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

"Wherefore, thou art no more a servant, but a son."   -Galatians 4:7 [KJV] Why does St. Paul tell believers this, seeing he had in the former verse said, that the Spirit assured their hearts of it? We hence plainly see the necessity of the outward word of reconciliation, as well as the inward testimony of the Spirit: and if the witness of the Spirit within does not accord to the testimony of the word without, we do well to suspect it. Besides, from the working of a legal spirit, the prevailings of unbelief, the raging of corrupt lusts, an undue attention to the things of this life, and the accusations of Satan, children of God are prone to live below their glorious state and inestimable privilege. Hence, our loving heavenly Father has not the joy of our hearts, nor the glory of our lives. We do not always, as commanded, rejoice in Christ, our dear elder Brother. Therefore, St. Paul reminds, “thou art no more a servant.”    Consider, (1st.) what means he by a servant?...

"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne." -Revelation 3:21 [KJV] My soul! let this evening's meditation be sacred, in contemplating Jesus, even thy Jesus, sitting down on the throne of His Father, having overcome all opposition, and triumphed by His cross, over death, sin, and hell! And in this contemplation, be sure that thou behold Jesus in thy nature; for it is in that nature the victory was obtained. The Son of God, as God, had no throne to obtain by overcoming; neither could a throne be given to Him; for all things were His in common with the Father and the Holy Ghost, in the one glorious essence of the Godhead, from all eternity. So that it is in the human nature of Christ, these triumphs are set forth; and as the glory-man Mediator, thou art called upon to behold Him, for His victories, and the merits of His redemption-work, as sat down in the throne.    Sweet thought...

"He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth His mercy and His truth." -Psalm 57:3 [KJV]   And where is God's mercy revealed? Outwardly in the word of God; inwardly in the heart. And it is by sending His mercy into the conscience, shedding abroad His love in the soul, manifesting His pardoning favour within, that God "saves from the reproach of him that would swallow us up." Man may say, 'I do not doubt your religion; surely you have marks and testimonies of being a child of God!' Ministers may come and endeavour to soothe you, and often by their soothing make more mischief than they mend: 'O, no doubt, if you are exercised with these things you are a child of God;' as though a man could be satisfied with exercises, and because he is hungering and thirsting after the Lord, could be contented with his famine and his drought. No; these things do not touch the secret malad...

"And ye are complete in Him."   - Colossians 2:10 [KJV]   Holy Paul has but one object in view. He aims to bring all Christians to one point, even to be happy and joyful in one Saviour. As in Christ all the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily, so His disciples should see, that they are complete in Him. O how do we labour and toil, vex and perplex our hearts from day to day, for want of clearly seeing, and simply believing this.    Consider, (1st.) The assertion. St. Paul does not here exhort, be ye complete, but affirms, “ye are complete.” Not, ye shall be complete hereafter, when you have obtained stronger faith, greater love, and done more good works: but, “ye are complete” now, at this present moment. Do not think you want any thing in yourselves, to make you complete; but know and rejoice, ye are full, complete and perfect in Christ, your Head. For ye are members of Him; and being one in Him, all His perfection is yours. This is the glory of faith. Here is th...

"But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared." - Psalm 130:4 [KJV]   My soul, this is a golden psalm, and every portion of it more ponderous in value than the choicest gold of Ophir; and this verse is as the tried gold, to ascertain the purity and value of all the rest. The cries of a truly broken heart, from the depth of sin to the depth of divine mercy, with which the psalm opens, prove the work of the Holy Ghost, imparting the words with which the humbled soul comes before the Lord. And the blessed consolations which this verse contains, in the view of the mercy-seat, and the mercy there (which is all-precious Jesus, the first-born in the womb of mercy; yea, mercy itself) as plainly prove the leadings of the Holy Ghost to him, who alone can say, "Oh Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in Me is thy help!"     Ponder, my soul, these precious words: "But there is forgiveness with Thee." Is it not as if thou wert to say to thy Go...

"And they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee." - Psalm 9:10 [KJV] There is a knowing of God's name. By the "name of God" are to be understood the revealed perfections of the Almighty—all that He has revealed concerning Himself in the Scriptures of truth. Every attribute, every perfection, everything that God has said of Himself, is summed up in the "name of God." But especially does the "name of God" signify the Son of His love, who is "the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His Person ; " as He said to Moses, "Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of Him and obey His voice, provoke Him not; for He will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in Him ; " that is, all My revealed perfections, all My glorious character, all My divine attributes are in Him; for "in Him dwelleth all the fulness of ...