The only way to understand the difficult parts of the Bible is first to read and obey the easy ones.
Man’s only true happiness is to live in hope of something to be won by him. Reverence something to be worshipped by him, and love something to be cherished by him, forever.
He who has truth at his heart need never fear the want of persuasion on his tongue.
I cannot but think it an evil sign of a people when their houses are built to last for one generation only.
The measure of any great civilization is its cities and a measure of a city’s greatness is to be found in the quality of its public spaces, its parks and squares.
To banish imperfection is to destroy expression, to check exertion, to paralyze vitality.
There is in every animal’s eye a dim image and gleam of humanity, a flash of strange light through which their life looks out and up to our great mystery of command over them, and claims the fellowship of the creature if not of the soul.
No lying knight or lying priest ever prospered in any age, but especially not in the dark ones. Men prospered then only in following an openly declared purpose, and preaching candidly beloved and trusted creeds.
When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for our use alone. Let it be such work as our descendants will look upon with praise and thanksgiving in their hearts.
It takes a great deal of living to get a little deal of learning.
An infinitude of tenderness is the chief gift and inheritance of all truly great men.
The Bible is the one Book to which any thoughtful man may go with any honest question of life or destiny and find the answer of God by honest searching.
No one can ask honestly or hopefully to be delivered from temptation unless he has himself honestly and firmly determined to do the best he can to keep out of it.
Blue color is everlastingly appointed by the deity to be a source of delight.
Come, ye cold winds, at January’s call, On whistling wings, and with white flakes bestrew The earth.
It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little.
I fear uniformity. You cannot manufacture great men any more than you can manufacture gold.
He who can take no interest in what is small will take false interest in what is great.
Genius is only a superior power of seeing.
On the whole, it is patience which makes the final difference between those who succeed or fail in all things. All the greatest people have it in an infinite degree, and among the less, the patient weak ones always conquer the impatient strong.