Quote

Be not too rash in the breaking of an inconvenient custom as it was gotten, so leave it by degrees. Danger attends upon too sudden alterations he that pulls down a bad building by the great may be ruined by the fall, but he that takes it down brick by brick may live to build a better.

Francis Quarles

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Francis Quarles
Age: 52 †
Born: 1592
Born: May 8
Died: 1644
Died: September 8
Author
Poet
Writer
Havering
May
Degrees
Pulls
Better
Build
Custom
Live
Danger
Bricks
Great
Building
Ruined
Attends
Leave
Customs
Rash
Takes
Sudden
Alterations
Upon
Breaking
Inconvenient
Fall
Gotten
Brick

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Temper your enjoyments with prudence, lest there be written on your heart that fearful word 'satiety.'
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If thou desire to purchase honor with thy wealth, consider first how that wealth became thine if thy labor got it, let thy wisdom keep it if oppression found it, let repentance restore it if thy parent left it, let thy virtues deserve it so shall thy honor be safer, better and cheaper.
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Let the ground of all thy religious actions be obedience examine not why it is commanded, but observe it because it is commanded. True obedience neither procrastinates nor questions.
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Wouldst thou multiply thy riches? diminish them wisely or wouldst thou make thy estate entire? divide it charitably. Seeds that are scattered increase but, hoarded up, they perish.
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If thou wouldst be justified, acknowledge thine injustice. He that confesses his sin, begins his journey toward salvation. He that is sorry for it, mends his pace. He that forsakes it, is at his journey's end.
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Read not books alone, but men, and amongst them chiefly thyself. If thou find anything questionable there, use the commentary of a severe friend, rather than the gloss of a sweet-lipped flatterer there is more profit in a distasteful truth than in deceitful sweetness.
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Thy pride is but the prologue of thy shame where vain-glory commands, there folly counsels where pride rides, there shame lackeys.
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The strong desires of man's insatiate breast may stand possess'd Of all that earth can give but earth can give no rest.
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Deliberate long before thou consecrate a friend, and when thy impartial justice concludes him worthy of thy bosom, receive him joyfully, and entertain him wisely impart thy secrets boldly, and mingle thy thoughts with his: he is thy very self and use him so if thou firmly think him faithful, thou makest him so.
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False world, thou ly'st: thou canst not lend The least delight: Thy favours cannot gain a friend, They are so slight.
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The average person's ear weighs what you are, not what you were.
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Afflictions clarify the soul And like hard masters, give more hard directions, Tutoring the non-age of uncurbed affections.
Francis Quarles
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O lust, thou infernal fire, whose fuel is gluttony whose flame is pride, whose sparkles are wanton words whose smoke is infamy whose ashes are uncleanness whose end is hell.
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God's pleasure is at the end of our prayers.
Francis Quarles
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Gold is Caesar's treasure, man is God's thy gold hath Caesar's image, and thou hast God's.
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The fountain of beauty is the heart and every generous thought illustrates the walls of your chamber.
Francis Quarles
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Nothing is more pleasing to God than an open hand, and a closed mouth.
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Mark, how the ready hands of Death prepare: His bow is bent, and he hath notch'd his dart He aims, he levels at thy slumb'ring heart: The wound is posting, O be wise, beware.
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Scandal breeds hatred hatred begets division division makes faction, and faction brings ruin.
Francis Quarles
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In giving of thy alms, inquire not so much into the person, as his necessity. God looks not so much upon the merits of him that requires, as into the manner of him that relieves if the man deserve not, thou hast given it to humanity.
Francis Quarles