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

"And Jesus said, Who touched Me? When all denied, Peter, and they that were with Him said, Master, the multitude throng Thee, and press Thee, and sayest Thou, Who touched Me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me; for I perceive that virtue is gone out of Me." -Luke 8:45, 46 [KJV] What a most interesting passage is here! What an evidence does it afford of the clear knowledge of the Lord Jesus; and, by an undeniable conclusion from such a proof of His omniscience, what a testimony does it bring with it of the Godhead of Christ! Pause, my soul, over the portion, and mark it well. Next pass on to another sweet improvement of it, and duly consider what a beautiful distinction is here drawn between the violent pressure of the throng, and the gentle touch of faith. Multitudes crowd to churches, and they hear of Jesus; but the personal knowledge and enjoyment of the Lord Jesus, is this touching Him.   Oh! for grace to have this right discrimination! It is very easy to attend the

"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him."   - Psalm 62:5 [KJV] I believe that the Lord, before ever He communicates a real blessing to the souls of His poor and needy children, not merely convinces them by the Spirit of the depth of their poverty, of their truly ruined and lost state by nature, of the destitution of everything good in them; but He opens their eyes in a mysterious manner to see certain blessings which are stored up in Christ; for instance, righteousness to cover their nakedness, blood to atone for their transgressions, grace to superabound over all the aboundings of sin, faith to be the evidence of things not seen, hope to anchor within the veil, and love to be a foretaste of eternal bliss.   These and similar blessings the Lord presents before their eyes, and gives them a spiritual understanding that these mercies are stored up in Christ; and as He gives them this perception of what the blessing is, and shews them that these blessing