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

"Good news from a far country." -Proverbs 25:25 [KJV] From a far country, indeed; for it is no less distance than from heaven to earth, and from beings as opposite as holiness and sin could make-even from God to man, from a rich Saviour to poor sinners! And so remote that had not this good news been sent, heaven must have remained at an eternal distance, as an inaccessible region! And what is the good news itself?  The angels who were first sent to proclaim it, called it g lad tidings of good things , of great joy to all people. And indeed, such glad tidings it contains, as language fails to describe. It is pardon, mercy, and peace to poor rebels. It holds forth joy, happiness, and everlasting felicity to poor sinners, enemies, and the fallen race of men. God revealed; sin atoned; Satan conquered; death destroyed; hell vanquished; heaven opened ! And these not all. This good news informs also of the stupendous way by which the blessings are given, and everlasti...

"After the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life." -Hebrews 7:15, 16 [KJV] We may say of the life which the Lord Jesus lives in the courts of heavenly bliss that it is a threefold life. There is, first, His eternal life, by which I mean the eternal life of God in His divine nature. This He lives in Himself; for "as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself"   (John 5:26) . He is hereby "Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."  And this life is the foundation of all His acts of mediation, as being God over all, blessed for ever. But there is a life which He lives for Himself, viz. a life of inconceivable glory in His human nature. This is the life which He laid down that He might take it again. This life is the cause of, and is attended with all that ineffable ...

"Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines: for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace." -Hebrews 13:9 [KJV] The doctrines of grace are streams which flow from the Fountain-Head, the covenant of grace. They all lead to Jesus, the Surety of the covenant. All doctrines that oppose the covenant-engagements of the Holy Trinity, for the salvation of sinners, are diverse, and strange doctrines. They direct to a different hope than Christ, and lead souls from the truth, as it is in Him. With these diverse and strange doctrines, men may evidence great zeal for holiness and good works, while they have rooted enmity against the leading truths and capital doctrines of the gospel.  Who talk more of holiness, and contend more for good works, than Arians and Socinians, and yet deny the proper deity of Christ? So many of another cast, carry their notions of holiness and perfection to the greatest height; yet vehemently oppose the doctrines of ...

"The GOD of the whole earth shall He be called." - Isaiah 54:5 [KJV] An affectionate wife cannot bear to hear her loving husband traduced and spoken contemptibly of. It must hurt her mind. The church of the faithful, “is the Bride, the Lamb’s wife”   (Revelation 21:9.) Her Redeemer is here said to be her husband. These four names are given to Him. Thy Maker—the LORD of hosts—the Holy One of Israel—the God of the whole earth .  Now if, after this, any should dare to deny, that Jesus Christ is not truly and essentially God, they must be quite blind, exceeding bold, and abominable wicked. Jealous of our dear husband’s honour and glory, we cannot bear to hear Him so vilely traduced and blasphemed. While we pity, we would flee from such, and take shelter under the wings of our Redeemer, and the protection of our Husband.  The Godhead dignity of His person is the glory of our souls. The humility of His appearing in flesh, adds charms to His matchless beauty. Thou...

"And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood."   - Revelation 19:13 [KJV] Oh Thou bleeding Lamb of God! didst Thou thus appear to Thy servant John, to tell him, and the church through him, that Thy priesthood and Thy sacrifice are of the same everlasting nature and efficacy as Thy person and Thy finished work — "the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever?" And didst Thou thus manifest Thyself by way of assuring Thy poor needy followers that Thou delightest in Thine office, and lovest to be employed? Was it not, dearest Jesus, to this end, and as much in effect, as if Thou hadst said, See, I wear these priestly garments: behold My vesture still fresh with the blood which I offered in the day of My sacrifice on the cross, for My redeemed, and for whom I still appear in the bloody robe, as a proof of the everlasting efficacy. For whom, but for My people, do I wear this vesture? My soul, art thou looking now, with an eye of faith, within the veil? H...

  "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us." -II Peter 1:1 [KJV] What a thought it is, that if you and I possess one grain of living faith, the same precious grace is in our hearts that was in the hearts of all the saints of God, from Abel the proto-martyr, in all the saints of the Old Testament, in all the prophets, and martyrs, and servants and apostles of God; and will subsist in the bosom of every saint down to the remotest period of time. There is but "one faith,"  as there is "one God, one Lord, and one baptism;"  and it is by the possession of this "like precious faith"  that all the family of God are knit together into one glorious body, of which the Lord Jesus Christ is the risen Head. "Accepted in the Beloved,"  as much loved of God, and as much a member of the mystical body of Christ, as though you were the apostle Peter, Paul, Enoch, Abel, Isai...

"Let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone."   - Galatians 6:4 [KJV] “A day is coming, when the fire shall try every man’s work, of what sort it is. ”   -I Corinthians 3:13      O how much wood of pride, hay of self-love, and stubble of self-complacency, will then be burnt up; Yea, and it will be entirely owing to the rich grace, and finished salvation of Jesus (not for any work of ours), that our souls too, are not in that day cast into unquenchable fire.  Why then does the apostle bid us prove our own work? That we may be joyful? Alas! says the convinced humble sinner, I have not a work that I dare look at, but instead of giving me joy, it occasions sorrow. “God be merciful to me a sinner.”  Lord be gracious to me, an unprofitable servant. Is this the confession of thy heart? Prove it by the word of God. Thou wilt find it agreeable thereto. Rejoice in thyself for it.  Give glory to Him, ...