Knowing one's own faults; censoriousness and a hasty critical spirit; judging others while ignorant of ourselves; bearing criticism well.
- Generational Criticism and Nostalgia Matthew Henry
And it is sometimes the fault of old people to discourage the services of the present age by crying up too much the performances and attainments of the former age.
- A fault which is no fault George Hutcheson
Men who are possessed with self-love and with prejudice against others will readily count that a fault in their neighbours which yet is no fault, and will allow that in …
- Charity of Age J.R.R. Tolkien
For myself, I find I become less cynical rather than more—remembering my own sins and follies; and realize that men’s hearts are not often as bad as their acts, and very …
- Quarrel with your own heart! Augustine of Hippo
Prefer even vicious people to be cured rather than condemned …. If you want to quarrel with your enemy, quarrel first with your own heart. Quarrel, I tell you. Quarrel …
- Thinks Ill of You Charles Spurgeon
Brother, if any man thinks ill of you, do not be angry with him.
For you are worse than he thinks you to be.
- Tokens of a Little and Narrow Mind John Newton
In effect, to be much taken up with the interests of self, to live upon the breath of others, to be full of resentment for every injury, and watchful to retaliate it; …
- Way of a Fool Proverbs 12:15,16
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.
- Man of Understanding Remains Silent Proverbs 11:12
Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense, but a man of understanding remains silent.
- Ignorance of our own Faults John Calvin
Ignorance of our own faults is the only cause that renders us unwilling to forgive our brethren.
- Indignation at Sin Matthew Henry
Many seem to have indignation at sin; but it is not because it is sin, but because it touches them. They will inform against a man that swears; but it is only if he swear …
- Observing Your Own Failings John Newton
The zealous Christian is strictly observant of his own failings, candid and tender to the faults of others; he knows what allowances are due to the frailty of human …
- Controversies John Newton
Controversies, for the most part, are so managed as to indulge rather than to repress this wrong disposition; and therefore, generally speaking, they are productive of …
- Good Calvinists? J.I. Packer
We rightly repudiate the common view that doctrine does not matter so long as one is upright in life; but if we let our reaction drive us into the opposite extreme of …
- To Never Speak Unfavorably Hiram Goodrich
He never allowed himself, even in the retirement of his own family, to speak unfavorably of the absent, and whenever any person told him the faults of another, he was …
- Sit Loose on Their Opinions John Newton
People will find fault as they please, and it is a mercy to sit loose to their opinions, and let them talk on — provided we can do it in a right spirit.
I mean, from a …
- Stirring Up Division Apostle Paul
As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is …
- The Ruin of Self Love John Calvin
Each of us thinks we have just cause for elevating ourselves and despising all others in comparison to ourselves—our self-love ruins us with such blindness.
- We Are Not Our Own John Calvin
We are not our own; therefore, neither our reason nor our will should dominate our plans and actions.
We are not our own; therefore, let us not make the gratification of …
- Factions Among You Apostle Paul
…for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.
- Merciful Silence John Newton
The Lord has mercifully kept us from the knowledge of each other’s hearts, any farther than we are willing to disclose ourselves.
If every man was compelled to speak all …
- A Truth to Be Observed John Calvin
This truth ought to be carefully observed, that they who are too rigid towards their brethren, provoke against themselves the severity of God.
- Dirty Zeal John Newton
If our zeal is embittered by expressions of anger, invective, or scorn—we may think we are doing service of the cause of truth, when in reality we shall only bring it …
- Plod! Walter Moore
If I could engrave a single word on the heart of every young man with his life before him, it would be the short and homely word— Plod!
That is the secret of success. If …
- Chrysostom on the Ignorance of Christians Chrysostom
If you ask [Christians] who is Amos or Obadiah, how many apostles there were or prophets, they stand mute; but if you ask them about the horses or drivers, they answer …
- Stop Being Judgmental Gabe Fluhrer
And it’s only when you know Jesus as Judge and judged in your place, that you will begin to stop being judgmental, and so will I.
- The Humbling Effect of Life John Newton
If you walk closely with God forty years, you will have a much lower opinion of yourself than you have now.
- Could We Bear from One Another? John Newton
Could we bear from one another,
What He daily bears from us?
Yet this glorious Friend and Brother,
Loves us though we treat Him thus:
Though for good we render ill,
He …
- Sibbes on The Best Men Richard Sibbes
The best men are severe to themselves, tender over others.
- By Love, Bury Their Faults John Calvin
How it is possible that one who is in reality distinguished above others can reckon those to be superior to him who he knows are greatly beneath him?
Let him… employ …
- Impatience in my Spirit John Newton
I have felt an impatience in my spirit, utterly unsuitable to my state as a sinner and a beggar, and to my profession of yielding myself and all my concerns to the Lord’s …
- Judgmental Christians John Newton
Conversation with most Christians is something like going to court; where, except you are dressed exactly according to the prescribed standard, you will either not be …
- Practice What is Good John Owen
Every day I am more persuaded of this because I see men for the most part spending their strength and time more to oppose things they disagree with than to practice the …
- Hasty and Censorious Spirit John Newton
Surely much of that hasty and censorious spirit, too often observable in young converts, arises from their having, as yet—a very imperfect acquaintance with the …
- That Monster Self John Newton
I long to be able to use Job’s words, with the same feeling as I believe Job had when he spoke them, Behold, I am vile! The acknowledgment in words is quite easy — but …
- Our Strange Pride John Newton
It is strange that pride should ever find anything in my experience to feed upon; but this completes my character for folly, vileness, and inconsistence, that I’m not …
- Disgrace of Low Blows William Dunlop
The treating of an adversary with fierceness, anger, or disdain; the representing his opinions in the worst light; and especially the inveighing against the blasphemes or …
- Too Hasty Assent to Calvinistic Principles John Newton
I believe a too hasty assent to Calvinistic principles, before a person is duly acquainted with the plague of his own heart, is one principal cause of that lightness of …
- Badness of our Times Matthew Henry
It is folly to complain of the badness of our own times when we have more reason to complain of the badness of our own hearts (if men’s hearts were better, the times …
- The Ungoverned Tongue Plutarch
My own reading affords countless instances of the greatest disasters resulting from an ungoverned tongue. When upon the marriage of Philadelphus with his sister, Sotades …
- Talk to Yourself Paul Tripp
How faith-driven and Christ-centered is the conversation you have with yourself every day? No one is more influential in your life than you are, because no one talks to …
- Ten Looks at Christ Robert Murray Mccheyne
Do not take up your time so much with studying your own heart as with studying Christ’s heart. ‘For one look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ.’
- Improve What you Hear Richard Baxter
And when hypocrites and distempered Christians are quarreling with the imperfections of the speaker, or congregation, the mode of worship, do you rather make it your …
- Most Intelligent Animal on Earth Douglas Adams
For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so …
- Sinfulness of Ignorance John Newton
Ignorance and obstinacy are in themselves sinful, and no plea of sincerity will exempt them from the danger of being under their influence.
- Acquainted with Controversy William Dunlop
Those who have been at all acquainted with controversy, will find it the hardest thing for two warm disputants, when struggling hard for victory, not to throw about that …
- Zeal and Prudence John Newton
There is often too much self in our zeal, and too much fear of man in our prudence.
- Authority of Feelings David Powlison
We invest our feelings with authority because we’re fools.
- Lewis on Love of Neighbor C. S. Lewis
The rule for all of us is perfectly simple. Do not waste time bothering whether you ’love’ your neighbour; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the …
- Tolkien on Lewis J.R.R. Tolkien
C.S.L. of course had some oddities and could sometimes be irritating.
- Frivolousness of Newsness Wendell Berry
And it is sure the duty of the older generation to be embarrassingly old-fashioned, for the claims of the ’newness’ of any younger generation are mostly frivolous. The …