John Armstrong

“ Happy am I that it is mine office, my business to pray, to read holy books, to give heed to souls, to minister to the sick, to go into the houses of mourning, “for that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart.” ”

“ It is a great matter to be always ready for prayer, to have a grave and prepared mind, so as not to sin against Thee by uttering any thing hastily before Thee. How entirely should I be possessed with the spirit of devotion to be fit for so much praying, so much discoursing upon heavenly things! ”

“ But do Thou, God, this day “renew a right spirit within me,” “establish me with Thy free Spirit,” so shall I love with a sincere love both Thee, my Lord, and this flock which Thou hast given me.
It is a great mercy that my calling is religious, that spiritual concerns are pressed daily before my soul, that I must needs occupy myself therein and keep them in my thoughts, and pass into sick rooms, and see dying men; for thus have I most moving sermons preached to me while I labour to teach. All the day long, while I warn others, I am warned myself; while I teach, I receive instruction ”

“ How much grace may be withheld from us, because their prayers are so much withheld. It may be that many infirmities abide amongst us, divisions, coldness, secularity of mind, and other sins, because we are suffered to go forth with so little prayer.
And yet if we were blessed through our people's prayers, they would be blessed through us; if they obtained greater strength for us, we should have the more power to strengthen them in their fight. ”

“ But, most blessed Jesus, with so great a work laid on me, with so holy a frame of mind continually to sustain that I may fulfil my work, 1 feel the need of other prayers beside mine own, of a broader stream of prayer than can flow from my single soul. I need, I very greatly need, the prayers of my brethren in Christ, that I may myself incline to prayer and keep this ready mind. If I had mine own self only to watch, I should need the prayers of others. How much more then when I have this Thy flock to watch over! ”

“ Much is expected of me; all faults are quickly observed and much thought of; though I am a man of like passions with my people, yet they do expect me thoroughly to have overcome all passions, to be a saint indeed. And yet I fear that but few prayers are offered to help me to become such as they expect me to be. I fear that throughout the land the ministers of Thy Word and Sacraments are but little prayed for. Heal this great fault, and grant that henceforth we may have more prayers of our people; so will our ministry be more profitable to our people. ”

“ What should I become, if all such things were removed out of my sight, if I were occupied with worldly cares, and were mixed with men in the day of their health, or were engaged in places of buying and selling, in the businesses of the world! ”