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

"I A m the bright and morning Star." -Revelation 22:16 [KJV] How oft, in some dark wintry morning, like the present, have I bebeld the morning star shining with loveliness, when all the other lights of heaven were put out! But how little did I think of Thee, Thou precious light and life of men! Thou art indeed the bright and morning Star in the firmament of Thy church, in Thy word, and in the souls of Thy redeemed. Henceforth, dearest Jesus, let the morning visit of this sweet planet to our darkened earth remind me of Thee, amidst all the gross darkness by which in nature we are surrounded. Sure pledge of day as this beneficial star is, yet not more sure than Thou in the day-dawn and day-star of prophecy, which ministered to Thy coming; and in the twilight of grace upon the soul, the forerunner of a glorious day. Be Thou my morning song, my noontide joy, my evening meditation, and midnight light. Through all the wintry seasons of my pilgrimage, shine forth, sweet Jesus, u...

"My beloved is gone down into H is garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies." -Song of Solomon 6:2 [KJV] Wonderful condescension! Jesus, the beloved of all His people, is indeed come down into His garden, the church ; for He loves the sacred walks of a spot so near and so dear to Him, which is at once the gift of His Father, and the purchase of His own most precious blood. Moreover, He hath gathered it out of the world's wide wilderness and separated it as a sacred enclosure by His distinguishing grace. Surely then He will visit it. Yes, here He constantly walks; here He comes to observe the souls of His people as trees of His own right-hand planting. He is said to feed here; for the graces of His Spirit, which He calls forth into exercise, are more fragrant to Him than all the spices of the east. And all the beauty and whiteness of the lily is not to be compared to the glory, loveliness, and sweet-smelling savour of the righteousnes...

"That will by no means clear the guilty , " -Exodus 34:7 [KJV] Pause, my soul, over these solemn words! Will not Jehovah clear the guilty? And art thou not guilty? How then wilt thou come before God, either now or hereafter? Hearken, my soul, to what thy God hath also said; "deliver him from going down to the pit; I HAVE FOUND A RANSOM ." Oh! soul-reviving, soul-comforting words! yes, Jesus became my Surety, took my guilt, and bought me out of the hands of law and justice. God hath not therefore cleared the guilty, without taking ample satisfaction on the person of the sinner's Surety. Hence now the double claim of justice and grace demands the sinner's pardon. Here then, my soul, rest thy present and thine everlasting plea. Keep up a daily and hourly remembrance of it at the mercy seat. While Jesus lives, and lives there as thine Advocate, never doubt thy acceptance in the Beloved: guilty as thou art in thyself, yet spotless in Him. The same God which...

Weekend Gospel message to follow for All Hands (08-10JAN21) Heads-Up --- Please find enclosed encouragement in SO GREAT SALVATION by the perfect and finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ in saving poor, needy and wretched sinners by His sovereign free grace - God's unmerited favor - from their sins and from Hell: The Spirit Gives Life to the Message God’s preachers do not go forth alone into the world to persuade sinners to believe, love, and come to Christ by their own logic, rhetoric, and power of persuasion. The Holy Spirit goes before them and with them to quicken, awaken, and give sinners eyes to see the beauties of Christ, ears to hear Him, and hearts to understand the gospel of grace and love the Redeemer (Psalm 110:3) . The bride has been chosen (II Thessalonians 2:13) , the servant will endure all things (II Timothy 2:9-10) , the bride will hear the voice of her Beloved through the message of the servant (John 10:23-30) , and the bride will come (John 6:37-40) . -c...

"Thou hast kept the good wine until now." -John 2:10 [KJV] The good wine of the gospel must be Jesus Himself, for He, and He alone, trod the wine-press of His Father's wrath, when the Lord bruised Him and put Him to grief. This is the wine which, in scripture, is said to cheer both God and men; for when God's justice took the full draught of it for the sins of the redeemed, the Lord declared Himself well pleased. And when the poor sinner, by sovereign grace, is first made to drink of the blood of the Lamb, he feels constrained to say, the Lord had kept the good wine until now ; for never before had his soul been so satisfied.  Oh, precious Jesus' how sweet is the thought! Thy first miracle converted water into wine. Moses' ministry, under thy commission, was first manifested in turning water into blood. Yes, dear Lord! when once Thy grace hath wrought upon the heart of a sinner, Thou makest his most common mercies, like water, to become richer than wine. ...

Great Encouragement in Christ JESUS, “The LORD our righteousness!” There is a transcendent glory, and an ineffable sweetness in Christ. Jesus Christ has true excellency, and so great an excellency, that when you come to truly see Him, you look no further, but your mind rests there. You see that you had been pursuing shadows, but now you have found the S ubstance. You realize that you had been seeking happiness in the stream, but now you have found the O cean. The excellency of Christ is an object adequate to the natural cravings of the soul, and is sufficient to fill its capacity. Christ has an infinite excellency, such as the mind desires, in which it can find no bounds. The more the mind contemplates Him, the more excellent does He appear. Each new discovery of Christ makes His beauty appear more ravishing, and the mind can see no end to His excellency. There is room enough for the mind to go deeper and deeper, and never come to the bottom. Christ's excellency is always fres...

"One pearl of great price." -Matthew 13:46  [KJV] Great indeed, and but ONE! for salvation is in no other; neither is there any other name under heaven given among men whereby we can be saved. My soul, hast thou considered Jesus in this precious point of view? Hast thou beheld Him both in His divine and human nature, how unspeakably glorious in Himself, and how enriching to the souls of His people? Art thou a spiritual merchantman, seeking goodly pearls? And is Jesus the one, the only one, costly, precious, and so infinitely desirable in thine eye, that thou art willing to sell all, that thou wouldest part with millions of worlds, rather, than lose Christ? Hast thou found Him in the field of His scripture, and dost thou ask how shall I buy? Listen to His own most gracious words: counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich. Yes, Thou generous Lord! I am come to buy of Thee without money and without price. For well I know, through Thy teachi...