“And now I speak of thanking God, I desire with all humility to acknowledge that I owe the mentioned happiness of my past life to His kind providence, which lead me to the means I used and gave them success. My belief of this induces me to hope, though I must not presume, that the same goodness will still be exercised toward me, in continuing that happiness, or enabling me to bear a fatal reverse, which I may experience as others have done: the complexion of my future fortune being known to Him only in whose power it is to bless to us even our afflictions.”

“I grew convinc’d that truth, sincerity and integrity in dealings between man and man were of the utmost importance to the felicity of life; and I form’d written resolutions, which still remain in my journal book, to practice them ever while I lived. Revelation had indeed no weight with me, as such; but I entertain’d an opinion that, though certain actions might not be bad because they were forbidden by it, or good because it commanded them, yet probably these actions might be forbidden because they were bad for us, or commanded because they were beneficial to us, in their own natures, all the circumstances of things considered. And this persuasion, with the kind hand of Providence, or some guardian angel, or accidental favorable circumstances and situations, or all together, preserved me, thro’ this dangerous time of youth, and the hazardous situations I was sometimes in among strangers, remote from the eye and advice of my father, without any willful gross immorality or injustice, that might have been expected from my want of religion. ”

About libraries:

“These libraries have improved the general conversation of the Americans, made the common tradesmen and farmers as intelligent as most gentlemen from other countries, and perhaps have contributed in some degree to the stand so generally made throughout the colonies in defense of their privileges.”

“Temperance first, as it tends to procure that coolness and clearness of head, which is so necessary where constant vigilance was to be kept up, and guard maintained against the unremitting attraction of ancient habits, and the force of perpetual temptations. This being acquir’d and establish’d, Silence would be more easy; and my desire being to gain knowledge at the same time that I improv’d in virtue, and considering that in conversation it was obtain’d rather by the use of the ears than of the tongue, and therefore wishing to break a habit I was getting into of prattling, punning, and joking, which only made me acceptable to trifling company, I gave Silence the second place.”

He loved his father and respected his wishes even to the point of turning down a opportunity to start a business that was offered to him. His youth was spent working as an apprentice for his brother and his brother was very abusive towards him and never recognized him for his true worth because he couldn’t see past him being his younger brother. So Franklin wrote a series of letters and sent them to his brother the printer under an alias and his brother just had to publish them and they were a hit and he never knew that Ben was the author. He did believe in God he just didn’t care for religion, he thought his time would be better spent working on his experiments. He tried to maximize his time and that is even why he said he became a vegetarian, so he wouldn’t need to spend so much time preparing food. He received honorary degrees from many institutions due to his accomplishments although he never attended any of them. He did many things, designed our roadway systems, and gutters and side walks, he invented the pot bellied stove, the post office and public library, the newspaper business. Many of his inventions he refused to take any money for because he felt it was Divine providence and that it should be given away freely if it helped mankind. You see he used the term divine which refers to God’s gift which does show his reverence for God.

1.There was never a good war or a bad peace.

2.Those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither liberty nor safety

3.Genius is nothing but a greater aptitude for patience.