Grace Gems

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Choice quotes from the writings of Thomas Watson


There is more evil in a drop of sin--than in a sea of affliction!

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True faith will trust God's heart--where it cannot trace His hand!

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Christ is never sweet--until sin is felt to be bitter.

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To render evil for evil, is brutish;
to render evil for good, is devilish;
to render good for evil, is Christian.

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Christ will not throw away His pearls, for every speck of dirt!

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The world is a flattering enemy, it kills by embracing. Whom the world kisses, it betrays.
Is Heaven in your eye, and Christ in your heart, and the world under your feet?

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Do not so look upon your troubles--as to forget your mercies.

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He who is proud of his knowledge--the devil cares not how much he knows!

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Christ shed tears, for those who shed His blood!

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God loves a broken heart--not a divided heart.

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'Tis vain to speak of hopes of salvation--and yet have the marks of damnation!
It will be so much the worse to go to Hell, with hopes of Heaven.

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An idle person is a fit subject for the devil to work upon.

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Look upon a humble Savior--and let your plumes of pride fall off.

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Such sheep as have most wool, are soonest fleeced.

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The higher the lark flies--the sweeter the songs.
Did our thoughts dwell above--we would live sweeter lives.

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Heaven is a place where sorrow cannot live, and joy cannot die.

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Immorality begins with infidelity.

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Prayer keeps the heart open to God, and shut to sin.

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Prosperity exposes to much evil.
It is hard to carry a full cup without spilling--and a full estate without sinning.
Many pray Agur's first prayer, "Give me not poverty."
Few pray his last prayer, "Give me not riches" (Proverbs 30:8.).

  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

At Christ's death "the rocks split." Not to be affected with Christ's dying love, is to have hearts harder than rocks!

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He who believes not in the blood of the Lamb--must feel the wrath of the Lamb.

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Sin unrepented of, ends in a tragedy. It has . . .
   the devil for its father,
   shame for its companion,
   and damnation for its wages!

  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

A sinner's heart is the devil's mansion-house.
"I will return unto my house" (Matthew 12:44).

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A true Christian carries Christ in his heart, and the cross on his shoulders.

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Christ and his cross are never parted, for it is too much for the Christian to have two heavens--one here, and one hereafter.

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Those who bear the cross patiently, shall wear the crown triumphantly.

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Christ sweetens all our comforts, and sanctifies all our crosses.

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God's power makes Him mighty,
His mercy makes Him lovely--but
His holiness makes Him glorious. "Glorious in holiness."
Holiness is the most sparkling jewel of Jehovah's diadem!

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The easiest cross for each one to bear!

(J.R. Miller, "The Shining Light" 1911)

"He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me." Matthew 10:38

It is his cross, and not some other man's--that each one is to take up. It is the particular cross that God lays at our own feet, that we are to bear.

We are never to make crosses for ourselves--but we are always to accept those which are allotted to us by God.

Sometimes we think our lot is peculiarly hard, and we compare it with the lot of this or that other person, and wish we had his cross instead of our own. But we do not know what other people's crosses really are. If we did, we might not want to exchange. The cross that seems woven of flowers--if we put it on our shoulders, we might find filled with sharp thorns under the flowers! The cross of gold that seems so bright--we would find so heavy that it would crush us! The easiest cross for each one to bear, is his own!

"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." Luke 9:23

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The one game most universally played!

(Adapted from A.W. Tozer)

Most church people play at religion, as they play at their games!

Religion itself, is the one game most universally played.

The Church has its "fields" and "rules" and its "equipment" for playing the game of religion.

It has its devotees, both laymen and professionals, who support the game with their money and encourage it with their presence--but who are no different in life or character from many who take no interest in religion at all!

As an athlete uses a ball--so do many of us use religious words. We throw them swiftly across the field--and learn to handle them with dexterity and grace. We gain as our reward, the applause of those who have enjoyed the game.

In the secular games which people play, there are no moral benefits. They simply are a pleasant activity which changes nothing, and settles nothing of any importance.

Sadly, it is much the same in the game of religion. After the pleasant meeting, no one is basically any different from what he had been before!

"How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will not accept your offerings!" Malachi 1:10

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No Christian is where he ought to be spiritually

(A.W. Tozer)

No Christian is where he ought to be spiritually, until the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ is being reproduced in his daily life!

Yet even though a person has become like Christ, he will not know it--because humility and meekness are also a part of the transformation of true godliness!

"Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did!" 1 John 2:6

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We might as well sing Mother Goose rhymes!

(A.W. Tozer)

"My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
 For Thee all the follies of sin I resign."

We sing that--but we might as well sing Mother Goose rhymes, because we do not mean what we are singing!

If God Almighty compelled us to be entirely 100 percent honest, we simply could not sing the the average hymn--because their words would not be true of us!

"All to Jesus I surrender,
 Humbly at His feet I bow,
 Worldly pleasures all forsaken,
 Take me, Jesus, take me now.

 I surrender all,
 I surrender all,
 All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
 I surrender all."

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The evangelistic methods of our present golden-calf Christianity!

(A.W. Tozer)

Any objection to the evangelistic methods of our present golden-calf Christianity, is met with the triumphant reply, "But we are winning the lost!"

And what are you winning them to?
To true discipleship?
To cross-carrying?
To self-denial?
To separation from the world?
To crucifixion of the flesh?
To holy living?
To nobility of character?
To a despising of the world's treasures?
To total committal to Christ?
Of course, the answer to all these questions is NO!

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The star of the show!

(A.W. Tozer)

Today's Christianity is man-centered, not God-centered. God is made to wait patiently, even respectfully, on the whims of men.

The image of God currently popular, is that of a distracted Father, struggling in heart-broken desperation to get people to accept a Savior of whom they feel no need, and in whom they have very little interest. To persuade these self-sufficient souls to respond to His generous offers, God will do almost anything, even using salesmanship methods and talking down to them in the chummiest way imaginable.

This view of things is, of course, a kind of religious romanticism which, while it often uses flattering and sometimes embarrassing terms in praise of God, manages nevertheless to make man the star of the show!

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They are the treasures which His great heart covets!

(Alexander Smellie, "The Hour of Silence" 1899)

"When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them!" Luke 7:37-38

Three things this woman gave:

PENITENCE was one. If her sin was dark--her sorrow was deep. If she had been a prodigal daughter--it was with weeping and mourning that she sought again her Father's house.

And LOVE was another. There was something about Jesus--the looks of His countenance, the tones of His voice, His whole manner and bearing--which drew her towards Him with a commanding and irresistible affection.

And SACRIFICE was a third. She spilled and spent her precious ointment on the Savior. She counted all things loss, for His dear sake.

These are the gifts which I must bring to Christ. They are the treasures which His great heart covets! He would rather have my penitence, my love, my sacrifice--than my knowledge, my eloquence, my wealth.

And three things this woman received:

PARDON was one. He said unto her, 'Your sins are forgiven!' The burden of her guilt was loosened from her shoulders, and fell from her back!

And PURITY was another. She went from the Gracious Presence and the Sacred Face--to live a life blessedly new. God her Healer restored the miserable past, which the cankerworm had wasted.

And PEACE was a third. 'Go in peace,' the Lord commanded. And what He commanded, He gave. Hers was now and forever the peace which passes all understanding, "the Rose that cannot wither!"

These are the gifts which I take from Christ. They are the treasures my poor heart needs. His pardon, His purity, His peace--they are more to be desired than a universe of gold, or than the mines where the diamonds and rubies lie!

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In God's cup of salvation!

(Alexander Smellie, "The Hour of Silence" 1899)

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost!" Isaiah 55:1

In God's cup of salvation, I discover all that I can crave! There is no deficiency here, and no disappointment.

There is water in this cup--the water of spiritual life. I am dying of thirst in the desert--the desert of my sin and guilt. But He puts the cup to my lips, and I live. It brings me . . .
  full and free pardon,
  the remission of all my transgressions,
  His own eternal favor and fellowship,
  the assurance that He is pacified toward me!

There is milk in this cup--the milk of spiritual nourishment. I am frail and powerless . . .
  against temptation,
  against my besetting and beguiling iniquities,
  against the world and the flesh and the devil.
But He puts the cup to my lips, and I am strong. My sanctification is there. His own Holy Spirit is there. I am more than a conqueror now. My weakness, casting itself upon Him--is exchanged for His mightiness!

There is wine in this cup--the wine of spiritual joy. I am restless, uneasy, disillusioned, troubled. My heart has no deep and abiding contentment. I wander into fruitless seedbeds of sorrow, with a proud dejectedness and a cheerless weariness. But He puts the wine-cup to my lips, and I rejoice. For there is the peace of God here, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the victory over the world, and the sure and invincible hope of glory!

Water, milk, wine--and I may have them, now and here, without money and without price! I am at the source of every gracious and glorious thing; and my part is simply to receive my Lord's munificence, and to say farewell to my hunger and thirst, and to be eternally satisfied!

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Christ's sword!

(Alexander Smellie, "The Hour of Silence" 1899)

"I did not come to bring peace, but a sword!" Matthew 10:34

Not peace, but a sword! Lord Jesus, this is a hard saying! Teach me to believe it, and to submit to the ordeal--sharp and piercing and painful though it may be.

Between me and my world, Christ's sword may pierce with its remorseless edge. He separates me . . .
  from old sinful habits,
  from old sinful employments,
  from old sinful pleasures,
  from old sinful friendships.

He divides me from the society in which I was accustomed to move. "Your home is no longer there!" He says. And I go out from the familiar surroundings, into an untrodden region and realm.

Between me and my nearest and dearest--Christ's sword may pierce pitilessly. Perhaps the loved ones of my own house will have nothing to do with my Redeemer and Lord. Perhaps they see no beauty in Him, that they should desire Him. Then, in the deepest and noblest things, they and I will stand apart--a sundering tide rolling between us. And how immeasurably sad that will be!

Between me and myself--Christ's sword is sure to pierce with a blade that does not spare! The I, the self--which used to be so vain, so confident, so proud--must be slain outright! Its days of pride, pleasure and selfishness must end--until I can say, "It is no more I who live--but He--my Prophet, my Priest, my King--who lives in me!" What a change that is! What a martyrdom!

It is painful, this stroke of Christ's sword. But the old confessor was right: "The nearer the sword--the nearer Heaven!" If I am victim--I am victor too. Smitten down by Jesus--I am not destroyed, but crowned!

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Refine it, and sweeten it, and sanctify it!

(Alexander Smellie, "The Hour of Silence" 1899)

"The tongue has the power of life and death!" Proverbs 18:21

"For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body." James 3:2

My tongue is a great power.
Its words wound--or else they cure.
They poison--or else they bless.
Once they have gone forth from me, shot like arrows into the air--they will find their lodgment, and they will accomplish their errand.
I cannot recall them.
I cannot cancel and undo them.
For weal or for woe--they have sped away from me.

There is a sense in which my words are my deeds; they achieve as much--of mercy or of misery, of healing or of harming--as my actions do.

Far too often my tongue has been an agent of mischief and hurt. It has spoken untenderly or untruly, harshly or hastily.

My tongue has suggested unworthy motives to the deeds of others. It has magnified their failures and errors. It has been a firebrand. It has distributed bitter and corroding acids--instead of the honeycomb. Sometimes it has been the propagandist of actual sin!

My Lord, consecrate and keep this tongue of mine. Refine it, and sweeten it, and sanctify it! May it love . . .
  the voice of prayer,
  the voice of confession,
  the voice of encouragement,
  the voice of consolation and comfort,
  the voice of worship and thanksgiving!

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This poor, shame-soiled, sin-ruined thing!

(J.R. Miller, "The Shining Light" 1911)

"When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them." Luke 7:37-38

"Jesus said to the woman: Your faith has saved you; go in peace!" Luke 7:50

Saved! This poor, shame-soiled, sin-ruined thing, whom the Pharisee would have thrust out of his house into the street! Saved! Never to go back any more to her old life! An heir of Heaven now, destined to walk the heavenly streets in white!

There is an old legend that one in passing along the way, touched a noxious weed, and it became a geranium, and has ever since been a geranium, pouring fragrance everywhere.

No matter about the legend--but Christ did something far more wonderful on the day of our story. He touched this sinful soul--and it was transformed into beauty! That woman has been in glory for eighteen centuries. That is what Christ does for every one who creeps to His feet in penitence and faith!

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If anything can render us happy, this should!

(James Smith, "The Pleading Savior" 1861)

"All Mine are Yours--and Yours are Mine!" John 17:10

If the Father and the Son have an equal and eternal interest in us--then we are safe, and we should be happy!

SAFE! Yes! Will God part with the objects of His highest love? Never!
Will Jesus surrender the purchase of His own heart's blood? Never!

HAPPY! Yes; if anything can render us happy, this should:
  that we are God's choice--and the Savior's purchase;
  that the Father and the Son jointly claim us, and highly value us!

When we devote all that we have to God--then we may look up and claim all we need from God. Let us, then, . . .
  make over all to God,
  put all into the hands of God,
  consecrate our all to the service of God;
then we can sustain no losses--nor need we be agitated by any fears!

Precious Savior, I am Yours! You have redeemed me with Your most precious blood! Give me grace, that, realizing my obligation to You, and being fired with Your love--I may evermore make Your glory the grand end of my existence! May I live for You--and for You alone. May I seek to honor You above everything!
  In every thought I think,
  in every word I speak,
  in every feeling I indulge,
  in every action I perform--
may I endeavor to glorify Your thrice blessed name!

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Does God know me?

(J.R. Miller, "The Shining Light" 1911)

"I am the Good Shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me. I lay down My life for the sheep." John 10:14-15

Does God know me among the millions of His angels?

Does He ever fix His thought on me as an individual?

Does He have a distinct and personal affection for me, like that of a mother for her child?

Does Christ, the Good Shepherd, give care and thought to each particular sheep, so that He knows each one's present condition and circumstances? Does He know when one of His people is in trouble, is sick or suffering, when one has been hurt in some way, or when one is in danger? Does He know when one strays from the safe enclosure of the fold and wanders off into peril?

The answer to all these questions is the same. Every redeemed one has his own special place in the heart of Christ! Paul put this truth most strikingly in a sentence when he said of Christ: "He loved me, and gave Himself for me!" Galatians 2:20

"My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish--ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand!" John 10:27-28

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It was sin which wove the crown of thorns!

(J.C. Ryle, "Holiness, Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots")

Surely that man must be in an unhealthy state of soul, who can think of all that Jesus suffered--and yet love those sins for which that suffering was undergone!

It was sin which wove the crown of thorns!

It was sin which pierced our Lord's hands and feet and side!

It was sin which brought Him to Gethsemane and Calvary, to the cross and to the grave!

Cold must our hearts be, if we do not hate sin and labor to get rid of it--though we may have to cut off the right hand and pluck out the right eye in doing it!