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

       "When I am enabled to see that Jesus is my portion every dispensation comes in a way of mercy.   When my heart is under the assurance that my Lord is in it, it matters not what it is. His presence alone hath the wonderful property of converting crosses and pains into enjoyments and pleasures.   Every affliction which comes directed by His hand, hath the sure mark of affection folded up within the cover; and while I sit down with tenfold pleasure to the enjoyment of the thousands of mercies which my God is continually giving me, because I behold with the eye of faith His presence at the table smiling graciously upon all, I no less am enabled, in the hour of calamity to await the issue, because I can and do hear with the ear of faith that soul-sustaining voice, “What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter.”   Oh, at the sweetness of having Jesus for our portion and of living a life of faith upon the Son of God, who h...

"I know that Thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living."   - Job. 30:23 [KJV] What sweet familiarity does grace make, between God and believing sinners! How freely can they speak to Him, upon that solemn event, death. In the exercise of faith, we think of it, without terror, and speak of it with delight. Why so? Because we have no sin, and are not sinners? No. But because we know Christ the Friend of sinners, Who has taken away all our sins, conquered death for us, subdued the fear of death in us, brought life and immortality to us, and is ever before the throne pleading for us. Yet we know, also, HE will bring us to death. O this is soul-comforting knowledge!    What wilt Thou, my loving God, my precious Saviour, who bore my sins in Thine own body on the tree, bring me to death? Are the issues of life and death in Thy hand? Cannot death approach nor assault me, till Thou give him commission, and bring me to death? I thank Thee, m...

"And all king Solomon's drinking-vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold, none were of silver; it was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon." -I Kings 10:21 [KJV] Behold, my soul! the splendour of Solomon, and figure to thyself what a court and people his must have been, with whom silver was as nothing; and then turn thy thoughts to Jesus, and ask thyself, whether it be possible to suppose that He, with Whom are hid all "the treasures of wisdom and knowledge , " can be otherwise than rich Himself, and abundantly gracious to enrich His people? Thy Solomon, thy Jesus, hath all things, and all things richly to dispense. He is the universal Lord and proprietor of all. In Him dwelleth all fulness; "yea, durable riches and righteousness . " And what endears Jesus, and marks the superiority of His kingdom is, that every thing in it is everlasting.    Solomon's splendour was ...

"If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise." -I Corinthians 3:18 [KJV] The fruit and effect of divine teaching is, to cut in pieces, and root up all our fleshly wisdom, strength, and righteousness. God never means to patch a new piece upon an old garment; He never intends to let our wisdom, our strength, our righteousness have any union with His; it must all be torn to pieces, it must all be plucked up by the roots, that a new wisdom, a new strength, and a new righteousness may arise upon its ruins. But till the Lord is pleased to teach us, we never can part with our own righteousness, never give up our own wisdom, never abandon our own strength. These things are a part and parcel of ourselves, so ingrained within us, so innate in us, so growing with our growth, that we cannot willingly part with an atom of them till the Lord Himself breaks them up, and plucks them away .    Then, as He brings into our souls...