Remember that secret prayer, reading the word of God, watchfulness, and self-examination are the great means of preserving comfort in religion, and of growing in grace. In proportion as you are exact and faithful in these, such usually will be your inward peace, and the safety of your state. Unite them all together, and never cease to practice them while you live.
– Ashbel Green –
1762 –1848
Keep the soul open to entertain the Holy Ghost, for he will bring in continually fresh forces to subdue corruption.
– Richard Sibbs –
from The Bruised Reed, 1630
You must live religion as well as talk religion.
– Eleazar Mather –
1637-1699 AD
The end of all learning is to know God, and out of that knowledge to love and imitate Him.
– John Milton –
1608 – 1674 AD
As the sails of a ship carry it into the harbor, so prayer carries us to the throne and bosom of God.
– Augustus Toplady –
1740-1778 AD
A saint is to put forth his faith in prayer, and afterwards follow his prayer with faith.
– Vavasor Powell –
1617-1670 AD
Religion is hanging around the cross; Christianity is getting on the cross.
– Steve Hill –
… for he that believes in the light, it lets him see the scriptures, the prophets, Christ and the apostles’ words, and by it they do distinguish the true prophets’ words from the false, the holy men’s words from the unholy, the sanctified from them that are not sanctified, Christ’s words from the antichrist’s, the true apostles’ words from the false. So Christ, the light, teacheth his people to believe in that which manifests all things; and they that believe in the light have the witness in themselves of Christ, in whom they do believe, they have the witness in themselves, that he is their redeemer, and savior, and their way, their truth, and their life. …
– George Fox –
And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:8-10 ESV)
He was more ashamed of his nakedness than of his sin. Thus do many fear rather to offend because of public shame than for any consciousness of sin just as Cain grieved more because he was made a vagabond than because he had killed his brother.
– Andrew Willet –
1562-1621