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

" But one thing is needful." -Luke 10:42 [KJV] Happy, most happy for that soul, who can simply bring all things into a unit, to centre in one point. More than one object perplexes the mind. If, to double business bent, we stand and pause where we shall first begin, and perhaps both neglect. What is the one thing needful? It is plain our Saviour means, the soul keeping close company with Himself . This Mary did. She sat at his feet and heard his word. Every thing else is but cumbering work, compared with this. For this one thing comprises all the holiness, happiness, and heavenlymindedness of the soul. O if we have the presence of Jesus, guilty tears vanish—dejecting doubts are scattered—legal terrors are silenced—anxious cares subside—strong temptations lose their force—Satan is resisted—afflictions sweetened—turbulent passions calmed—raging corruptions subdued—pride is brought down—humility is excited—peace with God is enjoyed—holiness is promoted—the fear of ...

"The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." -Ephesians 6:17 [KJV] There is only one weapon whereby we can fight Satan to any purpose, and that is the word of God. But observe, that it must not be merely the letter of the word. It must be the "sword of the Spirit," and therefore a spiritual sword, which can only be taken in hand when the word of God is applied with a divine power to your heart, and you have a living faith in it as made "life and spirit" to your soul. It is of no use my bringing forward a text to resist a temptation of Satan, unless I can make that text my own; in other words, unless I can handle that sword as one who knows how to wield it. To take up a text and not know the sweetness and power of it, would be like a child taking up a warrior's sword without having the warrior's hand. He might play with the sword, but what is the sword of a giant in the hand of a child? The sword of Scander-Beg, a famous Alba...

"He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob, whom He loved. Selah." -Psalm 47:4 [KJV] My soul, to whom, but to the all-lovely and all-loving Jesus, couldest thou have thought this blessed verse referred, even had this little word Selah not been placed at the end, by way of marking the emphasis of the Holy Ghost? Who couldest thou have considered suitable to have chosen the inheritance of His people, but He Who is the Lord of His people, and Himself their inheritance and their portion for ever? It was God thy Father that chose Him to be the excellency of Jacob, when He gave Him for a covenant to the people; and when to the infinite mind of Jehovah, this One glorious Person, in the holiness and purity of His nature, came up before Him here, on Him the Lord placed His choice.  And had all His people been present; had it been possible for the whole of the chosen of Zion to have been consulted in the choice, would not every soul have fixed its lo...

" Behold, he prayeth..." -Acts 9:11 [KJV] In many trades, it is customary to shew samples or patterns. By these men judge of the goodness or quality of the whole. St. Paul sets himself forth as a sample, or pattern, of the free, distinguishing, sovereign, unmerited grace of God, that we should judge of its nature by its efficacy upon him. I obtained mercy, for this cause, that in me first (a first-rate sinner) Jesus Christ may shew forth His all long suffering, for a pattern to them who should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting , (see I Timothy 1:16.) Thou hast seen this pattern of free grace. What dost thou think of it? The whole is alike with the pattern. It cometh alike upon elect sinners. It finds no more prerequisites, fitness, qualifications, or conditions in any, than it did in St. Paul.  Whenever it takes place upon any, it produceth the same effects as it did in him. Grace and mercy from Jesus, makes Saul pray to Jesus. There is the emphasis...

"Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" -Amos 3:3 [KJV] There was a time, child of God, when the world held in your heart the chief place. It was not so in God's heart. You and He were therefore at variance. But now, through grace, you are brought to make eternity your chief concern. You and God are agreed there; for in the mind of God eternity as much outweighs time as the stars in the midnight sky outweigh a grain of dust. There was a time when you loved the world and the things of time and sense; and earth and earthly things were your element and home. You and God disagreed upon that matter; because the Lord saw that the world was full of evil, whilst you saw it full of good. The Lord saw the world under His curse, and you loved its favour and its blessing—seeking madly and wickedly to enjoy that which God had denounced; therefore you could not agree. Thus you see that in order to be agreed with God, we must have God's thoughts in our heart, ...

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." -I Peter 5:8, 9 [KJV] My soul, thou knowest, and hast long known, from the many wounds given thee by Satan, what a cruel, insidious, and powerful enemy thou hast to contend with; and thou too truly knowest, also, how sadly unequal thou art in thyself to resist his wiles. He is a prince of the power of the air: he is by nature, a spirit, and therefore invisible; thou seest not his approaches; he is a tremendous foe, full of envy, malignity, subtilty, craft, and design: and what renders him yet more formidable is, that in the corruptions and unbelief' of thy fallen nature, he hath but too many confederates in thine own heart, to aid him in his diabolical designs. Where then is thy strength to resist him? It cannot b...