Thursday, April 9, 2015

Puritan Nuggets of Gold # 79

Salvation

Now believing is nothing else but the accepting of Christ for thy Lord and Saviour as He is offered to thee in the gospel; and this accepting is principally, if not only, the act of thy will; so that if thou art sincerely and cordially willing to have Christ upon His own terms, upon gospel terms, that is, to save thee and rule thee, to redeem thee and to reign over thee, then thou art a believer.  (Thomas Brooks)

We are not saved for believing but by believing. (Thomas Taylor)

But the Lord God of His infinite and great goodness towards man exceeding His favor unto the lost angels had before all beginning of His great love towards (the) elect appointed of His free gift the means whereby His wrath should be satisfied, man's sin and guilt done away, and he brought into a far more blessed state than he was created in Adam. (John Penry)

The Lord does no not tie Himself to a particular way, or use the same order with all. He comes sometimes in a still small voice. Such as have had godly parents, and have sat under the warm sunshine of religious education, often do not know how or when they were called. They know by the heavenly effects that they are called, but the time or manner they know not. Thus God deals with some. Others are more stubborn and knotty sinners, and God comes to them in a rough wind. He uses more wedges of the law to break their hearts. This call, though it is more visible than the other, yet is no more real. (Thomas Watson)

It is in vain for us to rise early and to lie down late, and to eat the bread of sorrow all the day, if the Lord give not the assistance of His Spirit to the means that we use. (Samuel Rutherford)

In election, we behold God the Father choosing; in vocation, God the Son teaching; in justification, God the Holy Spirit sealing; in salvation, the whole Deity crowning. (Thomas Adams)

'Tis no easy matter to be saved. 'Twas difficult work to Jesus Christ to work redemption for us. 'Tis difficult work to the Spirit to work grace in us, and to carry it on against corruptions, temptations, distractions. (Philip Henry)

By this thou shalt know whether thou hast given it (thy heart) to Him or no; if the heart be gone, all will follow. As the sun riseth first, and then the beasts arise from their dens, the fowls from their nests, and men from their beds; so when the heart sets forward to God all the members will follow after it, the tongue will praise Him, the foot will follow Him, the ear will attend Him, the eye will watch Him, the hand will serve Him, nothing will stay after the heart, but every one goes. (Henry Smith)

It more pleaseth the saints that they enjoy God, than that they enjoy salvation. False and carnal spirits will express a great deal of desire after salvation, for they like salvation, heaven, and glory well; but they never express any longing desire after God and Jesus Christ. They love salvation, but they care not for a Saviour. Now that which faith pitcheth most upon is God Himself; He shall be my salvation, let me have Him, and that is salvation enough. (Joseph Caryl)


No comments:

Post a Comment