David Lucas

“the ultimate cause of all spiritual depression is unbelief.”
― D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cures

“The whole chain [of God's love] so holds, that all the creatures in heaven and earth cannot break a link of it. Whom he calls he will justify and glorify. Therefore never doubt of continuance, for it holds firm on God's part, not thine. God embraces us in the arms of his everlasting love, not that we embraced him first. When the child is safe from falling, it is from the mother's holding the child, and not from the child's holding the mother. So it is God's holding of us, knowing of us, embracing of us, and justifying of us that maketh the state firm, and not ours ; for ours is but a reflection and result of his, which is unvariable. (A Heavenly Conference, p. 439)”
― Richard Sibbes, The Works of Richard Sibbes Volume 6

“Rarely do we see a person so entirely taken up with spiritual matters, that attention to this world’s affairs is made a secondary matter or postponed. And why is it so? Simply because true conversions to God are uncommon.”
― J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of John [Annotated, Updated]: A Commentary

“The delight and pleasure resulting from the observation of providence are exceedingly great, and it will doubtless be a part of our entertainment in heaven to view, with transporting delight, how the designs and methods were laid to bring us thither. And what will be a part of our blessedness in heaven may be well allowed to be a prime ingredient in our heaven upon earth. To search for pleasure among the due observations of providence is to search for water in the ocean, for providence does not only ultimately design to bring you to heaven but as intermediate thereunto to bring, by this means, much of heaven into your souls in the way thither. How great a pleasure is it to discern how the most wise God is providentially steering all to the port of His own praise and His people’s happiness while the whole world is busily employed in managing the sails and tugging at the oars, with quite an opposite design and purpose!”
― John Flavel, The Mystery of Providence