The best comfort of all remained: “The desire of all nations shall come.”
This was in a measure fulfilled when Jesus came into that latter house and
caused all holy hearts to sing for gladness; but it was not wholly
fulfilled in that way; for if you notice, in the ninth verse it is written,
“The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former; and in
this place will I give peace,” which the Lord did not fully do to the
second temple, since that was destroyed by the Romans. But there is another
advent, when “the desire of all nations shall come” in power and glory; and
this is our highest hope. Though truth may be driven back, and error may
prevail, Jesus comes, and He is the great Lord and patron of truth: He
shall judge the world in righteousness, and the people in equity. Here is
our last resource; here are God’s reserves. He whom we serve liveth and
reigneth for ever and ever; and He saith, “Behold, I come quickly; and my
reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always
abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is
not in vain in the Lord.”
III. I should have done if it had not been that this text seemed to me to
overflow so much, that it might not only refresh God’s people, but give
drink to thirsty sinners who are seeking the Lord. For a moment or two I
give myself to ENCOURAGEMENT FURTHER APPLIED.
It is at the beginning of every gracious purpose that men have most fear,
even as these people had who had newly begun to build. When first the Holy
Spirit begins to strive with a man to lead him to Jesus, he is apt to say–
“I cannot; I dare not; it is impossible. How can I believe and live?” Now I
want to speak to some of you here who are willing to find Christ, and to
encourage you by the truth that the Spirit lives to help you. I would even
like to speak to those who are not anxious to be saved. I remember that Dr.
Payson, an exceedingly earnest and useful man of God, once did a singular
thing. He had been holding inquiry meetings with all sorts of people, and
great numbers had been saved. At last, one Sunday he gave out that he
should have a meeting on Monday night of those persons who did not desire
to be saved; and, strange to say, some twenty persons came who did not wish
to repent or believe. He spoke to them and said, “I am sure that if a
little film, thin as a web of the gossamer, were let down by God from
heaven to each one of you, you would not push it away from you. Although it
were almost invisible, you would value even the slightest connection
between you and heaven. Now, your coming to meet me to-night is a little
link with God. I want it to increase in strength till you are joined to the
Lord for ever.” He spoke to them most tenderly, and God blessed those
people who did not desire to be saved, so that before the meeting was over
they were of another mind. The film had become a thicker thread, and it
grew and grew until the Lord Christ held them by it for ever. Dear friends,
the fact of your being in the Tabernacle this morning is like that filmy
thread: do not put it away. Here is your comfort, the Holy Ghost still
works with the preaching of the word. Do I hear you say, “I cannot feel my
need of Christ as I want to feel it”? The Spirit remaineth among us. He can
make you feel more deeply the guilt of sin and your need of pardon. “But I
have heard so much about conviction and repentance; I do not seem to have
either of them.” Yet the Spirit remaineth with us, and that Spirit is able
to work in you the deepest conviction and the truest repentance. “O sir, I
do not feel as if I could do anything”: but the Spirit remaineth with us,
and all things that are needful for godliness He can give. He can work in
you to will and to do of His own good pleasure. “But I want to believe in
the Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” Who made you want to do that? Who
but the Holy Spirit? Therefore He is still at work with you; and though as
yet you do not understand what believing is, or else I am persuaded you
would believe at once, the Spirit of God can instruct you in it. You are
blind, but He can give you sight; you are paralyzed, but He can give you
strength–the Spirit of God remaineth.
“Oh, but that doctrine of regeneration staggers me: you know, we must be
born again.” Yes, we are born again of the Spirit, and the Spirit remaineth
still with us; He is still mighty to work that wondrous change, and to
bring you out of the kingdom of Satan into the kingdom of God’s dear Son.
The Spirit remaineth with us, blessed be His name! “Ah, dear sir,” says
one, “I want to conquer sin”! Who made you desire to conquer sin? Who, but
the Spirit that remaineth with us? He will give you the sword of the Spirit
and teach you how to use it, and He will give you both the will and the
power to use it successfully. Through the Spirit’s might you can overcome
every sin, even that which has dragged you down and disgraced you. The
Spirit of God is still waiting to help you. When I think of the power of
the Spirit of God, I look hopefully upon every sinner here this morning. I
bless His name that He can work in you all that is pleasing in His sight.
Some of you may be very careless, but He can make you thoughtful. Coming up
to London to see the Exhibition, I hope you may yourselves become an
exhibition of divine grace. You think not about things, but He can make you
feel at this moment a sweet softness stealing over you, until you long to
be alone and to get home to the old arm-chair and there seek the Lord. You
can thus be led to salvation.
I thought when I came in here that I should have a picked congregation; and
so I have. You are one of them. Wherever you come from, I want you now to
seek the Lord. He has brought you here, and He means to bless you. Yield
yourselves to Him while His sweet Spirit pleads with you. While the
heavenly wind softly blows upon you open wide every window. You have not
felt that you wanted it; but that is the sure proof that you need it; for
he that does not know his need of Christ, is most in need. Open wide your
heart that the Spirit may teach you your need; above all, breathe the
prayer that He would help you this morning to look to the Lord Jesus
Christ, for “there is life in a look at the Crucified One–there is life at
this moment for you.” “Oh,” you say, “if I were to begin I should not keep
on.” No; if you began perhaps you would not; but if He begins with you He
will keep on. The final perseverance of saints is the result of the final
perserverance of the Holy Spirit; He perseveres to bless, and we persevere
in receiving the blessing. If He begins, you have begun with a divine power
that fainteth not neither is weary. I wish it might so happen that on this
fifth day of the ninth month, not the prophet Haggai, but I, God’s servant,
may have spoken to you such a word by the witness of the Holy Ghost, “From
this day will I bless you”! Go away with that promise resting upon you. I
would like to give a shake of the hand to every stranger here this morning,
and say, “Brother, in the name of the Lord I wish you from this day a
blessing.” Amen and amen.
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
