People in high positions are servants three times over: servants of the prince or the state; servants of fame; and servants of their duties. Thus, they are not free—neither in their person, nor in their actions, nor in their time. It is a strange desire that drives one to gain power and lose freedom—specifically, to gain power over others and...
I cannot find a better word for wealth than the burden of virtue. It cannot be neglected or left behind, yet it hinders progress and is a burden that sometimes delays or even prevents victory. Great wealth has no real benefit except for what is distributed from it; the rest is mere vanity. No one can feel truly rich from...
The idea of God in Western philosophies can be traced back to two historical roots: the Bible and Greek philosophy.
How was the Chinese people able to survive political catastrophes and not be submerged by them? What is this racial strength, this ability to absorb foreign blood? The so-called racial strength and vitality are partly constitutional and partly cultural in nature.
Here I am, Lord Jesus, accept me as Your own; I desire to be Yours and remain so forever. "I accept you, My son," He said. "You have been and always will be Mine from eternity, but you did not know this until now. The happiness to which I am now guiding you I prepared for you long ago, though...
The world and those stumbling within it are governed only by conjectures: in their actions, one person blindly follows another like a blind man, and at every step, they collide and jostle. Yet there are those who are illuminated by two kinds of light: the light of reason and the light of faith, both emanating from the Holy Spirit. Although...
It has been said about early Christianity that it did not concern itself with ultimate questions, that it did not clearly express faith in another life after death, but instead proclaimed the imminent end of the world and the establishment of God's kingdom. But are these not essentially the same thing? The nature of the soul's immortality was not...
Just as knowledge surpassing the understanding of the masses is called divine knowledge, so works whose causes are generally unknown are referred to as divine works. The masses believe that God's power and providence are most clearly demonstrated when they witness extraordinary phenomena in nature. They think that nothing proves God's existence...
The purpose of Scripture is to teach obedience. Moses did not seek to convince the Israelites through reasoning but rather bound them through covenants, oaths, and acts of benevolence. He encouraged obedience to the laws by threatening punishment and promising rewards. The gospel teaching contains nothing more than simple faith: to believe in God...