Extraordinary afflictions are not always the punishment of extraordinary sins, but sometimes the trial of extraordinary graces.
Peace is such a precious jewel that I would give anything for it but truth.
The fear of God reigning in the heart is the beauty of the soul.
It is easy to be religious when religion is in fashion; but it is an evidence of strong faith and resolution to swim against a stream to heaven, and to appear for God when no one else appears for Him.
The way to preserve the peace of the church is to preserve its purity.
For us to err, with the Bible in our hands, is the effect of pride, sloth, and carelessness.
No man will say, "There is no God" 'till he is so hardened in sin that it has become his interest that there should be none to call him to account.
Men cannot expect to do ill and fare well, but to find that done to them which they did to others.
We must believe that He is able to do what He will, wise to do what is best, and good, according to His promise, to do what is best for us, if we love Him, and serve Him.
The beauty of holiness is that which the grave, that consumes all other beauty, cannot touch, or do any damage to.
As if men did not die fast enough, they are ingenious at finding out ways to destroy one another.
After a storm comes a calm.
Take Jesus for your king, and by baptism swear allegiance to him; take him for your prophet, and hear him; take him for your priest, to make atonement for you.
To wait on God is to live a life of desire towards him, delight in him, dependence on him, and devotedness to him.
 will be on the right side, though it be not the rising side. )
The true Christian hero will appear in the cause of Christ, not only when it is prevailing, but when it seems to be declining; (he) will be on the right side, though it be not the rising side.
Let no man go beyond or defraud his brother, for, though it be hidden from man, it will be found that God is the avenger of all such.
When our heads are fullest of care, and our hands of business, yet we must not forget our religion, nor suffer ourselves to be indisposed for acts of devotion.
We should take notice of that in others which is good, to their praise, that by so doing we may lay engagements upon them to abound therein more and more.
When God intends great mercy for his people, he first of all sets them praying.
Note, The devil, though he is an enemy to all saints, is a conquered enemy. The Captain of our salvation has defeated and disarmed him; we have nothing to do but to pursue the victory.
Note, It is common for those that are indulgent to their own sin to be severe against the sins of others.
God sends his messengers to those whose hardness and obstinacy he certainly knows and foresees, that it may appear he would have them turn and live.
The treasures of wisdom are hidden not from us, but for us, in Christ.
He that is in haste may contract much guilt in a little time. What we say or do unadvisedly when we are hot, we must unsay or undo again when we are cool, or do worse.
All obedience begins in the affections, and nothing in religion is done right, that is not done there first.
When the sins of a people reach up to heaven, the wrath of God will reach down to the earth.
Such is the corruption of nature that the bad are much more likely to debauch the good than the good to reform the bad.
If we have, through grace, an interest in Him who is the Fountain, we may rejoice in him when the streams of temporal mercies are dried up.
No company like good books, especially the book of God.
No sooner was the wound given than the remedy was provided and revealed.
The anger of a meek man is like fire struck out of steel, hard to be got out, and when it is, soon gone.
Outward losses drive good people to their prayers, but bad people to their curses.
Omissions are sins, and must come into judgment, and particularly the contempt and neglect of the seals of the covenant;
Note, Religion teaches good manners, and obliges us to give honour to those to whom honour is due.
Those that look with contempt upon worldly honours shall be recompensed with the honour that cometh from God, which is the true honour.
Man's extremity is God's opportunity of helping and saving.
Even when God is coming towards his people in ways of mercy, he sometimes takes such methods as that they may think themselves but ill treated.
Christ's disciples were no orators, till the Spirit made them such.
God's time to help is when things are at the worst; and Providence verifies the paradox, The worse the better.
One way or other, God will give redress to the injured, who in a humble silence commit their cause to him;
It is a great mercy to be reclaimed and called home when we go astray, though it be by a tempest.
The greater the privileges we enjoy the greater is our danger if we do not improve them and live up to them.
Note, Our sorrow upon any account is sinful and inordinate when it diverts us from our duty to God and embitters our comfort in him,
When men drive God's word from them he justly permits their delusions, and answers them according to the multitude of their idols.
That creature which we idolize God justly removes from us, or embitters to us.
