Vain Quotes - Page 39

• The severity of penalties is only a vain resource, invented by little minds in order to substitute terror for that respect which they have no means of obtaining.

  Henri Rousseau

  Respect, Mean, Order

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• For him in vain the envious seasons roll
  Who bears eternal summer in his soul.

  Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

  Summer, July, Soul

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• The storm of frenzy and faction must inevitably dash itself in vain against the unshaken rock of the Constitution.

  James Buchanan

  Inspirational Life, Rocks, Presidential

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• If there be ground for you to trust in your own righteousness, then, all that Christ did to purchase salvation, and all that God did to prepare the way for it is in vain.

  Jonathan Edwards

  Way, Christ, Salvation

  Jonathan Edwards (1793). “History of Redemption, on a Plan Entirely Original: Exhibiting the Gradual Discovery and Accomplishment of the Divine Purposes in the Salvation of Man, Including a Comprehensive View of Church History and the Fulfilment of Scripture Prophecies”, p.354

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• All outward means of grace, if separate from the spirit of God, cannot profit, or conduce, in any degree, either to the knowledge or love of God. All outward things, unless he work in them and by them, are in vain.

  John Wesley

  Mean, Grace, Degrees

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• Not in vain has Lincoln lived, for he has helped to make this republic an example of justice, with no caste but the caste of humanity.

  George Bancroft

  Justice, Humanity, Example

  George Bancroft (1866). “Memorial Address on the Life and Character of Abraham Lincoln: Delivered, at the Request of Both Houses of the Congress of America, Before Them, in the House of Representatives at Washington, on the 12th of February, 1866”, p.42

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• So I say, if you cannot learn to love real art; at least learn to hate sham art and reject it. It is not because the wretched thing is so ugly and silly and useless that I ask you to cast it from you; it is much more because these are but the outward symbols of the poison that lies within them; look through them and see all that has gone to their fashioning, and you will see how vain labour, and sorrow, and disgrace have been their companions from the first-and all this for trifles that no man really needs!

  William Morris

  Art, Lying, Hate

  William Morris, May Morris (2012). “The Collected Works of William Morris: With Introductions by His Daughter May Morris”, p.150, Cambridge University Press

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• I believe that it is better to learn from the diverse people around us than to try in vain to emulate them, better to be a teacher than a role model. As strong as my legs are, it is my mind that has made me a champion.

  Michael Johnson

  Inspirational, Life, Motivational

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• Look what a little vain dust we are!

  Joseph Addison

  Dust, Looks, Littles

  Sir Richard Steele, Joseph Addison, Laurence Sterne, Oliver Goldsmith, William Makepeace Thackeray (1906). “English Humorists of the Eighteenth Century: Sir Richard Steele, Joseph Addison, Laurence Sterne, Oliver Goldsmith”

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• The ways of heaven are dark and intricate,
  Puzzled in mazes, and perplex'd with errors;
  Our understanding traces them in vain,
  Lost and bewilder'd in the fruitless search;
  Nor sees with how much art the windings run,
  Nor where the regular confusion ends.

  Joseph Addison

  Running, Art, Dark

  Joseph Addison (1868). “The Works of Joseph Addison”, p.481

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• Great people and champions are special gifts of God, whom He gives and preserves; they do their work, and achieve great actions, not with vain imaginations, or cold and sleepy cogitations, but by motion of God.

  Martin Luther

  Greatness, People, Giving

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• Excess in apparel is another costly folly. The very trimming of the vain world would clothe all the naked ones.

  William Penn

  Excess, World, Naked

  Benjamin Franklin, William Penn (2012). “Franklin's Way to Wealth and Penn's Maxims”, p.28, Courier Corporation

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• The vain man makes a merit of misfortune, and triumphs in his disgrace.

  William Hazlitt

  Men, Vanity, Triumph

  William Hazlitt (1871). “The Round Table. A collection of Essays ... By W. H. and Leigh Hunt”, p.473

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• Vain-glorious man, when fluttering wind does blow
  In his light wing's, is lifted up to sky;
  The scorn of-knighthood and true chivalry.
  To think, without desert of gentle deed
  And noble worth, to be advanced high,
  Such praise is shame, but honour, virtue's meed,
  Doth bear the fairest flower in honourable seed.

  Edmund Spenser

  Flower, Blow, Men

  Edmund Spenser (1965). “Books I and II of the Faerie queene: the mutability cantos, and selections from the minor poetry”

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• Their origin is commonly unknown; for the practice often continues when the cause has ceased, and concerning superstitious ceremonies it is in vain to conjecture; for what reason did not dictate, reason cannot explain.

  Samuel Johnson

  Practice, Causes, Reason

  Samuel Johnson (1977). “Selected Poetry and Prose”, p.150, Univ of California Press

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• Of him that hopes to be forgiven it is indispensably required that he forgive. It is, therefore, superfluous to urge any other motive. On this great duty eternity is suspended, and to him that refuses to practise it, the throne of mercy is inaccessible, and the Saviour of the world has been born in vain.

  Samuel Johnson

  Forgiveness, Forgiving, Thrones

  Samuel Johnson (1836). “Johnsoniana; or supplement to Boswell; being Anecdotes and sayings of Dr. Johnson, etc”, p.385

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• We are to take no counsel with flesh and blood; give ear to no vain cavils, vain sorrows and wishes; to know that we know nothing, that the worst and cruelest to our eyes is not what it seems, that we have to receive whatsoever befalls us as sent from God above, and say, "It is good and wise,--God is great! Though He slay me, yet I trust in Him." Islam means, in its way, denial of self. This is yet the highest wisdom that heaven has revealed to our earth.

  Thomas Carlyle

  Wise, Mean, Eye

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• These are the effects of doting age,--vain doubts and idle cares and over caution.

  John Dryden

  Doubt, Age, Care

  John Dryden (1808). “The works of John Dryden now first collected ...”, p.426

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• To so perverse a sex all grace is vain.

  John Dryden

  Sex, Grace

  Mr. Joseph Trapp, Mr. John Dryden, Edmund Smith, Mr. John Crown, Colley Cibber (1721). “A Select Collection of the Best Modern English Plays: Vol. III.”, p.29

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• An old dog barks not in vain.

  George Herbert

  Dog, Bark, Old Dog

  George Herbert, Christopher Harvey, George Gilfillan (1857). “The poetical works of George Herbert”, p.325

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• Next, to make them expert in the usefullest points of grammar; and withal to season them and win them early to the love of virtue and true labour, ere any flattering seducement or vain principle seize them wandering, some easy and delightful book of education would be read to them; whereof the Greeks have store, as Cebes, Plutarch, and other Socratic discourses.

  John Milton

  Children, Book, Winning

  John Milton, James Augustus St. John, Charles Richard Sumner (1872). “The Prose Works of John Milton ...: With a Preface, Preliminary Remarks, and Notes”, p.468

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• In vain our labours are, whatsoe'er they be, unless God gives the Benediction.

  Robert Herrick

  Giving, Action, Benediction

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• When we are conscious of the least comparative merit in ourselves, we should take as much care to conceal the value we set upon it, as if it were a real defect; to be elated or vain upon it is showing your money before people in want.

  Colley Cibber

  Real, Vanity, People

  Colley Cibber (1830). “An Apology for the Life of Mr. Colley Cibber, Comedian”, p.27

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• it is so difficult not to become vain about one's own good luck.

  Simone de Beauvoir

  Good Luck, Complacency, Difficult

  Simone de Beauvoir (1977). “Force of circumstance”

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• The man who is roused neither by glory nor by danger it is in vain to exhort; terror closes the ears of the mind.
  [Lat., Quem neque gloria neque pericula excitant, nequidquam hortere; timor animi auribus officit.]

  Sallust

  Fear, Men, Mind

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