Joseph Hall Quotes

“How endless is that volume which God hath written of the world! Every creature is a letter, every day a new page.”

World Written Creatures Pages Letters Environmental Endless Volume

Book:The Works of the Right Reverend Father in God, Joseph Hall: Now First Collected. With Some Account of His Life and Sufferings, Written by Himself

Source: The Works of the Right Reverend Father in God, Joseph Hall: Now First Collected. With Some Account of His Life and Sufferings, Written by Himself

“It is of no small commendation to manage a little well. To live well in abundance is the praise of the estate, not of the person. I will study more how to give a good account of my little, than how to make it more.”

Giving Wells Littles Persons Economy Study Accounts Praise Manage Abundance Estates Live Well Commendation

Book:The Works of Joseph Hall: Devotional works; Miscellaneous theology

Source: The Works of Joseph Hall: Devotional works; Miscellaneous theology

“For whom he means to make an often guest, One dish shall serve; and welcome make the rest.”

Mean Welcome Guests Dishes

Book:The Works of Joseph Hall: Miscellaneous works; Poetical works: Appendix; indices, etc

Source: The Works of Joseph Hall: Miscellaneous works; Poetical works: Appendix; indices, etc

“Surely the mischief of hypocrisy can never be enough inveighed against. When religion is in request, it is the chief malady of the church, and numbers die of it; though because it is a subtle and inward evil, it be little perceived. It is to be feared there are many sick of it, that look well and comely in God's outward worship, and they may pass well in good weather, in times of peace; but days of adversity are days of trial.”

Wells Looks May Littles Enough Dies Evil Church Numbers Worship Sick Adversity Trials Weather Chiefs Hypocrisy Subtle Inward Request Mischief Malady Good Weather

Author:Joseph Hall

“Neutrality in things good or evil is both odious and prejudicial; but in matters of an indifferent nature is safe and commendable. Herein taking of parts maketh sides, and breaketh unity. In an unjust cause of separation, he that favoreth both parts may perhaps have least love of either side, but hath most charity in himself.”

May Matter Evil Causes Sides Safe Unity Charity Separation Indifferent Unjust Neutrality Commendable

Author:Joseph Hall

“I will rather suffer a thousand wrongs than offer one. I have always found that to strive with a superior is injurious; with an equal, doubtful; with an inferior, sordid and base; with any, full of unquietness.”

Suffering Found Offers Thousand Equal Strive Superiors Inferiors Quarrels Doubtful

Author:Joseph Hall

“Revenge commonly hurts both the offerer and sufferer; as we see in a foolish bee, which in her anger invenometh the flesh and loseth her sting, and so lives a drone ever after.”

Hurt Revenge Flesh Foolish Bees Ever After Drones Sufferers

Author:Joseph Hall

“It is a shame for the tongue to cast itself upon the uncertain pardon of other's ears”

Ears Shame Casts Tongue Uncertain Pardon

Book:Works: Practical works

Source: Works: Practical works

“The blood that is once inflamed with wine is apt to boil with rage.”

Blood Wine Rage

Book:Contemplations on the Historical Passages of the Old and New Testament

Source: Contemplations on the Historical Passages of the Old and New Testament

“The life of doctrine is in application.”

Doctrine Application

Book:Works: Some specialities in the life of Bishop Hall. Letter from the Tower. Bishop Hall's Hard measure. Contemplations on the Old Testament

Source: Works: Some specialities in the life of Bishop Hall. Letter from the Tower. Bishop Hall's Hard measure. Contemplations on the Old Testament

“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.”

Men Evil Devil Ease Laziness Idle Cushions

Book:The Works: Now First Collected : with Some Account of His Life and Sufferings. Devotional works

Source: The Works: Now First Collected : with Some Account of His Life and Sufferings. Devotional works

“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.”

Earth Rich Sea Fairs Stones Pearls Bosoms Bowels

Book:Contemplations on the Historical Passages of the Old and New Testaments

Source: Contemplations on the Historical Passages of the Old and New Testaments

“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.”

Men Hands Easy Loses Security Glory Sight Rose Admiration Swollen

Author:Joseph Hall

“The ear and the eye are the mind's receivers; but the tongue is only busy in expending the treasures received. It, therefore, the revenues of the mind be uttered as fast or faster than they are received, it must needs be bare, and can never lay up for purchase.”

Needs Mind Eye Ears Lays Busy Tongue Treasure Faster Revenue Receiver

Author:Joseph Hall

“Heaven hath many tongues to talk of it, more eyes to behold it, but few hearts that rightly affect it.”

Heart Eye Heaven Tongue

Book:The Works of Joseph Hall: Devotional works; Miscellaneous theology

Source: The Works of Joseph Hall: Devotional works; Miscellaneous theology

“As the most generous vine, if it is not pruned, runs out into many superfluous stems, and grows at last weak and fruitless; so dote the best man, if he be not cut short of his desires and pruned with afflictions. If it be painful to bleed, it is worse to wither. Let me be pruned, that I may grow, rather than be cut up to burn.”

Ifs Men May Running Lasts Desire Grows Cutting Weak Let Me Painful Generous Stem Affliction Vines Superfluous

Author:Joseph Hall

“Try to be of some use to others.”

Trying Use Benevolence

Author:Joseph Hall

“Even the best things ill used become evils; and, contrarily, the worst things used well prove good.”

Wells Used Evil Worst Prove Ill Best Things Worst Things

Book:The Works of Joseph Hall: Devotional works; Miscellaneous theology

Source: The Works of Joseph Hall: Devotional works; Miscellaneous theology

“The malcontent is neither well, full nor fasting; and though he abounds with complaints, yet nothing dislikes him but the present; for what he condemns while it was, once passed, he magnifies and strives to recall it out of the jaw of time. What he hath he seeth not, his eyes are so taken up with what he wants; and what he sees he careth not for, because be cares so much for that which is not.”

Want Wells Eye Care Taken Strive His Eyes Dislike Recalls Complaints Strife Discontent Fasting Malcontent

Author:Joseph Hall

“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.”

Thinking Opinion Humility Pride Ambition Lows Envy Worldly Attainment Emulation

Author:Joseph Hall

“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.”

Knows Men Joy Rich Delight Envy Miserable Great Men Inward Mistaken

Author:Joseph Hall

“How apt nature is, even in those who profess an eminence in holiness, to raise and maintain animosities against those whose calling or person they pretend to find cause to dislike!”

Persons Hate Causes Calling Raises Holiness Dislike Animosity Eminence

Book:The Works of Joseph Hall: Devotional works; Miscellaneous theology

Source: The Works of Joseph Hall: Devotional works; Miscellaneous theology

“If religion might be judged of according to men's intentions, there would scarcely be any idolatry in the world.”

Ifs Men World Might Intention Judged Idolatry

Author:Joseph Hall

“The best ground untilled, soonest runs out into rank weeds. A man of knowledge that is negligent or uncorrected, cannot but grow wild and godless.”

Men Running Grows Weed Negligence

Book:The Works of Joseph Hall: Devotional works; Miscellaneous theology

Source: The Works of Joseph Hall: Devotional works; Miscellaneous theology

“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.”

May Wind Breaths Pairs Charitable Ostentation

Book:The Works of Joseph Hall DD Successively Bishop of Exeter and Norwich: With Some Account of His Life and Sufferings

Source: The Works of Joseph Hall DD Successively Bishop of Exeter and Norwich: With Some Account of His Life and Sufferings

“Gospel ministers should not only be like dials on watches, or mile-stones upon the road, but like clocks and larums, to sound the alarm to sinners. Aaron wore bells as well as pomegranates, and the prophets were commanded to lift up their voice like a trumpet. A sleeping sentinel may be the loss of the city.”

Should Wells May Sound Voice Loss Sleep Cities Watches Stones Miles Lifts Clock Ministers Prophet Sinner Bells Preaching Alarms Trumpets Sentinels Pomegranates

Author:Joseph Hall

“Our good purposes foreslowed are become our tormentors upon our deathbed.”

Purpose Procrastination Deathbed

Book:The Works of Joseph Hall: Practical works

Source: The Works of Joseph Hall: Practical works

“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.”

Mind Said Mother Courses Security Wind Quiet Wave Contrary Resolution Steady Beaten Vessel Tranquillity Steadiness

Book:Works

Source: Works

“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.”

Mind Grows Edges Dull Recreation Blunt Scythes

Book:The Works of Joseph Hall: Latin theology with translations

Source: The Works of Joseph Hall: Latin theology with translations

“Garments that have once one rent in them are subject to be torn on every nail, and glasses that are once cracked are soon broken; such is man's good name once tainted with just reproach.”

Men Names Subjects Broken Glasses Reputation Nails Torn Garments Cracked Reproach Tainted

Book:The Works: Now First Collected : with Some Account of His Life and Sufferings. Devotional works

Source: The Works: Now First Collected : with Some Account of His Life and Sufferings. Devotional works

“There is no word or action but may be taken with two hands,--either with the right hand of charitable construction, or the sinister interpretation of malice and suspicion; and all things do succeed as they are taken. To construe an evil, action well is but a pleasing and profitable deceit to myself; but to misconstrue a good thing is a treble wrong,--to myself, the action, and the author.”

Source: The Works of Joseph Hall: Devotional works; Miscellaneous theology

“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.”

Care Casts Burden Vain Load Uneasy

Author:Joseph Hall

“Now you say, alas! Christianity is hard; I grant it; but gainful and happy. I contemn the difficulty when I respect the advantage. The greatest labors that have answerable requitals are less than the least that have no regard. Believe me, when I look to the reward, I would not have the work easier. It is a good Master whom we serve, who not only pays, but gives; not after the proportion of our earnings, but of His own mercy.”

Giving Believe Looks Hard Pay Christianity Masters Easier Advantage Labor Mercy Difficulty Regard Rewards Proportion Grants Believe In Me Earning Alas

Author:Joseph Hall

“Death did not first strike Adam, the first sinful man, nor Cain, the first hypocrite, but Abel, the innocent and righteous. The first soul that met with death, overcame death; the first soul that parted from earth went to heaven. Death argues not displeasure, because he whom God loved best dies first, and the murderer is punished with living.”

Men Firsts Soul Earth Death Dies Heaven Mets Strikes Arguing Innocent God Love Adam Righteous Murderer Hypocrite Cain Displeasure Abel

Book:Works: With Some Account of His Life and Sufferings

Source: Works: With Some Account of His Life and Sufferings

“That which the French proverb hath of sickness is true of all evils, that they come on horseback, and go away on foot; we have often seen a sudden fall or one meal's surfeit hath stuck by many to their graves; whereas pleasures come like oxen, slow, and heavily, and go away like post-horses, upon the spur.”

Fall Evil Pleasure Feet Horse Stuck Graves Posts Meals Sickness Going Away Spurs Horseback Oxen

Author:Joseph Hall

“A good man is kinder to his enemy than bad men are to their friends.”

Men Enemy Goodness Good Man Kinder Bad Man

Author:Joseph Hall

“Earthly greatness is a nice thing, and requires so much chariness in the managing, as the contentment of it cannot requite.”

Nice Greatness Contentment Nice Things

Book:to xviii

Source: to xviii

“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.”

Thinking Knows Men Happiness Cutting Fit Holy Please Creatures Delight Thanks Miserable God Love True God Holy Man

Book:The Works: Now First Collected : with Some Account of His Life and Sufferings. Contemplations

Source: The Works: Now First Collected : with Some Account of His Life and Sufferings. Contemplations

“This field is so spacious that it were easy for a man to lose himself in it; and if I should spend all my pilgrimage in this walk, my time would sooner end than my way.”

Ifs Men Way Should Ends Easy Loses Walks Fields My Way My Time Quotations Pilgrimage

Book:The Works: Now First Collected : with Some Account of His Life and Sufferings. Practical works

Source: The Works: Now First Collected : with Some Account of His Life and Sufferings. Practical works

“Not only commission makes a sin. A man is guilty of all those sins he hateth not. If I cannot avoid all, yet I will hate all.”

Ifs Men Hate Sin Guilty

Book:Works: Devotional works

Source: Works: Devotional works

“There would not be so many open mouths if there were not so many open ears.”

Ifs Mouths Ears Slander

Book:Devotions, Sacred Aphorisms and Religious Table Talk: Selected from the Writings of the Eminently Pious and Learned Bishop Hall ; to which is Prefixed a Brief Memoir of the Author

Source: Devotions, Sacred Aphorisms and Religious Table Talk: Selected from the Writings of the Eminently Pious and Learned Bishop Hall ; to which is Prefixed a Brief Memoir of the Author

“Christian society is like a bundle of sticks laid together, whereof one kindles another. Solitary men have fewest provocations to evil, but, again, fewest incitations to good. So much as doing good is better than not doing evil will I account Christian good-fellowship better than an hermitish and melancholy solitariness.”

Men Christian Together Evil Society Accounts Sticks Melancholy Solitary Fellowship Doing Good Kindles Bundles Provocation Solitary Man

Book:The Works: Now First Collected : with Some Account of His Life and Sufferings. Devotional works

Source: The Works: Now First Collected : with Some Account of His Life and Sufferings. Devotional works

“Society is the atmosphere of souls; and we necessarily imbibe from it something which is either infectious or healthful.”

Soul Society Atmosphere

Author:Joseph Hall

“Virtues go ever in troops; they go so thick, that sometimes some are hid in the crowd; which yet are, but appear not.”

Sometimes Virtue Crowds Thick Troops

Book:The Works: Now First Collected : with Some Account of His Life and Sufferings. Devotional works

Source: The Works: Now First Collected : with Some Account of His Life and Sufferings. Devotional works

“Fools measure actions, after they are done, by the event; wise men beforehand, by the rules of reason and right. The former look to the end, to judge of the act. Let me look to the act, and leave the end with God.”