From thee, great God, we spring, to thee we tend,- Path, motive, guide, original, and end.
Interpretation
This quote reflects the idea that all human existence originates from God and ultimately returns to Him, serving as the guiding force in our lives.
Samuel Johnson articulates a profound philosophical concept about the relationship between humanity and the divine. He suggests that God is not only the source of our being but also the ultimate destination we are all headed toward. The path we take in life, our motivations, and our guidance are all deeply intertwined with this divine origin and purpose. This quote encourages reflection on the spiritual aspects of existence and the significance of divine influence in our lives.
In practice
In a sermon discussing the divine purpose in our lives.
To be of no church is dangerous. Religion, of which the rewards are distant, and which is animated only by faith and hope, will glide by degrees out of the mind unless it be invigorated and reimpressed by external ordinances, by stated calls to worship, and the salutary influence of example.
He that reads and grows no wiser seldom suspects his own deficiency, but complains of hard words and obscure sentences, and asks why books are written which cannot be understood.
To let friendship die away by negligence and silence is certainly not wise. It is voluntarily to throw away one of the greatest comforts of the weary pilgrimage.
Fly-fishing may be a very pleasant amusement; but angling or float fishing I can only compare to a stick and a string, with a worm at one end and a fool at the other.
When any anxiety or gloom of the mind takes hold of you, make it a rule not to publish it by complaining; but exert yourselves to hide it, and by endeavoring to hide it you drive it away.
A fishing rod is a stick with a hook at one end and a fool at the other.
I hope that people of all faiths will start looking for our too-invisible children who are crying out for help.
Philosophers have not kept up with modern developments in science. Particularly physics.
My mother said I broke her heart...but it was my integrity that was important. Is that so selfish? It sells for so little, but it's all we have left in this place. It is the very last inch of us...but within that inch we are free.
No war is over until the enemy says it's over. We may think it over, we may declare it over, but in fact, the enemy gets a vote.
I did not realize that when money becomes a core value, then education drives towards utility or that the life of the mind will not be counted as good unless it produces measurable results. That public services will no longer be important. That an alternative life to getting and spending will become very difficult as cheap housing disappears. That when communities are destroyed only misery and intolerance are left.
The most potent weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.
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