One Truth Driven Home - Thomas Watson

Meditate not on too many things at once. One truth driven home by meditation will most kindly affect the heart. Drive but one wedge of meditation at a time, but be sure you drive it home to the heart. Those who aim at a whole flock of birds hit none.

 

Taken from the book Extracts from the Writings of Thomas Watson Thomas Watson 1620-1686

True Religion - Henry Scougal

True religion is a union of the soul with God, a real participation of the Divine nature, the very image of God drawn upon the soul, or, in the apostle's phrase, 'it is Christ formed within us'.

 

Taken from the book The Life of God in the Soul of Man by Henry Scougal 1650-1678

Not In This Life Is It to Be Expected - John Owens

Now, though doubtless there may be attained, by the Spirit and grace of Christ, a wonderful success and eminency of victory against any sin, so that a man may have almost constant triumph over it; yet an utter killing and destruction of it, that it should not be, is not in this life to be expected.

 

Taken from the book The Mortification of Sin by John Owen 1656

Our Hearts Are Like - J.C. Ryle

Our hearts are like the earth on which we tread;

let it alone, and it is sure to bear weeds.

 

Taken from the book The Duties of Parents by JC Ryle 1816-1900

Consenting To His Undoubted Right – Phillip Doddridge

You are also, on this great occasion, to resign all that you have to the disposal of His wise and gracious providence; not only owning His power, but consenting to His undoubted right to do what He pleases with you and all that He has given you.

 

 

Taken from the book

A Pastor's Counsel: Wise Words for Weary, Wounded, and Wandering Sheep

Phillip Doddridge 1702-1751

Work For The Lord While You Can - C.H. Spurgeon

Young men, work for the Lord while you can. It would greatly embitter my season of painful retirement if I could accuse myself with having wasted the time of my health and strength. When I can work, I pack a mass into small compass because I am so painfully aware that days and weeks may come wherein I cannot work.

 

Taken from the book Letters of Charles Haddon Spurgeon Charles Spurgeon 1834-1892

I Believe In a Faith That You Can See - D.L. Moody

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? James 2:14

 

I believe in a faith that you can see; a living, working faith that prompts to action. Faith without works is like a man putting all his money into the foundation of a house; and works without faith is like building a house on sand without any foundation.

 

You often hear people say: "The root of the matter is in him." What would you say if I had a garden and nothing but roots in it?

 

Taken from the book Day by Day with DL Moody DL Moody 1837-1899

Why Men Dote Upon the World - Thomas Brooks

The main reason why men dote upon the world, and damn their souls to get the world, is, because they are not acquainted with a greater glory. Men ate acorns, till they were acquainted with the use of wheat.

 

Ah, were men more acquainted with what union and communion with God means, what it is to have 'a new name, and a new stone, that none knows but he that hath it' (Rev. 2:17); did they but taste more of heaven, and live more in heaven, and had more glorious hopes of going to heaven, ah, how easily would they have the moon under their feet.

 

 

Taken from the book Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices by Thomas Brooks 1652

Use All Means and Helps Towards Understanding - Charles Spurgeon

Use all means and helps towards the understanding of the Scriptures. When Philip asked the Ethiopian eunuch whether he understood the prophecy of Isaiah, he replied, 'How can I, unless some man should guide me?' Then Philip went up and opened to him the Word of the Lord.

 

Taken from the book Council for Christian Workers

by Charles Spurgeon 1834-1892

The Pulling Of a Sheep - Thomas Brooks

The pulling of a sheep, by King Antigonus, with his own hands out of a dirty ditch, as he was passing by, drew his subjects exceedingly to commend him and love him. So King Jesus's pulling of poor souls out of their sins, and as it were out of hell, cannot but draw them to be much in the commendations of Christ and strong in their love to Christ.

Taken from the book Heaven on Earth: A Treatise on Christian Assurance by Thomas Brooks 1654

Truth Is Truth, And Error, Error - Richard Sibbes

Truth is truth, and error, error, and that which is unlawful is unlawful, whether men think so or not. God has put an eternal difference between light and darkness, good and ill, which no creature's conceit can alter; and therefore no man's judgment is the measure of things further than it agrees to truth stamped upon things themselves by God.

 

Taken from the book The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes 1630

Prayer Holds the Promise for Their Supply - Andrew Murray

Wherever there is complaint of a lack of workers or of competent helpers for God's work, prayer holds the promise for their supply. There is no work for God where He is not ready and able to provide workers for it. It may take time and importunity, but Christ's command to ask the Lord of the harvest is the pledge that the prayer will be heard: "I tell you, he will get up and give him as much as he needs" (Luke 11:8).

 

Taken from the book Teach Me to Pray by Andrew Murray 1828-1917

The Same Spirit That Convinces Of Sin - Ralph Venning

The same Spirit that convinces of sin convinces of righteousness, and of judgment and victory, too. (John 16:8).

 

Taken from the book Learning in Christ's School by Ralph Venning 1675

 

Set No Time to the Lord - Samuel Rutherford

Set no time to the Lord the creator of time, for His time is always best.

 

 

Taken from the book A Puritan Golden Treasury Samuel Rutherford 1600-1661

Those Who Are Truly Concerned For Their Souls - John Owen

Those who are truly concerned for their souls pray that God will bring them to true repentance and faith, that he will graciously work these things in their heart. They pray that he will give them faith for Christ's sake and increase it in them and that he will work in them by the exceeding greatness of his power both to will and to do according to his good pleasure.

 

 

Taken from the book The Holy Spirit by John Owen 1674

Abridged by R.J.K. Law

 

The Refreshing and Reviving Time Is Nigh - John Flavel

 If therefore I find the blessed effects of the rod upon me, that it has done its work, to break the hard heart and pull down the proud heart and awaken the drowsy heart and quicken the slothful, negligent, lazy heart; now with great probability I may conjecture a more comfortable aspect of Providence will quickly appear, the refreshing and reviving time is nigh.

 

Taken from the book The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel 1678

 

We Are Not Made Holy by Imitation - Samuel Bolton

 We are not made holy by imitation, but by implantation.

 

Taken from the book The True Bounds of Christian Freedom by Samuel Bolton 1645

 

There Must Be Change - Richard Sibbes

 Men trust to the grace and mercy of God, but do not look for a change; and this prevents many from embracing the whole trust of the gospel and from knowing Christ as the truth is in him. They hear that they must be changed, and they are unwilling.

 

They believe that God is merciful, and that Christ died, and so on. They snatch enough of the gospel to build them up in self-love and think all is well. But when they see the kind of grace that must teach them to 'deny ungodliness and worldly lusts' (Titus 2:12), and the grace that must alter them, this they cannot endure.

They are content to go to heaven if they may have it in a way to hell, in maintaining their corruptions, being proud and covetous and worldly as they are. They must not be. There must of necessity be a change.

 

Taken from the book Glorious Freedom by Richard Sibbes 1639

 

True Greatness of Spirit - Hugh Binning

True greatness of spirit is inwardly and throughout solid, firm from the bottom, and the foundation of it is truth.

 

 

Taken from the book Christian Love by Hugh Binning 1627-1653

 

What Is Knowledge Good For Without Repentance - Thomas Watson

 Some bless themselves that they have a stock of knowledge, but what is knowledge good for without repentance? It is better to mortify one sin than to understand all mysteries.

 

Taken from the book The Doctrine of Repentance by Thomas Watson 1668

 

I Expect To Be Finding Out Something - DL Moody

 There are many things which were unclear and mysterious five years ago. Since then I have understood them more clearly. I expect to be finding out something new about God throughout eternity.

 

Taken from the book The Way to God by DL Moody 1837-1899

Simple Life - Oswald Chambers

Beware of the people who tell you life is simple.  Life is such a mass of complications that no man is safe apart from God.  Coming to Jesus does not simplify life; it simplifies my relationship to God.

 

Taken from the book The Quotable Oswald Chambers

Oswald Chambers 1874-1917

Do You Pray - JC Ryle

"Men ought always to pray" Luke 18:1

 

I have a question to offer you. It is contained in three words, do you pray?

 

The question is one that none but you can answer. Whether you attend public worship or not, your minister knows. Whether you have family prayers in your house or not, your relations know. But whether you pray in private or not, is a matter between yourself and God.

 

Taken from the book A Call to Prayer by JC Ryle 1816-1900