John Selden
No man is the wiser for his learning; it may administer matter to work in, or objects to work upon; but wit and wisdom are born with a man.Collection: Wisdom
Old friends are best.Collection: Best
Wise people say nothing in dangerous times.Collection: Communication
Pleasure is nothing else but the intermission of pain.
It's not the drinking to be blamed, but the excess.
Tis not seasonable to call a man traitor, that has an army at his heels.
The world cannot be governed without juggling.
Prayer should be short, without giving God Almighty reasons why he should grant this, or that; he knows best what is good for us.
Idolatry is in a man's own thought, not in the opinion of another.
A king is a thing men have made for their own sakes, for quietness sake. Just as in a family one man is appointed to buy the meat.
They that are against superstition oftentimes run into it of the wrong side. If I wear all colors but black, then I am superstitious in not wearing black.
They that govern the most make the least noise.
Philosophy is nothing but discretion.
In quoting of books, quote such authors as are usually read; others you may read for your own satisfaction, but not name them.
Of all actions of a man's life, his marriage does least concern other people, yet of all actions of our life tis most meddled with by other people.
Never tell your resolution beforehand, or it's twice as onerous a duty.Collection: New Year
Ignorance of the law excuses no man; not that all men know the law, but because 'tis an excuse every man will plead, and no man can tell how to refute him.Collection: Ignorance
There is no book on which we can rest in a dying moment but the Bible.Collection: Book
Humility is a virtue all preach, none practice; and yet everybody is content to hear.Collection: Humility
All things are God's already; we can give him no right, by consecrating any, that he had not before, only we set it apart to his service - just as a gardener brings his master a basket of apricots, and presents them; his lord thanks him, and perhaps gives him something for his pains, and yet the apricots were as much his lord's before as now.Collection: Pain
A wise man should never resolve upon anything, at least, never let the world know his resolution, for if he cannot reach that he is ashamed.Collection: Wise
Ignorance of the law excuses no man.Collection: Ignorance
He that has not religion to govern his morality, is not a dram better than my mastiff-dog; so long as you stroke him, and please him, and do not pinch him, he will play with you as finely as may be, he is a very good moral mastiff; but if you hurt him, he will fly in your face, and tear out your throat.Collection: Dog
To preach long, loud, and Damnation, is the way to be cried up. We love a man that damns us, and we run after him again to save us.Collection: Love
Talk what you will of the Jews,--that they are cursed: they thrive wherever they come; they are able to oblige the prince of their country by lending him money; none of them beg; they keep together; and as for their being hated, why, Christians hate one another as much.Collection: Christian
The happiness of married life depends upon making small sacrifices with readiness and cheerfulness.Collection: Happiness
Abundance consists not alone in material possession, but in an uncovetous spirit.Collection: Spirit
Opinion is something wherein I go about to give reasons why all the world should think as I think.Collection: Thinking
There was never a merry world since the fairies left off dancing.Collection: Dance
The Parish makes the constable, and when the constable is made, he governs the Parish.Collection: Made
'Tis not the eating, nor 'tis not the drinking that is to be blamed, but the excess.Collection: Drinking
Men say they are of the same religion, for quietness' sake; but if the matter were well examined, you would scarce find three anywhere of the same religion on all points.Collection: Men
I have taken much pains to know everything that is esteemed worth knowing amongst men; but with all my reading, nothing now remains to comfort me at the close of this life but this passage of St. Paul: "It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners." To this I cleave, and herein do I find rest.Collection: Jesus
First, in your sermons, use your logic, and then your rhetoric; Rhetoric without logic, is like a tree with leaves and blossoms, but no root; yet more are taken with rhetoric than logic, because they are caught with fine expressions when they understand not reason.Collection: Taken
The clergy would have us believe them against our own reason, as the woman would have her husband against his own eyes.Collection: Husband
Patience is the chiefest fruit of study; a man that strives to make himself different from other men by much reading gains this chiefest good, that in all fortunes he hath something to entertain and comfort himself withal.Collection: Reading
Casting out devils is mere juggling; they never cast out any but what they first cast in.Collection: Devil
You will want a book which contains not man's thoughts, but God's - not a book that may amuse you, but a book that can save you - not even a book that can instruct you, but a book on which you can venture an eternity - not only a book which can give relief to your spirit, but redemption to your soul - a book which contains salvation, and conveys it to you, one which shall at once be the Saviour's book and the sinner's.Collection: Bible
Never king dropped out of the clouds.Collection: Kings
Wit and wisdom are born with a man.Collection: Men
Pleasure is nothing else but the intermission of pain, the enjoying of something I am in great trouble for till I have it.Collection: Pain
We look after religion as the butcher did after his knife, when he had it in his mouth.Collection: Knives
Of all the actions of a man's life, his marriage does least concern other people, yet of all the actions of our lives, 'tis the most meddled with by other people.Collection: Marriage
Prayer should be short, without giving God Almighty reasons why He should grant this or that; He knows best wheat is good for us. If your boy should ask you for a suit of clothes and give you reasons, would you endure it? You know his needs better than he; let him ask for a suit of clothes.Collection: Prayer
When men comfort themselves with philosophy, 'tis not because they have got two or three sentences, but because they have digested those sentences, and made them their own: philosophy is nothing but discretion.Collection: Philosophy
Religion is like the fashion, one man wears his doublet slashed, another lashed, another plain; but every man has a doublet; so every man has a religion. We differ about the trimming.Collection: Fashion
Wit and wisdom differ; wit is upon the sudden turn, wisdom is bringing about ends.Collection: Ends
Nothing is text but what is spoken of in the Bible and meant there for person and place; the rest is application; which a discreet man may do well; but it is his scripture, not the Holy Ghost's. First, in your sermons use your logic, and then your rhetoric; rhetoric without logic is like a tree with leaves and blossoms, but no root.Collection: Men
Preachers say, "Do as I say, not as I do." But if a physician had the same disease upon him that I have, and he should bid me do one thing and he do quite another, could I believe him?Collection: Believe
Money makes a man laugh.Collection: Money