If things do not begin at the heart, whatsoever we do about spiritual things, they are of no value, of no use. We may perform duties,—we may pray, and preach, and hear; but if these things do not spring from the heart (that is, from faith, and love, and delight working in the heart), all is lost. A sacrifice without a heart, a silly dove that has no heart, are things God abhors, Hos. 7:11.

He endeavored to impress upon the minds of the brethren, the importance of settling their difficulties, and of uniting their prayers and their efforts for the promotion of Christ's kingdom. But his exhortations seemed to have but little effect, and perceiving that they had no proper sense of their dependence on God, but were placing undue reliance on him, he thought it best to withdraw.

From The Christian In Complete Armor. God would bring his saints to heaven in such a way as might be most expressive of his dear love and mercy to them. This way of communicating strength to saints gives a double accent to God's love and mercy. It distills a sweetness into all the believer has or does when he finds any comfort in his bosom, any enlargement of heart in duty, any support under temptations, to consider whence all these came, what friend sends them in. They came not from my own cistern or any creature's. O, it is my God who has been here, and left his sweet perfume of comfort behind him in my bosom!

The curiosity of the people was soon excited, and they flocked together to hear the stranger who had come so unexpectedly among them. At the close of one of his evening meetings, he informed them, that he had been requested to come and labor with them for a season, and he wished them to pray for a revival of religion, adding, "whether you do or not, it is possible there may be one, for christians in other places have agreed to pray for you." This produced great solemnity.

At the day of judgment, the saints in glory at Christ's right hand, will see the wicked at the left hand in their amazement and horror, will hear the judge pronounce sentence upon them, saying, " Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels;" and will see them go away into everlasting punishment. But the Scripture seems to hold forth to us, that the saints will not only see the misery of the wicked at the day of judgment, but the forementioned texts imply, that the state of the damned in hell will be in the view of the heavenly inhabitants; that the two worlds of happiness and misery will be in view of each other.

Jehovah speaks, and it is done; who shall resist his word? When his Spirit attends that word, shall it fall to the ground? "My word," saith he, "shall not return unto me void"; and all the sinners on earth and all the devils in hell cannot alter that grand decree. Every now and then there seems to be a lull in the history of holy work, a silence as of God, as if he were wearying of men, and would speak no longer to them. But ere long, in some unexpected quarter, the voice of the Lord is heard once more; some earnest spirit breaks the awful silence of spiritual death, and again the adversary is defeated. Outbursts of the great spirit of life, and light, and truth come at the divine will, when men least look for them or desire them. When Jesus has been crucified, even then the Holy Ghost descends, and the victories of the cross begin. No, my brethren, the Spirit of the Lord is not silenced: the voice of the Lord is heard above the tumults of the people.

The knowledge which he obtained while laboring in this region, led him to entertain great respect for the pastoral office. He was convinced that without a settled ministry, there could be no rational prospect of building up churches, or of enjoying genuine revivals of religion; that flocks scattered upon the mountains with no faithful shepherd to watch and feed them, would become the prey of "ravening wolves."