Thou must not neglect thy work, though God delays thy comfort; thou must be as obedient in the want of assurance, as thou art thankful under the enjoyment of assistance.

Thomas Brooks

Nothing can be more indecent than to hear a dead preacher speaking to dead sinners the living truth of the living God.

Richard Baxter

Afflictions wean the believer from the world, stimulate his spiritual growth, open new vistas of faith, increase his intimacy with God and submission to His attributes, and act overall as healing tonic for his soul.

Joel R. Beeke

God loves to smile most upon His people when the world frowns most.

Thomas Brooks (1608-1680)

I will now address myself specially to those who are known as Baptists. As for us, the baptized followers of Christ, our ancestry as a body of Christian men is not to be despised. Albeit that the name of Anabaptist has been made the football of reproach because it was wrongfully associated with fanatical opinions, we may rest assured that the more history is understood, the more apparent will it be that those who were the most humiliated were thus treated because they were before their times. They bore the brunt of battle because they led the way! God forbid that I should induce you to glory in them and so to wear borrowed laurels! Of all pride, I think that to be the most idle which hides its own nakedness beneath the tattered banners of ancestry. I do but dwell for a moment upon our past history to excite you to yet more earnest deeds! Prove yourselves to be these men’s sons by doing their deeds! Otherwise you are bastards and not sons. In every effort for civil and religious liberty, our fathers were at the front! In the utterance of those Divine Truths of God which have made tyrants and priests quake for fear, they have been among the boldest! Our fathers, for holding to Baptism as the Lord ordained it, suffered at the hands of men who knew no mercy.

C. H. SPURGEON (1834-1892)

What certainty can there be of election, remission of sin, justification, or glorification, if there be not a certainty of your sanctification and renovation? If that persuasion that is in you about your grace or sanctification be false, then that persuasion that is in you concerning remission of sin, predestination, justification, and eternal salvation is false. This highly concerns all to consider, that would not be miserable in both worlds.

Thomas Brooks (1608-1680)

Prayer is to be made with faith, whereby a man must have certaine assurance to be heard. For he that praieth, must steadfastly beleevee, that God in Christ will grant his petition.

William Perkins (1558-1602)

Assurance is requisite to the well-bring of a Christian, but not to the being; it is requisite to the consolation of a Christian, but not to the salvation of a Christian; it is requisite to the well-being of grace, but not to the mere being of grace.

Thomas Brooks

We should never forget that the purpose of theology is doxology.

R. C. Sproul

It is the very drift and design of the whole Scripture, to bring souls first to an acquaintance with Christ, and then to an acceptance of Christ, and then to build them up in a sweet assurance of their actual interest in Christ.

Thomas Brooks (1608-1680)

Most men shape their religion according to the fashion of the times; they are for the music and the idol.

Thomas Watson (17th century Puritan)

God would have us part with nothing for Him, but that which would damn us if we keep it. He has no design upon us, but to make us happy.

Thomas Watson (c.1620-1686)

Affliction to one is as the bruising of spices, which cast forth a fragrant smell; to the other it is as the crushing of weeds in a mortar, which are more unsavoury. What is this, but the free grace of God?

Thomas Watson, 17th century pastor

There are but few that love God.

Thomas Watson

Love cannot be silent; we shall be as so many trumpets, sounding forth the freeness of God's grace, the transparency of His love, and the glory of His kingdom. Love is like fire: where it burns in the heart, it will break forth at the lips. It will be elegant in setting forth God's praise: love must have vent.

Thomas Watson

He who is afraid to own Christ has but little love to Him. . . Does he love God that can hear His blessed truths spoken against and be silent?

Thomas Watson

If God seek our good, let us seek His glory. If He make all things tend to our edification, let us make all things tend to His exaltation.

Thomas Watson

What has the world done for you, that you love it so much? Did the world die for you? Will the world blot out your sins or change your heart? Will the world carry you to heaven? No, no! You may go back to the world if you please, but it can only destroy your pour soul.

Robert Murray McCheyne

Sin puts a child of God upon self-conflicting. Spiritual-self conflicts with carnal-self. ‘The spirit lusts against the flesh’ (Gal. 5.17). Our life is a wayfaring life, and a warfaring life. There is a duel fought every day between the two seeds. A believer will not let sin have peaceable possession. If he cannot keep sin out, he will keep sin under; though he cannot quite overcome, yet he is overcoming. ‘To him that is overcoming’ (Rev. 2.7).

Thomas Watson

God would never permit evil, if He could not bring good out of evil.

Augustine

It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus.

Robert Murray McCheyne

No person can be a child of God without living in secret prayer; and no community of Christians can be in a lively condition without unity in prayer.

Robert Murray McCheyne

Never cease to show your people that to be holy is to be happy; and that to bring us to perfect holiness and likeness to God, was the very end for which Christ died.

Robert Murray McCheyne

Afflictions to the godly are medicinal.

Thomas Watson

The only way to be kept from falling is to grow. If you stand still, you will fall.

Robert Murray McCheyne