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

" What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee." -Psalm 56:3 [KJV] A Christian’s fears commence with his joys. Being new-born, he is the subject of new joys and new fears also: and, glory to grace! he has a new Object too to trust in—a covenant God in Christ, Who is unchangeable in His love. Confidence in Him is the sovereign antidote against dejecting fears. Fears, that the world know not of, beset holy saints.  (1st.) They find and feel their hearts to be superlatively deceitful, and desperately wicked. They dread their corruptions, more than all the men on earth, or devils in hell: they are afraid lest some vile lust, cursed corruption or devilish temptation should prevail, so as to offend their Lord, wound their conscience, and bring a reproach upon that holy name, whereby they are called. This is a godly fear; it can do the soul no harm: it is for its good: it keeps it humble and self-diffident, and causes it to say, “I will trust in Thee.” “Do,” saith the ...

"And for their sakes I sanctify Myself." -John 17:19 [KJV] Let thy morning thoughts, my soul, be directed to this sweet view of thy Saviour. Behold thy Jesus presenting Himself as the Surety of His people before God and the Father. Having now received the call and authority of God the Father, and being fitted with a body suited to the service of a Redeemer, here see Him entering upon the vast work; and in those blessed words, declaring the cause of it - "I sanctify Myself." Did Jesus mean that He made Himself more holy for the purpose? No, surely: for that was impossible. But by Jesus sanctifying Himself, must be understood (as the Nazarite from the womb, consecrated, set apart, dedicated to the service to which the Father had called Him), a voluntary offering -an holy unblemished sacrifice. And observe for whom: "for their sakes ; " not for Himself; for He needed it not.  The priests under the law made their offerings, first for themselves...

"Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?" -Jeremiah 8:22 [KJV] There is balm in Gilead, and there is a physician there. This is, and must ever be, our only hope. If there were no balm in Gilead, what could we do but lie down in despair and die? For our sins are so great, our backslidings so repeated, our minds so dark, our hearts so hard, our affections so cold, our souls so wavering and wandering, that if there were no balm in Gilead, no precious blood, no sweet promises, no sovereign grace, and if there were no physician there, no risen Jesus, no great High Priest over the house of God, what well-grounded hope could we entertain? Not a ray. Our own obedience and consistency! These are a bed too short and a covering too narrow. But when there is some application of the balm in Gilead, it softens, melts, humbles, and at the same time thoroughly heals. Nay, this balm strengthens every nerve and sinew, heals blindness, remedies deafness, cures par...

" Only believe." -Mark 5:36 [KJV] A short answer to a case of great distress. A simple recipe from the greatest Physician. A grand universal remedy that suits all cases, states, and circumstances, and is seasonable at all times. Look at this history. Look to the Author of faith to profit by it. Here is a ruler falls at Christ’s feet, beseeching help for his daughter, who is at the point of death. Jesus went with him. Before he arrives at the house, news is brought that the child is dead. The Lord of life and death forbids the father’s fears. Be not afraid. He encourages his hope: Only believe . Fears are natural to sinners. Faith expels them. Christ restores her to life. Joyful news for us.  (1st.) Here is precious encouragement for our faith, in every application to Christ.  For, (2d.) here is a marvellous display of His great love, ready will, and almighty power, to help and relieve us. He not only restores at the last gasp, but, when life is departed, recall...

"Thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt." -Matthew 14:31 [KJV] My soul, how sweet is it to eye Jesus in all things, and to be humbled in the recollection of His compassions to thy unaccountable instances of unbelief, after the many, nay, continued and daily experiences, which thou hast had of His love and faithfulness. And doth thy Jesus speak to thee this day, in those expostulating words, Oh! "Thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" What answer wilt thou return? Is there any thing in thy life to justify, or even to apologize for doubting? Look back - behold thy God and Father's grace, and mercy, and love;—a Saviour so rich, so compassionate, so answering all wants, in spirituals, temporals, and eternals; - a blessed Spirit, so condescending to teach, to lead, and by His influences to be continually with thee!  Surely, a life like thine, crowded with mercies, blessings upon blessings, and one miracle of grace followed by anot...

"But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." -Job 23:10 [KJV] What a purifying effect experience of temptation produces; what a separation it makes of the dross from the ore! If a man has a grain of faith in his soul, temptation will discover it; if he has a particle of living hope, temptation will bring it to light; if he has a grain of love, temptation will extract it from the ore; if he has any patience, any humility, any fear of God, any desire to be right, any dread to be wrong, any honesty, any sincerity, any integrity, in a word, if he has any vital power in his soul, anything of the grace of God in his heart, temptation will make it manifest, as the hot flame of the furnace, acting upon the crucible, manifests the gold by breaking up its alliance with the dross. You scarcely know whether you are a believer or an unbeliever until you pass through temptation. You do not know what the nature of faith is as a divin...

" But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, Who is the head, even Christ." -Ephesians 4:15 [KJV] There is much good or much harm done, by public preaching and private speaking. See to it, Christians. It either makes souls grow up in self-love, self-righteousness, and self-complacency; or to grow quite out of all conceit with themselves, and to grow up into Christ in all things. Vain persons, who think themselves very handsome, are peculiarly fond of looking at themselves in a glass that flatters or deceives them. If they see a disgustful spot, or blemish in their face, their vanity prompts them to give it some better name than it deserves, that it may not bring down their high opinion of their own beauty.  This is the exact case with those who are grown up in themselves, in a high conceit of their own senseless perfection. If a spot or blemish of sin appear, O, that is only an infirmity: they do not call these things sin. But, one loud...