Short pithy quotes from Thomas Boston
(1676 – 1732)
Morality is not regeneration. Morality may chain up men’s lusts — but cannot change their hearts.
Whatever crosses or afflictions befall us — we must look above the instruments, to God.
Go where you will — you can not go out of your Father’s ground.
It is our duty to look to God’s commands — and not to His eternal decrees. We are to look our own duty — and not to His hidden purposes. The decrees of God are a vast ocean, into which many possibly have curiously pried to their own horror and despair — but few or none have ever pried into them to their own profit and satisfaction.
None can comprehend eternity — but the eternal God. Eternity . . .
is an ocean, whereof we shall never see the shore;
is a deep, where we can find no bottom;
is a labyrinth from whence we cannot extricate ourselves.
The glory of one attribute is more seen in one work of God, than in another. In some things there is more of His goodness — in other things more of His wisdom is seen — and in others more of His power. But in the work of redemption — all of His perfections and excellencies shine forth in their greatest glory!
God shall not pity them — but laugh at their calamity. The righteous company in Heaven shall rejoice in the execution of God’s judgment, and shall sing while their smoke rises up forever! “And again they shouted: Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.” Revelation 19:3
Sinners in their natural state lie dead, lifeless, and motionless. They can no more believe in Christ, nor repent — than a dead man can speak or walk.
Has God decreed all things that come to pass? Then there is nothing that happens by chance, nor are we to ascribe what we meet with either to good or bad luck. There are many events in the world which men look upon as mere accidents — yet all these come by the counsel and appointment of God.
Saving faith is the special gift of God to the elect, wrought in them by his Spirit.