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

" To them who have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of GOD, and our Saviour JESUS CHRIST." -II Peter 1:1 [KJV] There may be strong faith, where there is no true faith. Persons may pretend to have the assurance of faith—may believe that their sins are forgiven, without one grain of precious faith. Who believes more than a Deist does? He believes he has wisdom to guide, and power to save himself, without either the word, or the grace of God. Who has stronger faith than the self-righteous Pharisee had? He believed he had a right to go to God—to plead his Works before God—and to assure his heart that he was accepted of God.  He wanted no righteousness from God. This is just such a faith, which all unregenerate men have. It is not a precious faith—it is not obtained through the precious righteousness of Christ—it doth not make His glorious person, and everlasting righteousness precious to the heart—it does not cause such, to renounce t...

" I will call upon GOD, and the LORD shall save me." -Psalm 55:16 [KJV] I have often been struck with the conduct of blind Bartimeus. When “Many charged him to hold his peace, he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David have mercy upon me” (Mark 10:48.) Why was this? Truly he had a feeling sense of his loss of sight, and by faith he saw Jesus able to restore it. See the consequence of this importunate cry. Did the sun stand still at the word of Joshua? Behold, at the cry of Bartimeus, the Lord and Creator of all the host of heaven, stood still.  Jesus knows the cry of His own Spirit. He will hear it, and help the soul who utters it. “His ears are open to our prayers” (I Peter 3:12.) Look, (1st.) At David’s circumstances. Was he now on the mount of joy, basking in the sunbeams of comfort? No, he is sighing out a doleful complaint, in the vale of distress. Says he, “I mourn because of the voice of the enemy, and the oppressions of the wicked. My heart is...

" But now in Christ Jesus , ye, who were sometimes afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ ." -Ephesians 2:13 [KJV] If any one were asked, Do you live near the court? Have you free access to his majesty? Did you ever kiss the king’s hand? Who would hesitate one moment for an answer?  Consciousness would instantly dictate one. Pray, Is Christian experience so dark and doubtful a matter, that if asked, are you brought nigh to God? Do you live near God? Have you free access to God? That we cannot answer, with some degree of knowledge and certainty.  O my dear fellow Christians, though we are brought nigh to God, yet we do not live near Him. Hence our doubt and uncertainty. Our hearts and affections too much rove in the high roads of earthly honour, riches, and pleasures. Here clouds of dust rise. They so dim our sight, and cloud our views, that we can hardly see our way, or tell where we are.  Here we are reminded, (1st.) That we “ were sometimes afar off...

Free-will (-false) doctrine teaches that the success of God’s eternal purpose of salvation, the triumph of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the effectual work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration are all dependent upon the will of the sinner.   To those who have been given an understanding of the gospel of free grace, the teachings of free-willism are repulsive because they are so contrary to the Scripture which declares,  “Salvation is of the LORD”  (Jonah 2:9).   The eternal purpose of the Father to save a chosen multitude cannot be frustrated.  The redemptive work of Jesus Christ by which He satisfied divine justice, finished transgression, put away the sins of His people, made reconciliation for iniquity and brought in everlasting righteousness shall never be a failure.   The regenerating power of the Holy Spirit cannot be resisted.  He will quicken dead sinners and grant them repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Je...

  With grateful hearts for God’s free grace, We to the Lord salvation trace;   So lift your voices, let us sing   All glory unto Zion’s King.   Amazing, free and saving grace,   Was given to a chosen race;    The Father gave us to His Son,   Before creation was begun.   Behold free grace Christ Jesus came.   Who would refuse to praise His Name?   From heav’n He came our debt to pay;   And washed our ev’ry sin away.    Adore the Spirit’s saving grace,   Who caused us to the Son embrace;   Within our hearts the seed was sown;   To us the Savior was made known.   So let us sing of God’s free grace,   And Jesus Christ our Hiding Place;   O what a sweet and precious theme,   Grace reigns through righteousness supreme.     Tune:  Doxology LM Words by Jim Byrd

" God be merciful to me a sinner." -Luke 18:13 [KJV] I often reflect on what a perfectionist once said to me, upwards of twenty years ago: “Do not go to hear such preaching; you will get such a notion of sinnership, as though you were to be a poor sinner all your days.” Truly, after being so long in Christ, when I look into the glass of God’s law, I see myself just the same poor sinner I was at first; striving against sin, and looking to Christ for salvation . I thank my Lord, I do not trust in myself that I am righteous: yet am as righteous in myself, as any poor sinner on earth is; and as righteous in Christ, as any saint in glory is.  O the humbling joy of faith! it brings boldness of access to God into the heart, while it destroys self-righteous confidence. Many poor souls are apt to say, I am afraid to approach God, I am such a sinner—I tremble to think what will become of me—I fear God will cast me off for ever; and damn me eternally, for my sins. No , ...

"...and confessed they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." -Hebrews 11:13 [KJV] O, ye worldly-minded professors, can ye read this without being ashamed and reproved? What will bring a man to this confession? Will sickness, and a near approach to death? O! no. Men return from the most dangerous illness, to greater love of the world, and more ardent pursuit after the things of it. Look at a dying worldling. See him, like a drowning man, clinching the faster what he has grasped for his hope and help. Men not only live fools, but die fools too.  Their senses beguile them: their reason befools them: they reject the plainest truths before them. Nothing will kill the love of a bewitching world in a deceitful heart, but the view of heaven by faith. No man will confess himself a stranger to the world, and a pilgrim on the earth, until he sees himself “a fellow-citizen with the saints, and of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19.) As we say, we will not quit a ce...