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

"If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness."   -Romans 8:10 [KJV]   St. Paul was an experimental teacher. He applies himself to the heart. He appeals to the conscience. He aims to quicken and animate the soul, and to draw out the affections to Christ, from what it had inwardly experienced of divine grace. O Christians, let this be your study when you meet and talk together. Yea, often do as David did. Converse freely with your own soul. If Christ be in you., that is, if He dwell in your heart by faith. If you have an inward approbation of Him, delight in Him, and love to Him in your heart: if you believe in Him as the Son of God, anointed by the Holy Ghost, to be the only Redeemer, Justifier, and Saviour of perishing sinners— what then? I will tell you, says the apostle, what will be the experience of your heart.    (1st.) “The body is dead because of sin.” You will find, and groan under the weight of a dea...

"Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey." -P salm 76:4 [KJV]   My soul, the more thou turnest over the word of God in inquiries after thy Beloved, the more writ thou be astonished at the relation given of Him in His excellency and glory. By every thing that can represent the adorable Redeemer, in His beauty, loveliness, grace, fulness, and all-sufficiency, whether considered in His absolute, His comparative, His relative, or His official glory, or in His glory as the Head of His body, the church, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all; thou art constrained, with the church to cry out at every view, "Yea, He is altogether lovely; the chief among ten thousand." There is somewhat particularly striking to this amount in this verse for thine evening portion: "Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey." Yes! it must be so: for when the soul hath found Jesus, like the merchant-man seeking goodly pearls, having...

"But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He hath prepared for them a city." -Hebrews 11:16 [KJV]   In desiring a better country these ancient pilgrims wanted something heavenly, something that tasted of God, savoured of God, smelt of God, and was given of God; a heavenly religion, a spiritual faith, a gracious hope, and a love shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost; something which came from heaven and led to heaven; which gave heavenly feelings, heavenly sensations, heavenly delights, and heavenly joys, whereby the heart was purified from the love of sin, carnality, and worldliness by having something sweeter to taste, better to love, and more holy to enjoy. It is these heavenly visitations, droppings in of the favour, goodness, and mercy of God, which keep the soul alive in its many deaths, sweeten it amidst its many bitters, hold it up amidst its many sinkings, and keep it from being drowned ...

"I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing."   -Romans 7:18 [KJV]   This is the knowledge which puffeth not up; but like love, edifieth the soul in deep humility: while it excites overflowing gratitude in the heart to Christ for His righteousness, to justify vile sinners. It is the knowledge of regenerate souls. I know, not only doctrinally, in notion and theory, but it is a confirmed truth, by heart-felt experience. I know it from day to day: I have proved it again and again: I am fully assured of it, as I am of my own existence, “that in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.” St. Paul’s judgment of himself was confirmed by experience. “But was he not a most eminent apostle, and holy saint?" Yes; still he confesses publicly before God, angels, and men, that he was the subject of a nature, which was earthly, sensual, and devilish. If no good thing dwelt in his flesh, is it not implied, that every evil dwelt there? Doubtless, he would be so understood. ...

"For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world." -II Timothy 4:10 [KJV]   Was this the same Demas of whom the apostle spake, Colossians 4:14 ? I should hope not. But if it was, it becomes no proof of a man's falling from grace. The apostle no where speaks of this man as being a partaker of grace. And a man cannot fall from grace, who never possessed grace. Professors there may be, who follow the means of grace, as Demas followed Paul; but the world, as in his instance, is still in their heart. But, my soul, what the apostle hath said of him, may well serve for an instruction to thee. If Jesus, and the love of Jesus, with all His sweetness, beauty, suitableness, and delight, be come into thine heart, then will the love of this present world be gone out. Both cannot dwell nor live together in the same heart.   A believer in Christ Jesus will carry with him his affection to Jesus even into the world, wherever the business or duties of life, in the honest maint...

"But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?" -Job 19:28 [KJV]   In almost every plant it is at the root that disease begins. If ever you see even a plant in a flower-pot unhealthy, depend upon it there is something wrong at the root. It is overwatered or underwatered, or from some other cause the root has become diseased, and what is called "root-action" is suspended or unhealthy. So it is in religion: if there is anything wrong with a man, it is almost sure to be something wrong at the root. "The root of the matter," Job said, "is found in me." Job could appeal unto God that the root of his religion was right. If "the root" had been wrong, "the matter" would not have been right; but as long as the root was sound, like "the teil tree" of which the prophet speaks, though "it cast its leaves, the substance would still be in it," to put forth in due time boughs ...