What They Said

“Christian humility does not consist in denying what there is of good in us; but in an abiding sense of ill-desert, and in the consciousness that what we have of good is due to the grace of God. “

“We must beware of deceiving ourselves in denying or excusing our sins.  The more we see them the more we shall esteem and value the remedy.”

“I have no need to go to the loneliness of Sinai to meet with God. I find holy ground much nearer home. But I wonder whether I put my shoes off my feet.

He reveals Himself to me in His written Word. It is His sanctuary. By its agency my deepest life is created, quickened, sustained. Listening to it the saints have heard the very voice of their Lord; and it is associated with the faith and purity and joy of many centuries of Christians. But do I never raise a laugh by my grotesque and frivolous use of the words of Scripture? And, whenever I open the Book, do I remember that God has breathed the Spirit of Life into its chapters and verses? Mine is culpable levity.”

“To be in Christ is the source of the Christian's life; to be like Christ is the sum of his excellence; to be with Christ is the fullness of his joy.”

“The incarnation of Christ is a most extraordinary and amazing affair. It is wonderful indeed that the eternal Son of God should become man; that He should be born of a pure virgin without any concern of man in it; that this should be brought about by the power of the Holy Ghost in a way unseen, imperceptible, and unknown, signified by His overshadowing; and all this in order to effect the most wonderful work that ever was done in the world: the redemption and salvation of men.”

“From the day that Christ was born to this hour, all the desirable changes that have taken place in the world, either in persons or communities, have been in consequence of His incarnation and of His glorious progress in setting up His kingdom. So shall it ever be. His kingdom is constantly enlarging. His diadem is more and more glorious. Every soul saved is a new jewel in His crown.”

“We must not think of sin as merely doing something that is wrong. That is what we tend to do.  We recognize certain acts as good and others as bad, and we tend to think that sin is just doing particular things that are bad. It is that, but that is not its essence. I repeat that the essence of sin is rebellion against God.”

“The obedience that God requires can proceed only from a heart that loves Him. “Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord” (Col 3:23). The obedience that springs from a dread of punishment is servile. The obedience that is performed in order to procure favors from God is selfish and carnal. But spiritual and acceptable obedience is cheerfully given: it is the heart’s free response to and gratitude for the unmerited regard and love of God for us.”

“When “the Word became flesh,” He did not cease for a moment to be God. No doubt He was pleased to veil His divinity and to hide His power, and more especially so at some seasons. He emptied Himself of external marks of glory and was called “the carpenter.” But He never laid His divinity aside. God cannot cease to be God. It was as the God-man that He lived, suffered, died, and rose again.”

“Upon the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, our salvation hinges. He who believes these truths aright hath believed the gospel; and, believing the gospel, he shall without doubt find eternal salvation therein.

But men want novelties. They cannot endure that the trumpet should give forth the same certain sound. They crave some fresh fantasia every day. “The gospel with variations” is the music for them. “Intellect is progressive,” they say.  They must, therefore, march ahead of their forefathers. Incarnate deity, a holy life, an atoning death, and a literal resurrection—having heard these things now for nearly nineteen centuries, they are just a little stale; and the cultivated mind hungers for a change from the old-fashioned manna.”

“Those sins that lie closest and are most secretly lurking in the heart are as obvious and odious to God as those that are most fairly written upon a man’s forehead.”

“This is what we have often said, that we Christians must break forth, and show by our deeds and before the people that we have the true faith. God does not need your works, he has enough in your faith. Yet he wants you to work that you may show thereby your faith to yourself and all the world. For God indeed sees faith, but you and the people do not yet see it, therefore you should devote the works of faith to the benefit of your neighbor. Thus this servant is an example and picture of all those who should serve their neighbor through faith.”

"Sin quenches prayer, affliction quickens it."

“They that know God will be humble; and they that know themselves, cannot be proud.”

“It is the weakness of man to change purposes; God’s love is not fickle and inconstant. We have good purposes, but they are speedily blasted; God’s eternal purpose shall certainly stand. So the great foundation of our hope is the immutable love of God the Father.”

“So completely was Jesus bent upon saving sinners by the sacrifice of Himself, He created the tree upon which He was to die, and nurtured from infancy the men who were to nail Him to the accursed wood. Oh the depth of Jesus's love to sinners! Lord! the universe in its accumulation presents no love like Yours! Your love, eternal as Your being, saw from everlasting the cross of Calvary, and yet You did not falter in Your purpose, nor modify Your plan of saving lost sinners by the sacrifice of Yourself. You saved others, Yourself You would not save!”

“It is our wisest and our safest course to stand at the furthest distance from sin; not to go near the house of the harlot, but to fly from all appearance of evil.”

"If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in Government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin."



“It is not to be supposed that the glorious triune Godhead will spiritually and graciously inhabit a renewed and quickened soul without manifesting the divine presence by operations worthy of the divine nature.”

“Now, it is absolutely essential, it is the necessary preliminary to the gospel that we should realize what sin is. We must not think of sin as merely doing something that is wrong. That is what we tend to do. We recognize certain acts as good and others as bad, and we tend to think that sin is just doing particular things that are bad. It is that, but that is not its essence. I repeat that the essence of sin is rebellion against God.”

“Nothing is cheaper than good advice. Everybody fancies he can give his neighbor good counsel and tell him exactly what he ought to do. Yet to practice the lesson that heads this paper is very hard. To talk of contentment in the day of health and prosperity is easy enough; but to be content in the midst of poverty, sickness, trouble, disappointments, and losses is a state of mind to which very few can attain."

"The Bible makes it crystal clear that there is a close relationship between assurance and obedience; but the 'carnal Christian' teaching gives assurance to those who are at home in the realm of sin. They are classed as Christians.  Many times this is a false and damning assurance because such have no biblical reason to believe that they are Christians at all."

“The cross of Christ is the supreme demonstration of the love of God (Rom. 5:8; 1 John 4:10). The supreme character of the demonstration resides in the extreme costliness of the sacrifice rendered. It is this costliness that Paul has in view when he writes: "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Rom. 8:32). The costliness of the sacrifice assures us of the greatness of the love and guarantees the bestowal of all other free gifts.”

"Humility is the mother of contentment."

“Ah, it is not the absence of sin but the grieving over it which distinguishes the child of God from empty professors.”

“But you may have orthodox heads, and yet you may have the devil in your hearts; you may have clear heads, you may be able to speak, as it were, with the tongues of men and angels, the doctrines of the Gospel, but yet, at the same time, you may never have felt them upon your own souls.”

“As long as I see anything to be done for God, life is worth living; but O, how vain and unworthy it is to live for any lower end!”

“The nature of Christ’s salvation is woefully misrepresented by the present-day “evangelist.” He announces a Savior from hell rather than a Savior from sin. And that is why so many are fatally deceived, for there are multitudes who wish to escape the Lake of fire who have no desire to be delivered from their carnality and worldliness.”

"The whole system of my politics is summed up in this one verse, 'The Lord reigns! Let the nation's tremble!'  Psalm 99:1  The times look awfully dark indeed; and as the clouds grow thicker - the stupidity of the nation seems proportionally to increase.  If the Lord had not a remnant here, I would have very formidable apprehensions.  But He loves His redeemed children; some are sighing and mourning before Him, and I am sure He hears their sighs, and sees their tears.  I trust there is mercy in store for us at the bottom; but I expect a shaking time before things get aright channel - before we are humbled, and are taught to give Him the glory.

     The state of the nation, the state of the churches - both are deplorable!  Those who should be praying - are disputing and fighting among themselves!  Alas!  How many professors are more concerned for the mistakes of government - than for their own sins!  'Hallelujah!  For our Lord God Almighty reigns!'  Revelation 19:6”

“There is a vast difference, brethren and sisters, between denying self and so-called self-denial. The popular idea that obtains both in the world and among Christians is that of giving up things that we like. There is a great diversity of opinion as to what should be given up. There are some who would restrict it to that which is characteristically worldly, such as theater going, dancing, and the racecourse. There are others who would restrict it to a certain season when amusements and other things that are followed during the remainder of the year are rigidly eschewed at that time.

But such methods as those only foster spiritual pride: “Surely I deserve some credit if I give up so much.” My friends, what Christ speaks of in our text (and O may the Spirit of God apply it to our souls this morning) as the first step toward following Him is the denial of self itself, not simply some of the things that are pleasing to self. Not some of the things after which self hankers, but the denying of self itself.”

"Hope thinks nothing is difficult; despair tells us that difficulty is unsurmountable."

"Riches have made more covetous men than covetousness hath made men rich."

“Ye will not look to Christ, and yet there is no other ye can have help from but from Him. There is none to help you at all, except you acknowledge Him as your King and Head, and except you acknowledge no other magistrate but according to what He ordains in His word. See what David says, 'He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.' Compare this with 'Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people, able men, such as fear God, men of truth hating covetousness.'; ... Ye see such should be men that fear God, and men of truth. Oh, take heed and consider what you are doing!"