It is unlovely when some in the
congregation sing out of tune, but the greatest absurdity of
all is when our hearts are out of tune. Thomas Ford. The word is a trumpet to proclaim
Christ. The Lord's table is a looking
glass to represent him. Thomas Watson. To institute holy days and to
make them parts of God's worship is a privilege of God alone.
God alone can prescribe his own worship. Daniel Cawdery In our worst condition, we have
cause to praise God. Richard Sibbeys A humble Christian looks with
one eye upon God's grace to keep his heart cheerful and with the
other eye upon his sin to keep it humble. Thomas Watson Many a preacher is now in hell,
who has a hundred times called on his hearers to use the utmost
care and diligence to escape it. Richard Baxter. Slight thoughts
of God will make but a slight impression on the affections.
He who thinks slightly of God will serve him slightly and love
him slightly. He who thinks slightly of sin
will slight sin. He who thinks slightly of God,
God will slight him. Edmund Calame. God's wrath is a calm and quiet
appointment of just punishment. Stephen Marshall No man was ever kept out of heaven
for his confessed wickedness, but many are for their supposed
goodness. Richard Caple This is a singular comfort that
all things come to pass not according to wicked men's counsels, but
according to what God determines. George Gifford We are much obliged to God for
keeping wicked men and devils in bonds and for limiting their
malice and enmity. For if God gave permission to
them to execute their power and malice, all the world would quickly
be in flames. —George Gifford Men may read or hear the word
diligently, but without meditation it bears no fruit. Meditation
makes that which we have read become our own. —Richard Greenham Men may be diligent to read and
hear the Word, yet they shall not profit by it if God does
not infuse the hearing of His Word by His Spirit. —Richard
Greenham Saving faith is always fruitful,
and that faith which is not fruitful is not true faith. The apostle
does not deny that we are justified by faith, and only by faith,
but he denies that faith without works is a true faith. It is
only an empty notion, and such a faith cannot justify nor save
a man. Thomas Senior Proud men cannot endure scrutiny,
either by the public ministry or by a private admonition. Thomas
Senior The word brings one nearer heaven,
or further from it, it does good or harm, it makes better or worse. It is either a quickening spirit
or killing letter. David Clarkson As flowers are the joy of plants,
so joy is the blossom of our graces. Nathanael Holmes Even as true believers do not
make an end of sinning, so God cannot make an end of pardoning.
And as His pardoning removes our fear of sin, so it also removes
our love of sin. Nathanael Holmes It is meditation that makes you
master of the truth that you read, otherwise, the wisdom remains
in the book. William Bridge The reason we meditate little
is because we love God little. When a man hears the word of
God in public or in private, but does not continue to meditate
on it afterward, it is because it has made no impression on
him. William Bridge Knowledge brings us to the door
of truth, but meditation opens the door to the house and takes
us into all its rooms. This is the way to enter into
the secret places of the things of God. William Bridge Original sin, though perfectly
pardoned, is yet imperfectly purged. At the point of salvation,
we are purged from the death of sin but not from the disease
of it. Ralph Browning All the temptations of Satan
are actions of deceit and not of power. He may persuade and
seduce us by the dexterity of His skill, but He cannot force
and compel us. Though He has a great deal of
power and strength and cunning, He may deceive us, but He cannot
powerfully overthrow us. It is not in the power of Satan
to force the will of any to yield to his temptations. Ralph Browning If parents do not prevent sins
in their children at home, when they go into the world, they
meet with temptations which turn their youthful flings into immovable
habits. It is easy to observe that the
lack of family religion is the cause of the visible decay of
the welfare of church and state. Thomas Risley as nothing in believers was so
good as to cause God to love them, so nothing is so bad as
can cause Him to withdraw His love from them. John Durant For the life of sinful men prolonged
forever on earth, they would sin forever. And since the guilt
and filth of sin descends into hell with the impenitent, and
the damned are ever living and ever sinning, therefore it is
just that their punishment runs parallel with their sinning.
Thomas Risley Do not be deceived, for if you
are not Christians in your own houses, whatever profession you
make in the house of God regarding your Christianity is unsound.
Thomas Risley God knows we have many miseries,
so He balances it with His many mercies. Nathaniel Holmes Though you read much and hear
much, if you do not meditate on what you read and hear, it
will amount to little. You will never be any the wiser.
—William Bridge Reading without meditation is
unfruitful. Meditation without reading is
hurtful. To meditate and to read without
prayer upon both, is without blessing. —Richard Greenham I cannot help but think those
are blameworthy, who flaunt their abilities to hammer out some
of the more controversial truths of Scripture, and yet neglect
the study of His love which is of such necessary importance.
John Durant The lost continue in sin, deceiving
themselves with vain hope of God's mercy in the end. The saved
cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and grow in all
graces until they have yielded up themselves to have Christ
reign in them. George Gifford It infinitely concerns all men
to make a sure work about their salvation, for when they die
they will be great losers. they will lose not only their
comforts on earth, but also the joys of heaven, without any hope
of recovery. John Jackson. All willful disobedience to our
Lord's revealed will is destructive if persisted in and admits of
no excuse. To suspend our practice of any
duty until we understand the reason of the precept is indeed
worthy of an everlasting hell. Timothy Crusoe No man is master of events or
absolute determiner of his own endeavors. The sovereign counsel
and the providence of God orders all things in the designs of
all men, as seems good in his sight. Universal submission to God's
will. Patience in all afflictions. Proficiency in godliness. Settled
peace of mind. Unspeakable joy in the spirit. Daniel feet lay. Soldier in Christ's army will
not be a slave to the devil or any lust of his own. Jeremiah
Burroughs. True religion, where it is received,
will command the heart and the whole man. Let a man profess
what he will. If his heart and life are not
reformed, he is a hypocrite, and whatever worship he does
to God is but a false worship. Arthur Hildersham An ignorant Christian is the
devil's workshop in which he forges all manner of wickedness. Anonymous It is not properly our unworthiness,
but our pride and haughtiness that hinder us from coming to
Christ, for we would have something from ourselves and not all from
him. Thomas Hooker You shall seldom hear a general
sermon do any good. It is the particular application
that works on people's hearts. Edmund Calame, a great understanding
and an acute mind, will make a learned man. But it is a holy
life that makes a godly man. Edmund Calame. This duty of daily divine meditation
is the life and soul of all Christianity. You are carcasses of Christians
if you are not acquainted with it. It is as impossible to live
without a soul as it is to be a godly Christian without divine
meditation. Edmund Calame Godly meditation is the life
of all religion and that which puts life into all other duties. —Edmund Calamey A man may go to hell for plotting
wicked things, as well as for practicing wicked things. Proverbs
12 verse 2 He will condemn a man who devises evil. —Edmund Calamey The saint's peace is a peace
with God, but not with sin. The sinner's peace is a peace
with sin, but not with God. Matthew Mead Sin is always acting, always
conceiving, always seducing, and always tempting. John Owen Gifts may make a man a scholar,
but grace makes a man a believer. Matthew Mead. Secret prayer is the invisible
flight of the soul into the bosom of God. Samuel Lee. Christians should be walking
Bibles. Thomas Watson. Love it. If you would ever reign
with Christ when you die, then He must reign in you while you
live. – Edmund Calamey Heaven is a goal, and unless
you run you shall never obtain it. Heaven is a crown of life,
but unless you are faithful to death, you shall never wear it.
– Christopher Love I do not pray for the world.
John 17 verse 9. If Christ would not spend His
breath to pray for them, then surely He would not spend His
precious blood to purchase heaven for them. Christopher Love The end of hearing the word preached
is not chiefly to know and understand, but rather to believe, practice,
and obey that which is taught. – Stephen Edgerton Men are elated when they speak
with an earthly king and are bid to his table to eat. Are
we elated when we go before the King of heaven and earth to speak
to Him by prayer and to feast and feed with Him? Stephen Edgerton Why do people often hate the
ministry of the Word? Answer. Commonly from the matter
which He delivers, by which the errors of their judgment and
corruptions of their hearts and lives are laid open and reproved. Stephen Edgerton God has no glory from that zeal
that has no scriptural warrant. Matthew Mead Many would depend on Christ's
sacrifice, yet will not submit to his scepter. They would have
Christ to pacify their consciences and the world to please their
affections. They would have Christ to die
for them, but not to live in them. William Bates Christian, so soon as he is newborn,
is born a soldier, and so continues until his crown is put on him.
—Richard Sibbes How do we know if we have truly
resisted temptation? A man has sufficiently resisted
sin and Satan when he does not allow the sin and when he in
no way consents to the temptation. —Richard Caple Even though divine mysteries
exist, this is not a sufficient plea to be ignorant of God's
ways and will. William Bridge The soul ascends to God by holy
thoughts and ardent desires. God descends into the soul by
the communication of grace and comfort. William Bates The one who has a spiritual taste
for the Word of God finds it sweeter than all pleasures and
delights whatever. Thomas Manton