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Category Archives: quotes

Sanctification Summarized

I so love to post quotes from saints who long ago passed from this world to sit at the feet of Jesus. One of my favorite quotes is from John Newton. Newton was a sailor, and later an Anglican clergyman. His most famous contribution to our world was the hymn “Amazing Grace”. Newton also penned one of my favorite quotes that sums up the doctrine of sanctification to a tee. Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit does in us after Christ has done the work of justification by imputing His righteousness on us and taking our sin and God’s wrath on Himself. The Holy Spirit sanctifies us and we grow more and more in the knowledge of God. Here is the quote:

I am not what I might be, I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I wish to be, I am not what I hope to be. But I thank God I am not what I once was, and I can say with the great apostle, “By the grace of God I am what I am.”

Infinite and an Infant

16 Dec

I found this eloquent quote from Charles H. Spurgeon related to the birth of Christ.

Infinite, and an infant. Eternal, and yet born of a woman. Almighty, and yet hanging on a woman’s breast. Supporting a universe, and yet needing to be carried in a mother’s arms. King of angels, and yet the reputed son of Joseph. Heir of all things, and yet the carpenter’s despised son.

Puritan Quote – John Owen

27 Feb

No heart can conceive that treasury of mercies which lies in this one privilege, in having liberty and ability to approach unto God at all times, according to his mind and will.

This quote from the Puritan John Owen was mentioned in his work The Discourse of the Work of the Holy Spirit in Prayer. In the context of this work Owen follows with:

It is a matter of praise and glory to God, in an especial manner, that He hath granted an amplification of this privilege under the gospel. The spirit is now poured forth from above, and enlarged in His dispensation both intensively and extensively.

Which is to say that we, as believers, should not take lightly this treasure and resource from the Lord. To even imagine the wealth of wisdom and grace would be a fruitless effort on our part. In preaching to myself I would have to ask, what prevents me from participating in this freedom and going to the throne of grace? It is only sin that prevents me. My old nature. By God’s grace alone I shed this old man and seek after His mind and His will.

Don’t go there!

13 Jun

Today, while searching for Puritan quotes I came across one that really hits home. It is from Irish writer Richard Steele. I love how some of these guys look like aging 80’s rock stars. (see image to right) Anyway on with the quote. It is from Steele’s writing “A Remedy For Wondering Thoughts”.

The belief that God is everywhere should persuade us to sin nowhere.

We should not delude ourselves into thinking that because we are alone physically or in thought that we are outside of God’s reception. God’s is with us. Christ is in us. Wherever we go, God is there. So a word or actually a phrase to myself and other brothers and sisters: Don’t go there!

3 Comments

Posted by barrydean on June 13, 2008 in Puritan, quotes, Richard Steele, sin

Another Puritan quote – John Flavel

06 Mar

Last month I posted something about “snuffing the rooster”, the rooster playing the downer role of “guilt”. The article from TheResurgence stated how modern spirituality deals with guilt. It teaches us that we can take a pill, or go to see our therapist about this nasty thing we call guilt. Basically sweeping it under the rug. The article concluded that we need to deal with that guilt. As a believer in Christ the guilt stems from an undealt with sin. The pill is confess and repent. For the unbeliever the therapy is only found in Jesus Christ and what He accomplished on the cross. Today I found another quote from a Puritan, John Flavel, that hits this topic of guilt like only the Puritans can.

Guilt is to danger, what fire is to gunpowder; a man need not fear to walk among many barrels of powder, if he have no fire about him.

If we do not deal with the guilt in a biblical way then we carry it around and ignite off volatile things in our path. Hiding it under the surface or masking it will not prevent the explosion that is imminent. Take your burden of guilt to the cross and leave it there. Do not pick it up again. I am of course preaching that to myself.

Soli Deo Gloria

2 Comments

Posted by barrydean on March 6, 2008 in guilt, John Flavel, Puritan, quotes

Another Puritan quote

31 Jan

“Will you trust your five senses above the four Gospels?” – Thomas Adams

This is such a great quote. There are so many folks in the evangelical world who place a high value on experiences. Now the problem arises when those experiences are given a higher priority than scripture or the gospel of Christ. We will all agree that we experience God’s grace and mercy. We experience the joy that can only be provided by God. But these experiences are should never be valued above the gospel or pursued above the gospel. In my opinion, and the opinion among many serious theologians that this is what is wrong with the charismatic movement. The experience is placed in a higher spiritual plane than the basic Gospel of Christ. For we know that our human hearts are wicked and can deceive us. We must weigh everything our senses encounter with the truth of the Gospels. If we trust in the Gospels, and live the answer to the above question with an emphatic no, our path will remain straight, and our theology will remain true.

1 Comment

Posted by barrydean on January 31, 2008 in Puritan, quotes, Thomas Adams

Another Puritan quote

04 Jan

If a wicked man seems to have peace at death, it is not from the knowledge of his happiness, but from the ingnorance of his danger.

Thomas Watson

Isaiah 55:6 states:

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.

When death comes it is too late. The dead, unrepentant, sinner may seem to be at peace but it is only because he is not there. He has gone on to meet his due reward for not trusting in Jesus Christ. The bible calls this the second death, a total separation from God.

Oh sinner, call on the Lord today. Seek Him while He may be found.

2 Comments

Posted by barrydean on January 4, 2008 in Isaiah 55:6, Puritan, quotes, Thomas Watson

Another Puritan quote

28 Nov

I found this quote by the Puritan Thomas Hooker under the heading of “A Husband’s Dream”. I liken it better to a “husband’s prayer”, for it is my prayer as a husband to my wife. I pray that God will continue to grace me with such a love for my wife.

The man whose heart is endeared to the woman he loves…dreams of her in the night, hath her in his eye and apprehension when he awakes, museth on her as he sits at the table, walks with her when he travels… She lies in his bosom, and his heart trusts in her, which forceth all to confess that the stream of his affection, like a mighty current, runs with full tide and strength.

5 Comments

Posted by barrydean on November 28, 2007 in husband's prayer, marriage, Puritan, quotes, Thomas Hooker

Another Puritan quote

31 Oct

“Without the heart it is no worship. It is a stage play. It is an acting of a part without being that person, really. It is playing the hypocrite.”

STEPHEN CHARNOCK

I have to consider this. Is my heart fully into the worship of my God? Do I act it out at times? Am I playing the hypocrite? These questions and more bubble to the surface as I ponder the words of this Puritan. How often do I let the circumstances of life interfere with my devotion to the Lord God Almighty? More than I would care to ponder anymore. The Puritans had such a way of self-conviction. Note to self: BarryDean; Worship the Lord with all of your heart, mind, and strength. I pray the same for you.

Soli Deo Gloria!

4 Comments

Posted by barrydean on October 31, 2007 in Puritan, quotes, Stephen Charnock

Another Puritan quote

30 Sep

“He who prays as he ought will endeavour to live as he prays.”

JOHN OWEN

This quote is truly a challenge and conviction for me. Do we pray as if we are content? Do we live our lives in such a way that it reflects a lack of trust in God? Do we trust that He is sovereign, and do we live like He is? Most of us pray as if we believe God is sovereign but when it comes to the other aspects of our life is this the same case? This statement by John Owen is so profound. Our prayer life and the life that we live should be the same.

4 Comments

Posted by barrydean on September 30, 2007 in John Owen, Puritan, quotes