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

"Love is of God." -I John 4:7 [KJV] Love is a gift which the risen Mediator has received that He may freely communicate it out of His fulness to His people. And we must be brought to feel that it is a gift. Could we produce or keep it alive in our own hearts, we should burn incense to our own skill or our own care. Some perhaps will scarcely believe that a child of God can feel enmity against Christ; but his carnal mind is unmitigated enmity against him.  And oh, what a cutting feeling it is for a follower of the Lamb to have a principle in him which hates Christ; hates, bitterly hates His Person, hates His holiness and purity; which could join in the cry, "Crucify Him, crucify Him," and push and strike him with the Roman soldiers and the Jewish rabble. Unless painful experience convinced us that there was such a dreadful principle within, we could not believe that there was this devilish enmity in our heart against Him whom our souls desire to love and...

"We believe, and are sure..."   - John 6:69 [KJV] Here is both faith and assurance. I wish to the Lord I had them, is the language of many a doubting heart, while they have both this very faith and assurance. This assurance is of the essence of faith. Without it faith has no existence.  Consider, (1st.) The nature of this faith and assurance. “We believe and are sure.”  Of what? That their names were written in heaven, that they were sure they were the elect of God? No. But, says St. Peter to our Lord, “We believe, and are sure, that Thou art Christ the Son of the living God, and that Thou hast the words of eternal life.”  Their minds were as sure of this truth, as of their existence. So must ours at all times, and under all circumstances. But is this faith and assurance? Then, blessed be God, I am a partaker of both.  I do believe, I am sure, that Christ is the Son of God, and that He, and He alone, hath the words of eternal life. But I want to be s...

"For I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified."   -Matthew 28:5 [KJV] Is it indeed known unto my Lord that I seek Him? Doth Jesus know that I desire Him more than my necessary food? Ye angels of light that watched over His sepulchre, do ye witness for me that He is more precious to me than gold, yea, than the golden wedge of Ophir. And can I, do I, humbly appeal to Him that readeth the heart, and knoweth all things, and say, "Thou knowest, Lord, that I love Thee!" Be comforted, then, my soul: He whom thou seekest will soon be found of thee. He is near at hand. He hath never been a wilderness to His people; neither hath He ever said to the praying seed of Jacob, "Seek ye My face in vain."  While thou art seeking Him, He is looking on thee. And the very desire in thine heart of seeking Him, it is Jesus hath kindled. And nothing can be more sure than that He who kindled them in thine heart, did not kindle them in vain. Sweet thought; I bless...