William Channing Quotes on Joy & Excitement (2 Quotes)

Innocent amusements are such as excite moderately, and such as produce a cheerful frame of mind, not boisterous mirth such as refresh, instead of exhausting, the system such as recur frequently, rather than continue long such as send us back to our daily duties invigorated in body and spirit such as we can partake of in the presence and society of respectable friends such as consist with and are favorable to a grateful piety such as are chastened by self-respect, and are accompanied with the consciousness that life has a higher end than to be amused.

To do God's will as fast as it is made known to us, to inquire hourly -- I had almost said each moment -- what He requires of us, and to leave ourselves, our friends, and every interest at His control, with a cheerful trust that the path which He marks out leads to our perfection and to Himself, -- this is at once our duty and happiness and why will we not walk in the plain, simple way