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

"These things said Esaias, when he saw His glory, and spake of Him." -John 12:41 [KJV] Ministers who do not preach Christ, sinners who do not speak of Christ, are objects of pity , not of our wrath. Their eyes are blind to His matchless glory. Their hearts do not understand His unparalleled love.  But consider, (1st.) When once Christ’s glory is displayed, and His love believed in the heart, the tongue will speak of Him. So Isaiah found it. So did that poor woman of Samaria, “she ran into the city,” she catched hold of one and another. She eagerly cried, “Come, see a man who told me all things that ever I did, is not this the Christ?” Surely it is, what think ye? (John 4:29.) She had sweet experience. Here was no self-exalting.  No cry, See me, Admire me. What fine experience I have got! One is sometimes grieved to read, or hear people tell of their experiences, when they tend only to make the poor sinner appear, as somewhat glorious in his own eyes, and to ...

"And He must needs go through Samaria." -John 4:4 [KJV] And what was there, blessed Jesus, that constrained Thee to this necessity? Was it because there was a poor adulterous woman there, that needed Thy grace, and the hour was come for her conversion? Sweet thought! let me cherish it this morning. Was there not the same needs be for the Father setting Thee up, from everlasting, for the Head of Thy church and people? Could there have been a church without Thee?  And when Thy church had fallen by sin, what archangel could have recovered her but Thee? Why then there was a needs be that Thou shouldest take the nature of Thy people upon Thee, and come to seek and save that which was lost?  And as it is said of Thee concerning this poor woman, that "He must needs go through Samaria," so must it be equally said, Jesus must needs go to Jerusalem, to save Jerusalem sinners by His blood . Oh yes, there was a blessed necessity upon Thee, Thou Lamb of God, that ...

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."  -Ephesians 1:3 [KJV] If you are blessed with all spiritual blessings, it is only "in Christ" you are so blessed. If you were chosen before the foundation of the world, it was only "in Christ" that you were chosen. He is our covenant Head. What we are we are only in Him. There is nothing in self; no fixedness there. All is fluctuating here below; all is uncertain as regards man. Certainty is with God; and the fixedness of God's purposes is our grand, our only support.  Thus the doctrine of election received into the heart diffuses a sacred blessedness over the whole truth of God, for it gives stability to it. It is not a dry doctrine which men may toss about from hand to hand like a tennis ball; it is not an article of a creed written down in church articles, or a theory to be argued by divines. Nor is...