Lord, when the sense of Thy sweet grace

Sends up my soul to seek Thy face,

Thy blessed eyes breed such desire,

I die in love's delicious fire.

O Love! I am thy sacrifice,

Be still triumphant, blessed eyes;

Still shine on me, fair suns! that I

Still may behold though still I die.

Though still I die, I live again,

Still longing so to be still slain;

So gainful is such loss of breath,

I die even in desire of death.

Still live in me this loving strife

Of living death and dying life:

For while Thou sweetly slayest me,

Dead to myself, I live in Thee.

Richard Crashaw (1613-1649), The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw, London: J. R. Smith, 1858, p. 204

Do you feel anything of the importance of being forgiven? Then, in the name of God, I call upon you to encourage that feeling more and more. This is the point to which we desire to bring all people's souls. We want you to understand that religion does not consist in professing certain opinions, and performing certain outward duties, and going through certain outward forms. It consists in being reconciled to God, and enjoying peace with Him. It consists in having our sins cleansed away, and knowing that they are cleansed. It consists in being brought back into friendship with the King of kings, and living in the sunshine of that friendship.

Do not listen to those who are inclined to persuade you that if you only "go to church" regularly you will go to heaven. Settle it rather in your mind, that true saving religion, such as the Bible teaches, is another kind of thing altogether. The very foundation of real Christianity is to know that you have many sins, and deserve hell - and to feel the importance of having these sins cleansed away, in order that you may go to heaven.~ J.C. Ryle, Old Paths, “Our Sins”, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1999], 159, 160.

If the Lord should bring a wicked man to heaven, heaven would be hell to him; for he who loves not grace upon earth will never love it in heaven.-Christopher Love

Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end.-- Denis Waitley

To falter before the forces of life when the power of God is available is unfortunate and above all unnecessary.

-E. Ray Jones