Last week we had Vishal teach, and that was really good. And we'll see one or two more of the young men in time to come, perhaps once a month for a while. We're back to precious remedies. We are on lesson number 26, Thomas Brooks' Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices. Let's open in prayer before we start. Heavenly Father, we bless you for this your day. We thank you. that we can be found in your house. Thank you that we can draw aside from the things of the world and focus our attention on sitting at Christ's feet, on hearing his word, lifting our hands in worship and our hearts in praise to you, our God, and realizing this day especially the purpose for which we were created, to glorify you and to enjoy you forever. Bless us, Lord, be with us. as you have promised you will, where your people gather in your name. May your holy name be honored on this, your day. We pray this in Christ's name, amen. So precious remedies against Satan's devices. The third section of the book, let me remind you, Satan's devices to keep the saints in a sad, doubting, questioning, and uncomfortable position. Last time, which I think was two weeks ago, we observed the fifth device of Satan in this third section, which was by suggesting to them that the conflict which is in them is not a conflict which is only in saints, but such a conflict that is to be found in hypocrites and vain souls. And there were, Brooks didn't actually call them remedies, so observations, if you like, to serve to us as precious remedies against this device of Satan. I'll run through them really quickly. The whole frame of a believer's soul is against sin, the understanding, the will, and the affections, implying, of course, that that is not the case in the unbeliever. A Christian conflicts against sin universally, the greatest sins to the least of sins, where an unbeliever may just view those terrible moral sins against society as bad and avoid them and think that all is well. Thirdly, the conflict that is in the saint against sin is maintained by several arguments, all which are absent in the unbeliever. Arguments drawn from the love of God, the honor of God, communion with God, spiritual and heavenly blessings and privileges from God. arguments drawn from the blood of Christ, the glory of Christ, the eye of Christ, the kisses of Christ, all these phrases, arguments drawn from the indwelling spirit which we have, the seal of the spirit, the witness of the spirit, the comforts of the spirit. Sir Brooks is just saying, That's vastly different from what the world experiences. The conflict that is in the Saints is a constant conflict. Every day we arise, we have to fight that conflict, the sin and the laziness and those kind of things and put on, clothe ourselves as it were. with the Lord Jesus Christ every day. Conflict in the saints is in the same faculties, understanding will and the affections. Conflict that is in the saints is a more blessed and a successful and prevailing conflict because we do progress And we do put to death the sin that is in us and we do look forward to the new heaven and the new earth. We do purify ourselves. We do immerse ourselves in the word and these things, the word and the light of the word keep us from sin as we take these things in our hearts. So that was then the last time. Today, device number six, and you should have an outline, Satan's devices to keep the saints in a sad, doubting, questioning, and uncomfortable position. I want to ask you today, and you need an answer, just answer in your own hearts, Or is anyone here absolutely full of the joy of the Lord this morning? Does anyone here feel such wonderful comfort from the gospel, the assurance of their salvation? Is anyone here this morning depressed, lonely, and you feel just totally alone, fatigued, and don't feel like you want to be? Is anyone here greatly afflicted this morning? and you're here and you love the Lord, but there is no joy, and you don't feel comfort from the Spirit. Well, that's what we're gonna talk about today in The Saints, what we experience at device number six. Look at it there, by suggesting to the soul that surely his estate is not good. Because he cannot joy and rejoice in Christ as once he did. Because he has lost that comfort and joy that was once in his spirit. So this is definitely a device that strikes home for each one of us as we'll see. We have mentioned previously this section of the book. deals with our assurance of salvation. That's what Satan gets at in these devices to undermine our assurance by pointing to us things that we ought to be. You say you're a believer, where's the joy in the Lord? You say you're a believer, where's the comfort? You this morning find yourself depressed, there's a big problem. That's what's going on here. And he would have the saints question their own salvation. Because we are a people who are so controlled by our passions, our circumstances, our subjective feelings. Ladies, if you made a dinner this morning or last night for today and it turned out a mess. I mean, it's like your life is upside down. There is no joy, there is no comfort. And that's because we are controlled by our passions and by our circumstances. And so Satan, by this device, would suggest to the soul that because you're not filled with joy, We're not rejoicing in the Lord as we know we ought to, therefore there is something wrong with us. Our state is not good. Perhaps even, says Satan, your faith must be counterfeit. And we could all point to times in our lives, and they come and they go all the time, don't they? Where we do not experience the joy of salvation, where we're not rejoicing in the Lord always in every circumstance as the scriptures urge us to. Because of human frailty and weakness, because of our emotional makeup, we allow so many things to affect our joy, our comfort as believers. Our health, the trials we face, the pressures and stresses of work, and even chemical stuff going on in your body. Just a chemical imbalance in your brain can cause you to be depressed and you are depressed and you are in darkness and you don't even know how. And these are very real and to a lesser or greater degree affect every one of us. And if I had to get each one of you to stand up today and say, really, how are you feeling today? We meet each other, how are you? I'm good. but you're not good perhaps, perhaps you are good and these things affect us. And so Satan would seize the day by this device, cause us to doubt our true salvation, cause us to say there's something wrong with you because you're not rejoicing in the Lord always as the scriptures exhort you. And brothers and sisters, let's remind ourselves this morning Satan is a liar and a deceiver. And while all these things are very real, our feelings of discouragement, exhaustion, or whatever causes you at this time to be downcast. The truth of the matter is, and we need to remind ourselves of this, as John Newton writes in one of his letters, he says, believers have a joy with which a stranger cannot meddle with. They may You may be cast down, you may be low, you may be physically, but there is a joy in the believer that Satan, nor the world, nor friends, nor circumstances cannot interfere with. The true believer, no matter how pressed down, discouraged, sorrowful, has a joy and a surety in Christ, and it is salvation, and why? It cannot be shaken because it's based upon the perfect finished work of Christ. And so that is an objective fact. It doesn't matter what you're going through today, we can say the joy of the Lord is my strength because my salvation depends not on how I feel, not on how I'm afflicted, not on how I feel I'm unfairly treated, none of those things but on the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ that we need to realize that we are weak, that we are flesh, that we are subject to all of these things. So we need to nevertheless, knowing this, still we need to pay attention to this device and embrace the precious remedies before us to prevent Satan from keeping us in a sad, doubting, and uncomfortable position. So we have five precious remedies against this device of Satan. I refer to your notes here. Remedy number one, to consider that the loss of comfort is a separable adjunct from grace. It's a separate adjunct from grace, the loss of comfort. In other words, comfort and joy in the faith is a supplementary. rather than as an essential part of the faith. It is a blessing that comes to us, joy and comfort, as human experiences are often governed, as we said, by our circumstances, by our subjective feelings, and not upon objective truth, as we've just mentioned. We may have true saving faith, but yet be in a state of joylessness. Lack of comfort, lack of assurance in faith. And sin is a great one that does this to us. And it causes us to hate ourselves. It causes us to hate sin. It makes us sorrowful. It makes us even doubt our grace when we see how we sin. And so this is very real. In other words, comfort and joy in the faith is supplementary. Brooks says here, the soul may be full of holy affections when it is empty of divine consolations. There may be, and often is, true grace, yes, much grace, where there is not a drop of comfort nor dram of joy. So if that is how you feel, that is not a state that believers should continue in, but that is a state that is common to all of us, and Brooks argues that true wisdom that is from above will never have us argue in this way. They are the devil's arguments that says, I have no comfort, therefore I have no grace. Well, I've lost that joy that I once had, therefore my condition is not good. It never was any good. Rather, the true wisdom comes from God will help us reason in this way. Though my comfort is gone, Yet the God of my comfort abides. Though my joy is lost, yet the seeds of grace remain in me. Brooks says again, the best men's joys are fragile as gloss, bright and brittle, and evermore in danger of breaking. Spiritual joy is a sun that is often clouded. It is like a precious flower subject to fade and wither like these plants right here in three weeks time. Actually, these last pretty well, but any regular plants, a week later, they kind of start to fade, and whether it's Christmas time, decorations, and they last through Christmas. That's wonderful. There are many scriptures and experiences of the saints in the Bible that prove this point to us, and I'm sure you can think of some. The opening verses of Philippians, in chapter two, Paul is addressing pride in the church. He's addressing conflict between two characters in the church, two women in the church. There's division in the church as a result. And Paul exhorts them. And what we know from that situation is there certainly wasn't a lot of joy and comfort and assurance. There was conflict in the church. There was division in the church. And he writes and he says, find that joy. Find it again in love, in humility. Affection and in sympathy. Philippians 2, 1 and 2, so if there's any encouragement in Christ, any comfort in love, any participation in the spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and in one mind. And then he goes off in that wonderful passage talking to them about having the same mind, that mind which was in Christ Jesus. Psalm 62 is another one. The psalmist experiences in Psalm 62, express the truth. There is no joy, no comfort, Yet he clings to God. 62 verse 1, verse 2 and verse 8. I'll read it for you. Oh God, you are my God. Earnestly I seek you. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh faints for you. I don't see joy. I don't see comfort in the psalmist's experience, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. That is how I feel. So I've looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding you. in your power and in your glory. My soul clings to you, your right hand upholds me. Similarly in Isaiah chapter 50 and verse 10, who among you fears the Lord, obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light, trust in the name of the Lord, rely upon him. his God. Micah 6, 8, Rejoice not over me, O my enemy, when I fall, I shall rise when I sit in darkness. The Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light. I shall look upon his vindication. And one more text there, Psalm 42 verse five. And we all feel this. Why so downcast, O my soul? Why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him my salvation. And so the point is that these are experiences that are common to every believer. And they were things experienced even by our great high priest. We've seen in the Gospel of John that Jesus was 100% man and 100% God. So he had like passions like us. He took upon himself the limitations of the flesh so that he's a great high priest who has gone through the heavens tested in every way as we are yet without sin. And Jesus was in agony in the garden. He was bereft of joy on the cross. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? In his humanity he took upon himself the form of flesh. And yet it is prophesied of him, my soul hopes in God. He was pierced, he was crushed, he was afflicted, he was chastised for our sin, as we'll celebrate that today. Yet out of the anguish of his soul, he will see and be satisfied. Do not be grieved, the people of Nehemiah are told, in their joyless, comfortless affliction, the joy of the Lord says, Nehemiah is your strength. So whether it is our sin, our slowness to serve and love, our affliction, or the will of the Lord that we be under a cloud of sorrow and depression for a time, let's take this precious remedy to consider that the loss of comfort is a separate adjunct from grace. It's a blessing. It's an add-on. Remedy number two. Remedy number two, we'll move quickly. Solemnly to consider that the precious things that you still enjoy are far better than the joys and comforts that you have lost. Loss of joys and comforts in this life Though we do enjoy those things and they are good, for all things come from the hand of the Lord, yet their removal from us still leaves us with the most precious things to enjoy. So you may be sorely afflicted, you may be depressed, you may be sorrowful, you may be cast down because of your own sin, but the things that cannot be taken from us are way better than the things and those temporal feelings and assurances that we feel and love to feel in our soul, our union and communion with Christ. Our sonship, that we are sons and daughters of God, our heirship, which we still enjoy in Christ, these are far better, says Brooks, than all the comforts that you have lost. Comforts may be gone, our health may be diminished, our joy eroded, we have afflictions and doubts, yet we remain sons, heirs, and saints of God. Listen to Isaiah 31, 18, I have heard Ephraim grieving. You have disciplined me, I have been disciplined. Like an untrained calf, bring me back, that I may be restored for you. My God, for after I turned away, I relented. After I was instructed, I struck my thigh. I was ashamed and confounded because I bore the disgrace of my youth. Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he my darling child? For as often as I speak against him, I do remember him still. So whatever the cause may be, even your own sin, you afflicted, you chastised, Yet the Lord Jesus says to us, yet I remember him still. My estate is solid because it is based upon the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, he says, my heart yearns for him. I will surely have mercy on him, declares the Lord. And there's a great hymn, and I love this hymn. I'm going to read three verses to you. It is, Well With My Soul. So, the joys may be gone, the comforts may be diminished, we may feel oppressed, we may be guilty of our own sin, when peace like a river tendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, It is well with my soul, though Satan should buffet, trials should come, let this blessed assurance control. Christ hath regarded my helpless estate and hath shed his own blood for my soul. No one can take that away from us. My sin or the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin not in part, but the whole is nailed to the cross. I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul. So, that's it. Number two, solemnly to consider that the precious things you still enjoy are far better than the comforts and the joys that you have lost. Remedy number three. We only have five remedies, so we're doing just fine. to consider that your condition is no different than what has been the condition of those precious souls whose names were written upon the heart of Christ, his children, and who are now at rest in the bosom of Christ. This is not a dispensation just for the 21st century. All the saints before us have been in the same state. Brooks points us to again the saints who have gone before us, and he often does this, doesn't he? There is nothing new under the sun. The Lord's people are subject to many things, good things, you may testify to those today, and bad things, and you may testify to those today. Joyful and sorrowful, we sometimes comforted and encouraged in the joy of the Lord. Other times we feel alone and depressed, sometimes oppressed by sin, and temptation, other times rising out of sin and temptations. We are no exception. And there's some examples here we can refer to in the scriptures of saints who enjoyed and endured all things. One day they sing, the joy of the Lord is my portion and the next, Why so downcast, O my soul? Psalm 51 verse 12, David prays after his sin with Bathsheba, the murder of Uriah, restore to me again the joy of my salvation. He'd lost his joy, he'd lost his comfort. In fact, you know, he said, oh, do not take your spirit from me. Don't cast me aside. Those things are impossible. He came to realize, and then he says, but I've lost my joy because of my sin. My comforts are gone. Restore to me the joy of my salvation. Psalm 36 and 7, as for me, I said in my prosperity, I shall never be moved. By your favor, O Lord, you made my mountains stand strong. You hid your face I was dismayed. Job 23, 8 and 9, 6, 8 and 9. Would he be content with me in the greatness of his power? No. He would pay attention to me. Behold, I go forward, but he's not there. I go backwards. I do not perceive him. On the left hand, when he's working, I do not behold him. He turns to the right hand, but I do not see him. There's no joy, no comfort. Lamentations 1, 16. For these things I weep. My eyes flow with tears. For a comforter is far from me, one to revive my spirit. My children are desolate, for the enemy has prevailed. For us who have the Spirit of God in us as a comforter, Yes, at times we will say, I have no comforter, I have no comforter, I have no joy. Matthew 27, and our Savior, like passions, was 100% a man. There on the cross in the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani, that is my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? and the well-known Psalm 42. These references are all in your notes. Why are you so downcast, O my soul? And why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my salvation. Lamentations 5.5, the joy of our hearts have ceased. Our dancing is turned to mourning. Job 12 and verse 10, in his hand is life. It's the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. These were the experiences of the saints in the scriptures. To consider that your condition is no different to the condition that has been of those precious souls whose names also were written upon the heart of Christ and are now at rest in the bosom of Christ. Remedy number four, number four. Solemnly to consider that the causes of joy and comfort are not always the same. The fact that we are not constant just proves this point to us. And Brooks says, consider that the causes of joy or comfort are not always the same. The comfort and the joy that we experience because of our salvation is so evident, isn't it, when we first come to Christ. And if you can think back, in my case, quite a long time ago, To that day, it's a wonderful day. The assurance and the joy, knowing your sins forgiven and the comfort and the joy that you felt there. Brooks says this is a witness of the Spirit to your souls. It is particularly evident when the Lord blesses us, of course, but when we dwell on the goodness and the salvation of God. And Romans 8 tells us this in verse 16, the Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And Brooks makes some helpful comments here so that we should not be discouraged or surprised when we do not feel always the witness and the comfort and the joy that the Spirit of God brings to us as believers. And we need to go back to the objective truth of Christ's great love for us. Though we don't feel it at the time because of affliction and hardship or depression, for whatever reason. Brooks says, listen to this, I think I put it in your notes, now the spirit may upon some special occasion bear witness to the soul that the heart of God is dearly set upon him, that he loves him with everlasting love, and yet the soul may never enjoy such testimony again all the days of his life. Pray that that would not be the case and that must be very rare, but that kind of witness of the spirit when you are so filled with joy and the comfort and assurance That may not be your experience for a long time. He writes further, the spirit does not every day make a feast in the soul. He does not make every day to be a day of weaving of the wedding robes. Brooks here also points out that our former joys and our comforts are brought about by that dramatic change in the sinner when he's brought to faith, as we mentioned. When our night is turned to day, when we cause to believe on Christ and we realize that our sins have been pardoned, and we see God's great love in Christ bearing all our sin, taking God's wrath upon himself. And so, Brooks says, our souls just leap for joy. And yet, sadly, In the process of time, much of this joy will diminish through our lives, though our lives in Christ always be dear to us. And we should use this as a comfort and an incentive to ask God that we may experience again the joy of His salvation, and by meditating on the goodness of the Lord, and meditating again on the reality of those sins forgiven, and the wrath of God absorbed in our Lord Jesus Christ, and consider the cross, and that should bring us great comfort, great joy. Though the outward joy and comforts are diminished in our Christian lives, They want and they wane. The believer still rests his case, his assurance, and his joy on the finished work of Christ, the perfect work of the Savior, the unchangeable love of God in Christ. There's a reference, Galatians 2.20, which you can look at. ought always for us to be the true facts of the gospel of grace that provide us with comfort and inner joy of sins forgiven and peace with God. That which no man, no circumstances, no trial or infirmity can ever take from us. For there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. And I'd urge you today at a later time perhaps to read Romans 8 and verse 31, I've put that note in your notes, that scripture in the notes. But I'll read you just the last two verses of that Romans 8 passage. Know in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I'm sure neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth Anything else in all creation will able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. So if your comforts and your joys are not always the same, we're in the same boat. And Christ on the cross was in the same boat and Christ in the garden crying, if at all possible, let this cup pass from me. experience those things, our great high priest who tells us to come to him and to receive grace and help to find, to help us in our time of need. Last remedy, remedy number five, to consider that God will restore and make up the comforts of his people. This is a promise from the scriptures, which you'll see, to consider that God will restore, make up the comforts of his people. The psalmist finds great encouragement in this truth. The Lord will never abandon the work of his hands. His saints may be brought low, even very low, yet he will restore his people again. even though we come close to death, and I say even death itself, we will be raised immortal into the joy of the Lord forever. Have you ever wondered why it says into the joy of the Lord forever? For there is full comfort, there is full joy in the presence of the Lord. So no matter how Your comforts and your joys wane and fade in this life. No matter how the circumstances come to you and your comforts are low and your joys are infrequent, the Lord will restore. The Lord will restore in this life and certainly in the life to come. Brooks reminds us that though your candle will be put out, Yet God will light it again to burn more brighter than ever. Though your sun for the present be clouded, yet he who rides upon the clouds will scatter those clouds and cause the sun to warm your heart as in. former days. Reading Psalm 71, 20 and 21, you have made me see many troubles and calamities and revive me again. From the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness and comfort me again. God may take away a little comfort And Brooks says that he may make more room in the soul for greater comfort to come. The Lord speaking of his own people in Isaiah 57 and 18, I've seen his ways. but I will heal him. I will lead him and comfort him and his mourners. And Brooks says, listen to this, bear up sweetly, oh precious soul. Your storms shall end in a calm and your dark night in a sunshine day. Your mourning shall be turned to rejoicing and the waters of consolation shall be sweeter and higher in your soul than ever. The mercy is surely yours, but the time of giving it is the Lord's. Wait a little, and you will find the Lord comforting you on every side. Now I close with this scripture. We are a little early, Psalm 126. He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaths with him, and Psalm 42. Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls. All your breakers and waves have gone over me. The day the Lord commands is steadfast love. And at night a song is within me. A prayer to the God of my life. To consider that God will restore and make up again the comforts of his people. Well, that's it for today. That device is there. Any comments or questions? We have a couple of minutes here. All good, well. Okay, let's go and enjoy fellowship together and we can discuss some more of any questions you can bring up next week. Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, how we bless you for the assurance of our salvation. How we bless you that We as believers in Christ have a joy which cannot be removed. Though our circumstances and our present condition may be depressed and joyless, though we have little comfort because of sin and other circumstances, Yet we know that the joy of the Lord is my strength and you will always raise up your people to levels of comfort and joy after periods of darkness and loneliness and sin and afflictions. Lord, how we look forward to the day where there will no longer be any suffering or pain or sorrow. but we will enter forever into the joy of the Lord. Lord, help us to be not amongst those who are easily cast down, but in spite of our circumstances, in spite of difficulties, in spite of ongoing infirmities, we know that we are loved with an everlasting love and there is nothing There is no one who can remove us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Lord, help us on this your day to receive great comfort and joy from these truths, that we may worship you in this your day in spirit and in truth, in joy and in thankfulness. and give us, we pray, the comfort of your Holy Spirit, witnessing with our spirit that we are children of God. Lord, bless our worship to follow. Bless Pastor Rick as he preaches both morning and afternoon at the Lord's table. We look forward to feasting upon you by faith in our hearts at this special means of grace. Bless our time. Together we pray. Glorify your name In this your day, for Christ's sake, amen.