William Gurnall

“The sins of teachers are the teachers of sin.”

“Humble souls are fearful of their own strength.”

“God hath made it a debt which one saint owes to another to carry their names to a throne of grace.”

“Let your hope of heaven master your fear of death.”

“When God intends a mercy for his people, he stirs up the spirit of prayer in them. Fervency unites the soul and directs the thoughts to the work at hand. It will not allow diversions and denies all foreign thoughts seeking to intrude. Pray fervently or you do nothing. Cold praying is no more prayer than a painting of fire is fire. How can prayers that do not even warm your own heart move God’s? A fervent prayer will never find a cold reception with God. Elijah’s prayer called fire down from heaven because it carried fire up to heaven.”

“Of all creatures in this visible world, light is the most glorious; of all light, the light of the sun without compare excels the rest.”

“It is not only our duty to pray for others, but also to desire the prayers of others for ourselves.”

“Mercy should make us ashamed, wrath afraid to sin.”

“Godliness, as well as the doctrine of our faith, is a mystery.”

“Too many read a chapter or two in the Bible, then for lack of interest put it down for weeks at a time and never look at it. Bernard compares the study of the Word and the mere reading of it to the difference between a close friendship and a casual acquaintance. If you want genuine knowledge, he says, you will have to do more than greet the Word politely on Sundays or nod reverently when you chance to meet it on the street. You must walk with it and talk with it every day of the week. You must invite it into your private chambers, and forego other pleasures and worldly duties to spent time in its company.”

“Justifying faith is not a naked assent to the truths of the gospel.”

“Compare Scripture with Scripture. False doctrines, like false witnesses, agree not among themselves.”

“We have peace with God as soon as we believe, but not always with ourselves. The pardon may be past the prince's hand and seal, and yet not put into the prisoner's hand.”

“Above all sins, guard against bold or arrogant ones. You are not beyond the danger of such. If caught in the web of presumptuous sin, call quickly to God for help. If you hesitate, you only give Satan time to entangle you more tightly. But if you cry out to God in true repentance, He will come at once to rescue you. The sooner you yield to the Spirit, the less damage is done to your soul.”

“We fear men so much, because we fear God so little.”

“The devil had as good have let Paul alone, for he no sooner comes into prison but he falls a preaching, at which the gates of Satan's prison fly open, and poor sinners come forth.”

“And while God had work for Paul, he found him friends both in court and prison. Let persecutors send saints to prison, God can provide a keeper for their turn.”

“Many lose heaven because they are ashamed to go in a fool's coat thither.”

“In heaven we shall appear, not in armour, but in robes of glory. But here these are to be worn night and day; we must walk, work, and sleep in them, or else we are not true soldiers of Christ.”

“Never was a faithful prayer lost. Some prayers have a longer voyage than others, but then they return with their richer lading at last, so that the praying soul is a gainer by waiting for an answer.”