In daily life what distinguishes the master is the using those materials he has, instead of looking about for what are more renowned, or what others have used well.

My friends have come to me unsought. The great God gave them to me. By oldest right, by the divine affinity of virtue with itself,I find them, or rather not I, but the Deity in me and in them derides and cancels the thick walls of the individual character, relation, age, sex, circumstance, at which he usually connives, and now makes many one.

There is a time when a man distinguishes the idea of felicity from the idea of wealth; it is the beginning of wisdom.

Great geniuses have the shortest biographies.

The most active lives have so much routine as to preclude progress almost equally with the most inactive.

We judge others by their actions but we judge ourselves by our intensions.

If you maintain a dead church, contribute to a dead Bible-society, vote with a great party either for the government or against it, spread your table like base housekeepers, - under all these screens I have diffuculty to detect the precise man you are: and of course so much force is withdrawn from your proper life. But do your work and I shall know you. Do your work, and you shall reinforce yourself. A man must consider what a blind-man's bluff is this game of conformity. If I know your sect I anticipate your argument.