Sermon 2199. Israel's Hope-Or, The Center of the Target

(No. 2199)

A SERMON INTENDED FOR READING ON LORD'S-DAY, APRIL 19, 1891,

DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.

"Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption." Psalm 130:7.

When he penned this Psalm, the writer, David, was in deep distress, if not of circumstances, yet of conscience. He constantlymentions iniquities and begs forgiveness. He felt like a shipwrecked mariner, carried overboard into the raging sea. Thushe reviews the situation-"Out of the depths have I cried unto You, O Lord." Yet he lived to tell the tale of deliverance!His prayer from among the waves was a memory worth preserving and he preserves it. The mercy of God to him he weaves intoa song for us-and in this our text is found.

Two things the rescued sufferer tells us. First, that, as God delivered him from the power of sin, so He will deliver allHis praying, wrestling, believing people. That is the last verse of the Psalm-"He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities."The argument is-He delivered me. What am I more than others? The gracious Lord who saved me will save all those who call uponHim in truth. He delivered me, though laden with iniquities, and His pardoning mercy is unfailing and, therefore, He can andwill rescue others from their uttermost distresses. This is a good line of reasoning, for the Lord's ways are constant andHe will do for all Believers what He has done for one of them.

The other thing which the Psalmist sets before us is this-we are wise if we apply to God, alone, for help. He says, "I waitfor the Lord, my soul does wait. My soul waits for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than theythat watch for the morning." He incidentally tells us that it is vain to wait upon man and put our trust in any human support,for the way of deliverance only lies in reliance upon God, immediately and alone. We are not to depend upon outward means,but upon the God who lends efficacy to all means. Why is it that we need to be told of this? Why is faith in God so rare?To go first to the Lord is to save time! Straightforward always makes the best runner and to go straight to God is not onlyour duty, but it will be our happiest course. The Psalm encourages us to this by the assurance that the Lord can and willhelp all that seek Him-and it urges us to let that seeking be distinctly and directly turned to the Most High, to Him aloneand to none other. To join another ground of confidence with the Lord is a sort of practical idolatry which is to the woundingof faith.

May we learn well the lesson of this Psalm! When we meet with a man who has been in special trouble and he has escaped fromit, we are anxious to know how it came to pass in order that if we are cast into similar trial, we also may resort to thesame door of hope. You meet with a man that has long been sorely afflicted-to find him full of joy at his relief is a pleasureand a personal comfort! You heard him lamenting for years and now you hear him rejoicing-and this excites your wonder andyour hope! It is as though a cripple saw another lame man leaping and running. He very naturally enquires, "How is this?"The other day you saw a blind man begging in the street-and now he has eyes bright as that which sparkle on the face of agazelle-and you cry in astonishment-"Tell me who was the oculist that operated on your eyes, for I may be in the same caseand I would be glad to know where to go." Here, then, we have a gate of knowledge opened before us. The Psalmist found salvationand deliverance in going directly to God and trusting in Him! Let us follow his example and in all times of distress, causedby our own iniquity, or by anything else, let us repair to the Throne of Grace, for the Most High will also deal with us evenas He dealt with His servant of old, to whose cries, out of the depths, He lent an attentive ear. This Psalm is called "DeProfundis"- its teaching is not only profound but practical.

Let me freely speak with you as concerning the great salvation which, as fallen creatures, we all need. In that matter ouronly resort must be to God, alone, for, "salvation is of the Lord." God has been pleased, in these last days, to reveal Himselfin a glorious manner, suitable to our salvation. He was always to be seen in creation by those whose sight was not darkenedby moral evil and, doubtless, angelic eyes always beheld Jehovah in all the works of His hands. He was to be seen under theold Law in types and shadows and, believing men and women were enabled, by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, to beholdthe Lord in His Temple. But in these last days, the Lord has spoken to us by His Son, whom He has made heir of all things,and in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. There is the Father most clearly to be seen-and now, if we readthat Israel is to hope in the Lord and if we see that the way of salvation lies in relying upon "the Lord"-we must read betweenthe lines and understand that the glorious Lord must always be the object of faith according as He, at this time, revealsHimself.

It is written, "They that know Your name will put their trust in You." That is to say, they trust, as they know how He revealsHimself. At this moment the manifestation of God stands thus-His dear Son has descended from the highest heavens and takenupon Himself our human nature, so that He is God and Man in one sacred and mysterious Person! In that complex form, the Wordmade flesh dwelt among men on earth some 30 years and more. And then He took upon Himself the weight of human sin and boreit upon His shoulders up to the Cross. He was arrested by the hand of Divine Justice and treated by Justice as if He had beena sinner, though sinner He could never be. He was numbered with the transgressors and given over to wicked men, who, in theirwillful malice, scourged Him, spit upon Him, crowned Him with thorns and condemned Him to a felon's death. He died, not forany iniquity of His own, but for the transgression of His people was He smitten. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him.Yes, "He was made a curse for us" and even more-"He was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God inHim." "He died, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God."

If, then, we would trust God for our personal salvation, we must confide in Him as He manifests Himself for that purpose.And as we perceive that God sets forth Christ to be the Propitiation for our sin, we must accept that ordained way of puttingaway our sin. This is the way in which, "with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption." And thus itis that, "He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities." We trust in the Lord God as He reveals Himself in the Person ofHis Son Christ Jesus who has displayed in His own self the Love and the Justice of God-and has shown how these were equallyglorified by the way of redemption through the substitution and sacrifice of One who is the Fellow of the Highest, and yetnext-of-kin to man! Our Lord has buried our sin in His sepulcher and has gone up into Heaven to plead, there, with God, fortransgressors and, at the same time, to prepare a place for as many as believe in Him and so are saved by His plenteous redemption!Understand, then, that if we read in the text, "Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Himis plenteous redemption," we now, today, in the light of the Gospel, read it thus-"Let the seeking sinner, who would be redeemedfrom all his iniquities, trust in God as He is seen in and through Jesus Christ, for there forgiveness is freely given throughplenteous redemption, and sin is no longer marked or imputed to the Believer, because the sacrifice of Jesus has blotted itout and removed it forever."

This is the introduction of our discourse. May the Holy Spirit now grant His anointing both to preacher and hearers!

I. The chief point to which I desire you to give earnest heed is this-in obtaining Gospel blessings, THE FIRST EXERCISES OFFAITH MUST BE TOWARDS GOD IN CHRIST JESUS and not towards the blessings, themselves. "Let Israel hope in the Lord." We donot read, "Let Israel hope for mercy." But we read, "Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy." Neitherdoes it say, Let Israel hope for plenteous redemption." But it is worded thus, "Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with theLord there is plenteous redemption." To me this has the look of a very encouraging Truth of God-the sinner is not to hastenwith his first thoughts to the mercy that he needs, nor even to the promise of God to which he may look-but he is to go tothe Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, as the Lord of Mercy and Fountain of Redemption! The first exercise of our faith is to dealimmediately with the Lord God as He meets us in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here let me say that this is the most natural order which faith can follow. Look first to the Giver and then to the gift!Look for the Helper and then for the help! Do not be saying, "I long to be forgiven. I labor to believe that I am forgiven.I desire to be saved. I want to know that I am saved." This is looking for the fruit, when you have need, first, to find the

tree! Your first business, as a seeker of pardon and salvation, is to believe in Jesus Christ, that is, to trust yourselfwith the Divine Savior. The natural order is believe in the Promiser and then you will believe the promise! You never sayto yourself, "I should like to be able to take that man's word. I will sit down and try to make my mind confident of the truthof what he says." This would be a foolish and futile method of procedure. You follow a much more reasonable course-you enquireabout the individual's character and standing-you find out who he is, what he is and what he has done. And thus you gatherarguments for confidence and faith. You cannot help believing the promise when once you believe in the promiser. If you finda merchant to be an eminently upright and substantial man, you do not hesitate to take his checks. In fact, you would be gladto have your wallet full of them! Faith prizes the promises of her faithful God, and calls them precious.

Apply this rule and deal with heavenly things in due order. You seek pardon. Do not look continually at this priceless mercyat first, but look to the pardoning God! You will soon believe in forgiveness if you cause the first exercise of your faithto refer to the Forgiver, even Christ Jesus, Himself. When you have believed in Him, as able to say, "Your sins are forgivenyou," then you will believe in sins being forgiven! This is the natural order of things. So, also, if you desire to believefor salvation and to be assured that you have it, or may have it at once, the simple course-the natural course-is to believein the Savior! To be healed, you believe first in the Healer. When you have believed in the Savior, then you will believein the salvation. If you know that Jesus can save you; if you desire to be saved, you will trust Him to save you. You willbe readily able to believe that you can be saved when you trust in Jesus as able to save to the uttermost.

Poor trembling Heart, do not look at the blessing and say, "Alas, it is too great!" Look at the Savior Himself! Is anythingtoo great for Him to give who gave His heart's blood to redeem? Do not say, "My heart is so hard it cannot be changed." Lookat the Savior-is anything impossible to Him to whom the Father has committed all power? Is He not mighty to save? Fix youreyes, first and foremost, upon Him who is both God and Man and has, therefore, power and sympathy, majesty and mercy, Omnipotenceand brotherliness. I pray you, do not consider so much the greatness of the effect as the unlimited power of the Cause. Imay doubt my washing, but not when I believe in the cleansing virtue of the precious blood! It may be difficult to believein my salvation, but not to believe in my Savior! It may be hard to hope for Heaven, but the text sets me an easier task-"LetIsrael hope in the Lord." When I open my window God-wards and look towards the Lord Jesus, I see glorious things in the lightof the rising sun, even things which I could not have seen if I had not first turned towards the light. "In the beginningGod"-this, according to the first chapter of Genesis, is the natural order of all Divine work-do not attempt to alter it.

To this I would add, this is the necessary order. It must be so-the Savior first and then the salvation. Suppose, for a moment,that it were possible for you to obtain pardon without Christ-what good would it do you? I would remind you that no blessingis a Covenant blessing, or a blessing at all, except as it is connected with Christ Jesus and so with the Lord God. No comfortis worth having if Jesus does not comfort us! No forgiveness is worth the words which utter it if Jesus does not forgive.There is no coming to the Father except by Christ. If, therefore, I imagine that I have come to the Father without Christ,it is clear that I have not come! If I fancy that I have saving blessings apart from the appointed Savior, I am a deceivedman! Beloved, do not seek after mercy, pardon, holiness, Heaven-except through Christ Jesus our Lord-for you will be seekingcounterfeits, shadows, delusions. Begin at the Cross! See how Jesus puts it-"Come unto Me, all you that labor and are heavyladen, and I will give you rest." He does not first say, "Take My yoke upon you," but first, "Come unto Me." He first givesus rest and then, afterwards, we find it. But we begin with coming to

Him.

First Christ and then His yoke. First Christ and then rest. Do not ask for rest, first, and then say, "I will come to Christafterwards." This is an impossible order! Do not even say, "I must get a broken heart and then come to Christ." No, come toChrist FOR a broken heart! I preach a Savior to you, tonight, who wants nothing of you, but who is ready to begin with youat the beginning, just where you are, in all your unworthiness and ill desert-in all your depravity and vileness! He is readyto take you up from the mire of the pit wherein you lie and to look on you with love in all the pollution with which you aredisgraced! Come, then, and begin with Jesus! It is the necessary order of your coming-first to Christ and then to His yokeand to His peace. Let your faith exercise itself, not so much on what you ought to be, or on what you hope to be, as on whatChrist is and on His ability to make you all that your heart pines after. Hear the good word of my text and give good heedto it. Note well the permission of heavenly love-"Let Israel hope in the Lord."

Observe, also, that, as it is the natural order and the necessary order, so it is evidently the easiest order. Sometimes itseems, to a burdened heart, to be more than difficult to believe in the pardon of innumerable sins-it appears impossible.Guilty One, do not try to believe in pardon in the abstract, but believe in Jesus the Sacrifice and Savior, who has once andfor all appeared to put away sin. Believe in the Divine Substitute and then you will believe that the forgiveness of yoursins is a thing provided for by Him. Do not even say, "I can never be sanctified. Such a wretched sinner as I am could neverbe made into a saint." Do not try to believe in sanctification, but rely upon the boundless power of Jesus to "make you perfectin every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight." For all parts of salvation, hopein the Lord and look to His hands for the working thereof. Forget yourself, now, and only think of Him who works all thingsaccording to the good pleasure of His will. Cease looking for the water and look for the Well! You will more readily see theSavior than see salvation, for He is lifted up, even He who is God, and beside Him there is none else. You will more easilyfix your eyes on Jesus than upon justification, sanctification, or any other separate blessing. When the work seems hard,look to His hands-"Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

You may fix your eyes upon a Covenant promise till it dazzles you, but if you see Jesus, the sight will strengthen your eyesand you will see the promise in Him-and perceive it to be, yes and amen, to the Glory of God. It is easier to believe in apersonal Christ than in impersonal promises. That poor woman who was sick, in Jesus Christ's day, might have said to herself,"It is impossible that I should be healed," but then she thought not so much of the healing as of the Healer- and when shesaw Jesus walking about among the crowds, healing all manner of diseases-and when she believed that God was in Him, why, thenshe inferred that He could heal her disease! And so she came up behind Him and touched the hem of His garment. She soughtHim and so sought healing! Stay in this line-let not the devil take you from it-that the first object of your faith shouldbe the Lord Jesus, for by Him, as the Ladder which God has set up, you can climb to the highest place of privilege and layhold upon the choicest gift of Divine Grace!

This is the way to God, Himself, and the only way which our human feet can tread. Consider well who Christ was and what Hehas done-and then you will conclude that He can save even you! By looking to Him, you will be saved and what is easier thanto look? To hope in God is a far more simple matter than to search for signs and evidences in yourself, or to labor to forceyourself up into certain states of mind. Answer the question, "Will He save me?" by looking to see what kind of a Savior Jesusis-and when you perceive the Glory of His Person, the perfection of His obedience and the merit of His blood-you will be convincedthat you may safely trust in Him according to His command, for He commands you to believe! Jesus declares, "Him that comesto Me I will in no wise cast out." Let us come at once, for it is the nearest and best road to peace!

To come, first of all, to God in Christ Jesus is the wisest course. You are too bewildered to know which blessing to seek,therefore seek Jesus, Himself, and He will be unto you wisdom! It is easier to come to the Cross than to the separate blessingswhich come of it. Take the straight road which lies plainly before your face.

In faintness and trembling of heart we dare not appropriate a mercy-our palsied hands cannot grasp a favor and, therefore,it is our wisdom to fall at Jesus' feet and let Him give us what seems good to Him. Through our ignorance, we know not whatto ask for-and through our doubt we are afraid to ask-therefore, let us leave all with our Lord. We need the wine and oil,but we are sorely wounded and shall do well to lie still and let Him pour them in. When the Good Samaritan is come, all iscome. Let us, therefore, neither cry for wine nor oil, but for HIM-we know His name! The wisdom of the prayer is seen in itscompleteness. At first, sinners, conscious of their ill desert, cry to be saved from Hell and this is the most of their prayer.But suppose the Lord should give them this and not change their natures-would they be one whit the better? If there were nofires of Tophet, so long as a man has sin within him, he creates his own Hell! In seeking the Lord Jesus, a man finds escapefrom punishment and much more. No man knows enough to be able to ask for an all-round salvation-he will only seek this orthat which seems to him most pressingly necessary. We are too ignorant, too much the creatures of feeling, too partial, toochildish to make a catalog of what we need. But we can ask for Jesus, and He is all in one! How excellent is that hymn ofours with the refrain-

"Give me Christ, or else I die!"

We have asked all when we have asked for the Savior anointed of the Lord. When our hope is in God through the Mediator whomHe has appointed, we hope in Him in a way which renders our hope sure and steadfast-and this is the highest wisdom. In layinghold upon Jesus you have obtained not only something, but everything. In looking first to

Jesus, you have sought for the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and you know the promise that all other things shallbe added. If you need strength, comfort, guidance, fruitfulness and anything else that makes up eternal salvation, behold,you have it in your Lord! Nothing that is needed for a soul between this present state of trial and the perfection of Heavenis omitted from Christ-"you are complete in Him." If, therefore, you make Him the first object of your faith, and lay holdupon Him, rather than upon any or all blessings, you are delivered from anxiety as to whether your ignorant prayers have comprehendedall you need-and this is be a wise course to follow.

It is, therefore, the most profitable course for needy souls like ourselves. By grasping our Lord and hoping in Him, we fillour hands, not with brass or silver, but with gold of Ophir. Let others hope where they may, but let Israel, the Prince, hopein the Lord from whom he has already won such royal favors. I see at times, in the newspaper, "Principals only will be dealtwith," and in our heavenly business we had better keep to this rule. Go not to the servants-make all your applications tothe Master-and in your dealings with Him seek not so much His gifts as Himself, for the Giver is always greater than whatHe gives! The bottle of water which Hagar carried for Ishmael is a poor thing compared with that well of God beside whichIsaac abode. Fruit from a choice tree is well, but apples of gold in baskets of silver are not to be despised. But, if onecan have the tree planted in his own garden, he is far richer. Our Lord is the apple tree among the trees of the forest and,to possess HIM, is to have the best of the best, yes, all things that can be desired! Covenant blessings are streams, butour Lord Jesus is the Wellhead. Believe for the infinite, immutable, inexhaustible "deep which lies under," and you may sinkas many wells as you please.

I believe that in every case wherein the soul finds peace, this is the actual order. We may go about after pardon, renewaland holiness, but we find no rest unto our souls while hunting for these. As a matter of fact, we look unto HIM and are lightened-andnot by any other means. If, by aiming even at repentance, we are taken off from the Lord-we are taken off the right road.It is possible even to look to faith in such a manner as to forget the Object of faith! It is not my hand, but what my handgrasps that saves me when I lay hold on Christ! It is not my eye, but what my eyes see which saves me when I look to Jesus!In very deed no heart can find salvation in that which comes forth from itself-its hope lies only in the Lord, alone, to whomit must trust for everything. Beware of trusting to an anchor which lies on your own deck, or to a confidence which dependsin the least degree on yourself. "Let Israel hope in the Lord." Now the Lord is not self, nor will He be joined with self!The Lord is beyond and outside of all that the creation can find within, or hope to produce from itself. Mercy and redemptionare with the Lord, not with self. Why, then, should we look where, in the very nature of things, those are not and cannotbe? Why not look to the Lord, in whom, alone, all heavenly treasures abide?

This, then, is my message to every man or woman who desires salvation, "Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord thereis mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption." Do not begin by hoping in mercy and redemption, for these are not to be foundapart from the Lord-but go at once to that Divine Person with whom there is mercy and plenteous redemption-then both of thosewill be granted to you. I wish I knew how to put this so plainly that every bewildered and cast-down spirit would catch mymeaning and accept its counsel. I would also have preachers learn a lesson from the point I have been driving at. Let themnot so much preach sinners to Christ as preach Christ to sinners. I am persuaded that a full and clear declaration of whatJesus is, as to His Person, offices, Character, work and authority would do more to produce faith than all our exhortations."Whoever believes in Him has everlasting life"-but how shall they believe unless they hear of Him?

The very best topic for the immediate conversion of men is Christ Crucified-the doctrine that God was in Christ reconcilingthe world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. I know one that came in here full of evil, living an unchastelife-and the text was, "He that believes in Him has everlasting life." There would not seem to be anything about the sermonto convict of sin but the charming mercy of God won that heart, and that heart, being won by love, learned at once to hateevil and to serve the Lord Jesus in all that is pure, lovely and of good report! There sat in this very house, not long ago,side by side with one who is still in the service of Satan, a woman who had not attended the House of God for years. Nothingwas heard but the simple proclamation of the Grace of God in Christ Jesus to the guilty-and she was shot down by the sideof her companion-the thought of the amazing mercy and infinite love of God, in giving His Son to die, touched her heart andshe began to weep. Immediately her companion upbraided her, but she answered, "I have found mercy." That was enough for her-shemade no other excuse for her emotion.

I pray that the same effects may follow this sermon. I bid you hope in the Lord! Look not to abstract mercy! Look not to anyfeelings or resolves in yourselves! Look not, even, to the hearing of the Word of God, or to promises, alone, but look toJesus, who still lives, and who is in the midst of His people at this time, waiting to receive all who are willing to cometo Him! While I tell you this, I am praying the Holy Spirit to bless the Word to your souls, so that, at once, without delay,you may look only to the Lord and may trust in Him and be saved! You are allowed to do so, for the text says, "Let Israelhope in the Lord." If the Scripture permits, who shall forbid?

II. Another form of the same Truth of God now invites our attention-ALL EXERCISES OF FAITH IN REFERENCE TO OTHER THINGS MUSTBE IN CONNECTION WITH THE LORD. I began with our first exercise of faith,

but I would not end there. As the stars called, "the Pointers," always point to the polestar, so must our faith always lookto God in Christ Jesus. Having begun with Jesus, our faith must not look elsewhere. Let Israel always hope in the Lord, forwith Him is what she still requires. What do you need tonight, dear Friend? Ask, and you shall receive-but ask only of theLord! Knock, but knock at the same door! Plead, but when you are pleading, still plead the name of Jesus! Whenever you areexpecting a heavenly favor, expect it from the Father through His dear Son, by the Holy Spirit! Whenever you are longing,long for nothing more than there is in Christ! And whenever you obtain a mercy, remember that you have received it only becauseyou have, by faith, received Jesus, and so have become a child of God. Whenever you rejoice in a mercy, take care that youdo not so much glory in it as in the Lord from whom it came. Hope in the Lord and never have any hope in yourself, for thatwould be a fruitless, groundless, rootless, sapless hope! You are still to find mercy and plenteous redemption in the Lordalone.

I am afraid that sometimes we seek mercies apart from God the Giver, or apart from Christ, the channel of their bestowal-andthis is always ill of us. Avoid such dangerous error! I read in the papers, frequently, allusions to "Providence." I knowwhat I mean by Providence, but I do not know what the newspapers mean by it. I fear it is only a convenient phrase, a conventionalexpression which is not to be too carefully examined. They do not mean a living, foreseeing, providing, working Personality-thatwould be too much like religion! They admit a certain something, "a power which makes for righteousness," a nonentity called,"Providence." I have too often heard Christian people talk about thanking Providence. What is that? Do you mean, "thank God"?If so, say it boldly! It is God that provides. God arranges, God overrules, God works out His gracious designs! Again, howoften do we hear of, "Nature" doing this and, "Nature" being that and, "Nature" producing the other! What do you mean? Aninfidel, some time ago, was speaking in the open air and he orated very eloquently about the elevating influences of Natureand what a blessing it was to study Nature. A friend in the crowd said to him, "That is very pretty, but would you have thegoodness to tell me what Nature is, which does all this?" The orator answered tartly, "Every fool knows what Nature is." "Well,"said the questioner, "then it will be easy to tell us." "Nature," said the speaker, "Well, Nature is Nature."

Just so. That is where it ended. And so it is with very many people when they talk about Providence or Nature. Let us notspeak without knowing what we mean, or without declaring our meaning. We do not erect an altar and inscribe it TO THE UNKNOWNGOD. We know the Lord and are known of Him and, therefore, we should speak of Him as our hope, our trust, our joy! We knowno Providence apart from Jehovah-Jireh, the God who foresees and provides! To us there is no fickle chance, but the Lord reigns.Equally to us is there no blind, inexorable fate, but the Most High decrees and works out His wise and sovereign will! Thereforedo not let God's Israel talk as if they hoped in luck or fate, but let them, "hope in the Lord," and acknowledge their relianceupon a personal God who is always working for them-"for with Him is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption."

Now, dear Brothers and Sisters, do you need mercy? In your prayers for pardoning mercy, quote the Savior's Sacrifice. Do youneed sparing mercy? Mention Him whom God did not spare in the great atoning day. Do you need restoring mercy? Plead Him whomGod brought again from the dead! Do you need to behold the light of Jehovah's Countenance? Plead Him who said, "Why have Youforsaken Me?" In hoping for mercy, set the eyes of your hope upon the Lord Jesus and let no mercy be hoped for by you apartfrom Him! Remember what happened to Uzziah. He was a man of God and a king-but when he had grown very great, he thought thathe would act as priest for himself. He went into the sanctuary of the Lord and burned incense on his own account-without theLord's appointed priest-and he was struck with leprosy! And not only was he thrust out of the Temple, but he, himself, hurriedto get out!

I tremble for those in whom I see any sign of going before God in right of their own character. I fear that among God's ownprofessing people there are some who are so conscious of their own knowledge and growth, that they pray without Christ, praisewithout Christ, and talk of being no longer in need of confessing sin! They dare to act without humbly depending upon thePresence of the great High Priest-and then they fall into sin and thus they are struck with leprosy and, perhaps, to theirdying day they can never enter into such fellowship with God as once they knew. I would do nothing without Jesus! I wouldnot even wish to repent except my eyes were upon the Cross. I would not hope to think a holy thought except as my soul stillgazed upon Jesus my All. Away, away with every idea of mercy except it is mercy received through Jesus, for He, alone, isfull of Grace and of His fullness must we receive! I would bind you, Brothers and Sisters, if I could, to the Cross as yourone hope! I pray the Lord bind me forever to the Cross-the wounds my only fountains of hope, the blood and water my only cleansing!Go, you who have a righteousness of your own, and hope elsewhere! The only hope of my soul is the bleeding, dying, buried,risen, coming Savior! "Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy," and with Him, alone! All the exercisesof faith about mercy must always be tethered to the Cross. Mercy flows through Christ alone.

So is it with "plenteous redemption." What a grand utterance that is-"plenteous redemption!" I would like to dwell upon it.Is there not rare music in the sound? It means plenteous forgiveness for plenteous sin, through a price paid, a ransom given.Only in Christ can you find this! "With Him is plenteous redemption." Do not dream of finding redemption in ordinances, inprayers, in tears, or in anything but the life and death and Person of the Son of God! "With Him is plenteous redemption."He has paid a great price and, therefore, a great debt is blotted out! Great offenses are forgiven, but only through the preciousblood of our adorable Redeemer.

"Plenteous redemption." Why, that means deliverance from the bondage of many lusts, freedom from the thralldom of strong passions,a ransom of captives from fierce taskmasters! My God, I long to be so delivered and redeemed! And there is with You all Grace,power and provision for plenteous deliverance by redemption-but this is found in Christ alone. I charge you, my Hearers, donot look for escape from the slavery of sin apart from the redemption of Christ! Do not expect to overcome the smallest sinexcept by the blood of the Lamb! There is nothing, I believe, more deceiving than the notion of the unregenerate heart thatit is seeking after holiness-though it is destitute of the power of the Holy Spirit and takes no thought of the merit of JesusChrist. We need much grace and plenteous redemption in fact-but all of all that we receive must come to us from the Lord,by Jesus Christ the Mediator!

"Plenteous redemption" includes in its range of meaning great growth in Divine Grace, abounding usefulness, high spiritualityand perfect preparedness for Heaven. For all these we must hope in the Lord, for they are with Him. Never think to have redemptionin the least or in the highest degree apart from your hope in the Lord-your trusting in Christ Jesus.

The pith and marrow of what I have said is this-hope distinctly in the Lord. There are many stars, but let one, alone, ofall the train be the Object of your believing eye. Lay the foundation of your hope in the Lord! Go on building up your comfortin the Lord Jesus and in Him bring forth the top stone. Begin with Christ and end with Christ! As Christ grows more to you,take care that self grows less and less. If your Christianity puffs you up, it is not Christ's Christianity. I spoke justnow of King Uzziah, let me refer to him once more. Read in the Second of Chronicles, chapter 26, at the 15th verse-"He wasmarvelously helped, till he was strong." When he became strong, he went off the lines and we read, "When he was strong, hisheart was lifted up to his destruction." Mind that. God will always help us while we are weak. When we are strong-what shallI say? Then are we weak and have need to fear, for we are already being lifted up, or we should not count ourselves strong-poor,puny creatures that we are! God will always bless us as long as we confess our dependence upon His blessing. He will alwaysfill us as long as we are empty! He will always feed us as long as we are hungry. He will be your All in All so long as youare nothing.

But the moment you boast in yourself, and say, "I am rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing," you will beleft to learn that you are naked, poor and miserable! Woe was the day in which dust and ashes set up somebody! Nebuchadnezzaris proud and soon finds a rapid descent from the throne to eating grass like cattle! Worms, in the Presence of the Lord, doall they may do when they hope-they do all they can do when they hope in Him! They have nothing but sin and He has mercy uponthem. They are slaves to evil, but He has plenteous redemption with which to set them free. The poorest, weakest, saddestamong us may hope in the Lord, for He can do all things! Therefore, let us end our

meeting with each one of us hoping in the Lord-and let us continue in our faith in "the God of hope"-till we receive the Heavenwe hope for through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PORTIONS OFSCRIPTURE READ BEFORE SERMON-Psalm 130, John 3.