Quote of the Week: Edwards

The way to Heaven is ascending; we must be content to travel uphill, though it be hard and tiresome, and contrary to the natural bias of our flesh.

The Christian Pilgrim, 1733

Jonathan Edwards

Quote of the Week: Calvin

All our words ought to be filled with true sweetness and grace; and this will be so if we mingle the useful with the sweet.

John Calvin

Cross Quotes: Jonathan Edwards

Here is matter of exceeding great encouragement for all sinful miserable creatures in the world of mankind, to come to Christ. For let them be as sinful as they will, and ever so miserable; Christ, in the work of redemption, is gloriously exalted above all their sin and misery.

How high soever their guilt has risen, though mountains have been heaping on mountains all the days of their lives, till the pile appears towering up to heaven, and above the very stars; yet Christ in the work of redemption appears gloriously exalted above all this height.—Though they are overwhelmed in a mighty deluge of woe and misery; a deluge that is not only above their heads, but above the heads of the highest mountains; and they do not see how it is possible that they should escape; yet they have no reason to be discouraged from looking to Christ for help; who in the work of redemption, appears gloriously above the deluge of evil. Though they see dreadful corruption in their hearts; though their lusts appear like giants, or like the raging waves of the sea; yet they need not despair of help; but may look to Christ, who appears in the work of redemption, gloriously above all this corruption.

If they apprehend themselves to be miserable captives of Satan; and find him too strong an adversary for them; and the devil is often tempting and buffeting them, and triumphing over them with great cruelty: if it seems to them that the devil has swallowed them up, and has got full possession of them, as the whale had of Jonah; yet there is encouragement for them to look again, as Jonah did, towards God’s holy temple, and to trust in Christ for deliverance from Satan, who appears so gloriously exalted above him in the work of redemption.

If they are ready to sink with darkness and sorrows, distress of conscience, or those frowns of God upon them; so that God’s waves and billows seem to pass over them; yet they have encouragement enough to look to Christ for deliverance. These waves and billows have before exalted themselves against Christ; and he appeared to be infinitely above them.—And if they are afraid of death; if it looks exceeding terrible, as an enemy that would swallow them up; yet let them look to Christ who has appeared so gloriously above death; and their fears will turn into joy and triumph.

Christ Exalted  August, 1738

The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume II

Rebecca is gathering Cross Quotes at Rebecca Writes all this week.  If you'd like to share a quote about Christ's work on the cross, make sure you get your link to Rebecca.

Quote of the Week: Twain

It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!

Mark Twain

(This quote was chosen on a late March day; forecast: cold rain, sleet, accumulating snow overnight)

Quote of the Week: Owen

"Without absolutes revealed from without by God Himself, we are left rudderless in a sea of conflicting ideas about manners, justice and right and wrong, issuing from a multitude of self-opinionated thinkers."

John Owen

Quote of the Week: Shay

The trouble begins, I think, when our passions are the beginning point of our decision-making, and not the Word of God. And unfortunately, because we are human beings, and sinful at heart, this will always be a struggle. That is why the Word of God simply must become part of us through regular reading and meditating over. It's not enough to just read; we need to think about it, pray about it, and let it soak into us so that when tough decisions come up, or we become discontent, we will tough it out with the truth, rather than pursue something that will satisfy our passions momentarily.

Kim Shay
The Upward Call