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

"Faith is like an empty, open hand stretched out towards God, with nothing to offer and everything to receive."  -John Calvin   *****  "One day, as I was passing into the field, suddenly this sentence fell upon my soul: “Thy righteousness is in Heaven.”   And I thought that I could see Jesus Christ at God’s right hand.   Yes, there indeed was my righteousness, so that wherever I was, or whatever I was doing, God could not say about me that I did not have righteousness for it was standing there before Him.   I also saw that it was not my good feelings that made my righteousness better, and that my bad feelings did not make my righteousness worse, for my righteousness was Jesus Christ Himself, “The same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).       Now, indeed, the chains fell off my legs, and I was loosened from my afflictions and irons.   My temptations also fled away so that from that time forward those dreadful Script...

"By one offering, He hath perfected for ever them who are sanctified."   -Hebrews 10:14 [KJV]   We have two remarkable instances of St. Paul’s holy zeal for the glory of his Lord. (a.) Against a gross sin in the church of Corinth. This brought a scandal upon the holy gospel of Christ. (b.) Against a legal, self-righteous spirit, which obtained in the church of Galatia. This depreciated and dishonoured the finished work of Christ, and perverted the faith of His members. It is hard to say, whether St. Paul’s zeal exceeded most, in the former or the latter. Hence learn profaneness and pride, are equally contrary to the faith of the gospel.    As a holy faith brings Christ, and His salvation into the heart, it casts out the love of sin, as well as self-righteous hopes. Here is a glorious truth for precious faith to fix upon. O that through the Spirit, it may bring joy and peace to our souls. Consider, who are said to be “sanctified” here?    (1st.)...

"Let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." -I Corinthians 5:8 [KJV]   My soul, hast thou duly considered the unsuitableness of all leaven to mix up with the unleavened bread of the gospel of Jesus? Whatever sours, and gives a principle of taint to the mind, is indeed a leaven, carefully to be avoided. And "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump!" So that it was expressly enjoined, in the divine precept of the law, on the passover, that "there should be no leaven found in their houses; the soul that did eat of it was to be cut off from the congregation," Exodus 12:19. Sweet instruction, couched under the prohibition! With Jesus there is to be no mixture; nothing of creature leaven, of self-will, or self-righteousness to mingle .    My soul, thou hast been at the gospel feast, and sat with Jesus at His table. Surely thou hast kept t...

"O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in Thine anger, lest Thou bring me to nothing." -Jeremiah 10:24 [KJV]   "Fury is not in Me," saith the Lord. No; there is no wrath in the bosom of God against the persons of His people. They are for ever "accepted in the Beloved," and stand in Him before the throne of God without spot or wrinkle; but there is displeasure against their sins; and this displeasure their kind and gracious Father makes them feel when He withdraws from them the light of His countenance, and sends His keen reproofs and sharp rebukes into their conscience. But these very "judgments" help them (Psalm 119:175) , for they lead to deep searchings of heart; and as the same blessed Spirit who sets home the reproof communicates therewith repentance, they sorrow after a godly manner, and this godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of (II Corinthians 7:10).    If, then, our afflictions, crosses, ...