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

"Behold, he prayeth!"   -Acts 9:11 [KJV] In many trades, it is customary to shew samples or patterns. By these men judge of the goodness or quality of the whole. St. Paul sets himself forth as a sample, or pattern, of the free, distinguishing, sovereign, unmerited grace of God, that we should judge of its nature by its efficacy upon him. “I obtained mercy, for this cause, that in me first   (-a first rate sinner) Jesus Christ may shew forth His all long suffering, for a pattern to them who should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting”   (I Timothy 1:16.) Thou hast seen this pattern of free grace. What dost thou think of it?  The whole is alike with the pattern. It cometh alike upon elect sinners. It finds no more prerequisites, fitness, qualifications, or conditions in any, than it did in St. Paul. Whenever it takes place upon any, it produceth the same effects as it did in him. Grace and mercy from Jesus, makes Saul pray to Jesus. There is the ...

"There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old, but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed."   -Isaiah 65:20 [KJV] My soul, contemplate this morning the auspicious and blessed effects brought into the circumstances of mankind by the gospel. Not only shall there be new heavens, and a new earth, but new hearts, new minds, new dispositions to enjoy them. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away, and all things are become new"   (II Corinthians 5:17.) And among the many blessed changes that shall take place in consequence of Jesus' salvation, all untimely deaths are done away.  Indeed, there can be no such thing as an untimely death to those who are in Christ: for a voice from heaven pronounces all blessed that die in the Lord . A child new born, if born also in Christ, an infant of a day, if a gracious day, ...

"Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, when He led thee by the way?"   -Jeremiah 2:17 [KJV] No man knows better, I believe, than myself, that we cannot do anything of a spiritual nature to bring us near to God, but I am equally sure that we can do many things that set us very far from Him. Let all the shame and guilt be ours; all the grace and glory are God's. Every drop of felt mercy, every ray of gracious hope, every sweet application of truth to the heart, every sense of interest, every blessed testimony, every sweet indulgence, every heavenly smile, every tender desire, and every spiritual feeling, all, all are of God.  If ever my heart is softened, my spirit blessed, my soul watered, if Christ is ever felt to be precious, it is all of His grace; it is all given freely, sovereignly, without money and without price. But can it be denied—I for one cannot deny it—that by our carnality, inconsistency, worldly-...

"And he requested for himself that he might die."   -I Kings 19:4 [KJV] “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are.”  -James 5:17 [KJV] This request proves it. It arose from fear and discontent. Both were occasioned by the threats of a weak, but wicked woman. Jezebel threatened his life. O how soon, and by what weak means, are the fine frames of God’s children spoiled and discomposed! What Elijah! that great prophet of the Lord, who had wrought so many notable miracles in the name of the Lord, who had been so miraculously fed by the ravens, according to the command of the Lord—he who had courage to say, “As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself to incensed Ahab to-day.”   What! he who had zeal to face four hundred and fifty of Baal’s priests, and to command them all to be slain, what does he request to die, because of the threatenings of a woman! What shall we say to this? Verily, human nature is the same in all, w...

"And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant."  -Exodus 2:24 [KJV] This is a precious scripture. My soul, put a note upon it. No sigh, no groan, no tear of God's people can pass unobserved. He putteth the tears of His people in His bottle. Surely then He can never overlook what gives vent to those tears, the sorrows of the soul. Our spiritual afflictions Jesus knows, and numbers all. How sweet the thought! the Spirit maketh intercession for the saints with the groanings which they cannot utter.  And do, my soul, observe the cause of deliverance. Not our sighs, nor our groanings, nor our brokenness of heart; not these, for what benefit can these render to an holy God? But God hath respect in all to His own everlasting covenant. Yes, Jesus is the all in all of the covenant. God the Father hath respect to Him. For His sake, for His righteousness, for His atoning blood, the groanings of His people find audience at the mercy-seat and redress. And...

"Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent ."   -John 6:29 [KJV] Oh! how many a living saint is there who wants to believe in Jesus, who longs to trust in His holy name; and yet he cannot, so plagued, so pestered is he by the risings of inward unbelief. He knows that he does not yet so believe in Him as to obtain deliverance; for he has an inward testimony in his conscience, that if he believed in the Lord Jesus by the power of the Holy Ghost, it would bring the love of God into his heart, extract the sting of death, and fill him with joy and peace.  But as long as he feels condemned by the law and his own guilty conscience, he has an inward testimony that he has not as yet that living faith in Christ which, he is persuaded, would save and deliver him from all his guilty fears and dismal apprehensions. Therefore he labours after this special, this peculiar faith in the Lord Jesus, that he may attain unto ...

Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy (see I Timothy 1:13) Literally, "I was bemercied ." Christians, why might not you have been in the number of those who persist in sinning? Because God has bemiracled you with mercy! See what cause you have to admire the stupendous goodness of God, who has wrought a change in you--and checked you in your full career of sin! Christians, you who are vessels of election, were by nature as wicked as others; but God had compassion on you and plucked you as brands out of the fire! He stopped you in your course of sinning-- when you were marching to Hell! He turned you back to Him by sincere repentance. Oh, here is the banner of love displayed over you! Behold sovereign grace! Let your hearts melt in love to God. Admire His royal bounty. Set the crown of all your praises, upon the head of free grace! "By the grace of God I am what I am!" (I Corinthians 15:10)   -preacher T...