Transcription downloaded from https://sermons.heritagesermons.org/sermons/25257/a-friend-loveth-at-all-times-ii-quality-very-good/.

Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions.
Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt.


[0:00] I ask the Lord to be pleased to help me. I shall seek to continue with the morning subject. The book of Proverbs, chapter 17, and the 17th verse.

[0:19] A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

[0:31] Chapter 17, the book of Proverbs, and the 17th verse. The word of God says, a man that hath friends must show himself friendly.

[0:55] And I would like to feel that quite a few of you, as you gather together in our course of truth, we by we, do gather together because you are friendly to him who is the friend referred to in this subject before us.

[1:15] And as you gather together, you desire to be found at Jesus' feet to receive of his words. Unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

[1:29] And as you gather, you have that concern within. What is the house to me? Unless the master I can see.

[1:45] And now I want, as the Lord should help me, to follow out the line of things I said a little about in the morning sermon. A friend loveth at all times, and you began the service by singing, a friend there is, your voice is joined, ye saints to praise his name.

[2:10] And it is well to be occupied in such a work as aiming to praise his name.

[2:21] Because when you look back along life's way, you can see abundant evidence how this friend has shown himself friendly to you.

[2:38] Sometimes you do get a glimpse of it. And then you feel his love in times past forbids me to think he'll leave me at last in trouble to sink.

[2:51] The sweet Ebenezer I have in review confirms his good pleasure to carry me right through. And now I said a little, and only a little, can any of us who try to preach say, it is only taking a cup full out of the ocean depths, as it were, in every sermon, attempting to say something about Jesus Christ as the sinner's friend.

[3:21] But I did say just a little as to what a friend he is to poor sinners born again. How kind, how gracious, how faithful, how patient, how long-suffering, and that he is always in his dealings, and that to his people he is a dear friend, dear beyond words to describe, compared with Christ in all beside, no comeliness I see, and the one thing need for dearest Lord is to be one with thee.

[4:09] A friend loveth at all times. Here is the love of God ever being made known to people thought of God in the present tense.

[4:25] A friend loveth. And whatever time it is passing over you, it may be a very trying time, and be so trying that you seem to be immersed in it, and the trouble that has come upon you, that you overlook this great truth, that he who has helped you hitherto will help you all your journey through, which includes the trouble that you are in.

[4:59] And there is that word, who shall separate us from the love of Christ. Oh, what is needful for you and the preacher too, is the Lord directs your hearts into the love of God and in the patient waiting for Christ.

[5:24] And now I want to take up this theme and follow out another line of thought as the Lord shall help me, looking at the subject from this viewpoint, the friend loveth at all times.

[5:41] you remember godly David said, my times are in thy hand and it is well when you can add your amen to that declaration and say, I wish them to be there.

[6:00] Oh, to feel all my times are in thy hand, all events at thy command. And now when it says all times, this friend set his love upon his dear people, a number which no man can number, before time was born.

[6:23] His knowledge of his people is declared to be foreknowledge. Before the world was built, a time was born.

[6:36] He saw me ruined in the fall, yet loved me not withstanding all. He saved me from my lost estate, his loving kindness, oh, how great.

[6:49] This is a wonderful consideration, to think that you had to be born into this world to be born again. God ordained it, in the covenant of grace, ordered in all things and sure.

[7:06] Parents, native place and time, all appointed were by him, and all because he is such a friend, that loveth at all times.

[7:20] And as he loved you before time, you know of a truth that he will not fail to love you through all time, and then be on time, when time shall be no more.

[7:36] Because the love of this friend in our text, is everlasting love. Oh, it is endless love.

[7:48] Remember that. And now there is a time, sometimes overlooked, when it is very evident, and it is made manifest, and you understand it later on, that this friend loved you even then, when you loved him not.

[8:08] And when you said, we will not have this man to reign over us, what is called the time of our unregeneracy, preserved in Jesus, when my feet made haste to hell, there I should have been, but thou dost all things well.

[8:30] thy love was great, thy mercy free, which from the pit delivered me. Oh, to look back to that time, when the eyes of the blind were opened, and the ears of the deaf were unstopped, when it was a time for you to seek the Lord, which you had never thought of doing, but through sheer necessity, you were brought to do it.

[9:00] As you felt like the selmist, the pains of hell got hold upon me, I found trouble and sorrow. Then cried I, O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

[9:17] Oh, that is a wonderful time to look back to, when it could be said of you, and you, happy quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.

[9:32] And then, a friend loveth at all times, not only in the time of one's unregeneracy, and the time when it is one's great mercy to be born again, and set going in the way of life, eternal, there are many times I might touch on, but there are many things I want to say a little about as grace is given, so I can only give you hints about these times referred to.

[10:07] But if you think of it as all times, I shall not overlook the time that you are passing through, although I may not even refer to it in the sermon, if it might be called by such a name.

[10:23] And now, there is a time when you begin to realize a friend such as Jesus Christ is, loveth at all times, and that is when hope is born in a poor sinner's breast.

[10:41] Oh, that is a time to look back on, and if you are indeed asking the way to Zion, with your face did award, you have got such a time, I hope, to look back upon, when hope sprang up within you.

[11:02] It may not be that you have got us yet of good hope through grace, but you are no longer without God, and without hope.

[11:13] You have that hope described like this, though by my sins deserving hell, are not despair, for who can tell?

[11:26] Many people taught of God have journeyed along life's way, you're in and you're out, with such a hope, and sometimes they have hoped against hope, and they have been glad to feel, cold as I feel this heart of mine, yet since I feel it so, it yields some hope of life divine within, however, low, and underneath it all is this love, of this friend, a friend loveth at all times, and there is the expression of that love, when hope is born, in the sinner's breast, and he begins to see Jesus, and see in him all his salvation, all his desire, yes, and then he can say, one thing

[12:27] I know, whereas I was blind, now I can see, and then there will be times, when trouble like a gloomy cloud gathers thick, and thunders loud, some of you this Sabbath afternoon, in your soul's experience, may be passing through a very dark time, and the word of God states quite a few cases, which should encourage you to hope in God, in, in as much as other pilgrims, long before you, have travelled through dark times, and found in due time, their gloomy night, was changed today, who is among you that feareth the Lord, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light, and now in such a time, you may come to very wrong, yea, rash conclusions, as to how matters really are, between your soul and

[13:39] God, you can think of Job, when he said, as for my hope, who shall see it, my hope hath he removed like a tree, and you can remember to Jeremiah, when he said, my hope is perished from the Lord, but that was as he viewed it, it was not the truth of the matter, and you remember Asaph, with his questions, hath God forgotten to be gracious, will he be favourable, no more, hath he in anger, shut up, his tender mercies, is his mercy, clean gone, forever, and now these are very trying times, for sinners taught of God, to be passing through, but they are amongst the old times, in our text, a friend loveth at all times, and underneath all these times, the hand of God is working, to overrule all these times, for your ultimate good,

[14:58] God sendeth sun, he sendeth shower, a like her need for the flower, and joy and tears a like her scent, to give our souls fit, nourish men, a friend loveth at all times, there are some times when you can quite readily believe it, when you get a time of health, when you are favoured with a time of relief in your soul's experience, patience, when you have a time and can say it is good for me to draw near to God, when you hear the gospel priest and realise its power, and you can say the watchmen that go about the city, they found me, oh at such a time, you need no preacher to tell you about this friend, a friend loveth at all times, for you feel his love shed abroad in your soul's experience, but there are these crucial testing times, when you feel we cannot see our signs, when you pass through a winter season, and when you find zeal extinguished to a spark, life is very low, all our evidence is dark, and good works,

[16:25] I've none to show, oh it is at such a time, that you are made aware, that this friend, who is the sinner's friend, loveth at all times, your frames and feelings, make no difference whatever, to his love being centred upon you, in all his dealings with you, do remember that, you are not to judge your religion by your frames and feelings, it is a mercy to have good frames, and feelings, but you know you get bad frames and feelings too, but you must not draw your conclusions as to how matters really are between your soul and God, because of whatever frames or feelings, you may be the subject of, I do want you to remember that, the good work will be carried on, whatever your frames or feelings may be, for this friend in the text has guaranteed it, a friend loveth at all times, my soul through many changes goes, his love, no variation, knows, and then there is one time,

[17:56] I must not take up much more time in setting forth these times, but this time I must refer to, and now there is a time coming to you, coming to some of us, it may be quite soon, and that is, what is referred to as when heart and flesh shall fail, I like that word of Asaphs, it has been a good word to me sometimes, though my heart and my flesh fail, God is the strength of my life and my portion forever, and now, when you and I at length come down to die, and have to turn our backs on all to do with this life, and step down into Jordan's swelling, what a wonderful favor it will be then, to find this friend has gone before us, and made the way for us to go through Jordan's flood on foot, and find the bottom to be good, and realizes the outcome of his love, oh death, where is thy sting, oh grave, where is thy victory, remember, this friend in the text, as verily man, was a dying friend, oh he was born to die, remember that, whenever you go to

[19:25] Bethlehem's manger, to see the babe born there, he who is verily God, verily man, you must follow on through his life, and arrive at length at Calvary's cross, and see him there, as he died, in the stead of poor sinners, like you, and me, there you see, the expression of his love, beyond words to describe, at Calvary's cross, you see, God, is love, behold a scene of matchless grace, it is Jesus in the sinner's place, a friend, love it, at all times, and now, I want to look at this subject from another viewpoint altogether, and yet it will link up to what I have already sought to set before you, a friend loveth at all times, and now

[20:34] Solomon amplifies this truth, and a brother is born for adversity, here Jesus Christ is referred to as a brother, sometimes referred to as our elder brother, let us look at that relationship, for that is what it is, if you have a brother, that brings you into relationship with him, and now it is a wonderful mercy, if you and I have got any evidence whatever, that God has given that we are in relationship with Jesus Christ as our brother, and now there are two or three things that need to be weighed up about it, you cannot take it for granted, and now it says, and a brother is born for adversity, and now

[21:48] Jesus Christ was born a babe by birth mysterious, and in doing that, he assumed our nature, yet without sin, remember that, holy, harmless, undefiled, human nature, he assumed, what do you sing?

[22:19] All ye chosen seed, be glad, Christ our advocate is made, us to save our flesh, assumes, brother to our souls, becomes, and now, that he might evidence his love, at all times for his dear people, and that they might find in him a brother, born for adversity, whatever inner evil, has sailed them along life's way, that he could befriend them in it, and deliver them out of it, he assumed our nature, and so, you read about it, in the word of God, which is very helpful, to explain the word of God, in other places, for as much then, as the children, are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise, took part of the same, that through death, he might destroy him, that had the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver them, who through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage, for verily, he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of

[23:42] Abraham, wherefore, in all things, it behold him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people, for in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to suffer them that are tempted, yes, a brother is born for adversity, and so, God was made manifest in the flesh, a wonderful consideration, it is said, great is the mystery of godliness, and great it is, to think that he who is the eternal son of God, in his divine nature, should come down into this world, and be clothed in a body, like our own, and assume our nature, but there must be more than this, if you are to be made manifest, as one of his brethren, in relationship to the brother born for adversity, this must be known,

[25:07] God, and I have told you, that Jesus Christ condescended, to assume our nature, and now then, if you are to be related to him as a brother born for adversity, you must be made a partaker of his nature, his nature as verily God, weigh that up prayerfully, and think about it, and ask God to verify it, in your soul's experience, and it says, in the second epistle of Peter, according as his divine power, hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him, that hath called us to glory and virtue, whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, listen, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

[26:19] Dear friends, let us pause there. What evidence do you possess, and the preacher too, that you have been made a partaker of the divine nature?

[26:31] remember, if there is a good work begun in you, the nature of it is divine. Good work, which is to say, God's work.

[26:45] You must always relate the word good, wherever you meet it, or have to use it, to that which is to do with God. Whatever is bad, you can relate that to man, and make no mistake.

[26:59] everything that is good, is to do with God. Every good gift, every perfect gift, cometh from above, from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

[27:18] And if you and I are to be related, and made manifest as being brethren of this brother born for adversity, you and I must be partakers, of the divine nature.

[27:32] You must have that evidence, which is outstanding. The spirit itself beareth witness, with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

[27:48] Remember that. I believe that good work is begun in many of you, but it is a great statement to contemplate, and are made partakers of the divine nature.

[28:05] Thus the word godly is used, and cannot be used otherwise. Godly, godlike, a godly man, a godly woman, partakers of the divine nature.

[28:19] greater. So then, this dear brother, born for adversity, blessed be his name, came down into this world, and assumed our nature.

[28:34] was made manifest verily God God incarnate verily man and a brother is born for adversity but then we must hasten on because if you have a brother you do want to know something about him and be where he is and have fellowship with him you want to walk and talk with him because of the relationship that exists between you you want to set your eyes upon him and let brotherly love continue you want to hear about him if he dwells afar off that things are going well with him and his and now you will feel something like that to do with Jesus Christ as a brother born for adversity think of those words of John that which we have seen tasted handled felt of the good word of life declare we unto you

[29:55] John could speak out of the abundance of the heart from a gracious experience of having had wondrous fellowship with Jesus Christ as a brother born for adversity and when you come up to worship God surely you find uppermost in your soul's desires all we would see Jesus and see in him that which should do our soul's good and find in him all our salvation and all our desire a brother is born for adversity and now then following up this relationship the Savior said to his disciples blessed are your ears for they hear did you ever hear this brother born for adversity say a word or two which filled your soul with love and peace and joy beyond words to describe you remember

[31:18] Ezekiel and the word of the Lord came expressly to me do you mean to tell me that some of you are here and have been following on to know the Lord you're in you're out and now you're old and grey headed and this brother born for adversity has never yet said anything whatever to you to encourage you to hope in God a brother born for adversity I want to look at this word born it is very suggestive a brother is born for adversity and now this brother Jesus Christ our brother it can be said that before he was born a babe in Bethlehem which we think about at Christmas time and we should think about it all the time and often go to Bethlehem and see what came to pass there because it would do you good to go but it must be said that this brother was born first of all in eternal purposes remember that in the beginning

[32:52] God created the heavens and the earth and before the beginning and that is not a paradox before the beginning in the covenant ordered in all things and sure Jesus Christ was made manifest to be the mediator of the new covenant and so you read in a wonderful word in the Hebrews God who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time fast unto the fathers by the prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son whom he hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the worlds who be in the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and uphold in all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high what a wonderful thing it is to contemplate that God should have had such a thought in his heart and that he should have made it manifest a word is a spoken thought and says the apostle

[34:22] Paul to the godly Hebrews he hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son and he says this is my beloved son hear ye him a brother born in eternal purposes and then when time was born it can be said that Jesus Christ was made manifest as a brother born for adversity in as much as he was born in the promises think how wonderful that when Adam and Eve fell and God drove them out of Eden's garden that ere he did so he gave them a word of hope the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head and there was the first promise and in that promise it was evident

[35:27] Jesus Christ was to be a brother one with us in our nature yet without sin born for adversity and you can see in every promise gospel promise in the sacred pages that in the midst of it Jesus Christ is the brother born for adversity and born to give that promise validity all the promises in him are yea and in him amen his promise is yea and amen and never was forfeited yet born in the promises and it can be said that he was born in the types and shadows throughout Old Testament times types and shadows under the ceremonial law what did all those things set forth

[36:30] Paul tells us that the law is a shadow of good things to come and of all good things to come was that when God sent forth his own son made of a woman made under the law and Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners every type and every shadow under the law and the ceremonies viewed aright you see therein Jesus Christ is set forth as a brother born born for adversity and then it is well to remember that he is also born in the hearts of his people oh that is a wonderful place to find

[37:33] Jesus Christ is born to conceive him in our hearts and receive him for who he is verily God verily man some of you are concerned about this and the hymn writer describes where you are we humbly for thy coming wait seeking to know thee as thou art we bow sinners at thy feet and bid thee welcome to our heart oh what a happy time it would be ere you would rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory if you could realize in your soul's affections Jesus Christ is born and you say my Lord my God my beloved is mine and I am his the Lord bless you and remember blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled and the brother is born for adversity and then what a wonderful consideration it is that their dawn that memorable morn when

[38:57] Jesus Christ was born obeyed by birth mysterious a brother and yet his shoulders held up heaven and earth when Mary held up him it is good if you can feel lowly babe we fall before thee Jesus we thee would adore to thee kingdom power and glory be ascribed forevermore and a brother is born for adversity there is one more thought in my mind where Jesus Christ is to be seen as a brother born and now every man whom God ordains to preach with divine authority as he preaches the gospel is concerned to preach

[39:59] Jesus Christ and bring him forth exalt him and extol him very high that poor sinners might find in him all their salvation and all their desire and when you hear a man preach whoever he may be you must watch as he preaches to see if he brings forth Christ and that in that sense Jesus Christ is as a brother born for adversity in what he proclaims of the gospel as he attempts to preach it and everyone whom God ordains to preach the gospel with thus saith the Lord will be concerned at all times to preach Jesus Christ like that and as he is brought forth as a brother born for adversity you will find there is an attraction something that is alluring and in your heart there will be a response and you will feel

[41:13] Jesus is the one thing needful I without him perish must gracious spirit make me heedful help me in his name to trust and with pleasure in him as my portion boast coming toward the amen and a brother is born for adversity let us look just a little at this word adversity had the time allowed I would have looked at it from two viewpoints because as you follow the life that Jesus lived as verily man it was adversity from the cradle to the cross every step that he took he stepped in adversity what I want to make plain is this he came down into this world to do a work which he alone could do and if you think of some scriptures you will see a little only a little of what this adversity is that he as a brother was born to endure for you and the preacher too

[42:38] I hope all we like sheep have gone astray and the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all think of that terrible scripture by which I mean using that adjective awe inspiring to contemplate for he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him there you see adversity our sins the hell procured and he that hell endured and he was a brother born for that specific purpose and he said to his father lo I come I delight to do thy will oh my God and he did it in every jot and tittle of what the father's will was for him to do and he said at the end of his wonderful life

[43:51] I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do and his father acknowledged him this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased a brother is born for adversity there was adversity even when he was born for Herod sought the young child's life and then think how in the wilderness he was tempted beyond our words to describe it and in all our afflictions he was afflicted he bore all incarnate God could bear with strength enough and none to spare but it was adversity I say from the cradle to the cross and he endured it what he endured no tongue can tell which must have sunk our souls to hell otherwise and he was born for it he came down into this world the eternal son of

[45:00] God in his divine nature to take our nature into union with his divine nature and as barely God barely man to be a friend that loveth at all times and a brother born for adversity and now whatever adversity comes into your life whatever its nature you will find this friend loveth at all times and he is a brother born for that adversity which has come on you or yours he is a God able to save able to deliver able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think but I must keep you a minute to make one thought which comes to my mind plain for you to contemplate and now think of

[46:01] Joseph and his brethren when Joseph began to deal with his brethren when they knew not that he was Joseph the word of God says and Joseph spake roughly to his brethren sharp and maybe their hearts were filled with fear as to what the outcome would be Joseph being whom he was but there was an underlying purpose in it and then afterwards their guilt was brought home to them and Joseph heard them say we are betterly guilty concerning our brother and they realized although it was twenty years afterwards that be sure your sin will find you out and there they were before Joseph and in their hearts and consciences their sin in dealing with Joseph those long years ago selling him as a slave had found them out and they stood before

[47:16] Joseph guilty and then later on you read that Joseph made himself known to his brethren and his love overflowed and he said I am Joseph your brother but there was that deep down feeling we are verily guilty concerning our brother my friends I must take up this line of thought again if the Lord should help me another time but whatever adversity comes upon you or yours whatever time of testing you were called to pass through when at length you weigh the matter up before God you will have to echo those words that Joseph's brethren were forced to confess we are verily guilty concerning our brother you find when trouble comes upon you and you have to look in the face that it may be as a rule you have not been living near to

[48:39] God recently but you have been slack and very much of the earth earthy and now this trouble looms on life's horizon and you say we are verily guilty our name is on a church rule God has helped us many a time alas is this thy kindness to thy friends that you should become slack in following on to know him and his truth we are verily guilty concerning our brother but what did Joseph do with his brethren oh he made himself known and he forgave them and he kissed them and after that his brethren talked with him and that is how it will be with you if you are brought to have to do with this friend that loveth at all times and this brother who is born for adversity whatever its nature a friend loveth at all times and a brother is born for adversity and

[50:00]  I want you as grace is given to go on your way with that feeling this is my friend and this is my beloved poor weak and worthless though I am I have a great almighty friend and may you ever show yourself friendly to him as long as you live and when you come down to die dwell forever with him where he is in the blissful realms above amen