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

"Christ, our passover, is sacrificed for us." -I  Corinthians 5:7 [KJV]   Thou art not wearied, my soul, I hope, with the subject of thy last evening's meditation; and if not, the subject itself of the passover is so abundantly interesting, that it furnisheth endless matter for the sweetest thought. Every thing in the Jewish passover was typical and figurative of Jesus; and therefore, that we might not err on so important a point, the Holy Ghost, by His servant the apostle, calls Him by this very name; "Christ, our passover , " and adds, "was sacrificed for us." A lamb of the first year, without blemish and without spot, was set apart, in the Jewish church, for the observance of this service; and Christ, the Lamb of God, who was "holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners , " was set apart, in the christian church, for the redemption of His people, from all eternity. The lamb was slain, in the Jewish church, and ro...

"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." -Romans 5:10 [KJV] What a fearful spot it is to be in—to feel and fear oneself an enemy to God! I think it is one of the most painful feelings that ever passed through my breast, to fear I was an enemy to God. For what must be the consequence, if a man live and die having God for his enemy? In that warfare he must perish. If God be his enemy, who can be his friend? Such sensations in the bosom are well-nigh akin to despair. Let a man fully feel that he is God's enemy, where can he hide his head? Hell itself seems to afford him no refuge. But he must be exercised with something of this before he can prize reconciliation. He must see himself to be an enemy of God by birth—that he was born in what our Reformers called "birth sin;" and that his carnal mind is enmity against God.    O the painful sensations of ...

"Save yourselves from this untoward generation."   -Acts 2:40 [KJV]   Some, from a warm zeal for free-will, and a strong opposition to salvation by grace, have been weak enough to cite this passage to prove, that we have a hand in our own salvation; because we are here called upon to save ourselves. They might with equal propriety have inferred, that we are here exhorted to new create ourselves. But there is a sense, in which this exhortation is peculiarly applicable, to every saved sinner, every justified believer in Christ. For the honour and glory of our Saviour, and for the peace and comfort of our souls, let us attend to it. Wisdom informs us, “There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet not washed from their filthiness. O how filthy are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up” (Proverbs 30:12,13.) Now these are at enmity against, “That seed that serve the Lord, and which are counted to Him for a generation” (Psalm 22:30.)  ...

"And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD's passover ." -Exodus 12:26, 27 [KJV]   My soul! thou hast lately been at the table of the Lord, to celebrate Christ as thy passover. If thy children ask of thee, as the Jewish children were here supposed to ask of their fathers, "What mean ye by the LORD's supper?" Wouldest thou not catch at the favoured opportunity to inform them? Yea, wouldest thou wait to be asked? Can there be a duty, or a pleasure upon earth, like that of a tender father instructing his household in the things, which accompany salvation? Can the imagination figure to itself any sight equally lovely to that of a parent, or a master of a family, encircled by his little ones, and answering to their interesting questions; yea, anticipating their inquiries, by speaking of Jesus, His person, His grace, His love, and all the wond...

"The poor have the gospel preached to them." -Matthew 11:5 [KJV]   What is the gospel? Is not the gospel a proclamation of pure mercy, of super-abounding grace? Does it not declare the lovingkindness of God in sending His only-begotten Son to bleed and die, and, by His obedience, blood, and merit, to bring in a salvation without money and without price? Is not this the gospel? Not clogged by conditions, nor crippled by anything that the creature has to perform; but flowing freely forth as the air in the skies?    The poor to whom the gospel is preached, value it; it is suitable to them; it is sweet and precious when the heart is brought down. But if I stand up in religious pride, if I rest upon my own righteousness, if I am not stripped of everything in the creature, what is the gospel to me? I have no heart to receive it; there is no place in my soul for a gospel without money and without price. But when I sink into the depth of creature poverty, when I am ...

"Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak grievous things, proudly and contemptuously against the righteous."   - Psalm 31:18 [KJV]   The language of natural reason is, If I am righteous, God will love me : the language of faith is, Though I am a sinner, yet God loves me ; and, because He loves me, therefore He makes me righteous. How? The pen of inspiration answers: David, describing the character of a sinner, renewed by grace, and made meet to dwell with God, saith, “He shall receive righteousness from the God of his salvation” (Psalm 24:5.) Here we see plainly, that righteousness is a gift; that it is received, not worked out by the sinner; that it is given by the God of our salvation . It is the glorious robe, our elder brother, Jesus, wrought out for us; our heavenly Father imputes to us, and puts upon us. God the Holy Spirit enables us, by faith, to receive it, rejoice in it, and boast of it. For, we see ourselves made infinitely and everlasti...