"Salvation is of the LORD." -Jonah 2:9

"JESUS said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. " -John 6:53 [KJV] Ignorant persons, who sit under unenlightened teachers, are taught to apply these words to the sacrament. Hence they think, if they do but receive the sacrament, they surely eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ; their sins are pardoned; all is well; and they shall go to heaven at last. O, how horridly is that sacred ordinance prostituted!   “The wicked, such as be void of lively faith, do carnally and visibly press with their teeth the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ; yet in no wise are they partakers of Christ: but rather, to their condemnation, do eat and drink the sign or sacrament of so great a thing,” says St. Austin. What doth our Lord here mean?  (1st.) That naturally we have no spiritual life in us. We are dead, under the sentence of the law: as dead to all knowledge of, love t...

"Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive, Thou hast received gifts for men: yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them." -Psalm 68:18 [KJV] Sweet view of a risen, ascended, and triumphant Saviour. My soul, ponder over these words, and while meditating upon them, see that thou art ascending after thy exalted Head, and partaking in His glories. Jesus is He Who hath indeed ascended, far above all heavens, that He might fill all things. He hath led captivity captive; and that not only in conquering all the powers of hell, but taking His people that were in captivity out of the prison-house, and causing them to partake in the felicity (- happiness ) of His triumphs. And mark, my soul, what follows. "He hath received gifts for men ; " or as the apostle to the church of Ephesus expresseth the same blessed truths, He gave gifts to men, Ephesians 4:8 . And sweetly Jesus hath done both; for He received that He mi...