#affections

It does not answer the aim which God had in this institution, merely for men to have good commentaries and expositions on the Scripture, and other good books of divinity; because, although these may tend, as well as preaching, to give a good doctrinal or speculative understanding of the word of God, yet they have not an equal tendency to impress them on men's hearts and affections. God hath appointed a particular and lively application of his word, in the preaching of it, as a fit means to affect sinners with the importance of religion, their own misery, the necessity of a remedy, and the glory and sufficiency of a remedy provided; to stir up the pure minds of the saints, quicken their affections by often bringing the great things of religion in their remembrance, and setting them in their proper colours, though they know them, and have been fully instructed in them already. ↗

— Jonathan Edwards

#gospel #homiletics #preaching #worship #equality

To feel much for others and little for ourselves; to restrain our selfishness and exercise our benevolent affections, constitute the perfection of human nature. ↗

— Adam Smith

#benevolent #constitute #exercise #feel #human

Our affections as well as our bodies are in perpetual flux. ↗

— Jean-Jacques Rousseau

#bodies #flux #our #perpetual #well

All brave men love; for he only is brave who has affections to fight for, whether in the daily battle of life, or in physical contests. ↗

— Nathaniel Hawthorne

#battle #brave #brave men #contests #daily

Every man hath a general desire of his own happiness; and likewise a variety of particular affections, passions, and appetites to particular external objects. ↗

— Joseph Butler

#appetites #desire #every #every man #external

The principle we call self-love never seeks anything external for the sake of the thing, but only as a means of happiness or good: particular affections rest in the external things themselves. ↗

— Joseph Butler

#anything #call #external #external things #good

Let grace and goodness be the principal loadstone of thy affections. For love which hath ends, will have an end; whereas that which is founded on true virtue, will always continue. ↗

— John Dryden

#always #continue #end #ends #founded

You should not have taken advantage of my sensibility to steal into my affections without my consent. ↗

— Alexander Hamilton

#affections #consent #into #sensibility #should

Eloquence, at its highest pitch, leaves little room for reason or reflection, but addresses itself entirely to the desires and affections, captivating the willing hearers, and subduing their understanding. ↗

— David Hume

#captivating #desires #eloquence #entirely #hearers

The affections are like lightning: you cannot tell where they will strike till they have fallen. ↗

— Lee Iacocca

#cannot #fallen #lightning #like #strike