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

"My beloved standeth behind our wall. He looketh, forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice" -Song of Solomon 2:9 [KJV] It might be truly said, that it was behind the wall of our nature the Lord Jesus stood, when, by taking a body of flesh, He veiled the glories of His Godhead, during the days of His humanity. And may it not be as truly said, that it is still, as from behind a wall, all the gracious discoveries He now makes of Himself are manifested to His people? For what from the dulness of our perception, the unbelief, and the sins and infirmities of our nature, the most we see of our Jesus is but as through a glass darkly. But yet, my soul, how sweet are even these visits of His love, when we can get though but a glimpse of the King in His beauty, through the windows of ordinances, or the lattices of His blessed word.  Oh, precious Jesus! let Thy visits be frequent, increasingly lovely, and increasingly glorious, that the souls of Thy people ma...

"The L ORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." -Numbers 6:26 [KJV] When we offend a person, his face is not toward us as at other times. It was so with Laban towards Jacob; and if we have in any way incurred a friend’s or superior’s displeasure, we watch instinctively his countenance. Is it down or up? Does it wear a frown or a smile? Is it looking upon us with the eye of affection, or are the eyes averted? We can tell in a moment if we know the countenance. Thus is the blessing asked, "The L ORD lift up His countenance upon thee , " as a kind and affectionate parent upon an obedient child, as a fond husband upon a loving, devoted wife; for such is God to His children—Father and Husband. And do we not, as children, often provoke Him to look upon us with frowning brow, or rather, not to look upon us at all, to "hide His face," as we read, "that we cannot see Him?"   The prayer then is, "The Lord lift up ...

" Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" —Genesis 3:1 [KJV] It is the grand masterpiece of that wisdom which is earthly, sensual, devilish, to call in question the truth of God's word; to insinuate a doubt about it . But here appears more modesty even in Satan, than in some of his servants; for he only puts a query upon it, whereas they absolutely deny and ridicule the truths of Jehovah . In the same way that the old serpent attacked and prevailed against the innocence of our first parents, he still attempts to destroy the comforts and oppose the holiness of God's children by artful suggestions against the truth of God's word. If he can but raise a doubt in our minds concerning what the Lord hath spoken, he strikes at the very foundation of our faith, hope, love, and obedience. As he abode not in the truth, he is a restless implacable enemy to the truth, and to every soul who embraces the truth as in Jesus . Really, one f...

"And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly." -II Chronicles 29:36 [KJV] Sweet thought, ever to keep in view, that it is the Lord that prepares the heart, and gives answers to the tongue. And Oh! how sudden, how unexpected, how unlooked-for, sometimes, are the visits of His grace! "Or ever I was aware (saith the church) my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadab." Is my heart cold, my mind barren, my frame lifeless? Do Thou, then, dearest Lord, make me to rejoice, in warming my frozen affection, making fruitful my poor estate, and putting new life into my soul. All I want is a frame of mind best suited to Thy glory.  And what is that? Truly, that when I have nothing, feel nothing, can do nothing, am worse than nothing, that then, even then, I may be rich in Thee amidst all my own bankruptcy. This, dear Lord, is what I covet. And if Thou withholdest all frames which might melt, or wa...

"...and be gracious unto thee." -Numbers 6:25 [KJV] How sweet the gospel is! But what makes the gospel sweet? That one word which sheds a perfume through the whole—grace. Take grace out of the gospel and you destroy the gospel; you nullify and overthrow it; it is the gospel no more. Grace pervades every part and every branch of the blessed gospel; it is the life of the gospel; in a word, it is the gospel itself. "Be gracious unto thee." In what, then, is God gracious? In a broken law? What does that know of grace? In resolutions of amendment, creature performances, and human righteousness? Can the Lord, will the Lord shew Himself gracious in these? I have read of a project for extracting sunbeams out of cucumbers. We might as well expect to make sunbeams out of cucumbers as to make grace out of the law; it is cold as cucumbers; there is no sun in it. Grace, to be grace, must come out of the gospel . It is in the gospel, and out of the gospel must it ...

The Correct Formula by D.G. Miles McKee   I recently was asked the following question on the internet.  It asked, “What is God going to do with the people who were baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit instead of the being baptized in the name Jesus Christ?” Here´s my reply, Thanks for the question. With respect, a baptismal formula does not justify ( declare not guilty ) anyone. Christ Jesus alone saves, and baptism is a public declaration that such is the case. The baptismal candidate must first, by faith, be a partaker of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Then, the believer is qualified for Baptism.  Baptism is a testimony which declares that salvation has already been accomplished. An incorrect baptismal formula cannot, therefore, undo the great work that Christ Jesus effectively accomplished at the cross 2000 yrs ago. You see, it is neither by Christ  and  a correct baptismal formula that we are saved, Nor by Christ...