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

"Verily, verily I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground, and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." -John 12:24 [KJV] How sweet and lovely is this similitude of the Lord's, in allusion to Himself! See to it, my soul, this evening, that thou art able to receive it. Thou hast been attending thy Lord to the tomb: here behold the blessed fruits of His precious death.   When Jesus became incarnate, like a pure corn of the finest wheat, He fell to the ground; and when at His death, "He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death,"  He fell into the ground: and now what an abundant harvest of glory to God, and salvation to souls, hath that death, and grave of Jesus produced!   Had Jesus never died, how would He have seen His seed, and the pleasure of the Lord prosper in His hand? Had Jesus not descended to the grave, how would He have been the life-giving, the soul-quickening root of all...

"And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not." -Jeremiah 45:5 [KJV]   Whatever schemes and projects the Lord's people may devise that they may prosper and get on in the world, He rarely suffers their plans to thrive. He knows well to what consequences it would lead;—that this ivy creeping round the stem would, as it were, suffocate and strangle the tree. The more that worldly goods increase, the more the heart is fixed upon them; and the more the affections are set upon idols, the more is the heart drawn away from the Lord. He will not suffer His people to have their portion here below. He, therefore, says to them in His providence, as well as in His word, "Seek them not."     But you will perhaps say, "What are we then to seek?" I will tell you in one word,— Realities . What are these great things that you are seeking after? say in religion. Could you see them in their right light, you would see that they are but shadows. Y...

Dear friends, Please find enclosed a great Gospel message entitled, "Biblical Encouragement for Hard Times," by preacher Henry Mahan (36 minutes.) The LORD JESUS Christ be magnified!   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRaCIG-QGzU

"I have all and abound: I am full."   - Philippians 4:18 [KJV]   Happy Paul! infinitely richer than the most opulent monarch under heaven. Ye poor, wretched, covetous, worldlings! whose gold is your god, and who are labouring to add heap to heap—how long? Till ye drop into eternity, die like fools, and forever lose the idol of your hearts? Behold here a man, who has more than ever you possessed. He has ALL: you only obtain a part of what you aim at; you are still in want of more. Rich, happy Paul possesses ALL. “And,” says Paul, “I abound.” Not in want and wish, but in full enjoyment. “I am full.” I can contain no more.    He had “the unsearchable riches of Christ” for his portion. His wealth consisted in his mind being contented with that, as his greatest treasure. O! thou poor, murmuring disciple of Christ, who art often fearing and distrusting, lest thou shouldst want the bread that perisheth for thyself and family; and thou, my soul! who hast ofte...

"So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall, not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. O that Thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that Thou wouldest keep me in secret, until Thy wrath be past, that Thou wouldest appoint me a set time and remember me! " - Job 14:12-13 [KJV]   My soul! thou hast been viewing and reviewing some of the blessed things, connected with the glorious doctrine of thy Redeemer's resurrection, for several nights and mornings past; but there is one more point of view in which that heavenly truth demands attention, and which thou hast not even glanced at. Sit down, and ponder over the joy, the gratulations, the unspeakable rapture which will result from the meeting of thyself! I mean thou and thy body meeting together after the long separation made by the grave, and all the humbling circumstances of this flesh of thine having seen corruption. Figure to thyself what an interview that will be of soul and...

"And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all." -Ephesians 1:22, 23 [KJV]   In the mind of God, and as chosen in Christ, the Church is a perfect body. It is, therefore, the fulness of Christ. Just as our head and members, in their union with each other, form one perfect harmonious body, so it is with Christ and the Church. As the natural head would be incomplete without the body, as the body would be incomplete without the head, so it is with Christ mystical, and His body the Church.    Each lacks the other, and the union of both makes the whole complete. The Son of God, by becoming incarnate, needed a body of which He should be the Head. Without it, He would be as a bridegroom without the bride, a shepherd without the sheep, a foundation without the building, a vine without the branches. He did not need the Church as the Son of God, but He ne...