Quotes by William Wilberforce

“You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.”

“No man, ever indulged more freely or happily in that playful facetiousness which gratifies all without wounding any.”

“We can scarcely indeed look into any part of the sacred volume without meeting abundant proofs, that it is the religion of the Affections which God particularly requires. Love, Zeal, Gratitude, Joy...”

“We have different forms assigned to us in the school of life, different gifts imparted. All is not attractive that is good. Iron is useful, though it does not sparkle like the diamond. Gold has not...”

“true Christians consider themselves not as satisfying some rigorous creditor, but as discharging a debt of gratitude”

“Servile, and base, and mercenary, is the notion of Christian practice among the bulk of nominal Christians. They give no more than they dare not with-hold; they abstain from nothing but what they m...”

“It must be conceded by those who admit the authority of Scripture (such only he is addressing) that from the decision of the word of God there can be no appeal.”

“Is it not the great end of religion, and, in particular, the glory of Christianity, to extinguish the malignant passions; to curb the violence, to control the appetites, and to smooth the asperitie...”

“This perpetual hurry of business and company ruins me in soul if not in body. More solitude and earlier hours!”

“How can we judge fairly of the characters and merits of men, of the wisdom or folly of actions, unless we have . . . an accurate knowledge of all particulars, so that we may live as it were in the ...”

“Why is it so hard to get people to study the Scriptures? Common sense tells us what revelation commands: 'Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God'--'Search the Scriptures'--'Be ready...”

“Selfishness is one of the principal fruits of the corruption of human nature; and it is obvious that selfishness disposes us to over-rate our good qualities, and to overlook or extenuate our defects.”

“The objects of the present life fill the human eye with a false magnification because of their immediacy.”

“The instructive admonitions, give an account of thy stewardship,occupy till I come; are forgotten. Thus the generous and wakeful spirit of Christian Benevolence, seeking and finding every where occ...”

“It is the true duty of every man to promote the happiness of his fellow creatures to the utmost of his power.”

“Life as we know it, with all its ups and downs, will soon be over. We all will give an accounting to God of how we have lived.”

“I am disturbed when I see the majority of so-called Christians having such little understanding of the real nature of the faith they profess. Faith is a subject of such importance that we should no...”

“The distemper of which, as a community, we are sick, should be considered rather as a moral than a political malady.”

“Both man and woman have their own parts to play in bringing faith to the next generation, and the woman's role is particularly important. How can we ever think that the female sex is inferior when ...”

“Of all things guard against neglecting God in the secret place of prayer.”