“Especially look to those sins to which your crosses have some reference and respect. Are you crossed in your goods? Think if you did not over-love them and get them unjustly, or if in your children, see if you did not over-love them and cocker them, and so in all things of like kind. In what God smites vou, see if you have not in that sinned against Him, and so frame to lament your sins and to seek help against them.”
Quote by William Whately
“God would not rub so hard if it were not to fetch out the dirt that is ingrained in our natures. God loves purity so well He had rather see a hole than a spot in His child's garments.”
Source: The Christian in Complete Armour: Or, A Treatise on the Saints' War with the Devil, Wherein a Discovery is Made of the Policy, Power, Wickedness, and Stratagems Made Use of by that Enemy of God and His People : a Magazine Opened, from Whence the Christian is Furnished with Spiritual Arms for the Battle, Assisted in Buckling on His Armour, and Taught the Use of His Weapons, Together with the Happy Issue of the Whole War
“No marvel if the worldling escape earthly afflictions. God corrects him not. He is base born and begot. God will not do him the favour to whip him. The world afflicts him not, because it loves him: for each man is indulgent to his own. God uses not the rod where He means to use the Word. The pillory or scourge is for those malefactors that shall escape execution.”
Source: Select Tracts from the writings of ... J. H. ... Edited by C. Bradley
“Freedom is a man's natural power of doing what he pleases, so far as he is not prevented by force or law.”
“The whole life of a Christian should be nothing but praises and thanks to God; we should neither eat nor sleep, but eat to God and sleep to God and work to God and talk to God, do all to His glory and praise.”
Source: Complete Works of Richard Sibbes: (7 Volume Set)
“The tenets of [the Christian life] seem paradoxes to carnal men; as first, that a Christian is the only freeman, and other men are slaves; that he is the only rich man, though never so poor in the world; that he is the only beautiful man, though outwardly never so deformed; that he is the only happy man in the midst of all his miseries.”
“We are only safe when we wisely make use of all good advantages that we have access to. By going out of God's ways we go out of His government, and so lose our good frame of mind, and find ourselves overspread quickly with a contrary disposition. When we draw near to Christ (James 4:8), in His ordinances, He draws near to us.”
Source: Complete Works of Richard Sibbes: (7 Volume Set)
“Sorrows, because they are lingering guests, I will entertain but moderately, knowing that the more they are made of the longer they will continue: and for pleasures, because they stay not, and do but call to drink at my door, I will use them as passengers with slight respect. He is his own best friend that makes the least of both of them.”
Source: Works: Devotional works
“Instead of complaining at his lot, a contented man is thankful that his condition and circumstances are no worse than they are. Instead of greedily desiring something more than the supply of his present need, he rejoices that God still cares for him. Such an one is "content" with such as he has (Heb. 13:5).”
Source: Comfort for Christians
“God, to prevent all escape, hath sown the seeds of death in our very constitution and nature, so that we can as soon run from ourselves, as run from death. We need no feller to come with a hand of violence and hew us down; there is in the tree a worm, which grows out of its own substance, that will destroy it; so in us, those infirmities of nature that will bring us down to the dust.”
Source: The Christian in Complete Armour: A Treatise of the Saints' War Against the Devil, Wherein a Discovery is Made of that Grand Enemy of God and His People, in His Policies, Power, Seat of His Empire, Wickedness, and Chief Design He Hath Against the Saints : a Magazine Opened, from Whence the Christian is Furnished with Spiritual Arms for the Battle, Helped on with His Armour, and Taught the Use of His Weapon, Together with the Happy Issue of the Whole War
“Death is only a grim porter to let us into a stately palace.”