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

"Put off the old man." -Ephesians 4:22 [KJV] People who love money better than a good conscience, make nothing of putting off base and counterfeit coin. Christian, you may safely imitate them, in putting off the base old man. The more the love of Christ is in you, the more will you do it.  (1st.) What is meant by this old man? Corrupt nature, which was born with you, is part of you, lives in you, and will never be dead so long as your body lives. Though near six thousand years old, yet he is very strong and vigorous at times. Yea, though you are a child of God, and a member of Christ, he wants to have the mastery over you. You could never have conquered him, had not Christ crucified him. Though crucified, you can never subdue him, but by the strength of Christ. Nor you cannot put him off but by the grace of Christ, for he clings and twines round you like a serpent; yet you are commanded to put him off. This is your duty from day to day. But it is not by your mi...

"As for me I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinketh upon me." -Psalm 40:17 [KJV] My soul, sit down, and reckon up thy true riches. See what are thine outward circumstances, and take an inventory of all thine inward wealth. Thou art, by nature and by practice, one of the children of a bankrupt father, even Adam, who lived insolvent, and died wretchedly poor in himself, having entailed only an inheritance of sin, misery, and death, with the loss of divine favour, upon the whole race of his children. By nature and by practice thou art poor in the sight of God, despised by angels on account of thy loathsome disease of sin; thine understanding darkened; thy will corrupt; passions impetuous, proud, self-willed; all in opposition to the law of God; exposed to all present evil, everlasting evil; a slave to Satan, a willing captive in his drudgery; hastening daily to death, to the second death, and with an insensibility which is enough to make every heart mourn that be...

"For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." -Mark 4:28 [KJV] Faith, I believe, has in it always a measure of assurance. For what is assurance? It is merely the larger growth and fuller development of faith. The nature of assurance is much misunderstood. It is often considered something distinct from faith. This is not the case. It is merely faith in a fuller, larger development. The word "assurance" in the original has a very simple, yet beautiful meaning. It means literally "a full bearing;" and the word is applied sometimes to a large crop of corn or fruit, and sometimes to the tide coming in with a fuller wave.  Now it is the same corn which grows in the fields, whether the crop be much or little; it is the same tide that comes up the river whether in a scanty or full flow. So it is with assurance and faith: it is the same faith, only increased, enlarged, bearing more ...

"These things said Esaias, when he saw His glory, and spake of Him." -John 12:41 [KJV] Ministers who do not preach Christ, sinners who do not speak of Christ, are objects of pity , not of our wrath. Their eyes are blind to His matchless glory. Their hearts do not understand His unparalleled love.  But consider, (1st.) When once Christ’s glory is displayed, and His love believed in the heart, the tongue will speak of Him. So Isaiah found it. So did that poor woman of Samaria, “she ran into the city,” she catched hold of one and another. She eagerly cried, “Come, see a man who told me all things that ever I did, is not this the Christ?” Surely it is, what think ye? (John 4:29.) She had sweet experience. Here was no self-exalting.  No cry, See me, Admire me. What fine experience I have got! One is sometimes grieved to read, or hear people tell of their experiences, when they tend only to make the poor sinner appear, as somewhat glorious in his own eyes, and to ...

"And He must needs go through Samaria." -John 4:4 [KJV] And what was there, blessed Jesus, that constrained Thee to this necessity? Was it because there was a poor adulterous woman there, that needed Thy grace, and the hour was come for her conversion? Sweet thought! let me cherish it this morning. Was there not the same needs be for the Father setting Thee up, from everlasting, for the Head of Thy church and people? Could there have been a church without Thee?  And when Thy church had fallen by sin, what archangel could have recovered her but Thee? Why then there was a needs be that Thou shouldest take the nature of Thy people upon Thee, and come to seek and save that which was lost?  And as it is said of Thee concerning this poor woman, that "He must needs go through Samaria," so must it be equally said, Jesus must needs go to Jerusalem, to save Jerusalem sinners by His blood . Oh yes, there was a blessed necessity upon Thee, Thou Lamb of God, that ...

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."  -Ephesians 1:3 [KJV] If you are blessed with all spiritual blessings, it is only "in Christ" you are so blessed. If you were chosen before the foundation of the world, it was only "in Christ" that you were chosen. He is our covenant Head. What we are we are only in Him. There is nothing in self; no fixedness there. All is fluctuating here below; all is uncertain as regards man. Certainty is with God; and the fixedness of God's purposes is our grand, our only support.  Thus the doctrine of election received into the heart diffuses a sacred blessedness over the whole truth of God, for it gives stability to it. It is not a dry doctrine which men may toss about from hand to hand like a tennis ball; it is not an article of a creed written down in church articles, or a theory to be argued by divines. Nor is...

"Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees." -Hebrews 12:12 [KJV] Are you saying, My troubles are many, my burden is great, and hope deferred makes my heart sick? True, a faint heart makes weak hands and feeble knees. Then afflictions become intolerable, duty tiresome, prayer irksome, the ordinances like dry breasts, the lamp of spiritual life is expiring, the poor sinner grows dejected and dispirited, is ready to give up hope, and give way to despondency.  The Comforter inspires a work for such, “Lift up your hands,” etc. Do you say, the advice is good, but the practice hard? St. Paul supposes it: for he introduces it with wherefore. O, I dearly love these Scripture adverbs! Much courage and comfort are gained by attending to them. Wherefore or for which reason, lift up your weak hands, or the weak hands of others. Consider, why, or wherefore we should do this.  (1st.) We have Jesus to look unto for patience. He is the Author and Finish...