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

" I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the L ORD in the land of the living." —Psalm 27:13 [KJV] In times of sore distress and affliction, whether in soul or body, saints are taught many sweet lessons. Chastenings from the Lord are all in love; by them our God teaches the soul to profit. "No chastening for the present is joyous, but grievous." In the dark night of suffering, Christians sigh out many a doleful strain. Sometimes according to all appearances from nature, sense, feeling, and the judgment of reason, they are ready to cry out, "All things are against me." Hence their courage sinks, their hopes and their hearts fail them, and they are ready to faint; but they have an invisible Friend always near them; He supports them by His power under all their trials and conflicts; supplies with comforting cordials; revives their spirits with the consolations of His word; and when He brings them out of their troubles, the

" Giving thanks to the Father, Who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." —Colossians 1:12 [KJV] Too many of God's dear children seem to abound more in complaining of what they find and feel in themselves than in praising God for what He hath done for and in them. Why is this? They do not live enough in their own kingdom; they do not enough consider their own privileges; they dwell not enough upon the rich love of God their Father to them; the free-grace of Jesus their Redeemer FOR them, and the work of the comforter IN them.  But, what from a sense of their corruptions, the devices of Satan, the sight of the spirituality of the law, the legality that is in them, they cannot think themselves made meet for God's kingdom; therefore they do not praise God for it. Say, O ye sons and daughters of the Most High, is this right? What! because you find sin abound in you, will you not give praise that grace doth much more abou

The Gospel and the Believer, Part 2   by D. G. Miles McKee   “ And He is the head of the body, the church: Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence .” -Colossians 1:18 [KJV]   I once had a friend who was a devotee of a certain Indian Guru. My friend would sit for hours looking within himself and having all manner of so-called experiences. When he neglected to meditate, his quality of life, he said, was not nearly as good.  He claimed that meditation on the ‘Divine Light’ within him brought peace and joy. His was a classic case of subjectivism.  His experience and condition were the centre of his spiritual life.   He and his fellow devotees would congregate weekly and encourage one another to keep growing in their inward experiences.  Sounds familiar doesn’t it?  It sounds like they were having a testimony meeting or some kind of a mid-week church meeting!  But it wasn’t church; it wasn’t Christian. The Lamb of G

"... zealous of good works." —Titus 2:14 [KJV] Call to mind, disciple of Jesus, how in times past thou didst walk according to the course of this world, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and yet the god of this world so blinded thine eyes, and so deceived thine heart (strange infatuation!) that thou didst talk of and trust in even what had no existence, thine own good works. Glory to the rich grace of our Saviour, Who delivers us from the natural notions of our corrupt reason, the pride of our "free-will," and the vain confidence of our own righteousness!  Now all our glorying is in Jesus; for though by nature we are slaves to our lusts, in bondage to iniquity, our minds defiled, our consciences impure, and therefore to every good work reprobate, yet such was the love of Jesus to us, that "He gave Himself for us." He hath redeemed us from all iniquity; He hath purified us unto Himself as a peculiar people, "zealous of

"Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory." —Psalm 73:24 [KJV] That is a precious caution of our loving Saviour, "Judge not according to the appearance." —John 7:24 . St. Paul reproves saints, "Do ye look on things after the outward appearance?" —II Corinthians 10:7 . Through this conduct, saints in all ages have puzzled their minds, distressed their souls, and have been tempted to hard thoughts of their God. They have not "judged righteous judgment," in respect to carnal men and the dispensations of God's providence to them. So we see Job greatly exercised, (Job 21:7.) and Asaph in the above Psalm. But after the cloud of carnal reasoning and unbelief passed over their minds, the sun of glory and truth shone again with splendor upon them; then faith puts forth its lively exercises and sweet approbations of God. "O MY God and Saviour, I see Thy ways to man are just! Righteous art Thou, O Lord

"Behold! He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him." —Revelation 1:7 [KJV] With what ardor of heart may every believer cry out, blessed be God, every hour brings nearer the solemn advent, the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus! "O Christians, now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed." Come, Thou once despised Nazarene, Thou once crucified Saviour: He shall come; He will come quickly, and be seen in human form. Shall we not see those wounds and scars in His body, the tokens of His inestimable love to and perfect victory of His cross for us poor sinners?  How joyful in the exercise of faith, the fervor of love, the expectation of hope, is this contemplation! This quells the fears of nature, mortifies its lusts, subdues its corruptions. To this end are we born again of the Spirit, that we should enjoy the visions of faith, see Jesus, live by faith upon Him, have fellowship with Him in the sufferings of His