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Every man's vanity ought to be his greatest shame and every man's folly ought to be his greatest secret.

Francis Quarles

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Francis Quarles
Age: 52 †
Born: 1592
Born: May 8
Died: 1644
Died: September 8
Author
Poet
Writer
Havering
Greatest
Secret
Every
Men
Folly
Vanity
Shame
Ought

More quotes by Francis Quarles

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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.
Francis Quarles
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Our God and Souldiers we alike adore,Evn at the Brink of danger not before:After deliverance, both alike requiredOur Gods forgotten, and our Souldiers slighted.
Francis Quarles
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See, here's a shadow found the human nature Is made th' umbrella to the Deity, To catch the sunbeams of thy just Creator Beneath this covert thou may'st safely lie.
Francis Quarles
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In all thy actions think God sees thee and in all His actions labor to see Him that will make thee fear Him this will move thee to love Him the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge, and the knowledge of God is the perfection of love.
Francis Quarles
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Things temporal are sweeter in the expectation, things eternal are sweeter in the fruition the first shames thy hope, the second crowns it it is a vain journey, whose end affords less pleasure than the way.
Francis Quarles
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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.
Francis Quarles
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Is not this lily pure? What fuller can procure A white so perfect, spotless clear As in this flower doth appear?
Francis Quarles
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In thy apparel avoid singularity, profuseness, and gaudiness. Be not too early in the fashion, nor too late. Decency is half way between affectation and neglect. The body is the shell of the soul, apparel is the husk of that shell the husk often tells you what the kernel is.
Francis Quarles
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Proportion thy charity to the strength of thine estate, lest God proportion thine estate to the weakness of thy charity. Let the lips of the poor be the trumpet of thy gift, lest in seeking applause, thou lose thy reward. Nothing is more pleasing to God than an open hand and a closed mouth.
Francis Quarles
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It is no happiness to live long, nor unhappiness to die soon happy is he that hath lived long enough to die well.
Francis Quarles
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Before thou reprehend another, take heed thou art not culpable in what thou goest about to reprehend. He that cleanses a blot with blotted fingers makes a greater blur.
Francis Quarles
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My mind's my kingdom.
Francis Quarles
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Physicians, of all men, are most happy whatever good success soever they have, the world proclaimeth and what faults they commit, the earth covereth.
Francis Quarles
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Lust is a sharp spur to vice, which always putteth the affections into a false gallop.
Francis Quarles
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Be neither too early in the fashion, nor too long out of it, nor too precisely in it what custom hath civilized is become decent, till then ridiculous where the eye is the jury thy apparel is the evidence.
Francis Quarles
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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.
Francis Quarles
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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.
Francis Quarles
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Shine Son of glory, and my sinnes are goneLike twinkling Starres before the rising Sunne.
Francis Quarles
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That friendship will not continue to the end which is begun for an end.
Francis Quarles
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Afflictions clarify the soul.
Francis Quarles