Quotes from Matthew Henry

The glory of God is his own end, and it should be ours in all that we do.

Note, The devil, though he is an enemy to all saints, is a conquered enemy. The Captain of our salvation has defeated and disarmed him; we have nothing to do but to pursue the victory.

the Pharisees, and the other self-justifying Jews, who though that they needed no repentance, and that therefore God should abundantly rejoice in them, and make his boast of them, as those that were most his honour; but Christ tells them that it was quite otherwise, that God was more praised in, and pleased with, the penitent broken heart of one of those despised, envied sinners, than all the long prayers which the scribes and Pharisees made, who could not see any thing amiss in themselves. Nay

That even under the gospel of peace and reconciliation by Christ (of which the intercession of Moses was typical) the moral law should continue to bind believers.

for those that would be kept from any sin must be careful to avoid all temptations to it, and every thing that looks towards it or leads to it.

God gives us of the good things of this life, not only for necessity, but for delight, that we may not only serve him, but serve him cheerfully.

Outward losses drive good people to their prayers, but bad people to their curses.

Thus have they committed two great evils, in which they persist, and from which they hate to be reformed; they take away from God's word, and add to his worship.

The wits or wills of men, their inventions or their injunctions, cannot make that to be sin which the law of God has not made to be so.

the more we see of God's glory in his works the more we shall desire to see.

When God pardons sin he quite abolishes it, casts it behind his back.

The treasures of wisdom are hidden not from us, but for us, in Christ.

The workman made it, therefore it is not God. To represent an infinite Spirit by an image, and the great Creator by the image of a creature, is the greatest affront we can put upon God and the greatest cheat we can put upon ourselves. As

It is a thing to be regretted (and prevented, if possible) that a whole nation should be ruined for the pride and obstinacy of its princes

God will always have a church on earth; but he never said it should be infallible, or perfectly pure from corruption on this side heaven.

Those that name the name of Christ, but do not depart from iniquity, as that name binds them to do, name it in vain; their worship is vain

Note, Those who go about to mock God do but deceive themselves. Hypocrisy in religion is the greatest folly as well as wickedness, since the God we have to do with can easily see through all our disguises, and will certainly deal with us hereafter, not according to our professions, but our practices.

Those that have so much power over others as to be able to oppress them have seldom so much power over themselves as not to oppress; great might is a very great snare to many.

What peace can they have who are not at peace with God?

When men drive God's word from them he justly permits their delusions, and answers them according to the multitude of their idols.

Skill in secular employments is God's gift, and comes from above, Jam. 1:17.

The greater the privileges we enjoy the greater is our danger if we do not improve them and live up to them.

it is a great mercy to be reclaimed and called home when we go astray, though it be by a tempest.

Children should be directed and encouraged to ask their parents questions concerning the things of God, a practice which would be perhaps of all others the most profitable way of catechising;