(Heb.11:4)

Richard Baxter

Died

8th December 1691

The Lord is not drowning His sheep when He washes them nor killing them when He is shearing them.

If they can see that you love them, you can say anything to them.

You may know God, but not comprehend Him.

Lord, whatever you want, wherever you want it, and whenever you want it, that's what I want.

Take ten looks at Christ for each one you take at self.

And the longer you delay (to repent) the more your sin gets strength and rooting. If you cannot bend a twig, how will you be able to bend it when it is a tree?

Think what the soul of man is made for, and should be used to, even to love, obey, and glorify our Maker; and then you will see what sin is, which disables and perverts it.

I have pain; but I have peace.

Use sin as it will use you; spare it not, for it will not spare you; it is your murderer, and the murderer of the world: use it, therefore, as a murderer should be used. Kill it before it kills you. You love not death; love not the cause of death.

In necessary things, unity; in doubtful things, liberty;

in all things, charity.

People must either be changed or be damned.

Naturally, men are prone to spin themselves a web of opinions out of their own brain, and to have a religion that may be called their own. They are far readier to make themselves a faith, than to receive that which God hath formed to their hands; are far readier to receive a doctrine that tends to their carnal commodity, or honor, or delight, than one that tends to self-denial.

The work may be God’s, and yet, because of pride, we may do it, not for God but for ourselves.

He that lives in the kingdom of sense, shall die in the kingdom of sorrow.

The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical the ear, the more pleasant the melody. The more perfect the soul, the more joyous the joys of heaven and the more glorious that glory.

This life was not intended to be the place of our perfection, but the preparation for it.

It is a contradiction to be a true Christian and not humble.

God takes men's hearty desires and will, instead of the deed, where they have not power to fulfill it; but he never took the bare deed instead of the will.

A hard heart now makes heaven and hell seem but trifles. We have showed them everlasting glory and misery, and they are as men asleep; our words are as stones cast against a wall, which fly back in our faces. We talk of terrible things, but it is to dead men; we search the wounds, but they never feel it; we speak to rocks rather than to men; the earth will as soon tremble as they.

Is it a small thing in your eyes to be loved by God - to be the son, the spouse, the love, the delight of the King of glory? Christian, believe this, and think about it: you will be eternally embraced in the arms of the love which was from everlasting, and will extend to everlasting - of the love which brought the Son of God's love from heaven to earth, from earth to the cross, from the cross to the grave, from the grave to glory.

Study , Pray , Confer , Practice.

Christ leads me through no darker rooms than He went through before.

Know and consider the wonderful love and mercy of God, and think what he has done for you; and you will hate sin, and be ashamed of it.

Labour to know God, and to be affected with his attributes, and always to live as in his sight.

Despair of ever being saved, "except thou be born again," or of seeing God "without holiness," or of having part in Christ except thou "love Him above father, mother, or thy own life." This kind of despair is one of the first steps to heaven.

It is not the reading of many books which is necessary to make a man wise or good, but the well-reading of a few, could he be sure to have the best.

Spend your time in nothing which you know must be repented of; in nothing on which you might not pray for the blessing of God; in nothing which you could not review with a quiet conscience on your dying bed; in nothing which you might not safely and properly be found doing if death should surprise you in the act.

They are now in a dead sleep, and dream that they are the happiest men in the world; but when death awakes them, how will their judgments be changed in a moment! and they that would not see, shall then see, and be ashamed.

Heaven excludes sin.

O that God would persuade thee, reader, to take up these thoughts NOW, for preventing the inconceivable calamity of taking them up in hell as thy own tormentor!

‘Friend, remember that it is better to read 1 quote 10 times (meditatively) than to read 10 quotes 1 time (superficially).’

Gathered by Totaf.