Organized by book are my favorite quotes/excerpts out of the books I've read as I've gone through them.  Also included are some other miscellaneous Christian poems and passages.

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Index of Excerpts and passages

Book Excerpts

"What Luther Says" - Anthology of Martin Luther's works by Ewald Plass

"The Spiritual Man" - Watchman Nee

"Why Revival Tarries" - Leonard Ravenhill

The Diary of David Brainerd

"Let us Pray" - Watchman Nee

"The Soul of Prayer" - P. T. Forsyth

"Now or Never" - Richard Baxter


Short passages

"Challenge of an Atheist" - Unknown

"A Hundred Years from now" - Warren Parker

"Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards" - Jonathan Edwards

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Challenge of an Atheist - unknown

"Were I a religionist did I truly, firmly, consistently believe as millions say they do, that the knowledge and practice of religion in this life influences destiny in another life, religion should be to me everything. I would cast aside earthly thoughts and feelings as less than vanity.  Religion would be my first waking thought and my last image when sleep sunk me into unconsciousness. I would labor for her cause alone.  I wouldn't labor for the meat that perishes nor for treasures on earth but only for a crown of glory in the heavenly regions where treasures and happiness are alike beyond the reach of time and chance.  I would take thought to the morrow of eternity alone.  I would esteem one soul gained to heaven worth a lifetime of suffering.  There should be neither worldly prudence nor calculating circumspection in my engrossing zeal.  Earthly consequences should never stay my hand or seal my lips.  I would speak to the imagination, awaken the feelings, stir up the passions, arouse the fancy.  Earth: its joys and its griefs should never occupy a moment of my thoughts for these are but the affairs of a portion of eternity so small that no language can express it's comparatively infinite littleness.  I should strive to look but on eternity and on the immortal souls around me soon to be everlastingly miserable or everlastingly happy.  I would deem all who thought only of this world, merely seeking to increase temporal happiness, and laboring to obtain temporal goods; I would deem all such as purely madmen.  I would go forth to the world and preach to it in season and out of season.  And my text should be "what should it profit a man if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul."

Audio Download (mp3): Leonard Ravenhill reads the "Challenge of an Atheist"

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A Hundred Years From Now
                                                                    ~Warren Parker

It will not make much difference friend a hundred years from now,
If you live in a stately mansion or a floating river scow.
If the clothes you wear were tailor made or just pieced together somehow,
If you eat big steaks or beans and cake a hundred years from now.
It wont matter what your bank account or the make of car you drive,
For the grave will claim all your riches and fame and the things for which you strive.
There's a deadline that we all must meet, no one will show up late.
It wont matter all the places you've been each one will keep that date.
We will only have in eternity what we gave away on earth.
When we go to the grave we can only save the things of eternal worth.
What matters friend the earthly gain for which some men will bow?
For your destiny will be sealed you see, a hundred years from now.

Audio Download (mp3): Leonard Ravenhill reads the poem "A Hundred Years From Now"

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In the 18th century, Jonathan Edwards did much to further the advancement of God's kingdom.  By God's grace he preached to thousands, wrote many useful writings, and participated in the great awakening.  Early in his life, over the course of about a year Jonathan Edwards put together a list of 70 resolutions for himself by which he would try to live.  This is his list.  Bolded are the ones I find particularly useful.

An audio reading of these resolutions can be downloaded in mp3 format here


Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake.

Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God' s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.

2. Resolved, to be continually endeavoring to find out some new contrivance and invention to promote the aforementioned things.

3. Resolved, if ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God. July 30.

9. Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not hinder.

12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.

13. Resolved, to be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.

14. Resolved, never to do any thing out of revenge.

15. Resolved, never to suffer the least motions of anger towards irrational beings.

16. Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

17. Resolved, that I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, to live so, at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.

20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance, in eating and drinking.

21. Resolved, never to do any thing, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him. (Resolutions 1 through 21 written in one sitting in New Haven in 1722)

22. Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power, might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.

23. Resolved, frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God' s glory, to repute it as a breach of the 4th Resolution.

24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then, both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.

26. Resolved, to cast away such things, as I find do abate my assurance.

27. Resolved, never willfully to omit any thing, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

29. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot hope God will accept.

30. Resolved, to strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.

31. Resolved, never to say any thing at all against any body, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.

32. Resolved, to be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that, in Proverbs 20:6, A faithful man who can find? may not be partly fulfilled in me.

33. Resolved, to do always, what I can towards making, maintaining, and preserving peace, when it can be done without overbalancing detriment in other respects. Dec. 26, 1722.

34. Resolved, in narrations never to speak any thing but the pure and simple verity.

35. Resolved, whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved. Dec. 18, 1722.

36. Resolved, never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call for it. Dec. 19, 1722.

37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent,- what sin I have committed,-and wherein I have denied myself;-also at the end of every week, month and year. Dec. 22 and 26, 1722.

38. Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord' s day. Sabbath evening, Dec. 23, 1722.

39. Resolved, never to do any thing of which I so much question the lawfulness of, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or not; unless I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.

40. Resolved, to inquire every night, before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking. Jan. 7, 1723.

41. Resolved, to ask myself, at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done better. Jan. 11, 1723.

42. Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed, when I was received into the communion of the church; and which I have solemnly re-made this twelfth day of January, 1722-23.

43. Resolved, never, henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God' s; agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday, January 12, 1723.

44. Resolved, that no other end but religion, shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it. January 12, 1723.

45. Resolved, never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion. Jan. 12 and 13, 1723.

46. Resolved, never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eye: and to be especially careful of it with respect to any of our family.

47. Resolved, to endeavor, to my utmost, to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good, and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented and easy, compassionate and generous, humble and meek, submissive and obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable and even, patient, moderate, forgiving and sincere temper; and to do at all times, what such a temper would lead me to; and to examine strictly, at the end of every week, whether I have done so. Sabbath morning. May 5, 1723.

48. Resolved, constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or not; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of. May 26, 1723.

49. Resolved, that this never shall be, if I can help it.

50. Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world. July 5, 1723.

51. Resolved, that I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned. July 8, 1723.

52. I frequently hear persons in old age, say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, that I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age. July 8, 1723.

53. Resolved, to improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer. July 8, 1723.

54. Whenever I hear anything spoken in conversation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, Resolved to endeavor to imitate it. July 8, 1723.

55. Resolved, to endeavor to my utmost to act as I can think I should do, if, I had already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments. July 8, 1723.

56. Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

57. Resolved, when I fear misfortunes and adversities, to examine whether I have done my duty, and resolve to do it, and let the event be just as providence orders it. I will as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty, and my sin. June 9, and July 13 1723.

58. Resolved, not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness and benignity. May 27, and July 13, 1723.

59. Resolved, when I am most conscious of provocations to ill nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at other times. May 12, July 11, and July 13.

60. Resolved, whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination. July 4, and 13, 1723.

61. Resolved, that I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it-that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, etc. May 21, and July 13, 1723.

62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty, and then according to Ephesians 6:6-8, to do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man:"knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord." June 25 and July 13, 1723.

63. On the supposition, that there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all respects of a right stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true luster, and appearing excellent and lovely, from whatever part and under whatever character viewed: Resolved, to act just as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be that one, who should live in my time. January 14 and July 13, 1723.

64. Resolved, when I find those "groanings which cannot be uttered" (Romans 8:26), of which the Apostle speaks, and those "breakings of soul for the longing it hath," of which the Psalmist speaks, Psalm 119:20, that I will promote them to the utmost of my power, and that I will not be weary of earnestly endeavoring to vent my desires, nor of the repetitions of such earnestness. July 23, and August 10, 1723.

65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this, all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness, of which I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance; according to Dr. Manton' s 27th Sermon on Psalm 119. July 26, and Aug.10 1723.

66. Resolved, that I will endeavor always to keep a benign aspect, and air of acting and speaking in all places, and in all companies, except it should so happen that duty requires otherwise.

67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what am I the better for them, and what I might have got by them.

68. Resolved, to confess frankly to myself all that which I find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion, also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help. July 23, and August 10, 1723.

69. Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. August 11, 1723.

70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak. August 17, 1723.

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"Why revival tarries" by Leonard Ravenhill
-Excerpts  / Quotes

"The offense of prayer is that it does not essentially tie in to mental efficiency... Prayer is conditioned by one thing alone and that is spirituality."

"Preaching affects time; prayer affects eternity."

"Brethren, we could all well manage to be half as intellectual (of the modern pseudo kind) if we were twice as spiritual."

"A sermon born in the head reaches the head; a sermon born in the heart reaches the heart."

"Preachers used to sow seed; now they string intellectual pearls."

"Whole Days and WEEKS I have spent prostrate on the ground in silent or vocal prayer." - George Whitefield

"The ministry of preaching is open to few; the ministry of prayer - the highest ministry of all human offices - is open to all."

"It may be that Satan has little cause to fear most preaching.  Yet past experiences sting him to rally all his infernal army to fight against God's people praying."

"...few of us can remember the last time we missed our bed for a night of waiting upon God for a world-shaking revival."

"The secret of praying is praying in secret."

"Can any deny that in the modern church setup the main cause of anxiety is money?  Yet that which tries the modern churches the most, troubled the New Testament Church the least."

"William Booth of the Salvation Army is quoted as saying that if he could do it, he would have finalized the training of his soldiers with twenty-four hours hanging over hell, to see its eternal torment."

"Is a man human at all who can say with no tears, 'You will be eternally dying and yet never know the relief that death brings'?"

"Today God is bypassing men - not because they are too ignorant, but because they are too self-sufficient.  Brethren, our abilities are our handicaps, and our talents are our stumbling blocks!"

"Therefore, the blessed Holy Spirit could write the life of Elijah in two words: 'He prayed.'"

"... we love the old saints, missionaries, martyrs, reformers: our Luthers, Bunyans, Wesleys, Asburys, etc.  We will write their biographies, reverence their memories, frame their epitaphs, and build their cenotaphs.  We will do anything except imitate them.  We cherish the last drop of their blood, but watch the first drop of our own."

"It would be wrong to hide when we should be rebuking kings for His sake; it would be wrong to preach if the Spirit is calling us to wait upon the Lord."

"E.M. bounds is right in saying that short, powerful public prayers are the outcome of long secret intercession."

"Elijah prayed, not for the destruction of the idolatrous priests, nor for thunderbolts from heaven to consume rebellious Israel, but that the glory of God and the power of God might be revealed."

"We try to help God out of difficulties.  Remember how Abraham tried to do this, and to this day the earth is cursed with his folly because of Ishmael.  On the other hand, Elijah made it as difficult as he could for the Lord.  He wanted fire, but yet he soaked the sacrifice with water!  God loves such holy boldness in our prayers."

"Much of our praying is but giving God advice!"

"God never intended His Church to be a refrigerator in which to preserve perishable piety.  He intended it to be an incubator in which to hatch out converts." - F. Lincicome

"Prophets are lone men:  They walk alone, pray alone, and God makes them alone."

"... the living Holy Ghost is seeking for men to trample underfoot their own learning, deflate their inflated ego, and confess that with all their seeing they are blind."

"Dear brethren, our eyes are dry because our hearts are dry.  We live in a day when we can have piety without pity."

"Tell me in light of the Cross, isn't it a scandal that you and I live today as we do?" - Alan Redpath

"Oh that believers would become eternity-conscious!"

"... there are only three classes of people in the world today: those who are afraid, those who do not know enough to be afraid, and those who know their bibles."

"For their own lusts they bleed the audience financially in the name of the One who had to borrow a penny to illustrate His sermon."

"Why does revival Tarry? ... because evangelism is so highly commercialized... Revival tarries because of cheapening the gospel... Revival tarries because of carelessness ... revival tarries because of fear... Revival tarries because we lack urgency in prayer... Finally, revival tarries because we steal the glory that belongs to God."

"The only power that God yields to is that of prayer."

"True preaching is the sweating of blood." - Dr. Joseph Parker

"How much more would a few good and fervent men affect the ministry than a multitude of lukewarm ones!"

"How shall I feel at the judgment, if multitudes of missed opportunites passed before me in full review, and all my excuses prove to be disguises of my cowardice and pride?" - Dr. W. E. Sangster

"One of these days some simple soul will pick up the Book of God, read it, and believe it.  Then the rest of us will be embarrassed."

"Surely this Sodom like sin must merit Sodom-like judgment.  'This was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom,' says Ezekiel 16:49 - 'Pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness.'"

"Would it not be correct to say that we have scorned the old time method of proclaiming repentance and regeneration and sanctification?"

"Ten minutes before John the baptist arrived - no one knew that he was there."

"The same church members who yell like Comanche Indians at a ball game on Saturday sit like wooden Indians in church on Sunday." - Vance Havner

"There can be no revival when Mr. Amen and Mr. Wet-Eyes are not found in the audience." - Charles G. Finney

"Prayer is no substitute for work; equally true is it that work is no substitute for prayer.  In his masterly but little-known work, The Weapon of Prayer, E.M. Bounds says, 'It is better to let the work go by default than to let the praying go  by neglect.'"

"Surely revival delays because prayer decays.  Nothing do Satan or hell fear more than praying men."

"'Martyn says of himself, 'The ways of wisdom appear more sweet and reasonable than ever, and the world more insipid and vexatious.' 'The chief thing I mourn over,' he adds, 'is my want of power and lack of fervour in secret prayer, especially when I plead for the heathen.  In proportion to my light, warmth does not increase within me.'"

"See how great a matter a little fire kindleth."

"From one candle, ten thousand others may take a light!  From the matchless prayer life of David Brainerd, outstanding stars in the firmament of soul-winners have caught their initial light (like Carey, Payson, etc.)."

"So there we have it.  Let's line them up: Payson, McCheyne, Carey, Edwards, Wesley-men of renown, yet all kindled by one flame, and all debtors to the sickly but supplicating Brainerd."

"...those fear-gripped, sin-mesmerized millions can only be moved to God as the Church is moved of God for their lost condition."

"For in prayer man is linked with God, and in that union Satan is baffled and beaten.  Well he knows this; and so, if the closet is shut tightly, the mind is invaded with legitimate cares or with imaginations as big or more real than life.  Here we need to plead our main defense-the blood.  Another useful way to offset wandering thoughts and to help concentration is to pray audibly or to give some utterance at least, though it need not be loud."

"... Satan delights in loss no more than any other being."

"Prayer is not for defence.  The shield of faith is for that.  Prayer is our secret weapon.  (It seems secret to many of the Lord's people.  Who of us, despite all that we have read, claims to know much about this masterly work of prayer?)  We do not conquer Satan by prayer; Christ conquered him two thousand years ago.  Satan fools and feints, blows and bluffs, and we so often take his threats to heart and forget 'the exceeding greatness of God's power to usward.'"

"True prayer is a time-eater.  In the elementary stages time seems to drag; later, as the soul gets used to the holy exercise, time flies when we pray.  Prayer makes the soul tender. 

"Notice, we never pray for folks we gossip about, and we never gossip about the folk for whom we pray!"

"Satan would have us increase even in Bible knowledge, I believe, as long as we keep from prayer, which is the exercise of the instruction we have received through the Word."

"What use is greater standing with men if we have less standing with God?"

"The aspirant for spiritual wealth and for the ear of God will know much loneliness and will eat much of 'the bread of affliction.''"

"... the high peaks of the soul are reached in solitude."

"Courts deal with the fruit of liquor; revival would slay this deadly tree at the roots."

"Better to die bound in body and free in spirit than free in body and bound in soul!"

"If we were a tenth as spiritual as we think we are, our streets would be filled each Sunday with throngs of believers marching to Zion..."

"This is the hour when we are asked over and over again, 'Is everybody happy?'  God's purpose for us is not happiness, but holiness!  Soberness has given way to silliness."

"We surely need again to climb Calvary's hill on our knees, to survey the wondrous Cross in an attitude of humiliation and adoration."

"The church that is man-managed instead of God-governed is doomed to failure.  A ministry that is college-trained but not Spirit-filled works no miracles." - Samuel Chadwick

"If Thou canst not do something with us and through us, then please, God, do something without us! ... to revive a sick Church and shake a sin-soddened world!"

"What good is a meeting, even if it be fundamental, if the living Lord is absent?"

"Brethren, in the light of the 'bema seat,' we had better live six months with a volcanic heart, denouncing sin in places high and low and turning the nation from the power of Satan unto God (as John the Baptist did) rather than die loaded with ecclesiastical honours and theological degrees and be the laughing stock of hell and of spiritual nonentities."

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"The Diary of David Brainerd"
-Excerpts  / Quotes

David Brainerd was a missionary to the Indians in the 1700's.  This man was given an awesome gift of prayer.  Simply reading how he walked with God day to day is life changing.  Included here are my favorite and most memorable quotes as recorded in his diary.  He never meant for anybody to see his diary, but by God's grace it has become available and done a great work in helping to build His kingdom by inspiring thousands to live lives of prayer and work for souls like this man did.  The love he had for "his Indians" reminds me almost exactly of the love Paul had for his Gentiles.

Year: 1742

"Oh! one hour with God infinitely exceeds all the pleasures and delights of this lower world."

"Sometime past I had much pleasure in the prospect of the heathen being brought home to Christ, and desired that the Lord would employ me in that work; but now my soul more frequently desires to die, to be with Christ. Oh that my soul were wrapped up in a divine love. and my longing desires after God increased! In the evening was refreshed in prayer, with the hopes of the advancement of Christ's kingdom in the world."

Lord's day, April 4 - "My heart was wandering and lifeless. In the evening God gave me faith in prayer, made my soul melt in some measure, and gave me to taste a divine sweetness. Oh! my blessed God! Let me climb up near to him, and love, and long, and plead, and wrestle, and stretch after him, and for deliverance from the body of sin and death. Alas! my soul mourned to think I should ever lose sight of its beloved again. 'O come, Lord Jesus, Amen.'"

"I then began to find it sweet to pray; and could think of undergoing the greatest sufferings in the cause of Christ, with pleasure; and found myself willing, if God should so order it, to suffer banishment from my native land, among the heathen, that I might do something for their salvation, in distress and deaths of any kind."

April 9. - "Most of my time in morning devotion was spent without sensible sweetness; yet I had one delightful prospect of arriving at the heavenly world. I am more amazed than ever at such thoughts; for I see myself infinitely vile and unworthy. No poor creature stands in need of divine grace more than 1, and none abuse it more than I have done, and still do."

"This morning the Lord was pleased to lift up the light of his countenance upon me in secret prayer, and made the season very precious to my soul."

"I wanted not the favor of man to lean upon; for I knew that Christ's favor was infinitely better..."

"My soul longed for communion with Christ, and for the mortification of indwelling corruption, especially spiritual pride. Oh!, there is a sweet day coming, wherein 'the weary will be at rest!'"

"I retired early this morning into the woods for prayer; had the assistance of God's Spirit, and faith in exercise; and was enabled to plead with fervency for the advancement of Christ's kingdom in the world, and to intercede for dear, absent friends."

"Accordingly, in the morning I endeavored to plead for the divine presence for the day, and not without some life."

"I think I never in my life felt such an entire weanedness from this world, and so much resigned to God in every thing. Oh! that I may always live to and upon my blessed God! Amen, Amen."

"This morning I spent about two hours in secret duties, and was enabled, more than ordinarily, to agonize for immortal souls.  At night I was exceedingly melted with divine love, and had some feeling sense of the blessedness of the upper world."

"I knew not what to say to my God, but only lean on his bosom, as it were, and breathe out my desires after a perfect conformity to him in all things. Thirsting desires after perfect holiness, and insatiable longings possessed my soul."

"God was so precious to me that the world, with all its enjoyments, was infinitely vile. I had no more value for the favor of men, than for pebbles. The Lord was my all, and that he over-ruled all, greatly delighted me. I think that my faith and dependence on God scarce ever rose so high."

"With resignation, I could bid welcome to all other trials; but sin hung heavy upon me; for God discovered to me the corruption of my heart. I went to bed with a heavy heart, because I was a sinner; though I did not in the least doubt of God's love."

"God was with me all the day; and I was more above the world than ever in my life. "

"Saw so much of the wickedness of my heart that I longed to get away from myself I never before thought that there was so much spiritual pride in my soul. I felt almost pressed to death with my own vileness. Oh! what a "body of death" is there in me! Lord deliver my soul!"

"Oh!, the closest walk with God is the sweetest heaven that can be enjoyed on earth!"

"Had little life and power in the forenoon: near the middle of the afternoon God enabled me to wrestle ardently in intercession for absent friends: but just at night the Lord visited me marvelously in prayer.  I think my soul never was in such an agony before. I felt no restraint, for the treasures of divine grace were opened to me. I wrestled for absent friends, for the ingathering of souls, for multitudes of poor souls, and for many that I thought were the children of God, in many distant places. I was in such an agony, for half an hour before sunset, till near dark, that I was all over wet with sweat: but yet is seemed to me that I had wasted away the day, and had done nothing. Oh!, my dear Savior did sweat blood for poor souls!  I longed for more compassion toward them. Felt still in a sweet frame, under a sense of divine love and 'Farewell, vain world; my soul can bid Adieu. My Savior taught me to abandon you. Your charms may gratify a sensual mind. But cannot please a soul for God Designed.'"

"I arose and retired early for secret devotions; and in prayer, God was pleased to pour such ineffable comforts into my soul, that I could do nothing for some time but say over and over, "O my sweet Saviour! whom have I in Heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee."

"...while I was pleading for more compassion for immortal souls, my heart seemed to be opened at once, and I was enabled to cry with great ardency for a few minutes. Oh!, I was distressed to think, that I should offer such dead cold services to the living God! My soul seemed to breathe after holiness, a life of constant devotedness to God."

"Spent this day alone in the woods, in fasting and prayer; underwent the most dreadful conflicts in my soul... Spent almost the whole day in prayer."

Lord's day, July 4. - "Had considerable assistance. In the evening I withdrew, and enjoyed a happy season in secret prayer. God was pleased to give me the exercise of faith, and thereby brought the invisible and eternal world near to my soul; which appeared sweetly to me. I hoped that my weary pilgrimage in the world would be short; and that it would not be long before I should be brought to my heavenly home and Father's house. I was resigned to God's will, to tarry his time, to do his work, and suffer his pleasure. I felt thankfulness to God for all my pressing desertions of late; for I am persuaded that they have been made a means of making me more humble, and much more resigned. I felt pleased to be little, to be nothing, and to lie in the dust. I enjoyed life and consolation in pleading for the dear children of God, and the kingdom of Christ in the world: and my soul earnestly breathed after holiness, and the enjoyment of God. "O come, Lord Jesus, come quickly."

Lord's day, Aug. 15. - "Felt much comfort and devotedness to God this day. At night, it was refreshing to get alone with God, and pour out my soul. Oh!, who can conceive of the sweetness of communion with the blessed God, but those who have experience of it! Glory to God for ever, that I may taste heaven below."

Aug. 17. - "Exceedingly depressed in spirit, it cuts and wounds my heart to think how much self-exaltation, spiritual pride, and warmth of temper, I have formerly had intermingled with my endeavors to promote God's work: and sometimes I long to lie down at the feet of opposers, and confess what a poor imperfect creature I have been, and still am. The Lord forgive me, and make me, for the future, "wise as a serpent, and harmless as a dove!" Afterward enjoyed considerable comfort and delight of soul."

Oct. 21. - "Had a very deep sense of the vanity of the world, most of the day; had little more regard to it, than if I had been to go into eternity the next hour. Through divine goodness, I felt very serious and solemn. Oh! I love to live on the brink of eternity, in my views and meditations! This gives me a sweet, awful, and reverential sense and apprehension of God and divine things, when I see myself as it were, standing before the judgment seat of Christ."

"I felt a disposition in me never to have any thing to do with this world. The character given of some of the ancient people of God, in Heb. 11: 13, was very pleasing to me, they confessed that they were pilgrims and strangers on the earth,  by their daily practice..."

"Oh! it is sweet to be thus weaned from friends, and from myself, and dead to the present world, that so I may live wholly to and upon the blessed God!"

"Oh! it is sweet lying in the dust! But it is distressing to feel in my soul that hell of corruption which still remains in me."

"God has been pleased to keep my soul hungry, almost continually; so that I have been filled with a kind of pleasing pain. When I really enjoy God I feel my desires of him the more insatiable, and my thirstings after holiness the more unquenchable; and the Lord will not allow me to feel as though I were fully supplied and satisfied, but keeps me still reaching forward."

"The Lord help me to press after God forever."

"Through divine goodness I have scarce seen the day for two months, in which death has not looked so pleasant to me, at one time or other of the day, that I could have rejoiced that it should be my last, notwithstanding my present inward trials and conflicts."

Nov. 24. - "Came to New-York; felt still much concerned about the importance of my business; made many earnest requests to God for his help and direction; was confused with the noise and tumult of the city; enjoyed but little time alone with God; but my soul longed after him."

"... my soul was grieved for the congregation, that they should sit there to hear such a dead dog as I preach, I thought myself infinitely indebted to the people, and longed that God would reward them with the rewards of his grace."
- WOW.  Now that's a pure humble heart... this man had no problem to "esteem others better."

"I have reason to think that my religion has become more spiritual by means of late inward conflicts. Amen. May I always be willing that God should use his own methods with me!"

Year: 1742

Jan. 14. - "My spiritual conflicts to-day were unspeakably dreadful, heavier than the mountains and over-flowing floods. I was deprived of all sense of God, even of the being of a God; and that was my misery. The torments of the damned, I am sure, will consist much in a privation of God, and consequently of all good. This taught me the absolute dependence of a creature upon God the Creator, for every crumb of happiness it enjoys. Oh!, I feel that, if there is no God, though I might live forever here, and enjoy not only this, but all other worlds, I should be ten thousand times more miserable than a reptile."

"Oh!, how sweet are some glimpses of divine glory! how strengthening and quickening!"

Feb. 15. Early in the day I felt some comfort; afterwards I walked into a neighbouring grove, and felt more as a stranger on earth, I think, than ever before; dead to any of the enjoyments of the world, as if I had been dead in a natural sense.

O that I might be serious, solemn, and always vigilant, while in an evil world!

Time appeared but an inch long, and eternity at hand; and I thought I could with patience and cheerfulness bear any thing for the cause of God; for I saw that a moment would bring me to a world of peace and blessedness. My soul, by the strength of the Lord, rose far above this lower world, and all the vain amusements and frightful disappointments of it. Afterwards, had some sweet meditation on Gen. v. 24. ‘And Enoch walked with God,’ &c.--This was a comfortable day to my soul.”

May the God of all grace succeed my poor labours in this place!

Blessed be God, I was enabled to speak with life, power, and desire of the edification of God’s people; and with some power to sinners. In the evening, I felt spiritual and watchful, lest my heart should by any means be drawn away from God.

When I thought of any godly soul departed, my soul was ready to envy him his privilege, thinking, ‘Oh, when will my turn come! must it be years first!’--But I know, these ardent desires, at this and other times, rose partly for want of resignation to God under all miseries; and so were but impatience.  Towards night, I had the exercise of faith in prayer, and some assistance in writing. O that God would keep me near him!

Lord’s day, April 17. In the morning was again distressed as soon as I waked, hearing much talk about the world and the things of it. I perceived the men were in some measure afraid of me; and I discoursed something about sanctifying the sabbath, if possible to solemnize their minds: but when they were at a little distance, they again talked freely about secular affairs. Oh, I thought what a hell it would be, to live with such men to eternity!

May 20. Was much perplexed some part of the day; but towards night, had some comfortable meditations on Isa. 40:1. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God." and enjoyed some sweetness in prayer. Afterwards my soul rose so far above the deep waters, that I dared to rejoice in God. I saw there was sufficient matter of consolation in the blessed God.”

‘Iniquities prevail against me.’ But was in some measure relieved by a comfortable meditation on God’s eternity, that he never had a beginning, &c. Whence I was led to admire his greatness and power, &c. in such a manner, that I stood still, and praised the Lord for his own glories and perfections; though I was (and if I should for ever be) an unholy creature, my soul was comforted to apprehend an eternal, infinite, powerful, holy God.

Through divine goodness I am now uninterruptedly alone; and find my retirement comfortable. I have enjoyed more sense of divine things within a few days last past, than for some time before. I longed after holiness, humility, and meekness: O that God would enable me to ‘pass the time of my sojourning here in his fear,’ and always live to him!

I have generally found, that the more I do in secret prayer, the more I have delighted to do, and have enjoyed more of a spirit of prayer: and frequently have found the contrary, when with journeying or otherwise I have been much deprived of retirement. A seasonable, steady performance of secret duties in their proper hours, and a careful improvement of all time, filling up every hour with some profitable labour, either of heart, head, or hands, are excellent means of spiritual peace and boldness before God. Christ, indeed, is our peace, and by him we have boldness of access to God; but a good conscience void of offence, is an excellent preparation for an approach into the divine presence. There is difference between self-confidence or a self-righteous pleasing of ourselves--as with our own duties, attainments, spiritual enjoyments--which godly souls sometimes are guilty of, and that holy confidence arising from the testimony of a good conscience, which good Hezekiah had, when he says, “Remember, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart.’ ‘Then (says the holy psalmist) shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect to all thy commandments.’ Filling up our time with and for God, is the way to rise up and lie down in peace.”

Towards night, was very weary, and tired of this world of sorrow: the thoughts of death and immortality appeared very desirable, and even refreshed my soul. Those lines turned in my mind with pleasure,
 
‘Come, death, shake hands, I’ll kiss thy bands:
‘Tis happiness for me to die.
What! dost thou think that I will shrink?
I’ll go to immortality.’

I poured out my soul for all the world, friends, and enemies. My soul was concerned, not so much for souls as such, but rather for Christ’s kingdom, that it might appear in the world, that God might be known to be God in the whole earth. And, oh, my soul abhorred the very thought of a party in religion! Let the truth of God appear, wherever it is; and God have the glory for ever. Amen.

Oh! how happy it is to have all our thoughts swallowed up in that world: to feel one's self a stranger in this world, diligently seeking a road through it, the best, the sure road to the heavenly Jerusalem!

...it is better to be alone than encumbered with noise and tumult. I find it very difficult maintaining any sense of divine things while removing from place to place diverted with new objects, and filled with care and business. A settled steady business is best adapted to a life of strict religion.

Had some satisfaction in hearing the ministers discourse. It is always a comfort to me to hear religious and spiritual conversation. Oh! that ministers and people were more spiritual and devoted to God!

Afterward read the story of Elijah the prophet, I Kings, 17th, 18th, and 19th chapters; and also 2 Kings, 2nd, and 4th chapters. My soul was much moved, observing the faith, zeal, and power of that holy man; how he wrestled with God in prayer, &c. My soul then cried with Elisha, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah!" Oh! I longed for more faith! My soul breathed after God, and pleaded with him, that a "double portion of that spirit" which was given to Elijah, might "rest on me. " And that which was divinely refreshing and strengthening to my soul, was, I saw that God is the same that he was in the days of Elijah.

Afterward read the story of Abraham's pilgrimage in the land of Canaan. My soul was melted, in observing his faith, how he leaned on God; how he communed with God; and what a stranger he was here in the world. After that, read the story of Joseph's sufferings, and God's goodness to him: blessed God for these examples of faith and patience.

while reading 2 Kings, 19, my soul was moved and affected; especially reading verse 14, and onward. I saw there was no other way for the afflicted children of God to take, but to go to God with all their sorrows. Hezekiah, in his great distress, went and spread his complaint before the Lord. I was then enabled to see the mighty power of God, and my extreme need of that power; and to cry to him affectionately and ardently for his power and grace to be exercised toward me.

Nov. 29. ...I love to live alone in my own little cottage, where I can spend much time in prayer, &c.

Year: 1744
Jan. 3. - My state of solitude does not make the hours hang heavy upon my hands. Oh! what reason of thankfulness have I on account of this retirement! I find that I do not, and it seems I cannot, lead a Christian life when I am abroad, and cannot spend time in devotion, Christian conversation, and serious meditation, as I should do... When I return home and give myself to meditation, prayer, and fasting, a new scene opens to my mind, and my soul longs for mortification, self-denial, humility, and divorcement from all things of the world.

Feb 3. - Oh! how amazing it is that people can talk so much about men's power and goodness, when if God did not hold us back every moment, we should be devils incarnate!

Feb. 7. My soul felt and tasted that the Lord is gracious; that he is the supreme good, the only soul-satisfying happiness; that he is a complete, sufficient, and almighty portion. The language of my heart was, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee... "
...Oh! ye angels, do ye glorify Him incessantly; and if possible, prostrate yourselves lower before the blessed King of heaven! I long to bear a part with you; and, if it were possible, to help you. Oh! when we have done all that we can, to all eternity, we shall not be able to offer the ten thousandth part of the homage which the glorious God deserves!

March 3....I longed that those who, I have reason to think, owe me ill will, might be eternally happy. It seemed refreshing to think of meeting them in heaven, how much soever they had injured me on earth: had no disposition to insist upon any confession from them, in order to reconciliation, and the exercise of love and kindness to them. Oh! it is an emblem of heaven itself, to love all the world with a love of kindness, forgiveness, and benevolence...

Prayer was so sweet an exercise to me, that I knew not how to cease, lest I should lose the spirit of prayer.

March 10. "In the morning, felt exceeding dead to the world, and all its enjoyments. I thought I was ready and willing to give up life and all its comforts, as soon as called to it; and yet then had as much comfort of life as almost ever I had. I longed to be perpetually and entirely crucified to all things here below, by the cross of Christ.

Lord's day, March 11... But especially I made it the scope and drift of all my labors, to lead them into a thorough acquaintance with these two things: (1.) The sinfulness and misery of the estate they were naturally in; the evil of their hearts, the pollution of their natures; the heavy guilt they were under, and their exposedness to everlasting punishment; as also their utter inability to save themselves, either from their sins, or from those miseries which are the just punishment of them; and their unworthiness of any mercy at the hand of God, on account of any thing they themselves could do to procure his favor, and consequently their extreme need of Christ to save them. And, (2.) I frequently endeavored to open to them the fullness, all-sufficiency, and freeness of that redemption which the Son of God has wrought out by his obedience and sufferings, for perishing sinners: how this provision he had made was suited to all their wants; and how he called and invited them to accept of everlasting life freely, notwithstanding all their sinfulness.

While he was in New-York, he says this, "O it is not the pleasures of the world which can comfort me! If God deny his presence, what are the pleasures of the city to me? One hour of sweet retirement where God is, is better than the whole world."

May 8. - "Travelled about forty-five miles to a place called Fishkffl; and lodged there. Spent much of my time, while riding, in prayer that God would go with me to the Delaware. My heart sometimes was ready to sink with the thoughts of my work, and going alone in the wilderness, I knew not where; but still it was comfortable to think that others of God's children had 'wandered about in dens and capes of the earth;' and Abraham, when he was called to go forth, 'went out not knowing whither he went.'O that I might follow after God!"

Lord's day, June 24. - "Extremely feeble; scarcely able to walk: however visited my Indians, and took much pains to instruct them; labored with some that were much disaffected toward Christianity. My mind was much burdened with the weight and difficulty of my work. My whole dependence and hope of success seemed to be on God; who alone I saw could make them willing to receive instruction. My heart was much engaged in prayer, sending up silent requests to God, even while I was speaking to them. Oh! that I could always go in the strength of the Lord!

July 6. - "Awoke this morning in the fear of God, and spent my first waking minutes in prayer for sanctification, that my soul may be washed from its exceeding pollution and defilement. After I arose I spent some time in reading God's word, and in prayer... Last year I longed to be prepared for a world of glory, and speedily to depart out of this world; but of late all my concern almost is for the conversion of the heathen, and for that end I long to live. But blessed be God I have less desire to live for any of the pleasures of the world than I ever had. I long and love to be a pilgrim, and want grace to imitate the life, labors and sufferings of St. Paul among the heathen. "

July 21 "... All things here below vanished, and there appeared to be nothing of any considerable importance to me, but holiness of heart and life, and the conversion of the heathen to God. All my cares, fears and desires, which might be said to be of a worldly nature, disappeared, and were, in my esteem, of little more importance than a puff of wind. I exceedingly longed that God would get to himself a name among the heathen; and I appealed to him with the greatest freedom, that he knew I 'Preferred him above my chief joy.' Indeed, I had no notion of joy from this world; I cared not where or how I lived, or what hardships I went through, so that I could but gain souls to Christ. I continued in this frame all the evening and night. While I was asleep I dreamed of these things; and when I waked, (as I frequently did,) the first thing I thought of was this great work of pleading for God against Satan."

Lord's day, July 22.- "When I waked my soul was burdened with what seemed to be before me. I cried to God, before I could get out of my bed; and as soon as I was dressed I withdrew into the woods, to pour out my burdened soul to God, especially for assistance in my great work; for I could scarcely think of anything else..."

All my desire was the conversion of the heathen; and all my hope was in God. God does not suffer me to please or comfort myself with hopes of seeing friends, returning to my dear acquaintance, and enjoying worldly comforts...
But, alas! though my all seems to be adrift, and I stand and see it, I dare not lament; for this sinks my spirits more, and aggravates my bodily disorders! I am forced therefore, to divert myself with trifles; although at the same time I am afraid, and often feel as if I was guilty of the misimprovement of time. And oftentimes my conscience is so exercised with this miserable way of spending time, that I have no peace; though I have no strength of mind or body to improve it to better purpose. Oh! that God would pity my distressed state!

---

"Let us Pray" by Watchman Nee
-Excerpts / Quotes

"Prayer does not alter that which God has determined.  It never changes anything; it merely achieves what He has already foreordained.  Prayerlessness, though, does effect a change, because God will let many of His resolutions go suspended due to the lack from His people of prayerful cooperation with Him."

Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
(Matthew 18:19, KJV)
"Here is clearly stated the relationship between prayer and God's work.  God in heaven will only bind and loose what His children on earth have bound and loosed. "

"All the movements in heaven are restricted by the movements on earth!  God takes great delight in putting all His own works under the control of His people."

"Being created with a free will, man is expected to exercise his will for union with God's will in opposing the will of Satan."

"Due to the fact that believers mind too much their own affairs and fail to work together with God, many enemies and much lawlessness are not bound, many sinners and much grace are not released."

"The peak of our working together with God is in asking with one accord that God will accomplish what He desires to accomplish."

"Prayer is the occasion wherein to express our desire for God's will."

"How much in our prayers is self completely forgotten and the will of the Lord is alone the thing that is sought?"

"Let it be clearly recognized that selfishness is no less evident in prayer than it is in other areas!"

"Self-Denial must be practice everywhere.  It is just as essential in prayer as it is in action."

"We do not see that prayer is the asking of God to fulfill His needs.  We ought to understand that God's original thought is certainly not the letting of believers achieve their own aims through prayer."

"When you see that God's will is to supply your need, you can then ask Him to fulfill His will by supplying what you need."

"... we should immediately lay down our need and ask Him to fulfill His will.

"He calls us to work together with Him for accomplishing His will.  The working together is prayer."

"True prayer is a real work.  Praying according to God's will and praying only for His will is indeed a self-denying work."

"Unless we are completely weaned from ourselves, having not the slightest interest of our own but living absolutely for the Lord and seeking only His glory, we will not like what He likes, nor seek what He seeks, nor pray what He wants us to pray."

"A servant of the Lord has well said: Prayer is the rail for God's work.  Indeed, prayer is to God's will as rails are to a train.  The locomotive is full of power: it is capable of running a thousand miles a day.  But if there are no rails, it cannot move forward a single inch."

"Many are the things which God wills to do and would like to do, but His hands are bound because His children do not sympathize with Him and have not prayed so as to prepare ways for Him.  Let me say to all who have wholly given themselves to God: Do examine yourselves and see if in this respect you have limited Him day after day."

"Hence our most important work is to prepare the way of the Lord."

"In view of this, our prayers in one mind with God must be greatly increased.  May we pray exhaustively - that is to say, may we pray through in all directions - so that God's will may prosper at all points."

"Though our activities among men are important, our working together with the Lord by prayers offered up before Him is much more important."

"Let us see that we strive before God as if in conflict only because His will is being blocked by either men or the devil, and so, we greatly desire Him to execute His will in order that His own determinate will may not suffer because of opposition."

"For please note that if God by himself sends out laborers, then Christ would not have ordered us to pray to the Lord of the harvest that He send forth laborers!"

"If God the Father will just spontaneously make the believers one, would our Lord have ever prayed to His Father to this effect?  If working together with God is not essential, what can possibly be the use of the continuous intercession of our Lord in heaven?"

"He refuses to work in areas where there are no prayers and where His people's will is not united with His will."
-Note: This is the same reason why God doesn't just save everybody... man has a free will and God wants to see it the same as His own.

"The highest motive of prayer is not in having it answered.  It is to join man's will with God's so that He may be able to work."

"..Fear not, Daniel; for from the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand, and to humble thyself before thy God, thy words were heard: and I am come for thy words' sake."  Daniel 10:12

"Please take note of this verse: 'He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul" (Ps 106:15)

"Oh yes, sometimes God will hear and respond to your prayers for the sake of satisfying  your own needs, yet His own will is not fulfilled.  Let us see that such prayer does not have much value in it."

"Of course, this kind of prayer will require time to learn.  In the beginning of such a learning process let us not seek for more words nor for more thoughts.  Our spirit should be calm and restful."

"As we bring our will and thought to God His own will and thought begin to be reproduced in us, and then this becomes our will and thought."

"Suppose the Lord is grieved and mournful over the death of men.  We too will develop such a burden of not willing to see even one soul perish.  And such is a reproduction of God's heart which enables us to pray with inward sighings."

"... when we pray with such prayer, our prayer will shake up hell and affect Satan."

"Oh do draw near to God's presence, calm down before Him, lay aside your own thoughts, and enter into His thought.  You will then realize the significance of prayer and see in how many matters God is waiting for you to pray."

"How many things the Lord indeed desires to do, yet He does not perform them because His people do not pray.  He will wait until men agree with Him, and then He will work.  This is a great principle in God's working, and it constitutes one of the most important principles to be found in the bible."

"Consequently, if we do not take up the responsibility of prayer, we will hinder the fulfillment of God's will.

"When God created man He gave him a free will.  There thus exists in the universe three different wills; namely, the will of God, the will of Satan the enemy, and the will of man."

"As we read through church history, we may notice that every great revival has always come from prayer."

"Frequently we miss spiritual blessing because we fail to express God's will in prayer."

"Some Christians may ask why the Lord does not save more sinners, why He does not cause every believer to overcome.  I sincerely believe that He would undoubtedly do such works if people would only pray."

"How should we lay tracks for God?  The answer: 'With all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit.' (Eph. 6:18)"

"Pray specific prayers as well as general ones."

"Let us realize that the precious blood of Christ is the answer to all the works of the enemy."

"Our prayer is directed towards God, for men, and against Satan.  If we take care of these three aspects, God will surely work for us."

"Oftentimes, without your setting a time for prayer beforehand, you sense a burden to pray.  This indicates that there is one item in God's will which requires your prayer.  Pray when you feel the burden of prayer-this is praying according to God's will."

"If you do not pray, you will feel suffocated within as if there is something left undone."

"As soon as we receive such feeling we should immediately give ourselves to prayer.  We should pay the cost of praying well for this matter.  For when we are moved by the Holy Spirit our own spirit instantly senses a burden as though something were being laid upon our heart."

"What a pity that so many people quench the Holy Spirit here.  They quench the sensation which the Holy Spirit gives to move them to pray.  Hereafter, few of such sensations will ever come upon them."

"Oh, if ever we fall to such an extent of having no prayer burden, we will have sunk indeed into a most perilous situation, for we have already lost communion with God and He is no more able to use us in His work."

"If the burden grows too heavy and it cannot be discharged by prayer, then we should fast."

"If anyone should continue on in performing the work of prayer, he will become a channel for the will of God.  Whenever the Lord has anything to do, He will seek that person out.  Let me say this, that the will of God is always in search of a way out.  The Lord is always apprehending someone or some people to be the expression of His will.  If many will rise up to do this work, He will do many things because of their prayers."

"And he left them again, and went away, and prayed a third time, saying again the same words." (Matt 26:44)
"Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me." (2 Cor. 12:8)

"The principle of praying thrice is to pray thoroughly, a praying through until we are clear on God's will, until we obtain His answer."

"What is important is that there needs to be prayer till the burden is discharged."

"Let us not allow our prayer to jump about like a grasshopper: hopping to another matter before the first one is thoroughly prayed through, and before this second matter is thoroughly prayed for, we are found skipping back to the very first matter.  Such hopping-around prayer does not discharge them."

"Let us recognize this one thing: burden is the secret of prayer.  If a person does not feel within him burden to pray for a particular matter he can hardly succeed in prayer."

"At the same time do not be totally absorbed in only considering what burden you yourself have; you should also sense the burdens of other brothers and sisters..."

[Concerning prayer meetings] "Praying with one accord is something we must learn."

"Our prayer has three aspects: (1) we ourselves, (2) the God to whom we pray, and (3) our enemy, Satan.  Every true prayer is related to all three aspects."

"We pray for the sake of fulfilling our requests.  Even so, in true prayer we should not simply ask concerning those things pertaining to our own welfare, we should also pray for the glory of God and for heaven's rule over the earth."

"Although in having prayer answered we who pray are benefited as the immediate beneficiaries, the reality in the spiritual realm shows likewise that the Lord gets glory and that His will is done.  Answer to prayer gives the Lord much glory, for it reveals the exceeding greatness of His love and power in fulfilling the request of His children."

"Prayer is not just for our own profit.  Still, such knowledge is incomplete-we must also notice that third aspect: that as we pray to the Lord, what we ask and what God promises will unquestionably hurt His enemy."

"God in truth has the ultimate victory; nonetheless, in this age of ours before the millennial kingdom, Satan continues to usurp power in this world to oppose God's work, will, and interest."

"The amount of gain we make is the amount of God's will done.  And the amount of God's will done is in turn the amount of loss Satan suffers."

(Speaking of spiritual believers) "In praying, they do not insist of having what they pray for, because they care for the will of God alone."

"The aim of a true prayer touches on not just personal gain (sometimes this aspect is not even thought of) but more importantly on the glory of God and the loss of the enemy.  They instead consider their prayer to be highly successful if it will cause Satan to lose and God to be glorified."

The parable of Luke 18
"We find three persons mentioned in the parable, namely: (1) the judge, (2) the widow, and (3) the adversary.  The judge (in a negative way) represent God, the widow is representative of the church today or individual faithful Christians, while the adversary stands for our enemy the devil."

"Now, therefore, if such a judge as this one in the parable is willing to avenge the widow because of her incessant pleading, how much more will God who is so virtuous, so kind, and so intimately related to us avenge His children who pray to Him unceasingly?"

"Yet we must recognize that the answer to our prayer to God not only comes because of our praying unceasingly-which in itself should be sufficient for us to obtain what we ask for-but also because of the goodness of God."

"The Lord Jesus and His apostles never instruct the believers to seek for power and position in this world; instead, they teach us to be humble and lowly by accepting the spite and harassment of this world and by refusing to claim anything according to right or law."

"For the very meaning of 'Satan' is 'adversary', which signifies an enemy: 'your adversary the devil' (1 Peter 5.8)"

"(Gen 3:15). Inasmuch as the devil hurt us human beings, God has placed enmity in our hearts as well as in Satan's heart."

"We who believe in the Lord Jesus stand on the Lord's side; accordingly, we cannot but reckon the Lord's enemy to be our enemy."

"But those who have not believed in the Lord Jesus are the devil's children (see John 8.44), and naturally the devil loves his own.  Yet we have believed in, and are united with, the Lord Jesus; therefore, we will incur the devil's hatred for the sake of his hate towards our Lord."

"So much have we suffered at his hands that we cannot stress too strongly how Christians today are wronged by the devil.  And if these wrongs are not avenged, we will suffer loss forever.  What a pity that many of God's children are still unaware of the oppression of Satan."

"Sometimes the evil one works in the environment, involving believers in hardships and dangers.  Frequently he will create misunderstanding among Christians so as to separate the dearest of friends and cause much heartbreak and tears."

"At still other times he oppresses their spirit and makes them feel depressed, restless and aimless."

"Unfortunately, many of God's children are unaware of the works of Satan when they suffer at his hands.  Whatever happens they attribute to the natural, the accidental, and the human - not discerning how in many natural occurrences there abides the satanically supernatural, how in many accidental episodes there hides the devilish plotting, and how in many human dealings there is involved the wicked maneuvers of the enemy."

"We should have the necessary spiritual insight to discern the work of God from the maneuver of Satan at the back of everything.  We should distinguish what is natural and what is supernatural.  We should be so inwardly exercised as to gain knowledge of the spiritual realm so that none of Satan's hidden work can escape our observation."

"Now after this widow has suffered much, she comes to the judge asking for justice.  This is something we ought to learn to do.  We do not come to earthly judges, imploring them to act for us.  No, we ask our judge who is none other than our Father God in heaven."

"Prayer is the best offensive weapon against our enemy.  Through it we may preserve our line of defense intact.  Through prayer we can also attack our enemy and inflict great loss on his plan, work, and power.  This widow realized that if she struggled with her adversary by herself she would not prevail because she, being a weak widow, could never withstand a powerful rogue such as he.  In the same way, if God's children strive independently without relying, by means of prayer on God's power and backing to accuse the enemy and to ask God for vindication, they too will be injured by fiery darts."

"'O God, curse Satan afresh so that he cannot do what he pleases.  You have crushed him in the garden of Eden.  I ask You to curse him anew, placing him again under the power of the cross so as to immobilize him.'  What the devil fears most is the curse of God.  As soon as God curses, Satan dare not hurt us."

"It is recorded in Mark 1 that when the Lord Jesus cast out demons He did not permit them to speak.  Hence when Satan uses people to utter many words of misunderstanding or violence, we may ask the Lord to shut his mouth and not permit him to speak through them."

"One prayer is really quite effective: 'O Lord, shut the lions' mouth; do not allow him to hurt Your own people'."

"We ask the Lord to rebuke the enemy.  We ought to know that the Lord hearkens to such prayer."

"When our Lord rebuked the wind and the sea, these elements listened to Him and instantly the wind ceased and the sea became calm."

"When the enemy oppresses us, we should ask God to rebuke Him."

"... .The Lord rebuked him, saying, 'Get thee behind me, Satan" (v. 23).  Whenever the devil makes use of our friends or relatives to hinder us - for the sake of human affection - from doing God's will, we may ask God to put Satan behind us."

"Deliver us from the evil one."

"Whenever we see the devil's power on a rampage we should stand on the ground of the cross, asking the Lord to put the devil to shame once more.  The devil has already suffered shame on the cross; so, based on his first humiliation, we can ask the Lord to put him to shame again."

"How much it is the desire of God that we show deeper hatred towards the devil.  Have we not suffered enough from him?!?"

"Why do we not continually approach God and accuse the enemy, thus releasing the long-suppressed exasperation?  The Lord Jesus is calling us today to oppose the devil with prayer."

"What is the effect of such prayer?  Its effect is seen at two different times.  First is the immediate effect.  Every time the enemy is accused he is once again restricted by God from hurting us."

"Every time we pray against the enemy, his work is again destroyed by the Lord and he himself is rebuked afresh by the Lord.  If we pray one more time Satan will suffer one more loss."

"Yet this effect goes beyond the immediate... Afterwards he will be cast by the Lord Jesus into the lake of fire.  Then is the ultimate vindication of the believers."

"If the widow did not always plead, who would have known when the judge would have ever avenged her of her adversary.  Her constant pleading speeded up the day of her vindication.  We today must do likewise.  'I say unto you,' says the Lord, 'that he will avenge them speedily."  It would appear as if the Lord is here implying that the speed of God's work is determined by the frequency of our prayer."

"We do not know exactly why this is so, and yet we do know how much God likes His people to work together with Him." 

"When the Lord Jesus finished speaking this parable, He concluded with a final word: 'Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?' They speculate that it is too big and too difficult a thing to cast Satan from heaven into the bottomless pit and then the lake of fire.  Since the promise that 'the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly' (Rom 16.20) has yet to be fulfilled after twenty centuries, how can I expect God to finish off Satan through my prayer?  What the Lord Jesus means by His word is that at the time of His imminent return people will lack faith in praying about this matter.  However, the last days is the time when we should so pray.  Can we be the few faithful ones who, in the days when such prayer is so rare, offer up prayers against the devil so as to cause him to lose position and power?"

Who is willing to pray against Satan for the sake of God and himself?

"In whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him" (Eph. 3.12)  True trust is based on one factor, which is Christ himself.  We have absolute privilege to draw near to God because Christ himself is that privilege which we have.  This is God's provision.

We do not come to God bringing our "unworthiness" to Him; rather, it is Christ who takes our hand and leads us to the Father.  He introduces into the presence of God all who are cleansed by the blood as those who have been raised from the dead, for we are clothed with "Him" as our robe of righteousness.  Hence our trust is Christ himself.

Rom. 8.26, 27

When we pray, therefore, let us depend on the Christ whom we believe and the Holy Spirit who is our help.

If Satan succeeds in an attack on prayer he knows he can rest in peace.  We must therefore be watchful and on guard against the enemy, especially when we are going to pray.
In dealing with Satanic attack we should pay particular attention to the following areas:
1  Satan will attack our trust in the Lord.  He knows if he can make us feel unworthy, unable, and that we are losing trust in the Lord, he will take away our heart to pray.
2  Sometimes he also attacks our body, even our thoughts, nerves, or other facets related to our body...
3  Sometimes the devil will attack our appointed time of prayer...
4  Sometimes Satan attacks our constant fellowship with the Lord by creating a heavy obstructive layer between us and our Lord so that we cannot make contact.  It appears as though a mysterious mist separates us from the Lord.
5  Finally, he purposes to push us into darkness so that we cannot see the necessity of prayer...

(Matt 18.19,20)  Both fact and experience tell us that the portion of Christ is greater in the gathering of believers in the name of the Lord than in each individual, for the Lord is in the midst of the church whereas He cannot be in the midst of an individual (there is no "in the midst of" to an individual because the Lord is in the individual.)

... the prayer of the church can never be a substitute to private prayer, although at the same time it should be noted that personal prayer is continually falling behind the prayer of the church and can never catch up with it.

Quite a few things require our attention in the work of prayer, among them being the following:
1  Fellowship with the Lord in all things.  We ought to bring all things in our life to the Lord, for there is nothing common or insignificant in the Christian life.  To fellowship with the Lord in all things should be our daily natural habit (see Phil 4.6).
2  Ask and keep on asking...
3  Meditate and intercede...
4  Pray always... To pray with persistency simply means that, having clearly recognized God's need, you keep on praying...

Why does the Lord not answer immediately?  Why should the days of His silence be prolonged?  Here are at least two reasons: (a) that God needs a full reaction from His people concerning the thing which He is concerned and in which He is deeply interested; and (b) that sometimes such constant prayer is necessary due to a certain kind of need or environment.

What is the central objective of prayer?  God desires to have a glorious church.  The central purpose of prayer is to prepare for Christ a glorious church that is conformed to Him.  This is the revelation of the entire Bible.  It is the central thought of God.

He wants us-His many sons-to come to Him in His beloved Son our Lord Jesus Christ.  He desires many priests to accompany the one great High Priest.

Satan has in fact a plan against the saints of the Most High, which is to wear them out.  Hence let us clearly recognize that the work of Satan in the lives of God's children is frequently not very noticeable, since his work is slowly to wear them down.

For this reason, the Bible indicates that "the love of many shall wax cold." (Matt 24.12), which means a gradually growing cold.

Quite a few Christians experience sickness and the weakening of their body after they are saved, whereas formerly they were rather healthy.  Should the Lord open our eyes we will perceive that there is one who is scheming against the children of God all the time, and that one is Satan.

Not only does he work on the body, Satan also works in the human heart.  Upon first believing in the Lord you may feel very happy, joyful and peaceful.  But if you are not watchful, being ignorant to what the enemy can do-you will find yourself one day mysteriously uncomfortable.  You feel somewhat restless today, somewhat unhappy tomorrow, and somewhat depressed the day after.  Little by little, your peace is completely lost, your joy totally gone.  This is the way the devil wears you down to a state of fatigue and despair. 

Now were Satan to strike the children of God with great force at once time, they would know how to resist the enemy since they would immediately recognize his work.

We must resist Satan from wearing out our time and must withstand him from causing us to do works that will have no results.

He does not attack violently; he wears out slowly. 

(see Acts 16.16-18).  In the spiritual realm we need to have such detestation as Paul exhibited here.  We are not to detest men but must detest the evil spirits.

Many know how to lose their temper on men but strangely enough do not know how to hurl their temper on Satan.

Children of God should be angry at Satan and should detest him.

Whether or not you can resist him depend son how much you detest him. 
Note: (Do you enjoy the sinful desires Satan brings?)

The moment you see this, Satan knows his tactic is discovered and his hope is lost.

And as God gives us such a resistance, it instantly becomes effective."

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"The Soul of Prayer" - P. T. Forsyth
Excerpts/Quotes

"All true prayer promotes its own progress and increases our power to pray."

"The worst sin is prayerlessness.  Overt sin, or crime, or the glaring inconsistencies which often surprise us in Christian people are the effect of this, or its punishment.  We are left by God for lack of seeing Him.  The history of the saints shows often that their lapses were the fruit and nemesis of slackness or neglect in prayer."

"We do not take our spiritual food, and so we falter, dwindle, and die.  'In the sweat of your brow ye shall eat your bread.'  That has been said to be both true of physical and spiritual labour."

"We must work for this living.  To feed the soul we must toil at prayer.  And what a labour it is!  'He prayed in an agony.'  We must pray even to tears if need be.  Our cooperation with God is our receptivity; but it is an active, a laborious receptivity, an importunity that drains our strength away if it does not tap the sources of the Strength Eternal."

"Prayer is not mere wishing.  It is asking-with a will.  Our will goes into it.  It is energy."

"If God has a controversy with Israel, Israel must wrestle with God.  Moreover, He is the Giver not only of the answer, but first of the prayer itself.  His gift provokes ours.  He beseeches us, which makes us beseech Him.  And what we ask for chiefly is the power to ask more and to ask better.  We pray for more prayer.  The true 'gift of prayer' is God's grace before it is our facility."

"Thus prayer is, for us, paradoxically, both a gift and a conquest, a grace and a duty."

"When we look up from under it it is a load, but those who look down to it from God's side see it as a blessing.  It is like great wings-they increase the weight but also the flight."

"Prayer may spring from self-love, and be so far natural; for nature is all of the craving and taking kind.  But praise is supernatural.  It is of pure grace.  And it is a sign that the prayer was more than natural at heart.  Spare some leisure, therefore, from petition for thanksgiving."

"In prayer we do not think out God; we draw Him out."

"But at last it is truer to say that we live the Christian life in order to pray than that we pray in order to live the Christian life.  It is at least as true. Our prayer prepares for our work and sacrifice, but all our work and sacrifice still more prepare for prayer."

"But to reach this height, to make of prayer our great end, and to order life always in view of such a solemnity, in this sense to pray without ceasing and without pedantry--it is a slow matter. We cannot move fast to such a fine product of piety and feeling."

"Our importunity is a part of God's answer, both of His answer to us and ours to Him. He is sublimating our idea of prayer, and realizing the final purpose in all trouble of driving us farther in on Himself."

"So with the calamities, depressions, and disappointments that crush us into close contact with God. The pressure on us is kept up till the soul's union with God is set."

"In God's eyes the great object of prayer is the opening or restoring of free communion with Himself in a kingdom of Christ, a life communion which may even, amid our duty and service, become as unconscious as the beating of our heart."

"Prayer is the highest use to which speech can be put."

"There is a certain egoist self-confidence which is increased by the more elementary forms of religion, which upholds us in much of our contact with men, and which even secures us an influence with them. But the influence is one of impression rather than permeation, it overbears rather than converts, and it inflames rather than inspires. This is a force which true and close prayer is very apt to undermine, because it saps our self-deception and its Pharisaism."

"There is no such engine for the growth and command of the moral soul, single or social, as prayer..  Here, above all, he who will do shall know."

"Private prayer, when it is made a serious business, when it is formed prayer, when we pray audibly in our chamber, or when we write our prayers, guided always by the day's record, the passion of piety, and above all the truths of Scripture, is worth more for our true and grave and individual spirituality than gatherings of greater unction may be.  Bible searching and searching prayer go hand in hand.  What we receive from God in the Book's message we return to Him with interest in prayer.  Nothing puts us in living contact with God but prayer."

"What genius does in the natural world prayer does in the spiritual.  Nothing can give us so much power and vision."

"... we are sustained because we are created anew and not simply refreshed."

"And here also the eye discerns a new world because it has second sight."

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"Now or Never" - Richard Baxter
Excerpts/Quotes

"Religion is that which men hold and do to serve and please God."

"Whosoever holds all that is necessary to salvation, and is serious and diligent in living according thereunto, shall be saved, whatever error he holds with it."

"If a Papist or any other sectarian seriously love God, and his brother, and set his heart upon the life to come, give up himself to the merits and grace of Jesus Christ, and the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, to be fitted for that glory, lives by faith above the world, mortifies the desires of the flesh, and lives wilfully in no known sin, but presses after further degrees of holiness, I doubt not of the salvation of that person"

"It is past all question, and agreed on by all sides, that no religion will save a man who is not serious, sincere, and diligent in it.  If thou be of the truest religion in the world, and are not true thyself to that religion, the religion is good, but it is none of thine."

"The best meat on thy table, or that goes no further than thy mouth, will never feed thee, or preserve thy life."

"So many as there are in the world that profess themselves Christians, and yet are not serious and diligent in their religion, but are ungodly neglecters or enemies of a holy life, so many hypocrites are in the world."

"For our parts, we believe that he is most or least sincere, that is most or least serious in the practice of his own professed religion."

"I have long been past doubt, as much as I am that I am a man, that it is not in transitory, sensual delights, and that these are such lean, dry commodities, and pitiful pleasures, leaving men so speedily in a forlorn state, that I am contented that my greatest enemy have my part of them."

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
(Ecclesiastes 9:10, KJV)

"...he infers, from the brevity of man's life, the necessity of speed and diligence in his duty."

"The motive is in the latter part; 'for there is no work nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither thou goest,' that is, it must be now or never: the grave, where thy work cannot be done, will quickly end thy opportunities."

"The work of this life cannot be done when this life is ended.  Or, there is no working in the grave, to which we are all making haste."

"Therefore while we have time, we must do our best: or do the work of this present life with vigour and diligence."

"As there are two worlds for man to live in, and two lives for man to live, so each of these lives hath its peculiar employment.  This is the life of preparation: the next is the life of our reward or punishment."

"That which once was, will be no more.  Yesterday will never come again.  To-day is passing, and will not return.  You may work while it is day; but when you have lost that day, it will not return for you to work in.  While your candle burns,  you may make use of its light, but when it is done, it is too late to use it."

"Kingdoms would then seem a contemptible price for the recovery of time.  The time that is now idled and talked away; the time that is now feasted and complimented away, that is unnecessarliy sported and slept away; that is wickedly and presumptuously sinned away; how precious will it one day seem to all!  How happy a bargain would they think that they had made, if at the dearest rates they could redeem it!"

"O that we had those days to spend in penitential tears, prayers and holy preparations for an endless life, which we spent at cards, in needless recreations, in idle talk, in humouring others, on the pleasing of our flesh, or in the inordinate cares and businesses of the world!  O that our youthful vigour might return; that our years might be renewed; that the days we spent in vanity might be recalled!"

"While it is called to-day, hearken, and harden not your hearts.  Awake thou that sleepest, stand up from thy slothful, wilful death, and use the light that is afforded thee by Christ, or else the everlasting utter darkness will shortly end thy time and hope."

"...you may hear, read, learn, and pray; but when this life is ended, it shall be so no more."

Over-sights must be presently corrected by repentance, or else they are for ever past remedy.  Now if you be not truly converted, you may be; if you find that you are carnal and miserable, you may be healed; if you are unpardoned, you may be pardoned; if you are enemies, you may be reconciled to God; but when once the thread of life is cut, your opportunities are at an end."

"O then if desperate souls might but return, and once more be tried with the means of life, what joyful tidings would it be!  How welcome would the messenger be that brings it!  Had hell but such an offer as this, and would any cries procure it from their righteous judge, O what a change would be among them!  How importunately would they cry to God, 'O send us once again unto the earth!  ... O try us once more with such a life, and see whether we will not contemn the world, close with Christ, live as strictly, and pray as earnestly as those that we hated and abused for so doing!"

"It makes my heart even shake within me to think that what cries those damned souls would strive with God, and how they would roar out, 'O try us once again,' if they had but the least encouragement of hope!  But it will not be, it must not be.  They had their day, and would not know it: they cannot lose their time and have it."

"But alas!  Such mouths must be stopped for ever with a 'Remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things.'"

"But there is no return to earth again: the places of your abode, employment and delight shall know you no more.  You must see these faces of your friends, and converse in the flesh with men no more!  This world, these houses, that wealth and honour, as to any fruition, must be to you as if you had never known them."

"If ever you will repent and believe, it must be now."

"Do you work as men that must work no more, and pray as men that must pray no more, when once the time of work is ended?"

"Will He renew thy age and make thee young again, and call back the hours that thou prodigally wasted on thy lusts and idleness?"

"If not, why has thou not yet done with thy beloved sins; why has thou not yet begun to live?"  Why sittest thou still while thy soul is unrenewed, and all thy preparation for death and judgment is yet to make?"

"And O ye sons of light, that see what sleeping sinners see not, call to them, and ring them such a peal of lamentations, tears and compassionate intreaties, as is suited to such a dead and doleful state; who knows but God may bless it to awake them?"

"Do it with thy most awakened affections, and serious intention of the powers of thy soul.  Sleepiness and insensibility are most unsuitable to such works."

"Do it not slothfully, but vigorously, and with diligence.  Stick not at thy labour: lest thou hear 'thou wicked and slothful servant. Hide not thy hand in thy bosom with the slothful, and say not there is a lion in the way.'"

"Do it with constancy, and not with destructive pauses and intermissions, or with weariness and turning back."

"The energy and diligence here required, excludes not the necessity of deliberation and prudent conduct.  Otherwise, the faster you go, the further you may go out of the way; and misguided zeal may spoil all the work, and make it but an injury to others or yourselves."

"Some works must be preferred before others: all cannot be done at once.  That is a sin out of season, which in season is a duty.  The greatest, and the most urgent work, must be preferred.  And some works must be done with double fervour and resolution, and some with less."

"God's kingdom and its righteousness must first be sought, and our labour for the meat that perishes must be comparatively as none."

"Success is God's ordinary temporal reward of diligence; and diseases, poverty, shame, disappointment, or self-tormenting melancholy, are his usual punishments of sloth.  Hard labour redeems the time: you will have the more to lay out on greater works: the slothful is still behind, and therefore must leave much of his work undone."

"Talk not either drowsily, or lightly, of such dreadful, or joyful, inexpressible things."

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