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

"Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?" -John 4:29 [KJV] Those are sweet and blessed views of the Lord Jesus, which He Himself gives, when, by letting the poor sinner see himself, how wretched he is, and at the same time how glorious the Lord is, and how exactly suited to his wants and necessities, He makes the soul cry out, as this woman of Samaria did, "Is not this the Christ?" For who but Christ can read the heart, and tell all that passeth there? And as she found it, so all taught of Jesus find the same, that every true discovery of Christ must end in condemning ourselves, and exalting the Redeemer. My soul! there are numberless instructions to be gathered from this scripture, and the history connected with it.   Sit down, this evening, in the coolness of the shade, and look at a few of them. The Lord the Holy Ghost will open them to thy meditation. Jesus, we are told, "must needs go through Samaria." Yes...

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."   -I  Peter 1:3 [KJV] The resurrection of Jesus Christ was God's grand attestation to the truth of His divine mission and Sonship, for by it He was "declared to be the Son of God with power." It therefore set a divine stamp upon His sacrifice, bloodshedding, and death, shewed God's acceptance of His offering, and that sin was thus for ever put away.   Now, just think what would have been the dreadful consequences if Christ had not been raised from the dead, or if we had no infallible proofs (Acts 1:3) of His resurrection. There would have been, there could have been no forgiveness of sin (I Corinthians 15:17) ; and therefore, when the conscience became awakened to a sense of guilt and condemnation, there could have been nothing before it but black and gloomy despair. But...