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

"Let the weak say, I am strong."   - Joel 3:10 [KJV] Where is the weak, doubting sinner? Stand forth, my soul, thy Lord arraigns thee; He judges and passes sentence of reproof upon thee. “O thou of little faith, wherefore dost thou doubt?” (Matthew 14:31.) Your doubts come from your little faith: your doubts prevent the increase of faith. You can easily believe the Lord is displeased at your sins. What is sin, but disobeying His commands? But did you never consider it as a sin, a great sin, not to believe when He commands? Not to be obedient to His word, when He requires you to be strong in faith— “Strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus ? ” (II Timothy 2:1.) “Strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might , ” (Ephesians 6:10.)     O you do not enough attend to this! But you say, “I am so weak in myself.” Who is not? He who thinks he is not, is the weakest of all in self-knowledge. The great, the strong, the inspired Paul, gives this challenge. “Who is weak,...

"And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide." -Genesis 24:63 [KJV]   My soul, every season is suited for meditation, if the Lord the Holy Ghost suit the mind for the employment. But unless He prepare the heart, no preparation will be found in any season . What multitudes are there, to whose unthinking minds neither the morning breath nor the evening call, in the Lord's mercies in providence and in grace, have any hearing? They arise, as they lay down, unconscious and unconcerned as to whom they are indebted for keeping their persons and their dwelling-places in safety. They put on the garment to cover and adorn the body, but are ignorant that their souls are without clothing!    They wash and refresh the body, but the pollution of the soul they see not! They are anxious to preserve the casket, but the jewel it contains, falls under their feet, as an object of no value! My soul, do thou look at the patriarch Isaac, and take him for thy pattern. He went ou...

"For He is our peace, Who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us." - Ephesians 2:14 [KJV] "He is our peace." This necessarily springs from being reconciled and brought nigh by the blood of Christ. Sin has not only made us enemies to God, but made God an enemy to us. What peace, then, can there be between us whilst thus mutual enemies? Peace is between friends, not between foes. During this state of hostility and warfare, as there is no real, so there can be no felt or enjoyed peace. But the removal of the cause of the war brings about peace, first really and then experimentally. Christ has made peace through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20) . There is now no enmity on the part of God, for it was a law enmity. God always loved His people in Christ; and as He is unchanging and unchangeable, He never could or did hate them.    But as a judge is an enemy to a criminal, even were that criminal his own son, so, as Judge ...

"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...

"He saw His glory, and spoke of Him."   -John 12:41 [KJV] Ministers who do not preach Christ, sinners who do not speak of Christ, are objects of pity, not of our wrath. Their eyes are blind to His matchless glory. Their hearts do not understand His unparalleled love.    But consider, (1st.) When once Christ’s glory is displayed, and His love believed in the heart, the tongue will speak of Him. So Isaiah found it. So did that poor woman of Samaria, “she ran into the city,” she catched hold of one and another. She eagerly cried, “Come, see a man who told me all things that ever I did, is not this the Christ?” Surely it is, what think ye? (see John 4:29.) She had sweet experience. Here was no self-exalting. No cry, see me, admire me. What fine experience I have got! One is sometimes grieved to read, or hear people tell of their experiences, when they tend only to make the poor sinner appear, as somewhat glorious in his own eyes, and to be admired by his fellow sinners. Th...

"Which things the angels desire to look into." -I Peter 1:12 [KJV]   My soul, what an argument ariseth out of this view, of the angels of light being inquisitive about man's redemption, to stir thee up to the same most blessed contemplation! If in the apprehension of those intelligent and exalted beings of light, the subject is so glorious, what ought it to be to thee? If, as the words represent, they fix their closest attention, and are lost in admiration, wonder, love, and praise; how is it that thou, who art so deeply interested in the blissful theme, shouldest forget it, as thou dost for hours together, and, even when thou thinkest of it, contemplate it so very coolly? Oh for grace more and more to study Jesus and His love, Jesus and His grace, Jesus and His great salvation!     But among the wonders of redemption, is there not one point (and as it concerns thee, my soul, a marvellous one indeed it is) which may well be supposed to call forth the greater astonishmen...

"Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death." - Psalm 107:10 [KJV]   God's people are here represented not as sitting in death; were they sitting there, they would be dead altogether; but they are sitting in the shadow of death. Observe, death has lost its reality to them; it now can only cast a shadow, often a gloomy shadow, over their souls; but there is no substance. The quickening of the Spirit of God in them has destroyed the substance of death spiritually; and the death and resurrection of Jesus have destroyed the substance of death naturally. Yet, though the gloomy monster, deadness of soul, and that ghastly king of terrors, the death of the body, have been disarmed and destroyed by "Immanuel, God with us ; " yet each of them casts at times a gloomy, darkling shadow over the souls of those that fear God.    Is not your soul, poor child of God, exercised from time to time with this inward death? Deadness in prayer, deadness in reading the word, d...

Preached by Henry T. Mahan (27 minutes). Ref: John 10:14-16     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1khFV1G5jQ

"Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees."   -Hebrews 12:12 [KJV] Are you saying, my troubles are many, my burden is great, and hope deferred makes my heart sick? True, a faint heart makes weak hands and feeble knees. Then afflictions become intolerable, duty tiresome, prayer irksome, the ordinances like dry breasts, the lamp of spiritual life is expiring, the poor sinner grows dejected and dispirited, is ready to give up hope, and give way to despondency. The Comforter inspires a work for such, “lift up your hands,” etc. Do you say, the advice is good, but the practice hard? St. Paul supposes it: for he introduces it with wherefore . O, I dearly love these Scripture adverbs! Much courage and comfort are gained by attending to them. Wherefore (-or for which reason,) lift up your weak hands, or the weak hands of others . Consider, why, or wherefore we should do this.    (1st.) We have Jesus to look unto for patience. He is the Author and Finishe...

"But which of you having a servant plowing, or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?" -Luke 17:7, 8 [KJV] I have often thought that the Lord Jesus, the bountiful Lord of all His servants, and Who giveth largely to the supply of all His household, hath a more special and suited food for His servants in the ministry, who are employed by Him to set forth His table for others. They are, as the servant here described, in the field, plowing, and engaged in every branch of the spiritual husbandry. But when they return, their peculiar privilege is to wait upon their Master. And well is it for them; for in the faithful discharge of their labours, so great and constant are their engagements in following up the several departments of it, that, while keeping ...

"For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance." -I Thessalonians 1:5 [KJV] The Holy Ghost never comes into any poor sinner's soul, except through the medium of the gospel of the grace of God. Have you ever considered that point? You are praying, perhaps, that the Holy Spirit would teach you, and be in you a Spirit of revelation, a Remembrancer, a Comforter, Instructor, and Teacher. You pray for His gifts, and graces, and sanctifying operations; but have you ever viewed these graces in connection with the gospel of Jesus Christ? Now, if you want the Holy Spirit to come into your soul, you must keep firm hold of the gospel; you must not run away from it to the law or to self; but keep firm, fast hold of it, so far as you have felt its power, and have a living faith in it.    If, then, you are tried, still hold the gospel. If Satan get you into his sieve, still hold the gospel; if in the furnace of affliction...

  Begin, my tongue, some heavenly theme And speak some boundless thing The mighty works and mightier NAME   Of our eternal King. Tell of His wondrous faithfulness And sound His Name abroad Sing the sweet promise of His grace And our Redeeming Lord. Proclaim salvation from the Lord For sinful, dying men His hand has writ the Holy Word With an immortal pen. Oh might I hear Thy heavenly tongue But whisper, “Thou art Mine!” Those precious words would raise my song To notes almost divine!     -Gospel hymn, “According to Thy Gracious Word”     *****   “And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offense of the cross ceased.”   - Galatians 5:11 [KJV]   And what is the preaching of circumcision?   The preaching of anything you must do before you can be saved.   As long as circumcision is preached, there will be no persecution.   If someone would say I preach circumcision, why am I still ...