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

" And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? " -II Samuel 9:8 [KJV] Old love cannot be forgotten: it makes such deep, and leaves such lasting impressions on the mind, which time itself cannot efface. This was verified in David and Jonathan. The latter is dead; yet love to his memory lives in David’s heart. Hence, he enquires after the remains of his family, to shew kindness unto them. Mephibosheth, the lame son of Jonathan, is introduced to the king: he thus expresses the affection of his royal heart to him, “Fear not; I will surely shew kindness to thee, for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father, and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.” Had any of David’s subjects a right to arraign, and call him to an account, for this sovereign act of favour? Which of them would dare to say unto him, What doest thou?   But yet proud hearts rise with indignati...

"Truly, our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." -I John 1:3 [KJV] Precious, blessed consideration! Art thou, my soul, at this time in the full enjoyment of it? Pause over the inquiry. Sometimes, for the want of this search of soul, and the neglect of it, deadness, or at least leanness, creeps in. Say then, my soul, how art thou dealing with thy God? and how is thy God dealing with thee? When were His latest manifestations? When did He take thee to His banqueting-house; or when didst thou sit under His shadow? Hast thou very lately heard His voice, saying, "Fear not, I am thy salvation?" The discovery of these things are among the sweetest exercises which flow from the indwelling Spirit. Go on further in the inquiry - how art thou dealing with thy God? When hadst thou fellowship and communion with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ? What petitions hast thou now awaiting for answers from the heavenly court? What gratef...

"The light of the glorious gospel of Christ, Who is the image of God." -II Corinthians 4:4 [KJV] Oh! what beauty and blessedness shine forth in the gospel, when we view it connected with the Person and work of the Son of God! Take the doctrines of grace isolated from the Person of Christ; they are scattered limbs; there is no beauty in them; but view the truths of the gospel, in connection with the Person and work of the Son of God, what a heavenly light, what a divine glory is cast upon every truth connected with His sacred Person, atoning blood, finished work, and dying love! This is the way to receive the gospel: not as a thing of shreds and patches, a mere collection or scheme of certain doctrines floating up and down God's word, as waifs and strays from a stranded ship; but as one harmonious gospel, full of grace, mercy, and truth, impregnated with divine blessedness, and all connected with, all springing out of, the Person of the God-man. How it seems ...

"For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren." -Romans 8:29 [KJV] The risen body of Christ is the type to which the risen bodies of the saints are to be conformed, for "as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." This is that glorious image to which the saints are to be all conformed. But though fully retaining all the essential characteristics of humanity, for otherwise it would cease to be manhood in conjunction with Godhead, yet so unspeakably glorious is this risen body of the blessed Lord, to the image of which the risen saints will be conformed, that in this time-state we can not only form no conception of its surpassing glory, but not even of that inferior degree of glory which will clothe the bodies of the saints at the resurrection. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appea...

'As the minds of men are to be greatly prepared for the communication of spiritual mysteries unto them, so the best preparation is by the cure of their sinful and corrupt affections (-in Christ JESUS alone), with the removal of their barrenness under what they have already heard and been instructed in.   It is to no purpose, yea, it is but the putting of the new wine into old bottles to the loss of all, to be daily leading men into the knowledge of higher mysteries, whilst they live in a neglect of the practice of what they have been taught already.’ -preacher John Owen ( Exposition of Hebrews , Arthur Pink, p.358)

The two reasons that I share this are, first, to show that the churches of Jesus Christ preceded the Protestant Reformation and that they were distinct from the Catholic church. And second, to show that the Lord used those of His churches to preserve His word through the ages.  Wycliffe was the first man to translate the Latin Vulgate (the common Latin Scriptures into the English language.) ‘The Lollards [1315 A.D.] are known for John Wycliffe, the great translator of the Bible, of whom Danvers wrote, “Of whose opinions and doctrines so well agreeing with the Waldenses of old, we have an account, as from his own writings, so from many authors that have collected the same from them” (Danvers, p.278). That Wycliffe was a Baptist is evident from 29 tenets he held as listed by Danvers (Danvers, pp.279-287). The Lollards were among the forerunners of the English Baptists.  Obviously they were linked with the Waldenses, the Albigenses, the Paulicians, the Donatists, t...

" The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power." -I Corinthians 4:20 [KJV] It is the wisdom of a Christian to improve from the various objects he meets with. See we an open, profane sinner? beware of looking down upon him with Pharisaic pride, and supercilious contempt: behold in him your wicked nature! Remember, grace alone made the difference: be humble: adore the God of grace. See we only the form of godliness in any? St. Paul tells us how to act: “From such turn away” (II Timothy 3:5.) You will get no good from them. There is little hope of doing good to them: leave them. Why so? Because they are strangers to the vital power of godliness, and destitute of the inward experience of the grace of Christ upon their souls.  True, they may make a great shew; have vast zeal for the interest of a party; be very warm and violent for the form of sound words, a consistent plan of doctrine, and a set of Scripture notions. But, yet, after all, it is but the notion an...

"Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty." -Isaiah 33:17 [KJV] Who, my soul, but Jesus could be intended by this sweet promise? And who is beautiful and lovely in thine eyes but Him? There was no beauty in Him while thou wert in a state of unrenewed nature, that thou shouldest desire Him; neither can any man truly love Him, until that a soul is made light in the Lord. Is Jesus then lovely to thee? Hast thou seen Him? Dost thou now know Him, love Him, behold Him, as altogether fair, and the chiefest among ten thousand?  Then, surely, this promise hath been, and is continually fulfilled in thy experience. Hast thou so seen Him, as to be in love with Him, and to have all thine affections drawn forth towards Him? Dost thou, my soul, so behold Him as to admire Him, and love Him above all; and so to love Him, as never to be satisfied without Him? Moreover - hast thou seen this King in His beauty, in His fulness, riches, and suitableness to thee as a Saviour? Surely,...