“Darkness, that here surrounds our purblind understanding, will vanish at the dawning of eternal day.”

The veneration, wherewith Men are imbued for what they call Nature, has been a discouraging impediment to the Empire of Man over the inferior Creatures of God. For many have not only look’d upon it, as an impossible thing to compass, but as something impious to attempt.

The gospel comprises indeed, and unfolds, the whole mystery of mans redemption, as far forth as it is necessary to be known for our salvation.

There is no less invention in aptly applying a thought found in a book, than in being the first author of the thought.

I think myself obliged, whatever my private apprehensions may be of the success, to do my duty, and leave events to their Disposer.

Even when we find not what we seek, we find something as well worth seeking as what we missed.

In an arch each single stone which, if severed from the rest, would be perhaps defenceless is sufficiently secured by the solidity and entireness of the whole fabric, of which it is a part.

From a knowledge of His work, we shall know Him.

It is my intent to beget a good understanding between the chymists and the mechanical philosophers who have hitherto been too little acquainted with one another’s learning.

He whose faith never doubted, may justly doubt of his faith.

Well, I see I am not designed to the finding out the Philosophers Stone, I have been so unlucky in my first attempts in chemistry.

Exalt your passion by directing and settling it upon an object the due con-templation of whose loveliness may cure perfectly all hurts received from mortal beauty.

The inspired and expired air may be sometimes very useful, by condensing and cooling the blood that passeth through the lungs; I hold that the depuration of the blood in that passage, is not only one of the ordinary, but one of the principal uses of respiration.

I am not ambitious to appear a man of letters: I could be content the world should think I had scarce looked upon any other book than that of nature.

God would not have made the universe as it is unless He intended us to understand it.

Nature always looks out for the preservation of the universe.

God is the author of the universe, and the free establisher of the laws of motion.

The darkest night is ignorance.

We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us through that darkness to a safe and sane future.

Every man is two men; one is awake in the darkness, the other asleep in the light.

Those who are unaware they are walking in darkness will never seek the light.

For each of us as women, there is a dark place within, where hidden and growing our true spirit rises, beautiful and tough as chestnut stanchions against our nightmare of weakness.

Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.

If there is always light, you don’t experience light anymore. You have to have the rhythm of light and darkness.

A painter should begin every canvas with a wash of black, because all things in nature are dark except where exposed by the light.