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F. E. Raven (‘Letters’ (New Series) p.317)

The ways of God are severely retributive, and it is so with us

as Christians. If you are hard and severe, it will return upon

you some way or other.

F. E. Raven (‘Letters’ (New Series), p.298)

Assurance of salvation is a question of Christ’s work. I have no

thought that, in myself, I am anything else but a sinner. But I

sin if I doubt that He has made a perfect atonement. I affirm

distinctly that there is no such thing recognised in the New

Testament as that a Christian should doubt his salvation …

There is plenty of priesthood for infirmities, weakness, and so

on; but God has taken me up, and dealt with me, as at the Red

Sea of old, and put all, all away. We “have not received a spirit

of bondage again for fear”. I was myself in such a condition for

some six or seven years after I was converted, but that has

only served to convince me that this is not a Christian place at

all. And the reason of my assurance is, that while Christ is

within, the Holy Spirit has come down. His coming proves that

Christ’s work is accepted.

J. N. Darby (‘Notes & Jottings’, p.304)

Anna is a very good example—“she departed not from the

temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and

day”. What a lovely exhibition of piety can come out in a

widow! A widow might say, All my life has gone, but it is the

very best time of her life—life here with no support but with her

hope and trust in God. What an honour! What a dignity!

She adorns the doctrine of God in such a way that the elect

angels like to see it. It is a true picture of the assembly, a

widow indeed, one bereaved of Christ.

C. A. Coates (‘Outline of 1 Timothy’, p.368)