Transcription downloaded from https://sermons.heritagesermons.org/sermons/49756/i-will-make-all-my-goodness-pass-before-thee-in-the-way-quality-poor/. 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] Dependent upon the help of God. I would direct your attention to the book of Exodus chapter 33 and verse 19. [0:18] The book of Exodus chapter 33 and verse 19. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. [0:53] And he said, I will make all my goodness to pass before you in the way. [1:06] You know my friends, if he says, he shall do it. And if there has been something granted you and me in our pathway, he will bring it to pass. [1:23] What a favour. If you and I have been recipients of a feeble desire, yes. Because those feeble desires, those wishes so weak, as Jesus inspires and bids you and me still seek. [1:44] But when he says, when he speaks to poor sinners' hearts, you see, he has said, my word shall not return unto me void. [2:01] It will accomplish that where unto it is sent. And where the word of the king is, dear friends, there is power. And if the Lord speaks to your heart, not your head, if he speaks to your heart, you'll know it. [2:22] Because he has righted there indelibly. And if he has given you a promise, dear friends, he will fulfil it. And he said, thus saith the Lord. [2:34] And this is what we want in our preaching. We want that demonstration and power of the Spirit. If I come here with words, dear friends, what will the profit be in them? [2:48] But I believe some of you know me differently. It says, the Lord teaches me, so I speak. We feel to be so foolish for such a solemn word, but if he says, then you'll do it. [3:03] And if he said, as I believe he said to me once, I will instruct thee, then I feel I have to venture to speak of those things that I humbly hope I have handled, tasted and felt, but all what it needs be for him to speak again and again to my heart. [3:23] I'm so foolish and slow of heart to believe. I may have told you on the Lord's day, but all we are such forgetful hearers and speakers, aren't we? [3:36] And so the Lord, the Lord, you see, looks upon these hearts that are repentant and our mercy is that he alone breaks the hard heart and then he will look upon this humble and this contrite spirit, this broken heart and he says, poor broken hearted sinner, one that feels to be completely undone and you have to acknowledge your best is died and stained with sin. [4:11] That's how to come to this throne of grace, to this great high priest, pleading his merits to come like that, believing that you have nothing in your hand to bring, your best is died and stained with sin, your all is nothing worth. [4:32] That's very humbling to a man, isn't it? It's very humbling to proud nature, to think that we've nothing to bring acceptable to God in worship. [4:47] I would to God there were thousands that worship him in a form, I might know it in the land. We should have that answer of the prayer of our hymn. [5:00] We should, those that have gone to heaven and that will yet go to heaven. We might find these growing numbers worshipping here and praising him in their room. [5:13] We might find the empty pews filled. What a mercy though he still speaks. And if he speaks, who shall let it, who shall prevent it? [5:26] And he said, I will. I will make all my goodness pass before thee, Moses and these Israelites. [5:38] This is that pathway of that people that he chose before the foundation of the world. Do you mock the word of God and say, I cannot accept these things? [5:52] Do you bypass the Old Testament and say it's out of date? May the Lord open your eyes and mine if we have such thoughts and bring us more to realise that this is the pathway of a child of God in this day and age as it was in the time of Moses. [6:13] It's bringing you and me up out of Egypt. Egypt, a type of the world. Woe unto him that goeth down into Egypt for help and he said, I will. [6:27] You may feel to be grovelling here below. There seems to be this trial and that trial in your pathway. You've entered now upon another year and there's that pondering in your heart as to what the end will be. [6:44] The beginning has been a little bit turned upside down as it were. you wondered what it all means, this and that trial coming upon you and you say, well, if this is what the year is going to be like, how shall I get through? [7:05] I will make all my goodness pass before thee. I will make all my goodness pass before thee. And this is that God that dwelleth in eternity, this God that looketh upon the nations of the earth as but a drop in a bucket, this God that sitteth upon the circle of the earth and the inhabitants therein as but grasshoppers. [7:32] You like being called a grasshopper, do I? No, I don't. But my faith, I hope, if I have a little, approves it well. and you will be seeking and asking your way to Zion with your face thitherward that this God, that this God might be your God through this year, that this God will be your God, he will be your guide even unto death. [8:00] How many of us know that we shall reach the end of it? Is it the appointed year for our appearance before Christ on the judgment seed? [8:13] We know not what a day may bring forth, do we not have to witness it? We have to realize it, it comes very close. But our mercy is, if you and I are preserved in Jesus, I will make all my goodness pass before thee. [8:33] All those crooked things made straight and those rough places made plain, all those things that seem to be upside down that cause you much perplexity, much trial, and there seems to be in this day and age many man-made trials, don't there? [8:54] Seem to be all unnecessary strife in the land, when the Lord has bountifully blessed us indeed in providence, and man here flying in the face of God, but is man any different? [9:10] You search the scriptures, dear friends, is man any different today as he was in Moses' day? He brought this chosen race out into the, out towards the promised land, and what did they do? [9:28] Moses' back is turned, and they make a golden calf and worship there, because they thought Moses wasn't coming back again, even Aaron, even Aaron as the second in command, as it were, even lets it go on. [9:48] Well, my friends, how we need to be given that grace to discipline ourselves in this pathway that the Lord, you humbly hope, has instructed you to walk in, how you see we consume, let things slide, how we need that diligence, as that diligence spoken of in business, rightly so, to do all things as unto the Lord, in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, letting our requests be made known unto God, God. [10:30] And this is when we shall prove that the Lord is faithful at promise. I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee. [10:46] This is the Lord speaking unto Moses, Moses who felt to be unfit for this work, and you may feel unfit to walk in the ways of the Lord, yet the Lord commanded him. [11:03] And what a mercy if he commands you and me to do these things, and by that grace and by prayer, we are unable to walk in that way that he has commanded, doing those things that are pleasing in the sight of God. [11:23] And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing, that thou have spoken, for thou have found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. [11:36] Now it's a great mercy if the Lord knows you and me by name, and if he has made himself known to us, if he has called us by name, if he has called us out of nature's darkness, into that, into his marvelous life, that we are searching the scriptures for our saving knowledge of Jesus, I will proclaim the name of the Lord, God to proclaim the name of Jesus, God to proclaim this name, throughout this earthly ball, and that you see if the Lord speaks to the heart, it doesn't matter how far we are from the truth, we may have run away from the truth, and the Lord will speak to you where you are, he'll put an aching void in your heart that the world can't fill, all those lusts of the flesh can never satisfy or never drown this aching void, and it may be that the Lord has preserved you from wandering from the fold, but you've been in a form of religion for many years, and you want the matter made playing, and you come to the sanctuary, and you say to the [13:03] Lord, if thou dost not bless me, oh how solemn it is, when we get left to dictate to Ergon, if thou will not bless me, I won't think I'll go anymore, you know, my friends, if only there were more of this hungering and thirsting in our hearts, we shall be searching the scriptures, we shall be diligent in our attendance upon the means of grace, the devil will tempt you, as I believe he does me, very much, as to who hath believed their report, but remember this, that we are not the first ones to have been tempted in this way, but you see, if he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the before thee, then you and I will be led to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and dare not seek him in vain, dear friends, if the [14:16] Lord said, if the Lord said you were to come here tonight for a special purpose, you'll not go away empty, in spite of the weakness of the instrument, the Lord is able to bless, and who shall let it, and if you and I are given a blessing, then we shall go in the strength of that blessing many days, it's like bread, bread for our souls that is cast upon the waters, it is found after many days, but a word to drop in your heart, for you, to be given that believing faith, to believe on this precious name of Jesus, this name that is able to make you and me wise unto salvation, this name whereby you will give all the praise and all the glory for providential mercies, and for these spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ [15:19] Jesus, you see, we want the Lord to descend this night in the cloud, we want him to stand with you where you are in the pew and in the pulpit, don't we? [15:35] We want the Lord to pass before us and make his presence known and found. We want the Lord to be merciful to us and gracious, and the Lord descended, he descended where Moses was in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. [16:01] This is the name to proclaim. We don't want to proclaim anything else in our pulpits, do we? We don't want to proclaim where we've been and what we've been doing. [16:13] We want to proclaim the name of Jesus, and we want to bow the knee before this name of Jesus, this King who is in glory, this King who is able to give you that kingdom at last. [16:30] So though you're coming and fearing, fearing you'll be cast away, that you're still coming, coming to a King large petition with you bring. [16:44] You're coming vile and full of sin, but you say, hangs my helpless soul on thee, because he has spoken to you and given you a knowledge of sin, and you know without the forgiveness of that sin you'll perish. [17:03] Not pleasant is it to hear it, but without this, without this pardon of that sin we're lost forever, and if the gospel is hid, it is hid to them that are lost. [17:18] All these words, search me at times, friends, but I humbly hope that I don't leave it there. I hope it stirs me up to search the scriptures, in that hope that the Lord will bless me and grant me an illuminated portion, as I believe he did once in the word, as I opened it, and this word seemed to stand out like a lighted portion, fear thou not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed, for I am thy God. [17:55] We would not boast of it, dear friends, but may it be an encouragement to you to search this blessed book of life, and though often times you may go to it and come away as it were still hungering, still wondering whether the Lord will be gracious to you and proclaim his name before you, whether he will show you a token for good, for this is what you know you must have if you are to enter at last into that desired haven. [18:30] You see, we need much grace to be still and know that he is God in the midst of our trials, and this greatest trial a poor sinner can have is the burden of their sins, separating them from a holy God. [18:48] But you see that the Lord is able to take that away from you and me, to manifest to you and to me that he has pardoned all their sins. [19:02] I met a gracious dear old lady down in Wiltshire. She said, the Lord's pardoned all my sins. And she said, I want it to be gone from this thin stained world, but the Lord has other thoughts because she is still in the body. [19:22] But what a mercy dear friends to have that testimony, to see the name of the Lord proclaimed before her. She has been blessed with that pardon of her sins, sins of past, present and those yet to come. [19:43] She's got, as it were, a clean sheet, a passport to heaven. I would speak reverently. And this is how you and I need to be taught, don't we? [19:55] To mourn an absent God, yes. You now therefore have sorrow as we spoke of, didn't we, on the Lord's day, but I will see you again. [20:07] This is what we want, the Lord to see us again. I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee. Is this name precious to you and me? [20:19] This name is only precious and sweet in a believer's ear. It soothes his sorrows. You see, he'll have those sorrows and heals his wounds and drives away each fear. [20:35] Sins are a great wound upon the conscience, aren't they? When you and I can look back over life's history, we can look back, some of us, and see the wasted years, when we neglected the throne of grace, when we neglected the searching of the word, when we had a form of religion without the power and thought we were quite self-satisfied with it. [21:05] But now there's an aching void that the world can't fill. And now there's a secret sighing and crying unto the Most High God that he would prepare us for his will, for him to talk with us. [21:22] God talked with Moses, and he talked with his people. And the Lord does move in these mysterious ways, doesn't he, his wonders to perform. [21:35] He plants his footsteps in the sea, rides upon the storm, and haven't we had to prove that his goodness has passed before us thus far in the way. [21:50] But you see, he that has helped you and me hitherto will help us all our journey through. If you and I are favoured to have our names written in the Lamb's Book of Life, then no good thing will he withhold from you and from me if we walk up rightly. [22:11] The men that fear the Lord in every state are blessed. But you say, is that a blessing, Lord, when I'm brought into this trial? when you feel all these things rise up against me? [22:27] You say, am I blessed in that state? Yes. He's only chastening you, poor sinner, that his name might be more precious to you. [22:39] No affliction for the present seem to be joyous but grievous. Nevertheless, afterwards, have you had an afterwards? When the Lord has brought you out, when he's delivered you from this great mountain, when he's made it a plain, when he's exalted the valley and you've gone on with these tumbling stones and rocks removed out of the way, those trials, those besetting cares, the Lord has cast them to one side in miraculous way, mysterious but miraculous. [23:18] earth. Some of you, doubtless, can record of the Lord's goodness to you. And haven't you been unable to return thanks? [23:30] You know there were ten lepers healed but only one turned back and praised God and gave him the glory. You want glory in the flesh? [23:41] God forbid that I should glory or boast in the flesh. know. We should want to come and glory in this name of Jesus. [23:54] We should want to bow the knee before him. We'll say to him, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Do keep me from murmuring or repining under these trying strokes of thine. [24:10] But while I walk the mournful road to be still and know the dark God, Christian had a burden on his back when he came out of that city of destruction. [24:23] The world is a city of destruction to the Lord's people. It may not be in their younger years but as the Lord calls them by grace and he said, and if he says to you that the world is nothing but a city of destruction. [24:49] Those that are in it shall perish except they're brought to repentance. There'll be like those that were in Sodom, the land was only spared by reason of that lot, the just lot in there. [25:06] You see, as soon as that just one was brought out, the city was destroyed, and so it will be with this world. When the last ransomed soul is taken out of it, the world will be destroyed. [25:22] When rolling worlds depart on fire and thousands sink to hell, but this covenant the saint shall admire in all things ordered well. [25:34] And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, this covenant keeping God, this one who is faithful that promise, this one that has given you a little hope that he is your God, he will be your guide even unto death, and he will guide you by his counsel though through many mysterious ways. [26:02] And I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee, this name of Jesus at which every knee shall bow, this King who is now in glory, this one who is that mighty God, that Prince of Peace, that Counselor, that Friend of Sinners, all the government is upon his shoulders, dear friends, in our churches, in our congregations, in the land, in our personal lives, do you commit your way unto him, or are you still foolishly trying to manage your own affairs? [26:48] My friends, if you and I are in this covenant, we shall be brought there whereby we shall wholly fix our dependence upon him. [27:00] Not easy, is it, but thy whole dependence on me fix. Plead the name of the Lord at the throne of grace. Oh, it's sweet is this name to a believer's ear. [27:16] How precious it is to poor dying sinners when they see that he is the one thing needful. You know he comes right where you are too. [27:30] When most we need his helping hand, this name is precious. Do you plead it? May you and I be enabled to plead it more this year. [27:42] I have to acknowledge my short comings and doubtless you do. You would seek to be breathing more after this holiness that you might be found at last a real Christian washed in this precious redeemer's blood. [28:03] Oh, the sweetness of this name, the name of the Lord, oh, that we could exalt this name higher. You see, my friends, in our lives, he must increase and I must decrease. [28:19] Flesh dislikes the way, but faith approves it well. And so you may have to wait many, many days, I was going to say years, and you may have to do that to receive the full pardon of your sin. [28:36] But you prove this, that the Valley of Acre is a door of hope. The Valley of Acre is that place where you feel to be in much trouble. [28:49] You feel to be as though you were one that really does not know the Lord or his will, cannot seem to see things clearly. [29:03] You may be in that state where you have had these scales removed from your eyes partly to see but men as trees walking. But our mercy is this if we have seen that far. [29:17] And it is only he can come and anoint you with that eye-self to view him more clearly although we only view him darkly through the lattice of the gospel but as through a glass darkly. [29:36] But if there's that greater clarity by faith to walk after him, to follow after him, to walk in the ways of the Lord and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee. [29:56] And if the name of the Lord is proclaimed before thee and in your heart, your desire I believe will be to serve him more, more as it were, loyally, more faithfully. [30:17] But you see, it's coming again, thy whole dependence on me fixed, nor entertain a thought, thy worthless schemes with mine to mix, but venture to be not, to be given that grace of top lady, nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling, helpless look to thee for grace, how I to the fountain fly, wash me saviour, or I die, we shall die without that cleansing and washing of Christ, won't we? [30:55] Is he gracious to you, is he precious to you? You see, he will be gracious to whom he will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom he will show mercy. [31:08] And what a mercy then if your name is written in the Lamb's book of life. You see, the Lord passed by before Moses and proclaimed the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth. [31:31] You've had to prove him in your little way, haven't you? He's called you to melt down, for he's keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty. [31:50] Would you say, Lord, I'm guilty of breaking all thy ten commandments? But the Lord is forgiven those who are in the covenant, and he does visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the children's children. [32:09] But you see, when the Lord spoke to Moses there, he made haste and bowed his head toward the earth and worshipped. But what a favour it is if you and I can bow the head spiritually and worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. [32:27] to hear his voice and to know him, you know there's that union, there's that communion with Christ then, this precious name of the Lord. [32:42] You'll proclaim it then, because they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee, and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious. [33:00] Now you see, if the Lord's presence goes with you, and he gives you rest, then you'll seek to do those things that are right in his sight. [33:15] As you see with the case of Moses here, for wherein shall it be known that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? Is it not in that thou goest with us? [33:29] And my friends, if God before us, who then shall be against us? You may have it very much tried, those promises that he has given you, but nevertheless you see, he will make his goodness pass before you. [33:45] It's one of the shells and wills of Jehovah. And though sometimes you'll try to the very uttermost, yet the Lord never extinguishes that spark of vital religion, that living faith and exercise in your soul. [34:04] If he's the author of it, he'll maintain it. And there will be no extinguishing of that spark. When you pass through the waters, I will be with thee. [34:20] You see, these waters are to wash away the sin, as it were, wash away the guilt. But you see, that precious blood cleanses the sin. [34:34] It's that atonement for your sin and mine. But without the shedding of blood, there could be no remission for sin. Oh, this name of Jesus, do you bear before him? [34:49] Is he more precious to you than earth and all its comforts are? Sometimes you say, yes, Lord, oh, I would seek these blessed blessings to know that my little faith has made me whole. [35:09] You see, the just shall live by faith, that if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. We do not want any of that false faith. [35:23] We want that gift of faith that we might believe in the promises of Christ, believing that he is able to make the crooked things great and the rough things, believing that he is able to deliver us from the glider, to deliver us from all those enemies of the truth, and that he is leading us forth by the right way that we might go to a city of habitation. [35:56] third hope people was taking away and the następstろう, Lord, how do we how shall we overcome this great trial now all these things seem to be against me and I wonder where the scene will end but you see these councils of men the Lord will bring to north you may have those things that are in your heart now and it seems as though all these things are against you but you see this is the case here Fred the Lord bring the council of the heath of the north he may run so far in these ways and he may think that he can turn you upside down as it were and break your spirit but if you and I still have that little faith and exercise to plead this name of Jesus to this captain who stood the fire he fed and you will have to prove that you can stand through him in providence and in grace then you'll prove this [37:31] I believe that the council of the the Lord bringeth the council of the fields of the north he make it and be right unto the people of none of things would the God we can see it in the land the council of the Lord remember this the government upon his shoulders personally and nationally the council of the Lord standing forever and the thought of his heart to all generations so you see it wasn't just to the generation of Moses but to all generations blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom he have chosen for his own inheritance for what a privilege if you and I are one of those whom he has chosen I have chosen thee poor sinner I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction [38:35] I will make all my goodness pass before thee I have chosen thee and I will instruct thee in the way that thou shall go I be not a support or a mule all these men that are acting like beasts upon the earth it's only a devilish spirit in them is it be not as that horse or as the mule which have no understanding whose mouth must be held in with bitter bribe unless they come near unto me but I will instruct thee and feed thee in the way that thou shall go I will guide thee with mine eye many sorrows shall be to the wicked you may be tempted to ask dear friend to wonder where the scene will end but he that trusts it in the Lord trusts it in the Lord fight to believe that though in the depths of the trial though in the valley of trouble to see a door of hope and get a sea well he that has helped you with the too will enable you to continue many sorrows shall be to the wicked but he that trusts it in the Lord mercy mercy shall comfort him about he will be as a wall of fire round about his people and he the [40:06] God the glory in the midst give him the praise give him the praise dear friends for what he has done for you hitherto take nothing for yourself may you and I be found among those that shall live to praise his name in heaven there to view him without a veil between there to bless and praise him forever more why we shall spend a never ending eternity singing God is love if we are one of these that whom he has said and he has said this my grace you say it's impossible for me to continue the trials are so heavy I know not where the scene will end you know your peculiar trial here this night and I'm persuaded there are trials amongst you why it's the lot of the [41:08] Lord's people to be in and out of trials you see in it all he has said he has said my grace he said it of Paul my grace is sufficient for thee my strength is made perfect in weakness he he he he gives power to the faith and to them that have no mind he increases strength prays thou canst or canst not see but pray with faith in Jesus name this is the name the father loves to hear his children plead and all such pleadings he approves and blesses them he doesn't curse them he blesses them indeed he gives them enlargement of heart he gives them faith the hope that he has helped them hitherto will help them all their journey through and give them daily calls to praise you have an ease as to his praise [42:13] I would to God that I had more of this in my heart I feel to be so slow so slow to see the Lord stand before me that I would acknowledge all his mercy to me and I would and I trust you may have been able to in this year in all thy ways acknowledge him him with whom we have to do he that is above all and he that is or would be our all little Jesus Christ fixing your heart dwelling in your heart formed in your heart the home of glory what a glorious prospect it is if you and I have a little sweet hope that the Lord has thought that peace award you by reason of his blessing to you it may only be his brother to give your little hope to press toward the bar for the prize of the high calling of [43:30] God in Christ Jesus to enable you to cast your cares upon him believing that he cares for you may we then in all our ways acknowledge him and find him directing our paths and he says and he said I will make all my goodness pass before thee and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee and will be gracious on whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy you see will not at all acquit the wicked but all that have this saving faith to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and they shall be saved this is the name of Jesus how sweet it sounds I hope you have a little it's not that some of you hear this name of [44:34] Jesus this one that was stood in the room place and said of his dear people that they might be delivered from from the condemnation of the Lord that they might be one with the path in Christ Jesus I in them and thou in me that we might be found at last in that one fold with one shadow Jesus Christ who is that door into that fold Jesus Christ who is that door of that mercy and that door of his mercy that stands open all day to the poor and the needy that not by the way Moses was poor and needy enough and yet look at the blessing that the Lord has told upon him yet he felt to be unfit and unworthy for such a solemn responsibility and so would you even though you may not profess openly the name of [45:46] Jesus yet your desire and your walk and conversation is to be a real Christian well you won't find yourself worthy to walk in hell but the Lord gives power to the faint or faint hearted sinners look up look up and look unto the Lord Jesus Christ oh may you not be left to turn aside may you prove that he is faithful to death and he is able to deliver your soul and mine he is able to go before us and bless us indeed and in large air hope he is able to bless us with this progression forgiven and sin covered you see this is the man that is blessed you see and when you and [46:52] I keep silence then as the psalmist their bones waxed off through my roaring all the day long sometimes you feel can these dry bones live they will live when the blessed comforter breathes life into your soul and you will go on your way rejoice you may acknowledge you must acknowledge my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not given I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord thou forgave me all the confidence of pain of the dear time well he knew what it was to be tried he knew what it was to have those things opposing him but he proved in it all that the Lord was his shepherd [47:52] I shall not watch face in lightly exercise and though you see there was that time where he went on his soul was restored and he spoke of going through the valley of the shadow of death into a low thing yet the rod and the star they comfort me the Lord comforted him and blessing him and supporting him and the Lord will likewise do it to you and me and he was able to say surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life may grant us faith to say that I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever may the Lord and his blessing remain soon amen