Thomas Chalmers Quotes: The Expulsive Power of a New Affection
Thomas Chalmers was the most powerful preacher in Scotland in the early 1800s. His sentences are long and built to be heard, but inside them are lines that stick. The most famous comes from his sermon "The Expulsive Power of a New Affection," and it's often quoted loosely online. Here it is, with many others, exactly as he wrote it.
Every quotation below is copied word for word from his books in TheWay Library, with the book and sermon or chapter it comes from, so you can read each one in its setting. For his life story, see who was Thomas Chalmers. For a guide to all six books, see Thomas Chalmers books.
The Expulsive Power of a New Affection
This sermon, preached at St. John's in Glasgow, argues that the love of the world can't be argued out of the heart. It has to be pushed out by a greater love. You can read the whole sermon here.
The heart is not so constituted, and the only way to dispossess it of an old affection, is by the expulsive power of a new one.
Sermons Preached in St. John's Church, Glasgow, The Expulsive Power of a New Affection
The love of God, and the love of the world, are two affections, not merely in a state of rivalship, but in a state of enmity — and that so irreconcilable, that they cannot dwell together in the same bosom.
Sermons Preached in St. John's Church, Glasgow, The Expulsive Power of a New Affection
It is not enough then to argue the folly of an existing affection.
Sermons Preached in St. John's Church, Glasgow, The Expulsive Power of a New Affection
Its desire for one particular object may be conquered; but as to its desire for having some one object or other, this is unconquerable.
Sermons Preached in St. John's Church, Glasgow, The Expulsive Power of a New Affection
It may be done by excessive pampering — but it is almost never done by the mere force of mental determination.
Sermons Preached in St. John's Church, Glasgow, The Expulsive Power of a New Affection
On the gospel and salvation
Chalmers was converted after years as a minister, and he never forgot the difference between morality and the gospel.
Your sin put to Christ's account, and His righteousness put to your account, totally alter your relation with God.
A Selection from the Correspondence of the Late Thomas Chalmers, Letters to Mr. Robert Brown
As soon as he sees what he never saw before, so soon does he feel what he never felt before.
Sermons Preached in the Tron Church, Glasgow, Gratitude Not a Sordid Affection
Reconciliation is not salvation. It is only the portal to it.
Sermons Preached in St. John's Church, Glasgow, The Sure Warrant of a Believer's Hope
Justification is not the end of Christ's coming — it is only the means to an ultimate attainment.
Sermons Preached in St. John's Church, Glasgow, The Sure Warrant of a Believer's Hope
This consideration may be of importance to your place in society; but, as to your place in the favour of God, it is utterly insignificant.
Sermons Preached in the Tron Church, Glasgow, Christ the Wisdom of God
Theirs is just the case of rebels turning their back on a deed of grace and of amnesty.
Sermons Preached in the Tron Church, Glasgow, Christ the Wisdom of God
They may not yet see the arcana of the temple, but they may see the road which leads to the temple.
Sermons Preached in the Tron Church, Glasgow, The Preparation Necessary for Understanding the Mysteries of the Gospel
There is no want of willingness in God; it is in our own heart that the straitening lies.
A Selection from the Correspondence of the Late Thomas Chalmers, Letters to Miss Collier
On faith and the Holy Spirit
A true faith in Christ works by love, and love aims at obedience.
A Selection from the Correspondence of the Late Thomas Chalmers, Letters to Mr. Patrick Chalmers
He does not tell us any thing that is out of the record; but all that is within it he sends home, with clearness and effect, upon the mind.
Sermons Preached in the Tron Church, Glasgow, The Necessity of the Spirit to Give Effect to the Preaching of the Gospel
To him the kingdom of God hath come in word, and it hath come in letter, and it hath come in natural discernment; but it hath not come in power.
Sermons Preached in St. John's Church, Glasgow, The Nature of the Kingdom of God
Christ will be recognised in all his power and in all his preciousness.
Sermons Preached in the Tron Church, Glasgow, The Preparation Necessary for Understanding the Mysteries of the Gospel
On God's faithfulness and care
In his Astronomical Discourses, Chalmers marveled that the God of countless worlds pays attention to one person.
When I enter into company, amid all my forgetfulness of him, he never forgets me.
A Series of Discourses on the Christian Revelation, On the Extent of the Divine Condescension
They are the replies of a God who never changes, and who hath adapted the whole materialism of creation to the constitution of every mind that he hath sent forth upon it.
Sermons Preached in St. John's Church, Glasgow, The Constancy of God in His Works an Argument for the Faithfulness of God in His Word
On heaven and the life to come
Before death, sin is only repressed — after the resurrection, sin will be exterminated.
Sermons Preached in St. John's Church, Glasgow, On the New Heavens and the New Earth
A man is never happier than when employed in that which he likes best.
Sermons Preached in St. John's Church, Glasgow, On the New Heavens and the New Earth
When he gets to heaven above, he will not meet there with a happiness differing in character from that which he now feels; but only higher in gradation.
Sermons Preached in St. John's Church, Glasgow, The Nature of the Kingdom of God
The object may not merely be removed from us, but we may be removed from the object.
Sermons Preached in St. John's Church, Glasgow, The Transitory Nature of Visible Things
On faith at work and money
Chalmers preached a whole series to the businessmen of Glasgow. He wanted the gospel in the counting-house as much as the church.
This is not robbing religion of its sacredness, but spreading its sacredness over the face of society.
The Application of Christianity to the Commercial and Ordinary Affairs of Life, The Guilt of Dishonesty Not to Be Estimated by the Gain of It
It is evangelizing human life, by impregnating its minutest transactions with the spirit of the gospel.
The Application of Christianity to the Commercial and Ordinary Affairs of Life, The Guilt of Dishonesty Not to Be Estimated by the Gain of It
The morality of the Saviour never leads him to gloss over the beginnings of crime.
The Application of Christianity to the Commercial and Ordinary Affairs of Life, The Guilt of Dishonesty Not to Be Estimated by the Gain of It
The grace which it reveals, is a grace which not merely saves all men, but which teaches all men.
The Application of Christianity to the Commercial and Ordinary Affairs of Life, The Influence of Christianity in Aiding and Augmenting the Mercantile Virtues
If his heart be set upon covetousness, it is set upon an object of idolatry.
The Application of Christianity to the Commercial and Ordinary Affairs of Life, On the Love of Money
On evidence, science and the Bible
Chalmers loved science and defended the faith with the same care he gave to mathematics.
She promulgates all that is positively known; but she maintains the strictest silence and modesty about all that is unknown.
A Series of Discourses on the Christian Revelation, On the Contest for an Ascendency over Man, amongst the Higher Orders of Intelligence
Their silence in not asserting the miracles, is perfectly consistent with their truth; but their silence in not denying them, is not at all consistent with their falsehood.
The Evidence and Authority of the Christian Revelation, On the Testimony of Subsequent Witnesses
It is not by the exercise of a sublime and speculative ingenuity that man arrives at truth.
The Evidence and Authority of the Christian Revelation, On the Internal Evidence, and the Objections of Deistical Infidels
We must bring with us the docility of a child, if we want to gain the kingdom of heaven. It must not be a partial, but an entire and unexcepted obedience.
The Evidence and Authority of the Christian Revelation, On the Supreme Authority of Revelation
On grief
Chalmers wrote many letters to friends in sorrow. These lines come from his letters to Mrs. Darroch, written in a time of loss.
The comforts of religion are the only comforts which should be urged on such occasions; for they are, indeed, the only comforts which avail us.
A Selection from the Correspondence of the Late Thomas Chalmers, Letters to Mrs. Darroch
The sense of recency will subside, but never on this side of death the sense of a very great and mournful bereavement.
A Selection from the Correspondence of the Late Thomas Chalmers, Letters to Mrs. Darroch
Where to read more Chalmers
Start with Sermons Preached in St. John's Church, Glasgow, which holds the Expulsive Power sermon and many of the lines above. For the warmth of the pastor behind the preacher, read his letters. All his books are on the Thomas Chalmers author page.