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

" That your love may abound yet more and more, in knowledge and in all judgment." -Philippians 1:9 [KJV] The soul that is not concerned that it may be so with Him, is not alive to God. We see many professors, who have lost a warm sense and comfortable feeling of divine truths. But are they deeply concerned for it? Do they earnestly wrestle with God, fervently crying out, O that it were with me as in months past? Alas! no: they say, We are not called to live upon our frames and feelings.  Very true: neither, blessed be God! are we called to live without warm frames and comfortable feelings. O, let us beware, lest we despise the comforts of the Holy Ghost! Some professors, by their spirit and conduct, remind us of the fox in the fable, who lost his tail in a trap, and told his brethren he ran so much the lighter without it. So some, having lost their warm and lively feelings, think little about them, and seem to say, they can run well without them.  Truly, so they...

"Then said the Jews, Behold how He loved him! " -John 11:36 [KJV] The tears of Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus produced that astonishment in the mind of the Jews, that they thus exclaimed! But had they known, or did the whole world know, what I know of Thy love to me, Thou dear Redeemer of my soul, every one that heard it might with greater wonder cry out, "Behold how He loveth him!"   I would for the present pass by, in my contemplation of Thy love, all the numberless instances of it, which I possess in common with Thy church and people; for though these in every and in all cases carry with them the tokens of a love that passeth knowledge, yet, for the meditation of the morning, I would pause over the view of Jesus's love to me a poor sinner, not as it is displayed in general mercies, even the glorious mercies of redemption, but as those mercies come home, in their personal direction of them to my own heart, even to mine. Think, my soul, what a huge volum...

"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these Three are One." -I John 5:7 [KJV] All God's people are led into a knowledge of the Trinity; not indeed by metaphysical reasoning or subtle arguments addressed to the understanding. The Spirit teaches them, not by reasoning addressed to the head, but by the power and dew of divine truth resting upon the heart. All God's people learn the doctrine of the Trinity in their souls. They learn, under divine teaching, the authority, justice, majesty, holiness, and in due time feel the love of God the Father. They learn the Godhead of Christ in their souls, by seeing and feeling the power of His blood, as the blood of God (Acts 20:28) , and His righteousness as the "righteousness of God." And they learn the Deity and Personality of the Holy Ghost by feeling the divine power of His operations on their hearts. They learn also that He is God, by perceiving ...

" I will put a division between My people and thy people: to-morrow shall this sign be." - Exodus 8:23 [KJV] Thus speaks the sovereign Jehovah to the haughty, stubborn monarch Pharaoh. Loving children delight to treasure up in their memories the words of an affectionate father: they love to reflect on them, and draw comfort from them. O that we may do so to-night, by this speech of our heavenly Father!  Consider, (1st.) here is a people distinguished from a people. The Lord has a people among a people, chosen out of a people . These He particularly calls His own— My people . They are so, by everlasting love, eternal choice, and covenant grace.  (2d.) Though near and dear as they are to the Lord, yet they may for a season continue under the power of, and suffer oppression from their enemies. Though the love of the Lord’s heart is ever set upon you, and the eye of His providence is ever over you, yet He may seem to leave you. O! tarry the Lord’s leisure, and be st...

"Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them." -Song of Solomon 4:2 [KJV] See, my soul, how Jesus sets off the beauties of His church, when made comely in His comeliness, which He hath put upon it. Jesus' whole church forms but one flock; for there shall be one fold and one Shepherd. And though it is called a little flock , and a flock of slaughter, yet it is a beautiful flock in the Lord's hand.  But wherefore are the teeth of the church said to be like a flock shorn? Probably, from their never being exercised but upon divine things: shorn to all desires in which unshorn and carnal persons delight. The believer feeds on Jesus: His flesh he finds to be meat indeed, His blood drink indeed : To the roof of his mouth this becomes, like the best wine, which goeth down sweetly, causing even the lips of those that sleep to speak. And how do believers, like...

"We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak." -II Corinthians 4:13 [KJV] There is a distinction to be made between faith and the spirit of faith. The spirit of faith is faith in exercise. Faith sometimes is like a day in which there is no wind blowing. It is so calm, that there scarcely appears to be any air stirring to move a leaf. But after a time a gentle breeze comes and blows over the earth. Thus it is with faith and the spirit of faith. Faith in repose is like the calm air of a summer's day, when there is nothing moving or stirring; faith acting, faith in exercise, is like the same air in the gentle breeze which makes itself sensibly felt.  If God has given me faith, that faith is never lost out of my breast. If once a believer, I always am a believer; for if I could cease to believe, I should cease to be a child of God; I should lose salvation out of m...

" Awake to righteousness, and sin not." -I Corinthians 15:34 [KJV] What St. Paul says of natural death, “Some are fallen asleep,” (verse 6,) may be applied, in a spiritual sense, to professors. There are many such in this day. It is a very bad frame to live in and indulge. Such bring no honour to God, credit to the gospel, or profit to their brethren. One would think, such sit all the year under that word, and heartily obey it, “Sleep on, and take your rest.” Can such be said to be running in the heavenly race, fighting the good fight of faith, wrestling with spiritual enemies, and pressing towards the mark, for the prize of their high calling of God in Christ Jesus?  No; no more than a man in a midnight sleep, can be said to be active in worldly affairs. But, what is worst of all, such sleepers dream that all is safe, and well with them. St. Paul, like a faithful watchman, cries out to such, Awake: “How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise ou...