[Christians] should hope in God confidently, because He hath promised; prayerfully, for He loves to hear from us; obediently, for His precepts are to be observed by us; and constantly, for He is always the same.
The Believer’s Daily Remembrance.
Despondency does not become a prince, much less a Christian. Our God is “THE GOD OF HOPE”; and we should hope in Him. [We] should hope in His mercy, in His patience, in His provision, in His plenteous redemption. [We] should hope for light in darkness; for strength in weakness; for direction in perplexity; for deliverance in danger; for victory in conflict; and for triumph in death.
The Believer’s Daily Remembrance.
Surely if our hearts were right – we would delight in [God] on account of His glorious perfections; His unalterable love; the perfect atonement made for our sins; the promises made for our comfort and encouragement; the gift of the Holy Spirit; the communion we are urged to hold with Himself; and the glorious paradise of blessedness set before us – where we shall forever view the unfolding of His glories, enjoy the riches of His grace, and drink of the river of His pleasures!
The Believer’s Companion in Seasons of Affliction and Trouble, 1842.
There is mercy with the Lord; this should encourage the miserable to approach Him; this informs the fearful that they need bring nothing to induce Him to bless them; this calls upon backsliders to return to Him; and this is calculated to cheer the tried Christian, under all his troubles and distresses. Remember, mercy is like God, it is infinite and eternal. Mercy is always on the throne. Mercy may be obtained by any sinner.
Quoted in: C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, Psalm 130:7.
What a mystery of mercy is this! We have no righteousness of our own. Our best is but as filthy rags. God requires a righteousness, and one that will meet all the demands of His law, and satisfy His impartial justice, in order to our justification. Jesus, therefore, came to do, and to suffer, all that was necessary to make us righteous, divinely righteous. The righteousness of God, or as righteous as He is righteous. The righteous of God in Him. We now, therefore become righteous, perfectly righteous, not by obeying the law, but by faith in Christ, union to Christ, and participation with Christ. Faith brings us to Christ, the Holy Spirit unites us to Christ, and then we participate in all Christ has. His life is our righteousness, His death is our atonement, His intercession is our salvation. He took our place that we might take His. He came to toil for us that we may rest with Him. He sorrowed for us that we may rejoice with Him. He died for us that we may live with Him. Blessed Redeemer, how wondrous your love! How perfect your work!
The Marvelous Exchange.
Delighting in worldly things – effectually prevents our delighting in God. Therefore it is often the case, that the Lord strips us of these things, or incapacitates us to enjoy them – in order to bring us back to delight in Himself.
The Believer’s Companion in Seasons of Affliction and Trouble, 1842.