Quotes from Matthew Henry (1/5)

Quotes from Matthew Henry (1/5)

            Matthew Henry is one of the most famous commentators in Christian history. Rarely have I gone into a pastor’s office without seeing a set of Henry’s commentaries on the shelf. He was a Puritan, a firm believer in sovereign grace, and a fervent lover of the Lord Jesus Christ. His commentaries have influenced such great preachers as George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, and Charles Spurgeon. In fact, George Whitefield is famous for having read through these commentaries four times – once on his knees. The following quotes will hopefully help the reader to see why this man was so influential. Perhaps some will even be inspired to purchase a set of his commentaries and begin to read them. After some of the quotes I have added a personal word of explanation or exhortation:

“Christ came to save sinners, not in their sins, but from their sins.”

“Those who lose for Him will not lose by Him”(in other words, service to God may be costly, but God rewards those who are His)

“John the Baptist did not come to ‘preach before them, but to preach to them’” (All preachers would do well to follow the example of the Baptist)

“Do not get even with those who mistreat you, get beyond them by forgiving them.”

“If prayerless, then graceless.”

“In prayer, inward impressions must be answerable to outward expressions.”

“Honor is like a shadow, it flees from those that follow it and it follows those that flee from it.”

“Hell is the destruction not of thy being, but of thy well-being.”

“The best of men are men at best.”

“Never be ashamed of the gospel, and never be a shame to it.”

“God uses the service of many, but needs the service of none.”

“The best way to lay up what you have is to lay it out” (that is, you only really keep what you give away)

“Preaching may not always have the desired success but it always has the designed success.”

“If religion be worth anything it is worth everything.”

“Sometimes there is most of the power of religion where there is least of the pomp of it.

“it is possible to go beyond your neighbors and yet come short of heaven.”

“When faith is weak, prayer should be strong.”

“In worship that only comes to him which comes from him.”

“Those who do not want to be reformed hate to be informed.”

“Prayers that seem to be disregarded are to prove, and so to improve, our faith.”

Tags: matthew henry, quotations