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

" What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee." -Psalm 56:3 [KJV] A Christian’s fears commence with his joys. Being new-born, he is the subject of new joys and new fears also: and, glory to grace! he has a new Object too to trust in—a covenant God in Christ, Who is unchangeable in His love. Confidence in Him is the sovereign antidote against dejecting fears. Fears, that the world know not of, beset holy saints.  (1st.) They find and feel their hearts to be superlatively deceitful, and desperately wicked. They dread their corruptions, more than all the men on earth, or devils in hell: they are afraid lest some vile lust, cursed corruption or devilish temptation should prevail, so as to offend their Lord, wound their conscience, and bring a reproach upon that holy name, whereby they are called. This is a godly fear; it can do the soul no harm: it is for its good: it keeps it humble and self-diffident, and causes it to say, “I will trust in Thee.” “Do,” saith the ...

"And for their sakes I sanctify Myself." -John 17:19 [KJV] Let thy morning thoughts, my soul, be directed to this sweet view of thy Saviour. Behold thy Jesus presenting Himself as the Surety of His people before God and the Father. Having now received the call and authority of God the Father, and being fitted with a body suited to the service of a Redeemer, here see Him entering upon the vast work; and in those blessed words, declaring the cause of it - "I sanctify Myself." Did Jesus mean that He made Himself more holy for the purpose? No, surely: for that was impossible. But by Jesus sanctifying Himself, must be understood (as the Nazarite from the womb, consecrated, set apart, dedicated to the service to which the Father had called Him), a voluntary offering -an holy unblemished sacrifice. And observe for whom: "for their sakes ; " not for Himself; for He needed it not.  The priests under the law made their offerings, first for themselves...

"Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?" -Jeremiah 8:22 [KJV] There is balm in Gilead, and there is a physician there. This is, and must ever be, our only hope. If there were no balm in Gilead, what could we do but lie down in despair and die? For our sins are so great, our backslidings so repeated, our minds so dark, our hearts so hard, our affections so cold, our souls so wavering and wandering, that if there were no balm in Gilead, no precious blood, no sweet promises, no sovereign grace, and if there were no physician there, no risen Jesus, no great High Priest over the house of God, what well-grounded hope could we entertain? Not a ray. Our own obedience and consistency! These are a bed too short and a covering too narrow. But when there is some application of the balm in Gilead, it softens, melts, humbles, and at the same time thoroughly heals. Nay, this balm strengthens every nerve and sinew, heals blindness, remedies deafness, cures par...