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

Great Encouragement in Christ JESUS, “The LORD our righteousness!” There is a transcendent glory, and an ineffable sweetness in Christ. Jesus Christ has true excellency, and so great an excellency, that when you come to truly see Him, you look no further, but your mind rests there. You see that you had been pursuing shadows, but now you have found the S ubstance. You realize that you had been seeking happiness in the stream, but now you have found the O cean. The excellency of Christ is an object adequate to the natural cravings of the soul, and is sufficient to fill its capacity. Christ has an infinite excellency, such as the mind desires, in which it can find no bounds. The more the mind contemplates Him, the more excellent does He appear. Each new discovery of Christ makes His beauty appear more ravishing, and the mind can see no end to His excellency. There is room enough for the mind to go deeper and deeper, and never come to the bottom. Christ's excellency is always fres

"One pearl of great price." -Matthew 13:46  [KJV] Great indeed, and but ONE! for salvation is in no other; neither is there any other name under heaven given among men whereby we can be saved. My soul, hast thou considered Jesus in this precious point of view? Hast thou beheld Him both in His divine and human nature, how unspeakably glorious in Himself, and how enriching to the souls of His people? Art thou a spiritual merchantman, seeking goodly pearls? And is Jesus the one, the only one, costly, precious, and so infinitely desirable in thine eye, that thou art willing to sell all, that thou wouldest part with millions of worlds, rather, than lose Christ? Hast thou found Him in the field of His scripture, and dost thou ask how shall I buy? Listen to His own most gracious words: counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich. Yes, Thou generous Lord! I am come to buy of Thee without money and without price. For well I know, through Thy teachi