Democracy killed by apathy ~ Hutchins

“The democratic enterprise is imperiled if any one of us says, ‘I do not have to try to think for myself, or make the most of myself, or become a citizen of the world republic of learning.’ The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment.”

~ Robert Maynard Hutchins, The Great Conversation

Books over our heads needed ~ Mortimer Adler

‎"I think it's terribly important for each of us, everyone, to find a number of books that are over their heads. Because if a person reads only books that are on the level of his head, he can't lift his head up. It's the books that are over one's head, which one only partially understands at first and must work at to understand more, that can possibly elevate you." 

~ Mortimer Adler

Life improved by literature ~ Sir Richard Livingstone

“We are tied down, all our days and for the greater part of our days, to the commonplace. That is where contact with great thinkers, great literature helps. In their company we are still in the ordinary world, but it is the ordinary world transfigured and seen through the eyes of wisdom and genius. And some of their vision becomes our own.”

~ Sir Richard Livingstone

Guided by experience - William James

“There are moments of sentimental and mystical experience . . . that carry an enormous sense of inner authority and illumination with them when they come. But they come seldom, and they do not come to everyone; and the rest of life makes either no connection with them, or tends to contradict them more than it confirms them. Some persons follow more the voice of the moment in these cases, some prefer to be guided by the average results.” 

~ William James

Improvement of society -- Spotts

"While the work of the institutional Church is to teach and administer Word and sacraments, the part of individual Christians is to strive, personally and by organization, to improve the well-being of their fellows by every good means, whether in the home, industry, government, or the academy. For the Christian, every improvement of society is in fact a God-glorifying act of love."

~ M. Benjamin Spotts

True repentance changes the whole direction of life -- Spotts

"True repentance changes the whole direction of life toward God, from legalism to one of gratitude for His having freely granted and secured one's salvation. Those who repent cast all upon Christ and embark on a life purified in the pursuit of conformity to His character."

~ M. Benjamin Spotts:.

Repentance is not turning from certain sins only -- Spotts

"Repentance unto life is not turning from certain sins only, but is to turn entirely from a legal relationship with God based on personal merit to one that trusts only in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ as the just, full satisfaction for all one's righteousness."

~ M. Benjamin Spotts:.

The myth of free will -- Spotts

"The myth of free will implodes the idea of the effectual power of the gospel. What ought to be an incredibly dynamic act of God working through the preached word, is reduced to little more than a program for teaching sinners the rules of play. Free will portrays God, not as champion, but as one who roots helplessly from heavenly bleachers for sinners to run the ball home. The truth is, victory belongs to God alone."

~ M. Benjamin Spotts:.

Money and power -- Spotts

"Gilded hands hold scepters."

~ M. Benjamin Spotts:.

Jewelry, the sacrament of true nobility -- Spotts

"Jewelry, being the sacrament of true nobility, has need of the Spirit to effect the inward reality there signified. Unlike baptism, where this outward sign is not found we are even more charitable to expect the grace it represents."

~ M. Benjamin Spotts:.

Jewelry a substitute for true nobility -- Spotts

"Jewelry came into fashion simply because those who would style themselves 'nobility' found gems less rare and costly to procure than truly noble character."

~ M. Benjamin Spotts:.

Why the rich wear jewelry -- Spotts

"Lords and ladies hope by an abundance of gold and gems to mask their dearth of truly noble characteristics."

~ M. Benjamin Spotts:.

Women suited to riches -- Spotts

"Intelligence and modesty are more rare and exquisite than diamonds; virtuous hearts more regal than ruby brooches. Women who desire wealth for purposes of multiplying good to others, more than to adorn their bodies for vain admiration, are the sort best suited to fortune and worthy of noble dress. Such should not have rings only, but the trust of a man's whole house."

~ M. Benjamin Spotts

If justice is not a natural principle - Spooner

"If justice be not a natural principle, then there is no such thing as injustice; and all the crimes of which the world has been the scene, have been no crimes at all; but only simple events like the falling of the rain or the setting of the sun."

~ Lysander Spooner

Power rests on money -- Spooner

"All political power, so called, rests practically upon this matter of money. Any number of scoundrels, having money enough to start with, can establish themselves as a "government"; because, with money, they can hire soldiers, and with soldiers extort more money; and also compel general obedience to their will. It is with government, as Caesar said it was in war, that money and soldiers mutually supported each other; that with money he could hire soldiers, and with soldiers extort money. So these villains, who call themselves governments, well understand that their power rests primarily upon money. With money they can hire soldiers, and with soldiers extort money. And, when their authority is denied, the first use they always make of money, is to hire soldiers to kill or subdue all who refuse them more money."

-- Lysander Spooner

God their gold -- Matthew Henry

"Worldlings make gold their god; saints make God their gold."

—Matthew Henry

Death of sin -- John Owen

"There is no death of sin without the death of Christ."

-- John Owen, "Of the Mortification of Sin," Works 6:33

Submitted by Danny Hyde

The fire which burns up lust -- John Owen

"He [the Holy Spirit] is the fire which burns up the very root of lust."

-- John Owen, "Of the Mortification of Sin," Works 6:19

Submitted by Danny Hyde

When we may let sin alone -- John Owen

"When sin let us alone we may let sin alone."

-- John Owen, "Of the Mortification of Sin," Works 6:11

Submitted by Danny Hyde

Killing sin -- John Owen

"Be killing sin or it will be killing you."

-- John Owen, "Of the Mortification of Sin," Works 6:9

Submitted by Danny Hyde

Government, a necessary evil -- Paine

"Society is produced by our wants, and government by wickedness; the former promotes our happiness POSITIVELY by uniting our affections, the latter NEGATIVELY by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher. Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one."

-- Thomas Paine, "Common Sense"

When we speak as ministers and not as men -- Spurgeon

“When we speak as ministers and not as men, as preachers instead of penitents, as theologians instead of disciples, we fail.” 

--Charles Spurgeon, An All-Round Ministry, Banner of Truth, p. 64.
Submitted by Danny Hyde

Man may easier see without eyes -- Owen

"A man may easier see without eyes, speak without a tongue, than truly mortify one sin without the Spirit."

—John Owen, "Of the Mortification of Sin," Works 6:34 

Submitted by Danny Hyde

Sabbath must be a delectable thing -- Thomas Case

"The sabbath must be a delectable thing to us, a nest of sweetnesses, the delight of our eyes, the joy and rejoicing of our hearts, a day wherein all our comforts and pleasures do concentre; all our fresh springs must be in it."
—Thomas Case, "Of Sabbath Sanctification," 37–38

Submitted by Danny Hyde

Making decisions -- Spotts

"For the Christian, decision-making is an act of love to God and man. Godly deliberation does not consist in seeking mystical signs of 'confirmation', but is to ask oneself, 'how may I love best?', then to seek that answer by Spirit-enabled study of scripture."

-- M. Benjamin Spotts:.

Boasting rightly -- Spotts

"Why should I be puffed up for what little I know of God, when I can boast that I am known most fully and freely by Him?"

-- M. Benjamin Spotts:.

Charity to others for Christ's sake -- Spotts

"If through Christ's merit my brothers were counted worthy of His shed blood, why then should I not count them as worthy of my patience, meekness, and affection?"

-- M. Benjamin Spotts:.

Afflicting the body -- Spotts

"Christ redeemed his saints to make of them one body. Yet we constantly afflict what parts we consider weaker than ourselves!"

-- M. Benjamin Spotts:.

Great counselors -- Spotts

"Great counselors have great compass and even greater compassion."

-- M. Benjamin Spotts:.

Traits of skilled advisers -- Spotts

"The twin traits of skilled advisers are patent wisdom and winsome patience."

-- M. Benjamin Spotts:.

Scholars and Teachers -- Spotts

"The difference between scholars and teachers is that the first excel most in the matter they study, while to the other, their students matter most."

-- M. Benjamin Spotts:.

Scholarship and teaching as acts of love -- Spotts

"Theologians must view scholarship as fulfillment of the greatest command, and teaching as service in the second. Where study expresses love of God, instruction is love for one's neighbor."

-- M. Benjamin Spotts:.

An inseparable connection between truth and godliness -- Hyde

‎"God has established an inseparable connection between truth and godliness. If truth remains in our heads but does not proceed to dwell in our hearts and find expression in our conduct, then we are no different, James says, than the devils."

-- Daniel R Hyde, 'Welcome to a Reformed Church'

Self-Esteem and Intrinsic Value -- Solis

"Regarding self-esteem, the only reason it became necessary is that the non-theist's creation myth resulted, logically, in the notion that humans have no intrinsic value, which is true. Humans have value because God values them."

-- James Frank Solís

Pure Worship -- Spotts

"Worship in its purest form delights more in believing and professing the truth of God than in how the words are said or sung."

-- M. Benjamin Spotts:.

Beaten in the fire -- Spotts

" If God beats you in the fire, it is to forge your faith into something harder than steel."

-- M. Benjamin Spotts:.

Faith and weakness -- Spotts

"We are strong in Christ as we are weak in ourselves: the extent to which we believe this, is faith."

-- M. Benjamin Spotts:.

Kitch, Art, and Geius - M. Benjamin Spotts

"Kitsch is easily made and easily replicated. Art is something difficult for the artist, and still harder for others to repeat. Genius is when an expression becomes natural for an artist, and impossible for others to reproduce." 

-- M. Benjamin Spotts:.

Tollerable despair - Soren Kierkegaard

"People settle for a level of despair they can tolerate and call it happiness." -- Soren Kierkegaard.

The educated mind

"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain an idea without necessarily accepting it."
-- Aristotle

Textual Context, Clowney

‎"The meaning of a passage in its total context, is the meaning it has in relation to its fulfillment in Christ."

-- Edmund Clowney, Lectures on Biblical Theology, iTunes U

Education grants immunity from ignorance

‎"A man who has lived in many places is not likely to be deceived by the local errors of his native village; the scholar has lived in many times and is therefore in some degree immune from the great cataract of nonsense that pours from the press and the microphone of his own age." --C.S. Lewis

Material mindset detrimental to personal growth - Starek

"It is highly probable that the mental set associated with performance in western society is not something to be aspired to if you seek a deeper connection with the core of your being."

- Joanna Starek, Studies on athletic success and self-deception 

Discernment - Charles Spurgeon

“Discernment is not simply a matter of telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather it is the difference between right and almost right.”

- Charles Spurgeon

Christ's assumption - Gregory of Nazianzus

"Whatever He did not assume, He did not redeem."

- Gregory of Nazianzus, on the real incarnation of divine Christ as mortal man.

Grace teaches men to be gracious - Sproul

"If you really believe in the doctrines of grace, then you learn how to be gracious."

- R. C. Sproul, Christless Christianity: 2010 West Coast Conference

Democracy antithetical to compulsed welfare - Thomas Jefferson

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

- Thomas Jefferson

Paying of national debts - Thomas Jefferson

"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save on-half the wars of the world."

- Thomas Jefferson"

America's future happiness - Thomas Jefferson

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."

- Thomas Jefferson"

Freedom and Arms - Thomas Jefferson

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."

-Thomas Jefferson

Origins of bad government - Thomas Jefferson

"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."

-Thomas Jefferson

War and Folly - Pericles

"For those of course who have a free choice in the matter and whose fortunes are not at stake, war is the greatest of follies. But if the only choice was between submission with loss of independence, and danger with the hope of preserving that independence, in such a case it is he who will not accept the risk that deserves blame, not he who will."

- Pericles, c. 428 BC

Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War

Keeping ourselves unspotted - Francis Schaeffer

"Those standing in the stream of historic Christianity have been especially slow to understand the relationships between various areas of thought. When the apostle warned us to 'keep [ourselves] unspotted from the world,' he was not talking of some abstraction. If the Christian is to apply this injunction to himself he must understand what confronts him antagonistically in his own moment of history. Otherwise he simply becomes a useless museum piece and not a living warrior for Jesus Christ." 

- Francis Schaeffer, The God Who Is There
Contributed by Ryan Thompson

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Freedom Downsized - The New American Century

"The concept of freedom for which so many men had given their lives in the war against the Nazis was slowly transformed and downsized into the concept of freedom of choice in personal shopping."

- The New American Century

Worth watching, especially the last thirty minutes. Gives all new meaning to the words, "where do wars come from?" [James 4:1-5] Be prepared to curb your anger.

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Worlds Unto Ourselves - John Calvin

"If it were not our duty to help one another it would have been necessary for God to make as many worlds as there are men, so that everyone might devote all his attention to himself; but He hath made us fellow workers."

- John Calvin, Mystery of Godliness

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