Best 20 quotes of Robert Southwell on MyQuotes

As in hoary winter's night stood shivering in the snow,Surprised I was with sudden heat which made my heart to glow;And lifting up a fearful eye to view what fire was near,A pretty babe all burning bright did in the air appear.

Behold a silly tender babe,In freezing winter night,In homely manger trembling lies;Alas! a piteous sight.

Christianity is warfare, and Christians are spiritualsoldiers.

Hoist up sail while gale doth last, Tide and wind stay no man's pleasure.

I feel no care of coin,Well-doing is my wealth;My mind to me an empire is,While grace affordeth health.

I wealthiest am when richest in remorse.

Lingering labors come to naught.

Man's mind a mirror is of heavenly sights,A brief wherein all marvels summèd lie,Of fairest forms and sweetest shapes the store,Most graceful all, yet thought may grace them more.

My conscience is my crown,Contented thoughts my rest;My heart is happy in itself,My bliss is in my breast.Enough I reckon wealth;A mean the surest lot,That lies too high for base contempt,Too low for envy's shot.

My faultless breast the furnace is, the fuel wounding thorns;Love is the fire and sighs the smoke, the ashes shame and scorns;The fuel Justice layeth on, and Mercy blows the coals;The metal in this furnace wrought are men's defiled souls.

Not where I breathe, but where I love, I live.

Plough not the seas, sow not the sands,Leave off your idle pain;Seek other mistress for your minds,Love's service is in vain.

Shun delays, they breed remorse;Take thy time while time is lent thee;Creeping snails have weakest force,Fly their fault lest thou repent thee.Good is best when soonest wrought,Linger'd labours come to nought.

The path to Heaven is narrow, rough and full of wearisome and trying ascents, nor can it be trodden without great toil; and therefore wrong is their way, gross their error, and assured their ruin who, after the testimony of so many thousands of saints, will not learn where to settle their footing.

The saddest birds a season find to sing,The roughest storm a calm may soon allay;Thus with succeeding turns God tempereth all,That men may hope to rise yet fear to fall.

Times go by turns, and chances change by course, from foul to fair, from better hap to worse.

Time wears all his locks before,Take thy hold upon his forehead;When he flies he turns no more,And behind his scalp is naked.Works adjourn'd have many stays,Long demurs breed new delays.

When Fortune smiles, I smile to think how quickly she will frown.

Where sin was hatch'd, let tears now wash the nest, Where life was lost, recover life with cries.

Gift better than Himself God doth not know, Gift better than God no man can see; This gift doth here the giver given bestow Gift to this gift let each receiver be; God is my gift, Himself He freely gave me, God's gift am I, and none but God shall have me.