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

" We believe, and are sure." -John 6:69 [KJV] Here is both faith and assurance. I wish to the Lord I had them, is the language of many a doubting heart, while they have both this very faith and assurance. This assurance is of the essence of faith. Without it faith has no existence.  Consider, (1st.) The nature of this faith and assurance. “We believe and are sure.” Of what? That their names were written in heaven, that they were sure they were the elect of God? No. But, says St. Peter to our Lord, “We believe, and are sure, that Thou art Christ the Son of the living God, and that Thou hast the words of eternal life.” Their minds were as sure of this truth, as of their existence. So must ours at all times, and under all circumstances. But is this faith and assurance? Then, blessed be God, I am a partaker of both. I do believe, I am sure, that Christ is the Son of God, and that He, and He alone, hath the words of eternal life. But I want to be sure of my own int...

"He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory." -II Samuel 2:8 [KJV] A man can never reach heaven unless he travel heavenwards, Zionwards, in the way that God has marked out for His people to walk in. It is a delusion to think that we are going to heaven unless we know something of divine teaching in the soul. But if we know anything of divine teaching, we know what it is to be poor and needy, we know what it is, more or less, to have our mouth in the dust. But many people do so mistake the way to heaven. The ordinary way is to set up a ladder to reach from earth to heaven, and progressively clambering up the different rounds, at last to climb up into the abode of God. But that is not the way of God's people. They have to go down, down, down, that they may be raised up. It is not with them first "up, up, up," to scale the battlements of...

"I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see." -Revelation 3:18 [KJV] My soul, take advice of thy Lord, for He is a Wonderful Counsellor, and all these blessings will be thine. He will cause thee to inherit substance, and fill all thy treasures; yea, He will give thee durable riches and righteousness. If Jesus clothe thee with the robe of His salvation, thy nakedness will be indeed covered; but no fig-leaves of thine own gathering and sewing together will do this for thee. If Jesus but anoint thine eyes with the precious anointing of His Holy Spirit, thou wilt both see and know the way to buy this tried gold. Now, pause over this sweet verse, and ask thyself, how thou shalt buy this golden treasure? What is the treasure, but faith? For the Holy Ghost calls it precious fai...