Afflictions
To know that nothing hurts the godly, is a matter of comfort; but to be assured that all things which fall out shall co-operate for their good, that their crosses shall be turned into blessings, that showers of affliction water the withering root of their ... read more
Assurance
Whom God legally saves, He experimentally saves; whom He justifies, them He also sanctifies. Where the righteousness of Christ is imputed to an individual, a principle of holiness is imparted to him; the former can only be ascertained by the latter. It is ... read more
Blessings
Did you never run for shelter in a storm, and find fruit which you expected not? Did you never go to God for safeguard, driven by outward storms, and there find unexpected fruit?
John Owen
To bless God for mercies is the way to increase them; to bl ... read more
Chastisement
Chastisement is designed for our good, to promote our highest interests. Look beyond the rod to the All-wise hand that wields it!
Arthur W. Pink
For a Christian to defy adversities is to "despise" chastisement. Instead of hardening himself to end ... read more
Contentment
Instead of complaining at his lot, a contented man is thankful that his condition and circumstances are no worse than they are. Instead of greedily desiring something more than the supply of his present need, he rejoices that God still cares for him. Such ... read more
Death
God, to prevent all escape, hath sown the seeds of death in our very constitution and nature, so that we can as soon run from ourselves, as run from death. We need no feller to come with a hand of violence and hew us down; there is in the tree a worm, whi ... read more
Eternal Security
A man sometimes goes from home, and sometimes he does not quite leave his house. There is much difference between those two. If a man leaves his house and comes no more, then he carries away all his goods.... But though a man ride a great journey, yet he ... read more
Eternity, Worldliness, Life, Conversion: Busy Here and There
A man's greatest care should be for that place where he lives longest; therefore eternity should be his scope.
Thomas Watson
0 my brother! your opinion about "for ever" can have no manner of effect upon the reality of that "for ever!" A party ... read more
Faith
If a man would lead a happy life, let him but seek a sure object for his trust [or faith], and he shall be safe: "He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord." He hath laid up his confidence in God, therefore his hea ... read more
Fear
Christian, let God's distinguishing love to you be a motive to you to fear Him greatly. He has put His fear in your heart, and may not have given that blessing to your neighbor, perhaps not to your husband, your wife, your child, or your parent. Oh, what ... read more
Grace
"Grace" is more than mercy and love, it superadds to them. it denotes, not simply love, but the love of a sovereign, transcendly superior, one that may do what he will, that may wholly choose whether he will love or no. There may be love between equals, ... read more
Growth in Grace
God's children improve all advantages to advance their grand end; they labour to grow better by blessings and crosses, and to make sanctified use of all things.
Richard Sibbes
If believers decay in their first love, or in some other grace, yet ano ... read more
Heaven
Where the unveiled glories of the Deity shall beat full upon us, and we for ever sun ourseves in the smiles of God.
Ezekiel Hopkins
How sweet is rest after fatigue! How sweet will heaven be when our journey is ended.
George Whitefield
He th ... read more
Hell
Are there not millions of us who would rather go sleeping to hell; than sweating to heaven?
Thomas Watson
Wrath to come implies both the futurity and perpetuity of this wrath.... Yea, it is not only certainly future, but when it comes it will be ab ... read more
Holiness
There is nothing destroyed by sanctification but that which would destroy us.
William Jenkyn
It is no small advantage to the holy life to "begin the day with God." The saints are wont to leave their hearts with Him over night, that they may find ... read more
Hope
Truly, hope is the saint's covering, wherein he wraps himself, when he lays his body down to sleep in the grave: "My flesh," saith David, "shall rest in hope."
William Gurnall
Hope fills the afflicted soul with such inward joy and consolation, ... read more
HUMILITY
Oh that I was lowly in heart! Honor and dishonor, good report and evil report would then be alike, and prove a furtherance to me in my Christian cause.
George Whitefield
A truly humble man is sensible of his natural distance from God; of his depend ... read more
Joy
Take a saint, and put him into any condition, and he knows how to rejoice in the Lord.
Walter Cradock
[Believers] have joy and comfortthat joy that angels cannot give, and devils cannot take.
Christopher Fowler
Foolish talking and jesting a ... read more
Judgment
Both in thy private sessions, and the universal assizes, thou shalt be sure of the same Judge, the same jury, the same witnesses, the same verdict. How certain thou art to die, thou knowest; how soon to die, thou knowest not. Measure not thy life with the ... read more
Love
Let a man have what he will, and do what he will, it signifies nothing without charity; which surely implies that charity is the great thing, and that everything which has not charity in some way contained or implied in it is nothing, and that this charit ... read more
Meditation
Continued meditation brings great profit to the soul. Passant and transient thoughts are more pleasant, but not so profitable. Deliberate meditation is of most use because it secures the return of the thoughts.
Thomas Manton
Meditation will keep yo ... read more
Patience
The patient man is merry indeed.... The jailers that watch him are but his pages of honour, and his very dungeon but the lower side of the vault of heaven. He kisseth the wheel that must kill him; and thinks the stairs of the scaffold of his martyrdom but ... read more
Peace
And therefore you who think so basely of the Gospel and the professors of it, because at present their peace and comfort are not come, should know that it is on the way to them, and comesto stay everlastingly with them; whreas your peace is going is going ... read more
Perseverance
Christ ceaseth not to work by His intercession with God for us, and by His Spirit in us for God, whereby He upholds His saints, their graces, their comforts in life, without which they would run to ruin.
William Gurnall
Your life is short, your dut ... read more
Piety
Piety hath a wondrous virtue to change all things into matter of consolation and joy. No condition in effect can be evil or sad to a pious man: his very sorrows are pleasant, his infirmities are wholesome, his wants enrich him, his disgraces adorn him, hi ... read more
Pleasures of the World
I cannot but look upon all the glory and dignity of this world, lands and lordships, crowns and kingdoms, even as on some brain-sick, beggarly fellow, that borrows fine clothes, and plays, the part of a king or lord for an hour on a stage, and then comes ... read more
Prayer
Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness.
Martin Luther
I had rather stand against the cannons of the wicked than against the prayers of the righteous.
Thomas Lye
Israel prevailed with God in wrestling w ... read more
Priorities
If our principal treasure be as we profess, in things spiritual and heavenly, and woe unto us if it be not so! on them will our affections, and consequently our desires and thoughts, be principally fixed.
John Owen
A godly man preferreth grace befo ... read more
Prosperity
As men cherish young plants at first, and fence them about to keep them from hurt, but when they are grown, they remove them, and then leave them to the wind and weather, so God besets His children first with props of inward comforts, but afterwards expos ... read more
Providence
How often has providence convinced its observers, upon a sober recollection of the events of their lives, that if the Lord had left them to their own counsels they had as often been their own tormentors, if not executioners!
John Flavel
If God has ... read more
Separation
We should take heed with whom we join in league and amity. Before we plant our affections, consider the persons what they are; if we see any signs of grace, then it is good; but if not there will be a rent. Throughout our whole life this ought to be our ... read more
Temptation
Satan would seem to be mannerly and reasonable; making as if he would be content with one-half of the heart, whereas God challengeth all or none: as, indeed, He hath most reason to claim all that made all. But this is nothing but a crafty fetch of Satan; ... read more
The Christian Life
The whole life of a Christian should be nothing but praises and thanks to God; we should neither eat nor sleep, but eat to God and sleep to God and work to God and talk to God, do all to His glory and praise.
Richard Sibbes
The tenets of [the Chris ... read more
The Sovereignty of God
Divine sovereignty is not the sovereignty of a tyrannical Despot, but the exercised pleasure of One who is infinitely wise and good! Because God is infinitely wise He cannot err, and because He is infinitely righteous He will not do wrong. Here then is ... read more
Verbal Communication
All our words ought to be filled with true sweetness and grace; and this will be so if we mingle the useful with the sweet.
John Calvin
As idle talk is often concealed under the garb of jesting, and wit, the Apostle Paul expressly condemns pleasan ... read more
Watchfulness
The Christian soldier must avoid two evilshe must not faint or yield in the time of fight, and after a victory he must not wax insolent and secure. When he has overcome, he is so to behave himself as though he were presently again to be assaulted. For Sa ... read more
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