Andrew Gray

A Christian may likewise receive much joy and satisfaction from the consideration of the excellence and blessedness of heaven, when he remembers the greatness of his toil and labor, and when he thinks that once he shall be freed of all that ere long. Now then, let even the thoughts of the approaching of that day help you to bear your afflictions with patience. There is a precious and immense hope set before you that may remove all the bitterness of afflictions. The consideration of heaven may remove, I say, all the bitterness and anxiety in this time; it will cast a divine smell on all the crosses that we encounter in this life. A soul that is filled with the joy of heaven cannot be much anxious for the lack of anything here on earth.

Unbelief is an evil thing; nothing puts so great a price on precious Christ as faith does. It is certain that unbelief keeps love at a very low exercise; likewise, unbelief hinders the grace of mortification. I can hardly believe that a Christian under the practice of unbelief can attain the mortification of any lust because he cannot take hold of Him in whose strength only will lusts be mortified.

There are three idols that Christians find very hard to mortify, namely, the applause of the world, the pleasures of the world, and the reproaches of the world.