Life comes before literature, as the material always comes before the work. The hills are full of marble before the world blooms with statues.

About Phillips Brooks

Phillips Brookswas an American Episcopal clergyman and author, long the Rector of Boston’s Trinity Church and briefly Bishop of Massachusetts. He wrote the lyrics of the Christmas hymn, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”.

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More quotes from Phillips Brooks

Christianity helps us face the music even when we don’t like the tune.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

The feet of the humblest may walk in the field Where the feet of the Holiest trod, This, then, is the marvel to mortals revealed.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

Be patient and understanding. Life is too short to be vengeful or malicious.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

Life comes before literature, as the material always comes before the work. The hills are full of marble before the world blooms with statues.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

As you emphasize your life, you must localize and define it… you cannot do everything.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

Forgive, forget. Bear with the faults of others as you would have them bear with yours.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

Sad will be the day for any man when he becomes contented with the thoughts he is thinking and the deeds he is doing – where there is not forever beating at the doors of his soul some great desire to do something larger; which he knows he was meant and made to do.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

No man or woman can be strong, gentle, pure, and good, without the world being better for it and without someone being helped and comforted by the very existence of that goodness.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

Be such a man, and live such a life, that if every man were such as you, and every life a life like yours, this earth would be God’s Paradise.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

No man has come to true greatness who has not felt that his life belongs to his race, and that which God gives to him, He gives him for mankind.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

No one who has come to true greatness has not felt in some degree that his life belongs to the people, and what God has given them he gives it for mankind.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

The earth has grown old with its burden of care, but at Christmas it always is young, the heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair, and its soul full of music breaks the air, when the song of angels is sung.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men!

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

A prayer in its simplest definition is merely a wish turned Godward.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

The ideal life is in our blood and never will be still.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

Charity should begin at home, but should not stay there.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

Set yourself earnestly to see what you are made to do, and then set yourself earnestly to do it.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

To say, ‘well done’ to any bit of good work is to take hold of the powers which have made the effort and strengthen them beyond our knowledge.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

It does not take great men to do great things; it only takes consecrated men.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

Happiness is the natural flower of duty.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

The truest help we can render an afflicted man is not to take his burden from him, but to call out his best energy, that he may be able to bear the burden.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

The true way to be humble is not to stoop until you are smaller than yourself, but to stand at your real height against some higher nature that will show you what the real smallness of your greatness is.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

Make your creed simply and broadly out of the revelation of God, and you will keep it to the end.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for power equal to your tasks.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

It is while you are patiently toiling at the little tasks of life that the meaning and shape of the great whole of life dawn on you.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

A man who lives right, and is right, has more power in his silence than another has by his words.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

Call your opinions your creed, and you will change them every week.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

I do not pray for a lighter load, but for a stronger back.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

Bear with the faults of others as you would have them bear with yours.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)

Jesus Christ, the condescension of divinity, and the exaltation of humanity.

Phillips Brooks

American clergyman and author, hymnwriter (1835-1893)