All the fruits of the Spirit which we are to lay
weight upon as evidential of grace, are summed up in charity, or Christian
love; because this is the sum of all grace. And the only way, therefore, in
which any can know their good estate, is by discerning the exercises of this
divine charity in their hearts; for without charity, let men have what gifts
you please, they are nothing.
-Jonathan Edwards
I wish, brothers and sisters, that we could all
imitate "the pearl oyster"—A hurtful particle intrudes itself into
its shell, and this vexes and grieves it. It cannot reject the evil, but what
does it do but "cover" it with a precious substance extracted out of
its own life, by which it turns the intruder into a pearl! Oh, that we could do
so with the provocations we receive from our fellow Christians, so that pearls
of patience, gentleness, and forgiveness might be bred within us by that which
otherwise would have harmed us.
-Charles Spurgeon
What a support to our faith is this, that God
the Father, the party offended by our sins, is so well pleased with the work of
redemption! And what a comfort is this, that, seeing God’s love rests on
Christ, as well pleased in Him, we may gather that He is as well pleased with
us, if we be in Christ! For His love rests in a whole Christ, in Christ
mystical, as well as Christ natural, because He loves him and us with one love.
Let us, therefore, embrace Christ, and in Him God’s love, and build our faith
safely on such a Savior that is furnished with so high a communion.
-Richard Sibbes
In pursuing His calling, Christ will not break
the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax, in which more is meant than
spoken, for He will not only not break nor quench, but He will cherish those
with whom he so deals.
-Richard Sibbes
The love and grace of God shining out and living
in the glorified person of Christ is the same communicated to His saints and
living in them.
-Peter Sterry
Let a man have what he will, and do what he
will, it signifies nothing without charity; which surely implies that charity
is the great thing, and that everything which has not charity in some way
contained or implied in it is nothing, and that this charity is the life and
soul of all religion, without which all things that wear the name of virtues
are empty and vain.
-Jonathan Edwards
The love of God is our uniting adhesion to Him:
and God that first draweth up the soul to this union, will not Himself reject
us, and avoid it.
-Richard Baxter
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