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

"A place called Golgotha." -Matthew 27:33 [KJV]   And wherefore called Golgotha? It was "a place of skulls;" not a charnel house ( - a place under or near churches, where the bones of the dead are reposited ) ; not a sepulchre for the great; but probably where a number of unburied skulls of poor criminals lay together, or scattered here and there, as the feet of those who visited this place of sorrow, might kick them. Luke calls it Calvary, (Luke 23:33) but both mean one and the same place. And was this a suited place for Thee, Oh Thou Lord of life and glory? Yes, blessed Jesus! if Thou wilt become sin, and a curse for Thy redeemed; then, surely, this of all places becomes Thee, where Thy people must have lain for ever, hadst Thou not interposed, and undertaken all that behoved them to suffer, that they might be made "the righteousness of God" in Thee?   My soul, did Jesus suffer at Golgotha? Go thou forth to Him "without the camp, be...

"And I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." -Revelation 2:17 [KJV]   In ancient times they used to decide cases by white and black stones. The judges (for they were rather judges than jury) did not give their verdict upon the prisoner by oral testimony, "guilty," or "not guilty," as in our country, but by dropping into an urn a white stone to express their opinion that the prisoner was innocent, or a black stone to declare their judgment that the prisoner was guilty. The Lord has made use of this figure. He says, "To him that overcometh I will give a white stone ; " that is, I will give into his conscience a sentence of acquittal. As the white stone was dropped into the urn, so peace and pardon are dropped into the sinner's bosom; and just as the judge, when he deposited the white stone in the urn, declared thereby the prisoner's innocence; so ...

"Incline your ear, and come unto Me: hear, and your souls shall live."   - Isaiah 55:3 [KJV]   Some cannot bear exhortations to be used, either to saints or sinners. O, dear! they sound so legal in their ears, they are quite disgusted with them. But why? Truly, such are wise above what is written; and they proclaim their folly in condemning the conduct of Christ, and His Spirit in the prophets and apostles. They have most need of exhortations, who see least cause for them: be not high-minded, but fear . A Chinese philosopher asserted, that a man had three ears: one differed from those two which are seen. This was counted a great absurdity. But it holds true in a spiritual sense; for naturally we have ears, but hear not. “The hearing ear, the LORD hath made” (Proverbs 20:12.) This Christ calls for: “Incline your ear.”     Act as sentenced rebels and condemned malefactors; be all ear to a sound of mercy, and a proclamation of a reprieve, from me. Though ...

"Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man ." -John 19:5 [KJV]   My soul, thou art engaged in solemn subjects at this season, both night and morning; and here is one as solemn as any; thy Jesus coming forth in His coronation robes! Yes! For He, and He alone, is the prince of sufferers, as the prince of His people. Many of His dear children have been beset with thorns; and to many, indeed to all more or less, the Lord hedgeth up their way with thorns. But none but the ever blessed Jesus was crowned with thorns. Now, my soul, ponder well the solemn subject. And Oh! that God the Holy Ghost may open all the glories of it to thy view.   And first , look at thy Jesus, crowned with thorns. None but the Lord Jesus could properly wear this crown; because the curse pronounced by God at the fall, of thorns being brought forth to the man, could belong to none but Him, the God-man Christ Jesus. This cur...

"To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna." -Revelation 2:17 [KJV]   How often God's word is to you a sealed book; how often you hear from the pulpit the most encouraging preaching, yet get no encouragement from it; how often you hear Christ held forth in His Person, blood and righteousness, and go away as you came, without any sensible relief. What is the reason? Because you are overcome. Unbelief, bondage, darkness of mind, insensibility rest upon your spirit, and all these keep you from feeding upon the manna. But sometimes a gracious word comes over all these hills and mountains of unbelief, bondage, doubt and fear, and as this word drops into your heart, you begin to shout victory over all your foes and fears. Then the word of God begins to open itself up in its sweetness and blessedness.    The Lord of the house brings out the hidden manna, and the word of God is made sweet and precious to the soul. Sometimes you read the word of G...

1.  Foreknowledge: Before the world was made, God knew His people intimately like none other will ever know them, and as belonging to Himself and none other. 2.  Election: Before the world was made, God chose in Christ all whom He foreknew to be saved and to be holy and blameless before Him in love. 3.  Predestination: Before the world was made, God foreordained His elect to be His adopted sons by Jesus Christ and to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 4.  Redemption: Jesus Christ through His shed blood paid the ransom for God’s predestined elect that delivered us from all our sins and obtained for us the forgiveness of our sins. 5.  Salvation: Jesus Christ delivered us from all our sins and all their effects. 6.  Calling: God calls His predestined people to salvation through the preaching of the gospel. 7.  Regeneration: God quickens His spiritually dead people, giving to them...