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

" Mine iniquities are gone over my head; as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me." —Psalm 38:4 [KJV]  Those who think lightly of sin, and account iniquity a trifling thing, evidently shew that the god of this world hath blinded their eyes to the infinite atonement of Jesus, and hardened their hearts through the deceitfulness of sin; therefore they are insensible of grief, and without feeling of godly sorrow for sin. When Jesus is known in the heart, sin is truly abhorred, forsaken, and overcome. But it is most distressing to the regenerate soul when the load of guilt and the burden of sin are suffered to lie, day after day, upon the conscience. O the insupportable agony of such a state, none know but those who have experienced it! One would ask, Is not this contradictory to that comforting assertion, "There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus?" —Romans 8:1 — inconsistent with that triumphant challenge, "Who shall lay any thing to the ch...

" Love as brethren."   —I Peter 3:8 [KJV] Love without reason is a mad passion. Profession without love, is but "a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal;" unmeaning noise to others; unprofiting to him that makes it. Love is of God. It is that precious ointment that is poured forth from the Father of love upon the head of our spiritual Aaron, and runs down to the skirts of His garment, even upon all His brethren, the children of love. Love descends from God, through Jesus, to us, spreads itself among the brethren, and ascends in grateful odours to the God of love.   The prophet asks, "Have we not all one Father?" —Malachi 2:10 . Yes, saith our elder brother, "I ascend unto My Father, and your Father." —John 20:17 . Hence the Holy Spirit draws the image of Jesus, "the first born of the many brethren," upon each of their souls; and possesses them with the faith of Jesus. "And whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of Go...

  Weekend Gospel message to follow for All Hands (13-15JAN23 A.D.) 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 - Almighty God's unmerited favor - from our sins and from Hell: FOR US THE SAVIOR BLED To save us from eternal death Christ suffered in our stead; The Son of God laid down His life, For us the Savior bled. For us He bore the wrath of God, The awful agony; To rescue us from guilt and shame, From sin to set us free. For us Christ shed His precious blood, For us the judgment bore; The Lamb of God was sacrificed, To save us evermore. God’s justice can demand no more, The law is satisfied; For us He was the Substitute, And we are justified. The empty tomb of Christ proclaims, Redemption’s work is done; The sins of all His chosen race, Were canceled by God’s Son. For ...

" The L ORD God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places." —Habakkuk 3:19 [KJV]  "The righteous are as bold as a lion." —Proverbs 28:1 . The words of wisdom are not like the pithy sayings of the Heathens, which merely describe states and things to which men never arrive nor enjoy; but they assure us, such and such has been, and still is the knowledge and experience of God's saints. So children of wisdom are taught their privileges, and their souls are drawn out in prayer and diligence, that they may also partake of the fulness of the blessings described. Whence is the boldness and courage of the righteous derived? See the young stripling David, how boldly he advances to the mighty giant Goliath, with an insignificant weapon in his hand, yet assured of success. For the faith of Omnipotence was in his heart, and these soul-encouraging words in his mouth, "I come to thee in the name of t...

"Preserved in Jesus Christ, and called." -Jude 1 [KJV] What a mercy it is for God’s people that before they have a vital union with Christ, before they are grafted into Him experimentally, they have an eternal, immanent union with Him before all worlds. It is this eternal union that brings them into time existence. It is by virtue of this eternal union that they come into the world at such a time, at such a place, from such parents, under such circumstances, as God has appointed . It is by virtue of this eternal union that the circumstances of their time-state are ordained. By virtue of this eternal union they are preserved in Christ before they are called; they cannot die till God has brought about a vital union with Christ. Whatever sickness they may pass through, whatever injuries they may be exposed to, whatever perils assault them on sea or land, fall they will not, fall they cannot, till God’s purposes are executed in bringing them into a vital union with the Son of Hi...

" To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved." -Ephesians 1:6 [KJV] When Jacob was about to meet his offended brother Esau, he was greatly afraid and distressed. He sends a present to appease his wrath before he durst venture into his presence. "Peradventure he will accept of me," says he— Genesis 32:20 . Now his hope was not founded on the affection of his brother, but upon the favor which his present should procure. He was not influenced by love, but fear and terror; hence his expectation arose only to a peradventure. So it is natural for sinners to conceive of and act to an offended God. Instead of believing His gospel of free grace, and confiding in His messages of rich mercy in Christ, we are prone to think of sending presents, of doing something to pacify God's wrath, and conciliate His love to us. Some terms of accommodation, some conditions of peace, we naturally think, and we hear many contend for, must be ...

  Weekend Gospel message to follow for All Hands (06-08JAN23 A.D.) 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 - Almighty God's unmerited favor - from our sins and from Hell: SEVEN CRITICAL QUESTIONS -1- Why do people die? The one-word answer is SIN. “ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). “ Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). The fact that the body dies is evidence of our sinfulness.   -2- Is death the end of our existence? The body is the tabernacle in which the soul resides; we are a soul, and we have a body. When the soul leaves, the body dies, but the soul lives on. The Bible speaks of men like Jacob who “ yielded up the ghost, ...