Quotes by William Gurnall
William Gurnall (1616–1679) — Puritanischer Pastor · Puritaner · England
William Gurnall war ein englischer puritanischer Geistlicher des 17. Jahrhunderts, der von 1644 bis zu seinem Tod als Pfarrer in Lavenham wirkte. Bekanntheit erlangte er durch sein umfangreiches Werk „The Christian in Complete Armour“ über die geistliche Waffenrüstung, geriet jedoch 1662 durch seine Anpassung an den staatlichen Act of Uniformity in Konflikt mit nonkonformistischen Puritanern. Heutigen Bibellesern bietet sein Werk eine detailreiche theologische und seelsorgliche Auslegung des Epheserbriefs zur Praxis von Gebet und geistlicher Wachsamkeit.
Era: Reformation & Baroque
Recurring topics: Growth & Character, Temptation & Struggle, The Bible & the Word of God, Prayer & Silence, Faith & Trust, Discipleship, Grace & Redemption, Guilt & Forgiveness
Quotes by William Gurnall
God’s wounds cure, sin’s kisses kill.
William Gurnall
Hope fills the afflicted soul with such inward joy and consolation, that it can laugh while tears are in the eye, sigh and sing all in a breath; it is called “the rejoicing of hope” (Hebrews 3:6).
William Gurnall
The reason why many poor souls have so little heat of joy in their hearts is that they have so little light of Gospel knowledge in their mind. The further a soul stands from the light of truth, the further he must be from the heat of comfort.
William Gurnall
We fear men so much, because we fear God so little.
William Gurnall
In heaven we shall appear, not in armor, but in robes of glory. But here these are to be worn night and day; we must talk, work and sleep in them, or else we are not true soldiers of Christ.
William Gurnall
Pray often rather than very long at a time. It is hard to be very long in prayer, and not slacken in our affections.
William Gurnall
Unholiness in a preacher’s life will either stop his mouth from reproving, or the people’s ears from receiving.
William Gurnall
If thou dost not stumble at this stone, the devil hath another at hand to throw in the way. He is not so unskillful a fowler as to go with one single shot into the field; and therefore expect him, as soon as he hath discharged one, and missed thee, to let fly at thee with a second.
William Gurnall
Compare Scripture with Scripture. False doctrines, like false witnesses, agree not among themselves.
William Gurnall
Go to God by prayer for a key to unlock the mysteries of His Word. It is not the plodding but the praying soul, that will get this treasure of Scripture knowledge. God often brings a truth to the Christian’s hand as a return of prayer, which he had long hunted for in vain with much labour and study: “There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets” (Dan. 2:28); and where doth He reveal the secrets of His world but at the throne of grace?
William Gurnall
Thou must be righteous and holy, before thou canst live righteously and holily.
William Gurnall
He cannot be a bold reprover, that is not a conscientious liver; such a one must speak softly, for fear of waking his own guilty conscience.
William Gurnall
The want of a renewed heart is a hair on the moral man’s pen, that blurs and blots his copy when he writes fairest. His unrightness does others more good in this world than himself in the next.
William Gurnall
Thou hast an art above God Himself, if thou canst fetch any true pleasure out of unholiness.
William Gurnall
The minister’s work debilitates nature; like the candle, he wastes while he shines.
William Gurnall
You serve a God who makes His covenants everlasting.
William Gurnall
To forsake sin, is to leave it without any thought reserved of returning to it again.
William Gurnall
God would not rub so hard if it were not to fetch out the dirt that is ingrained in our natures. God loves purity so well He had rather see a hole than a spot in His child’s garments.
William Gurnall
The Christian is bred by the Word, and he must be fed by it.
William Gurnall
We must come to good works by faith, and not to faith by good works.
William Gurnall
You now have, Christian, the armour of God; but take heed thou forgettest not to engage the God of this armour by humble prayer for your assistance, lest for all this you be worsted in the fight.
William Gurnall
The miracles were to the gospel as seals are to a writing.
William Gurnall
Zeal that burns hot against sin but remains cold toward holiness is false.
William Gurnall
The Spirit will do nothing for believers without the Word, and they in turn can do nothing without the Spirit.
William Gurnall
I had rather be a sober heathen than a drunken Christian.
William Gurnall
When thoughts or inclinations contrary to the will and ways of God creep in, many dear Christians mistake these miserable orphans for their own children, and take upon themselves the full responsibility for these carnal passions. So deftly does the devil slip his own thoughts into the saints’ bosom that by the time they begin to whimper, he is already out of sight. And the Christian, seeing no one but himself at home, supposes these misbegotten notions are his own. So he bears the shame himself, and Satan has accomplished his purpose.
William Gurnall
Prayer is nothing but the promise reversed, or God’s Word formed into an argument, and retorted by faith upon God again.
William Gurnall
Thou must be an attentive hearer; he that is awake, but wanders with his eye or heart, what doth he but sleep with his eyes open?
William Gurnall
The more knowledge we acquire, and the more sophisticated we become in the study of faith, the more careful we must be of error!
William Gurnall
Praying is the same to the new creature as crying is to the natural. The child is not learned by art or example to cry, but instructed by nature; it comes into the world crying. Praying is not a lesson got by forms and rules of art, but flowing from principles of new life itself.
William Gurnall
He hath engaged to answer the prayers of His people, and “fulfill the desires of those that fear Him.” But it proves a long voyage sometimes before the praying saint hath the return of his adventure. There comes oft a long and sharp winter between the sowing-time of prayer, and the reaping. He hears us indeed as soon as we pray, but we oft do not hear of Him so soon. Prayers are not long in their journey to heaven, but long a coming thence in a full answer.
William Gurnall
Say not that thou hast royal blood in thy veins and art born of God, unless thou canst prove thy pedigree by daring to be holy.
William Gurnall
When a pastor does not preach sound doctrine, he does not perfect the understanding of the sheep, but corrupts them.
William Gurnall
This is the difference between religion and atheism; religion does not grow without planting, but will die even where it is planted without watering. Atheism, irreligion, and profaneness are weeds that will grow without setting, but they will not die without plucking up.
William Gurnall
When thou prayest before others, observe on what thou bestowest thy chief care and zeal, whether in the externals or internals of prayer, that which is exposed to the eye and ear of men, or that which should be prepared for the eye and ear of God; the devout posture of thy body, or the inward devotion of thy soul; the pomp of thy words or the power of thy faith; the agitation of thy bodily spirits in the vehemency of thy voice, or the fervency of thy spirit in heartbreaking affections. These inward workings of the soul in prayer, are the very soul of prayer.
William Gurnall
None sink so far into hell as those that come nearest heaven, because they fall from the greatest height.
William Gurnall
Satan cannot deny but that great wonders have been wrought by prayer. As the spirit of prayer goes up, so his kingdom goes down. Satan’s strategies against prayer are three. First, if he can, he will keep thee from prayer. If that be not feasible, secondly, he will strive to interrupt thee in prayer. And, thirdly, if that plot takes not, he will labor to hinder the success of thy prayer.
William Gurnall
[Fear] is Satan’s weapon held in reserve. When alluring temptations fail, he opens his quiver and shoots these arrows to set the soul on fire, if not with sin then with terror. When he cannot carry a soul laughing to hell through the deception of pleasurable temptations, he will try to make him go mourning to heaven by this amazing attack. It is a sure sign that Satan is losing. The arrows he shot at Job were of this kind. When God let the devil practice his skill, why did Satan not tempt Job with some golden apple of profit or pleasure or some other enticement? Surely the high testimony God gave about Job discouraged him from these methods. Satan had no tactic left but this.
William Gurnall
And therefore you who think so basely of the Gospel and the professors of it, because at present their peace and comfort are not come, should know that it is on the way to them, and comes to stay everlastingly with them; whereas your peace is going from you every moment, and is sure to leave you without any hope of returning to you again. Look not how the Christian begins, but ends.
William Gurnall
40 quotes in total — browse the collection.
Sources: banneroftruth.org, churchandfamilylife.com, apuritansmind.com, ccel.org
All quotes · lumen.bible