Sanctification

“As the hard frosts in winter bring on the flowers in the spring, and as the night ushers in the morning-star, so the evils of affliction produce much good to those that love God. " All Things for Good " pg. 27”

“Do you want peace and comfort and quietude of soul? Take heed how you walk with doubting company … one opposer of godliness draws on another, and one adulterer makes another; so one doubting Christian makes another. You that are weak, and full of doubtings, should go and lean upon those that are strong and have full assurance; and you that have assurance should give the shoulder to those that are weak, and say, Come, and lean upon me, and I will be an help unto you. You know how it is with the ivy and the vine; the ivy leans upon the oak, and the vine upon the posts or the house-side; the ivy and the vine do not lean one upon another; if the ivy and the vine should come and lean upon one another, what twisting would there be. Both would fall to the ground: but the ivy leans upon the oak, and the vine upon the posts or the house-side. ~ A Lifting up for the Downcast by William Bridge”

“Sin doth not only still abide in us, but is still acting , still labouring to bring forth the deeds of the flesh. When sin lets us alone we may let sin alone; but as sin is never less quiet than when it seems to be most quiet, and its waters are for the most part deep when they are still, so ought our contrivances against it to be vigorous at all times and in all conditions, even where there is least suspicion. Sin doth not only abide in us, but “the law of the members is still rebelling against the law of the mind,” Rom. vii. 23; and “the spirit that dwells in us lusteth to envy,” James iv. 5. It is always in continual work; “the flesh lusteth against the Spirit,” Gal. v. 17; lust is still tempting and conceiving sin, James i. 14; in every moral action it is always either inclining to evil, or hindering from that which is good, or disframing the spirit from communion with God. ~ The Mortification of Sin by John Owen”

“Others think that because they have given up their riotous ways, and are broken off from evil company or some particular lust, and are reduced to sobriety and civility, they are now real converts. They forget that there is a vast difference between being sanctified and civilized. They forget that many seek to enter into the kingdom of heaven, and are not far from it, and arrive to the almost of Christianity, and yet fall short at last. While conscience holds the whip over them, many will pray, hear, read, and forbear their delightful sins; but no sooner is the lion asleep than they are at their sins again. Who more religious than the Jews when God's hand was upon them? Yet no sooner was the affliction over, than they forgot God. You may have forsaken a troublesome sin, and have escaped the gross pollutions of the world, and yet in all this not have changed your carnal nature. ~ A Sure Guide to Heaven by Joseph Alleine”

“Ungodly spirits, ignorant of God's ways in bringing his children to heaven, censure broken hearted Christians as miserable persons, whereas God is doing a gracious, good work with them. It is no easy matter to bring a man from nature to grace, and from grace to glory, so unyielding and intractable are our hearts. ~ The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes”

“Let us not therefore be discouraged at the small beginnings of grace, but look on ourselves as elected to be `holy and without blame' (Eph. 1:4). Let us look on our imperfect beginning only to enforce further striving to perfection, and to keep us in a low opinion of ourselves. Otherwise, in case of discouragement, we must consider ourselves as Christ does, who looks on us as those he intends to fit for himself. Christ values us by what we shall be, and by what we are elected unto. We call a little plant a tree, because it is growing up to be so. `Who has despised the day of small things?' (Zech. 4:10). Christ would not have us despise little things. ~ The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes”

“It is not the best way, to assail young beginners with minor matters, but to show them a more excellent way and train them in fundamental points. Then other things will not gain credence with them. It is not amiss to conceal their defects, to excuse some failings, to commend their performances, to encourage their progress, to remove all difficulties out of their way, to help them in every way to bear the yoke of religion with greater ease, to bring them to love God and his service, lest they acquire a distaste for it before they know it. ~ The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes”

“The right manner of growth is to grow less in one's own eyes.”

“Thou must be righteous and holy, before thou canst live righteously and holily.”

“The law is a dead letter; yea, and so is the gospel too without Christ. He is 'that Spirit' which gives life unto all the Scriptures.”

“His fulness of the Spirit is as the fulness of the fountain; ours is but as the fulness of the cistern. He hath grace in the spring; we have it but in the conduit.”

“What is the scope of the whole Scriptures but Christ?”

“It is a powerful and effectual indwelling principle, inclining and pressing unto actions agreeable and suitable unto its own nature.”

“The more men sin, the more are they inclined unto sin.”

“To let it alone, is to let it grow; not to conquer it, is to be conquered by it.”

“This Spirit of whom we treat is in himself a distinct, living, powerful, intelligent, divine person.”

“The Holy Spirit is more intimate, as it were, unto the principles of our souls than they are to themselves.”

“Godliness is the sacred impression and workmanship of God in a man, whereby from being carnal he is made spiritual.”

“Godliness consists in an exact harmony between holy principles and practices.”

“Reason makes us men; godliness makes us earthly angels.”

“Weeds grow by themselves; flowers are planted.”

“Counterfeit piety is double iniquity.”

“To be spiritually minded is the great distinguishing character of true believers from all unregenerate persons.”

“Spiritual thoughts will no more hinder you in your callings than those which are vain and earthly, which all sorts of men find leisure for in the midst of their employments.”

“The whole world is not a theater large enough to display the glory of Christ upon, or unfold the one half of the unsearchable riches which lie hidden in Him.”

“A drop of saving grace is better than a sea of spiritual gifts.”

“The law sends us to the Gospel that we may be justified; and the Gospel sends us to the law again to inquire what is our duty as those who are justified.”

“We cry down the law in respect of justification, but we set it up as a rule of sanctification.”

“Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.”

“There is not a day but sin foils or is foiled, prevails or is prevailed on; and it will be so whilst we live in this world.”

“The fathers, the young men, the little children, and the babes have this in common, that they are of God's family and of the household of faith. They are all in Christ's school, though not in the same class.”

“God's Word and God's Spirit always agree and are of the same mind. The Spirit of God who gave the Holy Scripture cannot say one thing here and another in your heart.”

“It is better to go with difficulty to heaven, than with ease to hell.”

“Faith and repentance preserve the spiritual life, as heat and water preserve the physical life.”