Spurgeon on Wealth

"Most men think because God hath blessed them with an estate, therefore they are blessed. Alas! God often gives these things in anger. He loads his enemies with gold and silver; as Plutarch reports of Tarpeia, a Vestal nun, who bargained with the enemy to betray the Capitol of Rome to them, in case she might have the golden bracelets on their left hands, which they promised; and being entered into the Capitol, they threw not only their bracelets, but their bucklers too, upon her, through the weight thereof she was pressed to death. God often lets men have the golden bracelets of wordly substance, the weight whereof sinks them into hell. Oh, let us superna anhelare, get our eyes 'fixed' and our hearts 'united' to God the supreme good; this is to pursue blessedness as in a chase."

Halyburton on Communion

From a communion sermon by Thomas Halyburton:

"Poor soul! It may be, thou hast been full of misdoubting thoughts. What! will He who is the high and lofty One, that inhabits eternity, ever let me near Him? Me! sinful me! Come and see O sinner, Him Whom thou longest for, skipping upon this hill, leaping upon this mountain, cheerfully coming over this difficulty; come to His table and see that, though Christ be high, yet He regards the poor and lowly (Ps. 138:6). He stoops indeed, when He receives praises, when He bends His ear to hear thy prayers; but here He is a step lower; He is willing to sit at the same table with you; nay, before you should doubt His kindness, He will step a step lower; He will set you at the table, and He will serve."

John Milne

Within a three year period Rev. John Milne was hit hard with tragedy. First, his first-born child, Jessie Marie, died at the age of eight months. Second, his wife died giving birth to a son named Robert John. The son died the following year. How did he respond? "I was full, and am empty. Yet I love my Lord. He has been unspeakably kind and overwhelmingly gracious. I cannot for a moment think the shadow of a thought that he has dealt hardly with me. Satan has sometimes tried to make me think it . . . but he does not get leave to make me draw any conclusion that can darken the wondrous loving-kindness of the Lord."

Alexander Somerville

In one of his last sermons the 19th century Scots pastor Alexander Somerville said the following:
"No power of king, emperor or czar, of police, or pope or spiritual potentate; not the madness of scepticism or superstition, of atheism or heathenism; not all the resources of the prince of the power of the air, are able to hold the ground before the Lord Jesus, acting through the sympathy, faith and prayers of His people. For my part, were I not now nearing the close of my life, I should go forward with more confidence than ever, today, in Christ's unrestricted promise, if ye have faith, nothing shall be impossible for you.

Last Words

Rev. John MacDonald's parting words to his flock in London:

"I would sum up my present desires in one word -- Love Christ! Love Christ! Love Christ! He that doeth so will please God in the loveliest way, and reach heaven by the sweetest road."

JC

David Sandeman

The early nineteenth century Scottish Presbyterian pastor David Sandeman tells of his salvation in one sentence, and it gets at the heart of the matter:

"Jehovah assumed to Himself the throne of my soul."

Whitefield Speaking to Men Training for Ministry

A dead ministry will always make a dead people, whereas if ministers are warmed with the love of God themselves, they cannot but be instruments of diffusing that love among others. This, this is the best preparation for the work whereunto you are to be called. Learning without piety will only make you more capable of promoting the kingdom of Satan. Henceforward, therefore, I hope you will enter into your studies not to get a parish, nor to be polite preachers, but to be great saints. George Whitefield