Purity is Precious ~ A Collection of Quotes

Purity

n. [L. puritas, form purus.]

1. Freedom from foreign admixture or heterogeneous matter; as the purity of water, of wine, of spirit; the purity of drugs; the purity of metals.

2. Cleanness; freedom from foulness or dirt; as the purity of a garment.

The purity of a linen vesture.

3. Freedom from guilt or the defilement of sin; innocence; as purity of heart or life.

4. Chastity; freedom from contamination by illicit sexual connection.

5. Freedom from any sinister or improper views; as the purity of motives or designs.

6. Freedom from foreign idioms, from barbarous or improper words or phrases; as purity of style or language.

~ Webster's 1828 Dictionary

A Young Girl Reading by Michael Peter Ancher

"To be pure is to be single-minded. It is to have a single goal, a single focus, and a single purpose for ourselves and our lives. That is biblical purity, and from it springs moral behaviour – the good we do with our bodies. At its core, purity is having a heart for the Lord that isn’t watered down or polluted by lesser things.”

~ Lydia Brownback,  Purity: A Godly Woman's Adornment

The Knitting Girl by William Adolphe Bouguereau

"We need to keep most careful watch over our heart, so that nothing shall ever tarnish its purity. Any corrupt thought, dallied with even for a moment, leaves a stain upon the mind which may never be effaced."

~ J. R. Miller

Innocence by Maria Ilieva

"There is dullness, monotony, sheer boredom in all of life when virginity and purity are no longer protected and prized.” 

~ Elisabeth Elliot, Passion and Purity

Girl Holding a Lily by John Simmons

“To be disgraced in the eye of the world, to wear the appearance of infamy while her heart is all purity, her actions all innocence, and the misconduct of another the true source of her debasement, is one of those circumstances which peculiarly belong to the heroine's life, and her fortitude under it what particularly dignifies her character. Catherine had fortitude too; she suffered, but no mumur passed her lips.”

~ Jane Austen, Excerpt from Northanger Abbey

Camille by Sir Frank Dicksee

“I took it for granted that there must be a few men left in the world who had that kind of strength. I assumed that those men would also be looking for women with principle. I did not want to be among the marked-down goods on the bargain table, cheap because they’d been pawed over. Crowds collect there. It is only the few who will pay full price. "You get what you pay for.”

~ Elisabeth Elliot, Passion and Purity

Girl Reading by Charles E. Perugini

"...a very few months had taught him, by the force of contrast, to place a yet higher value on the sweetness of her temper, the purity of her mind, and the excellence of her principles."

~ Jane Austen, Excerpt from Mansfield Park

Portrait of a Girl by Hellen Allingham

"I do not preach any new truth. I do not have any new doctrine... We must have a revival that will mean purity of heart as a normal standard for everybody. We must be clean people, and not only clean outside."

~ A.W. Tozer

Miss Betty Pollock by John William Waterhouse

"See, in this lily, my daughter, the symbol of innocence. Its leaves are finer than richest satin, and its whiteness equals that of the driven snow. Happy is the daughter whose heart also is pure, for remember the words, 'The pure in heart shall see God.' The more pure the colour, the more difficult to preserve its purity. The slightest spot can spoil the flower of the lily, and so one word can rob the mind of its purity. Let the rose," said he, pointing to that flower, "be the image of modesty. The blush of a modest girl is more beautiful than that of the rose." 

Mary's father then made a bouquet of lilies and roses, and, giving it to Mary, he said, "These are brothers and sisters, whose beauty no other flowers can equal. Innocence and modesty are twin sisters, which cannot be separated. Yes, my dear child, God in His goodness has given to modesty, innocence for a sister and companion, in order that she might be warned of the approach of danger. Be always modest, and you will be always virtuous. Oh, if the will of God be so, I pray that you may be enabled to preserve in your heart the purity of the lily!" 

Brought up under the care of a father so wise and loving, Mary grew up like the flowers of her garden, fresh as the rose, pure like the lily, modest as the violet, and full of promise for the future, as a beautiful shrub in the time of flourishing."

~ The Basket of Flowers by Christoph von Schmid

Sisters by John Everett Millais

“When God calls on you to pursue purity, you are not being asked to do what will deprive you of joy. In fact, you are being called to do what will bring you the greatest joy! To choose purity is to put yourself under God’s blessing.” 

~ Randy Alcorn, The Purity Principle: God’s Safeguards for Life’s Dangerous Trails

Head Study of a Young Girl by William Adolphe Bouguereau 

“Young men do not respect girls they can take advantage of - and they do not as easily take advantage of girls they respect.”

“When you chose to follow the way of purity, did you expect it to be easy? When you decided to wait for the best, did you think that waiting would be fun? Did you think that your faith would not be tested? When you decided to take the narrow path, did no one warn you that difficulties, hardship, and tears would be part of the journey, and that you would often face rejection from others and be forced to walk alone? My daughter, that which you wait for the longest you treasure the most, and through much struggle the prize is won.”

~ Sarah Mally, Before You Meet Prince Charming: A Guide to Radiant Purity

Lilac by Davidson Knowles

"There is no more beautiful adornment to womanly character than purity, and a girl does well to see that everything that concerns her dress and behavior when away from her home, on the street, or otherwise in the eyes of the public, is decent, clean, modest, and quiet. 

Purity is a precious virtue. Christ has said, "Blesses are the pure in heart for they shall see God." They perceive His nearness and this knowledge of His presence gently keeps them on the right path. Happy is the girl who walk along the way that abides with Him."

~ Beautiful Girlhood by Mabel Hale

Julia Among the Roses by Daniel Ridgeway Knight

"If a girl will come to God with her perplexities and tell Him the struggle she is having with “foes within,” and fully consecrate her life to Him, saying from the depth of her heart, “Lord, I give my life to Thee. Thou mayest have every part of it. Cleanse my heart and make it a fit place for Thee to dwell,” and trusting God to do what she has asked Him to do, she may have a pure heart. 

God will cleanse out those sinful principles from her nature and make her a conqueror. Not that she will no more be tempted; but instead of those inward struggles that are so hard to master, she will find inward grace and strength to overcome. 

There is a heavenly Visitor who will come in and fill the heart that is fully given to God, so that instead of those sinful impulses ruling there, this sweet Spirit of God will reign."

~ Beautiful Girlhood by Mabel Hale

Contemplation by Frank Dicksee

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

~ Philippians 4:8

Painting by John William Waterhouse

"...but be thou an example of the believers,

in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

 ~ 1 Timothy 4:12

These quotes on purity would also make excellent copywork for young ladies. ~ JES

Tamar's Tears ~ A Lesson in Purity

The Beauty of Modesty ~ A Collection of Quotes

Spring Maiden by Thomas Francis Dicksee

MOD'EST, a. [L. modestus, from modus, a limit.]
1. Properly, restrained by a sense of propriety; hence, not forward or bold; not presumptuous or arrogant; not boastful; as a modest youth; a modest man.
2. Not bold or forward; as a modest maid. The word may be thus used without reference to chastity.
"The blushing beauties of a modest maid." ~ Dryden
3. Not loose; not lewd.
"Mrs. Ford, the honest woman, the modest wife." ~ Shakespeare
4. Moderate; not excessive or extreme; not extravagant; as a modest request; modest joy; a modest computation.

~ Webster's 1828 Dictionary

After Service by Edmund Blair Leighton

"How does a woman look who loves the Lord? What should be her distinguishing external qualities? Though there are greatly different opinions about how one should look, I think there are some basic, yet very important principles on which we would all agree.

First of all, as His jewels, our greatest focus should be on a countenance which reflects the One we love, and nothing that would distract." 

~ by Jennifer J. Lamp, Excerpt from His Chosen Bride

Little Women by Jessie Wilcox Smith

"You have a good many little gifts and virtues, but there is no need of parading them, for conceit spoils the finest genius. There is not much danger that real talent or goodness will be overlooked long, and the great charm of all power is modesty."

~ Louisa May Alcott, Excerpt from Little Women

Julia Gathering Roses by Daniel Ridgway Knight

“Unaffected modesty is the sweetest charm of female excellence, the richest gem in the diadem of her honor.”

~ Noah Webster

Reminiscences by William John Montaigne

“One of the first evidences of a real lady, is that she should be modest. By modesty we mean that she shall not say, do, nor wear anything that would cause her to appear gaudy, ill-bred, or unchaste. There should be nothing about her to attract unfavorable attention, nothing in her dress or manner that would give a man an excuse for vulgar comment. When we dress contrary to the rule of modesty we give excuse for unwholesome thoughts in the mind of those who look upon us, and every girl who oversteps these bounds makes herself liable to misunderstanding and insult, though she may be innocent of any such intention.”

~ Margaret Hale, Excerpt from North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Girl Reading by Charles Edward Perugini

"Every young woman should dress well, that is, neatly, tastefully, modestly, whether she be rich or poor. Conspicuous dressing is vulgar. True refinement avoids anything showy and flashy: it never dresses better than it can afford, and yet it is always well dressed, even in simple muslin or plain calico."

~ J.R. Miller

The Shrine by John Waterhouse

"When a woman veils her body in modest clothing, she is not hiding herself from men. On the contrary, she is revealing her dignity to them."

~ Unknown

Cutting Roses by Daniel Ridgway Knight

"So we cannot look around at others for examples. We must have a conscience toward God ourselves, and answer these questions before Him in our own hearts.  As for myself I cannot wear what I know is not becomingly modest for a Christian to wear."

~ by Mabel Hale, Excerpt from Beautiful Girlhood, Revised by Karen Andreola

The Song of the Nightingale by William-Adolphe Bouguereau

"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."

~ 1 Peter 3:3-4

Biondina by Frederic Lord Leighton

"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array…"

~ 1 Timothy 2:9

Prayer by George Frederick Watts

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

~ Romans 12:1-2

These quotes on modesty would also make excellent copywork for young ladies. ~ JES

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