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

" How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against GOD?" -Genesis 39:9 [KJV] Look now at young Joseph, and say, Is not this the noblest reasoning against a fierce temptation? Here is a youth in the bloom of life, in the vigour of nature, passions ran high, affections strong, a violent temptation presents, a fair seducer solicits. Yet, amidst all this, with the coolness of age, with the grace of faith he reasons, and with a holy fortitude of soul he withstands and overcomes the sin. Here is a blessed lesson for you, ye youth! nor less instructive to me, and to you, ye aged! Every period of life has its peculiar temptations. Ye children of special grace, ye contenders for its glorious doctrines, consider,  (1st.) What is implied in this, sin against God? Would not Joseph have sinned against the best of masters: against the wife of his master: against his own soul? Doubtless: but his God is above and beyond all other objects. The love of his gracious God wa...

" Prophecy is proof of God's infinite knowledge . If He did not know future things, there would have been a time when He was ignorant.  But every prophet's candle, in our way of thinking, was lighted by the torch of God's foreknowledge. But better still, the prophet's candle was lighted by the torch of God's infinite knowledge ." -copied

"Thus saith the L ORD , Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me." -Jeremiah 9:23, 24 [KJV] So we are allowed to glory. But in what and in whom? Not in ourselves; that is for ever disannulled. The Lord has purposed to pour contempt upon all human glory, that none should glory in himself, whatever he be or whatever he have. But when a man has a view of the Son of God in His beauty, in His suitability, in His heavenly grace and divine glory, then he can and may glory in the Lord. He can say, "O what a Lord there is above! How glorious is He in His excellency, in His suitability, and in His blessedness; how glorious His wisdom, His righteousness, His sanctification, and His redemption. Let my whole glory be there; let me not take to myself a single atom of it. If I am wise, let me give Him the...

"In that day, saith the L ORD , will I assemble her that halteth." - Micah 4:6 [KJV] Mark, my soul, the graciousness of thy God! Jesus is not only blessing His people when they follow Him, but He will bless them by recovering them when they halt. And of all the tokens of grace, that is the most endearing which is manifested over the aboundings of transgression. We have a passage similar to this in the writings of Isaiah, in which the Lord complains of the baseness of His people: "But thou hast not called upon Me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of Me, O Israel. Thou hast made Me to serve with thy sins, and thou hast wearied Me with thine iniquities."   One might suppose, after such a charge, and such instances of ingratitude, that the next account would be, that the Lord had given up Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches: but, no! what saith the Lord? "I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions, for Mine own sake, and will not ...

" The [-false] god of the religionist is measured by his own depraved standard . Depraved man reprehends what he does not comprehend. He finds fault with election, predestination, and other great truths related to God's sovereignty. In this manner, he stains the excellency of the sovereign God with his thoughts and speech." -copied

" Nay, but, O man, who art thou that repliest against GOD?" - Romans 9:20 [KJV] The sovereignty of God, in dispensing His grace to whom He pleaseth, and which He oweth to none, ever has been a subject of contention. Unawakened people, with self-righteous hearts, and stubborn 'free-will' pride, rise with indignation of spirit, daringly call in question the ways of God to man, and impiously reply against God, as though He had not an absolute right to do what He will with His own, and confer His favours when, and on whom He pleases.  “Ye shall be as gods,” says the father of lies, (Genesis 3:5.) Our first parents believed him. They have tainted our whole race with this proud lie. Hence the poet most sarcastically says, to repliers against God, Snatch from His hand the balance and the rod, Rejudge His justice, be the god of God . St. Paul meets such. He puts a question to them. He demands an answer from them. Who art thou? The Lord in the sovereignty of g...

"And being made perfect, He became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him." - Hebrews 5:9 [KJV] By His sufferings in the garden and upon the cross the Lord Jesus was made perfect. But what perfection was this? It clearly does not mean that by these sufferings in the garden and upon the cross our Lord was made perfect as the Son of God, nor perfect as the Son of man, for He was perfect before as possessing infinite perfection in His eternal Godhead, and was endued also with every possible perfection of which His sacred humanity was capable. He needed no perfection to be added to His Godhead; it was not susceptible of it; no perfection to be added to His manhood, for it was "a holy thing" in union with eternal Deity.  But He needed to be made perfect as a High Priest. It was through His sufferings that He was consecrated or dedicated in an especial manner to the priesthood, for this corresponds with His own words: "And for their ...