“What hypocrisy is this, to profess to strive and fight for heaven, which we are loth to come to; and spend one hour after another in prayer, for that which we would not have?——Hereby we wrong the Lord and his promises, and disgrace his ways in the eyes of the world.”
“What sport is this to Satan, that his desires and thine, Christian, should so concur? that when he sees he cannot get thee to hell, he can so long keep thee out of heaven, and make thee the earnest petitioner for it thyself?”
“What will it conduce to the raising thy heart God-ward, to hear that this is an able minister, or that an eminent Christian, or this an excellent sermon, or that an excellent book, or to hear some difficult but unimportant controversy?”
“When a worldly man will talk of nothing but the world, and a politician of state affairs, and a mere scholar of human learning, and a common professor of his duties; the heavenly man will be speaking of heaven, and the strange glory his faith hath seen, and our speedy and blessed meeting there.”
“When Christ was to buy, silver and gold were nothing worth; prayers and tears could not suffice, not any thing below his blood; but our buying is receiving; we have it freely, _without money and without price_.[127] A thankful acceptance of a free acquittance is no paying of the debt.”
“When the Son of God comes with recovering grace, and discoveries of a spiritual and eternal happiness and glory, he finds not faith in man to believe it.”
“Wilt thou, therefore, before thou goest any further, here promise before the Lord, to set thyself upon the speedy performance of the duty, according to the directions I shall lay down from the word of God.”
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing; for thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, and hast made us unto our God kings and priests.”
“Wouldst thou lose thy faith and labor, Christian, all thy duties and sufferings, all the end of thy life, and all the blood of Christ, and be contented with the portion of a worldling or a brute?”
“Yea, _the angels are all our ministering spirits_.[266] Nay more, the patience of God doth wait upon us; the Lord Jesus Christ waiteth, in the offers of his blood; the Holy Spirit waiteth, by striving with our backward hearts; besides the ministers of the gospel, who study and wait, preach and wait, pray and wait, upon careless sinners.”
“Yet be sure to draw him to the use of all means; such as hearing and reading the word, calling upon God, and associating with the godly; persuade him to forsake sin, avoid all temptations to sin, especially evil companions, and to wait patiently on God in the use of means, as the way in which God will be found.”
