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This is both a Author and Archive Document resource.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":9437,"menu_order":10,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"resource-type":[184],"class_list":["post-8601","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","resource-type-gospel-topics"],"acf":{"content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"module_section","row":[{"column_gap":"","column":[{"module":[{"acf_fc_layout":"rich_media_block","image":false,"header":{"":null,"title":"Record of preaching in gospel hall by John Hales","heading_level":"h2","header_styles":{"":null,"background_colour":"","background_image":false,"text_colour":"black"},"make_separator":false},"content":"
Zechariah\u00a02:<\/span>\u00a01\u20135<\/strong>; And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand. And I said, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. And behold, the angel that talked with me went forth; and another angel went forth to meet him, and said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein; and I, saith Jehovah, I will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.<\/p>\n Proverbs\u00a07:<\/span>\u00a06\u201310<\/strong>; For at the window of my house, I looked forth through my lattice, and I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the sons, a young man void of understanding, passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the blackness of night and the darkness. And behold, there met him a woman in the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart.<\/p>\n Proverbs\u00a07:<\/span>\u00a027<\/strong>; Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.<\/p>\n The simple desire at this time is to seek help to make some impression on the young men that are here, and that would include the young women. It\u2019s not that this is a gospel exactly for young persons, but they are primarily in mind. The Preacher has something to say about that, he addresses himself, Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth; that\u2019s the word at this time. It wouldn\u2019t be difficult to see how important that is. The immediate point is the value of a young man, or young woman; it is the same thing, no difference in that sense. Both are needed to build up one world or another. The rulers of this world know full well how essential the youth is. The god of this world does, he organises his whole system with a view to attracting young men and young women\u2014the youth.<\/p>\n That is this Scripture in Proverbs, an inspired exposure of the arrangements of the god of this world to allure young men and young women away from the light, away from the truth, away from blessing, away from hope, and away from life; and it\u2019s not surprising. Those of us who are older, our days are numbered. Not that we are ignoring, or overlooking, or slighting old persons. If they had the opportunity of speaking, they would be saying the same thing to you as I am. That is, they are very concerned about your youth, very concerned about it. It is irreplaceable. I can\u2019t tell you, I haven\u2019t got the capacity to impress on you sufficiently how valuable your youth is; it is irreplaceable, there is no substitute for it. When it is gone, it is gone and you can\u2019t call it back again, that\u2019s how serious it is.<\/p>\n So these two Scriptures are read because of the reference to a young man. This young man in the prophet Zechariah\u2014I think it is the prophet himself\u2014is showing interest. He lifted up his eyes and saw\u2014that is, he is looking, he is exercised, he is under exercise to find out something about God, and about God\u2019s people, and about God\u2019s city. God has got a city, you know. It is not like the cities of this world. The cities of this world are men\u2019s masterpiece. How long it has taken them, sometimes centuries to build up their cities in their pride, and culture, and whatnot. God has got a city, it\u2019s not like men\u2019s cities.<\/p>\n Men\u2019s cities are dark, and deceitful, and full of evil; full of opportunities for evil; full of opportunities for sin, to express my own will and cater to it\u2014that is the second Scripture. It\u2019s under the figure of a woman, and she is a harlot; that is, she is an unfaithful person, she is faithless, she is untrue, she is deceitful, clamorous, it says, unmanageable, other things, you see. She has an impudent face, very bold and brash\u2014that is this world in this character. Scripture has chosen certain figures in writing to men to portray certain elements, and one is a woman who is a harlot. She portrays this world with all its opportunity for evil, and deceit.<\/p>\n Perhaps you don\u2019t see the world that way, like this young man\u2014simple one, void of understanding. Why should that be? I don\u2019t think it means he was unintelligent. I don\u2019t think it means that he couldn\u2019t pass his examinations at school. I don\u2019t think it means that. I don\u2019t think it means he couldn\u2019t gain a useful occupation and be of some value. I don\u2019t think it means that. I think it means he didn\u2019t understand the difference between good and evil. He\u2019d failed to take advantage of counsel in the way of understanding admonition, reproof, instruction. That\u2019s what this book of Proverbs is full of\u2014instructions of life, admonition, counsel, discipline, so that you know how to go a way for good, not for evil. That\u2019s what this man was void of; he had not paid attention, he wasn\u2019t interested, he was interested in other things, catering to his own lust and his own ambition, his own self-will.<\/p>\n You say, Well, I can satisfy the teachers, I get a good report. You are just the person the world wants. We are not advertising, or advocating that you should not do your studies well, I am not thinking about that; but, you see, the world must have young men and young women, the devil must have them. The god and prince of this world builds his world up by young men and young women. God is building His world up with young men and young women; that\u2019s how valuable you are. You only have one youth, I have tried to say that; only got one opportunity in youth, and you will go one way or the other.<\/p>\n What this young man did in Zechariah, he showed interest in Jerusalem, he asks a question. He says, Whither are you going? He saw a man with a measuring line, and he is interested, you see. That is the application of God\u2019s mind to any situation; and this man says, What are you going to do about it? He says, I\u2019m going to measure Jerusalem, to see what\u2019s the breadth thereof, and what\u2019s the length thereof, and then the angel that talked with him\u2014it says, Another angel went forth to meet him and said, Run, speak to this young man. See, heaven had heard this question. Heaven was paying attention to what this young man was saying and heard his question. If you show any interest in God\u2019s things, He will have the whole of heaven active on your behalf. That\u2019s far better than all the possibilities in this world which can only lead to destruction.<\/p>\n I read that final word in Proverbs\u2014it says, Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death. It says that he didn\u2019t know that the dead were there. He didn\u2019t know, you see, he didn\u2019t know that it was for his life, he didn\u2019t know that. The pleasure, the enticement, all the allurements, all the attractions of this world with its glitter and glamour, it\u2019s a cloak, it\u2019s a facade, it\u2019s a veneer, it\u2019s a sham. What\u2019s behind it? Awful corruption, destitution, despair, sorrow, grief, loss and death. That\u2019s all that this world can offer. It\u2019s got a cloak over it, you see, it hides it, it hides its real character.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why Satan is a deceiver, the god of this world is a deceiver. He is a master at it, he is a master. He has studied men for six thousand years, and he knows the very thing that will be the most deceitful in your case, it might be different in my case. He has studied you all your lifetime to ascertain what it is you are attracted by, away from God, away from Jesus, away from God\u2019s people, away from good, away from blessing, away from life. He doesn\u2019t make it obvious to you what\u2019s going to happen, but this Scripture exposes it to us. It says, an arrow goes through his liver, right through the very seat of his being; an arrow strikes through his liver: as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for its life.<\/p>\n So I am seeking just to present the glad tidings in all its simplicity to you; it\u2019s a way of good, a way of blessing, a way of salvation, a way of holiness apart from this world. You put your foot in it and go one foot after another, one step after another, and what you will find is salvation, and blessing. Eternity of bliss, an eternity of blessing, and a lifetime of happiness here in confidence in Jesus. Think of Jesus as the Saviour, think of how well He knew men. I don\u2019t like to say things that are out of place, but He understands men better than Satan does. Satan understands you better than you do, but he doesn\u2019t understand you like Jesus does.<\/p>\n Jesus died for you. He gave His life for you. He gave everything for you. God has done it; spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. Think of the very best and greatest, and most glorious of heaven given for your salvation\u2014that\u2019s Jesus, and now He lives there for you. He ever liveth to make intercession for you; to appear in heaven in the presence of God for you. Think of a Person up there, the greatest Person, the greatest Man in the universe, He\u2019s up there in heaven in your favour. See, it makes you independent of the allurements of this world, the attractions of this world, the way Satan can dress it up to advantage for the present, but there is no future to it. You read this chapter privately and see what the sequel was, what the result was to this young man void of understanding.<\/p>\n In the other case, it is beautiful, the prophecy of Zechariah, this man comes in. I didn\u2019t read it all for want of time, but how delightful it is to God. You see these wonderful words, Ho, ho! Ho, escape. It\u2019s God calling out from the heavens, He knows everything, He knows everything about you, He knows the end from the beginning, He knows what\u2019s the very best for you, and He will do only the very best for you. Give up trying to do the best for yourself, it\u2019ll turn out to be the worst; do the best that God wants you to do, and it will be for your eternal blessing, and your salvation now.<\/p>\n I am not so much concerned about heaven in the future, we know that will be all right, we\u2019ve got no doubts about that. I can\u2019t tell you too much about it, but we know that Jesus fills heaven, but He can bring heaven right down into your heart now, and set you as free of this world as heaven is. He can make your heart like a home of heaven\u2014for who? For Christ, that\u2019s how valuable you are. Ever thought you could be that great to Christ that He would make His home in your heart? That\u2019s what it says, Christ dwelling in the heart by faith. What does it mean? He likes it there. He loves to be in your heart, and find a home there, and He can give you the peace of heaven, right now.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t matter what troubles, it doesn\u2019t matter what sorrows, it doesn\u2019t matter what tribulations will overtake you, Christ is there as the Prince of peace, in your heart. He has made peace by the blood of His cross. Think of it, Satan can\u2019t bring a thing against you, not a thing. He can look back in all those dark areas of your life, and my life, and can bring up nothing against you. Why? Because of the blood of Jesus, a perfect, sufficient, eternal answer to every accusation of the foe, and you go forward in confidence. Confidence in Jesus, confidence in the blessed Spirit. He will put the Holy Spirit in your heart, the love of God, it says, shed abroad in our hearts. You feel afraid, you\u2019re worried, you\u2019re disturbed, you\u2019re distressed, wake up in the middle of the night anxious, just turn to Christ, turn to the blessed Spirit, He\u2019s right there in your heart and He will fill it with God\u2019s love. If you think of the greatest thing in the universe, if you can speak that way, it\u2019s God\u2019s love, and He will fill your heart with it, keep you free from trouble.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t mean you won\u2019t have sorrow, it doesn\u2019t mean you won\u2019t have adversity, it doesn\u2019t mean you won\u2019t have disappointments, but they\u2019ll all be in the realm of nature and this world; you will get no disappointments in heaven, I promise you that. Once you step in there, you\u2019ll be a little surprised; you haven\u2019t been there before, we haven\u2019t been to heaven yet, not in the full sense. Only one Man in heaven yet, all these other beloved saints of God that have died in Jesus, where are they? They are with Christ, they\u2019re not exactly in heaven, there is only one Man in heaven yet and that is Jesus. When you get in there you\u2019ll be a little surprised, but you\u2019ll know Jesus and He will show you round and you\u2019ll feel at home at once. Why shouldn\u2019t you live your life with the home of heaven in your heart as Christ is King? For His name\u2019s sake.<\/p>\n