John Tillotson Quotes

To be able to bear provocation is an argument of great reason, and to forgive it of a great mind.

Convulsive anger storms at large; or pale
And silent, settles into full revenge.

The true ground of most men's prejudice against the Christian doctrine is because they have no mind to obey it.

If God were not a necessary Being of Himself, He might almost seem to be made for the use and benefit of men.

There is one way whereby we may secure our riches, and make sure friends to ourselves of them,
by laying them out in charity.

Men sunk in the greatest darkness imaginable retain some sense and awe of the Deity.

With the history of Moses no book in the world, in point of antiquity, can contend.

Truth is the shortest and nearest way to our end, carrying us thither in a straight line.

Every Christian is endued with a power whereby he is enabled to resist temptations.

Fear is that passion which hath the greatest power over us, and by which God and His laws take the surest hold of us.

The crafty person is always in danger; and when they think they walk in the dark, all their pretenses are transparent.

We anticipate our own happiness, and eat out the heart and sweetness of worldly pleasures by delightful forethought of them.

Are we proud and passionate, malicious and revengeful? Is this to be like-minded with Christ, who was meek and lowly?

Fill each day with light and heart.

If they be principles evident of themselves, they need nothing to evidence them.

They who are in the highest places, and have the most power, have the least liberty, because they are the most observed.

Every man hath greater assurance that God is good and just than he can have of any subtle speculations about predestination and the decrees of God.

Piety and virtue are not only delightful for the present, but they leave peace and contentment behind them.

Of some calamity we can have no relief but from God alone; and what would men do, in such a case if it were not for God?

He who provides for this life, but takes no care for eternity, is wise for a moment, but a fool forever.

Whether religion be true or false, it must be necessarily granted to be the only wise principle and safe hypothesis for a man to live and die by.

Surely modesty never hurt any cause; and the confidence of man seems to me to be much like the wrath of man.

Next to the wicked lives of men, nothing is so great a disparagement and weakening to religion as the divisions of Christians.

There is little pleasure in the world that is true and sincere beside the pleasure of doing our duty and doing good.

Our belief or disbelief of a thing does not alter the nature of the thing.

When a man has once forfeited the reputation of his integrity, he is set fast, and nothing will then serve his turn, neither truth nor falsehood.

Of all parts of wisdom the practice is the best.

If our souls be immortal, this makes amends for the frailties of life and the sufferings of this state.

Virtue and vice are not arbitrary things; but there is a natural and eternal reason for goodness and virtue, and against vice and wickedness.

None so nearly disposed to scoffing at religion as those who have accustomed themselves to swear on trifling occasions.

The gospel chargeth us with piety towards God, and justice and charity to men, and temperance and chastity in reference to ourselves.

Abstinence is many times very helpful to the end of religion.

Integrity gains strength by use.

The angriest person in a controversy is the one most liable to be in the wrong.

If people would but provide for eternity with the same solicitude and real care as they do for this life, they could not fail of heaven.

When men live as if there were no God, it becomes expedient for them that there should be none.

The art of using deceit and cunning grow continually weaker and less effective to the user.

The little and short sayings of nice And excellent men are of great value, like the dust of gold, or the least sparks of diamonds.

A little wit and a great deal of ill-nature will furnish a man for satire; but the greatest instance of wit is to commend well.

We have no cause to be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; but the Gospel of Christ may justly be ashamed of us.

In all the affairs of this world, so much reputation is in reality so much power.

Great is the advantage of patience.

Ignorance and inconsideration are the two great causes of the ruin of mankind.

Take away God and religion, and men live to no purpose, without proposing any worthy end of life to themselves.

Was ever any wicked man free from the stings of a guilty conscience?

A good word is an easy obligation; but not to speak ill requires only our silence, which costs us nothing.

Wickedness is a kind of voluntary frenzy, and a chosen distraction.

Zeal is fit for wise men, but flourishes chiefly among fools.

Is not he imprudent, who, seeing the tide making haste towards him apace, will sleep till the sea overwhelms him?

There is no readier way for a man to bring his own worth into question than by endeavoring to detract from the worth of other men.