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

"This is our God for ever, and ever: He will be our guide even unto death." -Psalm 48:14 [KJV] Here is, (1st.) The joyful claim of faith. This God : just as though the sinner saw Him as visible, pointed to Him, and exulted in Him. “Is our God.”  It is our special mercy, we do not serve an unknown God. Our God has manifested Himself to us: is known by us: we have felt His sovereign grace and almighty power within us. Hence, we own Him, come to Him, and rejoice in Him, as our covenant God in Christ.  He came from heaven to earth, to seek and to save us. He has given us hearts to ascend from earth to heaven. There we view our reconciled God and Father, at perfect peace with us; our God Redeemer, ever living to save us; our God and Comforter, winging the joys of salvation into our hearts, and thereby sanctifying us unto eternal glory. “This our God, ever rests in His love to us” (see Zephaniah 3:17.) “He will never turn away from us to do us good” (see Jeremiah...

“And above the firmament, that was over their heads, was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stones and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it."   -Ezekiel 1:26 [KJV] It forms the most satisfying consideration to the breast of the faithful that every event and every providence concerning the people of God is as much directed, arranged, and determined, as the purpose of redemption themselves. The covenant is "a covenant ordered in all things and sure."     He who hath undertaken and completed salvation for them, hath no less secured the means that shall infallibly accomplish the end; and all things, how unpromising soever on the first view, shall work together for good to them that love God . When the Holy Ghost would graciously lead the church into the proper apprehension of this great truth, the prophet is directed to the contemplation of a vision by the river Chebar, which opened befo...

"Who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will." -Ephesians 1:11 [KJV]   By these words the apostle brings before our eyes God's omnipotent power as carrying into effectual performance the counsel of His own will towards the objects of His distinguishing favour. An especial blessing is couched in this. Next to a believing view of the purposes of God's grace, and a sweet persuasion of our interest in them, nothing is more strengthening and encouraging than a realising apprehension of the power of God to carry them into full execution.  Feeling, as we do, our own miserable helplessness, sinking under the pressure of our daily weakness, mourning over continual failures, and grieving on account of perpetual backslidings, encompassed by foes, and distressed by fears, how strengthening it is to our faith, thus tried to the utmost, to believe that  He who has purposed has power to perform.   This persuasion of the almighty power of God was the suppo...