George Hodges Quotes & Sayings

The second rector of [St. John's in] Providence was blown out of church one Sunday by 'an extraordinary gust of wind,' and the people, welcoming this ejection as an act of heaven, refused to let him in again. — George Hodges

There is plenty of other evidence, however, that the nominal conversion of the Roman Empire to the Christian religion had effected no visible improvement in the common morals. The world was worse rather than better. Out of its besetting temptations men fled to save their souls. They fled from the world, which in the first century was believed by the Christians to be doomed, and liable to be destroyed by divine fire before the end of the year, and which in the fourth century was believed by the Christians to be damned: it belonged to the devil. They fled also from the church, which they accused of secularity and of hypocrisy. Many of the monks were laymen, who in deep disgust had forsaken the services and sacraments. They said their own prayers and sought God in their own way, asking no aid from priests. They were men who had resolved never to go to church again. — George Hodges

The first step toward happiness is to determine to be happy. — George Hodges

To be thoroughly and abidingly happy is not only to get what we all instinctively desire, but to fulfill the purpose of our nature. — George Hodges

God calls us to duty, and the only right answer is obedience ... whether we ourselves get enjoyment and blessing from the task or not, the call must be obeyed ... It is better to obey blunderingly than not to obey at all. — George Hodges

And thus was kept the first Christmas, the Christmas in the year one, with carols by the choir of heaven, and God's own Son, the Saviour of the world, coming as a Christmas gift for all mankind. — George Hodges