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

" For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, saith the L ORD , Who hath mercy on thee." —Isaiah 54:10 [KJV] The absolute promises of our gracious Lord, are the foundation of faith, the encouragement of hope, the excitement of love, the source of comfort, and the spring of true holiness. Why then are not the children of faith always joyful in hope, ever comfortable in love, and constantly happy in the way of holiness? Truly, because an enemy hath sown the tares of unbelief in our nature. This evil root of bitterness continually springs up, and troubles us. It bears the most base, dishonorable fruits, respecting our God; and is most hurtful and poisonous to our souls.  Little reason have we to dung and water, so as to strengthen this degenerate plant, with the corrupt notion of those who deny God's covenant love and faithfulness, and dare teach 'T...

"I am my Beloved's, and His desire is toward me." -Song of Solomon 7:10 [KJV] Yes, dearest Jesus! I am truly Thine, by every tie which can make me Thine. I am Thine by the gift of GOD the FATHER; by Thine own betrothing me to Thyself; by the HOLY GHOST anointing me in Thee, and making me one with Thee, and in Thee, before the world. And I am Thine in the recovery of the church from Adam's fall and transgression by the sacrifice of Thyself: for Thou hast bought me with Thy blood, and made me thereby the conquest of Thine HOLY SPIRIT. And now through Thy divine teaching I can and do discover, that from everlasting Thy desire was towards Thy redeemed ones, and even when dead in trespasses and sins, it was Thy desire to quicken them into life, and bring them to Thyself.  And even now, notwithstanding all my backwardness to Thee, Thou restest in Thy love, and Thou art calling me by Thy grace, and seeking continual fellowship in ordinances, and by Thy word and pr...

"Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." -Luke 1:78, 79 [KJV] There is a way of peace, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ . For He is "our peace," and "the way," and therefore the way of peace. He has made peace through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20) , having slain the enmity thereby, and came and preached peace to them which were afar off, "sitting in darkness and the shadow of death," and to them that were nigh (Ephesians 2:16, 17).   The dayspring, then, breaking in upon the soul, shines upon the way of peace, and guides the feet into it. The light shines upon the way lined with blood, the way of salvation through the finished work, atoning blood, and meritorious sufferings of the Son of God . As, then, the light shines upon the way, and it is seen as a way o...

" I will go in the strength of the Lord G OD : I will make mention of Thy righteousness, even of Thine only." —Psalm 71:16 [KJV] Wise travellers provide things needful for their journey, and guard against such as lie in wait, by the way, to rob them. Our gracious God calls not His dear children to forsake their native country, to travel to the heavenly city, without furnishing them with a rich supply of all things necessary for their comfort, and also strength to protect them from the power of every enemy. No soldier of His goeth a warfare at his own charge; Christ being both their righteousness and strength , they can want nothing; neither riches nor power. Hence, they go on from day to day, glorying in Him, as their richest treasure, and trusting in Him as their almighty strength; and this is their constant song in the house of their pilgrimage, and all through their journey: "Surely, in the L ORD have I righteousness and strength , " —Isaiah 45:24 .  ...

"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the L ORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be thou perfect ." -Genesis 17:1 [KJV] Our old bibles, in their margin, have retained the original El Shaddai , which we now read God Almighty , and marked it also God All-sufficient, meaning that Jehovah in covenant with Jesus, as the Head of His people, is all-sufficient in Himself, and all-sufficient for all their need in time and to eternity. He is God All-sufficient, or of many paps, many breasts of consolotion, (as some derive the word) for His faithful ones to suck at and draw from, in an endless supply. Here then, my soul, take this sweet title of thy covenant God and Father in Christ Jesus for thy daily meditation, both at the opening, and through all the periods of the coming year. And as even at old age the Lord still opened to Abraham this precious source for his comfort, so look up in Jesus and behold it as thi...

"Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." -Acts 14:22 [KJV] The very word "confirm" implies that the souls of Christ’s disciples need strengthening. If there were no temptations to try, no sharp sorrows to grieve, no painful afflictions to distress them; or if, on the other hand, there were no sensible weakness of soul, no sinking of heart, no despondency of spirit, no giving way of faith and hope, no doubt or fear in the mind, how could the souls of the disciples be strengthened? The souls of God’s people are not made of cast iron, against which arrow after arrow may be discharged and leave no dent, make no impression. The hearts of the Lord’s people are in a measure conformed to the heart of Christ. And what was His heart? "My heart," He says, "is like wax; it is melted in the midst of My bowels , " (see Psalm 2...

"Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen." —I John 5:21 [KJV] Idolatry is founded in ignorance of Jesus, the true God, and eternal life. None are spiritual worshippers of God but believers in Jesus. There are many idols in the world, suited to the pride and lusts of our corrupt nature. These we are cautioned against. But, in reading this very exhortation, the idol of "free-will" is ready to present itself; as though disciples, by their own power, were to keep themselves. This notion opposes the Spirit and power of Jesus and springs from that grand idol, pride. Pride introduces the idol of self- righteousness. This blinds the eye to the glory of the righteousness of Christ, freely imputed by God, through faith. Thus this trinity of idols, free-will, pride, and self-righteousness, are in unity with each other.  By the simple faith of Jesus, we are daily to guard our hearts against all their specious pretensions. So also, every outward object su...