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

"Unto Thee lift I up mine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in the heavens." -Psalm 123:1 [KJV]   O how simple, suitable, complete, and blessed a remedy is this for all our distresses, when the Lord is pleased to open our eyes, and fix them on Himself. He must do it all. If the eyes are to be upon Him, He must first give us eyes; if lifted upon Him, He must raise them upwards; if kept upon Him, He must hold them waking. It is good to be in this spot. There are times and seasons, perhaps, when we seem to have no religion whatever; when we look, and look, and look, and cannot find a grain. Where is our spirituality? where our heavenly affections? where our prayerfulness of spirit? where our tenderness of conscience? where our godly fear? where our meditations upon God's word?    We look, and look, and look— they seem gone. Now, perhaps, in the midst of this uncertainty we are brought into some painful exercise, some affliction, some temptation, some apprehension, something that...

"O taste and see that the LORD is good." - Psalm 34:8 [KJV] Those views of Jesus are blessed, which not only take in His loveliness, but His usefulness; which tend both to commend Him to our regard, as fair and beautiful, and at the same time full and bountiful; that, like some rich and widespreading tree, yea, like the tree of life in the paradise of God, is at once both for shelter and fruit.    My soul, look at thy Jesus thus, and thou wilt then enter into the sense of this delightful verse of scripture: "O taste and see that the LORD is good!" In this experience of Christ consists the proper knowledge and apprehension of Him. An hearsay account of Jesus is but a poor account. By hearing sermons, reading the scriptures, attending ordinances, and the like, men may acquire some knowledge of Him; but until the Holy Ghost form Him in the heart, "The hope of glory , " we never taste and see that the Lord is good. It was this which distinguished the ch...

"The LORD is able to give thee much more than this."   -II Chronicles 25:9 [KJV]   Thus spake the prophet to Amaziah, king of Judah. “He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart,” (verse 2.) His works were externally right, but he was destitute of uprightness of heart towards the Lord. Our Saviour forbids, “Judge not according to the appearance , ” (John 7:24.) Be not hasty in judging of any one. Nay, not of thy own state neither, merely from a few external actions. Look well to thy heart. See that there is upright honesty and integrity at the bottom of thy conduct. If otherwise, it will soon be made manifest.    So it was with Amaziah. This chapter records three abominable evils which he fell into. Confidence in an arm of flesh—Idolatry—Pride, which proved his destruction. As to the first, he hired one hundred thousand mighty men of valour, to strengthen his army against his enemies, for one hundred talents of silver, i.e...

"He who hath received His testimony, hath set to his seal that GOD is true." - John 3:33 [KJV]   Wherein consists the essential difference between the righteous and the wicked? In this, the heart of the former receives the testimony of Christ, and thereby honours the God of truth. The latter rejects it, and thereby makes God a liar, (I John 5:10.) No marvel then, that it is declared, “He who believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him , ” (John 3:36.) And that “God is angry with the wicked every day , ” (Psalm 7:11.) Why? Because they every day live in this daring, provoking sin of unbelief of the testimony of the Son of God, and give God the lie to His face. This is the greatest sin under heaven. O the long-suffering patience of God, toward such stout-hearted rebels. Consider,    (1st.) What is this testimony? It is the witness which Christ bears to the children of men, that He is the Son of God: that He came forth from God: that ...

"Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say, Here I am!" - Isaiah 58:9 [KJV] Mark the graciousness of thy God, my soul, in the readiness of His answers to thy cries. He hath said, indeed, in another sweet promise, "It shall come to pass, that before My people call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear , " Isaiah 65:24 . But in addition to this, Jesus here throws in another precious assurance; for when we call, He will not only answer, but to our cry, He will say, "Here I am!" As if, and which is indeed really the case, the Lord would have His children know, that He is always present with them; nearer to support, than any of their foes can be to hurt.   Now, my soul, I charge it upon thee, this evening, that this view, and the recollection of the everlasting presence of thy Lord, be never more from thy thoughts. How full to the same purport is that blessed scripture: "As the mountains are ...

"He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" -Romans 8:32 [KJV] I have thought sometimes of the sweet figure of Solomon, as a type of Christ, in his royal munificence to the queen of Sheba. We read of him that he "gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty." So our Royal Benefactor gives more to the sons of men than is in their heart to ask for. And what He gives, He gives freely, out of His royal bounty. As freely as the rain drops from the sky; as freely as the sun casts forth his glorious beams and ripens the fruits of the field; as freely as the wind courses over the earth; as freely as the dew drops upon the morning grass; so free are the gifts of God to His Church and people. Indeed, in giving Christ, God gave everything.    The apostle declares, He "hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in...