“None more deceive themselves than they who think their religion is true and genuine, thought it refines not their spirits and reforms not their lives.”

What is Perfected hereafter, must be begun here.

He that would have the perfection of pleasure must be moderate in the use of it.

No man is greatly jealous who is not in some measure guilty.

The State of Grace and the Life of Sin are incompatibilities.

The government of man should be the monarchy of reason: it is too often the democracy of passions or the anarchy of humors.

There is nothing more unnatural to religion than contentions about it.

Riches are but a means, or instrument; and the virtue of an instrument lies in its use.

The sense of repentance is better assurance of pardon than the testimony of an angel.

Either be a true friend or a mere stranger: a true friend will delight to do good–a mere stranger will do no harm.

The more mysterious, the more imperfect; as darkness is, in comparison with light–so is mystery, in comparison with knowledge.

There is no better way to learn than to teach.

Every profession does imply a trust for the service of the public.

He is not likely to learn who is not willing to be taught; for the learner has something to do, as well as the teacher.

Did Christians live according to their Religion, they would do nothing but what Truth, Righteousness, and Goodness do, according to their understanding and ability: and then one man would be a God unto another.

Christ is God clothed with human nature.

Ah! when in the immortal ranks enlisted, I sometimes wonder if we shall not find That not by deeds, but by what we’ve resisted, Our places are assigned.

The health care reform legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last night clearly violates the U.S. Constitution and infringes on each state’s sovereignty.

Tax (reform) is ultimately a decision about values.

An indefinable something is to be done, in a way nobody knows how, at a time nobody knows when, that will accomplish nobody knows what.

Somewhere I put it this way: first drafts are for learning what one’s fiction wants him to say. Revision works with that knowledge to enlarge and enhance an idea, to reform it. Revision is one of the exquisite pleasures of writing.

I certainly want campaign finance reform. I just wish this would do it in a way that would stand up to a constitutional challenge.

What were once felt to be defects-isolation, institutional simplicity, primitiveness of manners, multiplicity of religions, weaknesses in the authority of the state-could now be seen as virtues.

I welcome the President and working with him to try to get some of that medical malpractice reform so we can get the cost of health care to come down.

Look, all this is about is utilizing the rules of the Senate, using a majority of the senators, to make sure that we get health reform done. We cannot wait another day.