Heaven finds an ear when sinners find a tongue.
– Francis Quarles
Repentance | The Tongue
The voice of humility is God’s music, and the silence of humility is God’s rhetoric.
– Francis Quarles
Humility | Music
Nothing is more pleasing to God than an open hand, and a closed mouth.
– Francis Quarles
Charity | Humility
He that is a drunkard is qualified for all vice.
– Francis Quarles
Drunkenness
In giving of thine alms inquire not so much into the person, as his necessity. God looks not so much on the merits of him that requires, as to the manner of him that relieves. If the man deserve not, thou hast given to humanity.
– Francis Quarles
Charity
What treasures here do Mammon’s sons behold! Yet know that all that which glitters is not gold.
– Francis Quarles
Finances
There is no such merchant as the charitable man; he gives trifles which he could not keep, to receive treasure which he cannot lose.
– Francis Quarles
Charity
That friendship will not continue to the end which is begun for an end.
– Francis Quarles
Friendship
The way to subject all things to thyself is to subject thyself to reason. Thou shalt govern many if reason govern thee. Wouldst thou be the monarch of a little world? command thyself.
– Francis Quarles
Reasoning
The average person’s ear weighs what you are, not what you were.
– Francis Quarles
Character
If thou wouldst be justified, acknowledge thine injustice. He that confesses his sin, begins his journey toward salvation. He that is sorry for it, mends his pace. He that forsakes it, is at his journey’s end.
– Francis Quarles
Salvation | Repentance | Justification
He that hath no cross deserves no crown.
– Francis Quarles
Apathy | The Cross
Let the greatest part of the news thou nearest be the least part of what thou believes; lest the greatest part of what thou believes be the least part of what is true. Where lies are easily admitted, the father of lies will not easily be kept out.
– Francis Quarles
Lying
Beware of him that is slow to anger; for when it is long coming, it is the stronger when it comes, and the longer kept. Abused patience turns to fury.
– Francis Quarles
Anger
If thou desire the love of God and man, be humble, for the proud heart, as it loves none but itself, is beloved of none but itself.
– Francis Quarles
Humility | The Heart
Beware of drunkenness, lest all good men beware of thee. Where drunkenness reigns, there reason is an exile, virtue a stranger, and God an enemy; blasphemy is wit, oaths are rhetoric, and secrets are proclamations.
– Francis Quarles
Drunkenness
Humility enforces where neither virtue nor strength can prevail, nor reason.
– Francis Quarles
Humility
Flatter not thyself in thy faith in God if thou hast not charity for thy neighbor.
– Francis Quarles
Hypocrisy
Let the lips of the poor be the trumpet of thy gift, lest in seeking applause, thou lose thy reward.
– Francis Quarles
Charity | Rewards
He repents in thorns that sleeps in beds of roses.
– Francis Quarles
Selfishness | Greed
That action is not warrantable which either fears to ask the divine blessing on its performance, or having succeeded, does not come with thanksgiving to God for its success.
– Francis Quarles
Thankfulness | Success
He that gives all, though but little gives much; because God looks not to the quantity of the gift, but to the quality of the givers.
– Francis Quarles
Charity
Proportion thy charity to the strength of thine estate, lest God in anger proportion thine estate to the weakness of thy charity.
– Francis Quarles
Charity | Selfishness | Weakness