Prayer is request. The essence of request, as distinct from compulsion, is that it may or may not be granted. And if an infinitely wise Being listens to the requests of finite and foolish creatures, of course He will sometimes grant and sometimes refuse them.

In reading Chesterton, as in reading MacDonald, I did not know what I was letting myself in for. A young man who wishes to remain a sound Atheist cannot be too careful of his reading. There are traps everywhere — "Bibles laid open, millions of surprises," as Herbert says, "fine nets and stratagems." God is, if I may say it, very unscrupulous.

That raises a terrible question. How is it that people who are quite obviously eaten up with Pride can say they believe in God and appear to themselves very religious? I am afraid it means they are worshiping an imaginary God.

You and I have need of the strongest spell that can be found to wake us from the evil enchantment of worldliness.

We regard God as an airman regards his parachute; it's there for emergencies but he hopes he'll never have to use it.

Truth and falsehood are opposed; but truth is the norm not of truth only but of falsehood also.

All Hell is smaller than one pebble of your earthly world; but it is smaller than one atom of this world, the Real World.