All backsliding from God originates in a departure of heart from him: herein consists the essence and the evil of it. “Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know, therefore, and see, that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken THE LORD THY GOD, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord of hosts” (Jeremiah 2:19).
– Andrew Fuller (1754-1815) –
from The Backslider: His Nature, Symptoms, and Recovery
Secularism, materialism, and the intrusive presence of things have put out the light in our souls and turned us into a generation of zombies.
– AW Tozer –
He who forgets himself in the service of God may be sure that God will not forget him.
– an unattributed statement found written on a piece of paper in an old copy of The Ministry of Song, a book by Frances Ridley Havergal
Many blush to confess their faults, who never blush to commit them.
– William Secker –
We must pray daily for the teaching of the Holy Ghost, if we would make progress in the knowledge of divine things. Without Him, the mightiest intellect and the strongest reasoning powers will carry us but a little way.
– JC Ryle –
from Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, 1856
I will conclude with that excellent saying of Bernard: “Lord, I will never come away from Thee without Thee.” Let this be a Christian’s resolution, not to leave off his meditations of God till he find something of God in him.
– Thomas Watson –
When thou prayest, rather let thy heart be without words, than thy words without a heart.
– John Bunyan –
Do but stand still in the hour of trial, and you will see the help of God, if you trust in Him. But there is so often a forsaking the ways of the Lord in the hour of trial, and thus the food of faith, the means whereby our faith may be increased, is lost.
– George Müller –
from Answers to Prayer
Let us hold to Christ more closely, love him more heartily, live for him more thoroughly, copy him more exactly, confess him more boldly, follow him more fully. Religion like this will always bring its own reward. Worldly people may laugh at it. Weak brethren may think it extreme. But it will wear well. In sickness it will bring peace. In the world to come it will give us a crown of glory that fades not away.
– JC Ryle –
from Sickness