Joseph Hall Quotes

A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep their eyes on the spot where the crack was.

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

Moderation is the silken string running through the pearl chain of all virtues.

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.

Rich people should consider that they are only trustees for what they posses, and should show their wealth to be more in doing good than merely in having it.

If the sun of God's countenance shine upon me, I may well be content to be wet with the rain of affliction.

[W]e all lie down in our bed of earth as sure to wake as ever we can be to shut our eyes.

I have seldom seen much ostentation and much learning met together.

What I have done is worthy of nothing but silence and forgetfulness, but what God has done for me is worthy of everlasting and thankful memory.

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.

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.

He is great enough that is his own master.

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.

We must first pray, that God would make us wise; before we can wish, he would make us happy.

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

Let me know myself; let others guess at me.

Rich people should consider that they are only trustees for what they possess, and should show their wealth to be more in doing good than merely in having it. They should not reserve their benevolence for purposes after they are dead, for those who give not of their property till they die show that they would not then if they could keep it any longer.

Those who give not till they die show that they would not then if they could keep it any longer.

Seldom was any knowledge given to keep, but to impart; the grace of this rich jewel is lost in concealment.

Infidelity and faith look both through the perspective glass, but at contrary ends. Infidelity looks through the wrong end of the glass; and, therefore, sees those objects near which are afar off, and makes great things little,-diminishing the greatest spiritual blessings, and removing far from us threatened evils. Faith looks at the right end, and brings the blessings that are far off in time close to our eye, and multiplies God's mercies, which, in a distance, lost their greatness.

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.

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.

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.

Let others either envy or pity me; I care not, so long as I enjoy myself.

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

The godly man contrarily is afraid of nothing; not of God, because he knows Him his best friend, and will not hurt him; not of Satan, because he cannot hurt him; not of afflictions, because he knows they come from a loving God, and end in his good; not of the creatures, since "the very stones in the field are in league with Him;" not of himself, since his conscience is at peace.

Good prayers never come creeping home. I am sure I shall receive either what I ask, or what I should ask.

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

Those that dare lose a day, ate dangerously prodigal; those that dare misspend it, are desperate.

A man's opinion is in others; his being is in himself.

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

Words are as they are taken, and things are as they are used. There are even cursed blessings.

...Covetousness, looking more at what we would have than at what we have.

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

No marvel if the worldling escape earthly afflictions. God corrects him not. He is base born and begot. God will not do him the favour to whip him. The world afflicts him not, because it loves him: for each man is indulgent to his own. God uses not the rod where He means to use the Word. The pillory or scourge is for those malefactors that shall escape execution.

Ambition is torment enough for an enemy; for it affords as much discontentment in enjoying as in want, making men like poisoned rats, which, when they have tasted of their bane, cannot rest till they drink, and then can much less rest till they die

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

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.

I first adventure, follow me who list And be the second English satirist

The idle man is the devil's cushion.

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.

Perfection is the child of time.

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.

It is not the bee's touching on the flowers that gathers the honey, but her abiding for a time upon them, and drawing out the sweet.

It is not sin that kills the soul, but impenitence.

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.

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

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.