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

"They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is M y firstborn." -J EREMIAH 31:9 [KJV] Oh how much is needed to bring the soul to its only rest and centre! What trials and afflictions; what furnaces, floods, rods, and strokes, as well as smiles, promises, and gracious drawings! What pride and self to be brought out of! What love and blood to be brought unto! What lessons to learn of the dreadful evil of sin! What lessons to learn of the freeness and fulness of salvation! What sinkings in self! What risings in Christ! What guilt and condemnation on account of sin; what self-loathing and self-abasement; what distrust of self; what fears of falling; what prayers and desires to be kept; what clinging to Christ; what looking up and unto His divine Majesty, as faith views Him at the right hand of t

We have the building of Babel; in order whereunto it is said that “the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech;” and they said, “let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” {G ENESIS 11:1-4} Here is the figure of all carnal religion; when man will be religious out of his own carnal wisdom, before that God reveal the Lord Christ to him; here is his intent through his own work and wisdom to get to heaven and to get him a name to be more holy than others, that he may be not accounted like other men of the earth; therefore Solomon exhorts, “be not righteous too soon;”for the house that is built too soon is built without a Foundation. Paul’s righteousness wherein he was touching the Law blameless was too soon, because it was before that Christ { W ho is the true Foundation of all Righteousness} was revealed to him; so that religion is mere hyp

"And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified ." -MATTHEW 28:5 [KJV]   Whatever be our state and case, if it can truly be said of us what the angel said to the women at the sepulchre, "I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified," we have a divine warrant to believe that " H e is gone before us into Galilee. There shall we see him." He is risen; He has ascended up on high, and "has received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them." He is now upon the mercy-seat, and He invites and draws poor needy sinners to Himself. He says, "Come unto M e, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." He allows us, He invites us to pour out our heart before Him, to shew before Him our trouble, to spread our wants at His feet, as Hezekiah spread the letter in the temple. If we seek communion with Him,

Our sins were crucified with Christ. They were put to death when He died, for He was our covenant head, and we were legally represented by Him. The law has no more right to condemn us than it has to condemn Him. Justice is bound to deal with us as it has with our Saviour. "He that is dead is freed" from the sin for which He died; so are we! If we do not see this complete mortification in Him, sin will reign in us. No sin can be crucified in heart or life unless it be first pardoned in conscience. If the believer does not see HIS PERFECT DEADNESS IN CHRIST, he will open wide a door to unbelief. If a believer does not see HIS COMPLETENESS IN CHRIST, he leaves room for attacks of self righteousness and legalism. If Christ be not all, self will feed personal merit and importance. -Gospel report by preacher Wm. Romaine (1714 – 1795 A.D.)

T HE LOVELY FLOWER OF TRUE FAITH does not grow naturally in the briar-invested human heart. Such is the wickedness of every man that we could never produce anything so beautiful as this virtue. Faith is, therefore, a gracious gift which God the Holy Spirit gives to undeserving sinners through His regenerating power. “ But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: w hich were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” [JOHN 1:12-13 ] . True faith looks with disdain upon any other hope of salvation than this, Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Faith that originates with the Lord has this distinction, it trusts Christ whose blood and righteousness merit our complete acceptance with God. Genuine faith embraces and rests upon the blessed Savior as He is set forth in the Holy Scriptures . - Gospel report by preacher Jim Byrd