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[0:00] As the Lord may help this afternoon, direct your attention to Psalm 115, the part of verse 12.

[0:18] The Lord hath been mindful of us, he will bless us. Psalm 115, verse 12.

[0:36] The Lord hath been mindful of us, he will bless us. Of the first part of these words which we have ventured to read before you, each of us this afternoon can testify in some measure of the truth of it.

[1:16] Whatever our age, whatever our case, it is of the Lord's mercies that we are where we are, that health, strength has been given, that our lives have been lengthened out to this present moment of time.

[1:45] And the Lord hath been mindful of us. I would, we might be enabled to look deeper than the Lord's providential goodness and to trace there of how the Lord hath been mindful of us.

[2:11] And as we may be enabled to trace a little of those things in our own experience, so may we be enabled to look forward and to say with the psalmist here, he will bless us.

[2:30] We might look forward, rightly so, to blessings which the Lord will bestow upon his people in their pilgrimage.

[2:48] And then, my friends, as we shall come to the closing scene, and all of us must come there, all for that assurance that he will bless us in eternity.

[3:05] That we, when time shall be no more, shall be with Christ, which is far better, with him to live, with him to reign, and never, never part again.

[3:25] The Lord hath been mindful of us. There are times in our pilgrimage here below, when it does us good, when it's well for us to stand still, to stand still, and to consider what things the Lord hath done for us.

[3:58] Sometimes this may be in a more public way, as I would humbly trust it is so with us here today.

[4:11] When, as a church, and a people here, you may be enabled to look back over the year that has passed, and to consider how the Lord has been mindful of you, and what great things he has done for you.

[4:32] There are times, too, when we would consider it in a more personal way. I know, friends, that the way in which the Lord will bring us, the ways in which he leads us, even to consider such a truth, are not always pleasing to our nature.

[5:01] The Lord brings his people into various paths, various cases, in order to teach them, to instruct them.

[5:17] And as you may look back, and I trust some of you can look back this afternoon, even to times of blessing in your pathway, were they in ways that you would have chosen?

[5:36] Were they in circumstances that you would have chosen, had the choice of been yours? I don't say always, but for the most part, were not those seasons, times of affliction and trial and difficulties?

[6:00] I'm not talking always of bodily afflictions, for many are the afflictions of the righteous. But from all their afflictions, my glory shall spring, and the deeper their sorrow, the louder they'll sing.

[6:21] I think of God's ancient people, as is recorded in the word of God concerning their coming out of Egypt and through the Red Sea.

[6:51] Oh, what a pathway they had to pass through, before they stood upon that shore and sang that song of praise unto the Lord.

[7:03] What afflictions they knew in the land of Egypt. And in those afflictions, friends, they cried unto the Lord.

[7:20] I know there were many years intervening before the Lord appeared for them in the way that he had appointed, that he had purposed to appear for them.

[7:40] But during those intervening years, how they cried unto the Lord, but those cries were not in vain. Perhaps there were times with them when they thought their cries were not reaching the Lord's ear.

[8:04] Perhaps there were times when they thought he had forgotten to be gracious to them. And my friend, have you never charged God foolishly?

[8:19] If it be so, why am I thus? But see, friends, how the Lord was working out his purposes, preparing a way for their deliverance.

[8:39] Jochebed, Amra, to be born, to be brought together.

[8:52] Moses is to be born. He's to spend 40 years in the courts of Pharaoh. He's to spend 40 years in the backside of the desert.

[9:02] And this, my friends, whilst the Israelites were being afflicted, how lions, through various scenes are drawn, are vexed with trifling terrors, while his eternal thought moves on his undisturbed affairs.

[9:24] Ultimately, the Lord appeared to Moses. Amongst other precious truths that he said unto him, he spake concerning his ancient people, I have heard their cry.

[9:51] And I am come down to deliver them. Without going into the detail, you know how the Lord prepared Moses.

[10:07] Aaron was. And I do like to trace this. Not only was Moses being prepared those 80 years, but Aaron was too. I can't tell you the word of God is silent as to where those 80 years found Aaron.

[10:28] There came a time when the Lord said to Moses, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well.

[10:41] Behold, he cometh to meet thee. Oh, there was a sweet thought on that. A few weeks passed. I know that he can speak well.

[10:54] Friends, do you know an elder brother and one that can speak well?

[11:09] One that cometh to meet me. And so, Moses, instrumental in the Lord's hand, led God's people forth.

[11:26] And brought them through the Red Sea. You know the detail of it as set before us in the word of God. When they were brought to that place with mountains on either hand, the sea before and their enemies behind.

[11:46] How they cried unto the Lord. And he made a way where there seemed no way. Ah, my friend, has this not been so? Even in days passed with you. My friend, it may be so with one today.

[12:00] Who may be so tried, so exercised in a point, in a matter. And cannot see which way to turn or what to do.

[12:10] My friend, lift up your eyes unto the hills. From whence shall come your help. He'll make a way for you. Did ever trouble yet before?

[12:23] And he refuse to hear thy call. And has he not his promise passed? That thou shalt overcome at last?

[12:37] Moses, lift up the rod. Stretch it forth over the sea. And the Lord caused that great wind to hold back the waters.

[12:51] That they should pass over as on dry ground. A wonderful sight that must have been. And of that wind which the Lord raised up to hold the waters back, that wind could not blow away.

[13:10] To use the expression, the fiery cloudy pillar. Could hold the waters back, but my friend, that pillar couldn't be moved. You know how it had gone behind them?

[13:24] To give light to them in their crossing and darkness to the Egyptians. They crossed over. And they crossed over safely. For not one of the Israelites was destroyed.

[13:39] As was given to the Egyptians. What was the difference? The one went over at God's command.

[13:49] The other went over in presumption. My friend, whatever the path, the exercise, that may be with you at this present time, if you have a word from the Lord in the matter, a command from your God, you've got nothing to fear.

[14:09] But if you're walking in that way, in presumption, you've got everything to fear. The Israelites being over safely, the command stretched forth like hand, Moses.

[14:30] And the waters destroyed the Egyptians. Those enemies, which they had seen that day, they saw no more forever.

[14:44] That is, they did not see them again as their enemies. They saw them again in the morning, didn't they? They were as dead men upon the seashore.

[15:01] Is ever a wonder to you, friend, that the Israelites, having been brought through such a great and wonderful deliverance, should ever murmur and complain again?

[15:13] It wasn't many days before they fell a murmuring, was it? And you who can praise this afternoon, how the Lord has been mindful of you, and blessed you.

[15:25] Yet, my friends, have you not gone back to murmurings, complaining? And yet, how mindful the Lord has been of you.

[15:39] He's not dealt with you after your sin. He has not rewarded you according to your iniquity. Though I have him oft forgot, his loving kindness changes not.

[15:57] The Lord hath been mindful of us. And as he brought them out, so he brought them in.

[16:09] I know that those who were of 21 years and older, their carcasses fell by the way during the 40 years of their pilgrimage, apart from Joshua and Caleb.

[16:32] I do like to mark this concerning those two. So, it is recorded that they followed the Lord fully. Holy.

[16:51] Can that be said of you and I this afternoon, friends? Will your profession stand that searching word?

[17:12] When here upon earth our Lord and Master said, Ye cannot serve God and mammon. He didn't say you ought not.

[17:23] He said, Ye cannot. Oh, how many today seek to serve both.

[17:40] But friends, let us pause ere we cast a stone upon them. How is it with us? Do you know what it is?

[17:53] I would feel that some of you do to at times consider your profession, your religion. And my friend, is it not with much trembling?

[18:09] all the things that may have to go will have to go friend, if you're that which remains.

[18:30] Be it but as a grain, be it ever so small, my friends, bless God, if it's that which is real. Oh, I want a real religion, do you?

[18:44] Oh, may God never leave me, any one of you, to rest satisfied with a religion that will give you a name amongst men, that will carry you on through time, that will fail you when you come to the end.

[19:05] Why, those dear old saints, they used to desire a religion to live by and a religion to die by. And I believe it so, with every true exercised child of God.

[19:23] Well, in the pilgrimage, I say there will be times when we shall consider what the Lord has done for us. The wise man says there's a time to gather stands.

[19:42] Do you know this time, friends? I don't know what heaps you've got. The Lord knows.

[19:56] I don't know when you last added a stone to the heap. The Lord knows. here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by thy help I've come.

[20:13] My friend, can you raise a stone this afternoon? The Lord hath been mindful of us. in Providence.

[20:23] And I say, whilst we would acknowledge the Lord's goodness and mercy to us in Providence, my friends, let us trace his hand in grace.

[20:42] How the Lord hath been mindful of us. in Providence, we may look back, not that we can recall the very early days of our life's journey.

[20:59] None of us can literally recall the day of our birth, that there was such a day, our very presence here, evidence is. But my friends, can we look back further than that?

[21:22] And trace that the Lord hath been mindful of us. He saw me ruined in the fall. He loved me not withstanding all.

[21:38] He saved me from my lost estate, his loving kindness. Oh, how great. My friends, the Lord so taught you, instructed you, that you can't even trace back this afternoon his goodness to you, his mindfulness of you, even before the world began.

[22:13] e'er into being I was brought, thine eye did see, and in thy thought my life, in all its perfect plan, was ordered, ere my life began.

[22:32] the Lord has been mindful of it. Oh, if we cannot die, we can trace that evidence of it.

[22:53] of an entrance in that covenant ordered in all things and sure. The Lord hath been mindful of us.

[23:10] My friends, at times it will indeed humble you. It will cause a tear to fall. It will soften the hard part.

[23:22] Our friend, I am ready to agree with you. We are not always in that frame, are we? I am not. Oh, what places we do come into.

[23:35] And yet a wonder it is to us that the Lord deals with us and bears with us in all our shortcomings and our misbehaviour.

[23:46] we meet together this afternoon today to remember in a special way the Lord's goodness to you here as a people and to one in your midst.

[24:02] But all the failings of the past year, the shortcomings of the past year, have there not been with us each things during the past year that we should be ashamed to tell one another of?

[24:28] We shouldn't want the one sitting next to us to know of some of the things that have been in our mind, in our thoughts, thoughts. And my friend, these are all known to God as well as our actions, as well as our words.

[24:47] That word which very closely searches one at times, that the thought of foolishness is sin, and yet in all our shortcomings the Lord hath been mindful of us.

[25:08] not only in preserving our felt unprofitable life, but he has been mindful of us.

[25:20] Has he not given, bestowed some blessing by the way? We're ever ready to count our miseries, aren't we?

[25:33] What about blessings? blessings? As you look back over the past year, the Lord hath been mindful of us. Haven't there been moments, perhaps even in this sanctuary, when you have felt the Lord hath been mindful of you?

[25:52] What has been its effect? Why your heart has been lifted up to the Lord? How you have gone from the house of God, pondering over that which the Lord has blessed you with.

[26:15] May have been a word, in the preaching of his word. May have been whilst one has been lifting up his heart in prayer, he has touched your case.

[26:31] May have been in the singing of a hymn, a line or even a verse has come right where you have been. The Lord hath been mindful of us.

[26:45] Hearts friends, you have not felt that you could talk to all about it. Perhaps you felt you could not talk to those near and dear by nature's ties about it.

[26:57] My friend, you have been known to the Lord. Those things that are done in secret shall be revealed openly.

[27:11] He hath been mindful of us. perhaps others may say why?

[27:23] I look back over the year and it's not been so with me. I've seen others who have received a blessing. I have seen others whom the Lord has favoured but it's not been so with me.

[27:36] I've always been to the house of God when the doors were opened. I always came to the prayer meeting. My friend, how did you come? Oh, this is a question that might search us each.

[27:50] How do we come even into the house of God? What preparation is there? Are we found in the closet on our knees before we enter the doors of the sanctuary?

[28:15] I don't say do you come into the house of God and sit on the seat and bend your head. Many may do that. Oh, my friends, how I dread fall.

[28:25] In our profession. And yet, has the Lord been mindful of you in this?

[28:39] That he has made this matter to be a concern to you? For should you grieve for what you feel if you did not love at all? Ask the worldly if he is grieved because he has not been truly sensible of the Lord's presence and blessing.

[29:02] This doesn't grieve the worldly. It does grieve the people of God. My friends, the realization of it, why this will drive you, I believe, to a throne of grave.

[29:17] That you will say, in the language of one, I know another character, when he said, bless me, even me. Is this how you come up?

[29:29] The Lord has been mindful of us, he will bless us. Our time this afternoon is gone. There have been but very few scattered thoughts that one has made.

[29:43] But friends, it will be well if even those things which have been feebly spoken should cause us to consider our ways.

[29:55] The Lord be mindful of us. Friends, we are passing on through time. We are soon coming to the end of the rain.

[30:12] What a day that will be. There will be those who can talk of this and that and they will say but Lord thou didst this and thou didst that and we did this but he will say depart for I never knew you.

[30:31] But the Lord hath been mindful of us. But Lord when saw we thee in this place in that place in as much as he did it to the least of one of these my brethren he did it unto me.

[30:49]  The Lord hath been mindful of us and my friend if the Lord has been mindful of you this will bear fruit. There will be evidence of you we we were looking at home on Wednesday last concerning one in the act of whom the Lord was mindful of and the fruit that that bore how that she sought to do all the good she could Dorcas my friend is your profession bear fruit the Lord hath been mindful of us let us search back friends may the Lord enable us to raise an Ebenezer stone and may there be a looking forward he will bless us Amen Amen