Hosea Ballou Quotes

103 Sourced Quotes

The oppression of any people for opinion's sake has rarely had any other effect than to fix those opinions deeper, and render them more important.

Hosea Ballou
A single bad habit will mar an otherwise faultless character, as an ink-drop soileth the pure white page.

Hosea Ballou
Hatred is self-punishment. Hatred it the coward's revenge for being intimidated.

Hosea Ballou
Preaching is of much avail, but practice is far more effective. A godly life is the strongest argument that you can offer to the skeptic.

Hosea Ballou
Exaggeration is a blood relation to falsehood, and nearly as blameable.

Hosea Ballou
Real happiness is cheap enough, yet how dearly we pay for its counterfeit.

Hosea Ballou
How can there be pride in a contrite heart? Humility is the earliest fruit of religion.

Hosea Ballou
A wise Providence consoles our present afflictions by joys borrowed from the future.

Hosea Ballou
True sympathy is putting ourselves in another's place; and we are moved in proportion to the reality of our imagination.

Hosea Ballou
There is no better rule to try a doctrine by than the question, Is it merciful, or is it unmerciful? If its character is that of mercy, it has the image of Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life.

Hosea Ballou
Envy may justly be called "the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity;" it is the most acid fruit that grows on the stock of sin, a fluid so subtle that nothing but the fire of divine love can purge it from the soul.

Hosea Ballou
Obedience, as it regards the social relations, the rules of society, and the laws of nature and nature's God, should commence at the cradle and end only at the tomb.

Hosea Ballou
Reproof, especially as it relates to children, administered in all gentleness, will render the culprit not afraid, but ashamed to repeat the offence.

Hosea Ballou
Duty itself is supreme delight when love is the inducement and labor. By such a principle the ignorant are enlightened, the hard-hearted softened, the disobedient reformed, and the faithful encouraged.

Hosea Ballou
Has not God borne with you these many years? Be ye tolerant to others.

Hosea Ballou
Servility is disgusting to a truly noble character, and engenders only contempt.

Hosea Ballou
It is what we give up, not what we lay up, that adds to our lasting store.

Hosea Ballou
None but the guilty know the withering pains of repentance.

Hosea Ballou
It is a glorious occupation, vivifying and self-sustaining in its nature, to struggle with ignorance, and discover to the inquiring minds of the masses the clear cerulean blue of heavenly truth.

Hosea Ballou
Attempt to teach the young but little at a time; this will be easier to impart, easier to receive, and surer to be retained.

Hosea Ballou
Education commences at the mother's knee, and every word spoken within the hearsay of little children tends towards the formation of character.

Hosea Ballou
As the sun's rays will irradiate even the murky pool, and make its stagnant waters to shine like silver, so doth God's goodness and tender mercy, towards the greatest sinner, and the blackest heart, make his own image visible there!

Hosea Ballou
It is my humble prayer that I may be of some use in my day and generation.

Hosea Ballou
The goodness of God to mankind is no less evinced in the chastisement with which He corrects His children than in the smiles of His providence; for the Lord will not cast off forever, but though He cause grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies.

Hosea Ballou
The eye is the inlet to the soul, and it is well to beware of him whose visual organs avoid your honest regard.

Hosea Ballou
With regard to manner, be careful to speak in a soft, tender, kind and loving way. Even when you have occasion to rebuke, be careful to do it with manifest kindness. The effect will be incalculably better.

Hosea Ballou
Embark in no enterprise which you cannot submit to the test of prayer.

Hosea Ballou
The severest punishment suffered by a sensitive mind, for injury inflicted upon another, is the consciousness of having done it.

Hosea Ballou
Pretension almost always overdoes the original, and hence exposes itself.

Hosea Ballou
A careless and blasphemous use of the name of the Divine Being is not only sinful, but it is also prima facie evidence of vulgar associations.

Hosea Ballou