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

"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me."  -John 12:32 [KJV] Wherever Jesus is graciously and experimentally manifested to the soul, and made known by any sweet revelation of His glorious Person, atoning blood, and finished work, a secret yet sacred power is put forth, whereby we are drawn unto Him, and every grace of the Spirit flows toward Him as towards its attractive centre. Thus Jeremiah speaks of the saints of God as coming and singing in the height of Zion, and   flowing  together to the goodness of the Lord (Jeremiah 31:12). And thus Isaiah speaks to the church of God, "Then thou shalt see, and  flow  together, and thine heart shall fear [or as the word rather means, shall 'palpitate' with love and joy] , and be enlarged" (Isaiah 60:5).    This view of Christ by faith is what the apostle speaks of to the Galatians, as Jesus evidently set forth before their eyes (Gal. 3:1). As thus set before our eyes, He becomes the...

"Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps; set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest." -Jeremiah 31:21 [KJV] To look at the past is often a blessed encouragement for the future. If we are travellers in the way Zionward, we shall have our various waymarks. A conspicuous call, or a signal deliverance, or a gracious manifestation of Christ; a promise applied here, or a marked answer to prayer there; a special blessing under the preached word; a soft and unexpected assurance of an interest in the blood of the Lamb; a breaking in of divine light when walking in great darkness; a sweet sip of consolation in a season of sorrow and trouble; a calming down of the winds and waves without and within by, "It is I, be not afraid" —such and similar waymarks it is most blessed to be able to set up as evidences that we are in the road. And if many who really fear God cannot set up these conspicuous waymarks, yet they are not without their testimonies eq...

"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."   - Psalm 90:12 [KJV]  Casting our eyes back upon the year now past and gone, are there no mercies which claim a note of thankful praise? It is sweet to see the Lord's kind hand in providence, but sweeter far to view His outstretched hand in grace . Are we then so unwatchful or so unmindful of the Lord's gracious hand in His  various dealings with our soul as to view the whole past twelve months as a dead blank in which we have never seen His face, nor heard His voice, nor felt His power? "Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness?" (Jeremiah 2:31,) the Lord tenderly asks. Has He been such to us also for twelve long and weary months? What! No help by the way, no tokens for good, no liftings-up of the light of His countenance, no visitations of His presence and power, no breakings-in of His goodness for all that long and dreary time—for dreary it must indeed have been ...

"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. And they shall put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them." -Numbers 6:22-27  [KJV] Pause, my soul, and in these sweet words behold thine almighty Aaron, even Jesus, in His everlasting priesthood, day by day, thus blessing His people. Observe, the blessing in the name of the Lord Jehovah is thrice pronounced, as if to teach the plurality of Persons in the Godhead. And observe also, after this blessing thrice pronounced, Jehovah, as if to intimate the unity of the divine essence, declares, I will bless them. My soul, mark each. The first may be considered as the personal blessing of God the Father, whose gracious office it is in the wor...

  Weekend Gospel message to follow for All Hands (31DEC21-02JAN22) 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 our sins and from Hell: ARE YOU SEEKING ASSURANCE? There are many believers who seem to have a lack of assurance regarding their eternal safety and salvation in Christ. Our confidence must be drawn from the Word which declares the putting away of sin and the satisfaction of divine justice by the death of Christ who declared with His dying breath,   “It is finished!”  The Scripture declares that he who   “believeth on the Son hath everlasting life”   (John 3:36). There is no formula to help attain a peaceful confidence of security in the Savior, but perhaps a few questions, founded upon the Word of God, will help in your search. Does the preaching of the etern...

"Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mispeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us ." -1 Samuel 7:12  [KJV] Did Samuel do this? Was that servant of the Lord, who lived not to see Christ in the flesh, so full of faith in the coming Saviour, and in the experience of Jehovah's faithfulness in what was past, that he set up his Ebenezer? Surely, my soul, thou wilt blush to be outdone by the prophet, when thou hast not only seen the day of the Son of man completed, but felt His power. Oh my soul, let thine Ebenezer be Jesus! Let the stone Thou settest up, be indeed the Rock of Ages.    Yes, my soul, set up Jesus indeed, in all places, at all times, upon all occasions. And Oh Lord, do Thou by Thy blessed Spirit set up Thyself in my heart, and enthrone Thyself there, and reign and rule there for ever. Surely, my soul, Jesus is thine every-day Ebenezer; for He not only hath hitherto helped, but He doth help, and will help,...

  A Good Question and a Great Answer.   D.G. Miles McKee   “ And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?  And Jesus said unto him, Why do you call me good? None is good, save one, that is, God.  You know the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honour thy father and thy mother. And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. Now when Jesus heard these things, He said unto him, Yet you lack one thing: sell all that you have, and distribute unto the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven: and come, follow Me."   (Luke 18:18-23) Let’s summarise this story. A wealthy ruler approached Jesus, calling Him ‘Good Master’ and asking what He could do to gain eternal life. That’s a good question! Not all inquiries are as sensible as that one. From time to time, we are all guilty of asking stupid questions. However, the man in our scripture passage asked a g...