Quote 4253
863
Other Quotes from the Author & Topic
the point on which Scriptures specially insist is that which tends most to our comfort, and to the confirmation of our faith, namely, that angels are the ministers and dispensers of the divine bounty toward us... we are told how they watch for our safety, how they undertake our defense, direct our path, and take heed that no evil befall us.Institutes, Book 1 Chapter 14
Many of the saints of God have reaped no small benefit by recording the dealings of God with their own souls and looking over them in times of distress. Dr. Calamy speaks of a very good woman that had for many years written down her evidences for heaven. Before she died, she was for a time suffered to sink into darkness and despondency. By reading over her own diary and observing the past lovingkindness of the Lord and the sweet communion she had often enjoyed with Christ her God and Savior, her gloomy fears vanished, and her soul began to triumph in her great deliverer. Christian Warrior
Avoid idleness, for that is the proper soil for these filthy weeds to grow in. Vile thoughts seldom occur when the soul is usefully employed. A man that is diligent in his calling has employment for his thoughts, but if a man be idle, the devil soon employs him. As a standing pool grows filthy of itself and full of toads and vermin, so the heart that is not engaged in something good and useful is a fit place for the devil to breed evil thoughts and filthy passions in. The inhabitants of Sodom were not worse by nature than other men, but they grew rich in a fertile land, lived at ease in luxury, and then gave themselves up to all abominations.
The first step to humility is to see one's pride; the first step to self-denial is to be convinced of one's desire after self-exalting, self-admiring, self-advancing—O what a proud heart have I! What a self advancing heart have I! There is no believer till he is fully renewed but what has something of self. We had need therefore to be jealous of ourselves; and if at any time self break out, if at any time the soul begins to be advanced in regard of duty or spiritual things, let us fall down before God and humble ourselves for the pride of our hearts.
Now the word of the gospel and the work of the Spirit always go together—not that God is tied to any means, but that He ties Himself to the means. Hence the gospel is called the power of God to salvation because the power of God ordinarily, and in common course, appears therein. The waters of life and salvation run only in the channel of the gospel.
It is not so much your loose companions that are your tempters to evil as the devil in and by them. When Peter tried to persuade his Master to avoid sufferings, Christ rebuked the evil spirit that spoke in Peter and said, "Get thee behind me, Satan." Peter was set to work by Satan; therefore Christ calls him by the name of Satan. Those wicked men are instruments in the hand of Satan who propose carnal comforts as a cure for spiritual wounds.
The angels are called ministering spirits; they are willing to minister for the good of the saints. Hence some observe, it is said, Lazarus was carried by the angels, in the plural, not by one angel— as if the angels had been ambitious to carry Lazarus and every one strived that should have a part. Discourses, 1:36
Where the Scripture hath no tongue we need not have ears, but must content ourselves with a learned ignorance, lest we fall into the sin of those angel worshipers (Col. 2:18).
For I have been in my preaching, especially when I have been engaged in the doctrine of life by Christ without works, as if an angel of God had stood at my back to encourage me. Oh! It hath been with such power and heavenly evidence on my own soul while I have been laboring to unfold it, to demonstrate it, and to fasten on the consciences of others that I could not be contented with saying, "I believe and am sure"; I thought I was more than sure (if it is lawful to express myself) that those things which then I asserted were true.
Angels are exact and careful observers and eyewitnesses of our behavior and deportment in the public ordinances. To this end were the curtains of the tabernacle pictured: full of cherubim to signify that about our solemn meetings, whole troops of angels take notice of our behavior. Surely, if this were considered, we should be very serious in God's worship. Yea, how spiritual and heavenly should we be if our hearts were but fixed on these glorious angels?Communion with Angels, 100
All our abilities are under God's providence, who puts an efficacy into man's abilities, even as He pleaseth.Practice of Sanctification (Works)
Nevertheless we must take heed here lest, contrary to the nature of true religion, we attribute too much to angels. We must take heed that we not worship them; that we not call upon them, nor serve them. Indeed, when men hear that angels are given to them by God as ministers, and that God does good to us by them, they later think that some honour is to be ascribed and given to them. But sincere religion teaches us to acknowledge God as the author of all good things; that the angels are the ministers of God, and instruments as it were, by whom God works — just as we see the sun, the moon, and the stars, the patriarchs, the prophets, and the apostles, to be and to have been.The Decades, https://www.monergism.com/decades-ebook
we must further see what manner of creatures angels are: they are heavenly spirits, and incorruptible and most swift substances. The Decades, https://www.monergism.com/decades-ebook
In Scripture, then, we uniformly read that angels are heavenly spirits, whose obedience and ministry God employs to execute all the purposes which he has decreed, and hence their name as being a kind of intermediate messengers to manifest his will to men.Institutes, Book 1 Chapter 14
Special OfferTop Authors
1. Thomas Watson (175)
2. Charles Spurgeon (135)
3. J.C. Ryle (117)
4. John Calvin (107)
5. J.I. Packer (93)
6. Thomas Brooks (89)
7. John Piper (87)
8. George Swinnock (82)
9. John Flavel (81)
10. John Owen (71)
11. A.W. Pink (68)
12. Louis Berkhof (63)
13. William Gurnall (62)
14. Thomas Manton (60)
15. C.S. Lewis (59)
16. B.B. Warfield (59)
17. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (58)
18. R.C. Sproul (55)
19. Heinrich Bullinger (53)
20. Matthew Henry (51)
2. Charles Spurgeon (135)
3. J.C. Ryle (117)
4. John Calvin (107)
5. J.I. Packer (93)
6. Thomas Brooks (89)
7. John Piper (87)
8. George Swinnock (82)
9. John Flavel (81)
10. John Owen (71)
11. A.W. Pink (68)
12. Louis Berkhof (63)
13. William Gurnall (62)
14. Thomas Manton (60)
15. C.S. Lewis (59)
16. B.B. Warfield (59)
17. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (58)
18. R.C. Sproul (55)
19. Heinrich Bullinger (53)
20. Matthew Henry (51)
Top Topics
1. Sin (216)2. Scripture (153)
3. Prayer (143)
4. Faith (134)
5. Preaching (119)
6. Gospel (112)
7. The Law (111)
8. Suffering (99)
9. Sabbath (91)
10. Salvation (91)
11. Church (85)
12. Christ (82)
13. Grace (73)
14. Justification (63)
15. Law (61)
16. Truth (53)
17. Death (51)
18. Love (51)
19. Holiness (47)
20. Children (45)
21. Heaven (45)
22. Sanctification (44)
23. Creation (43)
24. Theology (43)
25. Ten Commandments (42)
26. Holy Spirit (41)