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

" By faith the walls of Jericho fell down." -Hebrews 11:30 [KJV] Doubtless, this story has been food for the profane wit of scoffing infidels. To see Joshua and his army, with seven priests blowing rams’ horns, marching round Jericho, once every day and on the seventh day, seven times—what could the men of Jericho think? Doubtless, that it was the foolish parade of a set of weak-headed men. Had they told them, Behold, on the seventh day’s blowing of the rams’ horns, the strong walls of your city shall fall down at our shouting, without any human power; they would have laughed them to scorn, as a set of dreaming enthusiasts.  The obedience of faith is the scorn and ridicule of carnal men. What of that? Our Lord was pleased with it. They had His word for their warrant. They believed His word. They did as He commanded. The event was as He promised: the Lord soon made it manifest, who were the fools and madmen?  But, (1st.) why is it said, “By faith the walls of Jeri

"And they shall spring up as among the grass." -Isaiah 44:4 [KJV] The Lord's people are spoken of here as at once "springing up" under the influence of the water poured and of the floods given. We cannot mistake the spiritual meaning of the figure, as it is so clear and certain. In those burning regions where rain does not fall at all seasons from the skies, as in our dripping clime, the effect of copious showers falling upon the parched vegetation is almost miraculous. A few days completely reverse the scene, and on every side vegetation springs up as if it started with gigantic growth out of the bosom of the heated soil. To this the figure in the text alludes, "They shall spring up," that is, Zion's children, "as among the grass," with all that young and active growth which so clearly manifests the power and the blessing of God. But what may we understand by the expression "grass?" May we not interpret it as

"The King's daughter is all glorious within." -Psalm 45:13 [KJV] As the Redeemer is known to His church under a great variety of names and characters, and is blessed to the church in every one, whether of brother, or husband, or friend; so Jesus condescends to call His church by a variety of names also, all descriptive of the unbounded love He bears towards her. She is His fair one, His spouse, His chosen, His sister; and in this song of loves, she is called "the King's daughter." But it is most blessed to observe that by whatever name she is known, it is all in allusion to Jesus, for from Him, and in Him, she derives the whole of her beauty and excellency. Her glory is in her Lord, and she is wholly spiritual, all derived, like the shining of the moon, from the sun. If the church be comely, it is from the comeliness the Lord Jesus hath put upon her. For as the whole perfection of beauty is in Christ, as a rich and complete constellation, so e