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

"...the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD, He is their strength in the time of trouble."   -Psalm 37:39 [KJV]   We may say of righteousness, as Job says of wisdom, “Where shall righteousness be found? And where is the place of perfect righteousness? Man knoweth not the price thereof, neither is it to be found in the land of the living , ” (Job 28:12, 13.) The Patriarch says, It is not in me . The Prophet says, It is not in me . The Apostle says, It is not in me . The Lord saith, “All flesh hath corrupted his way , ” (Genesis 6:12.) “There is none righteous, no not one , ” (Psalm 14:3.) Why then do the Scriptures speak so much of the righteous, if there be no such persons upon earth? Indeed there are. This is a point of great importance .    The Lord settle it well in your heart and mine. We are guilty sinners in ourselves. We have no righteousness of our own. Yet, saith the Lord Jesus, the righteous one, “Their righteousness is of Me , ” (Isaiah 54:17...

"I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit." -I Samuel 1:15 [KJV]   My soul, look at Hannah at the mercy-seat, and mark the sorrowful spirit with which she there appeared. Blushing and sorrow, at the feet of Jesus, are among the highest tokens of real heartfelt communion. Perhaps there never was a moment in the life of Hannah, in which faith was in more lively exercise, than in that memorable season. And, perhaps, never did she speed with more success than then; for it is said, that when she arose from before the throne, "she went her way, and her countenance was no more sad."   Now, my soul, take a precious instruction from her example. Do thou go to the throne, and present thyself at the feet of thy Jesus. Let grace have a full and lively exercise in thine heart. See that thy prayers be really and truly heart prayers, and not lip-service. Tell thy Lord how greatly thou needest His grace and mercy; and tell Him, also, how much thy Lord Jesus will get glory in being grac...

"Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" -Romans 7:24 [KJV] If the Lord the Spirit has implanted that piteous cry in our soul, "O wretched man that I am!" this will follow as a necessary consequence— "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Where shall I look for deliverance? From what quarter can it come? Shall I look to the law? O no! that curses and condemns me, because I am continually breaking it. Can I look to friends? They may pity and sympathise; but they cannot remove the body of sin and death; it is too fast linked on for them to remove.  Shall I go to ministers of truth? I may hear what they say with approbation; but there is something more wanted to remove this chilling embrace of the body of sin and death. Shall I look to the Scriptures? They contain the remedy; but I want that remedy to be sweetly applied— "Who then shall deliver me?"  What refuge can I look to? Whither can I go, or whither shall I turn? Fro...