quotes from A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life | QUOTES of the week
Book: A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life
Author: William Law (1686-1761)
Year published: 1728
People influenced by the book: John Wesley, Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, Henry Venn, Samuel Johnson, William Wilberforce, C.S. Lewis, John Piper
"He . . . is the devout man, who lives no longer to his own will, or the way and spirit of the world, but to the sole will of God, who considers God in everything, who serves God in everything, who makes all the parts of the common life parts of piety, by doing everything in the Name of God, and under such rules as are conformable to His glory."
"if you will here stop, and ask yourselves, why you are not as pious as the primitive Christians were, your own heart will tell you, that it is neither through ignorance nor inability, but purely because you never thoroughly intended it."
"As there is but one God and Father of us all, whose glory gives light and life to everything that lives, whose presence fills all places, whose power supports all beings, whose providence rules all events; so everything that lives, whether in Heaven or earth, whether they be thrones or principalities, men or Angels, they must all, with one spirit, live wholly to the praise and glory of this one God and Father of them all."
"Nourish [your soul] with good works, give it peace in solitude, get it strength in prayer, make it wise with reading, enlighten it by meditation, make it tender with love, sweeten it with humility, humble it with penance, enliven it with psalms and hymns, and comfort it with frequent reflections upon future glory."
"If we waste [our money and goods] we do not waste a trifle, that signifies little, but we waste that which might be made as eyes to the blind, as a husband to the widow, as a father to the orphan; we waste that which not only enables us to minister worldly comforts to those that are in distress, but that which might purchase for ourselves everlasting treasures in Heaven."
"More people are kept from a true sense and taste of religion, by a regular kind of sensuality and indulgence, than by gross drunkenness."
"if, as our Savior has assured us, it be more blessed to give than to receive, we ought to look upon those that ask our alms, as so many friends and benefactors, that come to do us a greater good than they can receive"
"needless and expensive finery of dress is the effect of a disordered heart, that is not governed by the true spirit of religion."
"When our hearts are full of God, sending up holy desires to the throne of grace, we are then in our highest state, we are upon the utmost heights of human greatness; we are not before kings and priests, but in the presence and audience of the Lord of all the world, and can be no higher, till death is swallowed up in glory."
"a little time regularly and constantly employed to any one use or end, will do great things, and produce mighty effects."
"there is nothing that so clears a way for your prayers, nothing that so disperses dullness of heart, nothing that so purifies the soul from poor and little passions, nothing that so opens Heaven, or carries your heart so near it, as these songs of praise. . . . They create a sense and delight in God, they awaken holy desires, they teach you how to ask, and they prevail with God to give. They kindle a holy flame, they turn your heart into an altar, your prayers into incense, and carry them as a sweet-smelling savor to the throne of grace."
"singing . . . is the natural and proper expression of a heart rejoicing in God."
"there is nothing that makes us love a man so much as praying for him"
"Nothing hurts us, nothing destroys us, but the ill use of that liberty with which God has entrusted us."
"the best way of showing a true zeal is to make little things the occasions of great piety."
"train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come."
Author: William Law (1686-1761)
Year published: 1728
People influenced by the book: John Wesley, Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, Henry Venn, Samuel Johnson, William Wilberforce, C.S. Lewis, John Piper
"He . . . is the devout man, who lives no longer to his own will, or the way and spirit of the world, but to the sole will of God, who considers God in everything, who serves God in everything, who makes all the parts of the common life parts of piety, by doing everything in the Name of God, and under such rules as are conformable to His glory."
"if you will here stop, and ask yourselves, why you are not as pious as the primitive Christians were, your own heart will tell you, that it is neither through ignorance nor inability, but purely because you never thoroughly intended it."
"As there is but one God and Father of us all, whose glory gives light and life to everything that lives, whose presence fills all places, whose power supports all beings, whose providence rules all events; so everything that lives, whether in Heaven or earth, whether they be thrones or principalities, men or Angels, they must all, with one spirit, live wholly to the praise and glory of this one God and Father of them all."
"Nourish [your soul] with good works, give it peace in solitude, get it strength in prayer, make it wise with reading, enlighten it by meditation, make it tender with love, sweeten it with humility, humble it with penance, enliven it with psalms and hymns, and comfort it with frequent reflections upon future glory."
"If we waste [our money and goods] we do not waste a trifle, that signifies little, but we waste that which might be made as eyes to the blind, as a husband to the widow, as a father to the orphan; we waste that which not only enables us to minister worldly comforts to those that are in distress, but that which might purchase for ourselves everlasting treasures in Heaven."
"More people are kept from a true sense and taste of religion, by a regular kind of sensuality and indulgence, than by gross drunkenness."
"if, as our Savior has assured us, it be more blessed to give than to receive, we ought to look upon those that ask our alms, as so many friends and benefactors, that come to do us a greater good than they can receive"
"needless and expensive finery of dress is the effect of a disordered heart, that is not governed by the true spirit of religion."
"When our hearts are full of God, sending up holy desires to the throne of grace, we are then in our highest state, we are upon the utmost heights of human greatness; we are not before kings and priests, but in the presence and audience of the Lord of all the world, and can be no higher, till death is swallowed up in glory."
"a little time regularly and constantly employed to any one use or end, will do great things, and produce mighty effects."
"there is nothing that so clears a way for your prayers, nothing that so disperses dullness of heart, nothing that so purifies the soul from poor and little passions, nothing that so opens Heaven, or carries your heart so near it, as these songs of praise. . . . They create a sense and delight in God, they awaken holy desires, they teach you how to ask, and they prevail with God to give. They kindle a holy flame, they turn your heart into an altar, your prayers into incense, and carry them as a sweet-smelling savor to the throne of grace."
"singing . . . is the natural and proper expression of a heart rejoicing in God."
"there is nothing that makes us love a man so much as praying for him"
"Nothing hurts us, nothing destroys us, but the ill use of that liberty with which God has entrusted us."
"the best way of showing a true zeal is to make little things the occasions of great piety."
"train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come."
1 Timothy 4:7-8 ESV
Thanks for posting this Mark! Lots here to read through more than once and chew on a while.
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