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

" Love not the world." -I John 2:15 [KJV] There is one word too much in this text, to make it agreeable to the spirit and conduct of many professors. As Pharaoh said by the locusts, “take away from me this death only,” (Exodus 10:17.) so many may say, Take away this Not only, for it is death to us; then we shall like the text, and most passionately obey its command, Love the world. Does it not seem by the conduct of too many, as though they thus read the text? Now, do not look at Mr. Such-an-one. Look at home. See if you are not the very person, in whom the love of the world reigns. You own it.  But instead of falling under conviction of the evil of it, you have an excuse for it. You say, “I have a large family—I ought to obtain a fortune for them—though I have some riches, I must get more—I must love, court, and follow the ways of the world—there is nothing to be done without industry—we must rise early, late take rest, eat the bread of carefulness, and be ...

"Behold the Lamb of God!" -John 1:36 [KJV] Who is it calls upon thee, my soul, to this most gratifying and enriching of all employments? Is it not God the Holy Ghost, by the ministry of His servant John? And doth not God thy Father do the same by the ministry of His servant Isaiah, when he bids thee behold Him in Whom His soul delighteth? And is not Jesus Himself calling, again and again, in the ministry of His word and ordinances upon thy poor forgetful heart, when He saith, "Behold Me! behold Me! look unto Me, and be ye saved!" And wilt thou not obey the sweet and gracious calls, on which all thy present peace and everlasting happiness depend? Precious, precious Jesus! Yes, my Lord! I would, methinks, so look unto Thee, and so behold Thee, until my whole heart, and all its affections, followed my eyes, and left not a thought behind for a single object besides Thee. I would eye Thee, Thou dear Redeemer, as the Lamb of God; both where Thou once wast, a...

"For upon all the glory shall be a defence." -Isaiah 4:5 [KJV] The glory of the Lord is His presence in the soul, for that is represented by the cloud, as it was when His glory filled the house of God, which Solomon built. Now this glory of the Lord in the cloud and smoke by day, and in the shining of a flaming fire by night, is to be a defence, both upon every dwelling-place of mount Zion and upon her assemblies. A defence against what? Chiefly against four things.  1. First, it is a defence against error. No person can embrace error who knows anything of the presence and power of God in his soul, or has ever seen anything of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ; for all error is opposed not only to God's truth, as revealed in the word, but to God's presence, as revealed in the heart. And this is true both as regards individuals and churches. God will never sanction error as held by either. He will never bless with His manifested presence any er...