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

" The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death." —Proverbs 14:32 [KJV] 'O, it is most comfortable, in a dying hour, to look back upon a well-spent life,' say many. It is most comfortable to "forget the things that are behind, and to look forward, and press towards the mark for the prize of our high-calling of God in Christ Jesus," saith the Christian.— Philippians 3:14 . What a delightful prospect, in a dying hour, to view a reconciled God, a glorified Jesus, and a kingdom prepared for us from the foundation of the world! but if we have not experienced a life of faith on Jesus, and by the grace of God had our conversation in the world, a life of self-righteousness will only beget vain confidence, and delude the soul with false hopes, which will end in awful disappointment at death. But who are the wicked? Verily all who reject the faith of the Son of God, refuse to submit to His righteousness, hope in t

  " Are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" —I Corinthians 3:3 [KJV] The phrase CARNAL SAINTS, the self-righteous look on as a very opprobrious term, as though contradictory to the character of a real Christian. But such persons differ in judgment from an inspired apostle. Paul calls these Corinthian converts, "babes in Christ;" while he says to them, "Ye are yet carnal." Yea, he appeals to their judgments: "Are ye not so?" Doth not your walk, your words, your strife, your views, give sad evidence of the truth of this my assertion? do you not act and behave too much like men who are strangers to Jesus, and the life and power of vital godliness? But believers are a compound of flesh and spirit. The new-created soul dwells in a sinful body, and is opposed by a carnal nature. There may be true grace within, though much carnality appears without. Weak faith in Jesus may be opposed with strong corruptions and unbelief—a little true knowl

" The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." —Psalm 51:1 [KJV] It is the wisdom and joy of disciples to see somewhat of Jesus in every page of the lively oracles. Then the word is searched with pleasure, studied with delight, and is made exceeding profitable to the soul. To this end the sins and backslidings, the humiliations and repentings, the joys and experiences of saints of old are recorded. We see their deserts to be the lowest hell: but grace reigns. Though sin abounded in them, yet grace super-abounded over them. But all is through Jesus; no mercy for sinful man, but through that dear man and blessed Mediator. So He glorifies His name, so He makes known His power to be "the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever," in saving His people from their sins. Though sin may blind the eyes to His love, and harden the heart against His fear, and the spirit become stout and rebellious for a season,

A Fountain Opened     by D.G Miles McKee Have you ever heard of the Fountain of Youth?  It was a mythical fountain that, when tasted, gave everlasting youth to those who located it.  Some legends claimed this fountain was in St Augustine, Florida. where supposedly Ponce De Leon, a Spanish explorer, discovered its healing waters.  Some people still believe that the legends about the fountain are absolutely true.   However, there really is a Fountain of Life that can bring restoration to us …  but it is not in Florida!  It is in the man, Jesus Christ!   Jesus said in  John 4:14 , "… whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."   In the Old Testament, the prophet Zechariah prophesied there would be a fountain opened up for sin and uncleanness. (Zechariah 13:1) . It was not, however, a literal fountain but one that points us to the cross of C

" Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain; as the latter and former rain unto the earth." — Hosea 6:3 [KJV] Hearts of disciples enjoy sweet fellowship in the truth. Hence they mutually help and encourage each other's faith. The Saviour loves to have it so. He blesses them, and manifests Himself to them in this way. So it was with the disciples after His crucifixion and death. They resorted together, and communed with each other; and Jesus, though unknown to them at first, joined company with them, expounded the scriptures to them, opened their understandings; and they said one to another, "Did not our hearts burn within us as He talked with us by the way?" etc.—Luke 24:32. So the true disciples of the Old Testament church exhort one another in faith. "We shall know, we shall follow on to know the Lord." So the words may be rendered. Those wh

" Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision." —Acts 26:19 [KJV] One is sometimes called to bear testimony before unbelievers of the hope that is in One. It is difficult to speak of the manifestation of Christ to the heart, so that the Saviour alone may be exalted and glorified. Somewhat of self naturally creeps into the relation. It is very pleasing to nature, to be esteemed as one highly favored, and to have made great attainments in Christianity. O that single letter, with great sound, I! But it was farthest from the heart of Paul, that eminent champion for free-grace salvation, to give the least encouragement from his conversion to any fellow-sinner to talk of obedience to God's call, or faithfulness to His grace, as conditions of salvation. The soul of that man of God would be fired with a holy zeal for his Master's glory, was he now on earth, to hear His language abused, and His meaning perverted, by the pride of men.

" That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations." —Luke 24:47 [KJV] This is God's method of saving sinners by Jesus Christ. Those who know the preciousness of Christ, have a regard to the glory of God, and love for immortal souls, make this the rule of their preaching: for this doctrine, where it is known and experienced in the heart, makes a true Christian. Evangelical repentance flows from a seeing eye, a hearing ear, and an understanding heart; and is an evidence and effect of gospel-faith. To see the evil nature and dreadful effects of sin, its punishment in the sufferings of Jesus, to hear the curses and condemnation of the law against sinners, its dreadful thunders and menaces in the conscience; to understand in the heart that nothing but the blood of Jesus could atone for the guilty, none but he could fulfil the perfect demands of a holy law for the unrighteous; this humbles the soul, cuts off false hopes, lay

" Knowing, that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me." —II Peter 1:14 [KJV] Nothing but the life of Jesus, manifest in our flesh, can reconcile us to death. This, and this only, delivers from the fears of death, disarms it of its sting, and fortifies the mind with the knowledge of complete victory over the king of terrors, "through Him Who hath loved us." Constant converse with Jesus makes death familiar. So we learn to die daily; so the spiritual, immortal life of the soul triumphs over the sensual, mortal life of the body. The happy spirit, in some highly-favored seasons, is so far from fearing and trembling at the body's dissolution, that it rejoices, and even longs to be set at liberty from its imprisoned state; it pants with desires after its beloved, and says, "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly:" It wants To clap its glad wings and tow'r away, And mingle with eternal day. How sweet

In Luke 18:1-8 the Lord Jesus gives us some wonderful instruction on prayer.  In this passage, the Master tells a parable to inform us that, when we pray, we are not to lose heart but to be persistent in asking.   To illustrate this truth, He tells a story of a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor regarded man. There was also a widow in the same town who kept coming to him and begging him to 'Vindicate me against my adversary .' She evidently had been wronged by someone and continually pleaded with the judge to punish the one who had wronged her.  For some time, the judge refused to do anything about her situation but eventually said to himself, 'I neither fear God nor respect man, but because this woman continually bothers me, I will grant her request, lest by her constant coming to me, she exhausts me.'   The Lord then continues, saying "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And shall God not vindicate His own chosen ones who cry to Hi

" And Moses said unto the people, Fear not; for God is come to prove you, and that His fear may be before your faces, that you sin not." —Exodus 20:2 [KJV] Pride and self-confidence are deeply rooted in the human heart. False hopes are built on self-righteous pleas. By these the heart is blinded to the exceeding sinfulness of sin; hardened against the fear and dread of the Lord; and such live in rebellion against the truth as in Jesus. Like Paul, we are all naturally alive without the law; and, with the Israelites of old, are ready to say, "All that the L ORD hath spoken we will do." — Exodus 19:8 . Alas! poor souls utter such words of ignorance and pride, when, like the disciples on the mount, "they know not what they say." But whom the Lord loves, He proves. The Lord is a jealous God; He will permit no flesh to glory in His presence; nor shall His dear children live without His fear, and a holy hatred of pride and sin; therefore they mu

" Jesus said, One thing is needful ." —Luke 10:42 [KJV] The disposition and carriage of the sisters, Martha and Mary, much resemble the different desires and actings of the flesh and spirit, of which every Christian is composed. The flesh, like Martha, is careful and troubled about many things: it is ever restless and uneasy; always in want; seldom satisfied; never truly happy. But the spirit hath chose that good part, that one thing needful: it is truly wise in its choice, quite satisfied in its object, and truly happy in its enjoyment. Thus it is while the Christian is under the prevailing influence of this ONE THING NEEDFUL. One thing, the enjoyment of God, was our first parents' paradise . A thirst after, and enjoyment of two things (the knowledge of evil as well as good) caused all their woe, and made them miserable: and it is the knowledge of the former which keeps all their posterity under the sad circumstances they are fallen into, till they are br

"Thy Maker is thine Husband." —Isaiah 54:5 [KJV] All marriages are, or ought to be, founded in mutual love between the contracting parties. This is the chief ingredient to produce happiness in the conjugal state. Where this is wanting, true comfort is not enjoyed. When a person of noble birth and great fortune marries a woman poor in circumstances, and involved in debt, we justly conclude he chose her out of pure love and affection to her person: and surely such an one is under the most endearing obligations to love and chastity. She can never call to mind her former indigent state and her present affluent circumstances, but it must tend to inflame her with the most ardent affection to her husband. This is somewhat the case between Christ and His church. Pure love in the heart of the heavenly Bridegroom caused Him to betroth His church unto Himself, in loving kindness. Though she was in the most abject state and despicable condition, yet He secretly loved her pe

" Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy name, O L ORD God of hosts." —Jeremiah 15:16 [KJV] That is a sweet petition in the service of the church of England; 'Grant, O Lord, that we may not only hear, read, mark, and learn, but inwardly digest the holy scriptures.' As soon as the Lord hath fulfilled this prayer upon any poor sinner, then Jesus is the hope of his soul; he esteems the scriptures as his daily food, the doctrines of grace are the joy and rejoicing of his heart; and he will love and attend such prophets of the Lord, who have also "found God's words and have eat them." Glory to our loving shepherd, He finds His sheep scattered and starving upon the barren mountains, He leads them to green pastures of gospel-grace and love: there they feed and lie down beside the still waters of peace and salvation. And this heightens every comfort, and imp

" Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward." —II John vs. 8 [KJV] The salvation of God's people is certain, by His immutable love. Their safety depends on His almighty power; their confidence and glorying is in the finished work of Jesus; and their comforts are enjoyed from the Spirit's testimony of the Saviour to their hearts; as having loved, redeemed, and saved them as lost, guilty, and perishing sinners. The clearer views we have of this truth, so much the more do we cleave to Jesus. As our faith increases our comforts are strengthened; and this is the evidence of a gracious heart; the comforts of love ever excite to care and circumspection in life and practice. A glimpse of Jesus begets longing after more comfortable enjoyment of Him: so also a holy jealousy of soul, lest what is gained should be lost in sense and enjoyment. While surrounded by false teachers, exposed to unscriptural doctrin

"This is the name wherewith she shall be called, The L ORD our righteousness ." —Jeremiah 33:16 [KJV] Before days began or years were numbered, in the book of God's election were all the members of Jesus written, "which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them." —Psalm 139:16. God's electing love would have remained an eternal secret to us had not the Spirit of truth made it known. But as it is revealed in the word, it is an object of our faith; and it ever will be the subject of glorying and triumph to those who possess the faith of God's elect; for faith is a blessed evidence, that "God hath chosen them in Christ before the foundation of the world." —Ephesians 1:4. Was the man Jesus, God the Father's "elect, in Whom His soul delighteth?" —Isaiah 42:1 . So are all His members loved with the same love as the Head. God gave not the Spirit by measure unto Jesus, the glorified Head of the church;

I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my help. —Psalm 121:1 [KJV] The most comforting subject to a spiritual mind, the most delightful object to a spiritual eye, is "God in Christ, reconciled to us, not imputing trespasses unto us." The hills afford us a pleasing idea of Jesus. As they are elevated parts of the same earth with the lowest valley, so Jesus "was found in the fashion as a man, took on Him the same nature, and was in all things like unto His brethren, sin only excepted."  "God hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name above every name," —Philippians 2:9, even the precious name JESUS, the Saviour. We can never dwell too much upon the human form and humble appearance of Jesus, while we entertain the most exalted ideas of His eternal power and Godhead. "He bore our sins, and carried our sorrows;" all our help is laid upon Him; all our hope is in Him; and our help cometh from Him. And for the encoura

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you." -1 Peter 4:12 [KJV] The "fiery trial," then, is not a strange thing which happens only to a few of the Lord's family, but is more or less the appointed lot of all. Do we not hear the Lord saying to his Zion, "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction?" All then that are chosen must pass through the furnace of affliction, and all  know experimentally the fiery trial, for by it they are made partakers of Christ's sufferings. But this is indispensable in order to be partakers of His glory. "If so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together." Thus they suffer with Him, "that when His glory shall be revealed, they may be glad also with exceeding joy." And this suffering with and for Christ in the furnace of affliction salts the soul, preserves it from corruption, com

  Saved to the Uttermost.   D.G. Miles McKee   ‘Wherefore, He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them ." — Hebrews 7:25.   One of the biggest words in our language is the word “Uttermost.” No one has ever seen the uttermost nor travelled there. We have mapped the earth, pinpointed the stars and measured the distances between the planets, but in spite of all our knowledge no one has located the uttermost!   The uttermost is like the horizon; it’s always further on. Our understanding of God’s love is like that. Just when we think we have got a handle on it, it is then that we see that He loves us to a deeper extent than we have yet understood or imagined.  He loves us to the uttermost!   We read in John 13:1, “ Having loved his own he loved them to the end (lit. the uttermost). The fullness of His love is beyond the next horizon; it is to the uttermost. His love is always greater than we ca

" My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O L ORD ; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up." -Psalm 5:3 [KJV] In the Lord we all live, move, and have our being; therefore it is the indispensable duty of all men to call upon the name of the Lord in prayer. But what is a duty from nature and reason, is esteemed a rich privilege, an inestimable blessing, by the children of grace. The pouring-out of the Spirit of grace and supplication, is one of those spiritual blessings wherewith they are blessed in Christ Jesus. In the exercise of this, saints in all ages have experienced sweet fellowship and communion with God, and have been indulged with many mercies which they sought for from Him. "And this is the confidence that we have in Jesus, that if we ask ANY THING according to His will, He heareth us." —1 John 5:14.   This duty seems to be the first employ of David's heart. He began the day in prayer: as soon as his eyes were favored with

Striving against sin .— Hebrews12:4 [KJV]   'What poor, low, legal work is this?' say some. 'We are happy in Christ without such a strife.'—'We are perfect, fully born again, perfectly sanctified and freed from all sin; therefore our strife is at an end,' say others. Alas! poor, honest, upright Christian, thou art ever in danger; on the right hand, of licentiousness; on the left hand, of pride and delusion, and also from a deceitful heart within. What with the white devil of pride, and the black devil of lust, thou art ever liable to be seduced from the truth. What a mercy to have a true touchstone to try men and doctrines by! The experience of Christians of old, as recorded by the Spirit of truth, affords us quite different sentiments of the influence of gospel-grace. The regenerate soul being restored to the life and love of God by the faith of Jesus, ever, while it is imprisoned in the body, is surrounded, within and without, with foes of every kind. These, l