[GOD] respecteth not so much our actions as our affections; nor our works as our desires and endeavours; so that he who desires to be righteous, is righteous; he that would repent, doth repent… For the LORD accepteth the desire for the deed; and if there be a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that a man hath not, as it is 2. Cor. 8:12

[When] Satan (quietly) keeps the house, the things that he poseeseth are  in peace; but when a stronger than he cometh to dispossess him, he will never lose his possession without a fight.

[Let us] march forward, and shew a courageous heart and earnest desire to overcome, [and] surely Christ, our grand Captain will acknowledge us for his soldiers, and will give us our pay, even a crown of victory. Rather thereby is a soldier disgraced, if either he dare not march into the field, or being entered the battle doth shamefully flee away, or cowardly yield unto the enemy.

“If a man never enter the field to fight against Satan, or f at the first encounter, he yield himself prisoner… it is no marvel that he doth not rage in his conscience. But resiting Satan, Satan will fight back, and he must needs feel the conflict. While the prisoner lieth in the dungeon, loaded with bolts and tied in chains, the keeper sleepeth securely, …but if, his bolts being filed off and his chains loosed, he have escaped out of pirson, then the jailer beginneth to bustle and pursueth him speedily with hue and cry.
—All 3 quotes are by John Downame The last three from “Christan Warfare” and the first one from “Garden of Spiritual flowers”

If there be any hell in this world, they which feel the Worm of conscience gnaw upon their hearts, may truly say, that they have felt the torments of hell. Who can express that man’s horror but himself? Sorrows are met in his oul at a feast: and fear, thought, and anguish divide his soul between them. all the furies of hell leaps upon his heart like a stage. Thought calleth to fear; fear whistleth to horror; Horror beckoneth to despair, and saith, come and help me to torment the sinner: One saith, that she cometh from this sin, and another saith, that she come from that sin: so he goeth through a thousand deaths, and cannot die. All his lights are put out at once: he hath no soul fit to be comforted. Thus he lies upon the rack, and saith that he bears the world upon his shoulders, and that no man suffereth that which he suffereth. So let him lie (saith God) without ease, until he confess and repent, and call for mercy. this is the godly way which the serpent said would make you God’s and make him a devil.
—Henry Smith

To show that it was not my purpose to acquire prominence and notoriety, I would have it known that directly afterward, I  left Basel, and even while I was there no one knew I was the author of the book. Also in other places I kept the matter secret and determined to continue to do so until finally Guillaume Farel kept me at Geneva, not by advice and urging, but by a dreadful curse as if God from on high has stretched out his hand upon me to arrest me.
Because the most direct road to Strasbourg where I wished to retire, was closed on account of hostilities, it was my plan to pass through Geneva without stopping more than one night in the city. A little earlier Popery has been driven out, by the fine person I jut named and by Pierre Viret: But conditions were  not yet settled and evil, dangerous factions divided the city.
Thereupon an individual who has since basely revolted and returned to the Papists discovered me and identified me to the others. At this point Farel (Burning with a wondrous zeal to advance the gospel) suddenly et all his efforts at keeping me. After having heard that I was determined to pursue my own private studies–when he realized He would get nowhere by pleas–he came to the point of a curse: That it would please God to curse my leisure and the quiet for my studies that I was seeking, if in such a grave emergency I should withdraw and refuse to give aid and  help. this word so overwhelmed me that I desisted from the journey I had undertaken. Still, feeling my shame and my timidity, I would not undertake to discharge any particular function.
–John Calvin “The Piety of John Calvin”

We are like the child that lives and strives for a time blindly in the womb, but in this dark life of ours, there is a divine instinct, power, and faculty… that noting here can suffice: which shows.. that there is a condition which shall make a man fully happy; there must be a better life, which is, the spiritual life: for this life which we live in the flesh, is a thing of nothing… A Christian furnished with this spiritual life, can see Christ, and glory beyond all things in this life; he can look backwards, make use of all things past, see the vanity of things so admired of others, he can taste things nature doth not relish, he hath strength of reasons beyond all the apprehensions of reason: he is a man of strong working.
—Richard Sibbes “Saints Cordials”

I could find no one part of Divinity more profitable in these times…than that which consisteth more in experience and practice, than in theory and speculation; and more principally tendeth to the sanctification of the heart, than the informing of the judgement and the increasing of knowledge; and to the stirring up of all to the practice of what they k now in the duties of a godly life, and in bringing forth the fruits of faith in new obedience; than to fit them for discourse.
—John Downame “Guide to Godliness”

God does not require of us such cheerfulness as to remove all bitterness of pain. Otherwise the patience of the saints would not in the cross unless they were tormented by pain, felt agony, when someone caused them trouble.
Likewise, if poverty were not harsh and bitter for them, if they did not endure some torment in the disease, if disgrace did not stab them, if dread did not hang over them, what fortitude or moderation would there be in scorning all these things?
But since each of these has bitterness attached that by nature stabs all our hearts, therein is proved the fortitude of a faithful man, if tried by a feeling of such harshness, yet valiantly resisting he strives constantly to resist, surmount and rise above them. In this is patience is shown if, pricked by this same feeling, he is at all times restrained by fear of God, as by a bridle, which will not let him break forth in any intemperate act.
In this appears his joy and cheerfulness, if being struck by sadness and sorrow, he nonetheless gives himself to God’s spiritual consolation. The combat that the faithful, following patience and moderation, wage against the natural feeling of sorrow is well described by St. Paul: “Tribulation we endure in all things, but are not in distress. Poverty we endure, but are not left destitute. Persecution we endure, but are not deserted. Cast down we are, but perish not.”
—John Calvin

Because  man is so welded to the world and dotes upon his lust, all the arguments that we can use are most commonly unsuccessful. Therefore I shall add one more upon this sort of motives drawn from the qualifications of him whom I would fain have you acquainted with… Consider that he is altogether lovely; he’s made of love, goodness, and all excellencies…Ask of them that by faith have seen him.
—James Janeway “Heaven upon Earth: Jesus the Best Friend of Man”

What is the substance of the whole Bible? does not almost every chapter speak of God’s desire to be reconciled to man? Behold, he calls you. He offers you his  Son, a kingdom, a crown. Behold, the Father meets, he makes haste, to meet his returning prodigal.
—James Janeway “Heaven upon Earth: Jesus the Best  Friend of Man”

Thoughts are the spies and messengers of hope; it sends them into the promised land to bring the soul tidings from thence… By this means we preoccupy and forestall the contentment of what we expect and feast the soul with images and suppositions of what is to come, as if it were already present.. . If we did look upon ourselves as “heirs of the kingdom of heaven” and “co-heirs with Christ” we would think of that happy estate more than we do, and set us in the midst of the glory of the world to come, as if we did see Christ upon his throne, and Paul with his crown of righteousness, and all the blessed in Abraham’s bosom.
—Thomas Manton “The Epistle of Jude”

Be of good cheer, Christian. The time is near when God and you shall be near, and as near as you can desire. You will dwell in his family.. in his presence. You will be his child, and he will be your Father. You shall be an heir of his Kingdom.

Marvel not, Christian, how it can be eternal life to know God and Jesus Christ. To enjoy God and Christ is eternal life, and the soul’s enjoying is in knowing. They that savour only of earth, and consult with flesh, think it a poor happiness to know God. But we know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know him who is true. And we are in him that is true, even in his Son, Jesus Christ. this is the true God, and eternal life
—Richard Baxter.

Why is hope compared to a helmet? The helmet defends the head… from dint of bullet and sword… This hope defends the soul… whereby no dangerous or deadly impression can by Satan or sin be made on it.. As the helmet defends the soldier’s head from wounding, so his heart also from swooning. It makes him bold and fearless in battle.
A man cannot drown so long as his head is above water. Now it is the proper function of  hope to do this for the Christian in times of danger… Two things make the head hang down–fear and shame. Hope eases the Christian’s heart of both.. and so forbids him to give any sign of a desponding mind by a dejected countenance.
—William Gurnall “The Christian in complete Armour”

The blessed God has laid the platform and the foundations of his temple, as it was to be restored and set up again among men, in and by that great Emmanuel, his own Son made flesh… an incarnate God among men, and a Man inhabited by all the fullness of God.. a most perfect temple…”God with us.”
Here [in Christ] were met together man that could die, and God that could overcome death; man that might suffer, and God that could give sufficient value to those sufferings; sufficient to atone to the offended Majesty, and procure that life might be diffused…to all that should unite with him, whereby they might become living stones,  joined to that living cornerstone–a spiritual temple, again capable of that divine presence which they had aforfeited and whereof they were forsaken.
God was to have the first and leading part in reconciliations, as man has in disagreements.
—John Howe “The Living Temple”

The day of Christ’s coming is a day of manifestation. All is n ow hidden. Christ is hidden, the saints are hidden, their life is hidden (Col. 3:3), their glory is hidden, but t hen shall Christ appear, and we shall appear with him in glory… It is a day of perfection…Here  we are very weak… there is some fuit of sin continued upon the body; but then body and soul are united, and perfectly glorified to praise God in heaven… It is a day of congregation, or gathering together. The saints are now scattered, they live in various countries and ages, but then all meet in one assembly and congregation. [We have] an earnest, well-grounded expectation of blessedness to come.
—Thomas Manton

To believe in Christ for redemption, for justification, for sanctification, is but one half of the duty of faith–it respects Christ only as he died and suffered for us, as he made atonement for our sins, peace with God and reconciliation for us, as his righteousness is imputed to us for justification… we are exhorted to receive him and believe in him, but that is not all that is required of us.  Christ in the gospel is proposed to us as our pattern and example of holiness… Wherefore let us be much in the contemplation of what he was, what he did, how in all instances of duties and trials he carried himself, until an image or idea of his perfect holiness is implanted in our minds, and we are made like him thereby.
—John Owen “Discourse on the Holy Spirit”

The first cause of distraction in God’s service is secret atheism. There is an atheism of the head, an atheism of the heart, and an atheism of the life. In the first, “The fool hath said in his heart that there is no God,” (Ps. 14:1). Mark, it is not, he has thought in his heart, but says it by rote to himself, rather as what he would have, than what he does believe… It is notorious madness to conclude, from the variety and diversity of opinions about religion and government, that there is no God, seeing you are supported by Him, while you dispute and argue about Him.
Athiesm of the heart is that whereby the fool says, “also in his heart, there is no God;” that is either secretly questions or heartily wishes there were none at all. And it is worth observing both of these, that they are such as are obnoxious to the Divine Majesty….
Atheism of the life is to “profess that they know God; but in works they deny Him” (Titus 1:16). Now these latter originate from the first, and the last is most visible in our distractions; for if you did truly believe God present in an ordinance, as he that sits next to you, dare you trifle so egregiously as you do? The minister looks at you and you dare not talk; if you saw Him that looks at you from Heaven, you would dare not wander…
The remedy of this evil is, humbly to read the Scriptures, which is the most clear, certain and convincing way to work faith herein. Prayer and the Bible have convinced more than any other arguments…
—Richard Steele “A remedy for Wandering Thoughts” pp. 60-63

As Abraham saw Christ’s day and rejoiced, so we, in our most forlorn state, see that day when Christ shall give us rest and therein rejoice, I beseech you, Christian, for the honour of the Gospel, and for your soul’s comfort, leave not this heavenly art to be learned when in your greatest extremity you have most need to use it. He who with Stephen “sees the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,” will comfortably bear the shower of stones. “The joy of the Lord is our strength,” and that joy must be drawn from the place of our joy. If we walk without our strength, how long are we likely to endure?
—Richard Baxter “The Saint’s Everlasting Rest”

Here [in Christ] is the fairest representation that ever thi world had or that could be had, of this most delectable object. The Divine holiness incarnate did never shine so bright. And we may easily apprehend the great advantage of having so lively and perfect a model set before us of what we are to design and aim at. Rules and precepts could never have afforded so full a description or have furnished us with so perfect an idea.
Look steadily to Jesus, “with open face” behold the gory of the Word, and be “changed from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord” (II Cor. 3:18).
Truth is the means of holiness (John 17:17)… We have this practical truth not only exhibited in aphorisms and maxims in the Word, but we have it exemplified in the life of Christ. And when the great renovating work is to be done, the old man to be put off, the new man to be put o n, the spirit of our m ind to be renewed, our business is to learn Christ and the truth as it i in Jesus. (Eph. 4:20-24)
—John Howe “The Living Temple”

When we pray for thing pertaining to this life, we must desire temporal thing for spiritual ends; we must desire these things to be as helps in our journey to heaven. If we pray for health, it must be that we may improve this talen of health for God’s glory, and may be fitter for his service… if we are to pray for temporal good things, then how  much more for spiritual? If we are to pray for bread, then how much more for the bread of life? If we pray to have our hunger satisfied, how much more should we pray to have our souls saved…. Therefore, let u be earnest for spiritual mercies.—Thomas Watson, “Practical Divinity”

Men that are at the point to die have more need of the physician than they that are now and then troubled with a heart-fainting qualm (Mark 2:15-17). The publicans and sinners were in the mouth of  death… therefore the Lord Jesus receives them first, offers them mercy first.
This man has most need, he is furthest from God, nearest to  hell, and so one that has the most need of… mercy.
Mercy arises from compassion… from a feeling of the condition of those in misery (Isa. 63:9; James 5:11)… Mercy seems to be out of its proper channel when it deals with self-righteous men; but it runs with a full stream when it extends itself to the biggest sinner.
—John Bunyan “The Jerusalem Sinner Saved”

We are kept by God’s power, and God’s power is triggered by prayer… We pray aright when we “pray in the Holy Ghost.” This is necessary with respect to acceptance… Surely, God’s ear will be opened if our hearts be opened… Fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice was the solemn token of acceptance heretofore; fire from heaven is the token still, even a holy ardour wrought in us by the Spirit.
Prayer is a work too hard for us; we can babble of ourselves, but we cannot pray without the Holy Ghost; we can put words into prayer, but it is the Spirit who puts affections, without which it is but a little cold praattle adn spiritless talk.
—Thomas Manton “The Epistle of Jude”

The Lord nourishes and cherishes his church…When he first created man, he provided beforehand all things needful to nourish him…When he was moved deeply to destroy the earth…he had care of his church and provided an ark to keep her out of the water and stored up in the ark all things needful for her. When he purposed to bring a famine on the world, he sent a man beforehand to lay up a provision for his church. When his church was in a barren and dry wilderness, he gave them bread from heaven, water out of the rock…After this he brought his church into a land flowing with milk and honey…Neither has he merely nourished her with temporal blessings, but also with needful spiritual blessings–his Word and sacraments, his Spirit and grace… With his own flesh and blood he has fed her, and with his own righteousness he clothed her.
–William Gouge

One thing contained in heavenly rest is the ceasing from the means of grace. We have obtained the haven, we have done sailing.. When the workman receives his wages, it is implied that he has done his work. When the workman receives his wages, it is implied that he has done his work. When we are at our journey’s end, we have done with the way…There shall be no more prayer because there shall be no more necessity but the full enjoyment of what we h ave prayed for. Neither shall we n eed to fast, and watch, and weep any more, being out of the reach of sin and temptation… The labourers are called in because the harvest is gathered, the tares burned, and the work finished; the unregenerate past hope, and the saints past fear, for ever.
—Richard Baxter

In considering the whole course of David’s life it seems to me that at his every step he showed me the way. This was for me a marvelous solace. For although with continual wars this holy king was troubled by the philistines and other foreign nations, his enemies, still more grievously was he stricken in the midst of his own people by the ill will of certain disloyal, vicious men. I can say similarly of myself: On all sides have I been assailed, scarcely even for a moment experiencing repose; always the brunt of some attack either from without or from within. Satan has often tried by his plots to overthrow the whole structure of this church.
—John Calvin “The Piety of John Calvin”

The Lord Christ had called his apostles to the great work of building his church, and the propagation of his gospel in the world. Of themselves, they were plainly and openly defective in all qualifications and abilities that might contribute anything to it. But whatever is wanting in themselves… he promises to supply it… by sending the Holy Spirit to them, on whose presence and assistance alone depended the whole success of their ministry in the world.
…And this is the hinge whereon the whole weight of it turn and depends to this day. Take it away… and there will be an absolute end f the Church of Christ in this world—no dispensation of the Spirit, no church.
—John Owen

Do not drown yourself because you are recommended to bathe, or hang yourself on an oak because tannin is described as a valuable astringent. An allowable thing carried to excess is a vice, even as fire is a good servant in the grate, but a bad master when raging in a burning house.
—Charles Spurgeon

We are justified and saved by the very righteousness of Christ, and no other. He wrought it, though we wear it.
—John Flavel

The apostle calls it to ‘fall into temptation’ (1 Tim. 6:9), as a man falls into a pit or deep place where there are  traps and snares with which he might be entangled. The man is not instantly killed or destroyed, but he is entangled and detained. He does not know how to get free or be at liberty. So Paul speaks in 1 Corinthians 10:13 in terms of temptation taking us. To be taken by a temptation is to be tangled with it, to be held in its cords, and not find at present, a way to escape. Peter also says in 2 Peter 2:9, ‘The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations.’ If they are entangled with them, God knows how to deliver them out of them. When we allow a temptation to enter into us, then we ‘enter into temptation.’ When sin knocks at the door, we are at  liberty; but when a temptation comes in and we allow it to speak with our heart, reason with our mind, entice and allure our affections, for a long, or a short time, then sin subtly and almost imperceptibly draws our soul to take particular notice of it: we enter into temptation.
—John Owen, “Temptation”

True morality, or the Christian ethics, is the love of God and man, stirred up by the Spirit of Christ, through faith, and exercised in works of piety, justice, charity, and temperance…. Take heed that you lose not that common love which you own to mankind.
—Richard Baxter

To profit or benefit others, is a duty belonging to  all men… Love towards God cannot consist without this charity towards our neighbour… neither can any true religion.
—William Ames

Hypocrites are like pictures on canvas, they show fairest at farthest. A hypocrites profession is in folio, but his sincerity in decimo-sexto, nothing in the world to speak of. A hypocrite is like the Sicilian Etna, flaming at the mouth when it has snow at the foot: their mouths talk hotly, but their feet walk coldly. The nightingale has a sweet voice, but a lean carcass ;a voice, and nothing else but a voice: and so have all hypocrites…
Hypocrites labour to seem saints, not to be so; but the holy labour to be saints, more than to seem saints. The kite may fly aloft, but her mind and eye is to the earth. She seems to be a gallant bird at her pitch, till she falls down upon a carrion. Oh, how the pretentious zealot makes a show to honour Christ with his lofty profession, as if he were altogether a man of heaven: tarry but a little, throw the bait of glory his way, and he will stoop to a carrion, and be taken with the pride of his own commendation…
If you have an angels tongue and a devils heart, you are not better than  a post in the crossway, that rots itself to direct others, or a torch that, having pleasured others with the light, goes out itself in smoke and stench.
—Thomas Adams “Homiletical Encylopedia”

In our search after truth our minds are greatly to be influenced and guided by the analogy of Faith… There is a harmony, an answerableness, and a  proportion in the whole system of faith, or things to be believed. Particular places are so to be as that they do not break or disturb this order.
—John Owen “An Exposition of The Epistle to the Hebrews”

The same Spirit that guided the holy apostles and prophets to write it, must guide the people of God to know the meaning of it; and as he first delivered it, so must he help men to understand it.
—Thomas Goodwin

Almighty  God, Thou showest Thy glory for us to see, not only in heaven and earth but also in the law, the prophets and the gospel; And hast so intimately revealed Thyself in Thine only begotten Son that we cannot excuse ourselves outo of ignorance.
Grant that we may advance in this teaching, wherewith Thou so kindly invitest us to Thyself, and may thus steadfastly cleave to Thee that no errors of the world may lead us astray; But may stand firmly fixed in Thy Word, which cannot deceive us: at last reaching heavenly blessedness, where we may enjoy Thy glory face to face, conformed completely to Thee in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen