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

What wisdom, majesty, and grace Through all the gospel shine! ’Tis God that speaks, and we confess His doctrine most divine. Down from His shining throne on High Th’Almighty Savior comes, Lays His bright robes of glory by, And feeble flesh assumes, The mighty debt His chosen owed Upon the cross He pays; Then through the clouds ascends to God, ’Midst shouts of loftiest praise. There He, our great High Priest, appears Before His Father’s throne; There on His breast our names He wears, And counts our cause His own. -Tune: "Amazing Grace"

"I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God" -R OMANS 15:17 [KJV] Paul was very careful throughout his ministry not to glory, boast or brag in the flesh (Phil. 3:7-9). He taught others not to do this and certainly he would not glory in himself; not in his religious heritage, nor in his attainments or gifts, nor in his labors and success in the ministry but only "through Jesus Christ" (Gal. 6:14). Read this statement carefully, "By the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1 Cor. 15:10). All the apostles and those who truly believe the gospel of God's grace only glory "in those things that pertain to God." As a result of Adam's sin, rebellion and fall into condemnation, we have absolutely no reason to glory in the flesh. The things...

"Commit thy way unto the L ORD ; trust also in H im; and H e shall bring it to pass." -P SALM 37:5 [KJV]   What shall God bring to pass? The thing that lies deepest in the heart— "thy way." Does not thy way lie deepest in thy soul— the path that God has led, the path that God is now leading you by? You may be troubled in your soul, doubting and fearing in your mind, distressed in your feelings; you may sink down to the lowest point that a child of God can sink to; yet that way, in which you are so deeply sunk, if the Lord enable you from time to time to commit it to H im, and trust in H im, H e will bring to pass above what your heart desires.   Look at the movements of your heart God-ward; look at your embarrassments, temptations, and exercises; look at that which rolls backwards and forwards in your mind, that which is tossed to and fro on the waves of your anxious bosom,—what lies nearest, dearest, and deepest,—let honest conscience speak. T...

“ Thy testimonies have I taken as a heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart.” -PSALM 119:111 [KJV]

The decree of Election stands upon an unchangeable foundation, to wit, that Rock of ages, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever" [HEBREWS 13:8 ] . As the first Adam was the foundation stone in the decree of creation, so the last Adam, even Jesus, is the foundation stone in the decree of election. God hath blessed us in Him, yea, and we shall be blessed. He hath chosen us in Him, pardoned us in Him, sealed us in Him, built us up and completed us in Him; "According to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" [II TIMOTHY 1:9 ] . All those acts of grace are said to be in Christ, who hath blest us in Christ [EPHESIANS 1:3 ] , chosen us in Him [EPHESIANS 1:4 ] , pardoned us, "in W hom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" [EPHESIANS 1:7 ] , "in W hom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed" [EPHESIANS 1:13 ] , "rooted and built...

"Being justified freely by H is grace." -ROMANS 3:24 [KJV] And it is because grace is free it can reach us. How free is the sun in sending forth its enlightening, warming beams; how free the clouds in discharging their watery treasures; how free the dew in falling from the face of heaven; how free the wind in blowing where it listeth. Now these are scriptural types and representatives of the free grace of God. It shines as freely as the sun; drops as freely as the rain; falls as freely as the dew; and blows as freely as the wind. But not in grace as in nature to all men. I mean not that; but all to whom it comes it comes freely. And whenever it so comes it communicates precious things with it. As the sun lights and warms, as the rain fertilises, as the dew softens, as the wind invigorates, so it is with the grace of God which comes out of the fulness of Christ. It enlightens the understanding, warms the heart, fertilises the soul, softens the spirit, and invigo...

"Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory, with exceeding joy; to the only wise God, our Savior, be glory, and majesty, dominion, and power, both now and ever. Amen." We cannot for a moment hesitate to know Whom the Apostle means. He that hath all along preserved His Church must be the same that keeps her from falling. And it is the special and personal office of Christ to present His Church to Himself at the last day. We no where read in Scripture concerning the person of God the Father or God the Holy Ghost, presenting the Church before the throne. It is God the Son’s personal office, as Mediator, to bring her home as a bride adorned for her husband and present her to Himself. Hence that beautiful description given to the Church by Paul. Christ " loved the Church ," saith Paul, "and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by th...