Grace is a ring of gold — and Christ is the sparkling diamond in that ring!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Satan promises the best — but pays with the worst.He promises honor — and pays with disgrace.He promises pleasure — and pays with pain.He promises profit — and pays with loss.He promises life-and pays with death.But God pays as he promises — all his payments are made in pure gold.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sin is bad in the eye,
worse in the tongue,
worse still in the heart,
but worst of all in the life!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The first step to mercy — is to see our own misery.The first step toward Heaven — is to see ourselves near Hell.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The world and you must part — or Christ and you will never meet."You can not serve God and mammon."~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Augustine prayed, "Deliver me, O Lord, from that evil man, myself!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Grace is a sweet flower of paradise, a spark of glory!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A humble soul is like the violet, which by its fragrance draws the eye and the heart of others to it.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Whatever is not of faith, is sin." Until men have faith in Christ, their best services are but glorious sins!
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As the flood drowned Noah's own friends and servants — so must the flood of repenting tears drown our sweetest and most profitable sins!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sometimes grace in a rugged, harsh nature is like . . .
a gold ring on a leprous hand,
or a diamond set in iron,
or a jewel in a swine's snout!Souls at their first conversion are but roughcast — but God, by visiting them and manifesting himself to them in his ways, more and more fits them as vessels of mercy for glory.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Did God leave us to act according to our sinful natures — we would all be incarnate devils, and this world would be an absolute Hell!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Those sins shall never be a Christian's bane — that are now his greatest burden.It is not falling into the water — but lying in the water, that drowns.It is not falling into sin — but lying in sin, that destroys the soul.If sin and your heart are two — then Christ and your heart are one.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
God scatters giftless gifts — the honors, riches, and favors, of this world — up and down among the worst of men. But as for his gold — his Spirit, his grace, his Son, his favor — these are jewels that he only casts into the bosoms of saints, and that because he dearly loves them.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The best and sweetest flowers of Paradise, God gives to his people when they are upon their knees. Prayer is the gate of Heaven — a key to let us in to Paradise.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Christian, though the cup is bitter — yet it is put into your hand by your loving heavenly Father! Though the cross is heavy — yet he who has laid it on your shoulders will bear the heaviest end of it himself; and why then should you murmur?~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Were riches ever true to those who trusted them? As the bird hops from twig to twig, so do riches hop from man to man. "Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle!" Proverbs 23:5~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Where the disease is strong, the medicine must be strong, or else the cure will never be wrought. God is a wise physician, and he would never give strong medicine, if a weaker one could effect the cure.The more rusty the iron is, the oftener we put it into the fire to purify it. The more crooked it is, the more blows and the harder blows, we give to straighten it. Therefore, Christian, if you have long been a-gathering rust, you have no cause to complain if God deal thus with you!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Many a man has slain his mercies — by setting too great a value upon them. Over-loved mercies — are seldom long-livedmercies. The way to lose your mercies — is to indulge them; the way to destroy them — is to fix your minds and hearts upon them.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
There are those who love their mercies into their graves, that hug their mercies to death, that kiss them until they kill them! Many a man has slain his mercies by setting too great a value upon them. Over-loved mercies are seldom long-lived.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~Though true repentance is never too late — yet late repentance is seldom true. Do not put off God until old age; for old, lame and sick sacrifices rarely reach as high as Heaven. Give God the cream and flower of youth, strength, time and talents!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Faith is the key that unlocks Paradise and lets a flood of joy into the soul.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
God will make the most insensible sinner sensible, either of his hand here — or of his wrath in Hell.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The more vile Christ made himself for us — the more dear he ought to be unto us!
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You may write bitterness and death upon that mercy which has taken away your heart from God.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Cold prayers shall never have any warm answers. God will suit his returns to our requests. Cold prayers are as arrows without heads, as swords without edges, as birds without wings — they pierce not, they cut not, they fly not up to Heaven. Cold prayers always freeze before they reach Heaven.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As green wood and old logs meet in one fire — so young sinners and old sinners meet in one Hell and burn together.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Little sins multiplied, become great. There is nothing less than a grain of sand — yet there is nothing heavier than the sand of the sea when multiplied.
Little sins are very dangerous!A little leaven, leavens the whole lump.
A little knife, may kill.
A little leak in a ship, may sink it.
A little flaw in a good cause, mars it.Just so, a little sin may at once bar the door of Heaven, and open the gates of Hell!Though the scorpion is little — yet will it sting a lion to death!Just so will the least sin, if not pardoned by the death of Christ!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Where God refuses to correct — there God resolves to destroy. There is no man so near the edge, so near the flames, so near Hell — as he whom God will not so much as spend a rod upon! "For the LORD disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one he accepts as His child!" Hebrews 12:6~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A saint's conflict is against sin universally — the least as well as the greatest.He looks upon one sin, and sees that it threw down Noah — the most righteous man in the world.He looks upon another sin, and sees that it cast down Abraham — the greatest believer in the world.He sees that another sin threw down David — the best king in the world.He looks upon another sin, and sees that it cast down Paul — the greatest apostle in the world.He sees that one sin threw down Samson — the strongest man in the world.He sees that another sin cast down Solomon — the wisest man in the world.He looks upon another sin, and sees that it threw down Moses — the meekest man in the world.He sees that another sin cast down Job — the most patient man in the world.And this raises a holy indignation against all sin, so that nothing can satisfy and content him but a destruction of all those lusts and vices which vex and rack his righteous soul!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Those who use the things of the world, should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away!" 1 Corinthians 7:31
Sorrow attends worldly joy,
danger attends worldly safety,
loss attends worldly labors,
tears attend worldly purposes.As to these things . . .
men's hopes are vain,
their sorrow is certain,
and their joy is feigned.The apostle calls this world a sea of glass — a sea for the trouble of it, and glass for the brittleness and bitterness of it.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Afflictions are called by some "the mother of virtue."Manasseh's chain was more profitable to him than his crown.Luther could not understand some Scriptures, until he was in affliction.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Some say that roses grow the sweeter when they are planted by garlic.Truly, Christians who have gloriously improved their graces, are like those roses; they grow sweeter and sweeter, holier and holier, by wicked men.The best diamonds shine most in the dark — and so do the best Christians shine most in the worst times!
"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe!" Philippians 2:14-15~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Everything that a man leans upon but God, will be a dart that will certainly pierce his heart through and through! He who leans only upon Christ, lives the highest, choicest, safest, and sweetest life!
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight!" Proverbs 3:5-6~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"You shall break them with a rod of iron! You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel!" Psalm 2:9
There is no way to avoid perishing by Christ's iron rod — but by kissing His golden scepter!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jesus Christ has the greatest worth and wealth in him. As the worth and value of many pieces of silver is in one piece of gold — so all the heavenly excellencies that are scattered abroad in angels and men are united in Christ! Yes, all the whole volume of perfection, which is spread through Heaven and earth, is epitomized in Christ!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs!" 1 Timothy 6:10
Earthly riches are called thorns, and well they may be. For, as thorns, they pierce both head and heart. They pierce the head with cares in getting them — and the heart with grief in parting with them.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
God looks more upon the bright side of the cloud, than the dark side. "Remember the patience of Job" (James 5:11). It is not "Remember the murmuring of Job, the cursing of Job, the complainings of Job, the impatience of Job," but "Remember the patience of Job." God looks upon the pearl — and not upon the spot that is in it!Just so, in Hebrews 11:30, 31, there is mention made of Rahab's faith, love, and peaceable behavior towards the spies; but no mention made of her lie. The Lord overlooks her weaknesses — and keeps His eye upon her virtues.
Where God sees but a little grace, He does, as it were, hide His eyes from those circumstances that might seem to deface the glory of it.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
He who drew Alexander while he had a scar upon his face — drew him with his finger upon the scar. Just so, when the Lord comes to look upon a poor soul, he lays his finger upon the scar, upon the infirmity — that he may see nothing but grace, which is the beauty and the glory of the soul.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Samson's strength lay in his hair. Just so, much of a Christian's spiritual strength lies in secret prayer. Nothing disarms Satan and weakens sin, like secret prayer!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Secret prayer is Jacob's ladder, where God descends into the soul, and the soul sweetly ascends to God.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Secret meals are very fattening — and secret prayers are very soul-enriching!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pride is Satan's disease! It is so base a disease, that God would rather see His dearest children buffeted by Satan, than that in pride they should be like Satan (2 Corinthians 12:7). Pride is . . .
a gilded misery,
a secret poison,
a hidden plague,
the engineer of deceit,
the mother of hypocrisy,
the parent of misery,
the moth of holiness,
the blinder of hearts,
the turner of medicines into maladies.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Weak saints are as much united to Christ, as much justified by Christ, as much reconciled by Christ, and as much pardoned by Christ — as the strongest saints. He who looked upon the brazen serpent, though with weak sight, was healed as thoroughly as he who looked upon it with a stronger sight.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Has God given you a crown — and will you not trust Him for a crumb?Has He given you a house which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God? Has He given you a kingdom that can never be shaken? And will you not trust Him for a cottage in this world?Has he given you Himself, His Son, His Spirit, His grace — and will you not trust Him to give you bread, and clothes, and other necessary mercies which He knows you need?Has He given you the greater — and will He not give you the lesser? Surely not! "He who spared not His own Son — but delivered Him up for us all — how shall He not with Him, also freely give us all things!" Romans 8:32~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Oh, how sweet is . . .
a harbor after a long storm, and
a sunshiny day after a dark and tempestuous night,
and a warm spring after a sharp winter!Just so, the miseries and difficulties that a man meets with in this world — will exceedingly sweeten the glory of the eternal world!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Man's holiness is now his greatest happiness.In Heaven, man's greatest happiness will be his perfect holiness!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
He does well, who discourses of Christ. But he does infinitely better, who by experimental knowledge, feeds and lives on Christ.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Christ will be all in all — or he will be nothing at all.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
God loves to lade the wings of prayer with the choicest and chief blessings. Many Christians have found, by experience, praying times to be . . .
a shelter to their souls,
a sacrifice to God,
a sweet savor to Christ,
a scourge to Satan, and
an inlet to assurance.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
There is no possibility of taking a mercy out of God's hand — until the mercy is ripe for us, and we are ripe for the mercy!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A gracious soul grieves more that God by his sin is grieved and dishonored — than he himself is afflicted and chastened for it.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The being in a state of grace will yield a man a Heaven hereafter — but the seeing of himself in this state will yield him both a Heaven here and a Heaven hereafter; it will render him doubly blessed — blessed in Heaven, and blessed in his own conscience.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Clothes and company oftentimes tell tales in a mute but significant language.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Other sins will not be long-lived — when justice is done upon the bosom sin. Thrust but a dart through the heart of Absalom — and a complete conquest will follow.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Grace and glory differ very little.The one is the seed, the other is the flower.Grace is glory militant — glory is grace triumphant.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Saving faith makes a man see . . .
the prickles that are in every rose,
the thorns that are in every crown,
the poison that is in the golden cup,
the spot that is in the shining pearl.And thus a Christian counts and calls all these things, as indeed they are, "vanity of vanities!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
There is no water so sweet as the saint's tears. Tears have a voice, and their oratory is of great prevalency with the Almighty God. "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." Psalm 56:8~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Temptations make a Christian more serviceable and useful to others. None so fit and able . . .
to relieve tempted souls,
to sympathize with tempted souls,
to support tempted souls,
to counsel tempted souls,
to pity tempted souls,
to bear with tempted souls, and
to comfort tempted souls —
as those who have been in the school of temptation.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A sincere heart weeps and laments bitterly over those secret and inward corruptions — which others will scarcely acknowledge to be sins.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Christians, your hearts are Christ's royal throne, and in this throne Christ will be chief. If you shall attempt to enthrone the creature, be it ever so near and dear unto you — Christ will dethrone it, he will destroy it. He will quickly lay them in a bed of dust — who shall aspire to his royal throne.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Everything on this side Hell is a great mercy!
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The least sin is rather to be avoided and prevented, than the greatest sufferings. If this cockatrice is not crushed in the egg — it will soon become a serpent! The very thought of sin, if but thought on, will break forth into action — action into custom — custom into habit — and then both body and soul are lost irrecoverably to all eternity.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
God will not be put off with the shell — when we give the devil the kernel.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Woe, woe to the soul that fights against God with his own mercies — who will be sinful, because God is merciful. Abused mercy will at last turn into a lion, a fierce lion — and then woe to the despisers and abusers of it!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
When God gives a mercy, he does not relinquish his own right in that mercy.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Christ is the pot of manna, the cruise of oil, a bottomless ocean of all comfort, contentment and satisfaction. He who has him — lacks nothing. He who lacks him — enjoys nothing long!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Long afflictions will much set off the glory of Heaven.The longer the storm — the sweeter the calm;
the longer the winter nights — the sweeter the summer days.The new wine of Christ's kingdom, is most sweet to those who have long been drinking gall and vinegar.The higher the mountain — the gladder we shall be when we get to the top of it.The longer our journey is — the sweeter will be our end; and
the longer our passage is — the more desirable will the haven be.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Augustine, upon that answer of God to Moses, "You cannot see my face and live" makes this quick and sweet reply, "Then, Lord, let me die, that I may see your face!"
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God loves to smile most upon his people, when the world frowns most. When the world puts its iron chains upon their legs — then God puts his golden chains about their necks! When the world puts a bitter cup into their hands — then God drops some of his honey, some of his goodness and sweetness, into it. When the world is ready to stone them — then God gives them the white stone! And when the world is tearing their good names — then he gives them a new name, that none knows but he who has it, a name that is better than that of sons and daughters.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don't cheat, I don't sin, and I don't commit adultery. I'm certainly not like that tax collector!" Luke 18:11-12
Men who content themselves with negative righteousness, shall find at last Heaven's gates bolted upon them with a double bolt. All that negative righteousness and holiness can do — is to help a man to one of the best chambers and easiest beds in Hell!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Knowledge and love, like the water and the ice — beget each other. Man loves Christ by knowing him — and knows Christ by loving him.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The bee stores her hive out of all sorts of flowers for the common benefit. Just so, a heavenly Christian sucks sweetness out of every mercy and every duty, out of every providence and every ordinance, out of every promise and every privilege — that he may give out the more sweetness to others.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Where Christ loves, he always begets a love something like his own. That love which is flat, lukewarm, or cold, will leave a man to freeze on this side Heaven — yes, it will fit him for the hottest place in Hell.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ah! souls — if your knowledge does not put the world under your feet — it will never put a crown of glory upon your heads!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
No man honors God, and no man justifies God at so high a rate — as he who lays his hand upon his mouth, when the rod of God is upon his back! "I was silent; I would not open my mouth, for you are the one who has done this!" Psalm 39:9~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The world, by the glistening of her pomp and preferment, has slain millions! It is like the serpent Scytale, who, when she cannot overtake the fleeing passengers, does, with her beautiful colors, astonish and amaze them so that they have no power to leave until she has stung them to death. Just so, adversity has slain her thousands — but prosperity her tens of thousands!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Among the philosophers there were two hundred and eighty opinions concerning happiness, some affirming happiness to lie in one thing, some in another. But by the Spirit and the Word we are taught that happiness lies in our oneness with God, in our nearness and dearness to God, and in our conformity to God.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ah, souls, while you are in the very service of the Lord, you will find by experience that the God of Heaven will prosper you, and support you, and encourage and strengthen you, and carry you through the hardest service with the greatest sweetness and cheerfulness that can be. He will suit your strength to your work; and in the hardest service, you will have the choicest assistance.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In the Old Testament, the Jews being babes and infants in grace and holiness, had a world of temporal promises — and very fewspiritual ones. But now in the days of the Gospel, the Lord is pleased to double and treble his Spirit upon his people — and we meet with very few temporal promises in the Gospel — it is full of spiritual blessings.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Idleness is the very source of sin. Standing pools gather mud, and nourish and breed venomous creatures. Just so, with the hearts of idle and slothful Christians!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Believer, your afflictions are not to be compared to those that attended our Lord Jesus, whose whole life, from the cradle to the cross, was nothing but a life of suffering. Osorius, writing of the sufferings of Christ, says, that the crown of thorns bored his head with seventy-two wounds. Many seventy-two afflictions did Christ meet with while he was in this world; he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. A man might as well compare the number of his bosom friends with the stars in Heaven — as compare his afflictions with the sufferings of Christ!~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The most dangerous vermin — are too often to be found under the fairest and sweetest flowers.The fairest glove — is often drawn upon the foulest hand.The richest robes — are often put upon the most diseased bodies.Just so, the fairest and sweetest names — are upon the greatest and most horrible vices and errors in the world.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It is not in the power of any mortal to repent at pleasure. Some ignorant deluded souls vainly conceive that these five words,"Lord, have mercy upon me," are efficacious to send them to Heaven. But as many are undone by buying a counterfeit jewel — so many are in Hell by mistake of their repentance. Many rest in their repentance, though it be but the shadow and not the substance; which caused one to say, "Repentance damns more than sin!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The soul is never able to stand under the guilt and weight of the least sin, when God sets it home upon the soul. The least sin will press and sink the stoutest sinner as low as Hell, when God shall open the sinner's eyes and make him see the horrid filthiness and abominable vileness that are in sin.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
