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

"Put Me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified."   -Isaiah 43:26 [KJV] The Lord had just laid open the rich love of His gracious heart to poor sinners, in fully blotting out their transgressions and in not remembering their sins. To keep down their pride and exalt the riches of His mercy, He tells them plainly, I do all this, for My own sake. But He knows what is in man. He sees the abominable pride of our hearts, and how many would reject His free declaration, and not accept of free-grace mercy, by free-gift of love, without money and without price. Such will have some hand in procuring pardon and justification, by fulfilling terms, and performing conditions.  These words may be considered, (1st.) as a reflection upon such persons, and a derision upon their notions. Says the Lord, Put Me in remembrance . What spiritual act could you do, when dead in trespasses and in sins, in order to obtain life? What good works sprang ...

"It pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief." - Isaiah 53:10 [KJV] The depths of wisdom were explored to furnish redemption, and to find a person competent to accomplish it; and when found, the depths of love were broken up, to make it complete. My soul, read over the mysterious volume which the Lord hath in part opened before thee. It cost the Father His thoughts from all eternity, to appoint a plan, by which, consistently with His holiness and His justice, thou mightest be saved. It cost the Father His Son, His dear Son, His only Son, before that thou couldest be redeemed. Jesus must die ere thou canst live. Pause over the subject as it is here expressed. "It pleased the Father to bruise Him."  Jesus, who was in Himself holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; He, who knew no sin, must be made sin; He who never merited wrath, must be made a curse. Read on; Jesus must die! and by whom? Not by...

"Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth."  - Hebrews 12:6 [KJV] Does not James say, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation?" And again, "Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations?"       Why? Is there any joy in trials, any pleasure in sorrow? No, none. But in the deliverance from the Lord; in the power of God put forth to bring the soul out; there is joy there. And, therefore, we have to walk in a dark path to make the light dear to our eyes; we have to pass through trials to taste the sweetness of the promises when applied with power; we have to endure temptations, that we may enjoy the sweetness of deliverance. And this is the way, be sure of it, that God deals with His people. Is your conscience made honest? Does that monitor in your bosom speak the truth? Tell me what it says. Does it not say, "Few trials, few consolations; few sorrows, few joys; few difficulties, few testimonies from God;...