, they gather together to hear the work now in glory.

[12:35] And now they see that same Jesus. He's the same today in his glory. He's the same today in his love. He's the same today in his compassion as he was in their day when they were travelling along through the wilderness.

[12:56] Jesus Christ, no change in him there for us. The trouble is in us. I say trouble and it is a trouble to us.

[13:08] At least to me at times we change so. There's times when we can read the word of God and feel a nearness to it another time because of our sins we feel at a distance and the word is but little to us.

[13:26] But Jesus is the same. Though we differ, though at times we forsake him, forsake the word, forsake reading it maybe, but Christ is the same.

[13:40] His compassion is the same. Exactly the same. But I'm quite aware of this, that he will lay at times his rod upon us because of his sin.

[13:53] But his compassion is the same. His love is the same. He differs not. Oh, what a wonderful thing to have a God who changes not.

[14:04] Dear friends, what hope shall we have if his love ceased, as it were, toward us because of our failings? But he does.

[14:16] His love is as strong as ever it was. And his compassion. And he remembers all his dear ones. And when we're in, shall I say, a backsliding condition, his love is the same.

[14:36] I have said at times, respecting those two disciples, John and Peter. Oh, Peter, well, we know there was times when he despised the Lord.

[14:59] how he gave way to his old carnal nature. I don't know him.

[15:11] Don't know him. Oh, that awful sin, dear friends. And there was John, as we've read, just a few verses of him around the cross.

[15:25] My friends, the love of Christ was as much to Peter as it was to John. The same love. And also to Mary Magdalene, that person, that woman, had many, many devils within her heart, but his love was the same.

[15:45] It doesn't alter. Ours does. Sometimes we feel a love to the brethren, and alas, it ties, we do not feel it.

[15:55] too. And so with the Lord Jesus, we can say, according to the words of our text, he is the same yesterday in his love and in his compassion.

[16:10] Just the same as he was when he went to the garden of Gethsemane to bear the sins of his people.

[16:22] And he's the same to die. nothing is altered. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, from eternity and to eternity, and his love will be continued throughout a never-ending eternity, resting upon his dear people.

[16:43] God, he is the Lord Jesus, but we are trying to speak a little of the past verses, of the Lord Jesus Christ, of the past.

[16:59] I know I've often spoken to you, and I've often troubled about this, not only to you, but to others, of the things that happened in the past, in the way of the sufferings of Christ, but are we not preached, Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

[17:22] He was the same, he was the Son of God, when he laid in the manger, as he was on the cross.

[17:33] he was the same Son unto the Father, from the cradle, as it were, to the heaven above, to the cross.

[17:51] And we could say this, his love was the same as he hung upon that cross, and suffering in a way that we cannot describe, but his love was the same to his people.

[18:06] It was everlasting love. Oh, how God spake to Jeremiah, and said, yea, he says, I have loved me with an everlasting love.

[18:22] Now, so with all of his dear ones, oh, how often you and I have feared that the Lord would take his love, compassion, leave us to ourselves and to our sins, and forget us, as it were, turn his back upon us, but now, once he loves, he never leaves, but loves he to the end.

[18:48] Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, so is the same yesterday, past, the day of birth, unto this present moment of time, or what has passed in his sufferings, or in his pathway here but now, it was in love to his people.

[19:17] Sometimes the Lord hides his face from us, and we curve in the darkness, darkness within. Oh, to be able to realise when we are in that dark place, yea, as Jeremiah, it might be said, in the dungeon, and sometimes we feel to be, at least I do, to be in the dungeon, in places so dark, and yet, my friends, his love is the same, his mercy is the same.

[19:53] He brings us into those places to teach us, and to show us that his mercy still remains, and his love, oh, well might the poet, the psalmist say, his mercy endureth forever.

[20:11] So, he's the same in his office, as he was. The Lord sent him, the Father sent him to be, after he performed that wonderful work of redemption, to be the one that should stand between the church and the Father.

[20:41] As you read, as you know, in this very epistle of Paul to the Hebrews, that God is a consuming fire.

[20:52] He is outside of Christ. So, he's being placed there to be the mediator, and poor sinners, such as you and I, if we rightly come to the throne of grace, to the mercy, in faith, believing in him, and the things we desire, if God thinks they are suitable for us, then he will present those prayers unto the Father, and it's in that direction, through that stream, so I say, or through that channel where we obtain mercy and forgiveness.

[21:38] Jesus Christ is saying, yesterday, in the past, so today, and then a thought in this direction, oh, what love he manifested when he went to that path of suffering, when he was in the garden of Gethsemane, when he looked upon his disciples, those three, and how they were in that sleepy condition.

[22:16] But Jesus went forth, he did not, it did not hinder them, though the disciples manifested at that time no love toward him, but he still went forth, he was just the same in going forth, nothing could hold him, there was a command of his father to go forth for salvation, and he did it to perfection, as you know.

[22:43] Jesus Christ is the same, yes, he's the same God today, though that work has been fully accomplished, that work, the nor has been fulfilled, and the father has satisfied, he can now look upon his dear family, shall I say, sons and daughters, looking upon them in and through Jesus Christ, and he sees perfection there.

[23:17] We cannot see it, we are made to feel by the Holy Spirit, our sins, their wickedness, God, the father, looks down upon his family, and through his dear beloved son, and he can see perfection there.

[23:38] So the Lord Jesus was the same yesterday, from all eternity, and he is today, and we cannot deny that.

[23:53] He's the same to us in the things of providence, as he was to our forefathers. He's still having compassion upon us. Today, now today, we can say that Jesus brought forth a fountain of his precious blood.

[24:20] those in the past, in the years past, those that were in the covenant of the grace and blessed of God, they had faith, I feel, the far more than we have today.

[24:35] Their faith stretched forth and was enabled to believe by the teaching of God that this same man, Jesus, should open away a channel of mercy, of forgiveness and a cleansing.

[24:55] They knew it, they heard of it, they believed it, that was the past, yesterday as it were. But if we can come a little closer into our own experience and today, it says in our text today, now we need that faith, the same faith as it were, as those who have gone before, those we read of in the numbers of Hebrews, how they went forth by faith believing.

[25:38] And we are travelling along, can we say, somewhat in the same path, with faith, but oh, little does our faith compare with their faith in their day.

[25:50] But today, Jesus Christ is the same in every way, in his life, in his power, in his love, and in his mercy.

[26:04] Those dear saints of old, they had faith to believe the coming of Christ, believing there would be a fountain open, a place of cleansing.

[26:17] Now we can, by the blessing of God, say that place has been opened, the means of being opened, by the Father, in and through his dear beloved Son, that there may be an escape, as it were, if I might so use the word with reverence, escape from the wrath to come, in and through Jesus Christ.

[26:45] Jesus Christ the same yesterday today, and will be forever for all that are falling on to know the Lord. As a sweet thought, dear friends, even those yet not born, yet we trust this many that may yet come forth to be children of his sons and daughters in the covenant of divine grace.

[27:18] And as you know, there was a covenant made from all eternity. Has that covenant been altered? No. Has it been broken?

[27:29] No. God is faithful to his promises. And that covenant still stands the same for those who will yet be born.

[27:42] If there are those dear friends who come forth and be born of God, born of the Spirit, manifested as being the children of God, those in the covenant from the commencement.

[27:56] Oh, the wonder workers of God, Jesus Christ, the same yet today and forever. Thus, in his faithfulness, in his promises, no promise to be broken.

[28:12] Every promise that Christ has made has been or will be fulfilled. So he orders not as us be.

[28:24] Yes, we poor sinful creatures of the earth, we change change, and we change. Sometimes there seems something in our heart causing us to come to the Lord, even with the public and of old, God be merciful to be a sinner.

[28:49] And yet another time, one seems to be hard and barren within us all. But Jesus is the same. we change.

[29:00] Oh, they're nice it is, they're blessed when the Lord draws near to us and gives us a touch of his love. And more if we feel a little of that precious anointing of the Holy Spirit within the heart.

[29:20] He's a same God. sometimes you might feel to be in the depth of darkness. You may feel to be like the disciples of old tossed upon the sea.

[29:35] But Jesus is the same. You remember Jesus went to those disciples and spake to them, it is I, be not afraid.

[29:46] Dear friends, it's the same Christ, it's the same God. is still the Son of the Father, one who walked upon the sea, one who walked those wonderful miracles, performed miracles, and those who spake to those disciples on in the storm.

[30:07] So when you and I are in the storm, it's the same God, same Christ, when we hear his voice and do it not.

[30:18] My sheep hear his voice, thy voice and they don't. And Jesus in his talk, dear friends, is the same.

[30:31] It's the same language, it's the same language of Zion, it's a language that the people of God can understand because they are taught by the same Spirit.

[30:45] We could read our text, Jesus Christ, yea, we could put in the Trinity here, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the same, same yesterday, today, and will be forever, one in three, three in one, and so they work the evidence together.

[31:10] This I feel fully persuaded, chosen vessel of mercy, chosen by the Father, redeemed by Christ his Son, and quickened by the Spirit.

[31:28] It's the same work from the beginning of time. He has not changed in that. The way he goes by divine grace, exactly the same.

[31:39] I know it differs at times in this way. Sometimes one is called by things in providence, and sometimes things of grace, but it's all the same.

[31:58] It's an heavenly calling. It comes from the same source. So, in his elected love, the Father's elected love, is exactly the same as it was in the commencement of time, as it was in the days of Paul.

[32:21] And bear in mind, in this way, dear friends, the love of God is the same toward us before the heavenly calling, before the Holy Spirit quickened one into life.

[32:40] it's a great mystery. You might see a man, a blessed female. You might view him and in your thoughts is this, blessed men must spend eternity in hell.

[33:03] No doubt some may have thought that when they saw the dying thief on the way to be crucified, to be hung upon the cross.

[33:18] We'd be no better at the earth. Was it Warburton who said, I believe he was walking along the road and saw man being led to the bellows to be crucified or rather to be hung.

[33:39] And he said, here goes Warburton if it wasn't for the grace of God. And you would sometimes that I have seen men in deep sin and wickedness and have said, there would I be if it wasn't for the grace of God.

[33:57] But we must bear it by that some of the vilest of sinners that we've looked upon or not. The Lord has a love toward them.

[34:12] Chosen vessels are still in nature's darkness. The time of quickness has not arrived. But the Lord is the same.

[34:25] Father is the same and it is elected not. His son is the same in redeeming such in God's own time.

[34:37] And it is still the work of the Holy Spirit. So as I said, the Trinity is in the text. Christ is in the Father and the Spirit is in the Father.

[34:52] One in mind, one in love, one in actions, one in his work of a spiritual nature, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.

[35:12] Oh, what a wonderful thing, dear friends, that we have a God that changes not. That changes not. His love is the rod.

[35:27] Oh, yes. How often he lays the rod, but it's in love. Sometimes he brings us into affliction, but it's in love.

[35:38] It's really in the furnace, may I say, when we're in the furnace, suffering as it were, Jesus is the same.

[35:52] God the Father is the same. The Spirit that led us there, he's the same. And it will do the same work, and that is to show us our sins, and to make us suffer, not to the full extent of it, but the Lord works kindly, in a very mild way.

[36:20] We've never received from the hand of God, what we deserve because of our sins. But he is the same.

[36:32] He takes his dear people in the furnace, and he brings an out of the furnace. Now, Jesus Christ, just a few thoughts here, as we've met on this occasion, as we have done now for many years, to speak of the little of the Lord Jesus in his suffering.

[37:04] He died upon that awful cross, peace. But before he died, he satisfied his father.

[37:18] Before he was crucified there, he brought forth the will of the father, and all his steps, and suffering.

[37:33] Jesus Christ to say, same when he went to the cross, and he was same when he left the cross.

[37:45] Truly, truly, the Son of God, and there they manifest as the Redeemer of the all election of cross.

[38:01] There he died, there he gave up the ghost, as we prayed. Jesus Christ.

[38:13] I wish I could preach Christ, yes, I do, but he lived in love, he died in love, he suffered in love, and he rose again in love.

[38:30] Jesus Christ, as whereby I hope hangs for eternity, and I'm sure it's so with you. It is with all the elect of God when they're brought to know a little of his sweet, of his power, and love, and mercy.

[38:47] Hangs upon him, leans upon him, well, like we read the Son of Solomon, of the bride, for truly this is the bride of God, of the Lord Jesus, coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon Christ, Jesus Christ, the same guest, dear friends, you and I can lean upon him, as much today as our forefathers, as much as John the disciple, who was in their upper room, and leant upon the bosom of Christ, same one, Jesus Christ, same yesterday, in his love, compassion, in his suffering, and there again, the fountain is opened, the fountain is opened, opened, he opened it upon the cross, he shed his blood, friends, that blood is the same today as it was in this day, the fountain is the same, it ever flows, flowing freely, who can close that fountain, the devil's tried, but he is not succeeding, he never will, for that blood was shed by this dear and in the text,

[40:31] Jesus Christ, for the cleansing of poor sinners, or in the covenant of the divine grace, all whom the father had chosen, Christ, Jesus Christ, chosen in Christ, redeemed in Christ, and the Holy Spirit will teach Christ to us.

[41:04] Friends, all the truth of the gospel, including as it were, Christ, because Jesus is the gospel, is the being revealed by the third person, the Holy Spirit.

[41:20] Otherwise, we have no knowledge of Jesus Christ, or true knowledge of him, but he is revealed. how Jesus said unto those disciples, the father will send the comforter.

[41:37] He will send the comforter, the Holy Spirit, not only to comfort them, to teach them, and to be the interpreter, as it were, of the gospel unto them.

[41:53] Jesus Christ is that Lord. Even with the lambs now upon the earth, we do sincerely hope there are those lambs, growing up to be monuments of his grace, and sheep in the fold.

[42:12] Jesus Christ will be the same to them, as he was to those of the past, and those in this day. Friends, I have failed at setting forth this word, I know, but is he the same to you?

[42:27] If he's commenced that work, he's the same to you to them, and he will be forever. Now, this one, Jesus Christ, we see a little of him by faith here, I hope.

[42:44] I'm quite aware the disciples saw him. Oh, that first chapter of the gospel recorded of John, and also the first chapter in his epistle.

[42:57] Oh, he tells us there, oh, he saw Christ, handled Christ, communed with Christ. It was the word, the word of life, the son of God.

[43:14] He's a saint today, and he can be viewed by faith. Christ. Have you ever had a little view of Jesus to thy faith?

[43:27] You know, they have always said, I would see Jesus. Is that the language of your heart today? It's mine sometimes. I would see Jesus.

[43:39] Well, of us, we are still lingering here below until God's appointed time to remove us from a body of sin and death.

[43:51] Give us that glorified spirit and open the gates of paradise to enter him. We see him by faith and then by sight.

[44:04] Oh, what a wonderful gospel. What a wonderful Christ. Is there something in your heart dear for it seems to echo in your heart? That is desire or the words of all we should quote him.

[44:20] I would see Jesus. See him in his glory. See him in his compassionate mercy. Oh, what a favour if we are brought to see that dear son of God in his glory and be boxed in them for eternity.

[44:41] I fear I must leave it dear place. Jesus Christ. not him. I would ever preach Christ because as you know he is the saviour of sinners.

[44:59] He is a redeemer of sinners. And he has loved sinners. And he has brought poor sinners to repent and bowed his feet and his footstool.

[45:11] And there is still that forgiveness in the Lord Jesus unto all of his dear followers. Remember the text.

[45:24] If you lose sight and forget everything I have said remember the text. Remember Jesus. Still look to him. Still pray unto him.

[45:35] Ask him to reveal himself to you. Seek the Holy Spirit to teach you. And at last oh to be prepared to see you.

[45:48]  May it be our favoured Lord. Amen. Amen. Amen.