Charles Spurgeon

"True hearts, however, mourn not only for their past transgressions, but they also sorrow over their present imperfections. If you are what you should be, dear friend, I am quite certain you see a great deal in yourself to grieve over. You cannot live as you would live."

"The fowl is perfect perfect up to the condition of its barn-door, barley-scratching life, it knows nothing higher than its roosting place, and so it concludes itself absolutely perfect and fit for all that is desirable in flight. But oh, could it know where the thunders dwell, and sail above the clouds where the callow lightnings wait the bidding of the Lord, then would the creature feel something of the aspirations and the griefs which torment the heart of the royal bird."

"Love cannot endure absence, much less, coldness. True grace finds its life in fellowship, and pines if it be denied it."

"He wishes not so much for more talent as for more grace to make use of the talent which he has."

"You shall have your due share at the table of grace, and if you are a little one, and have double sorrows, you shall have a double portion of comfort."

"It shall not be the spirit of praise for the spirit of heaviness, though that were a fair exchange, but as your heaviness you tried to keep to yourself, so your praise you shall not keep to yourself, it shall be a garment to you, external and visible, as well as inward and profound. Wherever you are it shall be displayed to others, and they shall see and take knowledge of you that God has done great things for you whereof you are glad."

""Whence do they gain this calm, this peace, this tranquility, this holy delight and joy?" Many have been attracted to the cross of Christ by the holy pleasantness and cheerful conversation of those whom Christ has visited with the abundance of his love.

"But, when a man is contented more than that, when he is happy under all circumstances, when "his spirit doth rejoice in God his Savior" in deep distress, when he can sing in the fires of affliction, when he can rejoice on the bed of sickness, when his shout of triumph grows louder as his conflict waxes more and more severe, and when he can utter the sweetest song of victory in his departing moments, then all who see such people call them trees of righteousness, they confess that they are the people of God."

"Think what Jesus has given you, your sins are pardoned for his name sake, your heaven is made secure to you, and all that is wanted to bring you there; you have grace in your hearts, and glory awaits you; you have already grace within you, and greater grace shall be granted you; you are renewed by the Spirit of Christ in your inner man the good work is begun, and God will never leave it till he has finished it; your names are in his book, nay, graven on the palms of his hands; his love never changes, his power never diminishes, his grace never fails, his truth is firm as the hills, and his faithfulness is like the great mountains."

"Beware, I pray you, of any religion that merely springs from the carnal desire of enjoyment of Heaven. Both the terrors of hell and the joys of Heaven are insufficient to make the soul seek the Savior truly. There must be a sense of sin and a desire after holiness, because, after all, the essence of hell is sin, and the essence of Heaven is holiness, and you are not likely to go to God merely because of the external hell or Heaven. You will only be led to trust in Jesus Christ through the essence of the two external things, namely, sin pressing upon you, and your soul crying out after purity, and holiness, and likeness to God....

Apollyon never fights with them, and they wonder how it is that he does not assail them."

"I believe that the wicked world has a genuine respect for a true Christian. It hates him, and that is the only homage it is able to pay him."

"It may be well to give a few directions to these “helps” as to how they may assist seeking sinners out of the Slough of Despond."

"I have occasionally found that the mere act of stating a difficulty has been the means of at once removing it."

"“O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” is our Lord’s way of setting reason in battle array against unbelief. Let the mourner state his case, by all means; and do you patiently listen to it. Get that young man alone, dear brother; ask him to sit down quietly with you, and then inquire of him, “What is the point that puzzles you? What cannot you understand? What is it that makes you so dejected and dispirited?”"

"As God puts His everlasting arms underneath us, when we are weak, so you must put the outstretched arms of your sympathy underneath your younger and weaker brethren, that you may lift them up. If you see a brother in the mire, put your arms right down into the mud that, by the grace of God, you may lift him bodily out of it."

"The true “help” to souls in trouble is one who, though his head may not be filled with classic lore, has a large and warm heart; he is, in fact, all heart. It was said of the beloved apostle John, that he was a pillar of fire from head to foot. This is the kind of man that a soul wants when it is shivering in the cold winter of despondency and distress."

Then the poor soul fears whether pardon can be possible for such an offender; and, probably, he thinks of some gross sin that he has committed, — the blasphemer recollects his profanity, the unchaste man remembers his lasciviousness, and Satan whispers in his ear, “If thou hadst not committed that particular sin, there might have been hope for thee, but that transgression has carried thee over the verge of hope. Thou art now like the man in the iron cage; despair has laid hold of thee, and for thee there is now no deliverance.” Poor heart! There are many passages of Scripture that ought to be sufficient to break or blunt all these fiery darts of the wicked one. These, for instance: “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin;” “All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men;” “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” God grant that they may be effective in your case! Sometimes, another Satanic temptation strikes the sinner, like a bolt shot from an ancient cross-bow. It is this, “It is too late for you to be saved. You had many Gospel invitations when you were young; you were ‘almost persuaded’ while you were but a youth; but you halted so long between two opinions that, at last, the Lord lifted His hand, and swear in His wrath that you should not enter into His rest. You are, therefore, now past all hope.” There are many who have been for years burdened with this terrible fear; and there are some, who seem to be like the prisoners in the condemned cell at Newgate, who could hear the big bell of St. Sepulcher’s tolling their death-knell. Yet there is not a word of truth in these insinuations of Satan; for, as long as a man is in this world, if he doth but repent of sin, and believe in Jesus Christ, he shall be forgiven."

"that if their repentance has in it no grief for having offended, it is not repentance after a godly sort, and will need to be repented of."

"No music that goes up to the throne of God is sweeter in Jehovah’s ear than the song of suffering saints."

"”If I take up a difficult work that I like, and succeed in it, everybody will say, “He has done it thoroughly well,” and so I get praise here, though I may not hear the “Well done!” when I get to my Master at the last. But if I undertake anything from which the flesh shrinks, with a single eye to God’s glory, I shall have the sweet satisfaction that my Lord approves of my action whatever comes of it."

"“We do not mind being christened, confirmed, taking the sacrament, and going to church or chapel; but this repenting of sin, this believing, this clinging to Christ, this seeking after holiness, — Ah! ‘it is too far about.’“ They would rather tumble over the wall. They cry, “Peace, peace; when there is no peace.”"