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

"Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." -II Corinthians 12:9 [KJV] Though St. Paul is not now in the third heavens, yet he is not content, to speak any language below the superlative degree, most gladly. O, says he, I have had the richest experience of my own weakness and impotence, that ever I had in my life. I should be most glad, every day, to be thus emptied and laid low at the feet of Christ, that the all-sufficiency of His grace, and the power of His strength might be made perfect in me.  What does he mean by infirmities? All that weakness, feebleness, and inability, which he found in his nature, to withstand sin and Satan, to bear up under his crosses, trials, and distresses—to run the way of God’s commandments—to fight the good fight of faith, etc. I will rather glory in these. What means he? I will glory, rejoice, and be glad, that self is laid low, my proud nature debased, my self-exal...

"Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me?"   -John 14:9 [KJV] Pause, my soul, over this question of the Lord Jesus which He put to Philip— figure to thyself that the Lord saith the same to thee; and now see what answer thou wilt give Him. It is a great question: and if thou art able to answer it with a — "Yea, Lord;" and from the blessed Spirit's teaching thou truly knowest Jesus to be what the scripture saith He is, and canst as truly, from the receiving that testimony which God hath given of His dear and ever-blessed Son, set to thy seal that God is true; then art thou truly happy, and mayest humbly take to thyself a portion in that blessedness which the Lord Jesus pronounced upon Peter, from the same grace manifested: "Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven." Pause then, and inquire: dost thou know who Christ is? Art thou perfectly satisfied, my soul, of the oneness i...

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." -Ephesians 2:10 [KJV] Good works, properly so called, spring out of the inward operation of God's grace. By making the tree good He makes the fruit good (Matthew 12:33) . He works in us first the will to do that which is good, and then He gives us the power. He thus works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13) .  Under the operations of His grace we are transformed by the renewing of our mind to prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2) ; and as this will is sought after to be known and done, good works follow as the necessary fruit.  All those acts of love and affection, of kindness, sympathy, and liberality towards the Lord's people; all those instances of self-denial and willingness rather to suffer than to do wrong; all those proofs of disinterested desir...