If a wicked man seems to have peace at death, it is not from the knowledge of his happiness but from the ignorance of his danger.
Prayer as it comes from the saint is weak and languid; but when the arrow of a saint's prayer is put into the bow of Christ's intercession, it pierces the throne of grace!
Prayer delights God's ear. It melts His heart and opens His hand. God cannot deny a praying soul.
The torments of Hell abide forever. If all the earth and sea were sand, and every thousandth year a little bird should come, and take away one grain of this sand, it would be a long time before that vast heap of sand were emptied. Yet, if after all that time the damned may come out of Hell, there were some hope; but this word FOREVER breaks the heart.
Affliction may be lasting but it is not everlasting. Affliction has a sting—but withal a wing sorrow shall soon fly away.
Better have men reproach you for being godly than have God damn you for being wicked. Be not laughed out of your religion. If a lame man laughs at you for walking upright, will you therefore limp?
A spiritual prayer is a humble prayer. Prayer is the asking of an alms, which requires humility. The lower the heart descends the higher the prayer ascends.
It is absurd to think that anything in us could have the least influence upon our election. Some say that God foresaw that such persons would believe, and therefore chose them; so they would make the business of salvation to depend upon something in us. Whereas God does not choose us for faith but to faith. "He has chosen us, that we should be holy" (Ephesians 1:4), not because we would be holy but that we might be holy. We are elected to holiness, not for it.
Knowledge is the eye which must direct the foot of obedience.
Make up your spiritual accounts daily; see how matters stand between God and your souls (Psalm 77:6). Frequent reckonings keep God and conscience friends. Do with your hearts as you do with your watches wind them up every morning by prayer, and at night examine whether your hearts have gone true all that day, whether the wheels of your affections have moved swiftly toward Heaven.
God will not be behind-hand in love to us. For our drop we shall receive an ocean!
The right manner of spiritual growth, is to grow less in one's own eyes.
Praising God is one of the highest and purest acts of religion. In prayer we act like men but in praise we act like angels.
How many souls have been blown into Hell with the wind of popular applause?
Let us then ascribe the whole work of grace to the pleasure of God's Will. God did not choose us because we were worthy but by choosing us, He makes us worthy.
There is justice in Hell but sin is the most unjust thing. It would rob God of His glory, Christ of His purchase, the soul of its happiness.
[Thomas Watson]
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