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[0:00] I will seek your prayerful attention once more to the book of Psalms and the 55th Psalm and the 22nd verse.

[0:16] Psalm 55 and verse 22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee.

[0:27] He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee.

[0:40] He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. We looked at these words this afternoon. First, the context of them, the place where David was in relating to this, the Psalm of his, and these petitions which he laid before the Lord.

[1:07] The burden which was in his pathway, the burden of Absalom, the burden of Ahithophel. And we saw and trust other burdens, and we spoke in particular of the burdens of those who are burden carriers in Zion.

[1:30] We spoke of the Lord's servants and those who carry the weight of the causes of truth, these burdens which God has put upon them. Those which are unasked for, but laid upon them by the Lord, a burden which shall remain till they are taken from time to eternity.

[1:52] There's no laying down, my friends, if God's put a burden upon you. There's no putting it away. Oh, we know of those, don't we, that will one day tell you they got a cross, and the next day they seem to have parted with it, and given it to someone else.

[2:11] But if God lays a burden upon you, a burden which will be, as we said this afternoon, a place in the Zion of God, it will be a burden that will be too great, and you'll need this gracious promise, and he shall sustain thee.

[2:31] But in the latter part of this afternoon, we spoke about the power of indwelling sin, not only in the commencement of the work of grace, the knowledge of sin, the trouble and burden that it is, the mountain of it which is known in the heart and conscience of every believer, but this which goes on through the life's journey, and through the teaching of the Spirit, they're often brought to this place of knowing of a burden, feeling the burden in their own soul, of their own sins and iniquities, and they're brought to cast it upon the Lord.

[3:15] But as we go on tonight, if the Lord will help us and grant us that right meditation, I want, first of all, to look at the pathways, too, of those that fear God.

[3:30] We read purposely this night, and trust we were led to read, of the Apostles' pathway. In that chapters which we read, there were two particular pathways.

[3:45] There was the outward pathway, which we read about in the 11th chapter, the oppositions that the servant of God knew from various quarters.

[3:57] It's no point to read them again. You read them together just a moment ago, but these were outward burdens, outward evidences of the trials of the way, which he was brought into and brought through.

[4:14] He himself said that, amongst all the other things which he was the subject of, he said, beside those things, and if that wasn't sufficient, beside those things, that are without that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

[4:34] Now, they were outward burdens, they were outward trials, and outward troubles. The 12th chapter, I believe, was a more spiritual, one of a trouble, or a trial, or a burden, of a more spiritual nature.

[4:53] We find there that he was blessed with a gracious visitation, and saw what he would describe as unspeakable things, wondrous blessings from the Lord himself to his soul.

[5:09] But you see, the apostle Paul, by birth, was a Pharisee. And he never, my friends, his nature was a Pharisee. Oh, the Lord, subdue our nature, and may often subdue our old nature, but he was a Pharisee by birth and practice till he was called by divine grace.

[5:30] And so, he could see the wisdom in the Lord, bring him into a pathway which crucified his flesh, which brought him in absolute dependence upon his God.

[5:44] and he would, and he has left on record his own confirmation of these teachings, lest I should be exalted above measure.

[5:55] There was given unto me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to Buffet. He didn't need to be told what the trouble was, and he didn't need to know why it was. But it was sanctified, we read, that he did as we all would do, he sought the Lord for his deliverance from it.

[6:15] But you know, he came into the place of David. I want to just stop there for a moment. Having drawn near to the throne of grace and sought from the Lord that it might depart from me, he said.

[6:33] Well, the word of this text in this 22nd verse is, cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee. I've said before and I'll repeat it for I feel the truth of it, my friends, in the pathway and in the pilgrimage journey of the children of God, you'll not pray away every trial.

[6:56] You'll not pray away every trouble. The Lord is pleased to bring his people into pathways of affliction or pathways of trial or he burdens them with a cross, a crooked thing as the wise man said in, Solomon said in his writings, who can make straight what God has made crooked?

[7:24] He burdens them with these things. Some of the people of God know it. I believe all the people of God will be able to agree with that, that the Lord at times brings them into these things but he sustains them in it, my friends.

[7:40] He doesn't deliver them from it. You don't get, you don't pray yourself away and out of all troubles. The Lord knows how to keep you and I at the footstool of mercy.

[7:54] I feel sometimes we undervalue the oppositions and the trials and the afflictions which the Lord is pleased to bring us into or allow that we should come into.

[8:07] Like Job, they were by the permissive will of God such things came upon him and I believe this, that the trials or afflictions or burdens that you and I are brought into, the Lord be pleased to sanctify you'll see the wisdom in it.

[8:24] And what is it my friends? Because it keeps you close to the mercy seat. It keeps you dependent upon your God and your proof if you're in this pathway or come into it or have been in it or in it now you'll prove like the apostle will prove or did prove and what indeed will sustain his people in this path his grace.

[8:51] Nothing more my friends it's not old nature that falls in submission to the mind and will of God. it wasn't old nature in the hymn writer Anne Steele when she could give up that which was taken from her and say Father what air of earthly bliss thy sovereign will denies that wasn't old nature that was grace my friends and that's this same grace which the apostle and I want to use the word perhaps wrongly here but it's that same grace that he boasts about that he's pleased to tell to the church at Corinth was given to him whilst he carried this thorn in the flesh this messenger of Satan because the Lord never took it away but it kept him low and it kept him humble and it kept him dependent because that's what these things will do sanctified and that's where the text is cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee he won't remove it he may see fit that he shall cause it to be your burden or your trial or your trouble all the days of your life but be sure of this my friends you're dealing with a faithful God and in his mercy and in his goodness through Christ you'll prove this sustaining and some of the Lord's people will understand what I mean when I say this they're shut up in the trouble they can't get out they're not allowed to get out they're to carry it it keeps them waiting on him it keeps them dependent upon him they cannot live without him but there is the other side of this blessing my friends cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee if the children of God are blessed with his grace which does sustain his presence which does comfort his word which does teach they'll also know this they'll know what the apostle

[10:59] Peter spoke about when he'd write in his first epistle they'll know what it is though they have faith they'll know what a trial of faith is and you know the Lord sanctifies the trial and the trial of faith as well ah there's abundant blessings for the people of God in that but just contemplate for a moment were it possible as some people would try to say that having been burdened then you just lay the burden before the Lord and the Lord delivers you from it and you go on your way unburdened now what sort of religion would you have what sort of profession would you make what sort of dependence would you have upon the God of all grace where would be the teaching of the Holy Ghost in your supplications and prayers as you wait on God at the mercy seat oh my friends we don't pray for trouble

[11:59] God forbid that we ever want to because we've got a nature that hates trouble though it's nothing but sin but should the Lord be pleased to put these things in our pathway and keep us in that pathway but he'll maintain us he'll hold us up in it they'll not destroy us they'll not destroy us his grace is all sufficient and by that grace he'll sustain us and he'll keep us alive but he'll keep us dependent he'll keep us waiting upon him and he'll keep us my friends very close to Jesus Christ very close well now that's why I read those part of chapter 11 and chapter 12 because there we have very much teaching by the Holy Spirit with the some of the burdens that the children and people of God have cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved and now before we go on to the next view that I would have upon this first part he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved none of these things shall move the people of God they're in Christ my friends by blessed adoption they're in Christ by covenant engagement they're in Christ because he being their burden bearer took away their sins on Calvary and they're eternally safe they'll never be moved once in him one said in him forever thus the eternal covenant stands none shall pluck thee from the strength of Israel's hand you know

[13:54] I know this by solemn experience but some of these trials and some of these afflictions are left to themselves they would drive us away from Christ wouldn't they if we listen to the voice of reason if we listen to the whispers of Satan they'll drive us away from Jesus Christ ah but that's not the purpose of them the purpose of them my friends is to drive us closer to Jesus Christ oh it is but he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved you read again for your spiritual comfort the 8th chapter of the Romans and you read those latter verses where the apostle Paul is able to look at everything clearly in the light of truth and clearly in the light of God's grace and he says this that nothing shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord or you know

[14:55] I think of that occasion when as a disciple Peter badly fell sadly fell and sinned against his Lord and Master denying him with oaths and curses and for what reason he was ashamed of Jesus he was ashamed of being brought to suffer as his Lord and Master was but he didn't fall out the covenant my friends there was restoration ah but what glorious truths flowed from that man's pen when he was delivered from that bondage and that snare that he had fell into what glorious things was left on record in his epistles of that teaching cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved the psalmist David in the 37th psalm speaks of the righteous even slipping he says the steps of a good man are ordered by the

[16:03] Lord and he delighteth in his way though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand or there may be those seasons and times but they will not fall out of the covenant the people of God are secure they're upon the rock Christ Jesus the rock will never be moved Christ is the eternal rock the church is established on it the people of God are established on it they're in his heart he lived and he died and he rose again for them they shall never be moved these righteous he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved oh there'll be many a against your profession that shall blow against it that shall attempt to drive you away from your hope that shall attempt to deliver you from or take you away from that blessed hope that you have in your heart of

[17:06] Christ and him crucified he shall never I do like that word very simple but I've often had to plead it in these most violent times in which you and I are living the Lord said of his people as the mountains are round about Jerusalem so the Lord is round about his people how long forever forever oh my friends that's stability that's strength that's comfort to the child of God cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved but one more thing before we go on those burdens which the Lord lays in the pathway of his people you'll forgive me in simplicity I trust but they'll never be light burdens and not be easy things that you seem as others seem to bear they'll be heavy burdens they'll weigh you down they'll keep you down and all my friends keep you closer to him burdens that no one else could deal with and in those instances he showed his deity and he showed his mercy and they were delivered from them burdens of affliction burdens of others there was one burdened there was one that was carried who was born of four that's an encouragement to a tried soul isn't it you carry somebody in your heart you know we used to have relationships in the church of

[23:52] Christ called mothers and fathers in Israel and what did they do they carried souls it may have been the young it might not have been but they carried souls they prayed over them they sought their welfare their spiritual welfare they watched over them and they prayed for them and whether they went from the narrow way to the broad way or wherever they did their eye was upon them and I mean the eye of faith and they prayed over them the Lord laid them as a burden in their heart and they laid that burden before the Lord and but those of old that were in the days of Christ carried their burdens to Jesus Christ the woman with the issue of blood who rather grew worse but she brought the burden to him and by face touched the hem of his garment and she was made whole but

[24:53] I want to get closer to this blessed subject this burden bearer this precious Jesus this one who became a burden bearer because of his love because the covenant of grace is a covenant of love that covenant which is ordered in all things ensure which was entered into in eternity past had this one aim my friends to deliver the fallen church from the Adam fall and to present them faultless I looked at that word that ever so well known text the other night precious word really to the church of Christ very hard to understand with the natural mind but speaking of Christ the apostle to the Hebrews said it has run with patience the race that he set before us looking unto

[25:57] Jesus the author and finisher of our faith and then we have the pathway of the burden bearer who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God now my friends that was what this burden bearer set out to do that's what that covenant demanded that he should do and that's what he loved to his people he was pleased to do he became their burden bearer wonderful mercy my friends if you can trace God's teaching in your soul that he is indeed that burden bearer to you but I want to keep close to this word cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee we spoke this afternoon of that woman that was in the

[26:59] Pharisee's house her burden was seen it is a mercy if yours is and mine it is a great mercy my friends not many are they have burdens many burdens today but I only want to speak of the burden bearer as it reflects upon and is concerned with the iniquities and sins and transgressions of the people of God the church of Christ because in Adam it fell and it was contaminated with sin cast thy burden upon the Lord the Lord provided then in the covenant of grace one to bear the burden and that bearer that burden bearer was Christ you trace for a moment his pathway as he entered into that extreme hard path difficult path that afflictive path as he wended his way through three and a half years of ministry of preaching his gospel of doing good healing and restoring and blessing those that were brought to him but think my friends of that time when he went across that brook into that garden of Gethsemane cast thy burden

[28:30] God has provided in Christ a burden bearer the Lord taught you your need of this burden bearer it is a mercy if he has every day my friends you will need this burden bearer if you if you got a spiritual a healthy soul spiritually I'm talking about every day you'll need this burden bearer but for the church of Christ but for the people of God he crossed that brook that went and took him into Gethsemane's garden and you know when a burden is laid upon us I want to speak very reverently because we're trying to bring before you the pathway of the Lord Jesus Christ as a burden bearer because that's the other side of this precious truth it's one thing to and it is right to preach this glorious truth cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee but we must look this night at one who is the burden bearer of his people

[29:37] Jesus Christ the righteous his condescending love to be a burden bearer to be the burden bearer he condescended because you read that account in the apostles letter to the church at Philippi and the apostle so clearly lines it out there for our teaching he who was co-equal and co-eternal with the father thought in not robbery Paul said to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross that's the burden bearer well he went across that broke into Gethsemane's garden and there the burden was laid upon him he said to Pilate you know in the judgment hall to this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world that was

[30:42] Christ's pathway may the Lord make sin exceedingly sinful to us may we know in our heart and conscience the exceeding sinfulness of sin for it brought the Lord of life and glory from the realms of bliss to be clothed in a body like our own for the purpose of sin bearing in the Old Testament scriptures you know of course that there was provision made for the sins of Israel and there was those things which were that took place that was all was in agreement under the teaching of God to in the Aaronic dispensation the priesthood but there was one particular illustration with the scapegoat there was two goats one was put to death and the other was ceremoniously burdened with the sins of

[31:46] Israel and they that particular animal was left to wander in the wilderness never to be seen again there's much teaching in these old dispensations but very clearly and very simply they pointed to Christ didn't they the sins of Israel were to be not seen anymore the purpose of the burden bearer was that he should go to Calvary and lay his life down he should die in the room place instead of his people but my friends the fruit of those sufferings was what the apostle said in the tenth of Hebrews that thy sins and thy iniquities will I remember no more the burden bearer well at Gethsemane a weight was laid upon him and the effect of the weight of the sins of the church of Christ we read in the scriptures brought this to pass that he sweat as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground you know that naturally if there was a weight laid upon you and it was there long enough you would sweat and that would be natural but you know that sweat was of great drops of blood falling down to the ground if you have the witness of the work of the Holy ghost in your soul that in this wasthouling wilderness you've known the burden of sin some of you what must it be it's beyond contemplation or description isn't it totally beyond contemplation or description the weight of the sins of all those whose names are recorded in God's book of life and they were laid upon

[33:46] Christ and he became their burden bearer what did one say about the trials cast on me he said thy care tis enough that I am nigh I will all thy burdens bear I will all thy needs supply well he did a calvary all but then that was just the beginning of his extreme sufferings this burden bearer went to the judgment hall and there he suffered at the hands of wicked men there they scourged him with whips there they plaited a crown of thorns and laid them upon his holy brow there they derided him there they spat in his face this burden bearer this dear Jesus and then my friends they took him to calvary and crucified him but there he became the burden bearer he showed to the dying thief that he was his burden bearer sovereignty is seen at calvary mercy seen at calvary wondrous mercy one was taken and the other was left cast thy burden upon the lord have you been in the place of the dying thief the dying thief record is in the scriptures the people of god taught by the spirit know what he meant when he justified god in his own condemnation but the other answering rebuked him saying dost thou not fear god seeing thou art in the same condemnation and we indeed justly you know there's a very solemn hymn in our book which takes some singing if you're honest before the lord and if my soul be sent to hell thy righteous law approves it well that's justifying god in your own condemnation but you know the place of calvary the place called calvary was a place of mercy if you visited calvary by faith you could see nothing but mercy and mercy mixed with love and love to sinners and love to a people and love to this dying thief caused him to be the burden bearer dost thou not fear god and we indeed justly we receive the reward of our deeds but this man hath done nothing amiss and he said unto jesus lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom and jesus said unto him verily i say unto thee today shalt thou be with me in paradise my friends his sins were gone his sins were gone oh he didn't want to come down from the cross did he the other one did he would have carried and he went as a redeemed sinner no one has ever gone to glory with their sins they were taken away they were washed in that fountain which was opened for sin and uncleanness and you know there's a very great mercy here which i don't know whether you've ever noticed about this burden bearer jesus christ died first he died first and so he fulfilled the word didn't he today shalt thou be with me in paradise christ was first into paradise the dying thief followed soon after oh it's a wonderful gospel that takes in such sinners as you and i if you know the lord has taught you this he's taught you the need of a burden bearer the provision in the gospel is that christ is the burden bearer and so he went to calvary to take the burden of sin oh they crucified him out of jealousy they crucified him because they trumped up charges of blasphemy against him false witnesses were produced to condemn him to death the soldiers pierced his side is true but we have pierced him through and through and it was sin took

[38:29] Christ to calvary may it be said of you in a humble way are my sins my sins and it was love to sinners took Jesus Christ to calvary to be their burden bearer cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee and he has sustained and maintained and provided for his people this glorious man the man Christ Jesus I looked at that word in John before we came into the service tonight I was going to read it but my mind turned to that account in the Corinthians of Paul's pathway but in the in the gospel of John when he was in the judgment hall Pilate brought him out and he said behold the man there's a view my friends break your heart if you saw that man a man there is a real man with wounds still gaping wide from which rich streams of blood once ran from hands and feet and side that blessed man but there we have the work of a burden bearer there we have the work of a surety and of a substitute because what fell upon

[39:56] Christ fell upon him instead of his people he is the lamb that was slain from before the foundation of the world it was depicted wasn't it it was described very clearly very simply in an account in exodus when they took the lamb and slew it and put the blood upon the doorpost and lintel and that voice of God that judgment of God that destroying angel of God went forth across the land of Egypt that night and all those that were not under the blood were to lose their firstborn but God said when I see the blood I will pass over you let me read this for you go ye that rest upon the law and toil and seek salvation there look to the flame that

[41:02] Moses saw and shrink and tremble and despair but I'll retire beneath the cross saviour at thy dear feet I'll lie and the keen soul that justice draws flaming and red shall pass me by and it will my friend such that know this burden bearer this provision God has made God made a provision for the Jews in Goshen it was God's order to have a Passover instituted and God instituted it by the shedding of blood and that shedding of blood brought deliverance it brought deliverance from death and it brought deliverance from Egypt the shedding of blood that the blood of Jesus Christ brings deliverance my friends I somewhat alarmed the people once by telling them about the gospel according to

[42:07] Job the 33rd chapter has this in it they did look with surprise but the 33rd chapter of Job has this in it deliver him from going down into the pit I have found a ransom there's the gospel blessed word cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved what a blessed prospect then is to those that are in Christ Jesus we said was it tonight that closing verses of the 8th of Romans ah but think of the first few verses of the Romans to those that are in Christ there is therefore now no condemnation those that are under the law there's nothing but condemnation because we're broken law sinners those that are under the law will find condemnation in time and at the end of time ah but those that are privileged to be in

[43:15] Christ to those that for whom are the cause of his sufferings that took him to Calvary that took him to the judgment hall that took him to Gethsemane the hymn writer speaks about it and oh you may not be in that place for long to realise this but the hymn writer says in union with the lamb from condemnation free the saints from everlasting were and shall forever be in covenants from of old the sons of God they were the feeblest lamb in Jesus fold was blessed in Jesus there but you know it takes in all sorts of conditions of the people of God and it may be that someone saying ah I remember those days very precious days days of my espousals days of blessing when the Lord drew near and assured my interest but days of darkness are many you tell me let me close this word with this here let the weary rest who love the Saviour's name though with no sweet enjoyments blessed this covenant done the same and then we can say can we not cast thy burden upon the

[44:38] Lord and he shall sustain thee he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved what a wonderful mercy my friends if you have and you and I have any interest in this blessed burden bearer ah but don't we often need him don't we often need him we shall tonight there's nothing been done this day my friends that excludes the need of this burden bearer whether it's in his name we meet or gather around his word or preach his gospel we have to say at the end of it all that we're unprofitable servants and we need this burden bearer to take away the sin for the lord own and bless his own word and forgive all that he has heard amiss amen let me let me just say before the last hymn is that the collection taken today is for the support of this cause after the benediction we will sing the doxology hymn 277 tune saint bees 494 now i see whate'er betide all is well all is all is all is all is all is all is all is well if

[46:34]  Christ be mine he has promised to provide may he teach me to resign whate'er betide all is well you