Richard Baxter
To live among such excellent helps as our libraries afford, to have so many silent wise companions whenever we please.Collection: Wise
It is as hard a thing to maintain a sound understanding, a tender conscience, a lively, gracious, heavenly spirit, and an upright life in the midst of contention, as to keep your candle lighted in the greatest storms.Collection: Understanding
Our very business is to teach the great lesson of self-denial and humility to our people, and how unfit is it then that we should be proud ourselves!Collection: Humility
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. And it is not possible to read over many on the same subject without a great deal of loss of precious time.Collection: Wise
In a divine commonwealth holiness must have the principal honor and encouragement, and a great difference be made between the precious and the vile.Collection: Encouragement
Never does sin so reign in the Church or State, as when it has gained reputation,or, at least, is no disgrace to the sinner,nor is a matter od offence to we who behold it.Collection: Church
Will any man that hath not lost his senses, now stand caviling, and quarrelling, that so few should be saved, instead of making sure of his own salvation? The reason that there are so few is, because they will not be saved upon God's terms.Collection: Men
If a man that is desperately sick today, did believe he should arise sound the next morning; or a man today, in despicable poverty, had assurance that he should tomorrow arise a prince: would they be afraid to go to bed....?Collection: Death
When we speak to drunkards, worldlings, or any ignorant, unconverted men, we disgrace them as in that condition to the utmost, and lay it on as plainly as we can speak, and tell them of their sin, and shame, and misery: and we expect, not only that they should bear all patiently, but take all thankfully, and we have good reasons for all this; and most that I deal with do take it patiently... But if we speak to a godly minister against his errors or any sin... if it be not more an applause than a reprehension, they take it as an injury almost insufferable.Collection: Godly
Sinful zeal doth make men doubly sinful.Collection: Men
Sinners, hear and consider, if you wilfully condemn your souls to bestiality, God will condemn them to perpetual misery.Collection: Soul
I must confess, as the experience of my own soul, that the expectation of loving my friends in heaven principally kindles my love to them while on earth.Collection: Expectations
Sit not down without assurance. Get alone, and bring thy heart to the bar of trial; force it to answer the interrogatories put to it; set the qualifications of the saints on one side, and the qualifications of thy soul on the other side, and then judge what resemblance there is between them.Collection: Religious
Is it not enough that all the world is against us, but we must also be against one another? O happy days of persecution, which drove us together in love, whom the sunshine of liberty and prosperity crumbles into dust by our contentions!Collection: Sunshine
You shall find this to be God's usual course: not to give his children the taste of his delights till they begin to sweat in seeking after them.Collection: Children
You will cast away your cards and dice when you find the sweetness of youthful learning.Collection: Wisdom
Special mercy arouses more gratitude than universal mercy.Collection: Gratitude
It is past all question, and agreed on by all sides, that no religion will save a man who is not serious, sincere, and diligent in it. If thou be of the truest religion in the world, and are not true thyself to that religion, the religion is good, but it is none of thine.Collection: Men
In my library I have profitably and pleasantly dwelt among the shining lights, with which the learned, wise, and holy men of all ages have illuminated the world.Collection: Wise
As holy zeal is the fervency of our grace, so sinful zeal is the intention and fervency of sin.Collection: Grace
'Tis hard preaching a stone into tears, or making a rock to tremble.Collection: Rocks
The churchyard is the market place where all things are rated at their true value, and those who are approaching it talk of the world and its vanities with a wisdom unknown before.Collection: Vanity
You little know what you have done, when you have first broke the bounds of modesty; you have set open the door of your fancy to the devil, so that he can, almost at his pleasure ever after, represent the same sinful pleasure to you anew.Collection: Doors
That which once was, will be no more. Yesterday will never come again. To-day is passing, and will not return. You may work while it is day; but when you have lost that day, it will not return for you to work in. While your candle burns, you may make use of its light, but when it is done, it is too late to use it.Collection: Yesterday
If life be long, I will be glad, Tthat I may long obey; If short, yet why should I be sad, To soar to endless day?Collection: Inspirational Life
It is a contradiction to be a sanctified man, or a true christian, and not humble.Collection: Christian
We are ignorant of things necessary, because we learn things superfluous and unnecessaryCollection: Ignorant
See that your chief study be about heart, that there God's image may be planted, and his interest advanced, and the interest of the world and flesh subdued, and the love of every sin cast out, and the love of holiness succeed; and that you content not yourselves with seeming to do good in outward acts, when you are bad yourselves, and strangers to the great internal duties. The first and great work of a Christian is about his heart.Collection: Christian
Is it but right that our hearts should be on God, when the heart of God is so much on us.Collection: Heart
To be the people of God without regeneration, is as impossible as to be the children of men without generation.Collection: Children
You are not likely to see any general reformation, till you procure family reformation.Collection: Reformation
Do not waste your time on light, weak, milktoast ministries and booksCollection: Book
If you do not see yourselves and all things as living, moving, and having their being in God, you see nothing, whatever you may think you see.Collection: Moving
It is not the reading of many books which is necessary to make a man wise or good; but well reading of a few.Collection: Wise
We must study as hard how to live well as how to preach well.Collection: Study
The heart is naturally hard, and grows harder by custom in sin, especially by long abuse of mercy, neglect of the means of grace, and resisteing the spirit of grace.Collection: Religious
Keep your children as much as may be from ill company, especially of ungodly playfellows. It is one of the greatest dangers for the undoing of children in the world; especially when they are sent to common schools: for there is scarce any of those schools so good, but hath many rude and ungodly ill-taught children in it.Collection: Children
I have pain; there is no arguing against sense, but I have peace, I have peace.Collection: Pain
Keep company with the more cheerful sort of the Godly; there is no mirth like the mirth of believers.Collection: Godly
While doubt cannot be expelled, it can be subdued.Collection: Doubt
Screw the truth into men's minds.Collection: Men
I take the love of God and self-denial to be the sum of all saving grace and religion.Collection: Self
A holy and heavenly life is a continual pain to the consciences of sinners around you and continually solicits them to change their course.Collection: Pain
Hell is paved with infants skulls.Collection: Religious
Till men are deeply humbled, they can part with Christ and Salvation for a lust, for a little wordly gain, for that which is less than nothing. But when God hath enlightened their consciences, and broken their hearts, then they would give a world for Christ.Collection: Heart
For it was thy sin, and the sin of all the world, that lay upon our Redeemer, and his sacrifice and satisfaction is sufficient for all, and the fruits of it are offered to one as well as another, but it is true that it was never the intent of his mind to pardon and save any that would not by faith and repentance be converted.Collection: Sacrifice
If I were but sure that I should live to see the coming of the Lord, it would be the joyfulest tidings in the world. O that I might see His kingdom come! It is the characteristic of His saints to love His appearing, and to look for that blessed hope. "The Spirit and the bride say, Come." "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."Collection: Jesus
Prayer must carry on our work as much as preaching; he preacheth not heartily to his people that will not pray for them.Collection: Prayer
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.Collection: Men