Transcription downloaded from https://sermons.heritagesermons.org/sermons/13925/god-sanctifying-our-trials-quality-good/.

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] Let us pray for you to Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 15, and reading verse 25. Matthew 15, verse 25.

[0:16] Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. You are doubtless quite familiar with this character in scriptures.

[0:30] And oh, what a mercy that we have such a record that would encourage you and me in our extremities, in our perplexities and anxieties, to realize that here Jesus was teaching this woman, proving her faith, and yet not forestepping her or forsaking her.

[1:00] And so she had a case. And you know how the Lord raised various cases upon his people. In other words, he laid something upon their minds that is so heavily laden upon them that they wonder sometimes where the thing is going to end.

[1:22] We know that in the world amongst unbelievers there are many things that before them that they try and resolve in and of themselves.

[1:33] And they do not realize and understand that sin is the cause of all the woes upon the face of the earth.

[1:44] But when the Lord so teaches his people, oh, he teaches them, doesn't he, in most mysterious and painful ways.

[1:55] In other words, he sanctifies their trials, of which the unbeliever never understands. But when the Lord deals with his dear people, he has dealt with them as with tons, as many as I love.

[2:13] You see, we cannot escape God's word, which says, of those that he loves and those that he hates. We know that he hates sin and ever will hate sin and cannot condone sin.

[2:26] But he brings his dear people that he loves with an everlasting love to repentance. He gives them a broken heart.

[2:38] By the things that they pass through, so they are in force to the throne of divine grace. And they're like this woman, you know, she cried unto him.

[2:51] You know, that's real prayer, isn't it? When the Lord so lays an affliction or a trial upon you, whatever that may be. And one of the hymns that we're going to sing, the clothes we've bound down with twice, let's ten thousand times.

[3:08] Oh, let me hear thy call. These hymn writers, as you know, were taught by the city. It may not be suitable language to us, always in our case, but we shall have to learn a little, I believe, by experience of the hymn writers, that that's the real religion of God's chosen people.

[3:32] And it won't be, there won't be always full of praise on your lips and mine. But on the contrary, you'll feel very much cast down and burdened.

[3:42] This poor man cries. And this is where the poor sinner comes. And this poor woman cries for the help that was laid upon one that was mighty to say.

[3:56] And what a must it is. If the Lord has so dealt with you and me as a son or a daughter, so he quickens you into life. So he exercises you with a desire to seek the Lord, to call upon his name, to plead that he would be merciful unto you.

[4:15] Now that publican came up, you know, not like the Pharisee, justifying what he gives, what he does, all his good work.

[4:26] And many poor things in our day are satisfied with the religion of good work. If you search the scriptures, you'll never find where good work can save us enough.

[4:38] We know that his right to be kind and tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, his fast has forgiven us.

[4:49] But it's not salvation in work. Salvation is all of free and sovereign grace. And what a mercy this is. And this woman, you know, she came out of the, out of Kenya, out of the same coast where Jesus had been and the fame of Jesus had grown.

[5:13] Amongst some, that was. Amongst some. Not amongst the Pharisees. Not amongst the self-satisfied Jews, dear friends, with their religion.

[5:24] But she came because the Lord had put a case on her, a burden on her, that she could not relieve herself of harm. And so she came and she cried unto him.

[5:40] Under him. What a mercy when your cries and mine are under him. Praying in secret. We often speak of that, then. It is praying in secret unto God.

[5:53] That he might reward you openly with answer to your precision. You know, I do value secret prayer. Silent prayer. Prayer in your closet. Prayer going about your daily callings.

[6:06] When you're brought into some situation where you know there's only one can deliver you. Because the Lord gives you faith to believe in his word.

[6:16] And so that faith is a substance in your heart and mine. A substance of things hoped for. There's faith to believe in God.

[6:30] And he that cometh to God must believe that he is and is a reward of those that you'll diligently seek him. Now this woman had faith. And that's the gift of God, isn't it?

[6:43] Have mercy on me, O Lord. You see how she honoured his name, revered his name. It wasn't you and me. It was thou, Lord.

[6:55] Thou, O God. Thou, O Lord. Thou, Son of David. Have mercy upon me. Why? Because here was the trial. My daughter grievously vexed with the devil.

[7:10] And not many seem to acknowledge the devil's work today. But we see it on every hand. Satan. Going about as a roaring lion. Seeking him he may devour.

[7:22] And also as subtle as that serpent. Oh, the subtlety of the serpent that deceived Eve. And Eve deceived Adam. Oh, the weakness, dear friends, of the flesh.

[7:35] But, you see, he answered a lot of words. You know that, some of you. You cry daily. You look to the Lord to send you deliverance.

[7:48] You look to him to make a way for you where there's no way. You cry and shout unto him. And he shuts out your prayer. Well, you know, the Lord is going to prove the sincerity of your heart and mine in prayer.

[8:06] Oh, the Lord proves all things, you know. It won't be just a glib prayer for something you're in need of. It is praying for those blessings God has designed to give.

[8:18] Lord, they will have laid up this exercise in my soul. That desire in my soul. They will come and help me. Come and deliver me. And, oh, you go on crying and shouting sometimes.

[8:31] And still the Lord, he seems to be silent unto you. He answers you not at work. And you so long for a word. And some of you may have been seeking for a word for many, many years.

[8:45] And still he's silent unto you. And yet, you see, on the contrary, before they speak, I shall hear. And while they are yet speaking, I will answer.

[8:58] And all you prove, I believe, both sides of this exercise in soul of prayer before the Lord. The Lord sometimes favors you with such a blessing that you haven't felt to have really asked for it like you ought to have done.

[9:16] But it is according to the sovereign will of the Lord. And then on these other occasions when there is so much, as it were, darkness, when you venture to call upon his name.

[9:29] But still there is that faith and exercise of this child of God. He that cometh to me must believe that he is. And whatever the enemy might say, and whatever the scientist might say about God's holy word, and trying to undermine all the truths that are recorded therein, yet we have to prove the words of the Lord endure forever.

[9:53] They haven't destroyed all the Bibles. They haven't, as it were, burned up all the truth, have they? And they never will. And we have to prove often, don't we, how the truth still prevails in the earth.

[10:08] And how we prove that in spite of the Lord seeming to be silent unto your knees, he is still waiting. All God's time is a set time.

[10:22] Your time and mine is always ready for an answer. But he answered a lot of word, and his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away, for she cried after her.

[10:34] Even the disciples couldn't read that work that was going on in that woman's heart, and also the desires of Jesus in that set time to favour her.

[10:48] And so you see, how can we often be mistaken in another's exercising, but through mercy? You see, there was importunity given this woman.

[10:59] She wouldn't take silence for an answer, would she? She had an exercise, and she had an effectual fervency of spirit. And it's all in accordance with the sovereign will of God.

[11:13] And the Lord answered her when she, when they said, Send her away. He answered and said, I'm not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Oh, how this is the blessing of the gospel to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

[11:32] And he saw them lost and ruined in the fall, yet loved them notwithstanding all his loving kindness. Oh, how great. And so as the Lord quickens you into life, then she came.

[11:46] You know, she came drawn by the cords of a man and by the bands of his love. There was love in her heart. I mean, she may not have fully realised it, because it was the effects of this love and this living faith and exercise that drew her to come when she knew that he came to seek the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

[12:10] And no doubt she felt this. And no doubt you'll feel this in your experiences. You feel to be lost. You feel to be in darkness. You feel to be in bondage.

[12:22] You feel to know very much what the wretchedness of man is. Then came she and worshipped him. What a mercy to have been able to worship him in the beauty of holiness.

[12:36] To behold the eyes of the king and his beauty. To behold that land that is very far off. The word declares it. The eye of faith looks to the Lord Jesus Christ as the king of kings and the Lord of lords.

[12:52] To come then craving a crumb. Just a word that the Lord might drop into your soul. A little revelation of the beauty of Christ. And the suitability of Christ to meet your case and to supply your needs.

[13:09] You see he opens his hand and supplies the need of every living thing. Now your soul wrought upon by the Spirit.

[13:20] It'll be a living soul. It won't be dead to the truth. It'll be in your heart a desire for a crumb of mercy. For a real token.

[13:31] For a real evidence of the work of grace begun. And so you come and look to him. You see. Look unto me all the ends of the earth and be ye safe.

[13:42] For beside me there is no saviour. Oh what a favour. What a privilege. If your soul has been so exercised. To look to the Lord of life and glory and love.

[13:56] No good pouring upon self is it? Pour not on thyself too long. What are you looking for? Some good in yourself. You see we have been reading here today.

[14:09] Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts. Murders, adulteries, fornications, theft, force, witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man. Oh how we need then the Lord to create within us that clean heart.

[14:25] There'll be this natural flesh that defies a man. But this new man of grace. This spirit of truth. That comes down by the blessed spirit.

[14:37] To reveal to poor sinners the things of Jesus. Reveal to you and me the preciousness of the name of Christ. The sweetness of it.

[14:49] To suit your case and your eternal soul. Oh and it's the desire. The desire of your soul. As we read the psalm yesterday to our friend in hospital.

[15:03] We came to those words. Say unto my soul I am thy salvation. That's it was his response. Oh and sweet. That's it. That's it.

[15:16] You see what are we to do? Lord help me. Lord help me to believe. Lord help me to look to thee. Help me to trust in thee. Help me to wait upon thee. Help me to serve thee.

[15:26] To follow thee. As that light. That lightens my darkness. Salvation. All of his free and sovereign grace.

[15:38] Then came she and worshipped him. Here be the one that you'll glorify. Won't you? Here be the one that you'll give all the praise and glory that is due under his name.

[15:50] And you'll bless. And praise him that he's not passed you by. But exercise your soul with seeking help that is laid upon him. And so the Lord you know still proving her, trying her.

[16:06] It is not neat to take the children's bread and the cast is to die. And still in her submissiveness she said, Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table.

[16:19] You know if you come craving a crumb, don't you? From the master's table. A little word from on high. A blessed word that may be read or sung in the experimental language of their hymn book.

[16:34] Which are those things that those men that penned. Godly men. Churchmen. And all how those godly churchmen you know were faithful to God and to his word.

[16:47] And they had to live by faith. Walk by faith. And yield obedience to his law. You see, it isn't a denomination, is it, that is right before God.

[16:59] It's what's in the heart of a poor sinner. And I was sad to see the way that their national church has departed from those experimental things that a dear top lady could speak of.

[17:14] And also John Kent. And also Newton and such men that were led by the Spirit. And they had to acknowledge that though he was that high and that lofty God, they bowed before him and they looked to honor him and to serve him and to give him all the praise and glory to under his name.

[17:39] Then came she. Ah, when you know and feel your lost condition. And when you feel that you come like a dead thing yet designed to know this life of the Spirit of Christ within you, to set you in that glorious liberty of the gospel, to feel the knowledge of Christ and the felt warming of your cold hearts and the love of Christ in your heart, it'll be with the hymn writer's language again, thou, O Christ, art all I want.

[18:18] You know, we have many wants, don't we? But this is when Christ is made the most needful thing to deliver you from your trial, to deliver you from your trying circumstances, and to make that crooked thing straight in your life and that rough place playing that darkness light before you.

[18:40] And so came she and worshipped him, drawn by the cords of a man, by the embeds of his love, and coming with this request.

[18:52] And so exhorted to be careful for nothing in Paul's epistles of the Philippians, to be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God.

[19:06] And your request will be this, as you're exercised in soul, to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these other things she have added unto you.

[19:20] As the Lord so exercises us in this, doesn't he, that we come seeking his help. Help me, Lord, help a poor, helpless sinner to believe, help me to wait upon thee, help me to live faithfully to thy word.

[19:39] And all this is how we come as a poor preacher, to be faithful unto God, to preach the word, to be instant in season and out of season. And when you walk by faith and not by sight, you yield obedience to his word, you know you'll find often you're out of season.

[19:59] You're in darkness and you're in bondage, and yet there's something secret still in your heart that's sweetened, that something draws you to come again to the throne of divine grace and seek his help.

[20:15] Lord, I feel utterly helpless. You know, the Lord knows how to bring our little, our wisdom to confusion, doesn't he, in many ways and many things.

[20:28] And all we cry and we groan being burdened, do we not? But the Lord is there still to help, a faithful God. And we look to him continually as we are taught by these things that men live.

[20:46] Hezekiah came there, by these things men live, and in these things is the life of my spirit when the Lord meets with you. When you feel his nearness, when he comforts your troubled heart, when he whispers unto you, peace be unto you.

[21:02] My peace I leave with you, but Lord, I'm full of turmoil, I know not what to do. Peace be still. Oh, what a mercy when you feel that.

[21:14] Be still and know that I am God. Nothing happens by chance. Nothing shall befall you that shall not be so profitable to your never dying soul.

[21:30] But you cry out, Lord, all these things are against me. But the Lord, you know, is only trying you, proving your heart, to know whether you'll keep his commandments and now.

[21:45] It's becoming more and more dependent upon him, isn't it, in our lives, living that life of faith by prayer, and casting all your cares upon him.

[22:00] All your cares upon him. In seeking that grace that we might walk by faith and not by sight and yield obedience to him.

[22:10] Lord, shine for the gloom of my doubting, fearing heart, and grant that I might be given that importunity in the measure of this woman that comes and worships him.

[22:22] We don't want worshiping men in the flesh. We don't want to raise men upon a pedestal and worship them, do we, and fear man. It's feast from man.

[22:33] It's looking to Jesus and pleading that he would be mindful of us and merciful to us and save us from our sins and guide and direct us.

[22:46] Oh, how should we lose our way with such a guide? He said, I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way they should go. I will guide thee with mine eyes.

[22:57] Precious word, isn't it? The eye of the Lord upon the righteous. His ear is open unto their cry. The righteous cry.

[23:08] Oh, it's a pathway of prayer, isn't it, for you and me in our trials and whatever that trial may be, whatever heavy burden may be laid upon your mind today. What a mercy that the Lord knows.

[23:21] It isn't forming pretty words in prayers, is it, as we would refer to it. Some seem to be so able, don't they, in prayer, but you know, is it of the flesh?

[23:33] Learn by familiarity. Not with this woman. And oh, what a mercy we prove it. That our dependence is holy upon him.

[23:44] Lord, Lord, help me. Lord, help me. And be merciful unto me. And help me to wait upon thee for that renewed strength.

[23:59] I'm ready to faint. I seem to be no or very little life in my soul or the spirit. Still my desires, all my desires are before thee.

[24:11] All my desires are before thee. And oh, that the Lord, who knows your part and mine, might favour you and me with that little ray of hope, that little glimmer of light.

[24:27] But we shall yet praise him. Now, in the 42nd Psalm, it speaks of this, why art thou cast down, oh my soul, why art thou disquietly within?

[24:37] You see, the psalmist knew what it was to be tempted and tried. He knew what the warfare was with the old man of sin and the new man of grace.

[24:50] But you see, he had to come there feeling his poverty and yet desiring the Lord's help. Hope thou in God, he said, for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my cannon and my God.

[25:05] this is the pathway, I believe, of a true believer. He'll find himself to be often in great straits and do, and find that the Lord seems to be silent in.

[25:20] Doesn't give you a word. And you know, it's vital to receive a word, don't you? But you see, this importunity proved profitable to this woman in time.

[25:33] That's that time to favour her. And so the Lord, as I said earlier, was proving her sincerity and the reality of her exercise. You see, when most we need his helping hand, his friend is always near.

[25:51] With heaven and earth at his command, he waits to answer prayer. And when he does answer it, well, it melts your doubting, fearful heart down, doesn't it? Well, how it causes you to be softened in your heart.

[26:06] Well, he causes you to be meek and humble before him. The thing that he should condescend to meet with you, deliver you, strengthen you, and make a way for you where at one time there seemed to be no way.

[26:22] Well, it softens your heart, doesn't it? He melts you down. And this is the dealing of the Lord with his dear son. You know he's going to have them humbled before him.

[26:35] And so he says, humble yourselves before almighty God. And we cannot humble ourselves in and of ourselves, can we? But as he sanctifies the trial, so it brings you to his feet.

[26:50] And those chastening for the present seem to be joyous but grievous. God's chastening hand upon his sons and daughters but it's not to destroy them, is it?

[27:02] As we've spoken of recently, but it's in his dear covenant love and he brings them there with these trials. Cast, he said, on me thy care, it is enough that I am not.

[27:18] I will all thy needs supply, I will all thy burdens bear, all for more faith, to trust this God, to trust this blessed Saviour, Jesus, who has promised never to leave nor forsake his dear people, whom once he loves, he never leaves, but loves them to the end.

[27:42] Oh, but you say my love often waxes cold. We read in the word, don't we, the love of many waxes cold. Lord, don't leave me to be amongst those. Though I feel often cold and hard and dead, don't leave me to turn back, don't leave me to be offended with thy word, but do reveal thy love to me.

[28:03] And do Lord come and speak plainly to me, because I feel to be so ignorant and unlearned in these things. Now this woman hadn't got a mind that she could speak much, but she said, Lord help me.

[28:21] And what a mercy when this prayer is applied to you and me in our tried circumstances and realizing no help in self you find. No help in self I find and yet of sort it were.

[28:38] The native treasure of my mind is sin, death, and hell. The native treasure of our minds, all how the Lord will show this to you and me. Though there's no longer any self-help is but dependence upon him.

[28:52] Lord, thou alone canst help me. You get many and those, many sort of give you a gloomy sort of picture of your condition, a gloomy picture of your circumstances and all the devil seems to stir you up, doesn't he?

[29:15] And now you feel there's no hope for you in this trial. You won't ever come out of this one, says Satan. But ah, what a mercy there's one that is mightier than things.

[29:27] And this man, oh yes, he is, he became a man, didn't he? This man that received his sinners and eat it with them. Lord, you say, I believe we have to come this way.

[29:40] Lord, you say, do show me thy sins, my sins in the secret light of thy countenance. And all do, grant, Lord, that I might know at times at least of that real repentance, that broken heart, because you find this for the most part, you're very carnal and hard-hearted and dwell upon earthly things.

[30:05] You're like that mad Gadarene, aren't you, in nature? We dwell among the tombs, earthly things. But when the Lord so calls you, you know, it's Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy upon me.

[30:23] Do, Lord, help me to believe. Oh, do grant that I might seek that nearness to thee and that union of communion with thee, that I might hear thy voice.

[30:36] As Jesus said unto her, a woman great is thy faith. She didn't feel it, did she? But she had it in exercise. There was a proving of her faith, wasn't it?

[30:49] That she wouldn't take silence from the Lord as an answer. She got a case that she could not relieve herself from. And your cases, your afflictions, your trials, your family concerns, church matters, whatever it may be, your soul standing before God, all brings you here, doesn't it, on your knees.

[31:15] Oh God, be merciful to me, a sinner. It's here on my heart, the burden of us. It's here those things that proceed out of the mouth of my heart that defile me.

[31:28] Defiled and unclean. But Lord, thou alone canst help me. Thou alone canst reveal that love to me. Thou alone canst speak the word that I long to hear.

[31:41] Pardon, I have pardoned thy sins. I have blotted thy sins out as a thick cloud and thy transgressions as a cloud.

[31:53] Return unto me. When the Lord draws you, you know, by that sweet resistance grace, oh, it's a favour, isn't it?

[32:05] A wonderful favour to feel the blessed spirit working in your heart and mine both of will and do of his good pleasure. Lord, thou art the one thing needful.

[32:18] What has made him needful to you? Why? His teaching, dear friends. The things that you've had to pass through that have caused you to despair and groan and cry to him in your sorrow, in your affliction.

[32:36] But you see, this is the pathway of these chosen people. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

[32:52] A request, you know, a prayerful oppressing through the crowds of doubts and fears and unbelief to touch the hem of his garment. In other words, that other woman came, didn't she, with the issues?

[33:06] She said within herself, and this woman, I believe, would have said within herself, Lord, help me, before she came, believing that Jesus only now was her only hope in this day of evil.

[33:23] And he's your hope and mine, dear friend. And all we are not leaving you or forsaking you as you're given grace to honour him, so he'll honour you. They that despise him shall be lightly esteemed.

[33:36] Oh, Lord, do give me a real hunger for these real crops, a word in season that shall be as apples of gold in pictures of silver, a real living token that I can speak by experience of what the Lord has favoured me to receive, a word from heaven, whatever means he may use, a voice behind you saying this is the way, walking in it, living that life of faith by prayer, seeking the Lord's presence and his blessing, and assuring your interest in these things that seem to be past finding out in your natural mind, but revealed to you by the Spirit, to hold fast the form of sound words, to seek the knowledge of the truth, for he says, ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you frail.

[34:43] What a mercy. You see, to be delivered from the bondage of your sinful heart, wretched man that you feel or woman, or whatever the case might be, you're made to feel bad, you're blushed and ashamed to lift up your face sometimes, don't you?

[35:02] for your walk and your conduct, your past sins, I have been and do. But what a mercy. If he should mark your iniquities and mine, where should we stand?

[35:16] Who amongst us should stand if he should mark our iniquities? But there is forgiveness with him that he may be feared. And this woman had this gracious exercise of fear in heart, not a slavish fear, a filial fear, a desire to do the will of God, and she came like that.

[35:36] Lord help her. She could see the purpose of this affliction to her daughter, grievously vexed with the devil. No, we can look around and see that, can't we?

[35:48] Those grievously vexed with the devil. They might be bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh. They cause you much grief of heart, many errors to the throne of grace.

[36:00] Lord, when will they come and show them their sins as you believe you've been shown yours, you can't condemn them, you can't cast them off, can you?

[36:13] But you pity them and you have to reflect a little in their lives, your own life, how it's been. No way it causes you to blush and be ashamed, but you trust you will not be left to be ashamed now by the work of grace begun, if you're not mistaken in your heart, ashamed of Jesus.

[36:34] That dear friend, on whom our hopes of heaven depend, you come Lord, help me to believe, help me to walk in thy ways, help me to be steadfast, to be unmovable in this day of lighthearted and frothy religion.

[36:51] Lord, as I said earlier, not denomination, it is this, the work of grace, being born again, quickened in a life with the Spirit and seeking to honour him and to give him all the praise and the glory due unto his name.

[37:12] Lord, you say, reveal thyself to me, be not silent to me, lest if thou art silent to me, I be like unto them that go down and fear but make me wise unto salvation through faith in the dear Son of God.

[37:27] You see, the Lord knew how to deal with this woman, it was all appointed before the world began. This is a great mystery, isn't it, something that perhaps your finite mind and mind find hard to grasp, but always appointed, that no thought can fly nor think and move, unknown to him that sits above and David had to come there and say, but my times are in thy hands.

[37:57] You see, he's a sovereign God and all that we might truly feel more of that exercise in our soul to worship him as we come to his call and that he might in his sovereign mercy come and show us a token of his love.

[38:16] And he had love to this woman, though she came and he was proving all things. And there will be with your little religion, it will be but a little that a righteous man has, but it's better than the many riches of the wicked, isn't it?

[38:29] A little. A little faith, a little hope, a little love toward the Lord Jesus Christ. He draws you, doesn't he, by that we resist this grace. You see, grace is the mercy, the favour, and love of God to pour sinners.

[38:48] And he knows where and when he's going to call them by that grace. He knows where and when that he's going to deliver them from the pit. He knows where and when that he's going to cause them to stand before the judgment seat at last.

[39:05] And oh what a mercy to be pleading the help of him. Lord help me, help me to continue, hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not, but oh don't lead me to myself, but lead me, when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to that rock which is high than I and that rock is Christ.

[39:32] And we shall be building upon nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. We shall be pleading this sure foundation stone in their experiences, that rock which is Christ.

[39:48] When we think of how he came into the earth to seek out and to save lost sheep of the house of Israel, and ought to be amongst these chosen sheep, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow him.

[40:07] And so you see, he puts this prayer in their soul with effectual fervency of spirit, and pray unto him in a time when he may be found for his health.

[40:22] And oh, when he shines through the gloom and speaks to your hearts, oh, and blesses you with a fear not. Fear not, little flock, it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

[40:38] Grace is free, friends. It's free and sovereign grace, not man's free will, it's free and sovereign grace over sin abounding. Oh, we often ponder why if we are his and we trust that we have a little hope that we have been taught and led by the spirit, we have to often ponder in our hearts, why was I made to hear his voice and enter one of his rooms when thousands make a wretched choice, rather starving car, free and sovereign grace, that saves wretches such as you and me, as with this woman, the thing used was the grievous affliction to her daughter to bring her to cry, and even to see that her daughter was made whole from that very hour, oh how wonderful of the workings of God, we sometimes despair of perhaps having deliverance or having restoring mercy, but you know, when thou canst no deliverance see, yet still this man thy peace shall be, set time to deliver this woman an answer to her praise, tried as it was, but Peter says, beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, but rejoice that you are brought into fellowship with the sufferings of

[42:16] Christ, inasmuch as you are partakers of the sufferings of Christ. Now the Lord then has known how to deal with each and every chosen vessel, and even those yet to be called the grave, for the foundation of God stand this sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are here, and he makes himself known to them that he is not in a wave of emotion, but by his spirit's teaching, or you break down your heart, dear friends, you'll know what it is to be melted down with tears outwardly and inwardly, a broken heart.

[42:58] You see, it isn't no good words of ready talkers, no dry doctrine can suffice. Broken hearts and humble walkers, these are dear in Jesus' eyes, you don't wear religion on your sleeve, do you?

[43:14] It's your walk and your conduct. And so this woman came and she worshipped him, and oh what a mercy, if we get to heaven we shall praise him then as we ought, we shall worship him then without a veil between, to think that this mighty son of God, co-equal, co-eternal with the Father, should come into this world to go to the end of the Lord, magnified and make it honourable, to save such as unworthy, you and me, from that punishment in outer darkness where there's weeping and gnashing of day.

[43:51] Oh, blessed must be, if there's a hope raised up in your soul, that this blessed Jesus is able to give you even a crown, that even the dogs eat from which forth are their master's able.

[44:07] Oh, may he cause you and me then to know and hear his voice, pouring upon you a spirit of grace and of supplication, leading you by faith to look upon him whom you appear, and then you'll say, Lord, forgive my sins and do bless me with that grace to endure unto the end that I might be saved at last.

[44:35] Then came she and worshipped him saying, Lord, help her. Well, we'll leave it there for the time as we have the ordinance to attend to.

[44:46]  Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.