If thou beest ever so exact in thy morals, and not a worshiper of God, then thou art an atheist.

What is Jordan that I should wash in it? What is the preaching that I should attend on it, while I hear nothing but what I knew before? What are these beggarly elements of water, bread, and wine? Are not these the reasonings of a soul that forgets who appoints the means of grace?

Paul was Nero's prisoner, but Nero was much more God's.

Pray often rather than very long at a time. It is hard to be very long in prayer, and not slacken in our affections.

The devil had as good have let Paul alone, for he no sooner comes into prison but he falls a preaching, at which the gates of Satan's prison fly open, and poor sinners come forth.

Furnish thyself with arguments from the promises to enforce thy prayers, and make them prevalent with God. The promises are the ground of faith, and faith, when strengthened, will make thee fervent, and such fervency ever speeds and returns with victory out of the field of prayer. The mightier any is in the Word, the more mighty he will be in prayer.

Thou hast no life to lose, because thou hast given it already to Christ, nor can man take away that without God's leave.