“God be thanked for books. They are the voices of the distant and the dead.”

About William Ellery Channing

1780 – 1842

American Unitarian preacher and writer.

“Labor is discovered to be the grand conqueror, enriching and building up nations more surely than the proudest battles.”

“The plant grows in the mist and under clouds as truly as under sunshine; so does the heavenly principle within.”

“Great minds are to make others great.”

“Education is one of the blessings of life — and one of its necessities.”

“Bad teachers do not touch me; the great ones never leave me.”

Attribution note: Source disputed or unverified.

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”

“When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”

“Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more.”