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[0:00] This being the opening Sabbath day of a new year, I say just a word or two about LSD.

[0:17] I never like saying much about LSD from the pulpit, but throughout the years of my pastorate on this opening Sabbath day, I have always made known to you what the average has been in the pastor's fund throughout the year.

[0:39] And for my Jubilee year, it has reached the highest total that I have ever known throughout my pastorate, just two or three pence under ten pounds per week.

[0:58] And that is very encouraging, especially as for three months I was not on duty, but God in his great mercy kept you all together in one mind and one spirit at that time, and your kindness was still continued to me as the pastor, which I much appreciate.

[1:21] And of course I had my Jubilee testimonial, so that as regards LSD, the Jubilee year stands out.

[1:33] But I still have to tell you, dear friends, what I have told you every year at this time. I seek not yours, but you.

[1:46] I have now tried to preach in Union Chapel between six and seven thousand times, and that is a great deal of seed sown.

[2:00] And I do hope quite a deal of it, by the grace of God, has fallen upon good ground and has sprung up to bear fruit unto life eternal.

[2:15] Some, I have no doubt, has fallen on stony ground, thorny ground, and by the wayside, and as yet no effect can be seen of that sowing.

[2:28] But I do want to emphasize what I have said. I seek not yours, but you. The great concern I have, especially now I am in the latter days of my ministry, is that God would grant that the word of his grace might be made more and yet more effectual in your lips and lives.

[2:58] And that you might realize the gospel to be what it really is, the power of God unto salvation. And that it can be said of you as a people, knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God.

[3:20] For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power. God, I am glad I should be, if this year which we have now entered upon, could be to us in our Union Chapel life, a year outstanding.

[3:42] Glad we have been that our Jubilee year ended with the blessing of God resting upon us as a people in additions being made to our church.

[3:54] And there is also the mercy that God showed to me in raising me up again from the gates of the grave. I know that when I was struck down as I was, that I was just standing on eternity's brink.

[4:13] But God in his great mercy has brought me back therefrom. And I hope to serve you as a people, as the pastor, for a little longer.

[4:27] And how glad I shall be if the word of his grace shall be yet confirmed by signs following. And now as the Lord shall be pleased to help me, I shall call your attention to a subject which you will find in the book of Joshua.

[5:05] Chapter 1, the second half of the fifth verse. As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.

[5:19] I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Chapter 1, second half of verse 5, the book of Joshua.

[5:34] Joshua was entering upon what was to be his life work in leading Israel of old into the land of promise.

[5:56] Moses. And he had lived up through his young life under Moses and was Moses' minister.

[6:11] He had gone through the wilderness wanderings with Israel and he had heard much that Moses had said concerning Israel and their behavior and he knew what kind of people they were.

[6:31] And Joshua, being a man of God, needed something from God that he might be strengthened in entering and he was going to be in the land of promise.

[6:44] And God gave him such a word to encourage him.

[7:02] And there are some things which it might be well to look at just a little as the setting of the subject.

[7:15] Moses, my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.

[7:32] Do listen. Every place that the sole of your foot should tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said, unto Moses.

[7:45] And now, there is a lesson for you and I to learn there. You might know the geography of the land of promise, be able to draw a map of it, go into quite a few details about it.

[8:09] But, the commission given to Joshua was that the children of Israel were to possess the land and put the Canaanites down and dwell there in their stead.

[8:29] And now, it is well to keep in mind that it is only what you know of the things of God by a gracious experience wrought within, what you have tasted, handled and felt, is that which gives reality to your religion and bespeaks it to be that which God is the author of.

[9:01] It is not enough to have intellectual knowledge about the things of God to be able to speak well upon them from that viewpoint.

[9:14] It is what the hymn writer says. Something must be known and felt. And now, as you journey on through life, if you are a pilgrim to Canaan bound, you can look back on places that the sole of your foot has trodden upon.

[9:37] The foot of your faith, I mean, wherein God has appeared on your behalf. wherein you have set up waymarks and eye heaps.

[9:50] And you have seen the hand of God has been upon you for good. And now, as you journey on through life like that and come into such experiences, wherein you can say the Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge, that gives reality to your profession of the name of Jesus and it brings you inside a scripture which you read in that little book of Obadiah.

[10:27] And the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. Just as Joshua was at this time, on the other side Jordan and all Israel with him too, there across Jordan was their possession.

[10:50] But they had not entered into it and not conquered it. It was still to be done. And it is like that in how you learn the things of God.

[11:05] The Lord trieth the righteous. And I often think of what Ezekiah said, O Lord, by these things men live and in all these things is the life of my spirit.

[11:21] And you will remember what the psalmist said. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble and he saved them in their distresses.

[11:35] And now that brought into their experience something that they had tasted, handled and felt and their feet had trodden in the way that was lined out as being Emmanuel's land.

[11:57] And then there is another thought here. It speaks like this. Now after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses' minister.

[12:15] And now, you dear young people will remember that when Joshua entered upon his work to attend Moses and be his minister, it says, Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man.

[12:40] And it says also, Joshua, the son of Nun, departed not out of the tabernacle. But he was always at hand to act on behalf of Moses if Moses was elsewhere on the business he had to do as Israel's leader through the wilderness.

[13:03] And now what a privilege that is to prize. You, many of you, from baby days on, have been found in the house of God.

[13:15] You are here as young men, young women, and that is a privilege to prize that God has so ordered your life that you should be able to live it where you have lived.

[13:33] lived. You are in, you are out. And whether you have it in your hearts as yet to be after the spirit, the things of the spirit are not, it is still a privilege to prize that you were found where you are.

[13:50] and if any of you should ever feel like that, whatever you do, do not turn your back on the cause of truth where you were brought up and your father and mother's God.

[14:07] For if you do, you will be taking steps along the broad road which leadeth to destruction. destruction and naught but ill and evil will attend you as you go along it.

[14:24] Do remember that. And now, I want to look at this scripture which I have read because it is applicable for us as we go on in life's journey.

[14:40] Some of us are nearing the end of it. But here is Joshua Philip and he was an outstanding man of God and the word of the Lord is to him as I was with Moses so I will be with thee.

[15:01] I will not fail thee nor forsake thee. And he emphasizes it be strong and of a good courage courage.

[15:14] And I wondered if you noticed when I read the chapter down how that is repeated again and again. Be strong and of a good courage only be thou strong and very courageous.

[15:31] Have not I commanded thee be strong and of a good courage. And the concluding word only be strong and of a good courage.

[15:45] And now I believe there is a background to that speaking with great reverence. Joshua you will remember stood alongside Caleb when the spies were sent long years before 40 years before to spy out the land and bring back a report.

[16:11] And only Joshua and Caleb came back and spoke on God's behalf spoke well for God and encouraged the children of Israel to go up and possess the land because they believed that God would enable them to overcome it.

[16:32] But the other ten spies brought an evil report and the children of Israel took the majority report which was evil and God brought his judgments upon them.

[16:47] And now what was the thing that was wrong which made the evil spies bring an evil report?

[17:02] They looked at the giants in the land and they were sons of Anak and they looked at the cities and they said that they were walled up to heaven and they looked at these things and their hearts melted and they thought they never being the people that they were never would be able to conquer such foes and possess the land but Joshua and Caleb stood side by side and Caleb was the spokesman and he says we are well able to possess the land and God will be with us we can overcome it but they would not listen to such good counsel and now forty years have rolled into eternity the evil spies and all those of their generation that agreed with them no longer are on the earth but are gone into eternity here is Joshua with the children of

[18:24] Israel remaining of whom it was said the children should go in and possess the land and now here is the emphasis on the needs be to be strong and of a good courage think not of the giants sons of Anak as they are fear not the cities though they be walled up to heaven but I will be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee and it simply narrows down to this if God be for us who can be against us be strong be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might and there is a deep down meaning to this word as I was with

[19:29] Moses so I will be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee good John Owen says in a comment on this word that it means in the original be they what they will I will not at any time on any occasion for any cause leave thee nor forsake thee go in and possess the land and come back to what I said if God be for us who can be against us and now dear friends that is really what is the setting of the subject and I would look at it from two or three viewpoints for it might be a word in season for many of us as we go forward into this year which has now opened and do remember in going forward if you look back what

[20:36] God has been to you he has guaranteed that he will be still as you journey on he hath delivered he doth deliver and we trust he will yet deliver us as I was with Moses and now Joshua in his quiet hours he could live his life over again he could go right back to being in Egypt and how God in his great mercy appeared then and wrought a miracle and brought out the children of Israel in accordance with his word at the time that he appointed even the self same day as the apostle Paul refers to it and he had been with

[21:37] Moses as they journeyed in the wilderness he had traveled through the Red Sea he had seen and tasted the Mara waters made sweet he had known how God had revealed his majesty to Moses at Mount Sinai and he had followed the moving of the cloud as Israel took all their varied journeys and they had eaten of the manna manned the angels food he had drunk of the water that followed them and says the apostle Paul concerning the water that followed them they drunk of the water that followed them and it flowed from a rock and that rock was Christ so that Joshua had much to encourage him in his remembrances of how he had lived his life with

[22:47] Moses serving him in every way that Moses needed and you may say it was good good for Joshua to have that encouragement to look back upon yes but I want to make this plain it can encourage you too you must not think a word like this while it was primarily addressed to Joshua to be Israel's leader into the land of promise oh it is applicable to everyone who has the mercy to be taught of God there is a word which tells us concerning the dealings of God whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort in the scriptures might have hope and the apostle

[23:55] Paul has a word especially referring to what I am trying to preach about now all these things happened unto them for examples margin reading types and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come so if the devil suggests to you that this word was only spoken to Joshua you can tell him he is a liar for it is addressed to you and later on long years afterwards in the Hebrews epistle the apostle Paul especially refers to it and addresses it to the Hebrews in the church of Christ in Judea in the days in which he lived and he says and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said

[25:05] I will never leave thee nor forsake thee and the reference is Joshua chapter 1 verse 5 so that this word is applicable to you preacher and people alike that if you can look back and see how God has been with you made his goodness to pass before you granted you help by the way tokens for good answers to prayer and as I said enabled you to set up way marks and make eye heaps as sure as he has been with you along life's way hitherto he will not fail to be with you as long as you live until you reach your journey's end they who once his kindness prove find it everlasting love as I was with

[26:12] Moses so I will be with thee let us look at that viewpoint of it and it is essential that you and I should know something of it in our soul's experience one in writer says in thy presence I am happy in thy presence I am secure in thy presence all affliction I can easily endure and oh you do want the presence of God to go with you as you journey on in life as I was with Moses so I will be with thee and it means I will be with thee every day that dawns whatever that day shall hold in store I shall be in control of it do remember that and remember too what the word of

[27:22] God says I will be inquired of by you all house of Israel to do these things go back to Israel when they were in the wilderness every day as they were journeying or when they were encamped in this place or that they could go to their tent doors and look out and see the cloud rising from the tabernacle spreading as a cloud over Israel's camp giving protection from the sun and that denoted the presence of God God was with them where they were encamped and so he declares to all his people wherever they may be in life's journey as I was with Moses and you can add others Abraham Isaac Jacob all the

[28:23] Old Testament saints as they lived their lives as pilgrims to Canaan bound as I was with Moses so I will be with thee and how you do need the Lord to be with you and it means whatever the pathway is that you're going along often it is just the path of everyday life with duties to do and difficulties to face but sometimes it may be the pathway of adversity then you realize deeper down your need to see the hand of God upon you and to realize that he is indeed with you as your Lord your God and you must admit if you told the truth and you really ought to do that you have known the

[29:25] Lord as Jehovah Jireh the Lord will provide did ever trouble yet befall and God refused to hear thy call I will be with thee whatever arises in life's journey making it to be at times oh so complicated that you hardly know what you are or where you are and wonder where the scene will end I am with thee to overrule it and to make manifest out of the eater should come forth meat out of the strong should come forth sweetness and if the way you go should be a way wherein you are in heaviness through many fold temptations I will be with thee trust in him ye tempted saints tell him all your sad complaints here present help will be give you strength and victory and then if the way you are going along should be a way that you find difficult to go forward therein because you feel to have so little ability to cope with the responsibilities resting upon you this word will help you still as

[31:01] I was with Moses so I will be with thee in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God if any man lack wisdom let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and upraideth not and it shall be given him so I will be with thee there is no trouble too complicated for the Lord to make crooked things straight and rough places plain and to break in pieces the gates of brass and cutting sunder the bars of iron as I was with Moses so I will be with thee and then if the way you go especially toward life's evening time should be a way of suffering still this word avails so

[32:12] I will be with thee and it is a wonderful mercy although it needs much grace to be able to put it into words from the pulpit what it is to be a partaker of Christ's sufferings I remember many years ago in looking into the word of God how I was impressed with a word in the Philippians epistle not only is it given unto you to believe on his name but also to suffer for his sake oh you see dear friends when suffering comes into your life you know you think it is for your sake and so it is and maybe you will have to learn that your sins and your iniquities have procured these things unto you it will be a question of sowing and reaping and yet that suffering coming upon you is ordained of

[33:19] God and it is a cross which he has chosen and if you are helped to take it up and remember this word as I was with Moses so I will be with thee in that it is enough for the disciple that he be as his lord yes much might be said concerning that viewpoint so I will be with thee and it can refer to whatever the future holds in store as regards any uncertainty you are in God will be to you tomorrow what he is today what he has been all the yesterdays since you have known what it is to trust in him

[34:21] Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever yes I will be with thee and you know what you sing sometimes not all the good earth can afford is equal to thy presence Lord our fainting hearts to cheer abide with us Lord with us dwell then come what will it shall be well tis well if thou art near but then there is another viewpoint of this word which I desire to unfold as a heavenly mystery as I was with Moses so I will be with thee and now it means if you want the presence of God to be with you as you journey on through life to guide you by his counsel and to guard you midst life's ills and evils it will not be an easy going pathway that you will be going along but great will be your mercy when in your life you can feel that you are going along it in agreement with

[35:49] God in agreement with God in all his dealings with you though they are hard to be understood remembering they are not in anger but in his dear covenant love and it means this I will be with thee then what you need to be doing is to remember the just shall live by faith and what is it to live by faith the psalmist will tell you trust in him at all times ye people pour out your hearts before him God is a refuge for us it means every day whatever comes upon you wherein you feel as you will feel your need of divine aid to remember like the woman in the gospel falling down at

[36:57] Jesus feet she told him all the truth and it is for you to do likewise and trust in him at all times and when you say though dark be my way since he is my guide it is mine to obey it is his to provide yes but then it says he led them about in a wasteland wilderness he instructed them and he kept them as the apple of his eye and now you find as you look back over life's way from the time when you hope the Lord began to deal graciously with you and you think of your varied experiences as you have come along you have learned somewhat of the things of

[38:05] God you have been instructed in righteousness although you may lament how little you do know of God and godliness yet you do know just a little and it is that little which a righteous man hath which is better than the riches of many wicked and you will find concerning the instruction that you gain as you journey on through life if the Lord is with you as you go along there are two special lessons which the Lord shall I say emphasizes in our soul's experience and that is what you are by nature and what he is by nature as the sinner's friend as you go on in life's journey you go deeper down into that scripture which shall know every man the plague of his own heart and you find when you look within no sinner needed mercy more than ever sought thy face and there is not a day that dawns in your life but what if you appear before

[39:33] God you have to say God be merciful to me a sinner and that knowledge is deeper down the farther you go along in life's journey but then God will also make known to you and how glad you are to come down into the beautiful simplicity of it Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners all you will be glad to light on that scripture this man receiveth sinners and he will reveal to you if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness yes oh you will have to say sometimes although your life without before the world at large is quite consistent as it ought to be but when you appear before

[40:45] God you have to confess oh Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great it is because you learn more and more of the leprosy that lies deep within much might be said under that heading as I was with Moses so I will be with thee and it means the government should be upon his shoulder I will be with thee thy troubles to bless and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress and remember it has got this in it and oh how glad you will be if you can feel it is a word in which you were shut up inside it who were kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time he will keep the feet of his saints and it refers to whatever phase of life journey you were in how glad

[42:01] Joshua must have been in his old age when he went back to remember the way he had come along and to think that God had dealt with him as a young man and he could say I have served the Lord from my youth up a great honor a great mercy a great privilege as I was with Moses so I will be with thee I will be with thee in youth I will be with thee in manhood I will be with thee in old age yes in down to old age all my people shall prove my faithful eternal love and how good it will be when you get to the end of the way and find this word is still being fulfilled as

[43:05] I was with Moses so I will be with thee and remember when you go down into Jordan swelling oh how I do like those lines of our hymn writer when the soul to march prepares good hope sends forth her fervent prayers and dies in peace with God and it all emanates from this beautiful and blessed truth as I was with Moses so I will be with thee and there is a guarantee I will not fail thee now you may come as you journey on through life you dear young people now following on to know the Lord may sometimes come to that place which is called wit's end then are they brought to their wit's end all their wisdom is swallowed up and you see then vain is the help of man you see also none but

[44:17] Jesus can do helpless sinners good and it is then you will realize this word fulfilled I will not fail thee the outlook may be very dark difficulties there are and problems you cannot solve but God will not fail in that which he has promised to be unto you and to do for you I will not fail thee I will not fail thee at the mercy seat and sometimes you go there even as Job when he said I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause sometimes like Jonah though I am cast out of thy sight

[45:17] I will look again toward thy holy temple and he who reigns on the mercy seat has never yet failed a poor sinner appearing before it with the name of Jesus and by living faith to no denial while pleading for Jesus sake the thing is impossible how would the powers of darkness boast if but one praying soul were lost I say the thing is impossible ask and Jesus receive seek and Jesus find knocking that shall be opened for everyone that ask hath receiveth and he that seek it find it and to him that knock it it shall be open I will not fail thee concerning the fountain open for sin and for uncleanness you shall know the blood of

[46:20] Jesus Christ God son cleanseth us from all sin I will not fail thee in the exceeding great and precious promises scattered throughout the word of my grace you find at one time when Jeremiah was living his life as a prophet that the question was put to him is there any word from the Lord and Jeremiah said yes there is and now you dear people following on to know the Lord can at any time wherever you are before God take the word of God and say is there any word from the Lord and you will find the answer coming yes there is it will be such a word as will encourage you instruct you help you and enable you to go on in the way that you desire to go along realizing

[47:28] I will be with thee I will not fail thee hath God said and shall he not do it how firm a foundation ye saints of the Lord is laid for your faith in his excellent word what more can he say than to you he hath said you who unto Jesus for refuge have fled another thought is this and I must come to the Amen as I was with Moses so I will be with thee I will not fail thee and now God will not fail you when you come up to worship him you may not get some sabbath days what you would like but there will be some sabbath days when you will when you will say Lord it is good for us to be here one him writer says that he tarries off till men are faint and comes a evening late he hears and will relieve complaint tis ours to pray and wait and however long you may be asked by

[48:50] God to wait you will find at the end of the waiting time this word will be fulfilled to the full as I was with Moses so I will be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee you will find in the worship of God that which will help you along life's way and under the gospel you will get help and be able to go on your way feeling the watch men that go about the city they found me and just a word here as I was with Moses so I will be with thee I will not fail thee nor forsake thee and now let us turn over the word of God let us come to now the time when

[49:52] Joshua is old grey headed and as Israel's leader his work is done that which God ordained for him to do is done and I must just make this comment not all the land of promise has been possessed there still remain some land to be possessed but Joshua has now done his life work and what does he say and behold this day I am going the way of all the earth and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you all are as a young man and was in the sanctuary attached to

[51:20] Moses he served Moses through the wilderness wanderings and now year in year out he has conquered much of the land of promise and the tribes of Israel are instated therein according to the purposes of God and he shows at the end of the life he had lived and we still felt before God with whom he had to do as for me and my house we will serve the Lord and now the great thing is oh that you might be able to realize it you dear young people many of you I would it could be every one of you all of us to be able to feel as we go on in life journey this God is our God and he will be our guide even unto death

[52:25]  Amen