---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It has always happened hitherto that…"
description: "\"It has always happened hitherto that whenever I have begun to feel an attachment to places, persons, or things, of a merely temporary nature, I have be..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/henry-martyn-29010_amen_it-has-always-happened-hitherto-that-whe_1333191.jpg"
---

#  It has always happened hitherto that whenever I have begun…

![“It has always happened hitherto that whenever I have begun to feel an attachment to places, persons, or things, of a merely temporary nature, I have been carried away from them. Amen! May I live as a stranger and pilgrim upon the earth. May we be brought to that better country where painful…” quote by Henry Martyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/henry-martyn-29010_amen_it-has-always-happened-hitherto-that-whe_1333191.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/henry-martyn-29010_amen_it-has-always-happened-hitherto-that-whe_1333191.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/henry-martyn-29010_amen_it-has-always-happened-hitherto-that-whe_1333191.jpg)

> “It has always happened hitherto that whenever I have begun to feel an attachment to places, persons, or things, of a merely temporary nature, I have been carried away from them. Amen! May I live as a stranger and pilgrim upon the earth. May we be brought to that better country where painful changes are known no more.”

[Henry Martyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-martyn/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Attachment to temporary things leads to spiritual wandering; the writer seeks to remain a pilgrim, longing for a heavenly home where suffering ends.

**In simple terms:** Clinging to worldly things distracts from spiritual journey toward a better, pain‑free realm.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate detachment and focus on eternal hope.

Themes

spirituality pilgrimage detachment hope afterlife

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

spiritual philosophical

When to use this quote

- daily life
- personal loss
- faith crises
- spiritual retreats
- morning prayers

Key Concepts

transience pilgrimage mindset yearning for heaven

Questions to Reflect On

- What does being a pilgrim mean in modern life?
- How can one balance love for the world with spiritual longing?

A Different Perspective

Detachment may be hard when loved ones and familiar places are involved.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

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> [“There is yet another reason why peer-oriented kids are insatiable. In order to reach the turning point, a child must not only be fulfilled,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/there-is-yet-another-reason-why-peer-oriented-kids-are-insatiable-in/)

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> [“Marcus DeLuca had to be a dangerous man because I was caving in too soon; it was just too soon to feel this attachment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-l-montes/marcus-deluca-had-to-be-a-dangerous-man-because-i-was-caving-in-too/)

[E.L. Montes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-l-montes/)

> [“phenomenon. For the child to feel full he must first feel empty, to feel helped the child must first feel in need of help,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-neufeld/phenomenon-for-the-child-to-feel-full-he-must-first-feel-empty-to/)

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> [“Some days I'm only passing through. Some days are all hello; some days are all goodbye. Some days I have no idea what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/some-days-i-m-only-passing-through-some-days-are-all-hello-some-days/)

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> [This is the hard part about having best friends that I feel no attachment to -- I don't give them any benefit of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/this-is-the-hard-part-about-having-best-friends-that-i-feel-no/)

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> [Japanese people can feel some attachment in what they are making, whether it is a car or a TV or a computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryuichi-sakamoto/japanese-people-can-feel-some-attachment-in-what-they-are-making/)

[Ryuichi Sakamoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryuichi-sakamoto/)

> [I like challenging parts, something I haven't done yet, something that scares me. There's just a feeling I get when I read a script…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-maslany/i-like-challenging-parts-something-i-haven-t-done-yet-something-that/)

[Tatiana Maslany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-maslany/)

> [“To feel one’s attachment to a certain region, one’s love for a certain group of men, to know that there is always a spot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/to-feel-one-s-attachment-to-a-certain-region-one-s-love-for-a-certain/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [She was giving me oral sex, and she got carried away . . . So I choked her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-shawcross/she-was-giving-me-oral-sex-and-she-got-carried-away-so-i-choked-her/)

[Arthur Shawcross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-shawcross/)

## More by Henry Martyn

> [I am immortal until God's work for me to do is done. The Lord reigns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-martyn/i-am-immortal-until-god-s-work-for-me-to-do-is-done-the-lord-reigns/)

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> [I have rightfully no other business each day but to do God's work as a servant, constantly regarding His pleasure. May I have grace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-martyn/i-have-rightfully-no-other-business-each-day-but-to-do-god-s-work-as/)

[Henry Martyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-martyn/)

> [God and eternal things are my only pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-martyn/god-and-eternal-things-are-my-only-pleasure/)

[Henry Martyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-martyn/)

> [Since I have known God in a saving manner, painting, poetry, and music have had charms unknown to me before. I have received what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-martyn/since-i-have-known-god-in-a-saving-manner-painting-poetry-and-music/)

[Henry Martyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-martyn/)

> [The power of gentleness is irresistible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-martyn/the-power-of-gentleness-is-irresistible/)

[Henry Martyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-martyn/)

> [My soul, alas, needs these uneasinesses in outward things, to be driven to take refuge in God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-martyn/my-soul-alas-needs-these-uneasinesses-in-outward-things-to-be-driven/)

[Henry Martyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-martyn/)

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[Henry Martyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-martyn/)

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## More Amen quotes

> [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/)

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[Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/)

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