Nick Roark

'Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.' Grateful to God for Dr. Sailhamer (1946–2017) for pointing us to the text.

"The man whose soul is 'growing,' finds more in Christ to rest upon every year, and rejoices more that he has such a Saviour. No doubt he saw much in Him when first he believed. His faith laid hold on the atonement of Christ and gave him hope. But as he grows in grace he sees a thousand things in Christ of which at first he never dreamed." –J.C. Ryle, Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties and Roots (Carlisle, PA: @banneroftruth, 1879/2018), 120-121.

"There is no surer mark of backsliding and falling off in grace than an increasing disposition to find fault, pick holes, and see weak points in others... Let us be more quick to see grace, and more slow to see imperfections!" –J.C. Ryle, Holiness (@banneroftruth), 122, 274. tollelege.net/2026/04/15/let…

“The love of Christ is held out to us as the subject which ought to occupy our daily and nightly meditations, and that which we ought to be wholly immersed in. He who holds to this alone has enough.” —John Calvin, commenting on Ephesians 3:18-19.

"Whosoever is on the Lord’s side, let him join with the Lord’s hosts. If you be not, stand back and do not dare to come; but if you be, the standard is lifted up, the trumpets sound. Come, comrades! who is for Christ! Soldiers, who is for the Lord God Omnipotent? Unfurl the standard afresh to-day. Jehovah-Nissi, the Lord, is our banner, and who will stand back? Let us enroll ourselves beneath him, and say, 'O Lord, go forth with our armies and grant success; for the battle is great, and without thee we shall utterly fail, but with thee we shall surely get the victory.'" -Charles H. Spurgeon, “The Church—Conservative and Aggressive,” in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, vol. 7 (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1861), 7: 368.

"Have you considered what the enemy can do, if he is permitted to come in like a flood? In one hour he could raise such a storm as would put you to your wits end. He could bring such a dark cloud over your mind, as would blot out all remembrance of your past comforts, or at least prevent you from deriving the least support from them. He could not only fight against your peace, but shake the very foundations of your hope and bring you to question, not only your interest in the promises, but even to doubt of the most important and fundamental truths upon which your hopes have been built. Be thankful, therefore, if the Lord restrains his malice." –John Newton, Wise Counsel: John Newton’s Letters to John Ryland Jr., 2nd Edition, Ed. Grant Gordon (Carlisle, PA: @banneroftruth, 2009/2026), 29.

"Your experiences will vary, but His love and promises are always unchangeable." –John Newton, Wise Counsel: John Newton’s Letters to John Ryland Jr., 2nd Edition, Ed. Grant Gordon (Carlisle, PA: @banneroftruth, 2009/2026), 26. tollelege.net/2026/04/11/his…

"It belongs to your calling of God as a minister that you should have a taste of the various spiritual trials which are incident to the Lord's people, that thereby you may possess the tongue of the learned, and know how to speak a word in season to them that are weary." –John Newton, Wise Counsel: John Newton’s Letters to John Ryland Jr., 2nd Edition, Ed. Grant Gordon (Carlisle, PA: @banneroftruth, 2026), 25.

"Our employment in this world requires much in praying, groaning, sighing, mourning, wrestling, and fighting against the world, flesh, and the devil (Eph. 6:10). But in the world to come, our employment will lie in praising and magnifying the Lord. Again, our enjoyment will be changed, as will our employment. We shall change our inconstant enjoyment for a more constant (1 Thess. 4:17-18). We shall change our dark and obscure enjoyment for a brighter enjoyment. 'For now, we see through a glass darkly but then face to face,' here we receive grace for grace, there we shall receive glory for glory (1 Cor. 13:12)." -Robert Purnell, A Body of Doctrinal and Practical Divinity from 1657; or A Little Cabinet (Greenbrier, AR: Free Grace Press, 1657/2026), 377.

@PastorPWMartin Totally agree, Paul. It’s a treasure of a book.

We have given away more copies of this book to pastors than any other (100+). I cannot commend it highly enough. Just yesterday a pastor was quoting me something from this gem.

"Let us give ourselves to the study of the Word, and to prayer. And may the great Teacher make every Scriptural truth food to our souls." –John Newton, Wise Counsel, 2nd Edition (Carlisle, PA: @banneroftruth, 2009/2026), 11. tollelege.net/2026/04/07/pre…

"'Search the Scriptures,’ says Christ, ‘for they speak of me.’ As Christ is the treasury of all knowledge, so the Scriptures are the treasury of Christ. These treasures lie scattered in all the veins of the prophets and apostles. Dig for them as for silver, take pains and travel to understand them." -Thomas Goodwin, Works (@RHB_Books), 4: 247.

"You may now rest secure indeed: Christ is risen; who therefore shall condemn? (Romans 8:34)" -Thomas Goodwin, The Works of Thomas Goodwin, Volume 4 (Grand Rapids, MI: @RHB_Books, 1861/2006), 4: 30. tollelege.net/2026/04/05/chr…

Father, in Your mercy dispel the darkness of this night, and let Your servant sleep in peace, that at the dawn of a new day I may wake with joy in Your Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.