If thou wouldst be justified, acknowledge thine injustice. He that confesses his sin, begins his journey toward salvation. He that is sorry for it, mends his pace. He that forsakes it, is at his journey's end.
Francis QuarlesRead
Beware of him that is slow to anger; for when it is long coming, it is the stronger when it comes, and the longer kept. Abused patience turns to fury.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Be cautious of those who hold back their anger; when it finally emerges, it can be much more intense and damaging.
This quote warns us about the dangers of repressed emotions, particularly anger. It suggests that a person who seems calm and patient may harbor a significant amount of pent-up frustration, and when they finally express it, that outburst can be much more severe and destructive than if they had vocalized their feelings earlier. Abused patience is seen as something that can eventually lead to an uncontrollable outpouring of rage if not addressed.
Themes
AngerPatienceEmotionsWisdomSelf-Control
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a therapy session to emphasize the importance of expressing emotions healthily.
More from Francis Quarles
All quotes βHe that gives all, though but little, gives much; because God looks not to the quantity of the gift, but to the quality of the givers.
Francis QuarlesRead
Hath any wounded thee with injuries? Meet them with patience. Hasty words rankle the wound; soft language dresses it.
Francis QuarlesRead
Proportion thy charity to the strength of thine estate, lest God proportion thine estate to the weakness of thy charity. Let the lips of the poor be the trumpet of thy gift, lest in seeking applause, thou lose thy reward. Nothing is more pleasing to God than an open hand and a closed mouth.
Francis QuarlesRead
Charity feeds the poor, so does pride; charity builds an hospital, so does pride. In this they differ: charity gives her glory to God; pride takes her glory from man.
Francis QuarlesRead
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The saints must be honored as friends of Christ and children and heirs of God. Let us carefully observe the manner of life of all the apostles, martyrs, ascetics, and just men who announced the coming of the Lord. And let us emulate their faith, charity, hope, zeal, life, patience under suffering, and perseverance unto death so that we may also share their crowns of glory.
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Envy is the tax which all distinction must pay.
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