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

"His glory is great in thy salvation; honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him; for thou hast made him most blessed for ever." -Psalm 21:5, 6 [KJV] My soul, it is the most delightful of all thoughts, when at any time thou art solacing thyself in the glories of thy Redeemer, to call to mind that God the Father is glorified, while thou art made happy in the salvation thy Jesus hath accomplished by His blood and righteousness. It is indeed God the Father which called Jesus to the office and character of the Redeemer, and furnished Him with all suitable requisites for the vast work He called Him to do. But the glory and honour of Jehovah were the first and great object of the Redeemer's work; and hence Jesus, in the days of His flesh, never speaks of His own glory, but as in connection with, and leading to the glory of Jehovah. "Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in Him! Father glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee."    Hence, the...

"Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her." -Hosea 2:14 [KJV] It is in the margin "to her heart;" and God speaks to the heart; that is the special characteristic of His voice. Men may speak to the ear, and they can do no more; but God speaks to the heart, for it is there that His voice alone is heard. All religion first and last lies in a man's heart. He may have his head well furnished with notions, yet a heart destitute of grace. But not so with the vessels of mercy, for they "believe with the heart unto righteousness ; " and it is by the voice of God heard in the heart that a saving faith is raised up in the soul. There God must speak if there is to be any heart religion, any sound or saving experience, any knowledge of the truth so as to be blessed and saved thereby.    But in the wilderness we learn the deep necessity there is that God should speak to our heart. We want the Lord Him...

"Behold, he prayeth..."   -Acts 9:11 [KJV]   In many trades, it is customary to shew samples or patterns. By these men judge of the goodness or quality of the whole. St. Paul sets himself forth as a sample, or pattern, of the free, distinguishing, sovereign, unmerited grace of God, that we should judge of its nature by its efficacy upon him. “I obtained mercy, for this cause, that in me first (-a first rate sinner) Jesus Christ may shew forth His all long suffering, for a pattern to them who should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting , ” (I Timothy 1:16.) Thou hast seen this pattern of free grace. What dost thou think of it? The whole is alike with the pattern. It cometh alike upon elect sinners. It finds no more prerequisites, fitness, qualifications, or conditions in any, than it did in St. Paul. Whenever it takes place upon any, it produceth the same effects as it did in him.    Grace and mercy from Jesus, makes Saul pray to Jesus. There is the emphas...

"He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob, whom He loved. Selah." -Psalm 47:4 [KJV] My soul, to whom, but to the all-lovely and all-loving Jesus, couldest thou have thought this blessed verse referred, even had this little word Selah not been placed at the end, by way of marking the emphasis of the Holy Ghost? Who couldest thou have considered suitable to have chosen the inheritance of His people, but He Who is the Lord of His people, and Himself their inheritance and their portion for ever? It was God thy Father that chose him to be the excellency of Jacob, when He gave Him for a covenant to the people; and when to the infinite mind of Jehovah, this One glorious Person, in the holiness and purity of His nature, came up before Him here, on Him the Lord placed His choice.    And had all His people been present; had it been possible for the whole of the chosen of Zion to have been consulted in the choice, would not every soul have fixed its longing eyes...

"The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." -Ephesians 6:17 [KJV] There is only one weapon whereby we can fight Satan to any purpose, and that is the word of God . But observe, that it must not be merely the letter of the word. It must be the "sword of the Spirit , " and therefore a spiritual sword, which can only be taken in hand when the word of God is applied with a divine power to your heart, and you have a living faith in it as made "life and spirit" to your soul. It is of no use my bringing forward a text to resist a temptation of Satan, unless I can make that text my own; in other words, unless I can handle that sword as one who knows how to wield it. To take up a text and not know the sweetness and power of it, would be like a child taking up a warrior's sword without having the warrior's hand. He might play with the sword, but what is the sword of a giant in the hand of a child?    The sword of Scander-Beg, a famous Albanian wa...

“I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of Thy righteousness, even of Thine only”   -Psalm 71:16 [KJV]  Wise travelers provide things needful for their journey, and guard against such as lie in wait to rob them.  Our gracious God calls not His dear children to forsake their native country to travel to the heavenly city without furnishing them with a rich supply of all things necessary for their comfort, and also strength to protect them from the power of every enemy.  No soldier of His goeth a warfare at his own charge.  Christ being both their righteousness and strength, they can want (- lack ) nothing.  Hence, they go on from day to day, glorying in Him as their richest treasure, and trusting in Him as their almighty strength; and this is their constant song in the house of their pilgrimage, and all their journey through: “Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength” (Isaiah 45:24) .   Jesus’ ri...