EXPECTATIONS
Blessed is he who expects little, for he shall have but little disappointment.
Remember never to set thy desires very high. He that has aspirations to the moon,
will be disappointed if he only reaches half as high; whereas, if he had aspired lower,
he ... read more
-ABSTINENCE FROM
I heard of a brother who claimed to long having been a teetotaller, but some doubted.
When he was asked how long he had been an abstainer, he replied, Off and on for
twenty years. You should have seen the significant smile upon all faces. An
abstaine ... read more
-GODLY
Aspire to be something more than the mass of church members. Lift up your cry to
God and beseech him to fire you with a nobler ambition than that which possesses
the common Christianthat you may be found faithful unto God at the last, and
may win many ... read more
Acceptance
If they could but see that all their high joys do not exalt them, and all their low
despondencies do not really depress them in their Fathers sight, but that they stand
accepted in one who never alters, in one who is always the beloved of God, always
... read more
ACCOMPLISHMENT
Do much, very much, all you can do, and a little more. How is that? says one. I do
not think a man is doing all he can do if he is not attempting more than he will
complete. 1111.273
But, young friend, there is a difference, and more than a slight ... read more
ACCOUNTABILITY
I think we have greater reason to ask the Lord to impress more deeply upon us the
truth we have received than to ask him to give us more truth; for what we already
know might suffice us if we did but know it better; and if we kept in mind the things
wh ... read more
ADMONITION
There is nothing in the law of God that will rob you of happiness; it only denies you
that which would cost you sorrow. 2419.305
It is that which thou art most loath to hear that thou hast most need to hear; instead
of being angry with him who points ... read more
ADVERSITY
He who has tasted a sour apple will have the more relish for a sweet one; your
present want will make future prosperity all the sweeter. PT166
The dog in the kennel barks at the fleas; the hunting dog does not even know they
are there. PT166
If th ... read more
AFFECTIONS
Well, brother, well, sister, remember that where your treasure is your heart will go,
and if that treasure be taken away your heart must ache. 1210.10
The more objects you set your heart upon, the more thorns there are to tear your
peace of mind to s ... read more
AFFLICTION
They who dive in the sea of affliction bring up rare pearls. 619.145
Affliction hardens those whom it does not soften. 1129.484
Some of you people of God, when you get bitter waters, want to throw them away. Do
not throw a drop of it away, for that ... read more
AGING
It is a crime to permit our fires to burn low while experience yields us more and more
abundant fuel. AM191
From the altar of age the flashes of the fire of youth are gone, but the more real flame
of earnest feeling remains. ME556
As we grow older ... read more
AGNOSTICISM
One walking with me observed, with some emphasis, I do not believe as you do. I am
an Agnostic. Oh, I said to him. Yes. That is a Greek word, is it not? The Latin
word, I think, is ignoramus. He did not like it at all. Yet I only translated his
l ... read more
AIMLESSNESS
Some time ago, I read in the paper of a gentleman being taken up before a
magistrate. What was the charge against him? Nothing very serious, you will say. He
was found wandering in the fields. He was asked where he was going, and he said he
was not go ... read more
ALCOHOL
The best way to make a man sober is to bring him to the foot of the cross. AM108
Those beer-shops are the curse of this countryno good ever can come of them, and
the evil they do no tongue can tell; the publics were bad enough, but the beer-shops
ar ... read more
ALERTNESS
The wide awake man seizes opportunities or makes them, and thus those who are
widest awake usually come to the front. 996.338 ... read more
AMBITION
Men do not quarrel when their ambitions have come to an end. 2281.529
Do you not know that the higher you rise, even in the Church of Christ, the more
responsibility you have, and the heavier burdens you have to carry? 2871.91
And it is much the sa ... read more
AMUSEMENTS
But, says one, are we not to have amusements? Yes, such amusements as you can
take in the fear of God. Do whatever Jesus would have done. GS291
I have nothing to say against recreation in its proper place. Certain forms of
recreation are needful ... read more
ANCESTRY
Big as men may account themselves to be on account of their ancestors, we all trace
our line up to a gardener, who lost his place through stealing his Masters fruit, and
that is the farthest we can possibly go. Adam covers us all with disgrace, and und ... read more
ANGELS
How angels thus keep us we cannot tell. Whether they repel demons, counteract
spiritual plots, or even ward off the subtler physical forces of disease, we do not know.
Perhaps we shall one day stand amazed at the multiplied services which the unseen
ba ... read more
ANGER
Anger is a short madness. The less we do when we go mad the better for everybody,
and the less we go mad the better for ourselves. PP36
Do nothing when you are out of temper, and then you will have the less to undo. PP37
Anger does a man more hurt ... read more
ANIMALS, TREATMENT OF
Poor dumb animals cannot speak for themselves, and therefore every one who has
his speech should plead for them. PP50
Theres a deal to be done with animals with kindness, and nothing with cruelty. He
who is unmerciful to his beast is worse than a be ... read more
ANNIHILATIONISM
Let us think what that death is! It is not non-existence; I do not know that I would
lift a finger to save my fellow-creature from mere non-existence. I see no great hurt
in annihilation; certainly nothing that would alarm me as a punishment for sin. WC ... read more
ANTEDILUVIANS
Man becomes a bad enough sinner when he lives to be seventy; but what he became
at seven hundred or more is somewhat difficult to guess. We wonder not that there
were giants in those daysgiants in crime as well as in stature. 1891.158 ... read more
ANTINOMIANISM
We have in spiritual matters things called liberty which are no liberty. There is
Antinomian libertyGod deliver us from that! A man saith, I am not under the law
of God, therefore I will live as I like. A most blessed truth followed by a most
atroc ... read more
ANTIQUITY
We cannot be certain that a thing is right because it is old, for Satan is old, and sin is
old, and death is old, and hell is old; yet none of these things are right and desirable
on that account. TN95 ... read more
APATHY
But there are districts, especially rural districts, where indifference prevails; and the
same state of things exists in various parts of London. It is not infidelity; the people
do not care enough about religion to even oppose it. SW117
No wonder t ... read more
APOLOGETICS
I question whether Butler and Paley have not both of them created more infidels
than they ever cured, and whether most of the defences of the gospel are not sheer
impertinences. The gospel does not want defending. If Jesus Christ is not alive, and
can ... read more
APOSTASY
The first step astray is a want of adequate faith in the divine inspiration of the
Sacred Scriptures. DG13
In looking carefully over the history of the times, and the movement of the times,
of which we have written briefly, this fact is apparent: tha ... read more
ARGUMENT
Reason is folly with the unreasonable. PP58
Some people like rowsI dont envy their choice; Id rather walk ten miles to get out
of a dispute than half-a-mile to get into one. PT73
Satan greatly approves of our railing at each other, but God does ... read more
ARMINIANISM
I believe it is a mistake about God himself which has been the root and foundation of
all the mistakes in theology. Our conviction is, that Arminian theology, to a great
extent, makes God to be less than he is. 394.370
The basis and groundwork of Arm ... read more
ARROGANCE
Certain men might have been something if they had not thought themselves so. A
consciously great man is an evidently little one. GF48
We know many persons who are always doing a great deal, and yet do nothing; fussy
people, people to the front in eve ... read more
ASSERTIVENESS
When we are injured, we are bound as Christians to bear it without malice; but we
are not to pretend that we do not feel it, for this will but encourage our enemies to
kick us again. He who is cheated twice by the same man, is half as bad as the rogue; ... read more
ASSISTANCE
When we have good work to do for our Lord, we are glad of the company of kindred
spirits, determined to make the good work succeed; but if we have no such comrades,
we must go alone. There is no absolute necessity for numbers. Who knows? The
friends we ... read more
ASSURANCE
If thou canst believe, thou art saved. I cannot help quoting my brother Hills
expression the other day: He that believeth on me hath everlasting life (John vi. 47)
You know how he put it: H A T H spells got it. So it does; it is a curious but a
p ... read more
ATHEISM
If a spot could be found wherein there would be no God, what a fine building
speculation might be made there. Millions would emigrate to No Gods land, and
would feel at ease, as soon as they trod its Godless shores. BA174
The atheist is, morally, ... read more
ATHEISM -PRACTICAL
Let me ask you, how many atheists are now in this house? Perhaps not a single one
of you would accept the title, and yet, if you live from Monday morning to Saturday
night in the same way as you would live if there were no God, you are practical
atheis ... read more
ATONEMENT
Never has there been a sin pardoned, absolutely and without atonement, since the
world began. 255.241
What the sun is to the heavens, that the doctrine of a vicarious satisfaction is to
theology. Atonement is the brain and spinal cord of Christianity ... read more
ATONEMENT -DEFINITE
I do not believe in an atonement which is admirably wide, but fatally ineffectual. BA143
I may be called Antinomian or Calvinist for preaching a limited atonement; but I had
rather believe a limited atonement that is efficacious for all men for whom i ... read more
ATONMENT -UNLIMITED
Again let me remind you that the Scriptures plainly teach us that the atonement of
our Lord Jesus Christ has a universal bearing; and it seems to me that those who
limit the value of the atonement do most seriously err from the faith. I believe the
sac ... read more
BACKSLIDING
Chosen vessels of mercy, notwithstanding their backslidings, are brought back; but
ah! remember that nine out of ten of those who backslide never were Gods people.
590.531
It is very easy to go back in the heavenly pilgrimage, but it is very hard to ... read more
BALANCE
Balance your duties, and let not one press out another. BA21
We are to take care never to present one duty to God stained with the blood of
another, but to balance and proportion our different forms of service, so that our
life-work may be perfect a ... read more
BANKRUPTCY
Why, I know tradesmen who have failed five or six times, and yet they think they are
on the road to heaven; the scoundrels, what would they do if they got there? They are
a deal more likely to go where they shall never come out till they have paid the ... read more
BAPTISM
I should think it a high sin and treason against heaven, if, believing that baptism
signifieth immersion, and immersion only, I should pretend to administer it by
sprinkling; or, believing that baptism appertaineth to believers only, I should
consider ... read more
BAPTISM - INFANT
Truth suffers nothing from free discussion, it is indeed the element in which it most
freely exerts its power. We have personally known several instances in which
sermons in defence of Infant Baptism have driven numbers to more Scriptural views,
and we ... read more
BAPTISM - REFUSAL OF
I do not question the safety of the soul that has believed, but I do say again, I would
not run the risk of the man who, having believed, refuses to be baptized. 980.156
I feel shocked when I hear people say, But it is not essential to salvation. T ... read more
BAPTISTS
Still, a few historical memoranda as to the Christians commonly called Baptists will
not be out of place. Our own belief is that these people are the purest part of that sect
which of old was everywhere spoken against, and we are convinced that they ha ... read more
BEAUTY
There is little virtue in the beauty which calls attention to itself; modest beauty is the
last to extol its own charms. AM212
As for beauty, one of its most potent charms lies in its modest unconsciousness; it is
greatly marred when accompanied by ... read more
BELIEF
Believing is a matter of the will. A man does not believe without being willing to
believe. 2305.197
If thou believest, thy belief will kill thy sinning, or else thy sinning will kill thy
believing. The greatest argument against the Bible is an unho ... read more
BETRAYAL
Reproaches from those who have been intimate with us, and trusted by us, cut us to
the quick; and they are usually so well acquainted with our peculiar weaknesses that
they know how to touch us where we are most sensitive, and to speak so as to do us
... read more
BIAS
They have no veils of ignorance or prejudice to darken their sight in heaven. Those of
us who most candidly endeavour to learn the truth are nevertheless in some degree
biased and warped by education. Let us struggle as we may, yet still our
surroundi ... read more
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