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
Live
Danger
Bricks
Great
Building
Ruined
Attends
Leave
Customs
Rash
Takes
Sudden
Alterations
Upon
Breaking
Inconvenient
Fall
Gotten
Brick
May
Degrees
Pulls
Better
Build
Custom

More quotes by 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.
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Knowledge descries wisdom applies.
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Afflictions clarify the soul.
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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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Lust is an immoderate wantonness of the flesh, a sweet poison, a cruel pestilence a pernicious poison, which weakeneth the body of man, and effeminateth the strength of the heroic mind.
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Make thy recreation servant to thy business, lest thou become a slave to thy recreation.
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The fountain of beauty is the heart and every generous thought illustrates the walls of your chamber.
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Flatter not thyself in thy faith to God, if thou wantest charity for thy neighbor and think not thou halt charity for thy neighbor, if thou wantest faith to God where they are not both together, they are both wanting they are both dead, if once divided.
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Death aims with fouler spiteAt fairer marks.
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To fear death is the way to live long to lie afraid of death is to be long a dying.
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Wisdom not only gets, but once got, retains.
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If thou wouldst preserve a sound body, use fasting and walking if a healthful soul, fasting and praying. Walking exercises the body praying exercises the soul fasting cleanses both.
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No man is born unto himself alone Who lives unto himself, he lives to none.
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Scandal breeds hatred hatred begets division division makes faction, and faction brings ruin.
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If thou desire the love of God and man, be humble, for the proud heart, as it loves none but itself, is beloved of none but itself. Humility enforces where neither virtue, nor strength, nor reason can prevail.
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In the height of thy prosperity expect adversity, but fear it not. If it come not, thou art the more sweetly possessed of the happiness thou hast, and the more strongly confirmed. If it come, thou art the more gently dispossessed of the happiness thou hadst, and the more firmly prepared.
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Thy ignorance in unrevealed mysteries is the mother of a saving faith, and thy understanding in revealed truths is the mother of a sacred knowledge understand not therefore that thou mayest believe, but believe that thou mayest understand understanding is the wages of a lively faith and faith is the reward of an humble ignorance.
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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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Be wisely worldly, but not worldly wise.
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We sack, we ransack to the utmost sands Of native kingdoms, and of foreign lands: We travel sea and soil we pry, and prowl, We progress, and we prog from pole to pole.
Francis Quarles