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

" Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines: for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace." -Hebrews 13:9 [KJV] The doctrines of grace are streams which flow from the Fountain-Head, the covenant of grace. They all lead to Jesus, the surety of the covenant. All doctrines that oppose the covenant-engagements of the Holy Trinity, for the salvation of sinners, are diverse, and strange doctrines. They direct to a different hope than Christ, and lead souls from the truth, as it is in Him. With these diverse and strange doctrines, men may evidence great zeal for holiness and good works, while they have rooted enmity against the leading truths and capital doctrines of the gospel .  Who talk more of holiness, and contend more for good works, than Arians and Socinians, and yet deny the proper deity of Christ? So many of another cast, carry their notions of holiness and perfection to the greatest height; yet vehemently oppose the doctrines ...

"And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation." - Psalm 107:7 [KJV] "He led them forth." Forth out of the world—forth out of sin—forth out of a profession— forth out of a name to live—forth out of everything hateful to His holy and pure eyes. "To go to a city of habitation." They had no city to dwell in here below; but they were journeying to a city of habitation above, whose walls and bulwarks are salvation, and whose gates are praise; where there are eternal realities to be enjoyed by the soul; where there is something stable and eternal; something to satisfy all the wants of a capacious ( wide, large ) and immortal spirit, and give it that rest which it never could find while wandering here below.  If we have a city here, we want no city above; and if we have a city above, we want no city here . This then must be our state and case; either to be pilgrims, journeying onwards, through troubles, to thing...

" The GOD of the whole earth shall He be called." -Isaiah 54:5 [KJV] An affectionate wife cannot bear to hear her loving husband traduced (- misrepresented ) and spoken contemptibly of. It must hurt her mind. The church of the faithful, “is the Bride, the Lamb’s wife,” (Revelation 21:9.) Her Redeemer is here said to be her Husband. These four names are given to Him. Thy Maker — the L ORD of hosts — the Holy One of Israel — the God of the whole earth . Now if, after this, any should dare to deny, that Jesus Christ is not truly and essentially God, they must be quite blind, exceeding bold, and abominable wicked.  Jealous of our dear husband’s honour and glory, we cannot bear to hear Him so vilely traduced and blasphemed. While we pity, we would flee from such, and take shelter under the wings of our Redeemer, and the protection of our Husband. The Godhead dignity of His person is the glory of our souls. The humility of His appearing in flesh, adds charms to His...

"Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the L ORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses." - Psalm 107:5, 6 [KJV] Until they wandered in the wilderness—until they felt it to be a solitary way, until they found no city to dwell in, until hungry and thirsty their soul fainted in them—there was no cry. There might have been prayer, a desire, a feeble wish, and now and then a sigh or a groan. But this was not enough. Something more was wanted to draw forth loving-kindness out of the bosom of the compassionate Head of the Church. A cry was wanted,—a cry of distress, a cry of soul trouble, a cry forced out of their hearts by heavy burdens. And a cry implies necessity, urgent want, a perishing without an answer to the cry. It is the breath of a soul bent upon having eternal realities brought into the conscience, or perishing without them. It is this solemn feeling in the heart that there is no other refuge but Go...

"Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned, answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the L ORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold; thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not eat thereof ." -II Kings 7:2 [KJV] My soul, do not fail to remark, from the numberless instances given upon record in scripture, how the sin of unbelief is bound up in our very nature. Every man is of himself disposed to it. The subtilty of Satan induced this among the masterpieces of his devilish art. Hence nothing but an act of sovereign grace can bring a cure. What the prophet promised, in the midst of dearth, of so sudden and so great a supply of bread, appeared so incredible to human reason, that this unbelieving lord, on whose hand the king of Israel leaned, and perhaps in whose judgment he had great confidence, brake out into the indecent expression, that nothing less than the Lord's making windows in heaven could accomplish ...

" Let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone." -Galatians 6:4 [KJV] “A day is coming, when the fire shall try every man’s work, of what sort it is , ” (I Corinthians 3:13.) O how much wood of pride, hay of self-love, and stubble of self-complacency, will then be burnt up; Yea, and it will be entirely owing to the rich grace, and finished salvation of Jesus (not for any work of ours), that our souls too, are not in that day cast into unquenchable fire. Why then does the apostle bid us prove our own work? That we may be joyful? Alas! says the convinced humble sinner, I have not a work that I dare look at, but instead of giving me joy, it occasions sorrow.  “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Lord be gracious to me, an unprofitable servant. Is this the confession of thy heart? Prove it by the word of God. Thou wilt find it agreeable thereto. Rejoice in thyself for it. Give glory to Him, Who taught thee to know thyself, and ...

"They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in." - Psalm 107:4 [KJV] "They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way ;"—a way not tracked; a path in which each has to walk alone; a road where no company cheers him, and without landmarks to direct his course. This is a mark peculiar to the child of God— that the path by which he travels is, in his own feelings, a solitary way. This much increases his exercises, that they appear peculiar to himself.  His perplexities are such as he cannot believe any living soul is exercised with; the fiery darts which are cast into his mind by the wicked one are such as he thinks no child of God has ever experienced; the darkness of his soul, the unbelief and infidelity of his heart, and the workings of his powerful corruptions, are such as he supposes none ever knew but himself.  To be without any comfort except what God gives, without any guidance but what the Lord affords, witho...