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The idle man is the Devil's cushion, on which he taketh his free ease: who, as he is uncapable of any good, so he is fitly disposed for all evil motions.

Joseph Hall

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Joseph Hall
Age: 82 †
Born: 1574
Born: July 1
Died: 1656
Died: September 8
Clergyman
Poet
Priest
Writer
Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Leicestershire
Free
Cushion
Evil
Cushions
Good
Motions
Men
Disposed
Laziness
Idle
Ease
Devil
Fitly

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I first adventure, follow me who list And be the second English satirist
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Earthly greatness is a nice thing, and requires so much chariness in the managing, as the contentment of it cannot requite.
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It is not he that reads most, but he that meditates most on Divine truth, that will prove the choicest, wisest, strongest Christian.
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Good prayers never come creeping home. I am sure I shall receive either what I ask, or what I should ask.
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There is no enemy can hurt us but by our own hands. Satan could not hurt us, if our own corruption betrayed us not. Afflictions cannot hurt us without our own impatience. Temptations cannot hurt us, without our own yieldance. Death could not hurt us, without the sting of our own sins. Sins could not hurt us, without our own impenitence.
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It is a shame for the tongue to cast itself upon the uncertain pardon of other's ears
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As you see in a pair of bellows, there is a forced breath without life, so in those that are puffed up with the wind of ostentation, there may be charitable words without works.
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How easy it is for men to be swollen with admiration of their own strength and glory, and to be lifted up so high as to lose sight both of the ground whence they rose, and the hand that advanced them.
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...Covetousness, looking more at what we would have than at what we have.
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A good man is kinder to his enemy than bad men are to their friends.
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Nothing fools people as much as extreme passion.
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[W]e all lie down in our bed of earth as sure to wake as ever we can be to shut our eyes.
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Worldly ambition is founded on pride or envy, but emulation, or laudable ambition, is actually founded in humility for it evidently implies that we have a low opinion of our present attainments, and think it necessary to be advanced.
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There is many a rich stone laid up in the bowels of the earth, many a fair pearl laid up in the bosom of the sea, that never was seen, nor never shall be.
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There would not be so many open mouths if there were not so many open ears.
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Even the best things ill used become evils and, contrarily, the worst things used well prove good.
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Moderation is the silken string running through the pearl chain of all virtues.
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God loves to see his creatures happy our lawful delight is His they know not God that think to please Him with making themselves miserable. The idolaters thought it a fit service for Baal to cut and lance themselves never any holy man looked for thanks from the true God by wronging himself.
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We are often infinitely mistaken, and take the falsest measures, when we envy the happiness of rich and great men we know not the inward canker that eats out all their joy and delight, and makes them really much more miserable than ourselves.
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He that taketh his own cares upon himself loads himself in vain with an uneasy burden. I will cast all my cares on God He hath bidden me they cannot burden Him.
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