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

"By one offering, He hath perfected for ever them who are sanctified." -Hebrews 10:14 [KJV] We have two remarkable instances of St. Paul’s holy zeal for the glory of his Lord.  (1st.) Against a gross sin in the church of Corinth. This brought a scandal upon the holy gospel of Christ.  (2d.) Against a legal, self-righteous spirit, which obtained in the church of Galatia. This depreciated and dishonoured the finished work of Christ, and perverted the faith of His members. It is hard to say, whether St. Paul’s zeal exceeded most, in the former or the latter.  Hence learn profaneness and pride, are equally contrary to the faith of the gospel. As a holy faith brings Christ, and His salvation into the heart, it casts out the love of sin, as well as self-righteous hopes. Here is a glorious truth for precious faith to fix upon. O that through the Spirit, it may bring joy and peace to our souls.  Consider, who are said to be “sanctified” here? Those who are sepa...

"And they sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance, and found Him not." -Luke 2:44, 45 [KJV]   May we not gather a lesson of sweet instruction from the anxious and fruitless search the parents made for Jesus in the days of His flesh? What kinsfolks and acquaintances shall we now search among for the Saviour? My soul, how little of Jesus is to be found in this Christless generation! What parlour conversation makes mention of His name? Is it not plain and evident, from the general, nay almost universal silence observed in all companies concerning His name, and offices, and characters, and relations, that Christ is not there?   Shall we seek Him among the professors of the gospel? Who are they that honour Jesus? Not they who deny His Godhead; not they who deny the influences of His Holy Spirit; not they who set up their own righteousness as part, or the whole of their justification before God. Jesus is not in that house, in that family, in that heart, among...

"Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone." -Ephesians 2:20 [KJV] The meaning of this expression, which frequently occurs in the New Testament, is, we think, often misunderstood. It is taken in the first instance from the declaration concerning our Lord in the Psalms, which He in the gospels (Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17) specially claimed and appropriated to Himself: "The stone which the builders refused is become the head-stone of the corner" (Psalm 118:22).   "The head of the corner," or "the chief corner stone," the meaning of both expressions being one and the same, signifies not the stone which stands at the top of the building, uniting the corners of the two walls just under the roof, but the broad foundation stone, which is firmly fixed at the very bottom; and it is called the "corner stone" or the "head" or "chief of the corner," because being laid as a huge and broad stone for a foundat...