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

"For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, saith the LORD, who hath mercy on thee. "   —Isaiah 54:10 [KJV] The absolute promises of our gracious Lord, are the foundation of faith, the encouragement of hope, the excitement of love, the source of comfort, and the spring of true holiness. Why then are not the children of faith always joyful in hope, ever comfortable in love, and constantly happy in the way of holiness? Truly, because an enemy hath sown the tares of unbelief in our nature. This evil root of bitterness continually springs up, and troubles us. It bears the most base, dishonorable fruits, respecting our God; and is most hurtful and poisonous to our souls. Little reason have we to dung and water, so as to strengthen this degenerate plant, with the corrupt notion of those who deny  God's covenant love and faithfulness, and dare  teach 'T...

“And Melchizedeck, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the Most High God." -Genesis 14:18 [KJV] Was it not in the evening of the day, when Abrabam, returning from the slaughter of the kings, met this illustrious person? And will Jesus, my Melchizedeck, meet and bless me in, the evening of this day, after my return from conflicts, trials, and exercises? I would fain indulge the sweet thought. Surely this Melchizedeck could be no other than Jesus. And did He love His people then - and doth He not love them now? Did Jesus witness their battles, and come forth and refresh them? And is He not Jesus still? Sit down, My soul, and attend to what the Holy Ghost saith of this Melchizedeck; and see whether, through His teaching, thou canst make no discoveries of Jesus. Was this Melchizedeck priest of the Most High God? And who but the Son of God was ever sworn into this office with an oath? Was Melchizedeck a priest for ever? Who but Jesus was ...

"Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts." -Proverbs 31:6 [KJV]   The wise mother of king Lemuel gave her son gracious directions when she spake these words. It is when we begin to feel the misery into which we have been cast by sin, and thus become ready to perish, and of heavy hearts, that the pure wine of gospel grace is suitable to our lost condition. As the holiness and justice of God are discovered to the conscience, and we are made to see and feel the depths of the Adam fall, we look out of ourselves for a salvation  which we could not  find in our fallen nature or in our deeply corrupt and unbelieving heart. When, then, we obtain by living faith a view of the Son of God as a Mediator between God and men, when we see by the eye of faith the blood of the cross, and the full and complete atonement which He, as the Lamb of God, made for sin, then we heartily embrace Him as "of God made unto us wis...