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

"Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD; yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau , " -Malachi 1:2, 3 [KJV]   My soul! sit down this evening, and ponder over some few particulars of the characteristics of grace, and behold its freeness, fulness, unexpectedness, greatness, sovereignty, and undeservedness; and yet, if possible, more astonishing than either, in its distinguishing operations. The Lord Himself invites His redeemed people to this blessed study; and when a poor sinner can receive it, and mark his own interest in it, nothing more tends to humble the soul to the dust before God, and compels it to cry out, under a deep sense of its own unworthiness, "Lord, how is it that Thou hast manifested Thyself to me, and not unto the world?"    In this demand of God, the question is decided and answered. "I have loved you, saith the Lord. But ye say, Wherein hast Thou loved us?" or as some read it, wherefore hast Thou done so, when we were ut...

"Thou hast set our iniquities before Thee, our secret sins in the light of Thy countenance." -Psalm 90:8 [KJV]   Thus Moses the man of God testified, and so Job found it: "For Thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth" (Job 13:26). But though the Lord sets His people's sins in the light of His countenance, and brings them to bear with weight and power upon their conscience, and thus for a time at least lets them sink and fall into distress and grief, He will support them under the heavy load, that they may not altogether be crushed by it.    I do think, that if there is one single grace more overlooked than another in the Church of God at the present day, it is the grace of repentance. Though it lies at the very threshold of vital godliness, though it was one main element in the gospel that Paul preached, for he "testified both to the Jews and also to the Greeks repentance toward God, and faith ...

"Awake to righteousness, and sin not."   -I Corinthians 15:34 [KJV]   What St. Paul says of natural death, “Some are fallen asleep,” (verse 6,) may be applied, in a spiritual sense, to professors. There are many such in this day. It is a very bad frame to live in and indulge. Such bring no honour to God, credit to the gospel, or profit to their brethren. One would think, such sit all the year under that word, and heartily obey it, “Sleep on, and take your rest.” Can such be said to be running in the heavenly race, fighting the good fight of faith, wrestling with spiritual enemies, and pressing towards the mark, for the prize of their high calling of God in Christ Jesus? No; no more than a man in a midnight sleep, can be said to be active in worldly affairs. But, what is worst of all, such sleepers dream that all is safe, and well with them.    St. Paul, like a faithful watchman, cries out to such, Awake: “How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt...

"But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore; but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat?" - John 21:4, 5 [KJV]   Every incident in relation to Jesus, and His love to His people, becomes interesting; and here is a very sweet one. Jesus was now risen from the dead. But His disciples had only faint and indistinct notions of the immense importance of this glorious event. They therefore were returned to their employment of fishing, as unconscious of what the resurrection from the dead should mean. All night they had been employed in a fruitless pursuit, and when the morning began to dawn, Jesus stood on the shore; but their eyes were holden, that they did not know Him.   My soul! learn from hence, that Jesus is often with thee, often looking on thee, and often providing and preparing for thee, while thou art ignorant of His presence and His love. He speaks to them, before they speak to Him. Y...

"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied." -I Peter 1:2 [KJV]   Peter declares that we are "elect unto obedience." Election unto eternal life, unto salvation, unto the blood of sprinkling many gladly hear of, receive, and profess. This, they say, is sweet and precious doctrine. And so indeed it is. But do they find or feel any similar sweetness and preciousness in being chosen and ordained to know and do the will of God? Do they see and feel the blessedness of the precept being secured by divine decree, as well as the promise; and that there is a constraining power in the love of Christ under which they experience a holy and sacred pleasure in no longer living unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them and rose again, similar in kind, if not in degree, to the pleasure which they experience in k...

"Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him." - Genesis 42:8 [KJV]   How affecting is the history of Joseph! Who can read it without emotion of soul? What amazing scenes of Providence open to our view! Spiritual minds may see many things in it typical of our beloved Saviour. Here, Joseph’s brethren are introduced to him, as governor of Egypt. He knew them: they knew not him. How does he deal with them? Does he instantly make himself known to them? No: though he had the most tender affections of heart to them, and wept tears of joy at the sight of them; yet he speaks roughly, and sends them to prison.    Why this? to bring their sin to their mind, and to affect them for their cruelty towards him, with a deep sense of their guilt. See we not somewhat typical of the conduct of Christ, our brother in the flesh, in all this?    (1st.) Christ knew us before we knew Him: He knew us from eternity, when we were chosen in Him, and given to Him.  ...