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

"Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto Thee.  Hide not Thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline Thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.  For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth." - Psalm 102:1-3 [KJV]  -------0-------  "CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY." This is the sum and substance of our gospel and is the great article of faith.    WHO DIED? Christ, the only-begotten, well-beloved Son of God in human nature (Romans 8:34; Matthew 3:16-17) .    HOW DID HE DIE? A death of shame, under the wrath and judgment of God (Philippians 2:8) .   WHY DID HE DIE? He died for, in the stead of, and as a sub­stitute for all God's elect in order that God might be just and justifier (Romans 3:24-26) .      FOR WHOM DID HE DIE? " For the ungodly , " not for righteous men, nor religious men, nor deserving men, but for those who are ungodly in nature and practic...

"We are perplexed, but not in despair."   -II Corinthians 4:8 [KJV] God’s dear children have not all the same clear perception of truth. They are not all of one mind and the same sentiment in all points. Yet, they all have but one Lord, one faith, and one hope. And, there is an uniformity in their experience, with respect to the exceeding sinfulness of sin—the depravity of their nature—their perplexities from the world, the flesh, and the devil—their love of the scriptures—and the exceeding preciousness of Christ. This proves that they are taught by and with the same Spirit. We have perplexities of a spiritual nature, beside those in common with others, which natural men are total strangers to. These are no weak evidences of our spiritual birth. To be perplexed with a body of sin and death—with a sense of unbelief—with deadness, formality, wanderings in spiritual duties—with Satan’s temptations, injections, accusations—corrupt reasonings, and carnal pleadings: the feeling all...

"Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of Me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God." -Isaiah 58:2 [KJV]   My soul, when thou readest a scripture like this, which, as far as the outward observance of religion goes, seems to carry a fair face, it may be well to consider the wretched delusion under which such men labour. The world, indeed, calls them very good sort of people ; but the Lord speaks most awfully concerning them. Persons of this complexion do not venture to say, that they hope to be found before God without sin: for they will tell you, that they know "we have all sinned and come short of God's glory:" but their faith is, that for their sins they have endeavoured to repent, and made amends; and they hope Christ will make up the deficiency.    They have not been so bad as many others; and in point of doing, they have done...

"Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away." -II Corinthians 3:16 [KJV] The blessed Spirit, as a needful preparation for His own divine instruction, convinces us of our ignorance, of the veil of unbelief that is by nature spread over our heart, and of our utter inability to take it away. So great is this darkness, as a matter of personal inward experience, that like the darkness in Egypt, it may be "felt;" so deep this ignorance that all knowledge or capability of knowledge seems utterly gone; so strong, so desperate this unbelief that it seems as if thoroughly incurable. And yet amidst all this deep and dense cloud of ignorance, darkness and unbelief, rays and beams of light every now and then break through, which, though they seem at the time only to shew the darkness and make it deeper, yet really are a guiding light to the throne of God and the Lamb.    There Jesus sits enthroned in glory, not only as an interceding High Priest...

THE WORK OF THE SOVEREIGN SPIRIT        Believing the gospel is no small thing.  The message of salvation altogether by grace conditioned upon the merits and work of the Son of God is offensive to the natural man because it declares the inability of man to save himself.   It proclaims that redemption has been obtained, reconciliation has been accomplished and righteousness has been brought in for all of God’s elect by the life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ .  When God the Holy Spirit comes to a spiritually dead sinner, He finds in that poor rebel nothing with which to work.  The sinner’s mind is enmity against God, his heart as adamant stone toward the truth and his will set in opposition to the divine will.     The Spirit must quicken the dead, break down the rebellion, convince of sin, grant repentance from dead works and faith in Jesus Christ and seal upon the heart and conscience of the newly regenerated ...

“Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O LORD.  Lord, hear my voice: let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.  If Thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?  But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared.”   -Psalm 130:1-3 [KJV]   -------O-------   ALL GLORY TO GOD   TUNE TO “THERE IS A FOUNTAIN”     CM/DOUBLE      WORDS BY JIM BYRD   All glory to the Father’s Name, Who from our sinful race; Chose out a people to proclaim, The wonders of His grace. All glory to the Son be made, Who dwelt in human clay; By His own blood our debt was paid, And sin was washed away.   All glory to the Spirit give, Who at the chosen hour; In mercy calls to sinners “Live!” How mighty is His pow’r. All glory to the Trinity, All thankfulness and praise; Now and throughout eternity, To everlasting days! -------O-------               ...

"If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness."   -Romans 8:10 [KJV]   St. Paul was an experimental teacher. He applies himself to the heart. He appeals to the conscience. He aims to quicken and animate the soul, and to draw out the affections to Christ, from what it had inwardly experienced of divine grace. O Christians, let this be your study when you meet and talk together. Yea, often do as David did. Converse freely with your own soul. If Christ be in you., that is, if He dwell in your heart by faith. If you have an inward approbation of Him, delight in Him, and love to Him in your heart: if you believe in Him as the Son of God, anointed by the Holy Ghost, to be the only Redeemer, Justifier, and Saviour of perishing sinners— what then? I will tell you, says the apostle, what will be the experience of your heart.    (1st.) “The body is dead because of sin.” You will find, and groan under the weight of a dea...