01c. 1618 ADIn having all things, and not Thee, what have I? Not having Thee, what have my labours got? Let me enjoy but Thee, what further crave I? And having Thee alone, what have I not? I wish not sea nor land; nor would I be Possessed of Heaven, Heaven unpossessed of Thee.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
02c. 1618 ADI live on earth upon a stage of sorrow; Lord, if Thou pleasest, end the play to-morrow. I live on earth, as in a dream of pleasure; Awake me when Thou wilt, I wait Thy leisure. I live on earth, but as of life bereaven; My life’s with Thee, for, Lord, Thou art in Heaven.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
03c. 1618 ADThy life’s a warfare, thou a soldier art, Satan’s thy foeman, and a faithful heart Thy two-edged weapon, patience thy shield, Heaven is thy chieftain, and the world thy field. To be afraid to die, or wish for death, Are words and passions of despairing breath: Who doth the first, the day doth faintly yield; And who the second, basely flies the field.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
04c. 1618 ADSo fair is man, that death (a parting blast,) Blasts his fair flower, and makes him earth at last; So strong is man, that with a gasping breath He totters, and bequeaths his strength to death; So wise is man, that if with death he strive, His wisdom cannot teach him how to live; So rich is man, that (all his debts being paid,) His wealth’s the winding-sheet wherein he’s laid; So young is man, that (broke with care and sorrow,) He’s old enough to-day to die to-morrow.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
05c. 1618 ADMan’s not a lawful steersman of his days, His bootless wish nor hastens, nor delays; We are God’s hired workmen, He discharges Some late at night, and (when He list) enlarges Others at noon, and in the morning some: None may relieve himself, till He bid, Come.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
06c. 1618 ADGive me care, By thankful patience, to prevent despair: Fit me to bear whate’er Thou shalt assign; I kiss the rod, because the rod is Thine.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
07c. 1618 ADTemporal blessings Heaven oft doth share Unto the wicked, at the good man’s prayer.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
08c. 1618 ADO, how unsufferable is the weight Of sin! how miserable is their state, The silence of whose secret sin conceals The smart, till justice to revenge appeals! ***** Who loves to sin, in hell his portion’s given; Who dies to sin shall, after, live in heaven.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
09c. 1618 AD’Tis not to cry God mercy, or to sit And droop, or to confess that thou hast failed: ’Tis to bewail the sins thou didst commit; And not commit those sins thou hast bewailed. He that bewails, and not forsakes them too, Confesses rather what he means to do.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
10c. 1618 ADThy life’s a warfare, thou a soldier art, Satan’s thy foeman, and a faithful heart Thy two-edged weapon, patience is thy shield, Heaven is thy chieftain, and the world thy field. To be afraid to die, or wish for death, Are words and passions of despairing breath: Who doth the first, the day doth faintly yield; And who the second, basely flies the field.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
11c. 1618 ADA thankful heart hath earned me favour twice, But he that is ungrateful wants no vice.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
12c. 1618 ADWhat well-devised ear regards What earth can say? Thy words are gold, but thy regards Are painted clay: Thy cunning can but pack the cards, Thou canst not play: Thy game at weakest, still thou vy’st: If seen and then revy’d, deny’st; Thou art not what thou seem’st false world, thou ly’st. Thy tinsel bosom seems a mint Of new coined treasure: A paradise that hath no stint, No change, no measure, A painted cask, but nothing in it, Nor wealth, nor pleasure, Vain earth! that falsely thus comply’st With man; vain man! that thou rely’st On earth; vain man, thou dot’st, vain earth, thou ly’st. What mean dull souls, in this high measure To haberdash In earth’s bare wares, whose greatest treasure Is drop and trash? The height of whose enchanting pleasure Is but a flash? Are these the goods that thou supply’st Us mortals with? Are these the highest? Can these bring cordial peace! vain world thou ly’st.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
13c. 1618 ADWisdom, the antidote of sad despair, Makes sharp afflictions seem not as they are, Through patient sufferance; and doth apprehend, Not as they seeming are, but as they end.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
14c. 1618 ADLord, mail my heart with faith, and be my shield, And if a world confront me, I’ll not yield.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
15c. 1618 ADThrice happy he whose downy age had been Reclaimed by scourges from the prime of sin; And, early seasoned with the taste of truth, Remembers his Creator in his youth.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
16c. 1618 ADThe heart is a small thing, but desireth great matters. It is not sufficient for a kite's dinner, yet the whole world is not sufficient for it.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
17c. 1618 ADBe very circumspect in the choice of thy company. In the society of thine equals thou shall enjoy more pleasure; in the society of thy superiors thou shalt find more profit. To be the best in the company is the way to grow worse; the best means to grow better is to be the worst there.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
18c. 1618 ADFlatter not thyself in thy faith to God, if thou wantest charity for thy neighbor; and think not thou hast charity for thy neighbor, if thou wantest faith to God: where they are not both together, they are both wanting; they are both dead if once divided.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
21c. 1618 ADFaith evermore looks upward and descries objects remote; but reason can discover things only near,—sees nothing that's above her.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
22c. 1618 ADLet the fear of danger be a spur to prevent it; he that fears not, gives advantage to the danger.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
24c. 1618 ADAs there is no worldly gain without some loss so there is no worldly loss without some gain.... Set the allowance against the loss and thou shalt find no loss great.Francis Quarles / quote ↗
