Which of these two pictures looks most like Christ to you? 

  "The godly man is timorous, and yet safe; tossed by the seas, and yet safe at anchor; impaired by evil accidents, and righted by Divine comforts; abused by the world, and yet an heir of heaven; hated by men, and beloved by God; he loses one house, and gets a hundred;   is forsaken by his friends, but never by a good conscience; he flies from his enemies, but hath no distracting fears; it is his business to be troubled, and his portion to be comforted; and in the recompense of this he hath God for his father; Christ for his captain, the Holy Ghost for his supporter; so that he shall have all the good which God can give him, and of all that good he hath the Holy Trinity for an earnest and a gage for his maintenance at the present, and his portion to all eternity." Jeremy Taylor.

  "There are some persons so fearful, miserable and scrupulous, such perpetual tormentors of themselves with unnecessary fears, that their meat and drink is a snare to their consciences; if they fast, they fear they are hypocrites; and if they would watch, they complain of sleep as a deadly sin; and every temptation, though resisted, makes them cry for pardon; and if the temptation returns they think God is angry; and every anger of God will break them in pieces." Jeremy Taylor.

"My yoke is easy and my burden is light."

  "There are three kinds of giving: grudge giving, duty giving, and thanksgiving. Grudge giving says, "I hate to," duty giving says, 
"I ought to," thanksgiving says, "I want to." The first comes from constraint, the second comes from a sense of obligation, the third comes from a full heart. Nothing much is conveyed in grudge giving since, "The gift without the giver is bare." 
Something more happens in duty giving but there is no song in it.
Thanksgiving is an open gate into the love of God." Robert N. Rodenmayer. 

"There is an absurdity of expecting perfection in the moral world, which is not in the natural."

"It's true, man is vile, but more in capability than in actions;

His sinfulness is deep, but his transgressions may be few, if only for lack of temptation:

Remember, he is hanging in a gulf midway, but even so, the air is breathable about him:

Thrust him not from that slight hold, to perish in the vapors underneath,

For, God pleads with the deaf, as having ears to hear,

Christ speaks to the dead, as to those that are capable of living;

And it is an evil teacher and a tempter to much sin,

Who looks on his hearers with distrust, and has no confidence in his brothers.

All may mend; and your sympathies may be healing; and reason has its influence, even with the worst;

And in the worst there is ample hope, if you will only have love, and faith."  Martin Tupper 

Faith in men

"Showing faith and confidence in men, even to the worst and meanest,

Has power to overcome his ill nature, by charitable good.

Fling your un-reserving trust, even on the conscience of a culprit,

Soon you will shame him by your faith in him, and he will melt and mend:

The nest of thieves will not harm you, if you will bear yourself boldly towards them:   

Boldly, yes and kindly, as relying on their honor:

For the hand so stout against aggression, is quite disarmed by charity;

And that warm sun will thaw the heart case-hardened by long frost.

Treat men gently, trust them strongly, if you wish their well being;

For cautious doubts and bitter thoughts will tempt the best of them to thwart you:  

Believe the best in confident hope, and you shalt reap the better;

But if you deal with men expecting evil, your dealings make them worse.

Doubt not there are some gleams of good still lingering in the darkest,

And among veterans in crime, plead to them as with their children:

So astounded at your humanities, the bad heart, even though long estranged,

Shall even weep to feel himself so unworthy your love;

In wholesome sorrow will he bless you; yes, and in that spirit may repent;

Thus, you will gain a soul, by showing mercy in faith. 

Martin Tupper