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

" Speak thou the things which become sound doctrine." -Titus 2:1 [KJV] “Like people, like priest,” is a Scripture adage, (Hosea 4:9.) Professors generally possess the same ideas of the minister they sit under. Our Lord advises, “Take heed what ye hear , ” (Mark 4:24.) The seeds of all heresies are in our nature; they are sooner learned than sound doctrine. Hence Paul’s jealousy of, and advice to Titus. He was not only to preach sound doctrine, but the things also which become it. Sound doctrine is to be highly prized, yet it is not to be alone. Good as it is, to have a sound judgment in the doctrines of grace, yet we are ever to consider, they are all according to, and tend to promote godliness.  They are all of a practical and experimental nature: productive of love in the heart, and holiness in the life. Many err here. Some make little of sound doctrine. They cry out, Away with your doctrines, give us practical holiness. These cast contempt upon the word of...

"Who loved me, and gave Himself for me." -Galatians 2:20 [KJV] See, my soul, how Paul is for ever using Jesus, and feasting for ever upon Him. Oh! seek grace to do the same. He saith, Jesus loved him; Jesus, the Son of God, loved Paul. Now love from any object is valuable, but from the first, and best, and greatest of all Beings, what invaluable love is this? And who did Christ love? "Why me," saith Paul: "who was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious." And how do you know, Paul, that Jesus loved you? "He gave Himself for me," saith Paul. "Gave Himself?" Yes, Himself. Not His gifts only, not His grace, not His mercies, though all creation is His. And whatever He gave must have been an undeserved mercy; for I merited hell, when He bestowed upon me heaven. But even heaven, with all its glories, is nothing, saith Paul, to what Jesus gave me; for He gave "Himself for me." Oh! my soul, wilt thou not look up, wil...

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." -Psalm 51:17 [KJV] The heart that feels the burden of sin, that suffers under temptation, that groans beneath satan's fiery assaults, that bleeds under the wounds inflicted by committed evil, is broken and contrite. This brokenness of heart and contrition of spirit is a thing which a child of God alone can feel. However hard his heart at times may seem to be, there will be reasons of spiritual reviving; however he may seem steeled against any sense of love and mercy, or even of misery and guilt, from time to time when he is least expecting and looking for it, there will be a breaking down of his soul before the Lord; there will be a bewailing of himself, a turning from the world to seek the Lord's favour, and a casting himself as a sinner once more on undeserved mercy, tears will flow down his cheeks, sighs burst from his bosom, and he will lie humble...

" Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, not to be repented of." -II Corinthians 7:10 [KJV] By legal preaching, setting forth the curses of the law, and the terrors of hell, a sinner’s conscience may be made to tremble under the dread of damnation. He may be said to repent. “Judas thus repented himself, and said, I have sinned.” He might be sorry for it. His sin might make his heart ache, and fill his soul with horrors. But here was no godly sorrow. God was not in all his thoughts. No repentance unto salvation: this was out of his sight. His repentance was unto damnation. For “he went out and hanged himself,” (Matthew 27:5.) Natural fears and legal terrors may excite sorrow without the grace of repentance.  (1st.) What then is godly sorrow? It springs from God, it is excited by the views of God, it is directed to God, and arises in the heart on account of God. With David the soul cries, “against Thee only have I sinned,” (Psalm 51:4.) The heart is p...

"Seest thou this woman?” -Luke 7:44 [KJV] My soul, look at this woman at the feet of Jesus; for thy Jesus bids thee look, and gather instruction from the view, as well as the pharisee. Behold how she wept, how she washed the feet of Jesus, and anointed them with ointment. These were sweet tokens of her love and adoration. But were these the causes for which she obtained forgivings? Oh, no. Read what the Lord said to her: "Thy faith hath saved thee." Learn, then, my, soul, in what salvation lies. Love may bring ointment to Jesus. Sorrow for sin, when grace is in the heart, will cause tears to fall. But faith brings nothing, for it hath nothing: it casts itself wholly upon Jesus. Amidst all its guilt, and fears, and tears, it is Jesus only to whom faith looks; it is Jesus upon whom alone it depends. It hath nothing to do with self; neither our own feelings, nor the exercise of our graces.  These are blessed evidences of the work of the Lord upon the heart; b...

"They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward." -Jeremiah 50:5 [KJV] Zion is the seat of all gospel blessings. In it is laid "the precious corner-stone" (Isaiah 28:16) ; in it is "placed salvation for Israel" (Isaiah 46:13) ; the Lamb of God stands upon it (Revelation 14:1) ; mercy, redemption, pardon, comfort, strength, deliverance, and glory come out of it. In turning the face then Zionwards, is implied the seeking of gospel blessings. The redeemed are therefore said "to seek the L ORD their God," Who is only to be found in Zion, His dwelling-place, and where praise waiteth for Him (Psalm 65:1) . But they ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward in no light and trifling spirit, and in no positive certainty that they shall ever arrive there. They have to ask the way step by step, often doubting and fearing whether they be in the way. Having been so often deceived and deluded, they dare no more trust their...

" And the L ORD went His way, as soon as He had left communing with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his own place." -Genesis 18:33 [KJV] Love is the bond of friendship. Unless love be mutual, friendship cannot subsist. The sweets of friendship are enjoyed in free communications. Friends are delighted with each other’s presence. Long absence causes pain. This is true between God and the soul. If you feel concern at the absence of God, you love God: you are a friend of the Lord’s. The Lord stoops to earth: He takes our flesh: He visits and converses with us as friends. This same Lord communes with Abraham.  Consider, (1st.) Abraham was a poor sinner, as we are; he could no more behold the essential glory of the Godhead, without a mediator, than we can. Nor can God in His essential glory, as perfectly holy and righteous, draw near to fallen man, without a mediator, but sudden destruction must be his awful doom. Therefore it was Jesus the Lord, the sinner’s Friend, ...