It is chiefly through books that we enjoy intercourse with superior minds. In the best books, great men talk to us, give us their most precious thoughts, and pour their souls into ours.
William Ellery ChanningRead
God be thanked for books; they are the voices of the distant and the dead, and make us heirs of the spiritual life of past ages.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Books connect us to the thoughts and experiences of those who came before us.
In this quote, William Ellery Channing expresses gratitude for books, as they serve as a medium through which we can access the wisdom and voices of those who have lived before us. He suggests that books not only contain knowledge but also allow us to inherit the spiritual insights and life experiences of past generations, enriching our own understanding of the world.
Themes
BooksWisdomKnowledgeHistorySpirituality
In practice
Example use cases
During a book club meeting, one might say, 'As William Ellery Channing said, God be thanked for books; they connect us to the spiritual life of past ages.'
More from William Ellery Channing
All quotes βNo power in society, no hardship in your condition can depress you, keep you down, in knowledge, power, virtue, influence, but by your own consent.
William Ellery ChanningRead
I laugh, for hope hath a happy place with me; If my boat sinks, 'tis to another sea.
William Ellery ChanningRead
We smile at the ignorance of the savage who cuts down the tree in order to reach its fruit; but the same blunder is made by every person who is over eager and impatient in the pursuit of pleasure.
William Ellery ChanningRead
Every mind was made for growth, for knowledge, and its nature is sinned against when it is doomed to ignorance.
William Ellery ChanningRead
He who is false to the present duty breaks a thread in the loom, and you will see the effect when the weaving of a life-time is unraveled.
William Ellery ChanningRead
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