Quotes About Belief

Neither did the Pharisees in truth believe what Moses wrote, because they opposed Christ, who did but verify what Moses before from God's mouth had spoke.

Assurance rather is the fruit of faith. It is in faith as the flower is in the root.

Our faith must not depend on our reason, but our reason on faith.

They are all such notions as never came into the heart of the wisest sophists in the world to conceive of; and therefore it is no wonder that a little child, under the preaching of the gospel, believes these mysteries which Plato and Aristotle were ignorant of, because they are not attained by our parts and industry, but communicated by divine and supernatural revelation.

And where hope is raised, the Christian cannot but take sweet satisfaction from the expectation thereof. The poor ploughman that is a saint, and plows in hope of reaping salvation, would be as well contented with his place and work as the bravest courtier is with his.

He that believeth not is condemned already,' John 3:18. He hath his mittimus already to jail; yea, he is in it already in a sense—he hath the brand of a damned person on him.

Hereticorum sententias prodidisse est superasse—to have expounded the doctrines of heretics is to have overcome them, saith Hieron. Unfold them, or bring them and the word face to face, and, like Cain, they hang down their head; they are put to shame.

First, faith closeth with the promise as a true and faithful word, then hope lifts up the soul to wait for the performance of it.

We disfigure the beautiful face of God's providence, when we fancy him to have a cast of his eye, and care, to one more than another.

Faith tells the soul what Christ hath done for it, and so comforts it. Hope revives the soul with news of what Christ will do. Both draw at one tap—Christ and his promise.

It is faith stills the storm which sin had raised—faith that changed his doleful note into joy and gladness.

As it is impossible to please God without faith, so it is impossible not to desire to please God with faith.

It is faith on Christ that alone can purify thy heart. Without it thy washed face and hands—external righteousness I mean— will never commend thee to God.

Let God know from thy mouth whither thou art going, and what thy fears are. Never doth the soul march in so goodly order, as when it puts itself under the conduct of God.

Faith and a good conscience are hope's two wings.

Dost thou not betray some of this spiritual pride working in thee? O, if thou couldst pray without wandering, walk without limping, believe without wavering, then thou couldst rejoice and walk cheerfully.

It can therefore be called 'the righteousness of faith' for this reason and no other—because faith is the only grace whose office it is to lay hold on Christ, and so to appropriate his righteousness for the justification of our souls.

Dost thou not betray some of this spiritual pride working in thee? O, if thou couldst pray without wandering, walk without limping, believe without wavering, then thou couldst rejoice and walk cheerfully. It seems, soul, thou stayest to bring the ground of thy comfort with thee, and not to receive it purely from Christ. O how much better were it if thou wouldst say

Say, as Austin in another case, 'Errare possum, hæreticus esse nolo—I may err, but I am re solved not to be a heretic.

When the spirit is low through unbelief, every threatening from man makes sad impression. Let thy faith take but a deep draught of the promises, and thy courage will rise.

God himself tells us we have 'need of patience;' he means great store of patience, 'that after we have done the will of God, we may receive the promise,' Heb. 10:36. And if of patience, then of hope; because patience bears all on hope's back. Now,

Labour to get Christ, and through him hopes of heaven, and thou takest the right road to content; thou

Tertullian speaks of some that think satìs Deum habere si corde et animo suspiciatur, licèt actu minus fiat—'God hath enough,' they think, 'if he be feared and reverenced in their hearts, though in their actions they show it not so much;' and therefore they can sin, and believe in God, and fear him never the worse. This, saith he, is to play the adulteress, and yet be chaste; to prepare poison for one's father, and yet be dutiful.

Fides pinguescit operibus—'faith fattens or becomes strong on works,' Luther.