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[0:00] I have come here tonight with a particular burden weighing upon my spirit and desiring to give glory to God if he will help me so to do.

[0:19] And I have in a sense I have three words upon my spirit that I must then share to or attempt to speak from.

[0:37] And I'm not going to weary you by telling you the three at once but I'm beginning with the 27th verse in the 24th chapter of the book of Genesis.

[0:56] This is where I must begin desiring to give glory to God here this evening. So if you bear with me and turn to Genesis 24 and I'm first going to read verse 27.

[1:15] Verse 27. And he said, here is Abraham's servant humbled in the dust before God.

[1:29] And the man, if I read verse 26, that will prove it to you. And the man bowed down his head and worshipped the Lord.

[1:41] I hope you may be helped to do that here this evening. And he said, blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth.

[2:06] I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren.

[2:18] It was with this word that I first ventured into this pulpit on the first Lord's Day in March 1966.

[2:32] And through the mercy of God alone, I've been favoured to prove it to be true in my coming here.

[2:45] And I hope you are going to bear with me this evening because I, with the Lord's help, I have his word that I must hope I can unburden my soul a little with.

[3:00] You see, 43 years ago, this year, I first ventured into this chapel. And the Lord had a divine purpose in it, in three particular ways.

[3:18] Because it was in the Lord's hand to open three doors for me to preach in here and at Grove, Wantage and South Morton, those three chapels.

[3:39] Now, with the Lord's help then, I want to particularly speak to you regarding what is recorded in the last part of this 27th verse.

[3:56] I, being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren. Oh, how that has been fulfilled.

[4:12] How it has been fulfilled for me and for dear souls who are now with Christ in glory.

[4:26] But I have a particular burden regarding these two words, I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren.

[4:44] And that, of course, really speaks of the brethren in Christ Jesus. And one of the meanings of the word brethren is this.

[5:00] And it's a very profound truth that I need help to try to convey a little of here this evening. Who then are these brethren?

[5:14] Of course, it could be put like this. Brethren and sisters in the Lord. Who then are these brethren?

[5:27] Well, I believe one of the very profound meanings of the word brethren is this. All real brethren.

[5:37] And that means everyone whose name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Every one of them brethren and sisters in the Lord.

[5:53] Now, how can that be? Well, all real brethren, they have only...

[6:05] Or both or either of them.

[6:16] And so, with the Lord's help then. I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren.

[6:32] And with the Lord's help, I want to try to make this clear to us this evening. The meaning of the word brethren.

[6:42] And if we view it in relation to the whole election of grace, every true child of God whose name was written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world, they have but one Father.

[7:05] God the Father. There's only one. One God the Father. One God the Son. And one God the Holy Spirit.

[7:18] But there's only one. And what a thought that is. I hope it will be for all of us here this evening. Dear friends, every soul, every poor sinner who reaches heaven will and must acknowledge it.

[7:37] that there's only one Father. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. There's only one. There's only one.

[7:49] Now you may say to me, but how can you prove then that there is but one Mother? And if the Lord will help me, I want to try to show you the meaning of it.

[8:05] Because of this. In Solomon's song, we read there of the Bride of Christ, which is really what it's speaking about. The Bride of Christ.

[8:17] Her one burden was to find her Lord. And she sought him, whom her soul loved.

[8:31] And then we are told this. She had sought him, but found him not. But when she did find him, we read this.

[8:41] Not only did she find him, but I held him. Poor sinners, holding the Lord of life and glory in the arms of faith.

[8:56] I held him and would not and could not let him go until I had brought him into my mother's house, into the chamber of her that conceived me.

[9:12] Now it is not always accomplished in this particular way, but the Lord uses his church to that end and they are brought into the very word of God that says, For as soon as Zion travelled, she brought forth her children.

[9:39] And I believe, I believe in my heart that there are those here tonight who are among the brethren. And you may say, Well, how do I know it? Because of this.

[9:52] And I wonder how many of us have been favoured to prove it. You may not all yet have proved it, but I hope you will. How is it to be proved?

[10:03] Well, it's to be proved like this. I wonder how many of us know that the Lord used one or another of his dear people, whether godly fathers or godly mothers.

[10:20] And I wonder how many of us have had the witness of this that our souls have been travailed for. If any of you know it, you'll understand me.

[10:33] Those of us who were favoured to have those dear souls who travelled for us, travelled for our souls.

[10:45] And when that takes place, and when the Lord, and if any of you are carrying a soul or souls in your hearts here tonight, you'll understand what I'm trying to convey.

[11:01] The Lord has laid a soul or souls in your heart. And you are carrying them. You are travailing for their souls.

[11:12] You wait for them. You watch for them. You are burdened for them. Even yes, even yes, when they may as yet be right out in the world.

[11:28] And yet, the Lord knows any that have been and are being travailed for to fulfil the word of God that was preached from in our chapel only a week or so ago.

[11:45] And one of the Lord's servants, they were burdened with this word. And I'm trying to use it to prove to you what I'm trying to convey here tonight.

[11:56] These brethren, do you want to know you're among them? Do you want to know you're among these precious souls whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life?

[12:12] And any of you who know that you were and have been travailed for it may well be those that are now and have long been in glory who carried you, prayed for you, watched over you, waited for you, pleading for the day when the Lord would quicken your soul into life.

[12:37] Well, to try and prove it to you, one of God's servants only a week or so ago came to Eastbourne with these words, the 10th verse in Isaiah 35, and it's this, and the ransomed of the Lord shall return.

[12:55] We might think of many prodigal sons and daughters who may be right out in the world tonight, but if they are in the covenant of grace, they must and will be born again when the Lord's time comes.

[13:12] There is a period known to God when all his sheep redeemed by blood shall leave the hateful ways of sin, turn to the fold and enter in.

[13:25] And it could well be true of souls even tonight. There they are at peace with hell, with God at war, in sin's dark maze, they wander far, indulge their lust, and still go on as far from God as sheep can run.

[13:41] But if their name is in the Lamb's book of life, then they will be brought into the very words of Jesus to prove it.

[13:52] And what are they? Well, they are these. when Jesus said, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

[14:05] Well, I wonder how many of you here tonight have had to come, have had to come as a poor sinner to the feet of Jesus.

[14:16] and you've had to begin to cry for mercy, cry for help, cry for guidance, cry that your souls may be blessed.

[14:26] Well, this word then, regarding the whole election of grace, it will be fulfilled, and the ransom to the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads.

[14:44] They shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and signs shall flee away. They shall come. Dear Mr. Percy Laver once intended in the pulpit and he was burdened for immortal souls and he said this and I remember him saying it, they S-H-A-L-L shall come.

[15:08] And they will come wherever they may be even tonight. So then, I'm only venturing and I tremble to come into this pulpit tonight with this word or these words.

[15:27] This is how I first came into the chapel and through God's mercy I proved that it was true. I proved that it was true.

[15:39] Dear souls, both here, South Morton, Grove and all of them now or many of them now in glory. Their work, their labour on earth is done and they're now with Christ which is far better.

[15:58] Well, I've been in the way the Lord led me. I know he did. I can't say that, I can't always say that but I can say that this house of God and the Lord used it to open further doors and so I'm here tonight after 43 years desiring at least to give glory to God in this house here tonight.

[16:28] and he said, blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth I being in the way the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren.

[16:47] So I hope I made it clear there's only one Father, God the Father, there's only one and that will embrace the whole election of grace wherever they may have lived and been throughout the whole world.

[17:03] Don't let us forget what the Bible tells us regarding heaven at last and let me just read it to you if the Lord would just help me in the revelation what do we read about this very subject in Revelation chapter 7 well we read this and what do we read and one of the elders answered saying unto me what are these which are arrayed in white robes and whence came they and I said unto him sir thou knowest and he said unto me these are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb and it will be like this it will be out of every nation and kindred and tongue stood before the throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hand now where the Lord fulfills this he gives to his dear people and he burdens them regarding the souls of others

[18:34] I don't know how you're going to respond to this here tonight but I can vent you with nothing else but do any of you here tonight know that you've been traveled for could be your dear father and mother it could be any one of God's servants it could be anyone but I'm sure there are those here tonight and you know it's true you know it's true because you have experienced it and you've known it and therefore this is how we the only way that we can be one of the brethren we only one God the Father and to prove it from one of our hymns it says this there is a family on earth whose father fills the throne and those seed of heavenly birth demand their little now I ask you tonight do you know that you've been born again do you know there are those that travel for your soul any of you that could say yes and I'm sure there are those that can well then that is the first word and the Lord fulfilled it for me when he brought me here all those years ago

[20:00] I being in the way the Lord led me the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren and I might have this thought dear Mrs Kate Pepler she wrote to invite me to come she sent me three dates March October November and because I was so fearful I wrote back and said I would hope to come on the first Lord's Day March and she wrote back and asked me if I would come the other two October November and this very time of the year was one of those dates now I know through the mercy of God alone that that is how it was that is what the Lord was pleased to do for me now the second word that I want and I've already tried and had to venture to preach from it here well over 40 years ago now and I'm going to venture to read the second word to you and that if you wish to find it you'll find it in the

[21:15] Acts of the Apostles chapter 20 and I read verse 32 Acts 20 verse 32 and the Lord sent me here with this word over 40 years ago now and I had to venture with it in the morning I was so fearful of venturing with this word and it's the only time I've ever done it I turned away from it in the morning turned away from it because of my fears of venturing with it but I had to come with it in the evening and this word this is the second word that I'm venturing to bring before you tonight and I had to come with it all those years ago and the Lord knows the burden of my soul in bringing it then well it was this and now brethren you see again the word brethren really in a way I could have read just one word here tonight brethren and put it like this brethren and sisters in the

[22:23] Lord and that is what the Lord has done friends I proved it I have proved it and oh these dear people quite a number of them and how in glory but oh the love that I received from them oh the communion that I had with them oh the times of divine favour I have known or knew with them not all here I've mentioned Grove Wantage I've mentioned South Morton but now to come with it that evening over 40 years ago some of you may or may not remember it and now brethren and you see and I hope you'll bear with me and I hope you'll forgive me but this evening I don't expect to come and preach here again as far as I know and as far as I understand it this is going to be the last time that I'm going to stand in this pulpit

[23:28] I'm aware of course that the Lord knows but that is how it is but I come once more with it again tonight and I can come with it and I do come with it I hope you can feel that I brought it here again tonight and it's over 40 years ago the last time that I particularly came with it and I had to come with it and why did I come with it because the Lord knows all that surrounded it but I venture now with this and now and now after all these years I come with it once more tonight and this is the burden of my soul for you as a people it is indeed and now brethren everyone there's only one God the Father there's only one Father there's only one God the Father only one

[24:29] God the Son only one God the Holy Spirit and we have a hymn that speaking of the Holy Spirit says this regarding the Holy Spirit thy power the power of the Holy Spirit thy power conveys the blessing down from God the Father and the Son that is the very centre of the gospel the preaching of the gospel well and now brethren I hope you can feel at least I'm saying it from my heart for you here for this church here congregation here and I would include all the others that I have thought of and now brethren I commend you to God God what more can any poor preacher attempt to do for any place any people and now brethren I commend you to

[25:30] God and in doing so I seek or desire to commend you to God the Father the everlasting love of God the Father how can we know that we've been loved with an everlasting love well let me venture with God's word to prove it it's in Jeremiah chapter 31 and the opening verses and what does it say the Lord hath appeared of old unto me personally the Lord hath appeared of old unto me saying yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love now there is the love of God the Father have any of you here tonight has it ever been spoken to you you will know if it has not everyone of course knows this but those that have known it and if any of you have known it and if the

[26:40] Lord takes you back to when he conveyed it to you you'll understand the meaning of it and the Lord hath appeared of old you know it goes right back before the foundation of the world when every every more every dear soul chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world and their name was written in the Lamb's Book of Life so then and now brethren I commend you to God I do indeed I commend you tonight to God the Father in his everlasting love to sinners if you would know a little more of the meaning of it and I would leave this for you to take home with you tonight but you when you go home tonight you carefully read hymn number ten in our hymn book carefully read hymn number ten in the hymn book when you at the opportunity you get home tonight and over the top of it it says the everlasting love of

[27:54] God and how does it begin twas with an everlasting love that God that is God the Father his own elect embraced his own elect embraced when did he do it before he made the worlds above or earth on her huge columns placed and to be favoured to know it for yourself you're going to need these blessed words to be spoken into your heart yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee I wonder how many of us have proved that to be true the loving kindness of God the Father drawing you to God the Son so that you've entered into the love of

[28:54] Jesus in his own word when he said all that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out leave well I'm venturing and now brethren I commend you to God what else can I better do than that here tonight for you as a people as a church a congregation and now brethren

[29:58] I commend you to God I've got nowhere else that I can or who to whom I can commend you or desire for you and it means or it takes in the love of God the Father the love of God the Son and the love of God the Holy Ghost those three divine persons in one God head and what else does it say and now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace I know that the Lord still sends his servants among you we were favored to have it last evening weren't we another of God's servants ventured didn't he to preach Christ to you in his word but he came with it what else can I desire for you as a people than this and now brethren

[31:00] I command you to God and to the word of his grace you know God's servants they have got now I hope you'll understand they haven't got anything else to preach but God's word and they don't want anything else to preach it's preach the word was the command given by the apostle Paul to his son Timothy in the faith preach the word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke with all authority let no man despise thee well I desire it for you still and now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace may the Lord still send his servants among you and they if they are sent of God they'll come and their one burden will be to preach Jesus in his word and now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace over forty years

[32:04] I had to venture with the same word and what else does it say and now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up how can poor sinners be built up in their most holy faith only as the word of God is preached the Holy Spirit takes the word writes it in our heart or speaks it into our heart and when we are given God given faith to embrace the truth and to feel that it's been made ours I leave this thought with you tonight I wonder how many of you have known what it is for the Lord to speak his word right into your heart it's come home hasn't it it's found you and it stayed with you and then you've known something of what

[33:05] Lydia knew by the riverside whose heart the Lord opened that she attended unto the things that were spoken by Paul friends if our hearing does us any real good it will do that the Lord will open our heart as the Lord opened your heart as he spoken his word into your heart and you know what it is and you've taken it home you've been like Ruth another way we might put might put it when Ruth she the Lord had called her by his grace and her one burden was let me now go to the field and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace but what did she do she gleamed in the field isn't this why you've come to chapel tonight with a desire you might glean a little more from God's word but what did Ruth do with it she took it home with her she had to beat it out and she also had that to bring forth for her mother-in-law as well oh friends how good it is when we can tell then will

[34:18] I tell to sinners round what a dear saviour I have found and you'll point to his redeeming blood and you'll say behold the way to God well I'm only venturing I trembled to come with it I feared lest I was doing wrong to even come with it but that's all I could do tonight and now brethren I commend you to God in every aspect of your lives and all that concerned you here and in Zion everywhere of course and now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up we need the Lord to build us up in our most holy faith we need building up we need the word to direct to us in all aspects of our life and this is where the Lord brings his people guide me oh thou great

[35:22] Jehovah pilgrim through this barren land I am weak but thou mighty hold me with thy powerful hand bread of heaven feed me now and ever more but finally then and now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified and that is why I venture to read what I did in that first chapter in the first epistle of Peter and I want just to read this to you now if the Lord will just help me to do it but what did we read concerning this inheritance we have a hymn that puts it in these words this inheritance believer faith alone makes thy own safe and sure forever what does it mean oh are we burdened that we may be brought at last to heaven and glory do you want to be found there do you want to be one of them with them numbered may

[36:51] I be now and through eternity well I read this blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead now this inheritance and this is where the Lord brings every one of his dear people is that where we want to be found at last to glory bring me Lord at last and there when all my fears are past I with thy saints will then agree God has been merciful to me now what does that really mean then which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified set apart but here it speaks of it to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you now can you come in with the next verse verse 5 in the first epistle of

[38:13] Peter chapter 1 can you come in with this tonight and if you can it's there is an it's an evidence you're among the redeemed of the Lord you're among the brethren if you can come in with this to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you who are kept now can you at least come in with that tonight who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time now the third word that I must just venture with and I've been fearful to venture with it but I do just venture with it tonight in closing the third word that I would just read to you and if you want to find it you'll find it in Paul's second epistle to the

[39:14] Corinthians chapter 13 and I'm going to read in closing here tonight the 11th verse I could have read it as a text but fearful to do so what does that verse say the second epistle of Paul to the Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 11 and I hope this comes from my heart tonight finally brethren farewell now let me try and make this very clear yes it's true what it says finally you know when something is final that's completed when something is final that's the end of a thing I think of those who may go into further education or another varying profession and they come to their final exam you young people will understand

[40:22] I believe if you know what this is in your school life or in university life or whatever but you come to the final exam and that's a very real thing isn't it now finally brethren brethren I hope I say it from my heart here tonight I believe that through the grace of God there are brethren that are here in this service I believe you are only the Lord can make it manifest but that's what I believe there is still I believe through God's mercy there is still a seed here a seed and you know the word of God says this a seed shall serve him is that your burden that you may be one of them one of these brethren a seed shall serve him it shall be accounted to the

[41:26] Lord for a generation they shall come and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born finally brethren farewell in one sense that is true of my being here tonight finally brethren farewell that's how I believe it will be and the Lord knows but finally brethren farewell farewell but there's another meaning to it and it's this and really it's in the verse so I leave the verse with you but there's another meaning not only finally brethren farewell but there's this finally brethren farewell that you may farewell that the Lord will go on to bless you that the Lord will go on to be with you and all of it really is in the verse and

[42:29] I just read it and then I must leave it with you finally brethren farewell be perfect now the word perfect often means sincere because there will never be any perfection perfection in any mortal in any poor in the flesh but to be perfect has another meaning and it means be sincere that you may be sincere that's another meaning of the word perfect finally brethren farewell be perfect or be sincere the Lord help you to be sincere oh don't we need sincerity we need it especially in the solemn matters to do with our never dying souls may we never never dare what we're not to say we are but we do want to be sincere you won't want to say what you don't really feel you won't want to say what you don't really believe you want to be honest about it finally brethren farewell be perfect be of good comfort be of good comfort you know the

[44:03] Lord has told us in his word hasn't he and the Lord will comfort those that mourn that as one whom his mother comforted so will I comfort you you know there's something special about a mother's love with her children her babies so finally brethren farewell be perfect be of good comfort the Lord comfort your heart as the coming of the Lord draweth nigh oh don't we need comfort as one whom his mother comfort so will I comfort you saith the Lord not only that be of good comfort be of one mind oh this is often you'll often find this in the epistles be of one mind be of one mind oh how good you know we've got a hymn that perhaps explains it better than

[45:07] I can but what does it say how sweet how heavenly is the sight when those that love the Lord in one another's peace delight and so fulfill his word be be one mind oh how good when it is be of one mind live in peace and it goes on live in peace may you be favoured with this more and more as a people be of one mind live in peace how good peace when is it Christians all agree and let distinctions fall when nothing in themselves they see and Christ is all in all so this is the third word I have ventured with finally brethren farewell be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the

[46:10]  God of love and peace shall be with you and the God of love and peace shall be with you what more could anyone desire for you than this and finally what about the last verse in this thirteenth chapter in the second epistle of Paul to the Corinthians I leave it with you the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen