Defeat should never be a source of discouragement, but rather a fresh stimulus.
—Robert South
Impatience grasps at all, and admits of no delay, scorning to wait God’s leisure, and to attend humbly and dutifully upon the issues of his wise and just providence.
—Robert South
When once infidelity can persuade men that they shall die like beasts, they will soon be brought to live like beasts also.
—Robert South
Mammon has enriched his thousands, and has damned his ten thousands.
—Robert South
Topics: Money, Gold
Defeat should never be a source of discouragement, but rather a fresh stimulus.
—Robert South
Topics: Fresh, Mistakes, Failures, Defeat, Failure
John Bunyan had a great dread of spiritual pride; and once, after he had preached a very fine sermon, and his friends crowded round to shake him by the hand, while they expressed the utmost admiration of his eloquence, he interrupted them, saying: “Ay! you need not remind me of that, for the Devil told me of it before I was out of the pulpit!”
—Robert South
Topics: Pride
There never was any heart truly great and generous that was not also tender and compassionate.
—Robert South
Topics: Heart, Greatness, Kindness, Compassion
The true one of youth’s love, proving a faithful help-meet in those years when the dream of life is over, and we live in its realities.
—Robert South
Topics: Love
The disappointed man turns his thoughts toward a state of existence where his wiser desires may be fixed with the certainty of faith.—The successful man feels that the objects he has ardently pursued fail to satisfy the craving of an immortal spirit. The wicked man turneth away from his wickedness, that he may save his soul alive.
—Robert South
Topics: Eternity
He that tears away a man’s good name tears his flesh from his bones, and by letting him live gives him only a cruel opportunity of feeling his misery, of burying his better part and surviving himself.
—Robert South
Topics: Reputation
No man ever offended his own conscience, but first or last it was revenged upon him for it.
—Robert South
Topics: Conscience
What are most of the histories of the world but lies?—Lies immortalized, and consigned over as a perpetual abuse and a flaw upon posterity.
—Robert South
Topics: History
Novelty is the great parent of pleasure.
—Robert South
Topics: Pleasure
The tale-bearer and the tale-hearer should be both hanged up, back to back, one by the tongue, the other by the ear.
—Robert South
Most of the appearance of mirth in the world is not mirth, it is art. The wounded spirit is not seen, but walks under a disguise.
—Robert South
Topics: Laughter
A good inclination is but the first rude draught of virtue; but the finishing strokes are from the will; which, if well disposed, will, by degrees perfect; if ill disposed, will, by the super-induction of ill habits, quickly deface it.
—Robert South
Topics: Will
It is idleness that creates impossibilities; and where people don’t care to do anything, they shelter themselves under a permission that it cannot be done.
—Robert South
Topics: Possibilities, Idleness, Potential
All love has something of blindness in it, but the love of money especially.
—Robert South
Topics: Money
Action is the highest perfection and drawing forth of the utmost power, vigor, and activity of man’s nature.
—Robert South
Topics: Action
The vices of old age have the stiffness of it too; and as it is the unfittest time to learn in, so the unfitness of it to unlearn will be found much greater.
—Robert South
Topics: Age
Where there is the most love to God, there will be there the truest and most enlarged philanthropy.
—Robert South
Topics: Philanthropy
Speech was given to the ordinary sort of men, whereby to communicate their mind; but to wise men, whereby to conceal it.
—Robert South
He that despairs measures Providence by his own little contracted model and limits infinite power to finite apprehensions.
—Robert South
Topics: Despair
Repentance hath a purifying power, and every tear is of a cleansing virtue; but these penitential clouds must be still kept dropping; one shower will not suffice; for repentance is not one single action but a course.
—Robert South
Topics: Tears, Repentance
Order is the sanity of the mind, the health of the body, the peace of the city, the security of the state.—As the beams to a house, as the bones to the body, so is order to all things.
—Robert South
Topics: Order, Organization
Speech was given to the ordinary sort of men, whereby to communicate their mind; but to wise men, whereby to conceal it.
—Robert South
Topics: Speech
The loss of a friend is like that of a limb; time may heal the anguish of the wound, but the loss cannot be repaired.
—Robert South
Topics: Friendship
To a resolute mind, wishing to do is the first step toward doing. But if we do not wish to do a thing it becomes impossible.
—Robert South
There’s none so homely but loves a looking-glass.
—Robert South
Topics: Vanity
There is some soul of goodness in things evil, would men observantly distil it out.
—Robert South
Topics: Evils
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
- Henry Liddon English Theologian
- Philip James Bailey English Poet
- Matthew Prior English Poet, Diplomat
- Ford Madox Ford English Novelist, Poet, Critic
- Walter Savage Landor English Writer
- Charles Kingsley English Clergyman
- Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford English Poet, Courtier
- John Berger English Art Critic, Essayist, Novelist
- Francis Quarles English Religious Poet
- John Keats English Poet
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