Top 100 Richard Baxter Quotes (2024 Update)
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51. “It is as hard a thing to maintain a sound understanding, a tender conscience, a lively, gracious, heavenly spirit, and an upright life in the midst of contention, as to keep your candle lighted in the greatest storms.”

— Richard Baxter

52. “There is a great deal of duty that husband and wife owe to one another, such as to instruct, admonish, pray, watch over one another, and be continual helpers to each other in order to their everlasting happiness; they must also patiently bear with the infirmities of each other.”

— Richard Baxter

53. “In our first paradise in Eden there was a way to go out but no way to go in again. But as for the heavenly paradise, there is a way to go in, but not way to go out.”

— Richard Baxter

54. “You shall find this to be God’s usual course: not to give his children the taste of his delights till they begin to sweat in seeking after them.”

— Richard Baxter

55. “Though selfishness hath defiled the whole man, yet sensual pleasure is the chief part of its interest, and, therefore, by the senses it commonly works; and these are the doors and windows by which iniquity entereth into the soul.”

— Richard Baxter

56. “You are likely to see no general reformation till you procure family reformation. Some little obscure religion there may be in here and there one; but while it sticks in single persons, and is not promoted by these societies, it doth not prosper, nor promise much for future increase.”

— Richard Baxter

57. “It is a contradiction to be a true Christian and not humble.”

— Richard Baxter

58. “Prayer must carry on our work as much as preaching; he preacheth not heartily to his people that will not pray for them.”

— Richard Baxter

59. “You little know what you have done, when you have first broke the bounds of modesty; you have set open the door of your fancy to the devil, so that he can, almost at his pleasure ever after, represent the same sinful pleasure to you anew.”

— Richard Baxter

60. “Lord, will you send me with such an unbelieving heart to persuade others to believe? Must I daily plead with sinners about everlasting life and everlasting death, and have no more belief or feeling of these weighty things myself? Oh send me not naked and unprovided to the work; but, as you command me to do it, furnish me with a spirit suitable thereto.” Prayer.”

— Richard Baxter

61. “When I compare my slow and unprofitable life with the frequent and wonderful mercies received, it shames me, it silences me, and leaves me inexcusable.”

— Richard Baxter

62. “Paganism attributes the creation of the world to blind chance.”

— Richard Baxter

63. “You will cast away your cards and dice when you find the sweetness of youthful learning.”

— Richard Baxter

64. “I tell you again, God hath not ordinarily decreed the end without the means; and if you will neglect the means of salvation, it is a certain mark that God hath not decreed you to salvation. But you shall find that He hath left you no excuse, because He hath not thus predestined you.”

— Richard Baxter

65. “If they can see you love them, you can say anything to them.”

— Richard Baxter

66. “Death is half disarmed when the pleasures and interests of the flesh are first denied.”

— Richard Baxter

67. “The churchyard is the market place where all things are rated at their true value, and those who are approaching it talk of the world and its vanities with a wisdom unknown before.”

— Richard Baxter

68. “In a divine commonwealth holiness must have the principal honor and encouragement, and a great difference be made between the precious and the vile.”

— Richard Baxter

69. “A holy and heavenly life is a continual pain to the consciences of sinners around you and continually solicits them to change their course.”

— Richard Baxter

70. “Special mercy arouses more gratitude than universal mercy.”

— Richard Baxter

71. “I take the love of God and self-denial to be the sum of all saving grace and religion.”

— Richard Baxter

72. “Words and actions are transient things, and being once past, are nothing; but the effect of them on an immortal soul may be endless.”

— Richard Baxter

73. “Is it but right that our hearts should be on God, when the heart of God is so much on us.”

— Richard Baxter

74. “Sinful zeal doth make men doubly sinful.”

— Richard Baxter

75. “When the Son of God comes to rescue us and bring us back to God, He does not find in us the ability to believe.”

— Richard Baxter

76. “The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical the ear, the more pleasant the melody. The more perfect the soul, the more joyous the joys of heaven, and the more glorious that glory.”

— Richard Baxter

77. “We are members of the world and of the church, and must labour to do good to many; and therefore we have greater work to do on earth, than merely securing our own salvation. We are intrusted with our Master’s talents for his service, to do our best in our places, to propagate his truth and grace, to edify his church, honour his cause, and promote the salvation of as many souls as we can. All this is to be done on earth, if we would secure the end of all in heaven.”

— Richard Baxter

78. “Heaven is won or lost on earth; the possession is there, but the preparation is here.”

— Richard Baxter

79. “Our very business is to teach the great lesson of self-denial and humility to our people, and how unfit is it then that we should be proud ourselves!”

— Richard Baxter

80. “It is a palpable error of some ministers, who make such a disproportion between their preaching and their living; who study hard to preach exactly, and study little or not at all to live exactly.”

— Richard Baxter

81. “As holy zeal is the fervency of our grace, so sinful zeal is the intention and fervency of sin.”

— Richard Baxter

82. “In my library I have profitably and pleasantly dwelt among the shining lights, with which the learned, wise, and holy men of all ages have illuminated the world.”

— Richard Baxter

83. “Keep company with the more cheerful sort of the Godly; there is no mirth like the mirth of believers.”

— Richard Baxter

84. “When Christ comes with regenerating grace, he finds no man sitting still, but all posting to eternal ruin, and making haste toward hell; till, by conviction, he first brings them to a stand, and then, by conversion, turn first their hearts, and then their lives, sincerely to himself.”

— Richard Baxter

85. “The more they love each other, the more they participate in each other’s griefs, and one or the other will be frequently under some sort of suffering.”

— Richard Baxter

86. “While doubt cannot be expelled, it can be subdued.”

— Richard Baxter

87. “The heart is naturally hard, and grows harder by custom in sin, especially by long abuse of mercy, neglect of the means of grace, and resisteing the spirit of grace.”

— Richard Baxter

88. “It is true, that men may have Christ whenever they are willing to comply with His terms. But if you are not willing now, how can you think you shall be willing hereafter?”

— Richard Baxter

89. “It is past all question, and agreed on by all sides, that no religion will save a man who is not serious, sincere, and diligent in it. If thou be of the truest religion in the world, and are not true thyself to that religion, the religion is good, but it is none of thine.”

— Richard Baxter

90. “Keep up you conjugal love in constant heat and vigor.”

— Richard Baxter

91. “Overvalue not therefore the manner of your own worship, and overvilify not other men’s of a different mode.”

— Richard Baxter

92. “This is the sanctification of your studies: when they are devoted to God, and when He is the end, the object, and the life of them all.”

— Richard Baxter

93. “Surely love is both work and wages.”

— Richard Baxter

94. “To live among such excellent helps as our libraries afford, to have so many silent wise companions whenever we please.”

— Richard Baxter

95. “Publicans and harlots do sooner come to heaven than Pharisees, because they are sooner convinced of their sin and misery.”

— Richard Baxter

96. “God takes men’s hearty desires and will, instead of the deed, where they have not power to fulfill it; but he never took the bare deed instead of the will.”

— Richard Baxter

97. “You may know God, but not comprehend Him.”

— Richard Baxter

98. “Doth any man live more to himself, or less to God, than the proud?”

— Richard Baxter

99. “Will any man that hath not lost his senses, now stand caviling, and quarrelling, that so few should be saved, instead of making sure of his own salvation? The reason that there are so few is, because they will not be saved upon God’s terms.”

— Richard Baxter

100. “Do not mathematics and all sciences seem full of contradictions and impossibilities to the ignorant, which are all resolved and cleared to those that understand them?”

— Richard Baxter