I am still in the land of the dying; I shall be in the land of the living soon. (his last words) - John Newton

Francis once said, “I have been in all things unholy. If God can use me, God can use absolutely anyone.” 3 It is easy to assume that Francis had tons of faith, much more than you and me. Francis never saw himself this way, and there were many moments when he felt weak, uncertain, inadequate, and scared. His life teaches me that people who feel spiritually invulnerable and confident cannot repair God’s church. Grace flows to the world only through people who are weak and often uncertain and who cling to Jesus in their experience of decreasing and becoming less.

Courtship is indeed a pleasing part of life when there is mutual affection, the consent of friends, the reasonable prospect of an eventual fulfillment, and when it is conducted in obedience to
the will and worship of God. But when these concomitants are absent, what we call love becomes the most tormenting and destructive passion that can be named.

We learn to tread more warily, to trust less to our own strength, to have lower thoughts of ourselves, and higher thoughts of Him; in which two last particulars I apprehend what the Scripture means by a growth of grace does properly consist. Both are increasing in the lively Christian: — -every day shows him more of his own heart, and more of the power, sufficiency, compassion, and grace of his adorable Redeemer; but neither will be complete till we get to Heaven. I