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

"O, death! where is thy sting? O grave! where is thy victory?" -I Corinthians 15:55 [KJV]   Says a celebrated poet, “All men think all men mortal but themselves.”  True, there is a natural philosophy in us so to think; but new-born souls, not only know they are mortal, dying creatures, but, in the exercise of grace, they can indulge the thoughts of death with pleasing reflections. For death is not only a conquered enemy by the Captain of our salvation; but he is also enumerated in the catalogue of our blessings.— “Death is yours.”     Yours, to deliver you from all your evils of sin, sorrow, and temptations; yours, to introduce you into the presence of your God and Saviour, and into the enjoyment of all the glory and blessedness of His kingdom. But death has a sting, and the grave a victory: this sting is sin. And what gives strength to sin, and victory over the sinner, is, the law. That darts the sting into us, and so fixes it in us, that, for any thin...

"As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons."   -Song of Solomon 2:3 [KJV]   My soul! if the church found so much blessedness in making comparisons between her Lord and any of the beautiful objects of nature around her; see if thou canst raise a subject for thy meditation, this evening, from the statement she hath made in this lovely verse.   Why should not Jesus be in thy view as in hers? Doth He not infinitely transcend all sons, of whatever description or character that can be found? Angels, no doubt, by creation may be called "the sons of God;" and when God had finished the works of His hands, we are told that "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy." But Jesus as far excels all angels of light, as the apple-tree the trees of the wood: for "He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they."     Neither did God at any time say unto the angels, ...

"Turn Thou us unto Thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old." -Lamentations 5:21 [KJV]   Are you not often destitute of the power to repent, and confess your sins before God? Does not conscience often bring to view a melancholy retrospect of carnal thoughts, wicked desires, vain imaginations, foolish words, frivolous speeches, and all that catalogue of evils, that huge bill which godly fear sometimes files in the court within, as seen in all our departures from the life of God?   But are you able to repent? are you able to feel cut to the very heart? are you able to mourn and sigh because conscience brings against you this long indictment? Can you always feel your soul melted down with sorrow on account of it? Are you always able to feel contrition because you are proud, worldly, covetous, everything that is evil, everything that is hateful in God's sight?   But, then, there are times and seasons when the Lord is pleased to work upon t...