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

"Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her Beloved?" -Song of Solomon 8:5 [KJV] Who! the wonder and joy of angels, the envy of devils, the contempt of the world, because a miracle of grace. Upon whom shines the glory of God’s justice, the riches of mercy, the abounding of His love, and the efficacy of His power? It is, a poor sinner, hopeless, and helpless in himself, coming up from a dismal, dreadful, dangerous state, leaning upon One who is mighty to save.  Some over-rate Christians. They paint their characters so very strong and perfect, as though they forgot that they are in themselves nothing but poor sinners, whose nature is only evil continually. And these people also under-rate them, not considering what they are in Christ— new creatures, perfectly righteous—without spot of sin— infinitely glorious and comely in God’s sight.  Consider, (1st.) this wilderness. You are in it, and will be coming up out of it, till you get out of the ...

"And I only am escaped alone to tell thee." -Job 1:19 [KJV] My soul, is there nothing in this account which the messenger to Job gave concerning himself which suits thy case and circumstances? Nay, mayest thou not in a great variety of ways, both in providence and grace, adopt similar language, in which thou art escaped alone to tell? Pause! look back to thy boyish days. Nay, look further back, even to the birth, and to the womb; for had not the Lord carried thee from thence, surely from the womb wouldest thou have died and given up the ghost. And what was thy childhood, but years of perils and dangers, in which multitudes dropped all around thee, so that thou mightest say, while contemplating them, "and I only am escaped alone to tell thee?"   And where are numbers with whom the stages of thy youth, and years at school were spent? Where are they? May it not here again be said, "And I only am escaped alone to tell thee?" Go on, and trace the...

"But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost." -Jude 20 [KJV] By the words "most holy faith," we may understand chiefly the grand truths of the everlasting gospel which are revealed unto and embraced by faith. And they are called "our most holy faith," because they are imbued with all the holiness of God; and not only so, but as they are received into believing hearts, communicate sanctification, because they have a liberating, sanctifying efficacy. The words "build up" assume that there is a foundation laid. Christ is that foundation which God hath laid in Zion, a chief corner-stone, elect, precious; and where Christ is revealed to the soul by a divine power, a foundation is laid in the heart on which every subsequent truth is to be built up. The grand thing to be clear of in our own experience is, whether Christ has been laid as a foundation in our souls or not, and if He has, we ha...