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

" Nothing is so well fitted to put the fear of God--which will preserve men from offending Him--into the heart, as an enlightened view of the cross of Christ. There shine spotless holiness, inflexible justice, incomprehensible wisdom, magnificent grace, omnipotent power, and holy love.  None of these excellencies darken or eclipse the other, but every one of them rather gives a lustre to the rest. They mingle their beams, and shine with united eternal splendour: the just Judge, the merciful Father, the wise Governor. Nowhere does justice appear so awful, mercy so amiable, or wisdom so profound."   -Jerry Bridges , 19th century Scottish pastor and theologian

" Believe in the L ORD your God, so shall ye be established: believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper." -II Chronicles 20:20 [KJV] Such was the advice of good old Jehosaphat, in a time of invasion by a powerful army. Precious words! at all times seasonable. What can a child of God desire on this side glory, so much as establishment of mind and prosperity of soul? Both are obtained by faith. As the mind is established, so the soul prospers.  (1st.) What is implied in being established? It is to be fixed and settled in the confidence of our mind, and not to halt between two opinions, as those of old did, between God and an idol (I Kings 18:21.) To halt, is to be lame on both sides. Thus, their minds were in suspense, agitated between two objects, and not steadily fixed upon either. So many sincere souls are tossed to and fro, by every wind of doctrine. They are like children, not steadily fixed in their judgment, nor settled in their confidence in the Lord: ye...

"The marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." -Revelation 19:7, 8 [KJV] Behold, my soul, behold that day, that glorious day, in which redemption is to be consummated, and in the kingdom of heaven; when the Son of God brings home His bride, the church, the full celebration of God's glory in the happiness of the redeemed in Jesus, everlasting joy will burst forth. See how thy nature is then to be adorned. The whole body, the church, is then to be arrayed in the robes of Jesus' righteousness, having been washed from all their sins in His blood .  And these nuptial ornaments are to be granted or given to the church; for she hath no righteousness of her own; but as all along in this world she had professed, so there in the upper world she triumphantly sings, "I will greatly rejoice in the L ORD...

"The God of all grace." -I Peter 5:10 [KJV] All we have and are, everything we know and feel, comes from "the God of all grace." We have nothing spiritually good in ourselves; all therefore that we have is the free gift of His hand, and comes from the ever-flowing Fountain of mercy and truth. It will be our mercy, then, as the Lord may enable us, to be ever looking to Him, not looking to books, not looking to ministers; these are only instruments, and in themselves but poor instruments. The soul must look through all and above all to "the God of all grace." The Lord enable you to examine every truth as it is brought before you by the light of God's Spirit in your heart, to "prove all things, and hold fast that which is good." And however deeply you may feel the vileness of your heart, remember this, there is "the God of all grace" to go to. If you feel yourself the vilest of sinners, He suits you the more as "t...

" David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul ." -I Samuel 27:1 [KJV] Who will say, that, from the nature and reason of things, David had not cause to think so? The king’s wrath was incensed against him. “The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: yea, as the roaring of a lion” (Proverbs 16:14–19:12.) Saul wanted neither policy nor power to execute his cruel designs upon David: but only, he must have permission from David’s Lord, before he could hurt a single hair of his head.  Poor David’s heart seems to forget this, when, in a fit of fear and frame of unbelief, he says, “I shall now one day perish by the hand of Saul.” Now, only think, “The Lord had appointed and anointed David to be king; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day forward” (ch. 16:12, 13.) Yet, we here find him doubting the truth of what had passed, giving way to unbelief, and suspecting that the Lord’s purpose might be prevented, by Saul’s malic...

"And the L ORD said, Arise, anoint him; for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren." -I Samuel 16:12, 13 [KJV] Was David singled out from amidst his brethren, to be the Lord's anointed; and do I not behold in this the representation of Jesus, that Holy One, concerning whom the Lord spake in vision, and said, I have laid help upon One that is mighty; I have exalted One chosen out of the people ?  Yes, Thou Lord our righteousness, in this I behold Thee. And let my soul make this sweet subject the meditation of my morning song, for surely it is a lovely song, to hail Thee the chiefest among ten thousand. I behold Thee then, Thou dear Emanuel, by the eye of faith, as coming up from everlasting, when amidst that immense multitude of those Thou disdainest not to call Thy brethren, Thou stoodest forth, in the eternal view, as the glorious One, to be the Christ, the God-man Mediator, for the salvation of Thy chu...

"That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us." -Hebrews 6:18 [KJV] No: it is utterly impossible for God to lie. The earth may be dissolved, and all creation reduced to chaos before God could lie. He would cease to be God if the faintest breath of a change, or the shadow of a turn should pass over the glorious Godhead. But it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore this holds out strong consolation for those that have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before them. And what is the ground of this strong consolation? This is the ground, that God has eternally determined and sworn by Himself—that He will save and bless those that have "fled for refuge to the hope set before them in the gospel." This is the foundation of their consolation, this is the ground of their hope, that God has made such and such promises, and ...