"And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant."—Exodus 2:24 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…

"Whose names are in the book of life."—Philippians 4:3 How is this known? It must be a blessed privilege this, and highly desirable to attain, if there be a truly scriptural testimony to it. That there is a book of life, in which the record is made of the people of the Lamb, is without all dispute, from many parts of scripture. The church of the first-born are said to have their names written in heaven; such as are chosen of God in Christ before the world began. But these are secret things which belong to the Lord our God. Yet it is said, "the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will shew them his covenant." Hence therefore, is…

"Jesus made a surety."—Hebrews 7:22 My soul, look at Jesus as a Surety, and as "made the Surety" this morning! Blessed view, if so be the Holy Ghost will enlighten thine eyes to see him under all these characters. First; a Surety. "We are all ruined by a debt incapable of ever being paid by any, or by all, the fallen sons of Adam. Jesus steps in, becomes a Surety for our debt, and pays the whole by his obedience and death. But we owe a duty also, as well as a debt. Jesus becomes here again the Surety. He will put his Spirit in us, and we shall live. He becomes also a Surety for promises, that all God hath promised for his sake,…

"And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them."—John 17:10 Precious testimony of a precious truth. See to it, my soul, that thou suffer not these blessed words of Jesus to drop from thy remembrance; but make them the everlasting meditation, not only of this morning, but every morning, and every day, and all the day; and mark thine interest in them. All Jesus's treasures in his people and his grace, are still the Father's; for, as Jesus and the Father are one in essence and in will, so also in property. And the Father's giving the church to Jesus, with all blessings in him, doth not alienate the Father's right: so in like manner, all that Jesus hath…

"And there was a rainbow round about the throne."—Revelation 4:3 Mark this, my soul, and connect with it what God said after the destruction of the old world by water: "I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh." And was not this rainbow round the throne which John saw, to tell the church of Jesus, on whom the Father is always looking, to remember his everlasting covenant of grace? And what doth it say but this, there shall be no more a deluge, nor floods of vengeance poured…

"I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it."—Revelation 3:8 Blessed Jesus! thou hast indeed done all this, and more. Thou art thyself the door into thy fold here below, and to thy courts above; for thou hast said, by thee, "whosoever entereth in, shall go in, and find pasture:" and it is thou that hast opened a new and living way by thy blood. Thou art the only possible way of access to the Father. And because thou hast opened it, no man can shut it; for thou ever livest to keep the way, which thou hast once opened, still open, by thy all prevailing intercession. Yes, thou heavenly Lord, the gate is never shut, day nor night, in…