Matthew Henry Quotes - Page 7

A man that is endued with the powers of reason, by which he is capable of knowing, serving, glorifying, and enjoying his Maker, and yet lives without God in the world, is certainly the most despicable and the most miserable animal under the sun.

The anger of a meek man is like fire struck out of steel, hard to be got out, and when it is, soon gone.

Those may justly be reckoned void of understanding that do not bless and praise God; nor do men ever rightly use their reason till they begin to be religious, nor live as men till they live to the glory of God. As reason is the substratum or subject of religion (so that creatures which have no reason are not capable of religion), so religion is the crown and glory of reason, and we have our reason in vain, and shall one day wish we had never had it, if we do not glorify God with it.

If therefore our houses be houses of the Lord, we shall for that reason love home, reckoning our daily devotion the sweetest of our daily delights, and our family worship the most valuable of our family comforts. This will sanctify to us all the conveniences of our houses, and reconcile us to the inconveniences of it.

Humility is the great preserver of peace and order in all Christian churches and societies, consequently pride is the great disturber of them, and the cause of most dissensions and breaches in the church.

Those that forget to attend God with their praises may perhaps be compelled to attend him with their prayers.

He that is in haste may contract much guilt in a little time. What we say or do unadvisedly when we are hot, we must unsay or undo again when we are cool, or do worse.

The way to preserve the peace of the church is to preserve its purity.

Tears are a tribute to our deceased friends. When the body is sown, it must be watered. But we must not sorrow as those that have no hope; for we have a good hope through grace both concerning them and concerning ourselves.

Shallows where a lamb could wade and depths where an elephant would drown.

We read of preaching the Word out of season, but we do not read of praying out of season, for that is never out of season.

Grace in the soul is heaven in that soul.

Brotherly love is the badge of Christ's disciples.

Take Jesus for your king, and by baptism swear allegiance to him; take him for your prophet, and hear him; take him for your priest, to make atonement for you.

Riches are a blessing or a curse to a man according as he has or has not a heart to make good use of them.

The provisions of Christ's gospel appear mean and scanty to the world, yet they satisfy all that feed on him in their hearts by faith with thanksgiving.

Earth is embittered to us, that heaven may be endeared.

Pure Christianity and serious godliness fear not the scrutiny of a free thought, but despise the impotent malice of a prejudiced one.

What harrowing is after sowing, the same is meditation after hearing--it hides the word.

The beauty of holiness is that which the grave, that consumes all other beauty, cannot touch, or do any damage to.

There are remains of great and good men, which, like this mantle, ought to be gathered up and preserved by the survivors, their sayings, their writings, their examples, that, as their works follow them in the reward of them, they may stay behind in the benefit of them.

Men may die like lambs and yet have their place forever with the goats.

The true Christian hero will appear in the cause of Christ, not only when it is prevailing, but when it seems to be declining; (he) will be on the right side, though it be not the rising side.

The kingdom of heaven was never intended to indulge the ease of triflers, but to the rest of them that labor.

Why wilt thou be so sottish, such an enemy to thyself, as to prefer puddle-water, and that poisoned too and stolen, before pure living waters out of thy own well?