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

  "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."   -II Corinthians 5:21 [KJV] Our blessed Lord offered Himself for sin; that is, that He might put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself— "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree" (1 Pet. 2:24) . It was absolutely necessary either that the sinner should suffer in his own person, or in that of a substitute. Jesus became this Substitute; He stood virtually in the sinner's place, and endured in His holy body and soul the punishment due to him; for He "was numbered with the transgressors." He thus, by the shedding of His most precious blood, opened in His sacred body a fountain for all sin and all uncleanness (Zechariah 13:1) .   The cross was the place on which this sacrifice was offered; for as the blood of the slain lamb was poured out at the foot of the altar, sprinkled upon its horns, and burned in its ever-enduring fi...

The Wounds of Jesus by D.G. Miles McKee   Charles Spurgeon when preaching a sermon on the wounds of Jesus told the following story. He said,   ‘There were two elderly monks in different cells in their monastery. They were studying the Bible together.  One of them came to faith in Jesus and he believed on Christ with a true evangelical faith. The other one was timid and could scarcely think it true; the scheme of salvation seemed so great to him he could scarcely lay hold upon it.   But, at last, he came to the point of death, and he sent for the other to come and sit by him, and to shut the door; because if the superior had heard of that of which they were about to speak, he might have condemned them both.   When the monk had sat down, the sick man began to tell how his sins lay heavy on him; the other reminded him of Jesus. “If you would be saved, brother, you must look to Jesus who hung upon the cross. His wounds must save.”   The dying man heard and beli...

  "Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily, I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing." -Matthew 5:25-26  [KJV]   My soul! hast thou agreed with thine adversary, and made full payment of all the law charges? If so, it is blessed to review the account, and look over the several particulars, wherein thou wert a debtor, now struck out of God's book, and marked paid, PAID, in red letters, with Jesus's blood . To thee, as a sinner, born in sin, and an insolvent debtor, both by nature and by practice, the law of God stood forth as thine adversary. To agree with Him as quickly as possible, whilst in the way with Him, and while life remains, which is every moment subject to be ended, is the first and most momentous of all concerns .     Hadst t...

"Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped." - Isaiah 35:5 [KJV] That these miracles are effected by the power of the gospel is plain from the words that immediately precede, "Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; He will come and save you" (Isaiah 35:4) . And how does God come and save but in the gospel, and by making it His own power unto salvation? If you look back at your experience you will see that one of the first effects of the power of the gospel upon your heart was, to open your ears to receive it as a message from God.   When, for instance, you were first brought under its sound, and began to understand and feel what you heard, was there not given you, as it were, new ears to hear it, and a new heart to receive it? Were not those with you memorable days when you first heard the joyful sound of salvation by free grace; when it first dropped that blessed news into your soul whi...

" Who is a God like unto Thee , that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us: He will subdue our iniquities: and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." -Micah 7:18-19  [KJV] My soul! hast thou ever duly and thoroughly pondered over the several interesting volumes of grace recorded in this glorious scripture? If not, make them the subject of this evening's, song. Let every chapter contained in them, pass and re-pass in review before thee, and see whether, in the close of the whole, the astonishment of the man of God is not thine also; crying out, "Who is a God like our God? a God in Christ, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin!"     And, first, "He pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the r...

"Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation."  -I Peter 1:5 [KJV] Those who are kept by the power of God through faith, are often in their minds troubled and anxious, fearing whether this salvation will ever reach their souls,—whether they may not prove castaways,—whether the work upon their heart is genuine,—whether they are under divine teachings. But the Lord says they are "kept by His power through faith  unto salvation:"   kept as in this garrisoned city, until salvation shall come in all its glory, sweetness, bliss and blessedness into their heart; preserved and encompassed by all the attributes of God from making shipwreck of faith, until they "receive the end of their faith, even the salvation of their souls."   Then poor, doubting, distressed, fearing, guilty sinner, this promise is for thee. Thy soul is bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; thy character and thy name are contained here. And it is a promise suita...

"To see Thy power and Thy glory, so as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary." -Psalm 63:2  [KJV] My soul! knowest thou what it is, at times, to be sensible of a barrenness of spiritual enjoyments? If at the house of God, to be cold and lifeless there? If at home, or unable to attend the place where God's honour dwelleth, yet there also to be without the Bethel-visits of thy Lord? Behold one of old, in a wilderness state, feeling the same. But do not fail to remark also, in the very breathings of the soul after Christ, how plainly his soul was under the sweet influences of Christ: David did not so much long for the temple service, as for the presence of the God of the temple. Remark also the peculiarity of expression: he longed to see the Lord's power and glory, so as he had seen him in times past. God in Christ is Jehovah's power and glory; and the sanctuary without Him, would be no better than the wilderness. What a beautiful devout frame of mind was this sacred wr...