Short pithy gems from Elizabeth Prentiss (1818–1878)

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The longer I live, the more conscious I am of my human frailty-and of the constant, overwhelming need I have of God's grace.

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The thorny path bears some of the sweetest flowers that adorn life.
When with naked, bleeding feet we walk upon a flinty soil-we often find diamonds!

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If the loss of your earthly fortune gains Christ for you-it will be a beautiful loss.

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Dying grace is not usually given until it is needed. Death, to the disciple of Jesus, is only stepping from one room to another and far better room of our Father's house. And how little will all the sorrows of our earthly pilgrimage seem to us, when we get to our home above!

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You never will be really happy-until Christ becomes your dearest and most intimate friend.

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Seek Jesus-not joy!

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What does it matter, after all, from what point of time or space, that we go to our eternal home.
O how we shall smile after we get there-that we ever gave it one moment's thought.

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In proportion to our devotion to the Savior-will be the blessedness of our life.

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The more we love Him-the more we see how sinful sin is, and the more sorry we are to have been guilty of it.

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It is sweet to be in the sunshine of the Master's smile-but I believe our souls need winter, as well as summer.

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I have lived to see that God never was so good to me-as when He seemed most severe.

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To love Christ more is my deepest need, and the constant cry of my soul!

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I am a wayward, foolish child-but He loves me!
I have disobeyed and grieved Him ten thousand times-but He loves me!
I have lost faith in some of my dearest friends and am very desolate-but He loves me!
I do not love Him much-but He loves me!

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If a glimpse of our Savior here on earth can be so refreshing and delightful-then what will Heaven be?

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Lay down this principle as a law: God does nothing arbitrary. If He takes away your health, for instance, it is because He has some reason for doing so. This is true of everything you value, and if you have real faith in Him, you will not insist on knowing this reason.

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All your tears will soon be wiped away. You will see the King in His beauty. You will see Christ your Redeemer, and realize all He is, and all He has done for you. As I think of these things my soul is in haste to be gone!

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Those words, "daily nearer God," have an inexpressible charm for me. I long for such nearness to Him that all other objects shall fade into comparative insignificance.

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I believe that there is no happiness on earth, to be compared with that of losing all things to possess Christ!