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

"Put off the old man."   -Ephesians 4:22 [KJV]   People who love money better than a good conscience, make nothing of putting off base (- worthless,   disingenuous ) and counterfeit coin. Christian, you may safely imitate them, in putting off the base old man. The more the love of Christ is in you, the more will you do it.    (1st.) What is meant by this old man? *Corrupt nature, which was born with you, is part of you, lives in you, and will never be dead so long as your body lives. Though near six thousand years old, yet he is very strong and vigorous at times. Yea, though you are a child of God, and a member of Christ, *he wants to have the mastery over you. You could never have conquered him, had not Christ crucified him. Though crucified, you can never subdue him, but by the strength of Christ. Nor you cannot put him off but by the grace of Christ, for he clings and twines round you like a serpent; yet you are commanded to put him off. This is your duty fr...

"..a door-keeper in the house of my God." -Psalm 84:10 [KJV]   My soul, hast thou ever considered the blessedness of such an appointment, of such an office, when truly followed up? If Jesus indeed appoint, and both teach the nature of it, and give grace to the faithful discharge of it, then is it most honourable, and truly blessed. A door-keeper is supposed to know the several apartments of the house, and to be well acquainted with his Lord and Master, in whose service he ministers. He is supposed also to know who goeth out, and who cometh in; whether his Lord be at home, and how his fellow-servants are employed in their ministry. And if he be a faithful door-keeper, he will willingly open to none but such as his Lord approves, but most gladly shew all that come in his Lord's name, and are welcome to his Lord, the way to his Lord's presence and his Lord's table.   What sayest thou, my soul, to such an office? Surely, to be "an hewer of wood, and a drawer of ...

"Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end." -Proverbs 19:20 [KJV] What lessons we need day by day to teach us anything aright, and how it is for the most part "line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little." O what slow learners, what dull, forgetful scholars, what ignoramuses, what stupid blockheads, what stubborn pupils! Surely no scholar at a school, old or young, could learn so little of natural things as we seem to have learnt of spiritual things after so many years' instruction, so many chapters read, so many sermons heard, so many prayers put up, so much talking about religion. How small, how weak is the amount of grace compared with all we have read and heard and talked about.    But it is a mercy that the Lord saves whom He will save, and that we are saved by free grace, and free grace alone, through the blood and righteousness of the Son of God. "He of God is made unto us wisdom and ri...