I don’t have many books of quotations, but one that I do have and use from time to time is Gathered Gold compiled by John Blanchard. Many of the quotes in this book are from various Puritans (Thomas Watson, Thomas Brooks, Matthew Henry, etc.) or other Reformed leaders (B. B. Warfield, John Calvin, etc.), but there are also quotes from various other Christian teachers and preachers (such as John Wesley and C. S. Lewis). To be fair, some quotes aren’t as helpful as others, but there are many great ones in this book. Here are a few examples:
“Assurance makes heavy afflictions light, long afflictions short, bitter afflictions sweet.” Thomas Brooks
“The Lord does not shine upon us, except when we take his Word as our light.” John Calvin
“Orthodoxy of words is blasphemy unless it is backed up by superiority of character.” Blaise Pascal
“God chooses us, not because we believe, but that we may believe.” Augustine
“When we become too glib in prayer we are almost certainly talking to ourselves.” A. W. Tozer
“My future is as bright as the promises of God.” Adoniram Judson.
This book is around 350 pages and contains a subject index in the back. Like other books of quotations, Gathered Gold covers topics such as prayer, love, trials, despair, marriage, purpose, and so forth. Again, it is sometimes hit or miss, but I’d say it is worth getting, especially if you can find a good deal on a used copy.
Shane Lems
The Reformed Reader Blog 