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

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us."   -Titus 3:5 [KJV]   “Shew us a miracle, and we will believe you are inspired,” say carnal men. We can, but they have no eyes to see it. Blessed be God, miracles are not ceased. The Lord works miracles of grace daily. Every regenerate sinner is a miracle of God the Father’s mercy, of God the Son’s grace, and of God the Holy Spirit’s power. His humble language proclaims it. I stand forth and declare, that I was a vile sinner, condemned by the law of God, and justly deserving the damnation of hell; yet full of the pride of my own works, and confident of salvation by my own righteousness; but God, by an act of sovereign mercy, has saved me from the power of sin, and a vain confident hope of my own righteousness. “Not by works which we have done.” Our works are out of the question. For all boasting is excluded.    Yet the notion of absolute mercy in God to any sinner...

"And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it." -Matthew 21:34 [KJV]   The very lovely season of the year, and the fulness of fruits which appear on all the productions of God's providence around, open to the mind some of the most delightful meditations. My soul! sit down this evening, and give scope to the subject; and see, while contemplating thy Lord's bounties in nature, whether thy Lord Himself will not lead thee by the hand into the inner department of contemplating His yet greater bounties in grace. Methinks every thing seems to have a voice, and speaks of Jesus. By the fall, our poor ruined nature is entitled to nothing from the earth, but thorns and briers; therefore the numberless sweets of the divine mercy preach Jesus, and His cross. It is as if they all said, 'Are we lovely to the eye, pleasant to the taste, and healthful in the enjoyment; then are we so by Je...

"He that hath received His testimony hath set to his seal that God is true." -John 3:33 [KJV]   We can only set to our seal that God is true in any one point of doctrine, experience, or precept when we feel an inward witness that God indeed has declared it. Thus, upon every manifestation of God's goodness to the soul, every application of Christ's blood to the conscience, and every revelation of God's distinguishing grace, it is only as we receive Christ's testimony, experience the inward approbation of it, and feel its sweetness and blessedness that we can set to our seal that God is true. This, we may be well assured, is the only way to know the power and reality of true religion, to understand the Scriptures, and enjoy a convincing testimony that God is our God, Christ our Saviour, the Holy Ghost our Teacher, heaven our eternal home, and that our soul is saved in the Lord Jesus Christ with an everlasting salvation.    And with what divine cert...