The Lord our God is a jealous God; jealous of his own glory and his people’s good. Sin is contrary to both. God so loves his people, that he will not suffer sin to reign in them. Wilful, allowed sin, however secret, he will chastise for, and bring the soul to confess and repent of. Though sin shall not bring any one of God’s dear children to hell, yet it may bring a hell into the conscience for a season. Sin may break the peace of mind, though it cannot break the covenant of peace. Willful transgression causes the Lord to hide his face, or frown upon his dear children.

It is our unspeakable mercy, it calls for our daily tribute of praise, and daily study to improve it, that a free use of the lively oracles of truth is permitted us; others are denied this rich privilege. Happy those to whom the word of God is the rule of their faith, a light to direct their paths, and a standard whereby they try and prove the doctrines they hear, whether they are of God or man. The whole truth, as it is in Jesus, is precious to every believer. ‘Faith comes by hearing the word of God.’ As the ear is the inlet to the soul, we should ever take heed what kind of doctrines we hear. It was through the ear that Satan…

Why, ‘therefore?’ What had the church done to procure such an inestimable promise? Oh the joyful day of her public espousals to Jesus is come. That day, that blessed day of power, when the loving bride claims her beloved bridegroom, Jesus. Therefore she sings this joyful song, ‘Behold God is my salvation: I will trust, and not be afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.’ The claims of the faith of poor sinners are well pleasing in the sight of God; they honour his word, glorify him, and cause joy in heaven among the angels, while the humble claimants obtain the consolation and joy thereof. ‘Them that honour me I will honour, saith the Lord.’

St. Paul, though an eminently distinguished apostle of Jesus, yet in regard to the salvation of his own soul, his extraordinary gifts procured it not; nor could his former hatred and persecution of Jesus and his members frustrate the electing love of God, or obstruct the sovereign operations of the holy Spirit. But being chosen of God in Christ Jesus, his heart must partake of the precious faith of God’s elect. Love, almighty, wonderful love, seized him. Jesus challenged him as one of his redeemed souls, stopped him in his mad career, touched his heart, and brought him trembling and astonished to his feet. And the power of faith in heart was manifested by the obedient cry of his lips, ‘Lord, what wilt thou have…

The phrase ‘carnal saints,’ the self-righteous look on as a very opprobrious term, as though contradictory to the character of a real Christian: but such persons differ in judgment from an inspired apostle. Paul calls these Corinthian converts, ‘babes in Christ;’ while he says to them, ‘Ye are yet carnal.’ Yea, he appeals to their judgments: ‘Are ye not so?’ Doth not your walk, your words, your strife, your views give sad evidence of the truth of this my assertion? Do you not act and behave too much like men who are strangers to Jesus, and the life and power of vital godliness?

It is the wisdom and joy of disciples to see somewhat of Jesus in every page of the lively oracles. Then the word is searched with pleasure, studied with delight, and is made exceeding profitable to the soul. To this end the sins and backslidings, the humiliations and repentings, the joys and experience of saints of old are recorded. We see their deserts to be the lowest hell; but grace reigns. Though sin abounded in them, yet grace superabounded over them. All is through Jesus: no mercy for sinful man, but through that dear Man and blessed Mediator.