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

" Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man." —Matthew 26:74 [KJV] Self-righteous hearts are ready to think, better to have concealed Peter's abominable wicked conduct. No; the Spirit of wisdom hereby stains the glory of all flesh, and exalts the super-abounding riches of Jesus' grace over the aboundings of sin. He shews, in Peter's denying his loving Saviour, what human nature is, and what shocking depths of sin a believer may fall into when left to the workings of carnal nature and the buffetings of Satan. Dreadful to think of! Most earnestly to be prayed against!  Yet we see the affectionate heart of Jesus is ever towards His wounded, fallen members. Love is within, and by a look of love, how suddenly, how effectually did Jesus raise and restore Peter! Three denials of Jesus, each attended with higher aggravations, though deserving only a look of wrath, and a frown into hell; yet were followed with a look from Jesus which bro...

" I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which now I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me." —Galatians 2:20 [KJV] The state of a Christian is a seeming paradox. No marvel the things of God are foolishness to natural men, and that we are accounted fools for Christ by them; for the truths of God, as well as the life of His children, appear to be absurd to them. But "the life of Jesus is made manifest in our flesh." —II Corinthians 4:11 . Hence He saith, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself." —Matthew. 16:24 . Deny the PRIDE of his own righteousness, the corrupt LUSTS of his sinful flesh, and own Me as his life, and follow Me as his Lord in the regeneration; in this crucifixion of nature, this death to every hope but Jesus, this life of faith on Him, consists the peace, love, holiness, and joy of our souls; this...

" Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you." —James 4:8 [KJV] How sweetly is the children's duty and the Father's promise joined together! The latter is a most powerful encouragement to the former; though we were "sometimes afar off, yet being made nigh by the blood of Jesus , " we are exhorted to DRAW nigh to God in prayer, in full assurance of faith, firmly believing that "faithful is He who hath promised , " He will draw nigh to us to bless us. To live near God is our heaven below; to experience a distance from Him is our misery; we cannot draw nigh to God but in the way He has drawn nigh to us, that is in Christ, in the humanity of Jesus His Son; in all our approaches to God, consider this, Jesus is the object of our faith, and GOD IN HIM; all other objects drawn nigh to, will leave the soul in a painful sense of distance from the true God and real comfort.  Happy, only happy canst thou be, while thou art daily living in c...

" This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." —Acts 1:11 [KJV] The parting of dear friends is very grievous and affecting; but sorrow is alleviated from expectation of meeting again. O the joy of meeting our dear friends in glory, who are gone before! but what will heighten all, will be sight and enjoyment of our best Friend and dearest Saviour. The disciples were looking stedfastly to heaven, after their dear Master ascended to glory, when they received this assurance: they saw His human form, the same dear man, their beloved companion with whom they had so often eat and drank and taken sweet counsel, and who was lately crucified, dead, and buried; this very man Jesus they saw ascend; the Son of God came from heaven in Spirit; He assumed a body of flesh and blood; He lived in it on earth; and having "finished the work His Father gave Him to do, He took the same body with Him to...

" And He said, I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the L ORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy ." —Exodus 33:19 [KJV] Carnal reason, pride, and unbelief, like a threefold cord, binds the soul under legal bondage; each of these mutually strengthens the other, and all combine to oppose the sovereign goodness and grace of our Lord. Instead of believing in, so as to be comforted by free-grace declarations from our God, how apt are we to consult flesh and blood! How prone to reject them, because we cannot reconcile them to our carnal reason! here is the grand source of that damning sin, unbelief .  Marvel not, believer, though the pride of thy flesh rises and rebels against distinguishing grace and discriminating love. This, though sweet to the experience of faith, is bitter to the stomach of rebellious nature: but here is thy mercy; grace, which is s...

" Wherefore we labour, that whether present or absent we may be accepted of Him." —II Corinthians 5:9 [KJV] "In all labour there is profit." —Proverbs 14:23 . The belief of this maketh the heart diligent, lively, and active. When Nehemiah was stirred up to build the wall of Jerusalem amidst the scoffs and opposition of enemies on every side, yet, in prayer, watching, and working, he and his brethren wrought with one hand, a guard in the other, and this confidence of faith in their hearts, "Our God shall fight for us." —Nehemiah 4:20 . Thus animated they laboured till the work was finished. Thus the beloved brethren of Jesus are called to be "stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord;" being confident that the Lord fights for them, and "knowing assuredly that their labour is not in vain in the Lord."   The labour of love is pleasant, it is profitable to the believing heart; the work of faith is delightfu...

7 Gospel Mercies. Part 5 by D.G  Miles McKee     Today we conclude teaching on the Seven Gospel Mercies.   7) Everlasting Life . Because of the gospel, we are given life, not for a day or a month or a year but given eternal life!  Jesus said, “Verily, verily I say unto you he that believes on Me has everlasting life.” (John 6:47). We also read that Jesus taught, “He that believes on Him that sent Me has everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24).   It has been argued that the term everlasting life also includes the idea of, not only an eternal duration of life but also a certain quality of life. Part of this quality is the absence of condemnation. If you are in Christ, there is no condemnation for you (see Romans 8:1) both now and in the future. If, by faith, you are in Christ, there is no reason for you to be plagued by guilt or fear that you will not be saved.  Remember tha...