Quotes from Francis Quarles

Think not thy love to God merits God's love to thee; His acceptance of thy duty crowns His own gifts in thee; man's love to God is nothing but a faint reflection of God's love to man.

Let all thy joys be as the month of May, And all thy days be as a marriage day.

The road to resolution lies by doubt:The next way home's the farthest way about.

Has fortune dealt you some bad cards. Then let wisdom make you a good gamester.

That friendship will not continue to the end which is begun for an end.

The heart is a small thing, but desireth great matters. It is not sufficient for a kite's dinner, yet the whole world is not sufficient for it.

Flatter not thyself in thy faith in God if thou hast not charity for thy neighbor.

Be wisely worldly, be not worldly wise.

No man is born unto himself alone;Who lives unto himself, he lives to none.

Wisdom not only gets, but once got, retains.

The slender debt to Nature's quickly paid,Discharged, perchance, with greater ease than made.

Necessity of action takes away the fear of the act, and makes bold resolution the favorite of fortune.

The way to bliss lies not on beds of down,And he that had no cross deserves no crown.

If thou desire the love of God and man, be humble, for the proud heart, as it loves none but itself, is beloved of none but itself. Humility enforces where neither virtue, nor strength, nor reason can prevail.

We spend our midday sweat, our midnight oil; We tire the night in thought, the day in toil.

My soul, sit thou a patient looker-on;Judge not the play before the play is done:Her plot hath many changes; every daySpeaks a new scene; the last act crowns the play.

If thou wouldst preserve a sound body, use fasting and walking; if a healthful soul, fasting and praying; walking exercises the body, praying exercises the soul, fasting cleanses both.

Fear nothing but what thy industry may prevent be confident of nothing but what fortune cannot defeat it is no less folly to fear what is impossible to be avoided than to be secure when there is a possibility to be deprived.

Anger may repast with thee for an hour, but not repose for a night; the continuance of anger is hatred, the continuance of hatred turns malice.

Be very circumspect in the choice of thy company. In the society of thine equals thou shalt enjoy more pleasure; in the society of thy superiors thou shalt find more profit. To be the best in the company is the way to grow worse.

Be very circumspect in the choice of thy company. In the society of thy equals thou shalt enjoy more pleasure; in the society of thy superiors thou shalt find more profit. To be the best of the company is the way to grow worse; the best means to grow better is to be the worst there.

Give not thy tongue too great a liberty, lest it take thee prisoner. A word unspoken is like thy sword in thy scabbard; if vented, the sword is in another?s hand.* If thou desire to be held wise, be so wise as to hold thy tongue.

Hath any wronged thee, be bravely revenged. Slight it, and the work?s begun; forgive it, and ?tis finished. He is below himself that is not above an injury.

Let the fear of a danger be a spur to prevent it; he that fears not, gives advantage to the danger.