A Christian will part with anything rather than his hope; he knows that hope will keep the heart both from aching and breaking, from fainting and sinking; he knows that hope is a beam of God, a spark of glory, and that nothing shall extinguish it till the soul be filled with glory.
Interpretation
Hope is essential for a Christian, serving as a divine light that sustains them through life's challenges.
In this quote, Thomas Brooks emphasizes the importance of hope in a Christian's life, suggesting that it is a vital element that protects the heart from despair and destruction. He illustrates hope as a divine gift that illuminates the soul, promising that as long as one holds onto hope, they will be fortified against life's trials and ultimately find fulfillment in glory.
In practice
During a Sunday service, a pastor could use this quote to inspire congregants to hold onto their hope during difficult times.
Remember this-all the sighing, mourning, sobbing, and complaining in the world, does not so undeniably evidence a man to be humble, as his overlooking his own righteousness, and living really and purely upon the righteousness of Christ.
Grace and glory differ very little; the one is the seed, the other is the flower; grace is glory militant, glory is grace triumphant.
He is the best preacher, not that tickles the ear, but that breaks the heart.
Ah! sinner, remember this, there is no way on earth effectually to be rid of the guilt, filth, and power of sin, but by believing in a Saviour. It is not resolving, it is not complaining, it is not mourning, but believing, that will make thee divinely victorious over that body of sin that to this day is too strong for thee, and that will certainly be thy ruin, if it be not ruined by a hand of faith.
Self is the only oil that makes the chariot-wheels of the hypocrite move in all religious concerns.
Humility can weep over other men's weaknesses, and joy and rejoice over their graces.
Lord, make my way prosperous not that I achieve high station, but that my life be an exhibit to the value of knowing God.
Trying to do the Lord's work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you.
Faith is not an instinct. It certainly is not a feeling - feelings don't help much when you're in the lions' den or hanging on a wooden Cross. Faith is not inferred from the happy way things work. It is an act of will, a choice, based on the unbreakable Word of a God who cannot lie, and who showed us what love and obedience and sacrifice mean, in the person of Jesus Christ
I am God's wheat and shall be ground by their teeth so that I may become Christ's pure bread.
The greater the difficulty to be overcome, the more will it be seen to the glory of God how much can be done by prayer and faith.
When you see no present advantage, walk by faith and not by sight. Do God the honor to trust Him when it comes to matters of loss for the sake of principle.
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