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

"Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not."   - Isaiah 35:4 [KJV] Mind the title to this chapter— “The flourishing of Christ’s kingdom.”  What! and yet fearful hearts in it! What sort of disciples are these? There ever were such in the church. We meet with them daily. Where is the heart which at times is not fearful? That does not stand in need of being strengthened by the word and the grace of God? O! says one, "I am of a fearful heart. I read my doom. It is to have my part with the unbelieving, the abominable, murderers, etc. in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone"  (Revelation 21:8.) Yes: this will be the certain portion of all, who are so fearful of their good names and fair characters, as to be ashamed of Christ and His gospel, and give them up for the love and friendship of this world. Be not of such fearful hearts, here spoken of.  (1st.) This sort are rather of “a hasty heart.” It discovers its state by its beating, ...

"Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure, which He hath purposed in Himself." -Ephesians 1:9 [KJV] My soul, pause over these volumes of divine truth for they are not as so many simple words, but contain vast volumes indeed, and such as a whole eternity will not afford space to read over and finish. The first is a large one indeed—even the mystery of God's will namely, the mystery of redemption, originating in the divine mind, before all worlds. And this is not the smallest part of it, that it should be made known in any degree or measure to thee, my soul, a poor creature of a day, and that day, a day of nothing but sin. The second volume in this vast subject is another precious part of the same glorious truth; namely, that this mercy of God in Christ is the sole result of God's good pleasure. No foresight, no merit, no pretensions of thine, my soul; no, nor the merits of archangels, becoming in the least the ca...

"That ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." -James 1:4 [KJV] The word "perfect"  in the Scripture does not mean, as applied to a saint of God, anything approaching to the usual idea of perfection, as implying spotless, sinless holiness, but one who is matured and ripened in the life of God , no longer a child but a grown man. As a tree grown to its full stature is said to have attained perfection; so when the Lord the Spirit has brought forth the work of patience in your soul, as far as regards that work you are perfect, for it is God's work in you; and so far you are "entire,"  that is, possessing all which that grace gives, and "wanting nothing"  which that grace can communicate. To submit wholly to the will of God, and be lost and swallowed up in conformity to it, is the height of Christian perfection here below; and he that has that wants nothing, for he has all things in Christ . What, then, is the greatest height...

"Keep thy heart with all diligence." - Proverbs 4:23 [KJV] Camden reports, that “Redwald, king of the east Saxons, the first prince of this nation who was baptized; yet, in the same church, allowed an altar for Christ, and another for the heathen idols.” How many professors imitate him! Their hearts are not whole with Christ. They are sons of folly. This a charge of wisdom to all her children. Consider, there is but one object can make your heart happy. There are a thousand that promise happiness, but only give misery. Keep thy heart in [the sense of] the love of God   (Jude 1:21.) Give all diligence to this blessed end.  Unless you do, vanity may prevail in the mind, error in the understanding, perverseness in the will, the affections may be inordinately set upon other objects, than thy Lord; and so thy conscience will contract fresh guilt. Then thou mayest be left to bemoan a hard heart, and an absent God: darkness may surround thee; fears and terrors haunt ...

"Then I restored that which I took not away."   - Psalm 69:4 [KJV] Whose words are these? They can be none but the words of Jesus; for none ever made restoration but He; and none but He could say, I took nothing away . And what was taken away? God's glory was taken away by sin; and consequently, man's happiness also. For when Adam sinned, he robbed God of His glory, and robbed himself and all his posterity of God's image, and with it all happiness. Nay, my soul, thou hast done the same, in every renewed act of disobedience. And in breaking the divine law thou hast justly lost the divine favour. And hath Jesus, all precious Jesus, restored all these? Yes, blessings on His name, He hath! And what renders it ten-fold more gracious, He hath so done it as never to be lost any more. By His finished work of salvation He hath restored to God His glory. And by His obedience and death, as our Surety, He hath restored to man his happiness. The favour of God we l...

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me." -Psalm 23:4 [KJV] Death, the gaunt king of terrors; Death, who with his scythe in his resistless hand, mows down whole millions of the human race; Death, who awaits his victims at every corner; Death, that must soon lay you and me low in the grave, casts a shadow wherever he comes. He visits the sick room, and casts a shadow there; he hangs over the cradle, and his shadow falls on the infant's face; he comes in the Indian letter from abroad, or with the black seal and mourning envelope put into our hand at home; and these tidings or these tokens cast a deep shadow over our hearts. Indeed, where is the place where death does not cast his shadow? where the house where this shade has never fallen? In fact, he never comes without it. He is "the last enemy;"  he is the final fulfilment of the original curse. A...

"Underneath are the everlasting arms."   - Deuteronomy 33:27 [KJV] It is related of Anteus, that every time Hercules threw him to the ground, he rose up the stronger, for he received new strength, by touching his mother, the earth. This is true of the Christian. The more he is assaulted, and thrown down by the enemy, the more he falls into the Lord’s everlasting arms, and gets fresh strength . He cannot be thrown down lower than God permits: for “underneath are the everlasting arms.” His word is full of grace—His arms almighty—His love everlasting. Here is the wisdom, here the glory of the Lord’s people, to look for themselves, to go out of themselves, for safety and salvation.  For they rest upon God’s word. They believe the Lord to be all that to them, which He has said. This is living by faith—honouring the Lord’s truth—glorifying the Saviour’s name. Why are we told? “Underneath are the everlasting arms.”  Because we know and see ourselves deserving of he...