14 quotes
William Bates Quotes
The sharpest, most searching lines from William Bates, drawn straight from the Puritan Paperbacks. Filter by theme, or browse the whole collection.
“Because we have narrow thoughts of God's holiness, therefore we fear him so little.”
“If our understandings were clarified so far, as to see the immaculateness of his purity, we should then fear him more.”
“The fear of God is animœ vigil & custos, it is the sentinel and guard of the soul, which is very vigilant that no temptation may enter in, nor no corruption may pass out. 2.”
“Suppose a man were to live for ever in the world, I should then esteem it a piece of wisdom for him to make the great ones of the world his friends.”
“Now the fear of God enables the soul to improve every season, lest his Spirit should withdraw itself.”
“It is a chaste, a filial and a grateful fear, whereby the soul is very tender of displeasing the mercy of God.”
“In heaven the fear of God shall be perfected; therefore it doth not merely arise from guilt.”
“Would you not account that man a very fool that when he comes to an inn, should spend all his time there to furnish and adorn a room with curious hangings, when he must stay but for a night, and leave it the next day?”
“As the beams of the sun discourage the burning of the fire, so doth this fear of God correct and abate the fear of the creature.”
“To conclude, impress this upon your spirits, how infinitely dangerous it is for a person not to fear God until he feels his displeasure?”
“What perfect love must we understand here, but that which puts fear to flight, and that which animates us to a confession of Christ?”
“Atheism is a denial of the Deity; but for one to entertain such apprehensions of God, it is the reproach of the Deity.”
“The apostle Paul certainly knew the mind of God and the tenour of the gospel, and yet you shall find his chosen arguments to excite us to serve God are many times drawn from the fear of his judgments.”
“Consider, will a small candle when it is enlightened scatter all the darkness that is about us; and will not a beam of grace in the soul scatter and triumph over temptations and corruptions?”