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

"None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: (for the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever : )"   - Psalm 49:7-8 [KJV] How very striking is the former of these verses! And Oh! how justly true! If it were possible for the rich worldling to keep back from the grave, by purchase, his worldly friend, would he do it? Yes, indeed, it is possible he might, under the presumption, that when it came to his turn, he should himself be redeemed. It is, however, of little consequence to estimate human friendship, when they are altogether helpless in the most important of all concerns. But, my soul, doth not this scripture point to Him, and tend to endear Him to thy warmest affections, who was indeed "a brother born for adversity ; "  and who, "though rich, yet for our sakes became poor, that through His poverty we might be made rich?" Jesus was, and is, the brother (mentioned in that scriptu...

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." -Colossians 3:1 [KJV] How many there are even of those who desire to fear God who are kept down by the world, and to whom it has not lost its attractive power; who are held fast, at least for a time, by worldly business, or entangled by worldly persons or worldly engagements. Their partners in business or their partners in life; their carnal relatives or their worldly children; their numerous connections or their social habits; their strong passions or their deep-rooted prejudices, all bind and fetter them down to earth.  There they grovel and lie amid, what Milton terms, "The smoke and stir of this dim spot which men call earth;"  and so bound are they with the cords of their sins that they scarcely seek deliverance from them, or even desire to rise beyond the mists and fogs of this dim spot into a purer air, so as to breathe a heavenl...

CHRIST IS ALL!   Every child of God realizes that without Christ, he is nothing. Christ is our peace, our hope, our joy, our preservation, our life, our wisdom, our sanctification, our righteousness and our redemption; He is our all .  Should He forsake us or withdraw His presence from us (something that can never happen), we would again be lost, dead and absolutely unacceptable to a holy God. The fact of the matter is that we are totally dependent upon the blessed Savior for everything.  Our eternal safety does not hinge upon our feeble hold of faith upon Him (though we do believe and rely on Him), but upon His almighty grasp of us. And if we ever become too self-confident and "think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think" (Romans 12:3) , may the Lord remind us that if He should ever release us from the omnipotent embrace of His grace, we would immediately revert back to unbelief, dead works of religion and self-righteousness.  We would be like...

"Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, not to be repented of." -II Corinthians 7:10 [KJV] By legal preaching, setting forth the curses of the law, and the terrors of hell, a sinner’s conscience may be made to tremble under the dread of damnation. He may be said to repent. “Judas thus repented himself, and said, I have sinned.”  He might be sorry for it. His sin might make his heart ache, and fill his soul with horrors. But here was no godly sorrow. God was not in all his thoughts. No repentance unto salvation: this was out of his sight. His repentance was unto damnation. For “he went out and hanged himself” (Matthew 27:5.) Natural fears and legal terrors may excite sorrow without the grace of repentance.  (1st.) What then is godly sorrow? It springs from God, it is excited by the views of God, it is directed to God, and arises in the heart on account of God. With David the soul cries, “Against Thee only have I sinned , ”   (Psalm  51:4.) ...

Our Lord Jesus Christ saying to a prominent religious cleric,   “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things?" -John 3:12 [KJV] Was there ever condescension like that of Jesus, to accommodate Himself to the dull and senseless capacities of His people? Kind, compassionate, indulgent Teacher , I would say, How shall I sufficiently admire or adore Thy love? Oh! that a consciousness of my ignorance would endear to me Thy wisdom! And Oh! that a sense of the deep things of God would induce in me a temper and frame of mind suited to the docility and humbleness of a weaned child! Now, my soul! mark from these words of thy Jesus to that master in Israel, Nicodemus, that so sublime are the wonders of redemption, even in that part of it which is connected with earthly things, that our capacities, until opened and fitted for the apprehension of divine truths by grace, cannot enter into the enjoyment or belief of them....

"But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him." -I John 2:27 [KJV] Have you ever had a solitary drop of this holy anointing oil fall upon your heart? One drop, if it be but a drop, will sanctify you for ever to the service of God. There was not much of the holy anointing oil used for the service of the tabernacle, when we consider the size and quantity of what had to be consecrated, for Moses had to anoint therewith the whole of the tabernacle of the congregation, as well as all the vessels, with all their various appurtenances. When he went through the sacred work, he touched one vessel after another with a drop of oil; for one drop sanctified the vessel to the service of the tabernacle.  There was no repetition of the consecration wanted; it abode. So if you ever had...