As A Little Child

“The grand distinction between the knowledge of Christ and every other science, consists in this, – that no strength of natural abilities , no acuteness of perception, no reach of genius, is sufficient to dissipate the cloud which sin has interposed between God and every child of Adam.  And what renders the case still more awful, fallen man is unconscious of the darkness of his understanding… It is this presumptuous confidence in their own wisdom, this pride of intellect, this ignorance of their own blindness,which enables Satan to lead men captive at his will, and to prevent the light of the glorious Gospel from shining in their hearts…. The doctrine of Christ was intended to stain the pride of man and to bring down his high imaginations.  He fell by pride, by coveting a greater measure of knowledge than God had seen fit to bestow; and he is restored by ceasing from his own wisdom, and receiving the kingdom of God as a little child.”

-  J.A. Haldane, From his “Doctrine of the Atonement”, P.18-19

The Law as a Rule of Life

“By the doctrine of faith, the law is also established as a rule of life to believers…In the doctrine of faith, the eternal obligation of the law on them is declared; obedience to it is enforced by the strongest motives, and represented as performed under the best influences, from the best principles, and for the best ends.  According to that doctrine, all believers are bound by infinite authority to obey; they are enabled sincerely to obey; they are constrained by redeeming love to obey; they resolve and delight in dependence on promised grace, to obey; and they cannot but obey the law as a rule of duty…While they do not obey it for life, but from life, they account obedience to it not only their duty, but their privilege and their pleasure.”

-John Colquhoun, From his Treatise on the Law and the Gospel, P.80-181

Where Do You Ground Your Comfort?

“Our manner of performing our duties is legal when we ground our comfort on anything wrought in us or done by us, and when our hope of salvation rises by the liveliness of our frame in performing duties, and not by the righteousness of Christ in the offers, or by the grace and faithfulness of God in the promises of the gospel.”

-John Colquhoun, From his “Treatise on the Law and Gospel”, P.158-159 

God’s Amazing Love

“The Father condemns the Son of His love, that He may absolve the children of wrath”

-Robert  Haldane, From his commentary on Romans,P.324

God’s Special Trial

“The crook in your lot is the special trial God has chosen for you to take your measure by (1Peter 1:6-7). It is God’s fire, whereby He tries what metal men are made of;  it is heaven’s touchstone for discovering true and counterfeit Christians.”

- Thomas Boston, The Crook in the Lot, P.55

Lot Comparison

“Everyone’s lot in this world has some crook in it.  Complainers are apt to make odious comparisons:  they look about, and, taking a distant view of the condition of others, can discern nothing in it but what is straight, and just to one’s wish; and so they pronounce their neighbor’s lot wholly straight.  But that is a false verdict; there is no perfection here, no lot out of heaven without a crook…Everyone feels for himself, where he is pinched, though others perceive it not.  Nobody’s lot in this world is wholly crooked; there are always some straight and even parts in it.”

-Thomas Boston, The Crook in the Lot, P.4-5

Our Need for the Rod

“Look to the temper of your own hearts and nature, how apt you are to be lifted up, to forget God, to be carried away with the vanities of the world; See what foolishness is bound up in your heart!  Thus you will see the need of humbling circumstances for ballast, and of the rod for the fool’s back;  and if at any time you cannot see that need, believe it on the ground of God’s infinite wisdom, who does nothing in vain.”

- Thomas Boston, From his ”The Crook in the Lot”,P.107-108 

Growth in Holiness

“The more the believer advances in knowledge and holiness, the more does he loathe himself, as by nature a child of that corruption which  still so closely cleaves to him.  So far is the feeling of the power of indwelling sin from being inconsistent with regeneration, that it must be experienced in proportion to the progress of sanctification.  The more sensitive we are, the more do we feel pain; and the more our hearts are purified, the more painful to us will sin be.  Men perceive themselves to be sinners in proportion as they have previously discovered the holiness of God and of His law.”

- Robert Haldane, from his Roman’s commentary, P. 302

Forgetting God

“Behold, while men fill themselves with the mercies of God, they can neglect the God of their mercies; when God is most liberal in remembering us, we are most ungrateful to forget Him”.

-Thomas Case, From his “The Rod and the Word, p.8

Not Only Distinguished, But Separated

“In the affair of justification, the law as a covenant of works is not only to be distinguished, but to be separated from the gospel.  When a true believer is at any time in doubt of his justification and title to eternal life, he ought to set the law as a covenant, and the works of the law, entirely aside, and to rely anew, for all his title to life eternal, on the spotless righteousness of the second Adam offered to him in the gospel”.

-John Colquhoun, From his Treatise on the law and the Gospel, P.156-157.

Loving God

“God is infinitely lovely in Himself, and if things are to be valued according to the greatness and exellence of them, then God is to be supremely valued, for every perfection centers and is found fully in Him.  To love Him above everything else is an act of homage due to Him for who and what He is.”

-A.W.Pink, from his “Our Accountability to God”, P.118

Our View of the Law of God

“We can never look upon the law with a friendly eye till we see it disarmed of the sting of death; and never can  bear fruit unto God, nor delight in the law as a rule, till we are freed from it as a covenant, and are thus dead unto sin”.

-Robert Haldane, From his Roman’s commentary,P.281

Do or Believe

“In a word, the Law says “Do this and you shall live”, while the Gospel says “Believe this and you shall be saved”

-John Colquhoun, From his Treatise on the Law and Gospel, P.149

The Use of the Law in the Life of a Believer

“To show them how far they are from perfection. In order to render them more humble and contrite, to cause them to renounce, in a higher degree, all confidence in their own wisdom, righteousness and strength, and to trust constantly and only in the Lord Jesus for all their salvation, the law discovers to them the sin that dwells in them, and that cleaves to all their thoughts, words and actions.  It is of great use to teach them the need that they have to be more humble, penitent, and holy.  And so it serves, in a high degree, to promote their sanctification, and their desire to attain perfection of holiness.”

-John Colquhoun, From his “A Treatise on the Law and the Gospel”, P.131

God’s Hatred of Sin

“The death of Christ, apprehended by faith, presents the strongest motive to holiness – by setting forth in the most vivid and striking manner…the evil nature of sin; the holiness and justice of God; His determination to punish transgression; the fearfulness of falling into the hands of the living God.  Not all the judgments God ever inflicted – nor all the threatenings He ever denounced, give such an impressive warning against sin, and admonition to righteousness – as the death of Christ.  The torments of the bottomless pit are not so dreadful a demonstration of God’s hatred of sin, as the agonies of the cross!

-J.A.James, “The Practical Believer Delineated”

The Sovereignty of God

“The sovereignty of God.  What do we mean by this expression?  We mean the supremacy of God, the kingship of God, the godhood of God.  To say that God is sovereign is to declare that God is God.  To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the Most High, doing according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, so that none can stay His hand or say unto Him what doest Thou (Dan. 4:35).  To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the Almighty, the Possessor of all power in heaven and earth, so that none can defeat His counsels, thwart His purpose, or resist His will (Ps. 115:3).”

-A.W.Pink, From his “The Sovereignty of God”, P.19

“Lord, Increase My Faith”

“There is no prayer that a Christian needs more frequently to present than, “Lord, increase my faith”; “Deliver me from an evil heart of unbelief”. All apostasy from God, whether partial or total, originates in unbelief”.

-John Brown, From his commentary on Hebrews, P.179

The Power of the Gospel

“It is in proportion, then, as saints are enabled to believe with application to themselves the offers and promises of the gospel, and to trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, that they advance in holiness and comfort.

-John Colquhoun, From his ”A Treatise on the Law and the Gospel”,P.122