40 Quotes by William Channing

It is better to plan less and do more

Man's spiritual nature is no dream of theologians to vanish before the light of natural science. It is the grandest reality on earth.

Most joyful the Poet be; It is through him that all men see

The only distinctions which should be recognized are those of the soul, of strong principle, or incorruptible integrity, of usefulness, of cultivated intellect, of fidelity in seeking the truth.

There are seasons, in human affairs, of inward and outward revolution, when new depths seem to be broken up in the soul, when new wants are unfolded in multitudes, and a new and undefined good is thirsted for. These are periods when...to dare is the highest wisdom.

What is mysterious, secret, unknown, cannot at the same time be known as an object of faith.

We do not pretend to know the whole nature and properties of God, but still we can form some clear ideas of him, and can reason from these ideas as justly as from any other. The truth is, that we cannot be said to comprehend any being whatever, not the simplest plant or animal. All have hidden properties. Our knowledge of all is limited.

Everything here but the soul of man is a passing shadow. The only enduring substance is within. When shall we awake to the sublime greatness, the perils, the accountableness, and the glorious destinies of the immortal soul?

Difficulty is the element, and resistance the true work of a man.