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

" By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king." -Hebrews 11:27 [KJV] Here we see faith opposed by fear, and the victory of faith over the dread of wrath. Consider his work and his danger; his faith and his safety.  (1st.) Moses was engaged in a great work. He was to go to Pharaoh, and say from the Lord, “Israel is My son, even My first-born son: let him go, that he may serve Me” (Exodus 4:23.) Now, might not the king very naturally look upon Moses as a very dangerous, pestilent, hotheaded enthusiast, who, under a pretence of religion, wanted to raise a rebellion in his kingdom? He had to fear, that the king might put him to death in his wrath. “For the wrath of a king is as the roaring of a lion” (Proverbs 19:12.) Most terribly fierce! But,  (2d.) consider his faith. This set him above fear: he bids defiance to wrath. Forsake Egypt, he must; flee from the king, he was determined: for he had the command of his God for it. Faith is the parent ...

"Then cometh JESUS with them unto a place called Gethsemane..." -Matthew 26:36 [KJV]   My soul, let thy morning meditation be directed to the garden of Gethsemane, that memorable spot, sacred to the believer, because so much beloved and resorted to by Jesus. Here Jesus oft came with His disciples. And here, my soul, do thou often take the wing of faith, and flee in devout contemplation. Was this place dear to Thee, Thou precious Redeemer? And was it not because here Thou didst enjoy the sweetest refreshing in communion with the Father? Was it not because here Thou knewest would begin the conflict and the agony, in which the great business for which Thou camest on earth would be accomplished. Didst Thou abide here, Lord, a whole night, after a day's constant preaching to the people, the week only before Thy crucifixion (see Luke 21:37.)   And when the night was past, didst Thou again repair to the temple to the same employ? Was Gethsemane dear to Jesus? Was he...

"But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man." -Hebrews 2:9 [KJV] How wondrous that He Who, as the Son of God, made angels (Colossians 1:16) , should be made inferior to them, and even need and receive their ministering aid and succour (Matthew 4:11) . O the depths of humiliation to which the blessed Redeemer stooped, carrying down into their lowest point that pure, spotless, holy humanity which He had assumed into union with His divine Person as the Son of God! And let us ever bear carefully in mind that humiliation is not degradation. Our blessed Lord "humbled Himself" by a voluntary act of surpassing grace; and it was no more in the power of men or circumstances to debase Him of His glory than of lying witnesses to strip Him of His innocency. The spotless purity of His sacred humanity, as in union with His divine...

" For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous." - I John 5:3 [KJV] ‘ Keep ’ is a verb that is also translated to observe, to watch, to reserve, to preserve , and to hold fast .  All of these verbs are used to define the Greek verb ‘tereo’ in the New Testament.  So, those that love God keep, observe, watch, reserve, preserve and hold fast to the commandments of God.  The ‘ commandments, ’ to which John refers are far more comprehensive than the Ten Commandments.  They are all of the commandments which the Lord Jesus gave to His disciples.  The Lord Jesus said, ‘ If ye love Me, keep My commandments .’ -John 14.15   The question now is, How do I know that I love Him? Do I love Him because I feel like I do, and because I say that I do?  If I truly love Christ, then there is some truth to that.  If I truly love Christ, my life will be conformed to His commandments.  I think it is true...

" Let God be true, but every man a liar." -Romans 3:4 [KJV] I have read of one who was dumb; but, on seeing a violent attempt to murder his father, cried out with great vehemence, “My father!” When his heavenly Father’s truth and faithfulness are attacked, St. Paul could not be mute. Fired with a holy emotion of spirit, he cries out, “Let God be true.” Vain, arrogant man! Will you dare oppose your carnal reasonings, and fallacious arguments, against the covenant purposes, faithful word, and precious promises of the Lord?  Every such man, be he ever so noble, mighty, wise, and learned, is a liar. St. Paul’s heart was too warm for the glory of his God, to pay any soft compliment to those who act under the influence of the father of lies. The keen satire of Mr. Pope is admirably adapted to such:  Snatch from His hand the balance and the rod,  Rejudge His justice, be the god of God!  In reas’ning pride (my friend) our error lies;  All quit their sphe...

"A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." -Isaiah 53:3 [KJV] My soul, there is one feature in thy Redeemer's character, which, in the unequalled abasement of His person, demands thy constant contemplation. I fear it hath not been considered by thee as it ought. And yet it is so sweetly accommodating and lovely, that the more thou beholdest thy Jesus in this tender light, the more endeared He must appear to thee. The prophet, under the Holy Ghost, hath here in a few words sketched the outlines of it - "A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" It was most essential that Jesus should be all this, because it belonged to the curse which He became for His people, when He offered Himself as their Surety.   You will remember, my soul, the curse which God pronounced upon the earth, and man's passage through it, when he broke the Divine Law. The ground was cursed; the product of it was to be thorns and thistles; in sorrow, and in the sweat of t...

"In the house of the righteous is much treasure: but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble." -Proverbs 15:6 [KJV] How different is the estimate that faith makes of riches, honours, and comforts from that made by the world and the flesh! The world has no idea of riches but such as consist in gold and silver, in houses, lands, or other tangible property; no thought of honour, but such as man has to bestow; and no notion of comfort, except in "fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind."   But the soul that is anointed by an "unction from the Holy One," takes a different estimate of these matters, and feels that the only true riches are those of God's grace in the heart, that the only real honour is that which cometh from God, and that the only solid comfort is that which is imparted by the Holy Ghost to a broken and contrite spirit. Now, just in proportion as we have the Spirit of God, shall we take faith's estimate of riche...

PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS ! -by D G Miles McKee   Humanly speaking, one of the reasons people don’t come to Christ is simple … they think they don’t need to. After all, in everyday life it´s only sick people who need the doctor. Then there are others who feel they are decent and good and, therefore, qualified to approach God.  But as Spurgeon says, “ There are people who quite misunderstand the gospel; they think that their righteousness qualifies them to come to Christ; whereas sin is the only qualification for man to come to Jesus.” When we are keenly aware of our sins, it is then that we see our need for the Saviour. The more we understand of the holiness of God, the more we see the necessity of being clothed in the flawless righteousness of Christ. We see that nothing but a perfect righteousness is suitable for our approach to God. Either we are covered in our own sins and failures or by His righteousness alone. So, let’s look again at Jesus. See Him once more at...

" Ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness." -Jude 4 [KJV] From what the bee extracts honey, venomous insects will draw poison. The word of God, which is food to gracious hearts, is the sport and contempt of profane wits. An ungodly heart will convert the most wholesome truths of God’s grace into the most poisonous effects. There ever were such men: there are such at this day, who hold forth some of the most precious truths concerning the Lord Jesus, and the grace of God abounding to sinners in Him, and yet with these maintain the most damnable heresies: they are “the fools who make a mock at sin” (Proverbs 14:9.)  Personal holiness they hold in the greatest derision: they declare their sin as Sodom—‘Say unto the wicked, it shall be well with them. Tush! the Lord careth not about our walk and life: if we have lusts, better gratify them than burn with them.’ And they swallow up every unscriptural error in that damnable heresy, All men shall b...

"And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness. And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities, into a land not inhabited. " -Leviticus: 16:21, 22 [KJV]   Pause, my soul, and behold the tender mercy of thy God, in thus causing to be represented to the church of old, by so striking a service, that grand and most momentous doctrine of the gospel, which, in after-ages of the church was fully set forth and completed, when Jehovah laid upon our Lord Jesus Christ the iniquities of His people. And do, my soul, attend to those several most interesting points here graciously revealed. As first - this was at the express command of God. Yes, who but God could transfer or permit a change of persons in the transferring of sin?...

"That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." -I Corinthians 2:5 [KJV] True faith I may call the grand tidal wave of the soul. I will endeavour to explain the expression. We see the river Thames day by day ebbing and flowing. What causes this change? You answer, "It is produced by the sea in the Channel alternately coming up and retiring." It is a true explanation. But what makes the sea of the Channel alternately come up and retire? There is what is called "a grand tidal wave" that comes across the Atlantic Ocean, which, as it ebbs and flows, affects all the minor tides of the neighbouring seas; and thus the tide of the Channel, and that of the river Thames, ebb and flow in unison with this huge Atlantic wave. In the same way faith is the tidal wave of the soul; and all the graces and fruits of the Spirit ebb and flow just as faith rises, or just as faith sinks. If faith rises in the soul, all the graces a...

"Thought," says a Christian church father, "is the sleepless lamp of the soul." It is a lamp, indeed, that burns with varying brightness – flaming up in moments of intense study and utterance, and dying down in sleep till there is only the pale glimmer that remains in dreams. But it is a lamp that is never really quenched, for however profound the slumber, it only requires a word to wake us and to bring all our mental powers into instant activity. Thus must it be with the holy lamp of watchfulness – always trimmed and burning, but not of necessity shining always in full strength. That is to say, we need not be every moment thinking of Christ's return, talking of it, and preaching it. There should be ever in our  hearts the calm certainty and the sober hope that keep us ready for this event at any moment. But this hope should rather minister to us than be ministered to by us. Instead of perpetually dwelling on it and reiterating it, we should be ...

" Behold, we come unto Thee; for Thou art the L ORD our God." -Jeremiah 3:22 [KJV] Peter was an awful backslider: his crimes deserved hell: so do yours and mine . Both he and we should be sent there, if love did not reign in heaven, and grace abound to sinners on earth. One look of love from Christ broke Peter’s heart, made him weep bitterly, and return to a crucified Saviour earnestly. A bone broken and set, is stronger than it was before. This I am sure of, a heart broken by forgiving love, grows stronger in love: having much forgiven, we love much. I have often thought, fresh love added speed to Peter’s feet, when he ran to the sepulchre, to see his dear, his crucified Lord (John 20:4.)   See the happy effects of loving speeches and gracious words from a loving Lord. We saw the backsliding children arraigned, and their conduct condemned, in our last meditation. What was the sentence passed on them? Was it “Go ye cursed, vile wretches! ye have gone from Me in...

"And this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS ." -Jeremiah 23:6 [KJV] Begin this month, my soul, with contemplating thy Jesus in this glorious distinction of character; and beg of God the Holy Ghost, Who hath here declared that, under this character, Jesus shall be known and called, that every day through the month, and through the whole of life, thou mayest find grace and strength so to know and so to call Jesus, as to be everlastingly satisfied that thou art made the righteousness of God in Him. And first, my soul, consider Who and what this Holy One is. He is the Lord Jehovah. In the glories of His essence, He is One with the Father. In His Personal glories, He is the Lord thy Mediator.  And in His relative glories, He is thy righteousness. For, by virtue, of His taking thy nature, what He is as Mediator and as the Surety of His people, He is for them . Pause over this blessed view, and then say, What can be more blessed than thus to ...

"O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in Me is thine help." -Hosea 13:9 [KJV] God is all-wise, and therefore takes no rash, precipitate steps. As the original plan of salvation was devised by infinite wisdom, so all the successive steps of the execution of that plan are directed by the same boundless wisdom also. "Wherein He hath abounded towards us , " says Paul (Ephesians1:8) , "in all wisdom and prudence."   Thus, in his dealings with His people, God does not put them at once into possession of all the blessings which He has laid up for them. He has pardoned, for instance, their sins; but He does not immediately, when He calls them by His grace, put them into possession of this blessing. He has first to teach them their need of it. He has to prepare their heart for the right reception of it. It is no common gift, and He has to teach them how to value it. They are saved from wrath and eternal misery, from His dreadful displeasure and ...