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[0:00] As the Lord should be pleased to help me, I should call your attention to a subject you will find in Psalm 35.

[0:17] And the last phrase in the third verse, Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.

[0:34] Psalm 35 and the last phrase in the third verse. This is a word which welled up in the Selmish breast long ago, when trouble like a gloomy cloud had gathered thick and thundered loud.

[1:02] And he was in the midst of it. And he realized that in God alone was his help.

[1:15] The Selmist, in the circumstances in which he was found, was just shut up to God to appear on his behalf.

[1:26] And every sinner who has the mercy to be taught of God in journeying on through life is made to realize that truth.

[1:41] God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear.

[1:52] It is in this way that you come deep down into our most holy faith and learn what you otherwise might only hold as a doctrine.

[2:11] Salvation is of the Lord. And I have no doubt that many of you who have the mercy to be sinners born again, have used this wording of the dear Selmist as he uttered it long ago.

[2:34] You have used it in appearing before God, because it is just what you want God to say to you. I, I, I, I who am the sinner's friend, I, a God ready to pardon, I, am thy salvation.

[3:03] Oh, some of you would be happy beyond words to describe if God would condescend to say it to you as he alone can say it.

[3:20] What are you to do? Wait on the Lord regarding it. Be of good courage and these to strengthen thine heart.

[3:32] Wait, I say, on the Lord. Lord. And now, I want as the Lord shall help me to look at the subject from two or three viewpoints of it.

[3:49] And I would like it to be a word of help as God shall grant that mercy to you and to me. A word in season.

[4:00] And when you think of the subject matter of this petition, it is to do with salvation.

[4:13] And what a word that is. Salvation. Salvation. The dear psalmist says in another psalm, Remember me, O Lord, with the favor that thou bearest unto thy people.

[4:29] O visit me with thy salvation. salvation. And here he is again, say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.

[4:43] And now, in approaching the subject, what does salvation mean to you? Some of you, all of you, from baby days on, under Union Chapel Room, you have heard hundreds, yea, thousands, of sermons, some of you, and the subject matter of each one has been salvation.

[5:14] And for poor sinners to realize they have an interest in the salvation of God. Some of you have not yet begun to realize your need of salvation.

[5:36] And therefore, the subject is of no interest to you. Only the amen that concludes what is said about it. And while one makes that statement, one does it very sorrowfully.

[5:56] I've often thought of one word, As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked. And I can speak from experience that if you stand by the grave side of one that you must believe, was that character, the wicked, so that they go down into the grave without God and without hope, which is a very solemn business to be engaged in from the preacher's viewpoint, and no tongue can tell how solemn it is for such and one so laid in the grave.

[6:40] I have told you, shall I tell you again, as long as God shall God remain, so long shall last hell's lingering pain, so long the joys of heaven shall be, oh, long delights, long misery.

[7:03] Thinking on this subject, my mind went abroad in the world at large. And you see, beneath the sun, there is the mighty mass of mankind, hundreds of millions of people of every kindred, tribe, and tongue dwelling in this kingdom or of that.

[7:30] and the great majority are living just as they are born. And they have no concern whatever to live otherwise.

[7:44] And although the word of God makes it plain, the wicked shall be turned into hell and all nations that forget God, yet the wicked are doing wickedly and they are living their lives as though they are altogether unaware that only this frail and fleeting breath preserves me from the jaws of death soon as it fails at once I'm gone and plunged into a world unknown.

[8:22] And how is the majority of mankind living? the carnal mind is enmity against God and is not subject to the law of God and neither indeed can be.

[8:37] They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh. And if you try to put these all important matters before such people as these, they will resent it and seek to refute it and declare depart from us.

[9:00] We desire not the knowledge of thee or thy ways. What a very solemn state mankind is in as the aftermath of the Adam fall.

[9:17] And yet God in his infinite mercy has made known salvation. And in the word of his grace he has given us all the details concerning it such as poor sinners with their eyes open by the spirit of God are enabled to discern.

[9:45] say unto my soul I am thy salvation. And now looking at the salvation of God and to help you dear younger people remember that vision the apostle Peter saw when he was favored to see a sheep let down from heaven and in that sheep there were all manner of beasts and birds and creeping things innumerable and it was let down from heaven three times in succession and taken up again.

[10:33] As it was let down so it was taken up again. None were lost who were in the sheep none were added to it when it was down and now that is just a little picture a word picture of what is the salvation of God.

[10:54] The sheep was let down three times because the Father the Son the Holy Spirit the Blessed Trinity are all engaged in this all important matter of salvation.

[11:10] God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

[11:28] And God the Father before the world was built a time was born ordained a number which no man can number to be saved with an everlasting salvation.

[11:45] And it could only be done at a cost beyond any preacher's words to describe or men's mind to conceive. The word of God tells us Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

[12:07] Yes oh what a wonderful miracle that was when God sent forth his own son made of a woman made under the law that he might be seen in Bethlehem's manger first of all as a little babe and then growing up and going forth to do love's redeeming work and in the life he lived he lived it under the law and he kept that law in every jot and tittle that all that vast host God the father had ordained a life eternal might be saved his name shall be called Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins wonderful is the life that Jesus lived and the death he died and wonderful it was on that

[13:08] Easter morn when he rose from the dead triumphant over sin and death and hell and wonderful it is that he is where he is this sabbath afternoon at god the father's right hand for sinners interceding there he is that his word may be fulfilled he shall save the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied there he is to welcome and bless every poor sinner who do listen who out of the abundance of the heart the mouth is speaking pleads before him say unto my soul I am thy salvation blessed is the man oh god whose mind is stayed on thee who waits for thy salvation lord shall thy salvation see blessed are all they that wait for him what did you sing in the opening hymn you really should thank god and take courage some of you the feeblest prayer if faith be there exceeds all empty notion when out of the abundance of the heart the mouth is speaking yes and this will suit you oh it will fit in with what your soul needs say unto my soul my never dying soul

[15:01] I am thy salvation and now the spirit of god has his great work to do it is he and he alone who can open the eyes of the blind he and he alone who creates the aching void within which this world cannot fill it is he and he alone who can bring home to a poor sinner his guiltiness before god his undone state in the Adam fall and that he must appear before god as a sinner lost yes and being a sinner lost he begins to learn the blessedness and the necessity to have a part and lot in the salvation of god say unto my soul i am thy salvation the father the son the holy spirit are all engaged in this great work salvation of poor sinners ordained to life eternal and now i want to view this subject from two or three viewpoints and i do want to say something that will help you to encourage your soul in god going back a moment to the psalmist he had the good work begun in him long before he sent up this petition to god with whom he had to do but when he sent up this petition he was in the depth of trouble there was trouble without in his kingdom and he had trouble within in his soul experience and it was his great desire to know that the matters with which he was concerned were in the hand of god to control and that is how you will feel if you are a sinner born again as you journey on through life there will not be any matter but what you will want god to be in it first of all if he is not in it first of all he will not be in it at all remember that you you dear young people keep that thought uppermost in your minds you must have as you journey on if you are concerned to know the salvation of god and to be a pilgrim to

[18:15] Canaan bound i say you must have this in the beginning god if he is not in the beginning he will not be in whatever you were putting your hand to and his blessing will not rest on it it is not in man that walk it to direct his own steps no how then can a man understand his own way the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way though he fall he shall arise he shall not be utterly cast down the Lord will uphold him with his hand and now you see at least I hope you do you see in this petition of the dear Selmist say unto my soul I am thy salvation that he desired what some of you desire an assurance oh there is that viewpoint in our soul's experience and you must have it sooner or later and some have waited for it a lifetime and then have not missed it when they have gone down into

[19:43] Jordan's swelling some who have followed on to know the Lord as I said for well nigh a lifetime have been helped to feel at the end of life's journeys that they were right at last not withstanding all their fears and paintings you're in you're out as to whether they would be found at the Saviour's right hand numbered among the sheep they have found to their souls joy when the soul to march prepares good hope sends forth her fervent prayers and dies in peace with God yes say unto my soul and now this assurance you see must be personal you must possess it it must be that which enables you out of the abundance of the heart for the mouth to speak some of you you have known people taught of

[20:59] God you have seen how they lived yes and you have seen how they died and you have stood by their graves and you have heard the preacher say ensure and certain hope of a joyful resurrection to the life everlasting and it has found a response in you and you have gone on your way more concerned than ever say unto my soul I am thy salvation be this religion mine let me among thy saints be found that is what some of you are waiting for with them numbered I would be now and in eternity and mark this wording say unto my soul my soul you see when a sinner is born again he is made aware of the importance of his soul and its eternal welfare you observe the psalmist in some of his psalms my soul wait thou only upon

[22:30] God for my expectation is from him my soul it is a great mercy to have this truth kept alive yea active within you that you possess a never dying soul long years ago over seventy when I was at school we used to sing teach me to live that I may dread the grave as little as my bed and now that comes into your soul's exercises when you were born again when he the spirit of truth is come he shall convince the world of sin and once that great truth is opened up before you that you were bound for an eternal destiny either heaven or hell you will want this assurance the dear psalmist desire say unto my soul

[23:45] I am thy salvation the general knowledge of the things of God is not sufficient because good creeds may stock our heads about and in our hearts no grace be found you see this with every sinner born again it is my soul my soul you see your godly father and godly mother they have an interest in the salvation of god but when you are wrought upon by the spirit of god you dear children you will want your father's god your mother's god to be your god too and that alone will help you to feel that matters are right between god and you nothing less will do than this say unto my soul

[24:53] I in all that I have done in the life I lived when I dwelt on earth a while when I did love's redeeming work when I could tell my father I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do and when on Calvary's cross I said it is finished I am thy salvation because of it it is finished cried the Lord in his dying minute Holy Ghost repeat the word full salvation is in it you see Holy Ghost repeat the word and it is he who must say what your soul desires I am thy salvation except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it otherwise you might have a life of just chapel going and at the end of it go down into eternal misery and that forever and ever the music of the gospel trumpet that you listened to and heard not ever ringing in your ears the very solemn consideration say unto my soul

[26:23] I am thy salvation you see dear friends there is a word in the Romans epistle chapter eight it is a lovely scripture it is a lovely experience the spirit the spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God and now some of you dear people could not begin to reckon who say say what your soul desires say unto my soul

[27:33] I am thy salvation how will God say this great word unto your soul he alone in his divine sovereignty will use that means which is his pleasure to do there are means which the spirit of God condescends to use sometimes you might have a word as it were from heaven itself a still small voice it is good to have some of that kind of religion you remember Elijah long ago there was the earthquake and the wind and the fire but the Lord was not in it after the fire a still small voice which when

[28:38] Elijah heard he heard the voice of God he wrapped himself in his mantle and went and stood at the mouth of the cave where he was dwelling and he stood before God and how sometimes God will say I am thy salvation like that he will say it with a still small voice the hymn writer beautifully sets it forth the blood of Jesus whispers peace within Julie and he comesúsica reality your fears are gone your guilty conscience is cleansed your heart is ready to burst with these love of God toward you thy sins which are many for all forgiveness it is just between God and you it is ever like that but I am thinking of the still small voice when God shall say

[29:59] I am thy salvation from that viewpoint and sometimes God will say it by his spirit while the gospel of the grace of God is being preached and you might be the one that God will say it to and you are in the midst of the congregation all around you do not know how God is dealing with you but you know it you experience the sweet reality of it and you can say the watchman that go about the city they found me and you feel you are before God with whom you have to do and his gospel has come as the power of God unto salvation and you can go on your way rejoicing in hope of life eternal

[31:05] God does use his servants whom he ordains to preach the gospel and how glad they are when they learn that God has so used the gospel in the proclamation of it that a poor sinner has been persuaded assured of his interest in the salvation of God I know just a little of what that experience is from a pastor's viewpoint a preacher's viewpoint I should say it is good to know that sinners have been born again under one's ministry but there is something very wonderful when poor sinners are brought out of darkness into the light of the glorious rays of the sun of righteousness and they realize their interest in the salvation of God yes the gospel is to be preached to this end that you shall learn through this man there is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins say unto my soul and now as you do not know how it will be said do listen you need to be heartening to what God the Lord may say to you in all the means of grace where he does condescend to say something to his dear people as they are exercised unto godliness hungering and thirsting after righteousness therein in all places where I record my name there will I come and bless thee you must never get a settled line in your mind as to how you think

[33:11] God will say to you I am thy salvation because God is a sovereign in how he deals with his people and sometimes it may come as it were direct from heaven with the still small voice but as a rule it comes through the means of grace being used aright and to use them aright you must remember thus while we in the means are found we still alone on thee depend to make the gospel's joyful sound effectual to the promised end say unto my soul I am thy salvation and now ere you get this blessing to the full you may get some earnest of it remember that when the spies returned from the land of promise long ago with the bunches of grapes and those things which they brought back to show what did grow in the land they were earnest of what grew in the land of promise in the fullness of it and now the word of God speaks about the earnest of the spirit and he gives to his people earnest which are the things that accompany salvation and which are to encourage you that sooner or later

[34:55] God will say to you I am thy salvation and meanwhile you are to hope in God regarding it follow on to know the Lord yes and treasure up every evidence every earnest that he may give you in answers to prayer and helps by the way and deliverance in times of trouble and when he appears for you in your circumstances when they may be complicated and you see as you look on how he makes crooked things straight and rough places plain and overturns the mountains and makes his goodness pass before you in the way as he works like that on your behalf as you journey on through life you see the evidence of his salvation and your own interest in it and the day will dawn when you will get the sweet blessed climax of that earnest of the spirit and you will realize what the hymn writer says the time of love will come when each shall clearly see not only that

[36:21] Christ shed his blood but each shall say for me oh what a sweet blessed experience that is say unto my soul I am thy salvation you will find to emphasize what I have said the psalmist uses this argument it has helped me sometimes hide not thy face far from me put not thy servant away in anger thou hast been my help and there the devil cannot overturn that nor your own unbelieving heart either there are the evidences there are the way marks the high heaps the Ebeneezers you have set up thou hast been my help thy love in times past forbids me to think thou will leave me at last in trouble to sing each sweet

[37:24] Ebeneezer I have in review confirms thy good pleasure to carry me right through see how the psalmist prays thou hast been my help leave me not neither forsake me O God of my salvation it is for you and I as grace is given still to besiege the throne of grace say unto my soul I am thy salvation and I have told you sometimes and a pastor has to tell you the same things many times in a long pastorate and when all is said and done when it is to do with scripture it is not vain repetition and now the apostle Peter says this it has helped me it may help you account that the long suffering of the Lord is salvation as though

[38:27] Peter would say see how long the Lord is born with you not withstanding the sinner that you know you are not withstanding your guiltiness before God your base back slidings if God had not designed to save you he would have damned you long ago it is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed and because his compassions fail not here is the salvation of God being made known yes say unto my soul I am thy salvation salvation and remember this only those who are interested in the salvation of God will ever find it in their hearts to echo the words of the salvation in our text say unto my soul

[39:32] I am thy salvation remember that it is out of the abundance of the heart the mouth must speak and it will do because God will work that miracle for all interested in the salvation of God a new heart will I give you a new spirit will I put within you I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh I will give you a heart of flesh a heart to feel the reality of the things of God and a heart longing to feel an interest therein and you have got it yes the heart once hardest steel that's made for sin to feel bears tokens of a ransom soul say unto my soul I am thy salvation and now this petition which welled up in the psalmist breast so long ago will keep coming up in your heart and not only to do with your soul's salvation but in the varied circumstances in everyday life in which you live and move and yet

[40:57] I would like to make this plain and yet you will find whatever those circumstances may be it will still be linked up to your soul and its eternal welfare what I mean is this whatever the trouble may be that befalls you you will say oh I do hope this will be for my soul's good it may be God in this trouble is going to do for me what I have asked him to do for a long while say unto my soul I am thy salvation David himself will help you and he says in one cell let my soul live and it shall praise thee and let thy judgments help me judgments there means the chastening of

[41:57] God and to get good for your soul in it and that no trouble shall come upon you and leave you as it found you but that it shall leave you with a feeling like this the Lord is good a stronghold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him it is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes say unto my soul I am thy salvation I have no time to work out these varied experiences only to give you a hint or two it may be sometimes as you journey on you will walk in darkness and have no light and then you will hardly know what you are or where you are regarding your soul's standing although you have been trying to pray you're in you're out all your evidences may be in obscurity and like

[43:09] Job when he said oh that I knew where I might find him and he wanted to find him in the dealings of God which he was passing through at that time he was overwhelmed yet deep down in his heart I would seek unto God and unto God would I commit my cause and you walking in darkness when you have no light regarding your soul's eternal welfare what will be your petition then oh send out thy light and thy truth let them lead me let them bring me unto thy holy hill and to thy tabernacles oh how you will long for the son of righteousness to arise irradiate your soul with radiancy divine that you may feel again as you have felt and as you want again to feel it is well with my soul say unto my soul

[44:29] I am thy salvation when you are called to go into fiery trials it may be or to go through deep waters when events arise in your life which you never dreamed would ever enter therein and maybe the outcome is that you were brought to your wits end as the psalmist speaks he brought down their heart with labor they fell down and there was none to help then they cried unto the lord in their trouble and he saved them out of their distresses margin reading is so suitable all their wisdom is swallowed up and now you see that brings you right down bed rock salvation is of the lord yes then then to have recourse to god and pour a prayer in time of need and feel the balm of jesus blood this is to find a friend indeed you sung about that friend christ is the friend of sinners be that forgotten never say unto my soul i am thy salvation sometimes you may be in heaviness through manifold temptations and remember what i have told you often it is a great mercy to have some religion which the devil does not leave alone if you have some and he does leave it alone the lord help you to get rid of it for it is not worth keeping it will do you no good either in time or eternity he is said to be the accuser of the brethren and if he never accuses you how can you establish your relationship that you belong to the brethren either a brother or a sister the people of god are often tempted and tried and satan does not leave them alone for long no but then in the midst of it when you realize that the devil is a mighty foe he is a mighty foe but do say thank you to god that you can read this word in the word of his grace in this was the son of god made manifest that he might destroy the works of the devil and when you are in satan sith and being riddled to and fro and wondering if you and your profession and your religion will all go through the sith and you sing to rise no more a peagle stamped upon you weighed in the balances and found wanting oh how glad you will be to send up this petition say unto my soul

[47:53] I am thy salvation and the Lord will appear for you the Lord will make the temp to flee and as thy days thy strength shall be now there is a time coming not so far off for some of us it will come to every one of you even the little babes sooner or later pill so far to won't above your head and die and oh if you have been year in year out sending up this petition heaven would say unto my soul I am thy salvation how you will then want to enter into the sweet realization of the salvation of God and that you might be saved from all your ifs and buts and hows as to how matters will be with you when you go down into Jordan's swelling my fears sometimes say

[49:03] I never shall find in death's gloomy day true peace to my mind but then you must not expect to have grace to die while God has ordained you yet months it may be yours to live dying grace is guaranteed in a dying hour he which hath begun the good work in you margin reading he will finish it whoever heard of God beginning and not coming to a God glorifying finish in anything he has put his only hands to do the thing is impossible and let it be with you unthinkable and do you continue to sigh and cry prepare me gracious God to stand before thy face thy spirit must the work perform for it is all of grace say unto my soul

[50:05] I am thy salvation think of godly Simeon and how long he waited there he was a just man and he bow old and grey headed yet knowing he should not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ and then he was favoured to see him and he took the dear babe surely Simeon's heaven must be two heavens as he thinks of that he took that dear babe in his old withered arms and blessed God and said Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation according to thy word dear friends the Lord bless you and help you to wait on God and give him no rest until you get what your soul desires the desire of the righteous should be granted the word of God tells us oh besiege the throne of grace say unto my soul

[51:26]  I am thy salvation and treasure up every earnest every evidence that God that God has given you to help you to believe he is indeed carrying on his good work in you and be sure he will not fail to fulfil the word of his grace blessed are all they that wait for him they shall not be ashamed that wait for me amen a a a a a a