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

"And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night to Him, though He bear long with them?" — Luke 18:7 [KJV] This question implies the strongest assertion. Thus our Lord concludes a parable He had delivered to this end, "that men ought always to pray and not to faint." Our Saviour well knew how ready His disciples' hands are to hang down and their hearts to grow languid and faint, so as to be remiss in this duty. Therefore His loving heart would stir up and encourage them to a constant perseverance in prayer; assuring them that God's ears are ever open to their cry, and His omnipotent arm would most certainly avenge the enemies of His own elect, and surely deliver them from all their troubles. Hath the Lord loved His people with an everlasting love? hath He chosen them in Christ Jesus from before the foundation of the world? hath He given them the precious faith of His own elect, and the cry of His children, Abba, Father? and sha...

" And now, little children, abide in Him; that when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming." — 1 John 2:28 [KJV] 'A burnt child dreads the fire:' so a soul who has fallen into any snare of the enemy, when rescued by grace, fears the same evil and wisely cautions his brethren against it. I fell, do you beware. So it was even with the beloved disciple John. He did not abide by Jesus in the day of trial; but, with the rest of His disciples, forsook Him and fled. But who can tell the sorrow of his heart? who can paint the distress of his mind and the shame of his face, when Jesus appeared to them, and John said, "It is the Lord?" — John 21:7 . And is Jesus gone but for a season? will He assuredly come again and take all His little children home? and do we expect His appearance? do we believe we shall shortly see Him in the glory of His Father and of His holy angels? What constancy and courage should t...

" When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the L ORD : and my prayer came in unto Thee, into Thine holy temple." — Jonah 2:7 [KJV] In the prophet Jonah's conduct we have a true picture of human nature, in its strong opposition to the power and grace of God. Though Jesus clothes His saints with righteousness, and the Spirit sanctifies and renews them in the spirit of their minds; yet pride, obstinacy, and self-will still dwell in their corrupt, fallen nature. The Spirit of truth and wisdom hath discovered the vile sins of His eminent prophets and faithful people, as well as their holy graces. This proves as a touchstone to us, to try whether we have received the true grace of God in our hearts. A regenerate soul will never draw any encouragement to indulge himself in sin and rebellion against God, because he reads of David's complicated sins of murder and adultery; of Jonah's fleeing from, and provoking behaviour to God; or of Peter's sad deni...

" In the multitude of my thoughts within me, Thy comforts delight my soul ." — Psalm 94:19 [KJV] Vain thoughts and carnal reasonings, like impertinent visitors, often intrude upon the Christian's mind. In this depraved state it cannot be otherwise. Though born again of the Spirit, and our minds renewed by grace; still our old friends, our present foes, the world, the flesh, and the devil, will furnish us with various exercises, from troublesome thoughts. That they do cause grief, are prayed against, and resisted, is a blessed evidence of a regenerate soul; which is also fed, delighted, and comforted with the spiritual truths, of God's gracious word. There are frequent seasons when God's dear children are exercised with distressing, gloomy thoughts. Afflictions are painful and grievous to the flesh; then how naturally do these murmuring and repining thoughts arise? "Are these the tokens of God's love? how can I who am thus visited with such s...

" And the counsel of peace shall be between them both." — Zechariah 6:13 [KJV] With what rapture and ecstasy of soul the good old patriarch Israel heard of his son Joseph? Not only alive, but also governor of the land of Egypt. "IT IS ENOUGH," said he. As though he could enjoy no more. How then ought the hearts of poor sinners to be filled with joy, and fired with transport to hear that their Friend and Brother, Jesus, lives for evermore; that "the government is upon His shoulders:" that He is their King and their Priest upon His throne: that the counsel of peace is established, fixed and unalterably established, between the Father and Him on their account!   Surely if we believe this, as verily as Jacob believed the report concerning his son, we shall also cry out with him, IT IS ENOUGH, perfectly sufficient. More joyful news cannot be heard. More comfortable truth cannot be believed. Fuller evidence cannot be desired. Stronger proofs canno...

" Which is not another (- gospel ) , but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ." — Galatians 1:7 [KJV] Trouble us indeed! it is our wisdom to hear preaching with an attentive mind, a humble heart, and a godly jealousy over what is spoken. The sweet sound of the gospel is joy to the heart, and as marrow and fatness to the soul; for it proclaims nothing but good news or glad tidings. This is its name: its nature and properties perfectly agree therewith. Hence it is called,— Acts 20:24 , The gospel of the grace of God; or good news of His free favor. And Ephesians 1:13 , "The gospel of salvation; or glad tidings of salvation by Christ only." It was the wisdom of Adam to distinguish and give a proper name to every creature of God. Every Christian should imitate him in knowledge, to distinguish the law from the gospel, and to call each by its proper name. For when the law of works and gospel of grace are blended together, it p...

"God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him." — Acts 10:34, 35 [KJV] It is a common, artful device of the adversary to insinuate, "one part of scripture opposes and contradicts another." Hereby he aims to distress the minds, weaken the confidence of disciples, and to render the doctrines of grace of no esteem. The unlearned and unstable in the truths of free grace salvation, "wrest this, as they do also other texts of scripture, to their own destruction." It was farthest from St. Peter to make this declaration, to subvert the fundamental truths of the gospel, and the one only way of salvation taught by himself; namely, by "election, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." — 1 Peter 1:2 . But he now perceived of a truth that this blessing came eq...