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[0:00] as the Lord may be pleased to help us we will turn to the chapter which I read the 8th chapter of the book of Job and verse 7 the 7th verse in the 8th chapter of the book of Job though thy beginning was small yet thy latter end should greatly increase whatever these men said to Job they may not always suit the case of Job he could not embrace them as comfortable words but they were true very often and been left on record for others to take notice and learn and perhaps be blessed with them how true is it not true that our beginnings in all things were small even in nature what a tiny thing the baby is and yet that's how it must be born that's how it must come forth into this world with a tiny beginning and there's yet a whole life short or long for it to pass through so that those who are brought to fear God can truly hope that the latter end should greatly increase think of it friends the life that you may have had so far and you go back as far as your mind will take you and what you have not remembered or known your parents have told you of that which took place in your babyhood but there's one thing when we come to soul matters what a mercy this same God with all knowledge and all power does make known to us this great truth that we have a beginning and that beginning friends is like his life but if favoured with the beginning of his grace what a favour that is which registers in our mind then we must be born again to receive the things of God in a saving way though they beginning with small we've known people they've come into religion and they've never had a small beginning they were this and that in their greatness at the start and they've known nothing of this text a small beginning what do we know friends spiritually we leave our nature we all know we are certain of that we were born into this world by natural generation but to be born again friends our soul quickened into life and what is it for just receive a little grace the time of your conversion no friends that's not all that's not the fullness of our text if you have received a little grace yet the latter end shall greatly increase why is that why grace once enters into the heart into the soul puts in a want and a need brings the Lord to you in all the mercy that you stand in need of reveals to you exactly what you are beginning with small but it was not long if the

[4:44] Lord met with you when you began to realize that your sinfulness was great but what encourages us is that all is known to God and all must pass through that to greatly enrich the soul with the promised blessings in Christ so those of you who may tremble a little hardly like to say you've had any beginning in the truth of God in true religion and yet what are you praying for what are you asking for you're asking that it might increase perhaps often your prayer is this that you might grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour

[5:45] Jesus Christ what has begun in your soul why want but what are you expecting well it may be you would like to feel much more of it but then friends with the beginning as with the babe there are those things that try it yes the little ailments that which must take place to complete the form of the body in a usual way all come in its trial and the child must learn it and must receive the care of the parents and so it is if the Lord has planted grace in your heart it may be so small you will not come forth and tell anyone about it you dare not come forth to seek for those things generally sought for you are afraid that you are out of the secret and many things against you but friends remember this if the matter is real

[7:07] God is in the beginning God yes in the beginning God what a life friends what a mercy it is small you may say small well friends look at nature look at the smallness of the sea look at the acorn that will grow into that great oak tree look where you will in nature it starts small that must greatly increase what a mercy if the Lord has planted the seed of life spiritual life in your soul what if it is painful in many ways to you yet there is a promise in it it is God's word and God's work that is a promise he will perfect that which concerns you he will do that for you which he himself has chosen for you all must come and last and end as shall please our heavenly friend though thy beginning was small yet thy latter end shall greatly increase certainly this was a truth

[8:30] Job was in that place some feeling he couldn't take much from these men because he said himself if my soul was in your soul's head or yours in mine I could shake my head at you they did not understand his case and who understands your case and mine God himself and what a mercy friends if he has planted in your soul that which causes you to want more of him how you beg that you might if you are right in these things grow in grace and in the godly knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ you can't come forward and declare to others as the psalmist said come all ye that fear God and I will declare what he's done for my soul you feel it's so small you can declare nothing but wait a minute you declare a want don't you you declare a knowledge and that knowledge is a saving knowledge the knowledge of the almighty and how you stand before him is a wonderful knowledge and it's got to increase all but that makes us shudder somewhat because the increase of the knowledge of

[10:03] God is increasing also the knowledge of ourselves so that the little one can be innocent of its real state but let grace enter into that one's heart and he finds it's been born in sin and shape and iniquity and that was when that came to them or just come that's no small matter and what can be the great increase of that knowledge well friends you don't want to know more sin but you do want to know your sin is pardoned you want to know the blood of Christ has cleansed you from all sin so the Lord lead you on but the beginning must be right the things in nature must increase why is this because God is perfect in all his work and perfect in all his ways and if he has begun with you he will carry on to the day of

[11:12] Jesus Christ he that performed done and performed a great thing in you will perfect to his own honor and glory though thy beginning was small now friends no doubt it comes some comfort to you to realize and to feel the Lord has begun with you there was a time when you was not concerned about a beginning perhaps in your ungodly state you turned away from it but you said I will have nothing to do with it I don't want this religion and certainly I don't want an increased knowledge of it oh but what a change if the Lord has changed your heart and it is so with you that you must have an increase to realize it is the power of

[12:16] God unto salvation to everyone that believe it there's nothing in the scripture and there's nothing in life generally but what must go on and increase the earth was made and considering friends the greatness of the world today the millions that have passed through that which has transpired in the earth even creation was a small beginning when you consider the world today and what it has embraced and the souls that have been brought forth there were only two souls in the garden the man and his wife but what are there today friends many souls whom the Lord takes notice of and each one will tell you they had a small beginning considering the work of grace how it's taken hold of them this is a great mercy but it's a truth the beginning is small the apostle

[13:31] Paul it seemed a great work perhaps you say within yourself or if I could relate what the soul of Tarsus passed through I would declare boldly what God has done for me but it's small it's too small too small to come before the church and ask for membership that's how you feel but notice what did the apostle learn he not only learned the things of God he not only learned true doctrine but he learned more and more what he was he was cut down on his way to Damascus but after that the Lord met him many times and what did you what do you read of him here he says oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the bondage of this death death has taken hold of him spiritual death as well as spiritual life it was to be a saving knowledge friends and though as we say how clear was his call oh how we could speak well of it but friends the great increase is wanting in all and every case it wants the pursuance of the work of grace in your heart and mine it wants the evidence made known time after time that he who has begun a good work in you will perform it after the day of Jesus

[15:20] Christ so friends the beginning strange is it not it was so small you couldn't welcome it yourself you seek the babe's case could it in its own case rejoice in its birth it was so small for it so small its knowledge so small the evidence of life so small others could rejoice in the birth of the child but the child couldn't rejoice in its own birth what a mystery great is the mystery of godliness god may manifest in the flesh when he makes known to you this little friend and you can trace it as an evidence in god's mercy in dealing with you there you'll find there's something that you can rejoice in and something you can hope in that the latter end should greatly increase now the lord is going to take his people everyone they will be full of the mercies of god they will not be able to hold more than they depart with in life when they go and pass through death they will have to say then a fullness resides in jesus our head and it has really been with me one might say that i can rejoice in the mercy of god for it's from everlasting to everlasting yes greatly increase your latter end it hasn't come yet how long it will be some of us wonder whether it be a short time or much longer but there we have to pray lord do increase my knowledge and with it comes the solemn knowledge of what a sinner you are you ask to know more and all you think if i only knew more of him now i should rejoice but you have to pass through something like job did and he found as he was unfolding his latter end he was grieving over his real state and his condition his friends could rejoice with him they could only worry him with their words but there was to be an increase and so you read in job's life that his latter end even materially and temporally was greater than the beginning but what he had passed through the the trouble the dispensation of the lord's hand seemingly against him that's not the religion the world want friends the religion like that is what those want who feel that in their own soul they can hope there was a beginning a time when a word dropped into your soul with power and authority a time perhaps in your early days when you desire to hear the word of

[19:11] God for yourself maybe you've come and been brought as a child you sat in the house of God as we did in our early days and we had no concern for what was being said we counted the windows we counted the lights we interested ourselves in the things of God we looked at other people's clothes we were amused with this and that and the other but the time came perhaps when you heard the word it was a small beginning but it created in your heart a want all that I might know that I might be able to say as with Job I know that my redeemer liveth wonderful this is God's work friends when you come to look at it in nature the tiny seed and no one can make a seed they can't make a seed and some of the seeds so small friends and yet to begin

[20:20] I remember years ago someone coming into me and being in the trade of that description they said I've got a fern and it's going wrong underneath the front or leaf there's some dust and I don't know what's the matter with it I smiled I said that's alright I said that's the seed that's the seed underneath the leaf the plant is growing the plant is healthy it's not dying friends what a mercy to have such a fine seed and yet it to be the seed of the kingdom oh it will greatly increase it must it's in the hand of God you must have all the praise and all the glory if it put grace in your heart it's to fit you for heaven and yet the present time you might feel most unfitted to enter heaven and you're afraid you'll be presumptuous to meet to make any mention of it and so you keep silent and you lay your mouth in the dust as it were but you still hope that in the beginning there's the work of

[21:42] God in your soul well God's things must grow friends they must be down to his honor and glory no poor sinner will die half way what I mean to say die before he reaches that state when the Lord has perfected that which he has for him what is this now the Lord Jesus Christ himself as a man he had a small beginning had a small beginning and yet he was verily God he was the man Christ Jesus so small he was they laid him in the manger and there was no place for him or his parents in the inn and the world didn't want him certainly not when they found what he was and the world don't want us if they find we've got a true religion in their heart they'll embrace you alright if you've got a fleshly religion but not a God given one not one with a beginning through the work of grace but Christ himself in the flesh he had a small beginning but then he had power to increase as

[23:14] John said I must decrease but he must increase that the son of God must grow in stature as he did they marveled at his knowledge because he was very God and he could impart more than his elders would know friends it's a mercy to be able to follow the Lord in his dealings with you perhaps he has dealt with you in such a way and manner that you've been brought under like we've been singing in the last hymn his chastising hand who amongst you might find that at the present time you're not where you want to be you've had your ambitions you started on shall we say in a small place but you hope soon you'll be something greater in his life but now it hasn't materialised at all you rather feel you've come down the ladder rather than going up that the small beginning in the hand of

[24:29] God must greatly increase if all the time the Lord is leading you and dealing with you that you're losing the world and the world you what a mercy he comes forth and shows you what he has in store for you are really the riches of his grace and that you must greatly increase not a little but greatly increase think of it friends when the Lord completes the work of grace in your heart and crowns it with glory yes crowns it with glory that you might have grown to the knowledge and stature according to the will and purpose of God mind you none of his people not one who has had a right beginning will finish wrong they must pursue the course of life which is granted them but of course here we have to come to the words of the apostle

[25:50] James and he says let patience have a perfect work being entire wanting nothing and what do you want friends you want that patience to wait for him to endure the temptation and the difficulties to know that your case is in his hand to know that all power belongs unto him though thy beginning was small though you still feel it as small yet thy latter end should greatly increase why should it why because it's in the hand of God because it is the appointment of God because it's taken out of your hand and brought you down to realize your hopes are built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness though thy beginning thy beginning friends yes the man wasn't fully aware

[26:59] I don't think in his own mind and heart but it's left on record it's the word left for the Holy Spirit to apply to whom he will and when he will the book of Job seems like that there's much truth in it but it was handled by man but when God handled his own word then he fits it to where it will fit where he will bring it to where he will have it be and the Lord tries the righteous when righteousness for God's dealings with the poor sinner is a righteous act he tries the righteous that they might grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and friends take it like this in our text we have to endorse one great point it's

[28:03] God's work it's God's work in creation it's God's work in true religion it's God himself will either take you to heaven or send you to hell and you might say oh that's a hard religion well friends if it stirs you up to inquire what a mercy thousands will go out of this life and never made any inquiries as to whether they're going and to whom they're going and many are put into the grave and they're told or those that hear are told they've gone to be with God in heaven when perhaps they've never any thought for heaven or for this God what a solemn thing friends to be buried under a lie what a mercy to be buried in the line of

[29:09] God's truth and whilst living feel that truth in your own soul though thy beginning was small was past tense that is it took place it took place friends and you hardly like to say so you dare to say so no you afraid it's presumption that if so small friends but it's put you in want as there to disappoint you long to know after it caused you anxious thought do I love the Lord or no am I his or am I not it was very small but it registered a want in your soul perhaps you come up tonight with a hope that there's more in it than you thought or have ever felt but you plead the merit of Christ as your only hope and way of salvation thy latter end oh our solemn friends oh there's joy there's joy in the birth of the child there's weeping at the death of the same child when it's fulfilled its days grown to manhood or womanhood and called from this time state and the mourners are around the grave it creates a mourning but yet the beginning was small but oh how great it's increased what a knowledge what a knowledge has fueled your soul oh what sins you have to confess you've committed what prayers you had to put up to the

[31:07] Lord all in your latter end you won't always be a praying soul no but you'll be a recipient of the mercies of God in Christ and enter joyfully into the things of God is this your hope but you say my sight is blurred spiritually I cannot see well friends he gives sight it's wonderful I mentioned in speaking today for the blind men they were blind no doubt they had no teaching they were only beggars to get their living and yet they had this knowledge Jesus thou son of David and mercy on us now that sounds a very small beginning but there's more in it friends than that sounds at first who told them that

[32:14] Christ was the son of David who told them that he had such power he could open their eyes and give them sight why it was the same blessed spirit that brought the beginning into their soul to hear that Christ the Jesus of Nazareth had arrived that he was close at hand and that they would cry and what took place those in the crowd tried to silence them perhaps you experienced something like that with a little religion it may be it's been right your desire your want but how many in the world have tried to silence you how the devil has tried to silence you what has he done hasn't he attracted you with the so-called novelty of this life hasn't he brought to you the worldly pleasures and you've indulged in them why is this it's all got to be a trial friends yes it was there the devil knows what's in your heart more than you know yourself and he knows those that belong to God he tries them tests them but their beginning is so small they're filled with fear and trembling but oh friends there is yet a rejoicing rejoice the

[33:55] Lord is king over all blessed forever rejoice that your latter end should greatly increase why should it be put like that should will because of the power of the love of the mercy of God it should increase if there's a reality of increasing it's because there's a reality of the planting of the beginning and the beginning was so small but you not cast it away you've not cast away that confidence which he has given you the smallness of the beginning may have tried you but nevertheless the latter end should greatly increase and it will yes because if the increase is because of the beginning the end will be right because of the beginning also we shall have to leave it though thy beginning got a personal note friend can you put in my instead of thy my beginning anyone concerned about their beginning and say though my beginning was small yet my latter end should greatly increase

[35:29]  I put my trust in him he alone has enabled me to do so he's given me a faith to lay hold of him he's led me right I've had many sins and many upheavals and been many hopes dashed to pieces but I still hope in his mercy and trust in his grace so that my latter end should greatly increase amen amen