90+ Henry Ward Beecher Quotes & Sayings

In this article, we’ll be discussing some of the most famous Henry Ward Beecher quotes. Beecher was an American Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, and abolitionist. He’s best known for his staunch advocacy of racial equality and equal rights for women.

Beecher was born in 1813 in Litchfield, Connecticut. He was the son of a well-known Calvinist minister, Lyman Beecher. As a young man, Henry studied at Yale University and later became a Congregationalist minister himself.

Henry Ward Beecher was a prominent figure in the early days of the Lane Theological Seminary. He was known for his strong belief in social justice and his dedication to helping others.

After graduating from the seminary, Beecher followed in his footsteps and became a well-known preacher and social reformer. He was admired by many for his work in promoting equality and helping those in need. Beecher’s legacy continues to inspire people today who are working to make the world a better place.

During his lifetime, Beecher was an outspoken opponent of slavery and an advocate for women’s rights. He was a prolific writer and speaker, known for his wit and wisdom. In this article, we will take a look at some of the most notable quotations by Henry Ward Beecher.

henry ward beecher quotes

Henry Ward Beecher Quotes

It’s easier to go down a hill than up it but the view is much better at the top. – Henry Ward Beecher

Don’t look where you fall, but where you slipped. – Henry Ward Beecher

Laughter is day, and sobriety is night; a smile is the twilight that hovers gently between both, more bewitching than either. – Henry Ward Beecher

Blessed are the happiness makers. Blessed are they who know how to shine on one’s gloom with their cheer. – Henry Ward Beecher

A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs, jolted by every pebble in the road. – Henry Ward Beecher

Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul. – Henry Ward Beecher

A cunning man overreaches no one half as much as himself. – Henry Ward Beecher

We should not judge people by their peak of excellence; but by the distance they have traveled from the point where they started. – Henry Ward Beecher

Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody expects of you. Never excuse yourself. – Henry Ward Beecher

We never know the love of a parent till we become parents ourselves. – Henry Ward Beecher

Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house. – Henry Ward Beecher

There are more quarrels smothered by just shutting your mouth, and holding it shut, than by all the wisdom in the world. – Henry Ward Beecher

A Christian is nothing but a sinful man who has put himself to school for Christ for the honest purpose of becoming better. – Henry Ward Beecher

The soul without imagination is what an observatory would be without a telescope. – Henry Ward Beecher

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I can forgive, but I cannot forget, is only another way of saying, I will not forgive. – Henry Ward Beecher

It is a man’s duty to have books. A library is not a luxury, but one of the necessaries in life. – Henry Ward Beecher

The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings. – Henry Ward Beecher

Our best successes often come after our greatest disappointments. – Henry Ward Beecher

There is no friendship, no love, like that of the parent for the child. – Henry Ward Beecher

Tears are often the telescope by which men see far into heaven. – Henry Ward Beecher

We are always on the anvil; by trials God is shaping us for higher things. – Henry Ward Beecher

Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith. – Henry Ward Beecher

The real man is one who always finds excuses for others, but never excuses himself. – Henry Ward Beecher

Never forget what a man says to you when he is angry. – Henry Ward Beecher

In this world it is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich. – Henry Ward Beecher

Hold yourself to a higher standard than anyone else expects of you. Never excuse yourself. – Henry Ward Beecher

Greatness lies not in being strong, but in the right use of strength. – Henry Ward Beecher

A library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life. – Henry Ward Beecher

Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures. – Henry Ward Beecher

A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It’s jolted by every pebble on the road. – Henry Ward Beecher

The ability to convert ideas to things is the secret of outward success. – Henry Ward Beecher

The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but for the wide world’s joy. – Henry Ward Beecher

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To become an able and successful man in any profession, three things are necessary, nature, study and practice. – Henry Ward Beecher

Law represents the effort of man to organize society; governments, the efforts of selfishness to overthrow liberty. – Henry Ward Beecher

No matter what looms ahead, if you can eat today, enjoy today, mix good cheer with friends today enjoy it and bless God for it. – Henry Ward Beecher

The art of being happy lies in the power of extracting happiness from common things. – Henry Ward Beecher

God asks no man whether he will accept life. That is not the choice. You must take it. The only choice is how. – Henry Ward Beecher

He is rich or poor according to what he is, not according to what he has. – Henry Ward Beecher

If we would have anything of benefit, we must earn it, and earning it become shrewd, inventive, ingenious, active, enterprising. – Henry Ward Beecher

The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is, that one often comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won’t. – Henry Ward Beecher

The head learns new things, but the heart forever practices old experiences. – Henry Ward Beecher

The bibliophile is the master of his books, the bibliomaniac their slave. – Henry Ward Beecher

To the great tree-loving fraternity we belong. We love trees with universal and unfeigned love, and all things that do grow under them or around them – the whole leaf and root tribe. – Henry Ward Beecher

Rain! whose soft architectural hands have power to cut stones, and chisel to shapes of grandeur the very mountains. – Henry Ward Beecher

Selfishness is that detestable vice which no one will forgive in others, and no one is without himself. – Henry Ward Beecher

The Church is not a gallery for the exhibition of eminent Christians, but a school for the education of imperfect ones. – Henry Ward Beecher

No man can tell if he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has. – Henry Ward Beecher

Pride slays thanksgiving, but a humble mind is the soil out of which thanks naturally grow. A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves. – Henry Ward Beecher

Whatever is almost true is quite false, and among the most dangerous of errors, because being so near truth, it is more likely to lead astray. – Henry Ward Beecher

There is a temperate zone in the mind, between luxurious indolence and exacting work; and it is to this region, just between laziness and labor, that summer reading belongs. – Henry Ward Beecher

What did Henry Ward Beecher do for slavery?

Henry Ward Beecher was a strong opponent of slavery and he did a lot to try and help those who were enslaved. He spoke out against it, wrote about it, and even helped to finance the Underground Railroad. Beecher was born in 1813 into a family of abolitionists and he grew up hearing stories about slavery.

This made him want to do something to help those who were still enslaved. He became a minister and used his position to speak out against slavery. He also wrote articles and books about it.

In 1852, he even helped to finance the Underground Railroad. This was a system that helped slaves escape to freedom. Beecher’s work helped many people escape from slavery and eventually led to its abolition.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Henry Ward Beecher was a very inspiring man. He had a lot of great things to say about life, love, and happiness. His quotes are still relevant today and can be applied to many different situations. If you’re ever feeling down or lost, be sure to read some of Beecher’s quotes. They just might give you the motivation you need to keep going.

I am Priyanshu the founder of Quotesjin. I am an Engineer by profession but Blogger by passion. I have been doing blogging and affiliate marketing since 2018, and established a few digital online businesses. I am passionate about sharing motivation thoughts and stories to my readers.