WIST

Every mountain is, rightly considered, an invitation to climb.

Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) American clergyman and writer
“Ampersand”, Little Rivers (1895)
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Be glad for life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to look up at the stars.

Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) American clergyman and writer
“Footpaths to Peace”
More common short form of: "To be glad of life because it gives you to chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars -- to be satisfied with your possessions but not content with yourself until you have made the best of them -- to despise nothing in the world except falsehood and meanness, and to fear nothing except cowardice -- to be governed by you admirations rather than by your disgusts -- to covet nothing that is your neighbors except his kindness of heart and gentleness of manners -- to think seldom of your enemies, often of your friends, and every day of Christ; to spend as much time as you can in God's out-of doors -- these are the little guideposts on the footpaths to peace.

For men have dulled their eyes with sin,
And dimmed the light of heaven with doubt,
And built their temple-walls to shut thee in,
And framed their iron creeds to shut thee out.

Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) American clergyman and writer
“God of the Open Air”, st. 3 (1904)

If Might made Right, life were a wild-beasts’ cage;
If Right made Might, this were the golden age;
But now, until we win the long campaign,
Right must gain Might to conquer and to reign.

Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) American clergyman and writer
“Might and Right” (1 Jul 1915)

But often faltering feet
Come surest to the goal;
And they who walk in darkness meet
The sunrise of the soul.

Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) American clergyman and writer
“Reliance”, st. 2

He that planteth a tree is the servant of God,
He provideth a kindness for many generations,
And faces that he hath not seen shall bless him.

Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) American clergyman and writer
“The Friendly Trees”

Peace without Justice is a low estate,–
A coward cringing to an iron Fate!
But Peace through Justice is the great ideal,–
We’ll pay the price of war to make it real.

Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) American clergyman and writer
“The Price of Peace” (28 Dec 1916)

Self is the only prison that can ever bind the soul.

Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) American clergyman and writer
“The Prison and the Angel”

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.

Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) American clergyman and writer
(Misattributed)
Also frequently misattributed to Thoreau. First found in The Ladies Repository: A Monthly Periodical, Devoted to Literature, Arts and Religion (Sep 1874), without attribution (see here).

To be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and play and to look up at the stars. To be satisfied with your possessions, but not contented with yourself until you have made the best of them. To despise nothing in the world except falsehood and meanness and to fear nothing except cowardice. To be governed by your admirations rather than by your disgusts; to covet nothing that is your neighbor’s except his kindness of heart and gentleness of manners. To think seldom of your enemies, often of your friends, and every day of Christ; and to spend as much time as you can, with body and with spirit, in God’s out-of-doors. These are little guideposts on the footpath to peace.

Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) American clergyman and writer
Foot-path to Peace (1910)
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Romantic love interests almost everybody, because almost everybody knows something about it, or would like to know.

Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) American clergyman and writer
The Ruling Passion, Preface (1901)
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Who seeks for heaven alone to save his soul
May keep the path, but will not reach the goal;
While he who walks in love may wander far,
Yet God will bring him where the blessed are.

Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) American clergyman and writer
The Story of the Other Wise Man
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