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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.

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
Actually
Envy
Laudable
Think
Lows
Emulation
Thinking
Humility
Evidently
Ambition
Attainment
Necessary
Implies
Pride
Advanced
Present
Founded
Opinion
Worldly
Attainments

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Tranquillity consisteth in a steadiness of the mind and how can that vessel that is beaten upon by contrary waves and winds, and tottereth to either part, be said to keep a steady course? Resolution is the only mother of security.
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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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The proud man hath no God the envious man hath no neighbor the angry man hath not himself.
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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.
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I first adventure, follow me who list And be the second English satirist
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And, if I were so low that I accounted myself the worst of all, yet some would account themselves in worse case.
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Society is the atmosphere of souls and we necessarily imbibe from it something which is either infectious or healthful.
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Let me know myself let others guess at me.
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Seldom was any knowledge given to keep, but to impart the grace of this rich jewel is lost in concealment.
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The life of doctrine is in application.
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There would not be so many open mouths if there were not so many open ears.
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Recreation is intended to the mind as whetting is to the scythe, to sharpen the edge of it, which otherwise would grow dull and blunt,--as good no scythe as no edge.
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I have seldom seen much ostentation and much learning met together. The sun, rising and declining, makes long shadows at mid day, when he is highest, none at all.
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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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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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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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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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Not to be afflicted is a sign of weakness for, therefore God imposeth no more on me, because He sees I can bear no more.
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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.
Joseph Hall