Matthew Henry Quotes

Eve was not taken out of Adam's head to top him, neither out of his feet to be trampled on by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected by him, and near his heart to be loved by him.

Cast not away your confidence because God defers his performances. That which does not come in your time, will be hastened in his time, which is always the more convenient season. God will work when he pleases, how he pleases, and by what means he pleases. He is not bound to keep our time, but he will perform his work, honor our faith, and reward them that diligently seek him.

Hope for the best, get ready for the worst, and then take what God chooses to send.

Extraordinary afflictions are not always the punishment of extraordinary sins, but sometimes the trial of extraordinary graces.

Christ died. He left a will in which He gave His soul to His Father, His body to Joseph of Arimathea, His clothes to the soldiers, and His mother to John. But to His disciples, who had left all to follow Him, He left not silver or gold, but something far better-His PEACE!

The Bible is a letter God has sent to us; prayer is a letter we send to him.

Christ's followers cannot expect better treatment in the world than their Master had.

It was the greatest honor God did to man that he made man in the image of God; but it is the greatest dishonor man has done to God that he has made God in the image of man.

The more reverence we have for the Word of God, the more joy we shall find in it.

There is a burden of care in getting riches; fear in keeping them; temptation in using them; guilt in abusing them; sorrow in losing them; and a burden of account at last to be given concerning them.

No attribute of God is more dreadful to sinners than His holiness.

God has wisely kept us in the dark concerning future events and reserved for himself the knowledge of them, that he may train us up in a dependence upon himself and a continued readiness for every event.

After a storm comes a calm.

Wherever the fear of God rules in the heart, it will appear both in works of charity and piety, and neither will excuse us from the other.

Whatever we have of this world in our hands, our care must be to keep it out of our hearts, lest it come between us and Christ.

Nothing exposes religion more to the reproach of its enemies than the worldliness and half-heartedness of the professors of it.

The meek are those who quietly submit themselves to God, to His Word and to His rod, who follow His directions, and comply with His designs, and are gentle toward all men.

Peace is such a precious jewel that I would give anything for it but truth.

Some people do not like to hear much of repentance; but I think it is so necessary that if I should die in the pulpit, I would desire to die preaching repentance, and if out of the pulpit I would desire to die practicing it.

There is one death bed repentance recorded in the Bible (the thief on the cross), so that no one despair, but there is ONLY one, so that no one will presume.

Meekness is calm confidence, settled assurance, and rest of the soul. It is the tranquil stillness of a soul that is at rest in Christ. It is the place of peace. Meekness springs from a heart of humility, radiating the fragrance of Christ.

By the light of nature we see God as a God above us, by the light of the law we see Him as a God against us, but by the light of the gospel we see Him as Emmanuel, God with us.

None can know their election but by their conformity to the image of Christ; for all that are chosen are chosen to sanctification.

It is not enough for us to be where God is worshipped, if we do not ourselves worship him.

It ought to be the business of every day to prepare for our last day.

Let us watch against unbelief, pride, and self-confidence. If we go forth in our own strength, we shall faint, and utterly fall; but, waiting on the Lord, out of weakness we shall be made strong. Having our hearts and our hopes in heaven, we shall be carried above all difficulties, and be enabled to press forward and lay hold of the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus.

Come, and see the victories of the cross. Christ's wounds are thy healings, His agonies thy repose, His conflicts thy conquests, His groans thy songs, His pains thine ease, His shame thy glory, His death thy life, His sufferings thy salvation.

Our duty as Christians is always to keep heaven in our eye and earth under our feet.

What we count the ills of life are often blessings in disguise, resulting in good to us in the end. Though for the present not joyous but grievous, yet, if received in a right spirit, they work out fruits of righteousness for us at last.

We should take heed of pride; it is a sin that turned angels into devils.

What God requires of us he himself works in us, or it is not done. He that commands faith, holiness, and love, creates them by the power of his grace going along with his word, that he may have all the praise.

Hard words indeed break no bones, but many a heart has been broken by them.

Those who teach by their doctrine must teach by their life, or else they pull down with one hand what they build up with the other.

Prayer is a salve for every sore, a remedy for every malady; and when we are afflicted with thorns in the flesh, we should give ourselves to prayer. If an answer be not given to the first prayer, nor to the second, we are to continue praying. Troubles are sent to teach us to pray; and are continued, to teach us to continue instant in prayer.

ThanksGiving is good but ThanksLiving is better.

Seducers are more dangerous enemies to the church than persecutors.

The best we can say to God in prayer, is what He has said to us.

They that die by famine die by inches.

Blushing is the colour of virtue.

Those that set God always before them and walk before him with all their hearts, shall find him as good as his word and better; he will both keep covenant with them and show mercy to them.

If God and his grace do not rule us, sin and Satan will have possession of us.

The riches we impart are the only wealth we shall always retain.

A modest dress is a very good thing, if it be the genuine indication of a humble heart, and is to instruct; but it is a bad thing if it be the hypocritical disguise of a proud ambitious heart, and is to deceive. Let men be really as good as they seem to be, but not seem to be better than really they are.

None so blind as those who will not see.

Brotherly love is still the distinguishing badge of every true Christian.

That which God plants he will take care to keep watered.

Man takes a great deal of pains to heap up riches, and they are but like heaps of manure in the furrows of the field, good for nothing unless they be spread.

None are sent empty away from Christ but those who come to him full of themselves.

Here is bread, which strengthens man's heart, and therefore is called the staff of Life.

When we are calling to God to turn the eye of His favor towards us He is calling to us to turn the eye of our obedience towards Him.