The Kayelton Group

“It is the watchful heart that discovers and suppresses the temptation before it comes to its strength.”  John Flavel (1628-1691)

“The children of God make more of a promise than others do; and that upon a double account: partly, because they value the blessing promised; partly, because they are satisfied with the assurance given by God’s word; so that, whereas others pass by these things with a careless eye, their souls are lifted up to the earnest expectation of the blessing promised.”  Thomas Manton   (1620-1677)

“Private self-love seems to be the root of depravity; the grand succedaneum in human affection to the love of God and man.  Self-admiration, self-will, and self-righteousness are but different modifications of it.  Where this prevails, the creature assumes the place of the Creator, and seek his own gratification, honour, and interest, as the ultimate end of all his actions.  Hence, when the apostle describes men under a variety of wicked characters, the first link in the chain is—lovers of their own selves.  Hence also the first and grand lesson in the Christian school is—to deny ourselves.  (Note to the reader—succedaneum means SUBSTITUTE)  Andrew Fuller  (1754-1815)

“If convictions begin to work, instantly yield to their influence.  If any worldly or sinful desire is touched, let this be the moment for its crucifixion.”  Charles Bridges  (1794-1869)

“Prayer is nothing but the promise reversed, or God’s word formed into an argument, and retorted by faith upon God again.”  William Gurnall (1617-1679)

The soul is the theater where moral actions, both good and bad, are performed.  ”As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.´ What we will, that we morally do.  This doctrine suggests, that the world is really worse than it appears.  It appears bad enough; its outward features and procedures are most repulsive to the eye of reflective virtue; but not a tithe of the heart’s dispositions does the body represent.  The soul has a word of sentiment that neither tongue nor pen expresses; it is conscious of hosts of volitions that the muscles and limbs never carry into effect.  We thank God that the body is too frail, fully to work out the latent wishes of a depraved world.  (David Thomas; 1813-1894)

“For those who think they are perfect, and have the consummation of knowledge, disdain instruction is superfluous and unprofitable.”  John Daille  (1594-1670)

“It will be our sin and shame if we do not bear up with patience and silence under all our sufferings, considering what an admirable copy Christ hath set before us.”  Thomas Brooks (1608-1680)

Our devotion to a tradition is wholesome only when we recognize in that tradition, not the authority of the fathers, but the authority of God’s Word.  (John Murray; 1898-1975)

“When the heart is up with God, and full of God, how dexterously will he insinuate spiritual discourse, improving every occasion and advantage to some heavenly purpose!  John Flavel  (1628-1691)