A minister, who prays not, who is not in love with prayer, is not a minister of the Church of God. He is a dry tree, which occupies in vain a place in Christ’s garden. He is an enemy, and not a father, of the people. He is a stranger, who has taken the place of the shepherd, and to whom the salvation of the flock is an indifferent thing.
– Thomas Coke –
Sixteen of the thirty-eight parables of Jesus deal with money. One out of ten verses in the New Testament deals with that subject. Scripture offers about five hundred verses on prayer, fewer than five hundred on faith, and over two thousand on money. The believer’s attitude toward money and possessions is determinative.
– John MacArthur –
A zealous man feels that like a lamp he is made to burn; and if consumed in burning, he has but done the work for which God appointed him. Such a one will always find a sphere for his zeal. If he cannot preach and work and give money, he will cry and sigh and pray.
– JC Ryle –
How is it that the soul being of such value, and God so great, eternity so near, and yet we are so little moved?
– William Bramwell –
A minister, without boldness, is like a smooth file, a knife without an edge, a sentinel that is afraid to let off his gun. If men will be bold in sin, ministers must be bold to reprove.
– William Gurnall –
Preaching is an ordinance of which the value can never be overrated in the church of Christ. But it should never be forgotten, that there must not only be good preaching, but good hearing.
– JC Ryle –
from Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, 1856
He that teaches sound doctrine, and lives wickedly, reaches with one hand what he knocks away with the other.
– Gregory of Nazianzus –
Some people do not like to hear much of repentance. But I think it is so necessary, that if I should die in the pulpit, I should desire to die preaching repentance, and if I should die out of the pulpit, I should desire to die practicing it.
– Philip Henry –
1631-1696
Actors speak of things imaginary as if they were real, while you preachers too often speak of things real as if they were imaginary.
– Thomas Betterton –