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

"For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect."   -Romans 4:14 [KJV]   Who are of the law? The openly professed Jew only? Nay, verily; but every man, who has the faith and hope of a Jew, he is of the law. What is their faith and hope? Every man’s hope is of the same nature as his faith. A Jew believes, that he is to seek for righteousness and life by the works of the law—that on account of his obedience to it, he hopes he shall be an heir of life and glory. "Well, but the Jews totally reject Christ," says one, "but I do not. I believe Christ died for the sins of the whole world; that I am justified, and pardoned through His blood now; and that at the last day, I shall be justified, and entitled to God’s kingdom, for the sake of my good works: that there is first a justification by faith, and a second justification by works."    Take knowledge of thyself. Thou art of the law, and under the law, and expec...

"Thy holy child Jesus." -Acts 4:30 [KJV]   There is somewhat so very sweet and precious in this expression, that, my soul, I would have thee to meditate upon it. Surely the apostles had a special meaning in calling the Lord Jesus, "the holy child Jesus:" and no doubt the Holy Ghost did not cause His servants thus to express themselves for nought. It will be thy wisdom, therefore, to inquire. I do not find a similar phrase in all the word of God. The Redeemer is spoken of, in the days of His infancy, as "the child Jesus;" and when twelve years of age, He is still called "the child;"   (see Luke 2: 27, 34, 43) but no where, that I recollect, does He receive the blessed appellation that He is here distinguished by, of "the holy child Jesus." It would be presumption in thee, to determine the cause of this distinction; but it can be none to inquire.    Sit down then, this evening, favourable as it is to solemn meditation, and ponder wel...

"And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:13 [KJV] After the Lord has quickened our souls, for a time we often go, shall I say, blundering on, not knowing there is a Jesus. We think that the way of life is to keep God's commandments, obey the law, cleanse ourselves from sin, reform our lives, and cultivate universal holiness in thought, word, and action; and so we go, blundering and stumbling on in darkness; and all the while never get a single step forward.    But when the Lord has suffered us to weary ourselves to find the door, and let us sink lower and lower into the pit of guilt and ruin, from feeling that all our attempts to extricate ourselves have only plunged us deeper and deeper, and the Spirit of God opens up to the understanding and brings into the soul some spiritual discovery of Jesus, and thus makes known that there is a Saviour, a Mediator, and a way of escape—this is the grand turning-point in our...