There is nothing so easy, so sweet, and so favourable, as the divine law: it calls and invites us to her, guilty and abominable as we are; extends her arms and receives us into her bosom, foul and polluted as we at present are, and are for the future to be. But then, in return, we are to look upon her with a respectful eye; we are to receive this pardon with all gratitude and submission, and for that instant at least, wherein we address ourselves to her, to have the soul sensible of the ills we have committed, and at enmity with those passions that seduced us to offend her.

Every other knowledge is harmful to him who does not have knowledge of goodness.

A strong memory is commonly coupled with infirm judgment.

The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.

The day of your birth is one day's advance towards the grave.

For my own part, I cannot without grief see so much as an innocent beast pursued and killed that has no defence, and from which we have received no offence at all.

We were halves throughout, and to that degree that, methinks, by outliving him I defraud him of his part.

The thing I fear most is fear.

There is as much difference between us and ourselves as between us and others.

To call out for the hand of the enemy is a rather extreme measure, yet a better one, I think, than to remain in continual fever over an accident that has no remedy. But since all the precautions that a man can take are full of uneasiness and uncertainty, it is better to prepare with fine assurance for the worst that can happen, and derive some consolation from the fact that we are not sure that it will happen.

It is not without good reason said, that he who has not a good memory should never take upon him the trade of lying.

Even opinion is of force enough to make itself to be espoused at the expense of life.

Live as long as you please, you will strike nothing off the time you will have to spend dead.

When I play with my cat, who knows if I am not a pastime to her more than she is to me?

If you press me to say why I loved him, I can say no more than it was because he was he, and I was I. Variants: If a man urge me to tell wherefore I loved him, I feel it cannot be expressed but by answering: Because it was he, because it was myself. If a man should importune me to give a reason why I loved him, I find it could no otherwise be expressed, than by making answer: because it was he, because it was I.

He who should teach men to die would at the same time teach them to live.

It is the part of cowardice, not of courage, to go and crouch in a hole under a massive tomb, to avoid the blows of fortune.

A little of all things, but nothing of everything, after the French manner.

I live from day to day, and content myself with having enough to meet my present and ordinary needs; for the extraordinary, all the provision in the world could not suffice.

He who does not give himself leisure to be thirsty cannot take pleasure in drinking.

Women . . . have . . . small and narrow chests, and broad hips, to the end they should remain at home, sit still, keep house, and bear and bring up children. . . . A woman is, or at least should be, a friendly, courteous, and a merry companion in life . . . the honor and ornament of the house, and inclined to tenderness, for thereunto are they chiefly created, to bear children, and to be the pleasure, joy and solace of their husbands.

Do not fight against these harmful spells. For you do not know what God wants with them. You do not know the greater divine plan behind it all.

The believing man hath the Holy Ghost; and where the Holy Ghost dwelleth, He will not suffer a man to be idle, butstirreth him up to all exercises of piety and godliness, and of true religion, to the love of God, to the patient suffering of afflictions, to prayer, to thanksgiving, and the exercise of charity towards all men.

What defects women have, we must check them for in private, gently by word of mouth, for woman is a frail vessel.

Merit is a work for the sake of which Christ gives rewards. But no such work is to be found, for Christ gives by promise. Just as if a prince should say to me, "Come to me in my castle, and I will give you a hundred florins." I do a work, certainly, in going to the castle, but the gift is not given me as the reward of my work in going, but because the prince promised it to me.

Faith, like light, should ever be simple and unbending; while love, like warmth, should beam forth on every side, and bend to every necessity of our brethren.

Let us keep to Christ, and cling to Him, and hang on Him, so that no power can remove us.

Faith looks to the word and the promise; that is, to the truth. But hope looks to that which the word has promised, to the gift.

The human being, corrupted to the root, can neither desire nor perform anything but evil.

We believe that the very beginning and end of salvation, and the sum of Christianity, consists of faith in Christ, who by His blood alone, and not by any works of ours, has put away sin, and destroyed the power of death.

Never any good came out of female domination. God created Adam master and lord of living creatures, but Eve spoiled it all.

Here I stand; I can do no otherwise. God help me. Amen!

Faith ever says, "If Thou wilt," not "If Thou canst."

The hair is the finest ornament women have. . . . I like women to let their hair fall down their back, it is a most agreeable sight.

I'd rather be ruled by a competent Turk than an incompetent Christian.

We may search long to find where God is, but we shall find Him in those who keep the words of Christ. For the Lord Christ saith, " If any man love me, he will keep my words; and we will make our abode with him."

Our stubbornness is right, because we want to preserve the liberty which we have in Christ. Only by preserving our liberty shall we be able to retain the truth of the Gospel inviolate.

For where God built a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel...Thus is the Devil ever God's ape.

As to why some are touched by the law and others not, so that some receive and others scorn the offer of grace...[this is the] hidden will of God, Who, according to His own counsel, ordains such persons as He wills to receive and partake of the mercy preached and offered.

But the Jews are so hardened that they listen to nothing; though overcome by testimonies they yield not an inch. It is a pernicious race, oppressing all men by their usury and rapine. If they give a prince or magistrate a thousand florins, they extort twenty thousand from the subjects in payment. We must ever keep on guard against them.

To turn one's eyes away from Jesus means to turn them to the Law.

I have greater confidence in my wife and my pupils than I have in Christ.

Some will object that the Law is divine and holy. Let it be divine and holy. The Law has no right to tell me that I must be justified by it.

...so it is with human reason, which strives not against faith, when enlightened, but rather furthers and advances it.

Let all the 'free-will' in the world do all it can with all its strength; it will never give rise to a single instance of ability to avoid being hardened if God does not give the Spirit, or of meriting mercy if it is left to its own strength.

I think these things [firearms] were invented by Satan himself, for they can't be defended against with (ordinary) weapons and fists. All human strength vanishes when confronted with firearms. A man is dead before he sees what's coming.

For Christ is Joy and Sweetness to a broken heart. Christ is a Lover of poor sinners, and such a Lover that He gave Himself for us. Now if this is true, and it is true, then are we never justified by our own righteousness.

I approached the task of destroying images by first tearing them out of the heart through God's Word and making them worthless and despised. This indeed took place before Dr. Karlstadt ever dreamed of destroying images. For when they are no longer in the heart, they can do no harm when seen with the eyes. But Dr. Karlstadt, who pays no attention to matters of the heart, has reversed the order by removing them from sight and leaving them in the heart. For he does not preach faith, nor can he preach it; unfortunately, only now do I see that. Which of these two forms of destroying images is best, I will let each man judge for himself.

A theologian is born by living, nay dying and being damned, not by thinking, reading, or speculating.

Leave the ass burdened with laws behind in the valley. But your conscience, let it ascend with Isaac into the mountain.