Quotes from William Gurnall

Castle thyself within the power and promise of God for thy assistance and protection.

Those who are so far from being holy them selves, that they mock and jeer others for being so. This breastplate of righteousness is of so base an ac count with them, that they who wear it in their daily conversation do make themselves no less ridiculous to them than if they came forth in a fool's coat, or were clad in a dress contrived on purpose to move laughter.

What is prayer but the breathing forth of that grace which is breathed into the soul by the Holy Spirit?

The more the soul loves the word, the more craving it has after it.

We shall never come at God's glory out of God's way.

We are directed to take the helmet of salvation—and this, not for some particular occasion and then hang it by till another extraordinary strait calls us to take it down and use it again—but we must take it so as never to lay it aside till God shall take off this helmet to put on a crown of glory in the room of it.

Prayer must be the key of the morning and lock of the night.

The praying Christian is the thriving Christian; whereas he that is infrequent or slothful in praying, is a waster.

Here is the necessity of divine armour, to persevere till we have done all. Wherefore, else, bids he them take this armour for this end, if they could do it without?

In a word, Christians, God and angels are spectators, observing how you quit yourselves like children of the Most High; every exploit your faith doth against sin and Satan causeth a shout in heaven; while you valiantly prostrate this temptation, scale that difficulty, regain the other ground, you even now lost out of your enemies' hands.

It is a good speech of Bernard:[28] 'The study of the word, and the reading of it differ as much as the friendship of such who every day converse lovingly together, doth from the acquaintance one hath with a stranger at an inn, or whom he salutes as he passeth by in the street.

Mercies should draw, afflictions drive.

Armour becomes earth, but robes heaven. Hope goes into the field and waits on the Christian till the last battle be fought and the field cleared, and then faith and hope together carry him in the chariot of the promise to heaven door, where they deliver up his soul into the hands of love and joy, which stand ready to conduct him into the blissful presence of God.

It was some great good news that could wring a smile then from Christ, or tune his spirit into a joyful note, who was 'a man of sorrows,' and indeed came into the world to be so. Yet when his disciples whom he had sent forth to preach the gospel, returned with news of some victorious success of their labours, 'in that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father,' Luke 10:21.

But he maintains the power of holiness that exerts this vigorously in his daily walking; as he the power of natural life, in whom the principle of life seated in the heart empowers every member to do its particular office in the body strenuously. Thus walked the primitive Christians, 'in whose veins,' saith Jerome, 'the blood of Christ was yet warm.

Were there no devil, yet we should have our hands full, in resisting the corruptions of our own hearts; but

Few are made better by prosperity, whom afflictions make worse.

Formerly soldiers used to take an oath not to flinch from their colours, but faithful to cleave up to their leaders; this they called sacramentum militare—a military oath.

Prayer is a great heart?easer; it breathes out those distempered passions which, being bound up in others, break out when God at any time crosseth them in their wills.

Heaven is a city where righteousness dwells.

Indeed, God intended, by this way of rec onciling poor sinners to himself, to make work for angels and saints to admire the mystery of his wisdom, power, and love therein, to everlasting.

The Christian is a born conqueror, the gates of hell shall not prevail against him.

It is sincere faith, that is the strong faith; sincere love, that is the mighty love. Hypocrisy is to grace as the worm is to the oak—the rust to the iron—it weakens them, because it corrupts them.

But none are so safe from sin as they that fear the falling into it most.