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

"Is not My word like as a fire? saith the LORD." -Jeremiah 23:29 [KJV] How comforting this reflection? “We, who were sometimes afar off, are now made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13.) How happy is the soul, when it finds nearness of access to God, and enjoys sweet converse with Him? Then with Jeremiah it says, “Let me talk with Thee, O LORD , ” (chapter 12:1.) Then the Lord condescends to hear and reply. As here, He appeals to the soul’s experience; and asks, What effect has My word had on thine heart? Is it not like fire? Let us consider this, that the word of the Lord may be glorified by us to-night.  (1st.) It is the property of fire to communicate light. So doth the word. “The entrance of Thy word giveth Light” (Psalm 119:130.) When we were darkness itself, how did the word enter, and shine into our hearts, and give us the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ? In seasons of darkness, how often has the word brought lig...

"Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of." -Genesis 28:15 [KJV] Here is a promise to Jacob, and not to Jacob only, personally considered, but to Jacob's seed. For the apostle Paul was commissioned by the Holy Ghost to tell the church of Jesus, that we, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. Hence this, like all other promises in Christ Jesus, is yea and amen. Pause, then, my soul, and ask thyself what hath the Lord spoken to thee of? Hath He met with thee in Bethel, as He found Jacob? And hath He there spoken unto thee? How wilt thou know? Very plainly. Jesus hath met with thee, hath indeed spoken unto thee, if so be thou hast seen thine own unworthiness and sinfulness by nature and by practice; and if thou hast seen the King in His beauty, even Jesus in His own glory, suitableness, and all-sufficiency, as a Saviour; and inclined thine ...

"Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus." -Hebrews 6:20 [KJV] How blessedly did the Lord comfort His sorrowing disciples when He said to them, "In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." He is gone to take possession beforehand of His and their everlasting home; for He is ascended to His Father and their Father, to His God and their God.  He has, as it were, filled heaven with new beauty, new happiness, new glory. In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily . His glorious Person as Immanuel is become the object of heaven's praise and adoration. The elect angels, whom He has confirmed in their standing, adore Him as God-man; and the spirits of just men made perfect worship Him in company with the angelic host.  What a view had holy John of heaven's glorious worship, when he saw the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders fall down be...

"Behold! I have erred exceedingly." -I Samuel 26:21 [KJV] I have selected this text for a peculiar purpose. At the close of the meditation, I shall assign the reason. In this chapter, we have an account of the heroic act of David’s faith in the Lord, his invincible courage, and his amazing tenderness towards Saul, his enraged enemy, by which he melted his heart, and overcame his cruel wrath. Let us view his conduct, and pray for grace to improve from it.  (1st.) View his faith. Here was Saul, with three thousand chosen men, in pursuit of David, thirsting for his blood. They were at a very small distance from him. Behold, David proposes to go to Saul’s camp in the dead of the night, and asks, “Who will go down with me?” Does not this seem to the eye of carnal reason, to be a most rash and dangerous attempt? Though it were at midnight— though they might be fallen into a deep sleep—yet out of such a number of men, one, or more might awake, and seize on David. Sur...

"Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and, upon all them that believe; for there is no difference." -Romans 3:22 [KJV] Here, my soul, is a morning portion for thee! Surely here is enough for a morning portion for poor believing souls to live upon to all eternity. Mark, my soul, what is here said. That righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, which He wrought out for His church, is the righteousness of God: for, as He was God as well as man, His righteousness was, to all intents and purposes, the righteousness of God .  Now the sin of Adam, and the sins of all Adam's children, put the whole together, form but the sins of creatures; consequently the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ is more than an equivalent, a more full payment than their debt can demand, because it is the righteousness of the Creator . Sweet thought! For God is more honoured by Christ's obedience, than dishonoured by our disobedience. And obse...

"Thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest." -Jeremiah 45:5 [KJV] There is a life given to the elect when the blessed Spirit quickens their souls,—a life eternal, communicated to them out of the fulness of the Son of God. This life is a personal, individual life; and thus there seems to be a sweetness contained in the expression, "thy life." "Thy life will I give unto thee for a prey."  This life which is treasured up in the fulness of Christ is breathed into the soul in the appointed time by the Holy Ghost, is kept alive there by His almighty power, and will burn brighter and brighter in the realms of endless day. But we may observe, from the expression made use of in the text, that this life which is given to the child of God, is given to him in a peculiar way. "Thy life will I give unto thee for a prey." The word "prey" points out that this life is an object of attack. We hear of ...