7 selected quotes

Well bred people now do not talk about “the world, the flesh, and the devil”; they speak of “environment, heredity, and circumstances.” Anonymous

In Brazil there grows a common plant, which forest-dwellers call the matador, or “murderer.” Its slender stem creeps at first along the ground; but no sooner does it meet a vigorous tree, than, with clinging grasp, it cleaves to it, and climbs it, and, as it climbs, keeps, at short intervals, sending out arm-like tendrils that embrace the tree. As the murderer ascends, these ligatures grow larger, and clasp tighter. Up, up, it climbs a hundred feet, nay, two hundred if need by, until the last loftiest spire is gained and fettered. Then, as if in triumph, the parasite shoots a huge, flowery head above the strangled summit, and thence, from the dead tree’s crown, scatters its seed to do again the work of death. Even thus, worldliness has strangled more churches than ever persecution broke. Coley

An eagle, flying over a valley of ice, discovered a carcass, upon which it descended, and feasted so long, that its wings became frozen to the ice. In vain it struggled to mount upward: a vivid emblem of worldly desires. Anonymous

Our prayers often resemble the mischievous tricks of town children, who knock at their neighbor’s houses and then run away; we often knock at heaven’s door and then run off into the spirits of the world; instead of waiting for entrance and answer, we act as if we were afraid of having our prayers answered. Williams

God has three kinds of servants in the world—1) slaves, who serve Him from a principle of fear; 2) hirelings, who serve Him for the sake of wages; 3) sons, who serve Him under the influence of love. Anonymous

When Scoresby was selecting his men to accompany him in his Arctic explorations, he needed sailors who could stand the severest of exposures, and who had nerve to bear the worst trials. So every man who applied to accompany the expedition was made to stand barefooted on a great block of ice while the surgeon examined his body, and Scoresby inquired as they had not nerve to endure the test. The men who stood the trial made up a band of the most glorious heroes. So sometimes God tries us when he has in store for us some great undertaking. Many faint and excuse themselves from the start. Some endure, and make the heroes and leaders of the church. Vail