There is not such a pleasant history for you to read in all the world as the history of your own lives, if you would sit down and record from the beginning hitherto what God has been to you, and done for you; what evidences and outbreakings of his mercy, faithfulness, and love there have been in all the conditions you have passed through.
Quotes #22 …John Flavel 1627-1691
November 24, 2025
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Quotes #19…Joseph Caryl 1602-1673
November 10, 2025So you may look lightly upon a Scripture and see nothing; meditate often upon it and there you shall see a light, like the light of the Sun.
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Quotes #18…Timothy Cruso 1657-1697
November 6, 2025“My flesh shall rest in hope.” (Psalm 16:9) That hope which is grounded on the word, gives rest to the soul; ’tis an anchor to keep it steady. Hebrews 6:13. Which shows the unmoveableness of that which our anchor is fastened to. The promise sustains our faith, and our faith is that which supports us. He that hopes in the Word as David did (Psalms 119:81), lays a mighty stress upon it; as Samson did when he leaned upon the pillars of the house, so as to pull it down upon the Philistines. A believer throws the whole weight of all of his affairs and concernments, temporal, spiritual, and eternal, upon the promises of God, like a man resolved to stand or fall with them. He ventures himself, and all that belongs to him, entirely upon this bottom, which is in effect to say, if they will not bear me up, I am content to sink: I know that there shall be a performance of those things which have been told me from the Lord, and therefore I will incessantly look for it.
Found in The Treasury of David, an original Exposition of the Psalms by C.H.S.
Cruso had as a fellow-student Daniel Defoe, who immortalized his name in Robinson Crusoe.
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Quotes #16…Jeff Allen (Born 1956)
October 30, 2025
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Quotes #14…Timothy Rogers 1658-1728
October 23, 2025Verse 9 (Psalm 16) – “My heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth…” His inward joy was not able to contain itself. We testify our pleasure on lower occasions, even at the gratification of our senses; when our ear is filled with harmonious melody, when out eye is fixed upon admirable and beauteous objects, when our smell is recreated with agreeable odours, and our taste also by the delicacy and rareness of provisions; and much more will our soul show its delight, when its faculties, that are of a more exquisite constitution, meet with things that are in all respects agreeable and pleasant to them; and in God they meet with all those: with his light our understanding is refreshed, and is our will with his goodness and his love.
From C.H.S.’s Exposition of the Psalms (The Treasury of David)
6 Lessons from a Depressed Puritan Pastor: Timothy Rogers
(A must read for anyone who has depression or knows of someone who has it.)
This is an example from “6 Lessons.” It is the Fourth lesson:
Lesson #4: Focus on Encouragement Over Exhortation
As a wise and caring soul physician, Rogers equips others to care like Christ. “Do not urge your melancholy friends to do what is out of their power. They are like persons whose bones are broken, and who are incapacitated for action.”
Astute enough to imagine the negative response his statement might receive, Rogers adds, “But you will ask, ought we not to urge them to hear the Word of God?”
Rogers responds to his own question by noting that the soul physician must know well the particular person they are counseling. He says to “kindly and gently” encourage them, if they are able, to “attend the preaching of the Word; but beware of using a peremptory and violent method.”
Rogers then illustrates his suggested approach using a situation well-known in his day.
“The method pursued by John Dod with Mrs. Drake should be imitated. ‘The burden which overloaded her soul was so great, that we never durst add any thereunto, but fed her with all encouragements, she being too apt to overcharge herself, and to despair upon any addition of fuel to that fire which was inwardly consuming her.’”
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My comment: I think that Timothy Rogers would have encouraged people with life changing depression to seek a doctor who would attempt to find the proper modern medications for this, as he called it, disease.
CR
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Quotes #12…William Greenhill 1650
October 13, 2025Verse 3. – David would direct his prayer to God and look up; not down to the world, down to corruption, but up to God what he would speak. Psalm 85:8 – “I will hear what God the Lord will speak.” Let the resolution of the prophet be thine: “I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.” – Micah 7:7.
Verse 3 refers to Psalm 5:3. The quote is found in C.H.S.’s Treasury of David.
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Quote #10…Richard Baxter (1) 1615-1691
October 6, 2025Directions for profitable Reading the Holy Scriptures.
SEEING the diversity of men’s tempers and understandings is so exceedingly great, that it is impossible that any thing should be pleasing and suitable to some, which shall not be disliked and quarrelled with by others; and seeing in the Scriptures there are many things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest to their own destruction (a). And the word is to some the savour of death unto death (b). You have therefore need to be careful in reading it. And as Christ saith, “Take heed how you hear;(c)” so I say, Take heed how you read.
(…to be continued)
(a) Pet. 3:16. (b) Mark 4:24. 2 Cor. 2:16. (c) Luke 8:18.
From A Body of Practical Divinity, or A Christian Directory, Volume 3.
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Quotes #8…William Gurnall 1616-1679
September 29, 2025“I laid me down and slept; I awakened; for the Lord sustained me.” The title of the Psalm tells us when David had this sweet night’s rest; not when he lay on his bed of down in the stately palace at Jerusalem, but when he fled for his life from his unnatural son Absalom, and possibly was forced to lie in the open field under the canopy of heaven. Truly it must be a soft pillow indeed that could make him forget his danger, who then had such a disloyal army at his back hunting of him; yea, so transcendent is the influence of this peace, that it can make the creature lie down as cheerfully to sleep in the grave, as on the softest bed. You will say that child is willing that calls to be put to bed; some of the saints have desired God to lay them at rest in their beds of dust, and that not in a pet and discontent with their present trouble, as Job did, but from a sweet sense of this peace in their bosoms. ‘Now let thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation,” was the swan-like song of old Simeon. He speaks like a merchant that had got all his goods on the ship-board, and now desires the master of the ship to hoist sail, and be gone homewards. Indeed, what should a Christian, this is but a foreigner here, desire to stay any longer for in the world, but to get his full lading in for heaven? And when hath he that, if not when he is assured of his peace with God? This peace of the gospel, and sense of the love of God in the soul, doth so admirably conduce to the enabling of a person in all difficulties, and temptations, and troubles, that ordinarily, before he calls his saints to any hard service, or hot work, he gives them a draught of this cordial wine next their hearts, to cheer them up and embolden them in the conflict.
Quote about Psalm 3:5. Found in C.H.S.’s Treasury of David (Exposition of the Psalms)
A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.
3 O Lord, how my adversaries have increased!
Many are rising up against me.
2 Many are saying of my soul,
“There is no deliverance for him in God.” Selah.
3 But You, O Lord, are a shield about me,
My glory, and the One who lifts my head.
4 I was crying to the Lord with my voice,
And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah.
5 I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me round about.
7 Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God!
For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek;
You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.
8 Salvation belongs to the Lord;
Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah.
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Quotes…#3 Anne Herring 1978
September 7, 2025“So why should I worry? Why should I fret?
‘Cause I’ve got a Mansion Builder
Who ain’t through with me yet.”
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Refrain from the song “Mansion Builder”
THE SONG
This part of the song is based on John 14:2:
2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (King James Version)
2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. (New American Standard Version)
Many translators feel that, In light of the ancient Greek, mansions is better translated “dwelling places.” The noun mone (connected to the verb meno, “stay” or “remain”) means “a place to stay.”
Some feel that “In light of God’s nature, it is better to translate it mansions. Whatever dwelling place God has for us in heaven, it will be as glorious as a mansion.” (1)
(1) Enduring Word Commentary on John 14:2
Note: I’ll be happy for any space I’m given in heaven. My plan is to spend a good amount of time at the place mentioned in Revelation: 22:
1 “Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
cr
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Wings of the Wind 
The Person of Jesus Christ
December 4, 2025Recently, Bruce Cooper posted the following article. I found it provided clarity in a world that speaks so much of Jesus but seems to hardly know the Jesus described in the Bible. To know who Jesus is, one must turn to the Bible. It is where we get our knowledge. Here Bruce takes the words of scripture and provides a good glimpse into who our Savior is. The best way to build on this knowledge is to read and study the Bible for yourself.
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