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 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. The house of the godly is a little
heaven. The house of the wicked is a
little hell. Simeon Ash. Desires are far better than actions. For a man may do a good action
that he does not love. He may abstain from a wicked
action that he does not hate. —Richard Sibbes It is not merely knowledge that
will bring to heaven, for the devil has that, but it is knowledge
sanctified, seizing upon the affections. —Richard Sibbes No one shall ever come to heaven
who does not desire heavenly things above all earthly things. Richard Sibbes The Word of God does not only
permit, but also commands us to love and embrace Christ with
the sweetest, dearest affections that nature can possibly stir
up in our minds, heart, and soul. William Pink If men live no better after conversion
than they did before, this is a sign of their being insincere,
false, and deceitful in it. Joshua Mu Day Those who make solemn vows in
the days of their distress but forget to pay them in the days
of their enlargement are but liars and deceivers. Joshua Mu
Day To do anything in vain is folly,
but to worship God in vain is gross iniquity. Samuel Willard When we read or hear his word,
let us do it with the heart. One grain of heart service is
of more account with God than mountains of all other services
whatever. John Wilson God's power is unlimited, His
wisdom is infinite, His authority is supreme, His freedom is absolute. He may both do whatever He desires
and appoint whatever He will have us to do. John Wilson Religious worship is devout behavior
towards God, whereby we acknowledge His sovereignty over us and the
justice of our obedience to Him and waiting upon Him in the way
He has appointed in His Word. John Wilson. Lukewarm and indifferent services
to God in worship are a stench in the nostrils of God. Stephen
Charnock. Worship is nothing else but a
rendering to God the honor that is due unto Him. Stephen Charnock It is not enough to receive the
truth that we might be saved, but we must receive the love
of the truth if ever we would be saved. Jeremiah Burroughs Men secretly imagine that God
does not know their sin, or soon forgets it and then make bold
to sin against Him. – Stephen Charnock How does godly meditation fit
into your personal devotions? Do you meditate on the Scriptures
daily? – Richard Allestry Where no proof of Christ's power
in the ministry is found or felt by the hearers, either the teacher
must be a reprobate teacher or the hearers reprobate hearers.
John Forbes. The shine and luster of all the
attributes of God together is God's glory. Jeremiah Burroughs. The fear of God must be an abiding
fear. It should not only be at that
instant when you are worshiping God or speaking of any of God's
titles and names, but must abide on your hearts after the duty
is over. Jeremiah Burroughs. God is like a picture with a
curtain drawn over it. The Christian cannot see the
beauty of God until meditation draws the curtain aside and lets
in all the beauty that is in God. Edmund Calamey There is no fear of knowing too
much of the Bible, but there is a great amount of fear that
goes into practicing too little. Thomas Brooks It is your Christian
duty to pour out your heart before the Lord. in giving him thanks
for every mercy, in confessing every sin with godly sorrow,
and in asking everything you need in Christ's name. John Jackson