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

"Now abideth faith, hope, charity."   -I Corinthians 13:13 [KJV] Where do these graces abide? in regenerate hearts. What is faith? a precious grace, the gift of God to miserable sinners. Lord, give us the comfort of it to-night. Say some, ‘Faith is an assurance that my sins are pardoned; that Christ loved me, and gave Himself for me.’ Indeed it is not . They further add, ‘No one has faith without this assurance: if they have it not, they are in a state of wrath.’ This is false: this notion has inflated many with a vain hope, while it has distressed sincere souls without reason . Many who contend for this assurance of faith, believe a lie with it; for they say, ‘Those whom Christ has so loved as to die for, and whose sins are now forgiven, may at last perish.’ Such an assurance is not worth a straw. This is not  the faith of God’s elect; for it gives the lie to Jesus, who is the Author and Finisher of our faith: it contradicts His double oath, “Verily, ve...

"Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch! Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest. Thus shalt thou say unto him: the LORD  saith thus: Behold, that which I have built, will I break down; and that which I have planted, I will pluck up, even this whole land. And seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not."   - Jeremiah 45:2-5 [KJV] Here, my soul! take an instruction, and a blessed one it is, when applied by the Holy Ghost, suited for God's people in all ages of the church, and in all generations, At all seasons, it is unbecoming in a believer in Jesus to have a mind hankering after things of the world, which the carnal seek; but the evil is increased in times of general calamity. Baruch, though the Lord's servant, yet felt too much desire of the world's ease. My soul, learn to avoid every thing which may lead to an attachment to things below; tha...

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28 [KJV] To look at all our varied circumstances; and then to believe that if we are the lovers of God, all things we experience are working together for our spiritual good, what a view does it give us of the wisdom, grace, and power of a wonder-working God! And we are to measure this good, not by what the creature thinks, but by what God Himself has declared to be good in His word, and what we have felt to be good in our soul's experience. Have your trials humbled you, made you meek and lowly? They have done you good. Have they stirred up a spirit of prayer in your bosom, made you sigh, cry, and groan for the Lord to appear, visit, or bless your soul? They have done you good. Have they opened up those parts of God's word which are full of mercy and comfort to His afflicted people? Have they stripped off the covering...