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[0:00] I'll continue by singing in 454. Thine presence, gracious God, of all, prepare us to receive thine word.

[0:37] Now let thy voice engage our ear, and play in mixed with what we hear. Thus all thy waiting servants pass, and turn thy gospel with success.

[0:51] 454. Thine presence, gracious God, of all, in the world's hope is here, thy love.

[1:20] Thine presence, gracious God, of all, in the world's hope is here. Thine presence, gracious God, of all, in the world's hope is here.

[1:41] Thine presence, gracious God, of all, in the world's hope is here.

[2:03] Thine presence, gracious God, of all, in the world's hope is here. Thine presence, gracious God, of all, in the world's hope is here.

[2:17] Thine presence, gracious God, of all, in the world's hope is here. Thine presence, gracious God, of all, in the world's hope is here.

[2:39] Thine presence, gracious God, of all, in the world's hope is here. Caesar is the end of the day And more in the morning我就 is the king To the world was the sacred of God, who was the sacred of God, and how many of the earthADA, lamplium, patriarch of Gaius, to the world of God, who was elieing classical to music, as the ground sage is still in their Minnesota and from thy master we hold their success

[4:17] CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS

[5:19] CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS CHOIR SINGS거 epistle. Several times he uses this expression in it, my little children. Of course for one thing that was suitable because of the Apostle's seniority, both in age and in spiritual things, because as it is known, the Apostle John outlived by many years all the other Apostles and was, as far as can be known, the only one to die a natural death. The others died by martyrdom.

[7:31] And the Apostle John lived to be very old. And in that sense, of course, he was like a father to them all.

[7:43] In this chapter, he makes a division between fathers, young men, and little children. But to them all, he was a true father in the things of God. So he writes, my, and now, little children. And I make this remark, that it is a very great thing to have the spirit of a little child, whatever our age may be, or whatever our standing in spiritual things.

[8:24] One remembers that occasion when the Lord Jesus Christ took a little child and set him in the midst of the disciples and commended a childlike spirit to them. So that I hope that we can all feel to receive this word this evening as a little child. It's a great thing, and I think especially amongst the fathers and mothers in Israel, when they manifest a childlike spirit in the maturity of their spiritual life and experience.

[9:10] We had a remarkable example of this in an old member in our church at home. He lived to be over 90.

[9:23] And he had served the Lord from his youth. And he was a man of considerable understanding in spiritual things. But sometimes at our prayer meetings, when it felt to him to speak in prayer, he would say, Lord, I feel I must pray the child's prayer. Look upon a little child. Pity my simplicity.

[9:48] Suffer me to come to thee. And knowing as we did how entirely that expressed his tender, prayer, childlike spirit, it was very beautiful to hear an old man pray like a little child before the Lord.

[10:08] And it wasn't that he was in any sense childish or simple in the sense of lacking mental powers, for he was a very capable man. But he manifested a childlike spirit.

[10:22] And brethren, you may be sure that there was never any trouble in our church. Not a word of it. And if all members of churches had a childlike spirit in themselves, there wouldn't be much trouble in churches.

[10:41] My little children, says the apostle. And then, the apostle writes, as I have said, in a very affectionate way.

[10:56] And it is very noticeable, if you have ever noticed it, that the epistle of John is almost a reproduction of the Lord's last discourse with his disciples, the same night in which he was betrayed, which the apostle of John, of all the four evangelists, has recorded for us in the gospel.

[11:30] For the apostle of John, we read, that night, leaned upon his breast supper. And it would seem indeed as though it was not only that the apostle of John was so physically near to Jesus Christ in leaning upon his breast, that he was very near to the heart of Jesus Christ that night, and that he seemed to drink in very deeply the spirit of love from that great fountain of love, the heart of Jesus Christ.

[12:19] My brethren, that's a great secret, to drink in the spirit of humility and love from the heart of Jesus Christ.

[12:33] And that same spirit appears in his later epistle. Indeed, there is a repetition, sometimes of the very words of Jesus Christ that night, so deeply impressed, the apostle John was with them.

[12:57] But, although this word is very tender, and affectionate, there is something very searching about it, I felt when I pondered over it.

[13:10] Now, little children, abide in him. Well, now, are we abiding in him? For it is not to be assumed that because we are abiding in our profession of Jesus Christ and maintaining the external side of things that we are abiding in him in our hearts.

[13:45] And I must say this, and I only say this for myself, really, it is not to be assumed that because we are continually preaching that we are necessarily abiding in him.

[14:03] Here is a solemn consideration, brethren. Are we abiding in him? Perhaps this word tonight may cause a solemn heart-searching with us as to how we stand by it.

[14:23] What is wrong with that if it does? Who loses any benefit by the searching application of the word of truth to their consciences?

[14:34] Are we not much more liable to lose benefit for the lack of the searching effect of the word upon our hearts?

[14:47] I must say for myself, the word of God has often searched me, sometimes wounded me, sometimes almost annoyed me because it seemed to have such a direct point to me sometimes I hope it has brought me to my knees, it has never done me any harm.

[15:12] Never. So then, not to dwell any longer upon the opening of the word, this word is fatherly, it is affectionate, it is tender, it is solemn, it is searching.

[15:31] As the Lord may help me then to open it up now. There is something implied in it which is vital to the whole subject and that is union with Jesus Christ.

[15:49] now there can be no abiding in Jesus Christ without an initial union with him. then secondly, we must ponder over it, what it really is to abide in him, if we are indeed in union with him.

[16:14] And then thirdly, there is the solemn truth that adds so much weight to the whole subject and that is the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[16:30] Abide in him that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

[16:42] these things then may we be enabled to engage our hearts and minds to now.

[16:55] Union with Jesus Christ is the essential thing. As I have said, there can be no abiding without union.

[17:06] and how are we brought into spiritual union with Jesus Christ. I would desire to make that point clear first because I think that there may be with some a feeling that union with Jesus Christ is an experience that belongs to a later stage, shall I say, or degree of spiritual experience.

[17:45] Now, that is not so. All true spiritual experience begins in union to Jesus Christ or spiritual gospel experience.

[18:01] but the consciousness of being in union with Jesus Christ comes later.

[18:12] Let me put it to you like this then. There is first a union formed and then there is a union felt. And I cannot explain this any better than to follow the word of the Lord Jesus Christ and the symbolism that he used of the vine and the branches.

[18:41] Jesus said, I am the true vine and ye are the branches. The branches are in union with the vine. How are the branches in union with the vine?

[18:56] Now, a branch does not is not formed and at some subsequent stage united to the vine.

[19:10] Of course it isn't. It grows out of the vine. The branches united to the vine from the very first beginning of the life in that branch.

[19:24] Look at the symbol for a moment. It's so clear, it's so instructive, it's so beautiful. You take a vine.

[19:35] There is the root, there is the stem and then along the stem at some point or other this point and that point there breaks out a bud from the stem of the vine.

[19:52] What is happening is that the vital sap of the vine is breaking out into another branch. There's first the bud. The bud develops into a leaf, the leaf into a twig, the twig into a branch and the branch brings forth the fruit of the vine.

[20:15] You see the branch is not added to the vine, it grows out of it and it is in union with the vine from the very first breaking out of the bud.

[20:30] Brethren, that is exactly applicable. Spiritual life begins with a new birth. What is the new birth?

[20:45] It is the breaking out into the soul of the life of Jesus Christ. the true and living vine. The Holy Spirit comes into this of course in his divine operations.

[21:00] But the new birth is the bringing forth in the soul of the very life of Jesus Christ. It's the breaking out of another bud in that one blessed vine and spiritual life.

[21:22] Under the Holy Spirit's gracious operations and teaching and nourished by that vital life of Jesus, it grows and develops so that every soul that's truly born again is in union with Jesus Christ by virtue of its spiritual birth.

[21:50] There's a union between spiritual life in the soul which is the life also of Jesus Christ spiritually and Jesus Christ who is the true living vine and the source of that spiritual life.

[22:08] and that life develops the bud grows repentance is brought forth in due course faith in the Lord Jesus Christ I know that it is often said that we are united to Jesus Christ by faith I know that faith does unite us to what we believe but my view of it and I speak unto wise men judge ye what I say that faith is the effect of union with Jesus Christ it's a development of spiritual life in the soul every believer is in union with Jesus Christ because that faith in his heart is all a part of the spiritual life who can believe without life it can only be a dead faith if there's not life if there is life what life is it it's not the natural life of our flesh it can only be the spiritual life of

[23:29] Jesus Christ that's the beginning and so from that beginning on the life of Jesus Christ flows into the life of a child of God sometimes he's conscious of it sometimes not but it's the life of the vine supplies life to the branch and even if it's in the winter when the foliage dies off and there seems not much sign of life in the branches it's there it's still there it's still maintained from the life of the vine but now I must pass on of course to the next consideration that I said there's a union formed then then there's a union felt how is the union felt brethren

[24:39] I feel quite clear about this the union is felt in the feeling of love now love is the uniting principle in spiritual things it's the uniting principle you know every principle of grace has that which pertains to that particular principle of grace to have what I mean is this you take faith now faith is the saving grace instrumentally believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved by grace are ye saved through faith not through love not through hope but through faith now faith is the saving principle there's hope now hope is the sustaining principle we are said to be saved by hope not in the same sense as being saved by faith but we are saved from despondency by hope now what is the sphere of love uniting love is the uniting principle well it is told in natural life what unites as one to another what unites husbands to wives and wives to husbands and the like but love as soon as there's love there's really union in that love now love is a certain fruit of union with Jesus

[26:33] Christ it's the most precious feature of that living virtue that flows from him there is no love in anyone apart from Jesus Christ he is the fountain but when love in the heart and the principle of it unites to love in Jesus Christ in the sweet sense of it then the unions fell let me put it like this imagine a river deep clear river flowing its course and some place or other there's a spring I know the similitude isn't exact there's a spring water springs up and finds its course towards the river presently it reaches the river and flows into it and as soon as the stream flows into the river the two waters become blended they're one now the love of Jesus is like a deep pure holy river ever flowing ever free and love in the heart that really is born of that love of

[28:09] Jesus Christ when it flows into his love or his love flows into that love there's sweet union and under the influence of love love divine how sweet they are when one is under the influence of that love then you can say oh my Jesus thou art mine I feel that union of love to thee my love is very poor very weak compared with thine but still Lord it is love to thee in my heart and when the love of Jesus is shed abroad by the Holy Spirit you get the union felt the union is felt in love where do we stand in all this well if there's spiritual life in our souls there's certainly union so I must leave that point come to the next and now little children you are born of God in union with Jesus

[29:25] Christ abide in him now this is put in a way of counsel or admonition not necessarily to imply that we have ability to abide in him but we should be concerned about this matter of abiding in him and mind you this that whatever exhortation there is in the word of God of a spiritual nature the Holy Spirit can indeed give us grace to respond to that admonition it is not a good reaction to any gospel admonition to say but alas I can't do that we are not to oppose our inability to the counsel of God's word but to seek grace to respond to it and if that grace is rightly sought it will not be withheld the Lord can give us grace to abide in him what is it to abide in him well for one thing it is to abide in him with regard to the truth the doctrine of Jesus

[30:59] Christ the apostle John in the second epistle I think puts it thus whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God but whoso abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the father and the son now this abiding must be connected with the verse that goes before but the anointing which you have received of him that is the anointing of the teaching of the Holy Spirit abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lie and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him prize this teaching of the

[32:08] Holy Spirit this sacred anointing this unctuous application of the truth is the secret of abiding in him brethren it really is for to abide in the doctrine of Christ formally is not to abide in him necessarily but to abide in that doctrine as the Holy Spirit makes the doctrine of Christ solemn precious vital to us well that's to abide in him he is the son of God and man the eternal only begotten of the father abide in that doctrine of Jesus the doctrine of his glorious divinity his divine sonship his pure perfect humanity he is the son of God and who so believeth on the son of God hath everlasting life cleave to it brethren it's a vital precious saving soul enriching doctrine cleave to it abide in the doctrine of Jesus us and if you should feel at any time that that doctrine is losing its sweet precious influence on your spirit oh be concerned about it be concerned about it pray that the Holy

[33:56] Spirit will renew in you again the preciousness of the doctrine of Christ all life centres in that doctrine all blessing is in it all life and truth is in it he that hath not the doctrine of Christ is not the father nor the son brethren abide in the doctrine of his precious blood that doctrine of substitution and atonement let your faith root down deep in the atonement of Jesus Christ let it grow upwards in hopes of heaven and eternal glory but let it root down deep in the atonement of Jesus for that is the doctrine of Christ that he was a true substitute for sinners that there is a most precious virtue in his atoning blood never give up such a precious word as this dear dying lamb thy precious blood shall never lose its power

[35:28] I hope it will never lose its power in me I wish it might be more deeply effective still than it's ever been oh if we do not abide in the doctrine of his precious blood what have we to look to what have we to hope on where can we fly for refuge except to his cross what can we plead before God if not his atoning blood oh do abide in the doctrine of his precious blood and how wonderful it is that after all these hundreds and hundreds of years there should still be the same virtue in that fountain Jesus Christ is not bleeding on the cross now that's a matter of thankfulness to us blood is not flowing from his sacred wounds now he is in heaven but virtue cleansing healing peace imparting peace reviving virtue is flowing from that precious blood as though he were dying on the cross today time doesn't affect this whatever now little children abide in the doctrine of his precious blood so I might go on but time is pressing abide in him in cleaving to the doctrine of Christ abide in him in the exercise of faith faith is a wonderful principle it's

[37:34] God's gift and there's a liveliness in it it isn't just an ascent of the heart and mind to reveal truth there's a going out to Jesus Christ in faith it is noticeable that the apostle closed or nearly closed his gospel with this word these things have I written unto you that he might believe on the name of the son of God and that believing he might have life through his name the purpose of the gospel was that we might be brought to believe on that Jesus Christ who was revealed in that gospel now in his epistle he said these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God you see that she might know that she have eternal life and that she might believe on the name of the son of

[38:43] God one of that might perhaps seem as though that's almost a word of tautology I've written to you that do believe that she might believe but it seems perfectly clear doesn't it the apostle is there referring to the continual and revived exercise of that faith remember brethren how you were first brought to believe in Jesus wasn't it as a sinner believing in a saviour were you not brought to his precious cross in your heart with all your guilt and shame to receive pardon and forgiveness and cleansing now that's how you believed in Jesus wasn't it well then abide in him in just that same way of believing just like that come to him again look to him again cleave to his precious name again as you were first brought to cleave to it that's abiding in him and so with regard to love it is often I feel a sad complaint it's sad that it should be so that we seem not often to feel the warmth of our first love perhaps we might regard that as having a somewhat natural cause because when we first experience things they're fresh to us and wonderful and have an effect upon our spirit that afterwards they cannot have the same because they're not fresh to us and so in that sense perhaps our early love necessarily loses its freshness but oh

[41:00] I hope it won't lose its vigour if it does oh may the Holy Spirit strengthen and enliven our affections again for if love cools everything cools whatever abiding there is in Jesus Christ if it isn't the abiding of love it's a very poor abiding oh how enriching brethren is love in the things of God and especially the love of Jesus and love felt in the heart to him oh it enriches everything and the lack of it impoverishes everything oh I'm for a religion of love I am indeed abide in him in love and now here is another consideration and I take this from the words of

[42:01] Jesus Christ himself speaking of this very solemn matter of abiding he said to the disciples continue ye in my love if ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love abide in Jesus in the obedience of love follow him in things cleave to his commands as well as cleave to his precious blood obedience is enriched with love and his sweet obedience and his commandments are not grievous this is love that we walk after his commandments and they're not grievous well now

[43:03] I must come to a conclusion and now little children abide in him abide in his precious doctrine person blood righteousness abide in him in faith in love in obedience that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming now at this late moment I cannot possibly go into the great subject of the Lord's coming but I will make this remark I feel it does not have the solemn consideration in our hearts and minds that it should have I'm trying to think that the wonderful prophecy of the second coming of the

[44:16] Lord Jesus Christ has been greatly spoilt to us from the varied interpretations of the prophecies concerning it and it has made the whole subject somewhat appear unprofitable it's a pity the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is a very profitable doctrine and I feel that if it is neglected solemn consequences will follow let me put this to you without holding your attention much longer every part of the doctrine of Jesus Christ and that includes his second coming has that effect upon us which pertains to every feature and part of the doctrine of Christ to have and if any part of that doctrine is neglected there will be an injurious effect of it in our spiritual life now the doctrine of Christ we may regard mainly in three parts leaving for the moment the doctrine of his person there is first of all the doctrine of his sufferings and of his atoning blood now what is the effect of that received by faith and the

[45:59] Holy Spirit conveying its virtue the effect of that is reconciliation peace forgiveness in the heart now consider the second part of the doctrine of Christ and that is his heavenly intercession at the Father's right hand the apostle says if any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous now the effect of the doctrine of Christ in heaven is to attract our affections heavenward when the apostle writing to the Colossians would exhort us believers to set our affections on things above he says where Christ sitteth at the right hand of the majesty on high the doctrine of Christ on the cross is peace the doctrine of

[47:07] Christ in heaven is heavenly attractions and I wish our affections were more set on things above where Jesus Christ is what is the effect of the doctrine of his coming it is to make us concerned to be prepared to meet him Jesus said that when the master left the servants the servants said he delayeth his coming and what then they began to enjoy themselves wrongly to eat and to drink oh the master won't come yet you see now a neglect of the second coming of Jesus Christ will be sure to make us negligent in certain ways now suppose it were really true that the coming of the Lord is imminent what an effect that would have upon our hearts wouldn't it here we should look to our lamps like the virgins lest there was no oil there when the bridegroom came now if we are not looking to our lamps if we are not concerned that there shall be oil in our vessels with them if our loins are not girded it's because we are neglectful of his coming the

[48:45] Lord Jesus Christ when he spoke of his returning said what I say unto you I say unto all watch now I must close the meditation and now little children abide in him for he is coming he is certainly coming and as to the issue I feel it matters little whether we pass away to him or whether he comes to us in his coming again the same solemn consideration should affect us when the end of our life comes will it find us abiding in him suppose a child of God is in union with him but is not abiding in him he will have something to be ashamed of you know he will have something to be ashamed of and if the

[49:53] Lord comes in our lifetime and who is to say he will not and we're not abiding in him we shall have something to be ashamed of and now little children abide in him that when he shall appear we might have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming if our spiritual life was as it should be we should be so abiding in him always that we should not be ashamed if he should come at any time now my text is a very solemn one tonight it's a very tender one a very affectionate but it's a very solemn one may the Lord help us to lay it to heart to pray over it to seek that we may by his grace be in true union with him in spiritual life and love and then that we may be abiding in him in faith and obedience amen will take him is number 667 moreids

[52:03] My God, my portion and my living bread. In him I live, upon him cast my care. He saves from death destruction and despair.

[52:19] 667. Rest on me to stay.

[52:40] I love my portion and my living bread.

[52:52] To him, where I live, upon him cast my care.

[53:07] He saves from death destruction and despair.

[53:22] He saves from death destruction and despair. I love my strength and more as I shall stand.

[53:50] Through all the Virgin'sbike, He saves from life.

[54:05] And may He race in sovereign let go.

[54:18] THE END In him there goes a breath of divine How much less grace has made the treasure mine Now that my soul, all I'm facing for

[55:36] His beautiful face, His majesty of God In him there goes a breath of divine How much more grace has made the treasure mine How much more grace has made the treasure mine O Lord, bless thy word to us We do feel to need it O help us to abide in thee

[56:36] May the word be the means of reviving That abiding in thee again in us And when thou shalt appear Or we shall appear before thee O grant that we may not be ashamed Cleanse us, clothe us, sanctify us Save us, O Lord, in thy great salvation O grant that we may all reach heaven And glory For we fear we may never meet here again O that we might meet in heaven To praise and bless And love and worship As we cannot do in this time state Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ

[57:39]  The love of God the Father The communion and fellowship of the Holy Spirit Abide with us And the whole Israel of God Forevermore Amen Amen