What They Said

"Let me beg you, not to rest contented with the commonplace religion that is now so prevalent."

 Adoniram Judson

"The doctrines of grace humble man without degrading him and exalt him without inflating him."

Chalres Hodge

"Not to be afflicted is a sign of weakness; for, therefore God imposeth no more on me, because he sees I can bear no more."

Joseph Hall

"I am now going from a prison to a palace. I have finished my work, I am now to receive my wages."

Christopher Love

(From a letter by Christopher Love, a Welsh Protestant preacher, to his wife, on the day before his execution by the English government.)

"" They say that all things are fair in love and war; but the holy man thought not so: while he carried his life in his hand, he also carried the law in his heart. No danger of body should make us endanger our souls by forgetting that which is right. Trouble makes many a man forget his duty, and it would have had the same effect upon the Psalmist if he had not obtained quickening (verse 107) and teaching (verse 108). In his memory of the Lord's law lay his safety ; he was certain not to be forgotten of God, for God was not forgotten of him.  It is a special proof of grace when nothing can drive truth out of our thoughts, or holiness out of our lives. If we remember the law even when death stares us in the face, we may be well assured that the Lord is remembering us."

Charles Spurgeon

(Treasury of David: Psalm 119:109)

"Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Spirit, for such things as God has promised."

John Bunyan

"Humility is a strange flower; it grows best in winter weather, and under storms of affliction."

Samuel Rutherford

“I hold that belief in God is not merely as reasonable as other belief, or even a little or infinitely more probably true than other belief; I hold rather that unless you believe in God you can logically believe in nothing else”

Cornelius Van Til

“Truly to confess out of the heart that all benefits come of God, even out of the goodness of his mercy and not the deservings of our deeds, is the only sacrifice that pleases God.”

William Tyndale

"Though other things may be the worse for breaking, yet a heart is never at the best till it be broken ; for till it be broken we cannot see what is in it; till it be broken it cannot send forth its sweetest odor; and, therefore, though God loves a whole heart in affection, yet He loves a broken heart in sacrifice. And no marvel, seeing it is He Himself that breaks it. Therefore, accept, O God, my broken heart, which I offer Thee with a whole heart; seeing Thou canst neither except against that for being whole which is broken in sacrifice, nor except against that for being broken which is whole in affection."

Sir Richard Baker

(1568-1645)

“In our prosperity we are apt to have secret thoughts that our enjoyments were the debts God owed us, rather than gifts freely bestowed upon us.  Hence it is that men are more unwilling to part with their righteousness than with their sins, and are apt to challenge salvation as a due, rather than beg it as an act of grace.”

Stephen Charnock

“The more godly a man is, and the more graces and blessings of God are upon him, the more need he hath to pray because Satan is busiest against him, and because he is readiest to be puffed up with a conceited holiness.”

Richard Greenham

(1535-1594)

"Some will obey partially, obey some commandments, not others ; like a plough which, when it comes to a stiff piece of earth, makes a baulk. But God that spake all the words of the moral law, will have all obeyed."

Thomas Watson

"….for the moment any mention is made of Christian liberty lust begins to boil, or insane commotions arise, if a speedy restraint is not laid on those licentious spirits by whom the best things are perverted into the worst. For they either, under pretext of this liberty, shake off all obedience to God, and break out into unbridled licentiousness, or they feel indignant, thinking that all choice, order, and restraint, are abolished. What can we do when thus encompassed with straits? Are we to bid adieu to Christian liberty, in order that we may cut off all opportunity for such perilous consequences? But, as we have said, if the subject be not understood, neither Christ, nor the truth of the Gospel, nor the inward peace of the soul, is properly known. Our endeavor must rather be, while not suppressing this very necessary part of doctrine, to obviate the absurd objections to which it usually gives rise."

John Calvin

"Wherefore, though the Christian, as a Christian, is the only man at liberty, as called thereunto of God; yet his liberty is limited to things that are good: he is not licensed thereby to indulge the flesh."

 John Bunyan

Fountains of Never Ceasing Grace

Fountain of never ceasing grace,
Thy saints’ exhaustless theme,
Great object of immortal praise,
Essentially supreme;
We bless Thee for the glorious fruits
Thine incarnation gives;
The righteousness which grace imputes,
And faith alone receives.

Whom heaven’s angelic host adores,
Was slaughtered for our sin;
The guilt, O Lord was wholly ours,
The punishment was Thine:
Our God in the flesh, to set us free,
Was manifested here;
And meekly bare our sins, that we
His righteousness might wear.

Imputatively guilty then
Our substitute was made,
That we the blessings might obtain
For which His blood was shed:
Himself He offered on the cross,
Our sorrows to remove;
And all He suffered was for us,
And all He did was love.

In Him we have a righteousness,
By God Himself approved;
Our rock, our sure foundation this,
Which never can be moved.
Our ransom by His death He paid,
For all His people giv’n,
The law He perfectly obeyed,
That they might enter Heav’n.

As all, when Adam sinned alone,
In his transgression died,
So by the righteousness of One,
Are sinners justified,
We to Thy merit, gracious Lord,
With humblest joy submit,
Again to Paradise restored,
In Thee alone complete.

Our souls His watchful love retrieves,
Nor lets them go astray,
His righteousness to us He gives,
And takes our sins away:
We claim salvation in His right,
Adopted and forgiv’n,
His merit is our robe of light,
His death the gate of Heav’n.

Augustus Toplady

(Hear Music Here (3 Verses Only))

Your Harps, Ye Trembling Saints

Your harps, ye trembling saints,

Down from the willows take;

Loud to the praise of love divine

Bid ev'ry string awake.

Though in a foreign land,

We are not far from home;

And nearer to our house above

We ev'ry moment come.

His grace will to the end

Stronger and brighter shine;

Nor present things, nor things to come,

Shall quench the grace divine.

When we in darkness walk,

Nor feel the heav'nly flame,

Then is the time to trust our God,

And rest upon his Name.

Soon shall our doubts and fears

Subside at his control;

His lovingkindness shall break through

The midnight of the soul.

Blest is the man, O God,

That stays himself on thee:

Who wait for thy salvation, Lord,

Shall thy salvation see.

Augustus Toplady

(Hear Music Here)

What Though I Cannot Break My Chain

What tho' I cannot break my chain

Or e'er throw off my load,

The things impossible to men

Are possible to God.

Who, who shall in thy presence stand,

Or match Omnipotence;

Unfold the grasp of thy right hand

And pluck the sinner thence?

Faith to be healed I fain would have,

O might it now be giv'n;

Thou canst, thou canst the sinner save,

And make me meet for heav'n.

Bound down with twice ten thousand ties,

Yet let me hear thy call;

My soul in confidence shall rise,

Shall rise and break through all.

Thou canst o'ercome this heart of mine,

Thou wilt victorious prove;

But everlasting strength is thine,

And everlasting love.

Augustus Toplady

(Hear Music Here)

How Vast the Benefits Devine

How vast the benefits divine

Which we in Christ possess!

We are redeemed from guilt and shame

And called to holiness.

But not for works which we have done,

Or shall hereafter do,

Hath God decreed on sinful men

Salvation to bestow.

The glory, Lord, from first to last,

Is due to thee alone;

Aught to ourselves we dare not take,

Or rob thee of thy crown.

Our glorious Surety undertook

To satisfy for man,

And grace was given us in him

Before the world began.

This is thy will, that in thy love

We ever should abide;

That earth and hell should not prevail

To turn thy Word aside.

Not one of all the chosen race

But shall to heav'n attain,

Partake on earth the purposed grace

And then with Jesus reign.

Augustus Toplady

(Hear Music Here)