The Christian Ministry Quotes

“It is not easy to overcome our natural love of ease, our indisposition to self-denying devotedness, and our false tenderness in flinching from the declaration of unpalatable truths.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“What a large share of humility, what unceasing supply of Divine grace, is needed to resist a temptation, that falls in so powerfully with the selfish principle of the natural heart!”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“Covetousness is far more specious than worldly conformity. It has much to plead under the cover of necessity, justice, prudence, and economy.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“No one attains remarkable eminence or success, without a resolute and habitual self-denial in subordinating every secondary point to the primary object.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“The direct violation of Christian integrity has a necessary tendency to enfeeble exertion, by diverting our mind from that main object, which should be always directing our whole time and energies, and compared with which every other object is utterly unimportant—the edification and salvation of our people. The voice of conscience and duty speaks with a weaker tone in a worldly atmosphere. The habits of self-indulgence are strengthened, and the exercises of self-denial proportionably diminished in frequency and effectiveness.  ”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“How much more afraid are we of others going too far, than of coming short ourselves of the full requisitions of the Scriptural standard!—sometimes preferring intercourse with our brethren of a lower standard, or even with the world, rather than with those, whose Ministry most distinctly bears the mark of the cross!”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“it is but too plain, that we have lost that distinction of "the servants of Christ," which it would have been our honour to have preserved; that our Christian prudence has degenerated into worldly cowardice; and that our conversation with the world has been regulated by the fear of man, fleshly indulgence, and practical unbelief of the most solemn warnings of the Gospel.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“The contempt also of the Sabbath—the predominant character of pleasure, dissipation, and the general inattention or opposition to religion in the heads of the parish—too often present a hostile front to our course of effort and instruction.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“In the Church he " transforms himself into an angel of light" s— exhibiting either the attractive idol of self-righteousness—or that most inveterate form of antichrist—the dependence on the profession of a pure doctrine.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“In the professing church—this restless enemy works his artful leaven with "all deceivableness of unrighteousness;" covering his spiritual wiles with some new and pleasing doctrines, adapted to the taste of the times; and thus poisoning the bread of life by the adulteration of man's devices.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“Thus our whole course is a struggle against the mighty current of sin—flowing out of that restless bias of the natural heart, which upon the highest authority is declared to be " enmity against God.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high," the wilderness, notwithstanding the most diligent cultivation, must remain a wilderness still.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“No man ever yet imagined, that the strewing a dead body with flowers would raise it to life; no more can the urging a man spiritually dead with eloquent motives ever make him to open his eyes, and to stand upon his feet.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“want of Ministerial success is most extensively and mournfully felt. We are sometimes ready to believe, and to complain, that none labour so unfruitfully as ourselves. Men of the world expect their return in some measure proportioned to their labour. Alas! with us, too often, " is our strength labour and sorrow;" and at best attended with a very scanty measure of effect; and we are compelled to realize the awful sight of immortal souls perishing under our very eye; dead to the voice of life and love, and madly listening to the voice that plunges them into perdition!”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“Thus discouragements, properly sustained and carefully improved, become our most fruitful sources of eventual encouragement while love to our work bears us on above all our difficulties.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“The kindness of the world is far more formidable than its enmity. Many, who were prepared to stem the torrent of its opposition, have yielded with compromising indulgence to its paralyzing kindness.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“Except we realize a high estimation of the Church, the constraining influence of the Saviour's love, and the upholding prop of Almighty grace, what is there to preserve us from sinking in despondency?”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“ Indeed the difficulties of this work to the considerate conscientious mind must exclude any expectation of temporal ease and comfort. Many other tracks in life offer a large promise of indulgence.   But to this work is most especially linked the daily cross and in it must be anticipated severe and sometimes overwhelming trials—arising from the professing church, the world, the power of Satan, and ourselves.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“It is distinguished therefore, not by the passing glitter of this world's vanity, but by eternal results, productive, even in their present influence, of the most solid and enduring happiness. For surely it is ' the highest dignity, if not the greatest happiness, that human nature is capable of here in this vale below, to have the soul so far enlightened as to become the mirror, or conduit or conveyor of God's truth to others.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“The school of adversity, of discipline, and of experience, united with study and heavenly influence, can alone give " the tongue of the learned.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“In " considering the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus," we witness a most harmonious combination of seemingly opposite characteristics. The Ministry of our Lord was distinguished by the dignity of God, and the sympathy of a man and a brother—by the authority of the commissioned delegate of his Father, and yet by the humility of a servant, who " came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“the Divine call to this sacred office will be evidenced by a supply of competent qualifications for its discharge.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“As to spiritual qualifications, we would be careful neither to lower, exceed, or deviate from, the Scriptural standard.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“When we see the most "able Minister of the New Testament" that the Church has ever known, deeply penetrated, and indeed well-nigh overwhelmed, with the sense of the "necessity laid upon him"—we may well be ashamed, that with qualifications far inferior, our sense of obligation should be less accurate and constraining.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“If a young man has capacity; culture and application may make him a scholar, a philosopher, or an orator; but a true Minister must have certain principles, motives, feelings, and aims, which no industry or endeavours of men can either acquire or communicate. They must be given from above, or they cannot be received.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“Symptoms of success, unless tempered with personal abasement and habitual watchfulness, excite to self-confidence.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“Popularity is yet more dangerous : the few, who escape its influence unhurt, have been exercised in painful conflicts, such as have shown their deliverances from this fiery trial to have been nearly miraculous.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“A Pastor'—remarks Bishop Wilson—' should act with the dignity of a man, who acts by the authority of God'—remembering, that while we speak to men, we speak in God's stead.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“The office of "fellow-worker with God"  would have been no mean honour to have conferred upon the archangel nearest the everlasting throne.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry

“This sacred office is administered by agents, Divinely-called through the medium of lawful authority, and entrusted with the most responsible and enriching blessing; rendering the highest possible service to their fellow men, because that most nearly connected with the glory of the Saviour.”
― Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry