If believers decay in their first love, or in some other grace, yet another grace may grow and increase, such as humility, their brokenheartedness; they sometimes seem not to grow in the branches when they may grow at the root; upon a check grace breaks out more; as we say, after a hard winter there usually follows a glorious spring.

God's children improve all advantages to advance their grand end; they labour to grow better by blessings and crosses, and to make sanctified use of all things.

If Christ has once possessed the affections, there is no dispossessing of him again. A fire in the heart overcomes all fires without.

It would be a good contest amongst Christians, one to labour to give no offence, and the other to labour to take none. The best men are severe to themselves, tender over others.

Sin is not so sweet in the committing as it is heavy and bitter in the reckoning.

Self-emptiness prepares us for spiritual fullness.

There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.