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

"For we which have believed do enter into rest."   - Hebrews 4:3 [KJV] We enter into rest by ceasing from our own works, and resting on Christ's ; according to the words, "For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His." Now when you can fully rest upon the finished work of the Son of God, and believe by a living faith that your sins were laid upon His head; that He bore them in His body on the tree; that He has washed you in His precious blood, clothed you with His righteousness, and is sanctifying you by His Spirit and grace, then you can rest. There is something here firm and solid for the conscience to rest on.  Whilst the law thunders, whilst Satan accuses, whilst conscience condemns there is no rest. But you can rest where God rests. God rests in His love; in the finished work of His dear Son; in the perfection of Christ's humanity; in His fulfilment of all His covenant engagements; in the glorificati...

  "Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle, and the crane, and the swallow, observe the time of their coming: but My people know not the judgment of the L ORD ." -Jeremiah 8:7 [KJV] When the Lord would expostulate with His people, what methods He graciously adopts! There are no creatures in nature so dull, so senseless, and stupid, as God's people are, by reason of the fall. Every animal hath an instinct, prompting to self-preservation. Are they exposed to danger? How speedily do they endeavour to remove! Are they apprehensive of a storm? they flee to some covering to hide them! The birds of passage, when the first symptoms of winter appear, gather together, to depart to a warmer climate. But man, poor blind improvident man, no winter of death can admonish him; no approach of the departing day of life can prevail, to induce him to flee from the wrath to come.   My soul! look round on human life, and mark this, by way of admiring, more and...

"Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations."   -I Peter 1:6 [KJV] As everything by nature in us is contrary to the life of God, there is a needs be for manifold trials and temptations to bring us out of those things which are opposed to the grace of God, and to conform us to the image of His dear Son. Thus we need trial after trial, and temptation upon temptation, to cure us of that worldly spirit, that carnality and carelessness, that light, trifling, and empty profession, that outside form of godliness, that spirit of pride and self-righteousness, that resting short of divine teachings, heavenly blessings, and spiritual manifestations, that settling on our lees and being at ease in Zion, that being mixed up with all sorts of professors, that ignorance of the secret of the Lord which is with them that fear Him—all which marks of death we see so visibly stamped upon the profession of the day.   There is a...