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

"The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he is an unwise son: for he should not stay long in the place of breaking forth of children." -Hosea 13:13 [KJV] Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him (Proverbs 22:15.) Though God’s children are made wise unto salvation, yet folly is bound up in their nature. Their conduct discovers it, and proves the necessity of the rod of correction to drive it from them. Here is a threatening—a charge—the reason for it—and a most precious promise from the Lord.  (1st.) The threatening. God loves His children too well, to spare the rod and spoil them. “For whom the LORD loveth He correcteth: even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” (Proverbs 3:12.) Therefore painful sorrows, like those of a travailing woman, come upon them. Nature’s pains prove nature’s remedies. The painful visitations of love, prove spiritual remedies to the soul: they bring fort...

"Now the end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned." -I Timothy 1:5 [KJV] See, my soul, what Jesus hath secured for thee by His gracious undertaking and accomplishment, and which His servant was commissioned to tell the church, was the very end of the commandment; namely, charity, or love. And this law of love is given thee, that thou mightest manifest whose thou art, and to whom thou dost belong; not as a rule of acceptance, for then that would be to make thy love a covenant of works; but as a sweet testimony of thy affection in the hand of Jesus.  It is a law of love indeed, because the cords of love, by which thou art drawn, prove it to be so. Thy obedience is not from slavish fear, for then this would be bondage; but the love of Christ constrains thee. Thy love to Him makes thee long to be like Him. Thy love to Him makes His commandments not grievous but gracious. Thy love to Him makes ordinance...

"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." -Galatians 6:14 [KJV] An experimental knowledge of crucifixion with his crucified Lord made Paul preach the cross, not only in its power to save, but in its power to sanctify . But as then, so now, this preaching of the cross, not only as the meritorious cause of all salvation, but as the instrumental cause of all sanctification, is "to them that perish foolishness."   As men have found out some other way of salvation than by the blood of the cross, so have they discovered some other way of holiness than by the power of the cross; or rather have altogether set aside obedience, fruitfulness, self-denial, mortification of the deeds of the body, crucifixion of the flesh and of the world. Extremes are said to meet; and certainly men of most opposite sentiments may unite in despising the cross and counting it foolis...