Joseph Hall
Death borders upon our birth, and our cradle stands in the grave.Collection: Death
Perfection is the child of time.Collection: Time
A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep their eyes on the spot where the crack was.
We must first pray, that God would make us wise; before we can wish, he would make us happy.
Moderation is the silken string running through the pearl chain of all virtues.
Let others either envy or pity me; I care not, so long as I enjoy myself.
Let me know myself; let others guess at me.
He is a very humble man, that thinks not himself better than some others.
And, if I were so low that I accounted myself the worst of all, yet some would account themselves in worse case.
A man's opinion is in others; his being is in himself.
He is great enough that is his own master.
What fools are we, to be besotted with the love of our own trouble, and to hate our liberty and rest!
Fools measure actions, after they are done, by the event; wise men beforehand, by the rules of reason and right. The former look to the end, to judge of the act. Let me look to the act, and leave the end with God.Collection: Wise
It is not sin that kills the soul, but impenitence.Collection: Soul
For every bad there might be a worse; and when one breaks his leg let him be thankful it was not his neck.Collection: Gratitude
Every day is a little life, and our whole life is but a day repeated. Therefore live every day as if it would be the last. Those that dare lose a day, are dangerously prodigal; those that dare misspend it are desperate.Collection: Littles
Try to be of some use to others.Collection: Trying
What I have done is worthy of nothing but silence and forgetfulness, but what God has done for me is worthy of everlasting and thankful memory.Collection: Thank You
It is not the bee's touching on the flowers that gathers the honey, but her abiding for a time upon them, and drawing out the sweet.Collection: Sweet
If the sun of God's countenance shine upon me, I may well be content to be wet with the rain of affliction.Collection: Christian
Seldom was any knowledge given to keep, but to impart; the grace of this rich jewel is lost in concealment.Collection: Teacher
Nothing fools people as much as extreme passion.Collection: Passion
Words are as they are taken, and things are as they are used. There are even cursed blessings.Collection: Taken
Satan would seem to be mannerly and reasonable; making as if he would be content with one-half of the heart, whereas God challengeth all or none: as, indeed, He hath most reason to claim all that made all. But this is nothing but a crafty fetch of Satan; for he knows that if he have any part, God will have none: so the whole falleth to his share alone.Collection: Prayer
How endless is that volume which God hath written of the world! Every creature is a letter, every day a new page.Collection: Environmental
Christian society is like a bundle of sticks laid together, whereof one kindles another. Solitary men have fewest provocations to evil, but, again, fewest incitations to good. So much as doing good is better than not doing evil will I account Christian good-fellowship better than an hermitish and melancholy solitariness.Collection: Christian
A good man is kinder to his enemy than bad men are to their friends.Collection: Men
Even the best things ill used become evils; and, contrarily, the worst things used well prove good.Collection: Evil
Good prayers never come creeping home. I am sure I shall receive either what I ask, or what I should ask.Collection: Prayer
The idle man is the Devil's cushion, on which he taketh his free ease: who, as he is uncapable of any good, so he is fitly disposed for all evil motions.Collection: Men
The ear and the eye are the mind's receivers; but the tongue is only busy in expending the treasures received. It, therefore, the revenues of the mind be uttered as fast or faster than they are received, it must needs be bare, and can never lay up for purchase.Collection: Eye
As the most generous vine, if it is not pruned, runs out into many superfluous stems, and grows at last weak and fruitless; so dote the best man, if he be not cut short of his desires and pruned with afflictions. If it be painful to bleed, it is worse to wither. Let me be pruned, that I may grow, rather than be cut up to burn.Collection: Running
The blood that is once inflamed with wine is apt to boil with rage.Collection: Wine
It is a shame for the tongue to cast itself upon the uncertain pardon of other's earsCollection: Ears
Worldly ambition is founded on pride or envy, but emulation, or laudable ambition, is actually founded in humility; for it evidently implies that we have a low opinion of our present attainments, and think it necessary to be advanced.Collection: Ambition
We are often infinitely mistaken, and take the falsest measures, when we envy the happiness of rich and great men; we know not the inward canker that eats out all their joy and delight, and makes them really much more miserable than ourselves.Collection: Men
There is no word or action but may be taken with two hands,--either with the right hand of charitable construction, or the sinister interpretation of malice and suspicion; and all things do succeed as they are taken. To construe an evil, action well is but a pleasing and profitable deceit to myself; but to misconstrue a good thing is a treble wrong,--to myself, the action, and the author.Collection: Taken
Garments that have once one rent in them are subject to be torn on every nail, and glasses that are once cracked are soon broken; such is man's good name once tainted with just reproach.Collection: Men
Our good purposes foreslowed are become our tormentors upon our deathbed.Collection: Procrastination
For whom he means to make an often guest, One dish shall serve; and welcome make the rest.Collection: Mean
Neutrality in things good or evil is both odious and prejudicial; but in matters of an indifferent nature is safe and commendable. Herein taking of parts maketh sides, and breaketh unity. In an unjust cause of separation, he that favoreth both parts may perhaps have least love of either side, but hath most charity in himself.Collection: Evil
How apt nature is, even in those who profess an eminence in holiness, to raise and maintain animosities against those whose calling or person they pretend to find cause to dislike!Collection: Hate
There is many a rich stone laid up in the bowels of the earth, many a fair pearl laid up in the bosom of the sea, that never was seen, nor never shall be.Collection: Sea
I first adventure, follow me who list And be the second English satiristCollection: Adventure
Virtues go ever in troops; they go so thick, that sometimes some are hid in the crowd; which yet are, but appear not.Collection: Troops
No marvel if the worldling escape earthly afflictions. God corrects him not. He is base born and begot. God will not do him the favour to whip him. The world afflicts him not, because it loves him: for each man is indulgent to his own. God uses not the rod where He means to use the Word. The pillory or scourge is for those malefactors that shall escape execution.Collection: Christian
There would not be so many open mouths if there were not so many open ears.Collection: Ears
[W]e all lie down in our bed of earth as sure to wake as ever we can be to shut our eyes.Collection: Death
I will rather suffer a thousand wrongs than offer one. I have always found that to strive with a superior is injurious; with an equal, doubtful; with an inferior, sordid and base; with any, full of unquietness.Collection: Suffering