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

"Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees."   -Hebrews 12:12 [KJV] Are you saying, my troubles are many, my burden is great, and hope deferred makes my heart sick? True, a faint heart makes weak hands and feeble knees. Then afflictions become intolerable, duty tiresome, prayer irksome, the ordinances like dry breasts, the lamp of spiritual life is expiring, the poor sinner grows dejected and dispirited, is ready to give up hope, and give way to despondency. The Comforter inspires a work for such, “lift up your hands,” etc. Do you say, the advice is good, but the practice hard? St. Paul supposes it: for he introduces it with wherefore . O, I dearly love these Scripture adverbs! Much courage and comfort are gained by attending to them. Wherefore (-or for which reason,) lift up your weak hands, or the weak hands of others . Consider, why, or wherefore we should do this.    (1st.) We have Jesus to look unto for patience. He is the Author and Finishe...

"But which of you having a servant plowing, or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?" -Luke 17:7, 8 [KJV] I have often thought that the Lord Jesus, the bountiful Lord of all His servants, and Who giveth largely to the supply of all His household, hath a more special and suited food for His servants in the ministry, who are employed by Him to set forth His table for others. They are, as the servant here described, in the field, plowing, and engaged in every branch of the spiritual husbandry. But when they return, their peculiar privilege is to wait upon their Master. And well is it for them; for in the faithful discharge of their labours, so great and constant are their engagements in following up the several departments of it, that, while keeping ...

"For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance." -I Thessalonians 1:5 [KJV] The Holy Ghost never comes into any poor sinner's soul, except through the medium of the gospel of the grace of God. Have you ever considered that point? You are praying, perhaps, that the Holy Spirit would teach you, and be in you a Spirit of revelation, a Remembrancer, a Comforter, Instructor, and Teacher. You pray for His gifts, and graces, and sanctifying operations; but have you ever viewed these graces in connection with the gospel of Jesus Christ? Now, if you want the Holy Spirit to come into your soul, you must keep firm hold of the gospel; you must not run away from it to the law or to self; but keep firm, fast hold of it, so far as you have felt its power, and have a living faith in it.    If, then, you are tried, still hold the gospel. If Satan get you into his sieve, still hold the gospel; if in the furnace of affliction...

  Begin, my tongue, some heavenly theme And speak some boundless thing The mighty works and mightier NAME   Of our eternal King. Tell of His wondrous faithfulness And sound His Name abroad Sing the sweet promise of His grace And our Redeeming Lord. Proclaim salvation from the Lord For sinful, dying men His hand has writ the Holy Word With an immortal pen. Oh might I hear Thy heavenly tongue But whisper, “Thou art Mine!” Those precious words would raise my song To notes almost divine!     -Gospel hymn, “According to Thy Gracious Word”     *****   “And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offense of the cross ceased.”   - Galatians 5:11 [KJV]   And what is the preaching of circumcision?   The preaching of anything you must do before you can be saved.   As long as circumcision is preached, there will be no persecution.   If someone would say I preach circumcision, why am I still ...

"She said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table ."   -Matthew 15:27 [KJV] Here is blessed reasoning. It produced admiration in the Lord: “O woman, great is thy faith!” It obtained a free grace grant from Him also: “Be it unto thee, even as thou wilt.” Great faith! How does it appear? We do not find she came to Christ in full assurance of faith; saying, I know Thou art my Saviour, I am assured Thou hast loved me, and wilt save me. No. Still there was great faith without this. Look at her faith. Imitate it. She honoured the Lord by it. He honours her for it.    (1st.) She was in trouble: she flies instantly to Christ. She tells Him of her sorrows. “Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.” To cry to Jesus for mercy, under a sense of being vexed with a devil, is the prayer of faith, and honours the Lord of glory.    (2d.) Here are great discouragements. Christ answers her not a wor...

"And have been all made to drink into one Spirit." -I Corinthians 12:13 [KJV] What a most lovely and endearing representation is here given of the several members of Christ's mystical body, as all united to their one glorious and common Head, and, like so many branches of the vine, deriving every thing of life, and grace, and fruitfulness, from Him! "They have been all made to drink into one Spirit." Yes; the Lord the Spirit, the Holy Ghost the Comforter, whose gracious influence first unites them to Jesus, unites them also, in Him, to one another. Hence, though distant and remote from each other; divided and separated by distant climes, and countries, and languages; though unknown by face to each other, yea, in language, and manners, and customs wholly dissimilar; and of different degrees of knowledge, and apprehension, and attainment in the divine life; yet, from being one with Christ, they are also one with each other, and "are members of His body, of ...