Man's nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols.

They babble and talk absurdly who, in the place of God's providence, substitute bare permission - as if God sat in a watchtower awaiting chance events , and his judgments thus depended upon human will.

We are nowhere forbidden to laugh, or be satisfied with food...or to be delighted with music or to drink wine.

There is no place for faith if we expect God to fulfill immediately what he promises.

On the contrary, therefore, Christ declares that the doctrine of the Gospel, though it is preached to all without exception, cannot be embraced by all, but that a new understanding and a new perception are requisite; and, therefore, that faith does not depend on the will of men, but that it is God who gives it.

However many blessings we expect from God, His infinite liberality will always exceed all our wishes and our thoughts.

The human heart has so many crannies where vanity hides, so many holes where falsehood works, is so decked out with deceiving hypocrisy, that it often dupes itself.