Virtue Quotes - Page 16

• God seeth different abilities and frailties of men, which may move His goodness to be merciful to their different improvements in virtue.

  William Law

  Christian, Religious, Moving

  William Law (1734). “A practical treatise upon Christian perfection. Repr. [of the 1726 ed.].”, p.8

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• It is an observation of one of the profoundest inquirers into human affairs that a revolution of government is the strongest proof that can be given by a people of their virtue and good sense.

  John Adams

  Government, People, Revolution

  John Adams, Charles Francis Adams (1851). “The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: Autobiography (cont.) Diary. Notes of a debate in the Senate of the United States. Essays: On private revenge. On self-delusion. On private revenge. Dissertation on the canon and the feudal law. Instructions of the town of Braintree to their representative, 1765. The Earl of Clarendon to William Pym. Governor Winthrop to Governor Bradford. Instructions of the town of Boston to their representatives, 1768. Instructions of the town of”, p.399

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• Let frugality and industry be our virtues.

  John Adams

  Life, Frugality, Industry

  Abigail Adams, John Adams, L. H. Butterfield, Marc Friedlaender, Mary-Jo Kline (1975). “The Book of Abigail and John: Selected Letters of the Adams Family, 1762-1784”, p.58, UPNE

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• All virtue lies in individual action, in inward energy, in self determination. There is no moral worth in being swept away by a crowd even toward the best objective.

  William Ellery Channing

  Determination, Lying, Self

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• Certainly virtue is like precious odors, most fragrant when they are incensed, or crushed: for prosperity doth best discover vice, but adversity doth best discover virtue.

  Francis Bacon

  Adversity, Vices, Odor

  Francis Bacon (2016). “Essays”, p.14, Jazzybee Verlag

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• A lady of honor may be raped once, but it strengthens her virtue.

  Voltaire

  Honor, May

  Francois Voltaire (1977). “The Portable Voltaire”, p.167, Penguin

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• Love is the sum of all virtue, and love disposes us to good.

  Jonathan Edwards

  Love Is, And Love

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• Until we are renewed in the spirit of our mind and illumined in every part, our very virtues are but taught practices grafted upon a corrupt bottom

  William Law

  Practice, Temptation, Mind

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• Where the roots of private virtue are diseased, the fruit of public probity cannot but be corrupt.

  Felix Adler

  Roots, Fruit, Corruption

  Founding address of New York Society for Ethical Culture, May 15, 1876.

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• True valor, on virtue founded strong, meets all events alike.

  David Mallet

  Strong, Events, Valor

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• Every act of virtue is an ingredient unto reward.

  Jeremy Taylor

  Rewards, Ingredients, Consequence

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• Man is most happy, when his own actions are arguments and examples of his virtue.

  John Webster

  Men, Example, Action

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• Man cannot be uplifted; he must be seduced into virtue

  Don Marquis

  Men, Literature

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• For it is not possible to join serpentine wisdom with columbine innocence, except men know exactly all the conditions of the serpent: his baseness and going upon his belly, his volubility and lubricity, his envy and sting, and the rest; that is, all forms and natures of evil: for without this, virtue lieth open and unfenced.

  Francis Bacon

  Wisdom, Men, Evil

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• Virtue is everywhere that which is thought praiseworthy; and nothing else but that which has the allowance of public esteem is called virtue.

  John Locke

  Allowance, Esteem, Praiseworthy

  John Locke, Anthony Douglas Woozley (1964). “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding”, p.302, Hayes Barton Press

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• What is the virtue and service of a book? Only to help me live less gingerly and shabbily.

  Christopher Morley

  Book, Helping, Help Me

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• It may be the will of Heaven that America shall suffer calamities still more wasting, and distresses yet more dreadful. If this is to be the case, it will have the good effect at least. It will inspire us with many virtues, which we have not, and correct many errors, follies and vices. But I must submit all my hopes and fears to an overruling Providence, in which, unfashionable as the faith may be, I firmly believe.

  John Adams

  Believe, America, Errors

  Letter to Abigail Adams, teachingamericanhistory.org. July 03, 1776.

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• Big-heartednes s is the most essential virtue on the spiritual journey.

  Matthew Fox

  Spiritual, Journey, Essentials

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• What tender force, what dignity divine, what virtue consecrating every feature; around that neck what dross are gold and pearl!

  Edward Young

  Gold, Pearls, Necks

  Edward Young, John Doran, James Nichols (1854). “The Complete Works, Poetry and Prose of the Rev. Edward Young, LL.D.: Revised and Collated with the Earliest Editions. To which is Prefixed A Life of the Author”, p.146

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• The whole mystery of temptation is to have sins suggested to us, and to be swept after them by a sudden enthusiasm, which sometimes feels as strong as the Spirit of God ever made in us the enthusiasm for virtue.

  George A. Smith

  Strong, Temptation, Enthusiasm

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• Facing the darkness, admitting the pain, allowing the pain to be pain, is never easy. This is why courage - big-heartedness - is the most essential virtue on the spiritual journey. But if we fail to let pain be pain - and our entire patriarchal culture refuses to let this happen - then pain will haunt us in nightmarish ways. We will become pain's victims instead of the healers we might become.

  Matthew Fox

  Spiritual, Pain, Journey

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• The good of the governed is the end, and rewards and punishments are the means, of all government. The government of the supreme and all-perfect Mind, over all his intellectual creation, is by proportioning rewards to piety and virtue, and punishments to disobedience and vice. ... The joys of heaven are prepared, and the horrors of hell in a future state, to render the moral government of the universe perfect and complete. Human government is more or less perfect, as it approaches nearer or diverges further from an imitation of this perfect plan of divine and moral government.

  John Adams

  Mean, Punishment, Government

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• The happiness of man, as well as his dignity, consists in virtue.

  John Adams

  Men, Dignity, Wells

  John Adams (1841). “Letters, Addressed to His Wife”, p.277

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• What havoc, said I to myself, would these manners make in America! Our governors, our judges, our senators or representatives, and even our ministers, would be appointed by harlots, for money; and their judgments, decrees, and decisions, be sold to repay themselves, or, perhaps, to procure the smiles of profligate females.

  John Adams

  America, Judging, Decision

  John Adams, Charles Francis Adams (1851). “The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: Autobiography (cont.) Diary. Notes of a debate in the Senate of the United States. Essays: On private revenge. On self-delusion. On private revenge. Dissertation on the canon and the feudal law. Instructions of the town of Braintree to their representative, 1765. The Earl of Clarendon to William Pym. Governor Winthrop to Governor Bradford. Instructions of the town of Boston to their representatives, 1768. Instructions of the town of”, p.171

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• If we cherish the virtues and the principles of our fathers, Heaven will assist us to carry on the work of human liberty and human happiness. Auspicious omens cheer us. Great examples are before us. Our own firmament now shines brightly upon our path.

  Daniel Webster

  Cheer, Father, Shining

  Daniel Webster (1853). “The Great Orations and Senatorial Speech of Daniel Webster”, p.24

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