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

“ When a man is soundly killed to all his sins, to all his righteousness, to all his comforts whatsoever; and sees that there is no way but the devil must have him, but he must be damned in hell, if he be not clothed with Jesus Christ; ‘O! then, (says he) give me Christ on any terms, whatsoever H e cost; though H e cost me friends, though H e cost me comforts, though H e cost me all that ever I have!’ Like the wise merchant in the Gospel, they will sell all to get that pearl [MATTHEW 13:46 ] . I tell you, when a soul is brought to see its want of Christ aright, it will not be kept back; father, mother, husband, wife, lands, livings, nay life and all shall go, rather than the soul will miss of Christ. Ay, and the soul counts Christ a cheap Saviour, if it can get H im upon any terms. Now the soul indents no longer (as a man bargains for the terms of his impending servitude). ‘Now, Lord, give me Christ, upon any terms, whatsoever H e cost; for I am a dead man, a damned man, a castawa...

"I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself." - J EREMIAH 31:18 [KJV] The spiritual feeling of sin is indispensable to the feeling of salvation. A sense of the malady must ever precede, and prepare the soul for, a believing reception and due apprehension of the remedy. Wherever God intends to reveal H is Son with power, wherever H e intends to make the gospel "a joyful sound" indeed, H e makes the conscience feel and groan under the burden of sin. And sure am I that when a man is labouring under the burden of sin, he will be full of complaint. The Bible records hundreds of the complaints of God's people under the burden of sin. "My wounds stink and are corrupt," cries one, "because of my foolishness. I am troubled: I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long" [PSALM 38:5, 6 ] . "My soul," cries another, “is full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh unto the grave" [PSALM 88:3 ] . "He hath led...