Our God
and our Father in Heaven, in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly and
reverently and gratefully bow on thy footstool.
The earth is my footstool, saith the Lord.
We breathe the holy name of our Lord
Jesus Christ in prayer because we know it
demands thy attention.
We confess our sins together.
Strange, Father, that it is so seldom mentioned
we confess our sins together.
And well we might because that there's no
man that was unscathed enough and right where
every one of us knew doubt in our
hearts.
We have sinned against thee repeatedly but not
in vain we hope now.
More than likely and good and certainly and
far confess it to thee and thank thee
that thou art a God ready to pardon.
We bless thy holy name for the grace
that reached us and awakened us up to
flee from wrath to come.
May us feel and believe and tremble at
the thought we'd soon be in hell for
the world soon to fail.
Then legal trials shook us, we trembled and
died.
How we wished we had never been born
but we were born and live we must.
We thank thee for those days and nights
when we longed for one thing only that
one thing God's great salvation.
We bless thee for revealing not to us
in thine own way and time making us
you creatures in Christ changing our lives cleaning
our pockets out cleaning our mouths out making
us different men and women and boys and
girls and that's the way it must be
we're born again for then we in Christ
is a new creature.
Honour us where we are honour us our
object in being here and honour us what
we've listened to O God what thou canst
bless out of what we have bless it
to our souls we pray let the good
hand of God be upon us for the
little while it remains for our Lord Jesus
Christ's sake.
Amen.
Psalm 126 Lee Psalm
126 When the Lord told me give me
captivity and science for they looked down on
me then with a mouth filled with laughter
I don't know what to say then said
they among the heathen that all the drunkard
things were them that all the drunkard things
were us were us we are dry soon
again I will captivity O Lord as it
streams in the south they that sow in
tears shall reap in joy he that goeth
forth and weepeth bearing precious tears shall doubtless
come again rejoicing taking his sheaves with him
last two verses again please they that sow
in tears tears mind you shall reap in
joy he that goeth forth and weepeth bearing
precious tears shall doubtless come again rejoicing bringing
his sheaves with him I'm not going to
take my time I'm sure you wouldn't be
interested in me giving you an interpretation of
a psalm or wandering all over the Bible
I'm going to hard facts right away that's
exactly what we need moreover as a man
who knows an Irish audience well that's what
we deserve before I speak to you a
little while I want to tell you four
compressions from Sunday School scholars I'll give you
a minute one was five minutes from where
you sit from a far worse day in
a drunkard in the bed, the back room
she heard and learnt well Isaiah 53 and
6 when she went home the father and
you well sent for her I said what
did you hear at school today what did
you hear at school today what did you
hear at school today now we're doing a
bit of thinking a little girl said father,
Isaiah 53 go and read it for me
she read 53 and 6 she said read
it again she read it again, it was
very poor and he said go down into
the kitchen and come and I'll call you
a little time she called and he called
her and said read it again oh we
like sheep have gone astray we have torn
everyone to his old way and the Lord
has laid on him the iniquity in us
all he said that will do that's enough
for me he got saved I visited him
for twelve months after that he died, I
buried him, uncertainly buried him in the sure
and certain hope of a glorious resurrection preaching
to the country from the Armagh country soon
had been wrecked years gone by I said
we'll try and start one we started one
with five little girls that's thirty years ago
the school has been going on and there's
about thirty or thirty-five in it now
one of those little girls on a missionary
in Africa turned into Mr. Maxie little girl
this time encountered a rule poor, poor, poverty
stricken people as a matter of fact they
were beggars very bond family this little girl
went home notice this please exactly the same
as what happened round here the father's dying
while they are dragging the hoe dear sisters,
brethren and sisters, teachers when you go in
for your soldier children and try and get
them saved from hell fire that's horrible that's
horrible and God will lay a damnation at
your door but mind you, don't you try
to juggle with the Sunday school class after
praying a fool on Saturday afternoon but after
dripping at the King's head for a couple
of hours and defiling your soul no, God
will not have you no right to have
to desperate to see what happened this girl
died on Isaiah 53 and 6 and the
old man got saved I had to go
from Belfast to bury him I buried him
and the concrete turned out to that funeral
mall that had been run by a noble
man I said I'm going to preach outside
for an old chair put up and I
said it's not an ordinary burial service it's
going to be a gospel meeting and I'm
going to preach the gospel to you people
who never come where you will hear it
to a million mouths I don't say are
you going to preach the gospel so not
pray and tell us who's going to be
praying certainly not the man that preaches to
please the past and certainly not the man
that preaches to please a certain class of
people in the audience no, it's a man
that has got a vision got a burden
and got a prayer and I believe the
family to be in hell and not born
again if you don't believe that I'll tell
you why you don't believe that you've never
spent much time alone with God I was
asked to take a trough in 1905 just
to hear the word saved I said no
the teacher said why I don't know my
Bible I can't find the place I'm calling
on this to you people are you all
ready to say can't not in the English
dictionary can't, can't, can't I said can't and
the man can't I didn't mean can't said
why I want you to take a trough
there's seven teachers missing he pleaded with me
he said do please take that trough there
of ten little boys and he said they're
all Christian children and they'll be able to
help you and surely they did so I
couldn't find a place and I didn't know
what place to look for don't say can't
it's only an excuse an excuse is only
a lie nicely breathed an excuse is only
a lie nicely breathed it's not honest get
down to hard facts relative to the soul
of your children I took that trough I
didn't know what to say didn't know where
to begin didn't know what to read and
I don't know you can call it any
script whatever you like to say to me
and I said we've been singing wonderful things
in the Bible I see and I said
each one of you little boys tell me
some wonderful things you've seen in the Bible
one little fella started off with a woman
at the well I said that's good never
heard it in my life another little fella
took three minutes with a blind man said
that's really good my boy didn't know whether
it was true or not another wee boy
took a fella I said that's what they
put a man up to and do you
know after it all took a few minutes
the bell rang the time's up five minutes
to four and like the Apostle Paul I
find God into courage and stuck it for
twenty years don't take on no, don't do
it in the light of heaven and hell
don't worry it's on me sometimes I'll not
tell you any more stories those stories didn't
happen in fairly long they happened with me
in the north of Ireland Psalm 126 you've
heard it read many a time you've heard
it read a hundred or so many a
time I suppose men that could do it
I'm going to try to do it only
the last two verses not concerned about interpretation
of Psalm the Jew and the Gentile not
concerned about that what I am concerned about
is the welfare of you teachers that you
might go on to spend in time with
God for your children in the light of
God's eternity either heaven or hell and you
may have to do with that that's what
I'm here for tonight and I'm a hypocrite
for being on a platform if that's not
my heart's desire seen five of my scholars
saved at one spell of meeting all five
out of one family who got on to
a match five of them came to see
me there glad to see them all married
and going on well they said God did
not tell you to grow He told you
to sow it's God's business to make it
grow not yours and the same thing applies
to the peasants we are to do the
sowing let God do the growing but Matthew
this verse will tell you what change has
seen to sow and again you'll not get
anything from God and you'll not get any
help from God slap the leg all week
Saturday evening go to bed late get up
on Sunday morning and you're not afraid to
trifle with the things of God a lot
not doing the work of God just faithfully
expressively you'll never accomplish much neither in your
school nor in your life when you go
on like that feel it go forth activity
feel it go forth now you got to
move on too tired did you go to
bed early enough very good form did you
pray enough activity maybe very tired many of
them I was not went to sleep on
my knees praying for my class maybe I'm
a fool head maybe I'm not feeling well
very good I can understand all that although
I'm never troubled with those things I can
sympathize with you but if you're going to
get anything done for God get a move
on activity that's real good
spiritual recreation the next thing he said go
forth weeper sympathy sympathy you shouldn't need anybody
to tell you that you haven't got sympathy
in your heart for your scholars you'll likely
never win them for Christ more than likely
you'll drive them away by something you say
sympathy you can't make it up you can't
manufacture it you get sympathy and the right
kind of sympathy for your children alone with
God there's no substitute for that and I'm
terribly afraid that there's quite a lot of
teachers and some preachers and they're defending more
on their ability or their knowledge than they
are on the power and help of God
you'll never get anywhere sympathy it's a great
thing I got it sure to me several
times on a little boy and God knows
I need it I'll never forget I'll never
forget standing in a back entry one night
twelve o'clock stuck in the town hall
broken ass cold hungry what'll I do?
don't know here's a man coming a great
big heavy foot thought maybe the police man
I'll call in so I made a noise
as he was passing and he says who's
there?
I'm me sir he goes down here I
went down it wasn't the police man it
was a big tramway driver coming home of
late duty wait a minute he took my
dirty little hand and his big hand he
said come with me he took me just
round the corner took his dinner out of
the oven split it in two give me
half of it sympathy sympathy practical sympathy not
no sympathy that comes from absolutely nothing not
good for a lucky man practical sympathy is
gone that's sixty years ago and a little
more if I could find that man though
he's dead long ago I would fight with
all my heart fear and go on for
activity weeping simply very precious sweet comedy no
you're only playing at the job you have
wasted your time during the week you've been
reading the world's trash you may be reading
fiction maybe late magazine and you've been living
carelessly during the week you expect God to
help you no that's not the way God
does things God goes into reality and I'm
not real about the children and I shouldn't
be at the job fail out in that
comedy act up sympathy quality bearing precious
faith precious faith you should never make so
little of your Bible or spend your time
telling stories I don't say you shouldn't tell
any you may tell one that illustrates a
part so you can tell a true story
moreover if you can give them an illustration
from the Bible it's infinitely better than an
illustration of your own which may or may
not be true if you want an illustration
give them one for the Bible give them
plenty of the Bible especially these days listen
to this when there's so much damnable hell
preached all around us nearly every place and
the word of God is denied the people
die while they're teaching and the preacher will
be in hell that's why we should go
in for this more than ever leave it
there leave it with them precious faith precious
faith surely the word of God is precious
recitative very good that bearing precious faith so
it is done think of that rarely you
plead precious faith the last
thing is he shall doubtless certainly he shall
doubtless come again rejoicing bringing his sheep with
him maybe not in this world but in
a sweet by and by your boys and
girls you visited and if you didn't visit
them you shouldn't be a teacher and I
don't encourage preacher that doesn't visit either as
a physically fit no time for lazy men
don't stand at the door like as if
you were a Jew begging something make your
way in don't need to knock at an
open door go in sit down make yourself
at home and give them to understand that
they mean business and on the other hand
leave that house without praying not losing it
oh but I'm a Christian you are but
you're not a church member you don't need
me to tell you that that's only an
excuse and you'll find God will help you
I went to pray in the house down
the way down Antrim this time and I
was leaving the country I wanted to pray
with the people of Goldale when I see
that old woman I would talk with her
and I'd go down to pray shall I
say the first thing I met was I
felt was a little chap on the back
of the neck couldn't blame the chap the
next thing I felt was a chicken on
the heels of my boots my toes was
down and I prayed away and I asked
God to save the people and when I
was done praying the knees of my trousers
were sticking to the floor by the heaven
or hell don't you trifle with God's work
like I am doing today don't you trifle
with God's work let it be but as
well there are hundreds maybe thousands of ungodly
men and women teaching Sunday school so-called
for the money press at all that's all
and no reason why you should I go
into the booth that we believe from one
beginning to the end set it before them
with all the power you possess lay before
them their sins and their guilt as boys
and girls that need to be born again
never see heaven without it precious seed precious
seed shall doubtless there's no doubt about it
shall doubtless come again rejoicing bringing his seed
with him four chasers in the last two
weeks met me as I went around all
four said I will say that you will
meet me in different places one of them
thirty years ago that's the first I heard
of it never mind here about going for
the thing going for the thing like the
heaven or hell you do the showing let
God do the growing don't be concerned about
getting a lot of your children contracted so
called let the living God do that he
does it as well don't you try to
make a mess of it your business is
mine precious seed put it before them give
it to the living God for him bless
it you're doubtless I like this word doubtless
certainly shall doubtless come again rejoicing bringing his
seed with him in the bright and glorious
morning by and by what a joy what
an incalculable joy what an eternal joy to
make men and women or the boys and
girls that you spent your time for you
thought you were spending a lot of nothing
in the light of eternity you spend your
life to win one's soul for Christ on
your life's well spent God will attend to
us that you will get your reward I'm
not working for a reward I get it
to be sure we'll all get it but
that's a secondary thing work for Christ on
the soul of men want to be a
missionary for a good time I told you
about one already begin in your Sunday school
class somebody said this afternoon never leave your
Sunday school class get me at that I
left at once a lot of people made
me believe I could preach I thought I
couldn't myself better find out me for it
we live away in the country Mr. Knox
we have nobody to take our meeting on
Sunday will you come and I yielded and
I left my Sunday school class and brethren
don't smile it was like being on the
whole gully the whole afternoon that was the
first and the last never left my Sunday
school class again I did it back with
pleasure success or failure I did the best
I could and the blessed God doesn't ask
you to do anything more than that then
get these two verses of Psalm 126 into
your soul get down the toe of God
on your knees tonight before you go to
bed for the Lord's judgment is going to
be how much do you pay me on
class young man how much do you pay
me on class young woman I only pray
that my job I'll give a job about
heaven and hell much right to be a
steed as a preacher going out for souls
so as a preacher at the end he
said please bring these two verses on your
knees and keep on replying to God for
mercy as I have been doing a good
deal this day thoughts, failures I am the
amount of them what a good God that's
ready to pardon and ask Him to give
you more sweetly Lord precious feed and rejoice
in the glorious satisfaction for a better person
come again glory to God come again rejoicing
bringing His sheaves with Him somebody said just
one glimpse of Him and glory will the
toils of earthly pain certainly will be eased
up with all our lives as I sit
down the Lord might come before we lay
ready oh that we all say I didn't
ask you now the five wise virgins weren't
ready they were ready positionally they certainly weren't
ready conditionally if I were to keep in
company with you in front of you I
said are you?
do you pray in the face of God
almighty when you come to an equal yoke
of 2nd Indian 614 can you see that
as some people do and as some people
sneer at the old powers of Jeremiah 6
how dare you snare at the book of
God to the monster I suppose he comes
and in the twinkling of an eye I
will request in a rise to meet him
in the air farewell to you oneself boys
left left for the common judgment left for
the sinner's doom left for your life of
darken ain't yourself doomed left but instead of
heaven what will your portion be teachers
are careless left and practically prisoners left and
overseers are careless and carelessness is the root
of Satan the very brightest of our assembly
and remember he had brought forth activity for
a joy to work for Christ bearing sympathy
weeping Bearing precious food, the precious wood of
God, shall doubtless come again and touch him,
bringing his sheep.
Would you let him to come?
Would you let him to come just now?
What are your pockets?
Nothing wrong with the wise virgins, the lambs
were out.
But those fools were there in the dark
of night time.
Let your light so shine before men.
That was means around the collection box.
Third day, they were asleep.
Columns six and six.
How long wilt thou sleep, O snuggles?
When wilt thou arise, have I sleep?
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a
little folding of the hands to sleep.
And soon shall I poverty come upon me
as well, my brother.
And I want as I now am two
different things.
Did you notice that all the sleepers in
the New Testament are believers?
Are you sure you're not asleep yourself?
I dream every night I go to bed.
Some nights I dream I'm busy working.
But I'm sleeping just the same.
Some nights I'm busy preaching.
Some nights I'm busy accompanying us in the
dream.
Sleeping all the time.
Are you sure we're all awake?
Then those three fools were the wise virgins.
Why, there were three good things with the
foolish virgins.
The goodness didn't get them.