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

"Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."   -II Corinthians 12:9 [KJV]   Though St. Paul is not now in the third heavens, yet he is not content, to speak any language below the superlative degree, most gladly. O, says he, I have had the richest experience of my own weakness and impotence, that ever I had in my life. I should be most glad, every day, to be thus emptied and laid low at the feet of Christ, that the all-sufficiency of His grace, and the power of His strength might be made perfect in me. What does he mean by infirmities? All that weakness, feebleness, and inability, which he found in his nature, to withstand sin and Satan, to bear up under his crosses, trials, and distresses—to run the way of God’s commandments—to fight the good fight of faith, etc. I will rather glory in these.    What means he? I will glory, rejoice, and be glad, that self is laid low, my proud nature debased,...

"He sent His Word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." -Psalm 107:20 [KJV]   What an effect a word from God can produce! Be it in reading; in hearing; on the knees; or in secret meditation; when a word drops from the Lord's mouth with any divine power into the soul, what a change it produces! And nothing but this divine power can ever bring a poor sinner out of his miserable condition. When this comes, it does the work in a moment; it heals all the wounds which sin has made, and repairs all the breaches in the conscience that folly has produced. One word from God heals them all. The Lord does not come as it were with plasters to heal first one sore and then another. He heals now as in the days of His flesh.    When He healed then, He healed fully, at once, completely. The earthly doctor heals by degrees; he puts a plaster on one sore, and a liniment on another; and heals one by one. But when the Lord heals, it is all done in a momen...

"Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons, and concerning the work of My hands command ye Me ." -Isaiah 45:11 [KJV]   Nothing can give a higher proof of the love of God, than what the scriptures reveal concerning Him. He opened a way of access to Himself, when man by sin had lost the way; and in His dear Son He has made every provision for bringing us nigh by His blood. The throne of grace He hath opened for their approach; the assurance He hath given of accepting them in the Beloved; the very tender and kind expressions which issue from the throne; and the answers which have been given to thousands, and are continually given to thousands who come there; yea, the promises with which they are surrounded, that "before they call, He will answer, and while they are speaking, He will hear:" all these are full of endearments, to shew forth the love of God in Jesus Christ to all His people.    ...