The Complete Harvard Classics

by Charles William Eliot

I saw that an humble man, with the blessing of the Lord, might live on a little, and that where the heart was set on greatness, success in business did not satisfy the craving; but that commonly with an increase of wealth the desire of wealth increased.

and the gift of improving in things useful is a good gift, and comes from the Father of Lights.

There is nothing of which we are apt to be so lavish as of Time, and about which we ought to be more solicitous; since without it we can do nothing in this World. Time is what we want most, but what, alas! we use worst; and for which God will certainly most strictly reckon with us, when Time shall be no more.

It is of that Moment to us in Reference to both Worlds, that I can hardly wish any Man better, than that he would seriously consider what he does with his Time: How and to What Ends he Employs it; and what Returns he makes to God, his Neighbor and Himself for it. Will he ne’er have a Leidger for this? This, the greatest Wisdom and Work of Life.

Such is now become our Delicacy, that we will not eat ordinary Meat, nor drink small, pall’d [*] Liquor; we must have the best, and the best cook’d for our Bodies, while our Souls feed on empty or corrupted Things. [* Stale]

If thou wouldst he happy and easie in thy Family, above all things observe Discipline.

101. As Love ought to bring them together, so it is the best Way to keep them well together. 102. Wherefore use her not as a Servant, whom thou would’st, perhaps, have serv’d Seven Years to have obtained.

Believe nothing against another but upon good Authority: Nor report what may hurt another, unless it be a greater hurt to others to conceal it.

We are apt to call things by wrong Names. We will have Prosperity to be Happiness, and Adversity to be Misery; though that is the School of Wisdom, and oftentimes the way to Eternal Happiness.

247. To hazard much to get much, has more of Avarice than Wisdom.

Not to be provok’d is best: But if mov’d, never correct till the Fume is spent; For every Stroke our Fury strikes, is sure to hit our selves at last.

Neither despise, nor oppose, what thou dost not understand.

If we are but sure the End is Right, we are too apt to gallop over all Bounds to compass it; not considering that lawful Ends may be very unlawfully attained. 319. Let us be careful to take just ways to compass just Things; that they may last in their Benefits to us.

Innocent, is not to be Guilty: But Virtuous is to overcome our evil Inclinations. 445. If thou hast not conquer’d thy self in that which is thy own particular Weakness, thou hast no Title to Virtue, tho’ thou art free of other Men’s.

If thou wouldest conquer thy Weakness, thou must never gratify it. 449. No Man is compelled to Evil; his Consent only makes it his.

God is better served in resisting a Temptation to Evil, than in many formal Prayers.

If he that is without Bowels, is not a Man; How then can he be a Christian?

Death is but Crossing the World, as Friends do the Seas; They live in one another still.

And he that is taught to live upon a little, owes more to his Father’s Wisdom, than he that has a great deal left him, does to his Father’s Care.

‘T is very observable, if our Civil Rights are invaded or incroach’d upon, we are mightily touch’d, and fill every Place with our Resentment and Complaint; while we suffer our selves, our Better and Nobler Selves, to be the Property and Vassals of Sin, the worst of Invaders. 148. In vain do we expect to be delivered from such Troubles, till we are delivered from the Cause of them, our Disobedience to God.

Of what Benefit is it to say our Prayers regularly, go to Church, receive the Sacraments, and may be go to Confessions too; ay, Feast the Priest, and give Alms to the Poor, and yet Lye, Swear, Curse, be Drunk, Covetous, Unclean, Proud, Revengeful, Vain and Idle at the same Time?

For though God has dignified some Men above their Brethren, it never was to serve their Pleasures, but that they might take Pleasure to serve the Publick.

Prosperity is the blessing of the Old Testament; adversity is the blessing of the New;

For good thoughts (though God accept them) yet towards men are little better than good dreams, except they be put in act;

Dolendi modus, timendi non item [Suffering has its limit, but fears are endless].

To spend too much time in studies is sloth;

Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.

A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.

Judges ought to remember that their office is jus dicere, and not jus dare; to interpret law, and not to make law, or give law. Else will it be like the authority claimed by the Church of Rome, which under pretext of exposition of Scripture doth not stick to add and alter; and to pronounce that which they do not find; and by show of antiquity to introduce novelty.

win them early to the love of virtue and true labor,

The World was made to be inhabited by Beasts, but studied and contemplated by Man: ’tis the Debt of our Reason we owe unto God, and the homage we pay for not being Beasts.

Thus the Devil played at Chess with me, and yielding a Pawn, thought to gain a Queen of me, taking advantage of my honest endeavours; and whilst I laboured to raise the structure of my Reason, he strived to undermine the edifice of my Faith.

Memento quatuor Novissima, [Remember the four last things] those four inevitable points of us all, Death, Judgement, Heaven, and Hell.

Lastly, I do desire with God that all, but yet affirm with men that few, shall know Salvation; that the bridge is narrow, the passage strait, unto life: yet those who do confine the Church of God, either to particular Nations, Churches, or Families, have made it far narrower than our Saviour ever meant it.

Thy will be done, though in my own undoing. [52: Tiresome repetition.]

If not, why does it still echo in our ears on all sides, “Let him alone, let him do as he will, for he is not yet baptised?” but as to bodily health, no one says, “Let him be worse wounded, for he is not yet healed.” How much better then, had I been at once healed;

Hear, Lord, my prayer; let not my soul faint under Thy discipline, nor let me faint in confessing unto Thee all Thy mercies, whereby Thou hast drawn me out of all my most evil ways, that Thou mightest become a delight to me above all the allurements which I once pursued; that I may most entirely love Thee, and clasp Thy hand with all my affections, and Thou mayest yet rescue me from every temptation, even unto the end. For, lo, O Lord, my King and my God, for Thy service be whatever useful thing my childhood learned; for Thy service, that I speak, write, read, reckon. For Thou didst grant me Thy discipline, while I was learning vanities; and my sin of delighting in those vanities Thou hast forgiven. In them, indeed, I learnt many a useful word, but these may as well be learned in things not vain; and that is the safe path for the steps of youth.

For what am I to myself without Thee, but a guide to mine own downfall?