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

" When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." -Colossians 3:4 [KJV] I have read a book consisting of stories, and to be told to the Sultan of Arabia, to prevent a bloody design of his against his Sultaness. The relater of the tales was her own sister. She always contrived to leave off in the midst of her story, which he was so delighted with, as to promise not to destroy her sister, till it was ended. Thus by protracting the execution, she saved her sister’s life. Methinks there is no end to the history of Christ. Every fresh relation of Him delights the believing soul, and excites an inclination to hear more of Him again and again. For He averted the bloody execution of law and justice against us.—Every fresh tale of Him strengthens our faith of salvation by Him: sets our minds more and more against every evil, and stimulates us to every good. For, Christ is our life.  O soul, can you ever believe too much of Him, o...

"I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing." - John 15:5 [KJV] The great secret in religion—that secret which is only with those who fear the Lord and to whom He shews His covenant—is first to get sensible union with the Lord, and then to maintain it. But this union cannot be got except by some manifestation of His Person and work to our heart, joining us to Him as by one Spirit. This is the espousal of the soul, whereby it is espoused to one husband as a chaste virgin to Christ. From this espousal comes fellowship, or communion with Christ; and from this communion flows all fruitfulness, for it is not a barren marriage. But this union and communion cannot be maintained except by abiding in Christ; and this can only be by His abiding in us. "Abide in Me, and I in you." But how do we abide in Him? Mainly by faith, hope, and love, for these are the three...

"Few and evil have the days of the years of my life been." -Genesis 47:9 [KJV] My soul, in looking back upon thy life, mayest thou not well take up the same language as the patriarch, and confess that "few and evil have thy days been?" Surely the review appears like the heath of a desert, "that knoweth not when good cometh!" Out of Jesus, and considered without an eye to Him, there is not a single circumstance of real merit, or of real happiness to be seen. The whole of life, from the days of childhood, through all its intermediate stages, presents but one view of vanity and vexation of spirit? Precious Jesus! what would the arithmetic of life have been in the now departing year, or in the departure of myself from the world, but for Thee? Hadst Thou not graciously sought me, when I sought not Thee: hadst Thou not opened to me the good old way, trodden by the patriarchs, and guided and held up my feet in following them; had not Jesus been my ...