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

“That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12) .     If we have Christ, we have His blood for pardon, His righteousness for justification, His fullness to supply all our needs, His promises to cheer us, His strength to support us, His wisdom to guide us in all our ways. We have Him in all the offices He sustains, as Prophet to teach and instruct us, as Priest to atone and plead for us, and as King to rule over us and in us. We have Him in all the blessed characters He bears, as our Shepherd, our Captain, our Bread of Life, Water of Life and the Wine of God to cheer us. We have Him in the endearing relationship He sustains as our Elder Brother.  And, which is more endearing than all, we have Him as our Husband; and He does not take His bride as we are in the habit of taking ours, for better or for worse. O no!...

"But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter."   -I Samuel 20:39 [KJV] Had any one asked this lad, what Jonathan was doing in the field? he would doubtless have replied, only shooting arrows for his amusement, and I ran and brought them to him. But, O! there was a much greater matter here: no less than the precious life of David was at stake. Love directed these arrows: the voice of love proclaimed by them, David’s danger, or his safety. The fatal word, Is not the arrow beyond thee? reminds David of his danger, and warns him to flee for his life.    Observe, (1st.) Never did more generous, faithful love dwell in a mere human breast, than in Jonathan’s to David. But it diminishes, like the light of the stars when the sun appears, compared to that infinitely greater, and more intense love, which dwells in the heart of our spiritual Jonathan, i.e., the gift of the Lord: this Jesus is to all His Davids, i.e., beloved ones.    ...

"While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them." -Matthew 17:5 [KJV] My soul! see here, how it fared with the disciples in the mount, in the moment of those blessed manifestations which Jesus was making to them; and when, to heighten their felicity, several of the inhabitants of glory came, and spake to Jesus in the view of His disciples; yet so sudden was the change, that, even while Jesus spake, a cloud intervened and obscured all. Somewhat of the same change thou hast thyself known. How often hast thou been made like the chariots of Amminadib, by the overpowering grace that Jesus hath shewn thee! And how often have those blessed moments been followed by a dark and long night! And what ought to be thy improvement of these dispensations? Look still to Jesus, under all. Whatever changes are induced, never forget that His person is the same, and His love the same.    Mark this down. Next look up to Jesus, and tell Him, that as His visits are so sw...

"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." -I  John 5:11 [KJV] How often we are looking and looking in vain for life in ourselves. True it is that if God has quickened our souls we are partakers of life divine, of life spiritual, of life eternal, of the life that is in Christ and comes from Christ; and yet how often we vainly seek to find it warm and glowing in our breasts. If once given it never dies; but it is often hidden beneath the ashes, and thus though it slowly burns and dimly glows, yet the ashes hide it from view, and we only know it is there by some remains of warmth. "Your life is hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3); and therefore not only hidden as treasured and stored up safely in God, but hidden from the world, and even hidden from the eyes of its possessor.    Christ is our life. There is no other. To look, then, for life in ourselves independent of and distinct from the fountain ...