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George MacDonald Quotes - Page 8

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The part of the philanthropist is indeed a dangerous one; and the man who would do his neighbour good must first study how not to do him evil, and must begin by pulling the beam out of his own eye.

The part of the philanthropist is indeed a dangerous one; and the man who would do his neighbour good must first study how not to do him evil, and must begin by pulling the beam out of his own eye.

George MacDonald
Eye, Men, Evil
George MacDonald (2015). “The Complete Works of George MacDonald: Novels, Short Stories, Poetry, Theological Writings & Essays (Illustrated): The Princess and the Goblin, Phantastes, At the Back of the North Wind, Lilith, England’s Antiphon, David Elginbrod, Malcolm, The Light Princess, The Golden Key and many more”, p.1453, e-artnow

The doing of things from duty is but a stage on the road to the kingdom of truth and love.

George MacDonald
And Love, Kingdoms, Stage
George MacDonald (2015). “Delphi Complete Works of George MacDonald (Illustrated)”, p.6068, Delphi Classics

God chooses that men should be tried, but let a man beware of tempting his neighbor.

George MacDonald
Men, Neighbor, Should
George Macdonald (1870). “The Miracles of Our Lord”, p.17

A condition which of declension would indicate a devil, may of growth indicate a saint.

George MacDonald
Growth, Devil, Saint
George MacDonald (1867). “Unspoken Sermons”, p.37

But it is not the rich man only who is under the dominion of things; they too are slaves who, having no money, are unhappy from the lack of it.

George MacDonald
Unhappy, Rich, Slave

Every soul has a landscape that changes with the wind that sweeps the sky, with the clouds that return after its rain.

George MacDonald
Rain, Fate, Clouds
George MacDonald (2015). “The Complete Novels of George Macdonald (Illustrated): The Princess and the Goblin, The Princess and Curdie, Phantastes, At the Back of the North Wind, Lilith, David Elginbrod, Malcolm, Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood, Wilfrid Cumbermede and many more”, p.5132, e-artnow

Truth is truth, whether from the lips of Jesus or Balaam.

George MacDonald
Jesus, Lips, Truth Is
George MacDonald (1867). “Unspoken Sermons”, p.103

Love loves unto purity. Love has ever in view the absolute loveliness of that which it beholds. Therefore all that is not beautiful in the beloved, all that comes between and is not of love's kind, must be destroyed. And our God is a consuming fire.

George MacDonald
Beautiful, Fire, Views
George Macdonald (2012). “Unspoken Sermons Series I, II, and III”, p.14, Simon and Schuster

We should teach our children to think no more of their bodies when dead than they do of their hair when cut off, or of their old clothes when they have done with them.

George MacDonald
Children, Cutting, Thinking
George MacDonald (2015). “Delphi Complete Works of George MacDonald (Illustrated)”, p.1833, Delphi Classics

One thing is clear to me, that no indulgence of passion destroys the spiritual nature so much as respectable selfishness.

George MacDonald
Spiritual, Passion, Selfishness
George MacDonald (2015). “Delphi Complete Works of George MacDonald (Illustrated)”, p.2664, Delphi Classics

The whole trouble is that we won't let God help us.

George MacDonald
Letting Go, Independence, Helping
George MacDonald (2015). “The Complete Works of George MacDonald: Novels, Short Stories, Poetry, Theological Writings & Essays (Illustrated): The Princess and the Goblin, Phantastes, At the Back of the North Wind, Lilith, England’s Antiphon, David Elginbrod, Malcolm, The Light Princess, The Golden Key and many more”, p.8243, e-artnow

Remember, then, that whoever does not mean good is always in danger of harm. But I try to give everybody fair play, and those that are in the wrong are in far more need of it always than those who are in the right: they can afford to do without it.

George MacDonald
Mean, Play, Giving
George MacDonald, Rolland Hein (2004). “The Heart of George MacDonald: A One-Volume Collection of His Most Important Fiction, Essays, Sermons, Drama, and Biographical Information”, p.39, Regent College Publishing

It may be infinitely worse to refuse to forgive than to murder, because

George MacDonald
Forgiveness, Forgiving, May

It is not the cares of today, but the cares of tomorrow, that weigh a man down.

George MacDonald
Men, Worry, Care
George MacDonald (2015). “The Complete Works of George MacDonald: Novels, Short Stories, Poetry, Theological Writings & Essays (Illustrated): The Princess and the Goblin, Phantastes, At the Back of the North Wind, Lilith, England’s Antiphon, David Elginbrod, Malcolm, The Light Princess, The Golden Key and many more”, p.10363, e-artnow

The Bible is to me the most precious thing in the world, because it tells me his story; and what good men thought about him who knew him and accepted him.

George MacDonald
Bible, Jesus, Biblical
"An expression of character: the letters of George MacDonald".

What honest boy would pride himself on not picking pockets ? A thief who was trying to reform would. To be conceited of doing one's duty is then a sign of how little one does it, and how little one sees what a contemptible thing it is not to do it. Could any but a low creature be conceited of not being contemptible? Until our duty becomes to us common as breathing, we are poor creatures.

George MacDonald
Pride, Boys, Conceited
George Macdonald (2012). “The Lost Princess: A Double Tale”, p.39, Simon and Schuster

The direst foe of courage is the fear itself, not the object of it; and the man who can overcome his own terror is a hero and more.

George MacDonald
Fear, Hero, Men
George MacDonald (2015). “The Complete Novels of George Macdonald (Illustrated): The Princess and the Goblin, The Princess and Curdie, Phantastes, At the Back of the North Wind, Lilith, David Elginbrod, Malcolm, Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood, Wilfrid Cumbermede and many more”, p.7720, e-artnow

To free a man from suffering, he must be set right, put in health; and the health at the root of man's being, his rightness, is to be free from wrongness, that is, from sin. A man is right when there is no wrong in him. I do not mean set free from the sins he has done: that will follow; I mean the sins he is doing, or is capable of doing; the sins in his being which spoil his nature — the wrongness in him — the evil he consents to; the sin he is, which makes him do the sin he does.

George MacDonald
Men, Doe, Sin
"The Complete Works of George MacDonald".

But there are victories far worse than defeats; and to overcome an angel too gentle to put out all his strength, and ride away in triumph on the back of a devil, is one of the poorest.

George MacDonald
Angel, Victory, Devil
George MacDonald (2015). “The Complete Works of George MacDonald: Novels, Short Stories, Poetry, Theological Writings & Essays (Illustrated): The Princess and the Goblin, Phantastes, At the Back of the North Wind, Lilith, England’s Antiphon, David Elginbrod, Malcolm, The Light Princess, The Golden Key and many more”, p.761, e-artnow

Come, then, affliction, if my Father wills, and be my frowning friend. A friend that frowns is better than a smiling enemy.

George MacDonald
Father, Enemy, Frowning

It is when people do wrong things wilfully that they are the more likely to do them again.

George MacDonald
People, Wrong Things
George Macdonald (2015). “MacDonalds’ Fairy-Tale Treasure Chest”, p.94, Simon and Schuster

All is loss that comes between us and Christ.

George MacDonald
Loss, Christ
George MacDonald (2015). “Delphi Complete Works of George MacDonald (Illustrated)”, p.6227, Delphi Classics

Good souls many will one day be horrified at the things they now believe of God.

George MacDonald
Believe, Soul, One Day
George Macdonald (2012). “Unspoken Sermons Series I, II, and III”, p.206, Simon and Schuster

Friends, if we be honest with ourselves, we shall be honest with each other.

George MacDonald
Inspirational, Truth, Honest
George MacDonald (2015). “The Complete Novels of George Macdonald (Illustrated): The Princess and the Goblin, The Princess and Curdie, Phantastes, At the Back of the North Wind, Lilith, David Elginbrod, Malcolm, Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood, Wilfrid Cumbermede and many more”, p.7592, e-artnow

As in all sweetest music, a tinge of sadness was in every note. Nor do we know how much of the pleasures even of life we owe to the intermingled sorrows. Joy cannot unfold the deepest truths, although deepest truth must be deepest joy.

George MacDonald
Sadness, Joy, Sorrow
George MacDonald (2015). “Delphi Complete Works of George MacDonald (Illustrated)”, p.72, Delphi Classics

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