Transcription downloaded from https://sermons.heritagesermons.org/sermons/7182/isaiah/. 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] May the Lord help us to commence this evening's service by singing hymn 918, tune 681. [0:11] Blessed are the poor in spirit, who their native honest see. They are all taught sins demerit, gladly own salvation free. [0:22] And from Sinai to the wounds of Jesus flee. Hymn 918, tune 681. [0:45] Hymn 918, tune 681. Hymn 918, tune 681. [1:17] Hymn 918, tune 681. [1:47] Hymn 918, tune 681. [2:17] Hymn 918, tune 681. Hymn 919, tune 691. Hymn 919, tune 711. Hymn 918, tune 691. [2:39] Thank you. [3:09] Thank you. [3:39] Thank you. Thank you. [4:39] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [5:15] Thank you. Thank you. [5:47] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [6:23] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [6:35] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [6:47] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [6:59] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [7:11] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [7:23] Thank you. Thank you. For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight. [7:34] For the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your reward. Behold, my servant shall deal prudently. [7:49] He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. As many were astonished at thee, his visage was so marred, more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men. [8:08] So shall he sprinkle many nations. The king shall shut their mouths at him. For that which had not been told them shall they see. [8:24] That which they had not heard shall they consider. Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? [8:39] For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground. He has no form nor comeliness. [8:52] And when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men. [9:07] A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. We hid, as it were, our faces from him. He was despised and we esteemed him not. [9:20] Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet, we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. [9:39] But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. [9:56] And with his stripes, we are healed. For we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. [10:13] And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed. He was afflicted yet. [10:25] He opened not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep before her shearers is done. [10:39] So he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment. And who shall declare his generation? [10:53] For he was cut off out of the land of the living. For the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked. [11:08] And with the rich in his death. Because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his may. Yet, it pleased the Lord to bruise him. [11:23] He has put him to grief. And they shall make his soul an offering for sin. He shall see his sea. [11:36] He shall prolong his day. And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied. [11:52] By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many. For he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great. [12:09] And he shall divide the spore with the strong. Because he has poured out his soul unto death. And he was numbered with the transgressors. [12:25] And he bare the sin of many. And made intercession for the transgressors. Sing, O barren. [12:36] Though that didst not bear. Break forth into singing and cry aloud. Though that didst not travel with child. For more are the children of the desolate. [12:50] Than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord. Enlarge the place of thy tent. And let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitation. [13:05] Spare not. Lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes. For they shall break forth on the right hand and on the left. [13:19] Thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles. And make the desolate cities to be inhabited. Hear not. [13:31] Hear not. For they shall not be ashamed. Neither be thou confounded. For they shall not be put to shame. [13:42] For they shall forget the shame of thy youth. And shall not remember the reproach of thy widowhood anymore. For thy maker is thine husband. [13:59] The Lord of hosts is his name. And thy Redeemer. The Holy One of Israel. The God of the whole earth. [14:13] Shall he be called. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit. And a wife of youth. [14:25] When thou wast refused, saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee. But with great mercies will I gather thee. [14:38] In a little wrath. I hid my face from thee for a moment. But with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee. For the Lord thy Redeemer. [14:53] For this is as the waters of Noah unto me. For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth. [15:09] So have I sworn. For the mountains shall depart. For the mountains shall depart. [15:22] And the hills be removed. And the hills be removed. But my kindness shall not depart from thee. Neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed. [15:37] For the Lord. It saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. O thou afflicted. Thou afflicted. Thou afflicted. Thou afflicted. Thou afflicted. Thou afflicted. [15:47] Thou afflicted. Thou afflicted. Behold I will lay thy stones with fair colors. And lay thy foundations with sapphire. And thou make thy windows of agates. [16:01] Thou afflicted. Thou afflicted. And thy gates of carbuncles. And all thy borders of pleasant stone. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. [16:13] And great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established. Thou shalt be far from oppression. [16:28] Thou shalt not fear. And from terror. Thou shalt not come near thee. Behold they shall surely gather together. [16:40] But not by me. Whosoever shall gather together against thee. Shall fail. Shall fall for thy sake. Behold I have created the smith. [16:52] That bloweth the coals in the fire. That bringeth forth an instrument for his work. For thy have created the waster to destroy. No weapon. [17:05] That is formed against thee shall prosper. And every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment. Thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. [17:21] And their righteousness is of me. Says the Lord. Dear Lord. Dear Lord. [17:38] We come to thee. Look down upon us. We seek thy face. [17:48] Thou knowest. We deal with the solemn issues of time and eternity. The solemn issues Lord. [18:03] Our frailty and carnality and sin. Thy holy law and justice. And Lord. [18:15] We seek that. Which stands between. Thyself. [18:26] For whom we have read in thy holy word. Wounded. For our transgression. O come to us this night. [18:40] And as we are gathered. And are gathered around thy holy word. We seek thy presence. We pray for thy own work. [18:54] The work of thy spirit in the hearts of fallen men and women. Thy holy word. And the holy word. There may be a work. Begun and carried on. [19:08] Which cannot be shaken. That which will stand. In that great day. The work of thy spirit. [19:20] In the hearts of thy dear people. The shining of that. Mighty light into the soul. Revealing iniquity. [19:32] Transgression and sin. Revealing poverty and ruin. Inability. And dear Lord. We come to thee for all. [19:49] All in all. Said one in thee I find. Thou knowest all we need. Lord. Lord. We need. Keeping. [20:01] We're wanderers. They know it. We have a carnal. Fall and ruin nature. Lord. You make no excuse for it. [20:13] The heart. We know. Within us is. Deceitful and desperately wicked. We know. Lord. That in our carnal nature. [20:23] We love darkness. Rather than light. But oh Lord. We have that. Inner conflict. That thy dear. Certainly apostle knew. When I would do good. [20:35] Evil is present with me. And how to perform that. Which is right. I find not. Lord. We have a. Tempting adversary. A vicious foe. We know. [20:47] That he knows our weaknesses. And day and night. He knows how to tempt us. But oh gracious God. We. Look to thee. For those everlasting arms. [21:00] Of love and mercy. To be underneath. For thy. For thy. Protecting. For care. That we may be kept. By the power of God. [21:13] For day of weakness. We may be made strong. Lord. Knowing our weakness. And feeling. Feeling our need. [21:24] Of thyself. Especially as we come into thy house. To preach thy. Holy word. Lord. We pray. That thou. Do all things. [21:37] Fill our earthen vessel. Once again. How we need it. Every time. Lord. We need a fresh anointing. Of thy spirit. And oh gracious God. [21:48] We. Pray for thy workmanship. In the churches. The work of thy spirit. In the hearts. Of young and old. That. Blessed work. [22:00] For what. The Lord doeth. We read. He doeth forever. Nothing can be added to it. Nothing can be added to it. From it. [22:11] Lord. We pray for that. Which will stand. In that great day. When we must. Inevitably. Stand before the judge. Of the whole of it. Then Lord. [22:21] Then Lord. Then Lord. To possess. A sparkly robe. Of thy righteousness. Then. To have known. Here below. That blood of sprinkling. [22:33] Upon our soul. To have known. Its cleansing. Efficacy. And to have known. Lord. That. The blood of Jesus Christ. [22:43] His son. Cleanseth. From all sin. And to hear. Thy own words. In our heart. And soul. Be it clean. Through the word. That I have spoken. [22:54] Unto you. Lord. Look down. We pray thee. And grant. Such a mighty work. In the hearts. Of the hearers. Young and old. That there may be. A knowledge. [23:05] Lord. Of sin. A knowledge. Of our ruin. And fallen condition. And yet. A knowledge. Of Christ. That there may be. [23:16] A point. Where the poor sinner. Can say. There is now. Therefore. No condemnation. To them. That are in Christ. [23:27] Jesus. I know. In whom. I have believed. And am persuaded. That he is able. To keep that. Which I have committed. [23:37] Under him. Against that day. Lord. Come and speak. And teach. Send down. Thy Holy Spirit. Into the churches. Apply the great. Exceeding great. [23:48] And precious promises. In the souls. Of thy dear children. That there may be. A possession. Of them. By revelation. That thou. [23:58] Which reveal. Thyself. In their hearts. As their God. Their Redeemer. Their Savior. That there may be. Said of them. [24:09] As there was. Of Peter. Blessed are your eyes. For they see. And your ears. For they hear. Flesh and blood. Has not revealed. This unto thee. For my Father. Which is in heaven. Lord. Grant that. [24:20] Divine revelation. And look upon us. Each Lord. As we. Journey onward. And have done now. Over many years. Constantly. [24:33] Looking back. To know. To know. To know. To know. That the. Preserving hand. Of God alone. Has kept. And where would we be. Without it. [24:44] Constantly seeking. Fresh grace. Fresh strength. To be in able. To fight that. Good fight of faith. And to endure. And to stand. In that latter night. [24:56] Oh. To be in able. To stand. Lord. Look down. Upon us then. And come and teach her. Feed us. With that bread of heaven. [25:06] And that water of life. Strengthen us. With all might. In the inner man. And enable us. Lord. To endure. Under the end. [25:18] To stand. In evil day. And having done all. To stand. Lord. Bless us this night. Thy word is before us. We pray. [25:28] For the anointing. In action. Of thy spirit. In the preaching. Of thy word. We pray. Lord. That. There may be power. In thy word of truth. [25:39] As thou dost. Direct it. Into individual hearts. We pray. Lord. It may drop us the rain. To stand us the dew. What a gracious effect that has. There is a growth. [25:54] We witness it in nature. The warmth. The moisture. And there is a growth. For we pray. There may be warmth. The warmth of thy love. [26:06] And moisture. That water of life. May be known in the heart. Though did say to the dear woman. Of the world. He that drinketh this water. Shall never thorn. [26:16] Lord. Oh may we drink it. And know what it is. To be strengthened by it. In the inner man. With all my. [26:29] Faith to be increased. Hope. To be raised up. For Lord. For Lord. Though know it. It becomes. A dying ember. [26:41] Yet if thou dost shine. Oh how there is a melting of heart. And a warming of thine love. Three nearness is known. And Lord. There is hope. [26:52] Raised up. Oh may that. Hope be ours. We may have it. As an anchor of the soul. Both sure and steadfast. [27:06] That we may know that. Anchor in our hearts. Lord in the. Sinking sands of time. And be brought. [27:20] Through the storms of life. As we read in the psalm. Thus. He bringeth them to their desired haven. And Lord it is a conflict. [27:31] Though know it. And oh we are thankful. That in thy incarnation. Here below. That is walk out. The footsteps of the flock. And we have not an eye preached. [27:46] And we know it Lord. Who cannot be touched. For the feeling of our infirmities. Though has come. When most. We have needed thee. And now Lord. [27:57] We would rest. In thy arms of love and mercy. Seek. Thy presence. Thy presence. And know sweet. Communion with thee. Enter into that peace of God. [28:09] Which passes. All understanding. And be prepared. And made ready. To meet thee face to face. And to have an advocate. [28:23] An intercessor. A great high priest. Oh look down upon us. A saviour. A redeemer. One who. [28:36] Speaks for us. In heaven's high quarter bar. Lord. Look upon us then. And grant that. Each heart. From the youngest to the oldest. [28:48] May be touched. By that heavenly flame. By that divine revelation. By that teaching of the. Holy Spirit. May be the subjects Lord. [29:01] The divine grace. Lord. Lord. Have dayned upon this. Candlestick of truth. Lord. [29:11] We have known it. And loved it. Over many years. A generation. Has passed. Before our eyes. And gone to be with thee. Where thou are. For they have left behind. [29:23] A fragrant memory. They marked the footsteps. That he trod. His zeal inspired their breast. [29:36] And following. Their incarnate God. Possessed. The promised rest. Lord. I said in thy holy word. Seeing. Ye therefore. [29:47] Are compassed the bank. With so great a cloud of witnesses. And Lord we are. And we would follow on. One said. [30:00] Think. Not I envy your crown. But. Following on. And Lord we would. Follow on. [30:12] And seek that. Grace. To endure unto the end. For the rising generation. Lord. We pray for them. [30:24] Sin is no different. In any generation. Unbelief is no different. In any generation. All the generations. [30:36] Since Adam. Lord have been. A fallen generation. And Lord thy grace. Is no different. Thou abidest faithful. Though we believe not. [30:50] Says thy word. Thou abidest faithful. He cannot deny himself. Oh we pray for that. Divine work of the spirit. [31:03] Foreordained before the foundation of the world. In gathering of that. Elect harvest. For which Lord. Do this die on Calvary's cross. [31:14] And we are thankful. All. Is bound up. In thy finished work. And not a hoof. [31:25] Should be left behind. Look down upon this church then Lord. We pray it's prosperity. Spiritual prosperity. The grace. [31:39] Manifest in the heart. Separation of this world. That lies in wickedness. A true separation. Not a legal one. A separation out of love. [31:52] To thyself. Grace to be in the world. And not of it. Oh may that lesson be well done. Lord look down then. [32:05] Separate to thyself. Separate from this world. And oh grant grace. To follow thee. In the ordinances of thy hands. [32:19] In obedience. And the submission. To thy words if you love me. Keep my commandments. Build up the churches Lord. [32:31] In the house of prayer. Oh hey we pray. That those do so. Lord. None can pray but. [32:44] With thy help. And they just work in the hearts. Of poor sinners in such a way. And in their lives. In thy dealings with them. [32:54] To bring them to prayer. To make them feel the Lord. Their weakness. Their inability. [33:06] Their need. To let them mourn thy absence. As thou didst leave the bride. [33:16] In the song of Solomon. As we read there. Of thy work in the hearts of thy dear people. To make them seekers. And. And. Lord. [33:27] That they should find thee. And know thee. And know thy love and mercy. O work in the hearts of the young Lord. [33:38] As thou alone are able to do. And raise them up in their day and generation. To be of you. Sin's eye. Down on all thy dear aged people. [33:49] In sickness and affliction. We think of so many. Thy dear servant who has fallen. We remember him before thee. The Lord looked down upon him. [33:59] In all his need. Thy has enabled him to labor long in Zion. Brought him through many things. [34:11] A deep sorrow. We pray thou would sanctify this affliction. To his dear soul. And raise him up. To stand on the walls of Zion. To thy servant in America. [34:23] Lord. They see us all the dangers. Of traveling in these solemn times. We pray thou would protect him. And bless thy dear people in that land. To whom we have found. [34:35] A deep love and union. One thy causes of truth. Lord. We pray for our land and nation. His vast wickedness. [34:49] They see us the immense evil. That abound on every hand. The solemn dangers. To our religious liberty. And our freedom of worship. [35:02] That are now appearing. Thy people but a mere. Minority in the nation. A very small remnant. Now. Lord. [35:12] We know the. Solemn nature of the. Persecution of minority. Thy own people have suffered persecution. And there has been a cause for it. [35:28] And Lord. There will be a cause if. We as churches suffer solemn persecution. Oh that there might be a great outpouring of thy spirit. [35:40] As we have read. Thy servants may see eye to eye. And that there may be Lord. A union and a communion. And a building up of the walls of Zion. That have fallen down. There may be a strengthening of those things that remain. [35:53] That are ready to perish. We pray Lord. For the Queen and the Royal House. Our Prime Minister. His cabinet and parliament. [36:05] Our parliamentary assembly. Lord. Thy see as poor things. A godlessness in high places. Yet. They have commanded us. [36:17] To pray thus. That we might lead. Peaceable lives. In all godliness. Oh have mercy upon us. Preserve our freedom as a nation. Our Protestant reformed heritage. [36:28] And constitution. And look down upon us now. Lord. We will come apart. This night. Gather around. Thy holy word. and pray that may be a flowing together for the goodness of the Lord and ask every mercy the pardon of every sin for Christ's sake Amen Hymn 261 June 140 It is the Lord enthroned in life whose claims are all divine who has an undisputed right to govern me and mine Hymn 261 [37:44] June 140 Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Thank you. [38:44] Thank you. [39:14] Thank you. Thank you. [40:14] Thank you. Thank you. [40:46] Thank you. Thank you. [41:18] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [41:30] God bless you. [42:00] God bless you. [42:30] God bless you. [43:00] God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. [43:12] God bless you. The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed. But my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. [43:37] And we have it clearly stated here that this is the word of the Lord himself. [43:49] And what we need is that he speak this word into our hearts. And then we shall be in a position to say to him, Lord, I have said. [44:09] The dear apostle, when he had his thorn in the flesh, bright so beautifully, he besought the Lord's rise that he would take it from him. [44:21] And he says this, and he said unto me, what has the Lord said unto you? What have you got in your heart tonight? That you can truly say unto you? [44:32] That you can truly say before him who searches all hearts, Lord, they have searched. These words are given in scripture to be spoken by the Spirit of truth to the hearts of his dear people. [44:50] And they're spoken in certain circumstances which the Lord knows. Ours of need. And they're a mighty power in the hearts of God's dear people. [45:03] They have an effect. I tell you this, when the Lord speaks, there's an effect. When he said to the man at Bethesda, Paul, rise. [45:19] He rose. When the Lord says, fear not, fear is taken away. [45:30] Oh, when we come to look at these gracious commandments. When the Lord says, follow thou me. Oh, there's a commandment. [45:47] We may resist like Moses did at the burning bush, but we shall have to go. We will not escape. The divine commandment. [46:03] When the Lord speaks in the hearts of his dear children, and calls them out of nature's darkness into his marvelous light, and separates them from this world, and says to them, come out from among them and be ye separate. [46:15] Touch not the unclean thing. There's a coming out. There's a knowledge of what Elijah knew in the cave. The still, small voice of God. [46:29] And these exceeding great and precious promises are in the page of Scripture. For use. They're to be used. They're to be spoken into the hearts of God's dear people. [46:41] The Lord told Joshua, in way of promise, as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee. I'll not leave thee nor forsake thee. The Lord spoke in his heart. [46:55] And you know, before the God of heaven, there is sincerity and truth in the hearts of his dear people. [47:06] They can only speak of those things the Lord has given them. And they may mourn. Because they have nothing. [47:19] They may be sorrowful. Deeply sorrowful. They may carry in their hearts a solemn persuasion. And you may deny that the Lord has never spoken a word to you. [47:33] And you long for him to do it. You grieve and mourn an absent God. But you know, in cases like that, there must have been some light. [47:51] The world does not mourn. The world that walk is in darkness. Doesn't mourn an absent God. It's the child of God who mourns an absent God. He doesn't know it. [48:03] And he can't see it, nor can he feel it. And he feels he'll be cast down of God's presence. Yet he longs to hear the voice of God. [48:15] He yearns to know this voice of God speaking into his soul. Do you? Do you? Do you say, believe me not, neither forsake me? [48:30] Without the God of my salvation. The bride of Christ mourned in the absence of the bridegroom. [48:41] There was a reason for it. Her coldness, her lukewarmness, her death in her soul. But she wanted him. And she said so beautifully when she had sought him. [48:57] And that beautiful promise, seek, and ye shall find, which came from Jesus' name. She said, I have found him whom my soul loveth. [49:12] Lord, we speak those few words at the beginning before coming to our text because that's what's here. saith the Lord. Now he would desire to speak into the circumstances of this word. [49:30] What's around it? You know, it is like in the world of medicine. Certain medicines are used for certain afflictions. [49:46] they're suitable. This is a word of the good physician to the poor sinner that is fatally sick with leprosy. [50:05] This is to put his feet upon a rock in the sinking sands of time. tis indeed. [50:18] Oh, I say that in the light of the scripture you know. All flesh is grass. How solemn that is. Nothing is as fragile as grass. [50:33] We see all the various species of grass in the fields. The flower of grass is so delicate, so fragile. [50:47] All flesh is grass. What a comparison that is. And we are. We are fragile creatures. And solemnly from the day we're born it is true of us the grass wither it. [51:05] We shall not abide any more than the grass does in the field. it may look green in its youth but it will eventually wither away and the flower thereof fades away. [51:20] The flower of youth will be gone and there'll be an end. Solomon. Amen. Scripture says if in this life only we have hope we're all men most miserable. [51:35] What is our hope? Where is it resting? Is it resting on Christ? One said on Christ the solid rock I stand. [51:50] All of the ground is sinking sand. Where do you stand tonight? There is here in our text a solemn statement of what is going to happen. [52:08] And there's a solemn statement here of what did happen. We see it in the days of Noah spoken of here. He says the Lord does to his dear church this is as the waters of Noah unto me for as I have sworn the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth so have I sworn I would not be wroth with he nor rebuke thee. [52:30] When the Lord says that personally to a poor sinner what a mighty comparison that is. The mighty hand of God if we think that these earthquakes we're seeing in the world and these hurricanes and this tsunami and all the movement of nature and the divine creation in all its terrible force is great think of the flood. [53:00] How vast it was and the wrath and anger of God that lay behind it. When we come to look at here the Lord is speaking here so solemnly the destruction of this world the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed. [53:20] They to us in this world as we understand it are the greatest strength we can know and yet look what can an earthquake do to them? [53:32] We've seen it. Shaken them. Everything standing shaken and destroyed and all the solemn nature of it. [53:42] Death in the midst of it all. And here we have a solemn word of the Lord which regards time and this world and notice the words that lie here shall depart him writer speaks of it when flaming worlds depart on fire and thousands sink to hell this covenant in all things ordered well. [54:18] I was comforted by our dear friend the second hymn here tonight here is the foundation in our text the covenant are we in that covenant have we any evidence we are in that covenant one word from the Lord shows his dear people they're in that covenant the dying thief had one promise today that shall be in Paris he was in the covenant manifestly and experimentally in his own soul and he knew him when we come to look here at ourselves all flesh's grass and look at this world it will depart on fire scripture tells us my mind was led this evening with this text upon my mind it was led to the epistle portal Hebrews where we read this see that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escape not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven whose voice then shook the earth but now he has promised saying yet once more [55:36] I shake not the earth only but also heaven and this word yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and with godly fear we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved all here below is going to be shaken we brought nothing into this world and it's certain we shall carry nothing out everything will be shaken we may feel as we did in our youth that time would go on and life was before us but nothing is in our hands and nothing is certain and all we say as we move from hour to hour and day to day is this [56:39] God willing if we understand things rightly oh the blessed mercy then we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken when all around my soul gives way he then is all my strength and stay how vital then that you be brought to seek him and find him for yourself for in your life stands this solemn shaking the mountains shall depart your flesh will fall the hills will be removed it is a fact of time and a fact of humanity but then we go on into the text but beautiful word very precious my kindness you know when the [57:47] Lord deals with a sinner he shakes solemnly under the Lord's dealings often physically brought face to face with eternity as Hezekiah was how he shook how Jeremiah trembled in the pit and felt that the end had come you know when the Lord brings us face to face with eternity oh we will if we have nothing solid to stand upon we shame but if the Lord has spoken into our souls His Holy Word and has supplied it with almighty power and it's ours then there will be peace peace be still and there was a great car because their children proved there and their feet are then standing upon a rock and it's a trembling sinner who needs this it's the child of [59:28] God who knows his fallen condition and realises what's in front of him what lies before him who realises that he has nothing acceptable to bring to God he's not foolish like those who bring their own works their own self righteousness their legal religion the child of God has something which he can rest upon and that alone is what the Lord has said to him oh I say to you again tonight what has he said to you your blessed mercy if you went out of this sanctuary of God and felt in your soul I possess nothing he's preached about that be a blessed mercy and the Lord bring you to seek for your own soul and not to listen for another that you long in your own spirit and heart and soul for the [60:34] Lord to speak a promise into your heart and say to your poor soul my kindness shall not depart from thee oh that presupposes that the sinner has known something of the kindness of his God have you known anything of the kindness of your God trace it out you know tonight trace it out I look back in my life in my unregeneracy when I was wandering in the world to his kindness a night on the A6 out of Leicester on a pillion passenger on a motorbike head on collision thrown straight into the midst of a busy road with buses and traffic war and I was spared I never saw it at the time I got up I phoned for an ambulance untouched apparently with a young chap who had been driving the motorbike but you know [61:37] I look back to see that kindness that spared my life in that hour and you know I look back in my life now and I speak naturally of these things but I know the Lord's hand was in them I look back to some moral precipices not physical moral on the edge of solemn temptation and then to be kept and look back at him and oh to know the sweetness of this glorious day that the Lord was a wall of fire about me approved and then there stands over it that glorious word kept by the power of [62:47] God has the Lord been kind to you can you say as I can and there would I have gone but thou dost all things well you know he searches all hearts his eyes are upon the secret corners of our soul he sees every thought he knows what's there but if under his teaching we hate him we mourn over him we look to him for strength what a mercy if our constant prayer is that he would keep us you know here is a glorious promise my kindness shall not depart from thee it is the promise that is needed in the heart of a child of [63:55] God who fears and trembles that only came to his own sin double dyed sins sins against light and knowledge that kindness will depart have you ever felt it blessed mercy you know but the greatest mercy is this to possess this promise in your own heart and you won't take it no child of God has ever taken a promise they're given and they're given by God himself they're spoken with divine power into the soul I say to you tonight seek honesty the best they're from heaven they're given by God and the Lord gives them for a purpose they're given to be used when the [65:05] Lord dealt with his dear servant Jacob he took him to Bethel quite unexpectedly took him to Bethel he went out from his father's house in an hour of great darkness and sorrow and sin all his own fault all his own sin and there the Lord dealt with him and spoke in his heart to him and he gave him a blessed promise we read this he lighted upon a certain place and tarried there because the sun was set he dreamed a ladder set upon earth the top of it reached heaven angels of God descending and the Lord stood above it and said I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father and the God of Isaac the land whereon thou liest to thee will I give it unto thy seed thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth they shall spread abroad to the west and the east and the south and the north in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed and [66:13] I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest and will bring thee again into this land for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken unto thee my kindness shall not depart from thee oh he did come after years of deceit in the house of his uncle Laban as he reaped what he had sown sowed to the world wind and reaped to the world wind he did come back to the land this land his own land the promised land given to Abraham and his seed forever but he came to Peniel came to Brook Jabba and the Lord's kindness didn't depart from him but it was great trouble for his brother came with 700 armed men and there in that troubled moment having abandoned all carnal means to appease his brother he went to his knees alone what a sight we have of him and you know he wrestled and he said [67:27] I'll not let thee go except thou bless me and what a sight we had the promise of Bethel he had him the Lord was good to him the promise was there these promises are like mighty chains that bind a soul to God they're part of that everlasting and eternal covenant ordered in all things and sure the Lord speaks according to his own divine purposes in sovereign grace these promises into the hearts of his dear children he does indeed my kindness shall not depart from thee you know Jacob needed that he waited fourteen years until he came to use it many times it must have rested in his heart never to be erased indelibly written there by the divine pen it was his and the beauty of all that lay in it in thee and in thy seed that is [68:30] Christ shall all the nations of the earth be blessed so much was bound up in it and you know the Lord's covenant covenant beautifully described here as the covenant of his peace beautifully described by the angels over the hills of Bethlehem in these words on earth peace the same peace that he spoke of at the last supper my peace lovely words that is the atonement reconciliation my peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world give I unto you in the world you shall have tribulation but give good cheer I have overcome the world the Lord gave Jacob sweet peace we read this he blessed him there we read it of his grandfather on [69:38] Mount Moriah when he raised the hand over his father there was a knife in him and then we have that most beautiful word as the ram was caught in the thicket and the sacrifice was offered then the Lord spoke and it was this in blessing what a mysterious blessing that was my kindness we read so beautifully in from the Lord's lips Abraham saw my day and was glad my kindness shall not depart from thee that is a rock a promise of God to stand on we never sink there his word cannot be changed and it's this as you read in [70:41] Hebrews we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved oh when the Lord speaks in his dear people's heart with divine power and authority his word is theirs forever they receive it the dying thief received a kingdom on the strength of a promise which he was to enter into within a brief hour oh have you a promise has the Lord brought you to his footstool of mercy my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed says the Lord that has mercy on thee you know it cannot be removed can it once in him in him forever thus the eternal covenant stands once in him oh that you might be brought to divine revelation the eternal son of [72:00] God to hear his voice to come where dear Job came you know many of us have sat all our life in the sanctuary of God and we can say with Job I've heard of thee by the hearing of the ear further than this we yet must go the name I now see you see ah a work of grace begun and what's the effect of a work of grace it's this I abhor myself do you and repent in dust and ashes do you mourn as in mercy to be a mourner all our days [73:05] Christ was you know to be brought down at his mercy seat by divine power is a great blessing and to be able to come forth as Jonah did and say salvation is of the law and know it in the experience of it to come where Hezekiah came or the sight he had of himself and his prayer pathetic weren't they ah no they weren't in the Lord's eyes in his eyes they were like a crane or a swallow he says I chatter you can tell the fear that was in his arm he shook with fear but in that cry to heaven in his trembling shaking state the [74:14] Lord heard Jonah said out of the belly of hell cried I and they heard his way and you know Hezekiah here in the 38th chapter of this prophecy of Isaiah he comes to that blessed place where the Lord hears answers and he says in answer to that prayer undertake from your Lord I'm oppressed what shall I say and here we hear his words you know he has both spoken unto me and himself has done it he's spoken to you himself done it beautiful words because what had he done oh Lord by these things men live and in all these things is the life of my spirit and he says this for peace [75:19] I had great bitterness in love to my soul thou hast delivered it from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy bed he hath done it our poor sinner brought to the footstool of mercy carrying the knowledge the bitter knowledge of all his sins shown them by his God as a catalogue of evil and wretchedness to know the Lord has cast all his sins behind his back there's the covenant of peace there is peace in the peace speaking blood of Jesus Christ there is peace indeed I I tell you it's to be known and that is to have your feet upon this rock [76:22] Christ here the covenant of my peace shall not be removed neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed and then this says the Lord that hath mercy on me that's the promise of God from his own lips and the giving of that promise is in itself mercy we don't deserve a single promise from God we don't deserve a single blessing from him all are sinners in God's sight says dear Joseph out till the blood of Jesus wash their robes and make them white then they sing his praises here then is a promise as great as glorious and as grand as the promise he gave to Noah that no more would he destroy the earth and mankind upon it but that seed time and harvest summer and winter day and night will continue to the end of time there was a divine promise mighty magnitude and here is one of greater magnitude a promise to his dear people the members of his body that he will never leave them nor forsake them that he is the God of their salvation that he has loved them with an everlasting love and therefore with loving kindness he has drawn them [78:09] I tell you seek earnestly the best gift plead with your God that he would reveal himself to you speak the exceeding great and precious promises as Peter calls them into your heart then that you trembling one may be brought to that sweet place in scripture in quietness and in confidence shall be thy strength when all around my soul gives way here then is all my strength and stay Amen hymn 139 tune 97 my shepherd will supply my need [79:21] Jehovah is his name in pastures fresh he makes me feed beside the living stream hymn 139 tune 97 worship inлин A is [80:37] When I forsake His name, and His people will swear to me in tongues of truth and grace. [81:03] When I walk to the Lord, I shake His name, and His people will swear to me in tongues of truth and grace. [81:33] When I walk to the Lord, I shake His name, and His people will swear to me in tongues of truth and grace. When I walk to the Lord, I find His name, and His people will swear to me in tongues of truth and grace. [81:53] Oh Oh Oh [83:23] Oh Oh Oh Oh And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ the love of God the communion of the Holy Spirit abide with you each Amen Heavenly Spiriten your your your you