1. If we are to recover spiritual life, we must come as near as we can to the source of that life, and remain there for as long as we are able. Christ is the spring of our spiritual life; he is in every way our life.
2. If we complain of the weakness of our memories, this is just the easiest excuse for drifting away from the word. It is not the weakness of our memories that is at fault but the weakness of our hearts and affections, resulting in hearts that are broken cisterns, hearts full of rents through which the water pours out, as Jeremiah depicts it (Jer. 2:13). The word slips out while we are putting our affections on worldly things, and it very quickly leaves that heart that gives it so little welcome.
3. A man hears a good word of truth and, instead of taking the power of it into his heart, he takes the ideas of it into his mind and is satisfied with that.
4. At the approach of the worst of times, the best of men need to be warned to be watchful against the worst of sins.
5. When a heart is enticed by sin, sin and grace are both at work, having opposite aims. The aim of grace is to humble the heart and the aim of sin is to defile it. And the soul is defiled if, by the deceitfulness and solicitations of sin, consent is obtained.
6. It is almost inconceivable how subtle sin is in distracting us from an apprehension of its danger.
7. It is a real complaint against us that we are no moved enough by the fear of God’s judgments.
8. It is the duty of gospel ministers to warn of impending dangers.
9. We have almost been content that men should be as wicked as possible, and we sit still to see what will become of it. Christ has been dishonored, the Spirit of God blasphemed, and God provoked against our country, and yet we have not been affected by these things.
10. People tend to excuse their own lesser evils when they see every day the greater wickedness of other men.