--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But though this be so, yet since things…" description: "\"“But though this be so, yet since things present and our fleshly appetite are such near neighbours one to another; and again, because things to come, a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99e/john-bunyan-1055_quote_but-though-this-be-so-yet-since-things-p_1131581.jpg" --- # But though this be so, yet since things present and our… ![“But though this be so, yet since things present and our fleshly appetite are such near neighbours one to another; and again, because things to come, and carnal sense, are such strangers one to another; therefore it is, that the first of these so suddenly fall into amity, and that distance is so…” quote by John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99e/john-bunyan-1055_quote_but-though-this-be-so-yet-since-things-p_1131581.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99e/john-bunyan-1055_quote_but-though-this-be-so-yet-since-things-p_1131581.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99e/john-bunyan-1055_quote_but-though-this-be-so-yet-since-things-p_1131581.jpg) > ““But though this be so, yet since things present and our fleshly appetite are such near neighbours one to another; and again, because things to come, and carnal sense, are such strangers one to another; therefore it is, that the first of these so suddenly fall into amity, and that distance is so continued between the second.”” [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human desires and future hopes are close yet distant, causing tension between present cravings and future goals. **In simple terms:** Present cravings clash with future hopes. Key Takeaway Balance immediate wants with long‑term vision. Themes spiritual conflict human nature temporal tension Mood reflective spiritual Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - personal goal setting - spiritual practice - career planning Key Concepts desire future orientation duality Questions to Reflect On - What present desire hinders your future? - How can you harmonize immediate and future needs? A Different Perspective Neglecting present needs can harm wellbeing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appetite Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appetite-near-3111360/) [Near Neighbours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/near-neighbours-3111359/) [Strangers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strangers/) [Strangers Suddenly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strangers-suddenly-3111361/) [Things Come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-come/) ## Related quotes > [I was on holiday in Morocco and in the middle of nowhere some random strangers suddenly shouted out 'T4!' It was so out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miquita-oliver/i-was-on-holiday-in-morocco-and-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-some-random/) [Miquita Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miquita-oliver/) > [In life, people tend to wait for good things to come to them. And by waiting, they miss out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-strauss/in-life-people-tend-to-wait-for-good-things-to-come-to-them-and-by/) [Neil Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-strauss/) > [Sometimes over the years, you know, things come to surface.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-huppert/sometimes-over-the-years-you-know-things-come-to-surface/) [Isabelle Huppert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-huppert/) > [I don't look forward to anything. I take things as they come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yami-gautam/i-don-t-look-forward-to-anything-i-take-things-as-they-come/) [Yami Gautam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yami-gautam/) > [Some things come into your life just to strengthen you, so you can move on without them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/some-things-come-into-your-life-just-to-strengthen-you-so-you-can/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) > [I don't really have any dream roles. It's just things, which come up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asa-butterfield/i-don-t-really-have-any-dream-roles-it-s-just-things-which-come-up/) [Asa Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asa-butterfield/) > [“This is how things come to pass in the world,' one of the princes is supposed to have said. 'Blood flows one way in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-kadar/this-is-how-things-come-to-pass-in-the-world-one-of-the-princes-is/) [Ismail Kadare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-kadar/) > [“I think some things – great things, awesome things- only come around once in a long while, and you gotta snatch 'em up. Hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-linko/i-think-some-things-great-things-awesome-things-only-come-around-once/) [Gina Linko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-linko/) > [Good things come to those who wait, Better things come to those who try.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/good-things-come-to-those-who-wait-better-things-come-to-those-who-try/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [All things come round to him who will but wait.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/all-things-come-round-to-him-who-will-but-wait/) [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wadsworth-longfellow/) > [The main thing is to have strings to your bow. You get your badges, you see where life is, and then you see what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-campbell/the-main-thing-is-to-have-strings-to-your-bow-you-get-your-badges-you/) [Sol Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-campbell/) > [Do the kind of things that come from the heart, When you do, you won't be dissatisfied, you won't be envious, you won't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-the-kind-of-things-that-come-from-the-heart-when-you-do-you-won-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Good things come to those who hustle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-noll/good-things-come-to-those-who-hustle/) [Chuck Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-noll/) > [Sometimes you have to let things go so theres room for better things to come into your life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-you-have-to-let-things-go-so-theres-room-for-better-things/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If good things come to those who wait then I must have something ridiculously awesome coming!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/if-good-things-come-to-those-who-wait-then-i-must-have-something/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) ## More by John Bunyan > [The God in whose hands are all our days and ways, did cast into my hand one day a book of Martin Luthers; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/the-god-in-whose-hands-are-all-our-days-and-ways-did-cast-into-my/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [To seek yourself in this world is to be lost; and to be humble is to be exalted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/to-seek-yourself-in-this-world-is-to-be-lost-and-to-be-humble-is-to/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [“it is common for those that have called themselves His servants, after awhile to give Him the slip, and return again to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/it-is-common-for-those-that-have-called-themselves-his-servants-after/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [A comely sight indeed it is to see, a world of blossoms on an apple tree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/a-comely-sight-indeed-it-is-to-see-a-world-of-blossoms-on-an-apple/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [“The preeminent job of the church is to equip Christian for life's challenges. This requires the emphasis on being fitted with tested armor. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/the-preeminent-job-of-the-church-is-to-equip-christian-for-life-s/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [“So he had them into the slaughter house, where was a butcher killing a sheep. And behold, the sheep was quiet and took her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/so-he-had-them-into-the-slaughter-house-where-was-a-butcher-killing-a/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [I will stay in prison till the moss grows on my eye lids rather than disobey God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/i-will-stay-in-prison-till-the-moss-grows-on-my-eye-lids-rather-than/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [“...I am for going on, and venturing my eternal state with Christ, whether I have comfort here or no; if God doth not come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/i-am-for-going-on-and-venturing-my-eternal-state-with-christ-whether/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [“Evangelist spoke from his heart with great passion. “You cannot be justified by the works of the law, because it isn’t how one follows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/evangelist-spoke-from-his-heart-with-great-passion-you-cannot-be/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [God speaks once, yea twice, yet Man perceiveth it not, in a Dream, in a Vision of the night, when deep Sleep falleth upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/god-speaks-once-yea-twice-yet-man-perceiveth-it-not-in-a-dream-in-a/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [No man, without trials and temptations, can attain a true understanding of the Holy Scriptures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/no-man-without-trials-and-temptations-can-attain-a-true-understanding/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [Afflictions make the heart more deep, more experimental, more knowing and profound, and so, more able to hold, to contain, and beat more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/afflictions-make-the-heart-more-deep-more-experimental-more-knowing/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [“It is the glory of the next world that will never wear out, while the good things of this world will vanish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/it-is-the-glory-of-the-next-world-that-will-never-wear-out-while-the/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [It is possible to learn all about the mysteries of the Bible and never be affected by it in one's soul. Great knowledge is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/it-is-possible-to-learn-all-about-the-mysteries-of-the-bible-and/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [“This hill, though high, I covet to ascend; The difficulty will not me offend. For I perceive the way to life lies here. Come,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/this-hill-though-high-i-covet-to-ascend-the-difficulty-will-not-me/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) [Explore all 299 John Bunyan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) ## More Strangers quotes > [A place has almost the shyness of a person, with strangers; and its secret is not to be surprised by a too direct interrogation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-symons/a-place-has-almost-the-shyness-of-a-person-with-strangers-and-its/) [Arthur Symons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-symons/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [It's amazing when strangers become friends but it's so sad, when friends become strangers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-amazing-when-strangers-become-friends-but-it-s-so-sad-when/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Internet lets thousands of total strangers collaborate to produce a truly hivelike result.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-thompson/the-internet-lets-thousands-of-total-strangers-collaborate-to-produce/) [Clive Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-thompson/) > [Has this ever happened to you? You run into a friend you haven't spoken to in a while. You look at each other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imynatot/has-this-ever-happened-to-you-you-run-into-a-friend-you-haven-t/) [IMynatot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imynatot/) > [Sometimes you have to get to know someone really well to realize you're really strangers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-tyler-moore/sometimes-you-have-to-get-to-know-someone-really-well-to-realize-you/) [Mary Tyler Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-tyler-moore/) > [“I saw strangers’ faces passing me, a brief sympathetic glance, a wolf whistle from a car at the soaking-wet girl. No help was to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/i-saw-strangers-faces-passing-me-a-brief-sympathetic-glance-a-wolf/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [It’s sad when friends become enemies. But what’s even worse is when they become strangers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayley-williams/it-s-sad-when-friends-become-enemies-but-what-s-even-worse-is-when/) [Hayley Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayley-williams/) > [“There are times when the kindness of strangers only makes matter worse because one realizes how badly one is in need of kindness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/there-are-times-when-the-kindness-of-strangers-only-makes-matter/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [One of the things that I miss about Canada is that even the strangers, you have an immediate rapport, there's just an understanding that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evangeline-lilly/one-of-the-things-that-i-miss-about-canada-is-that-even-the-strangers/) [Evangeline Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evangeline-lilly/) > [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/) [Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/) > [“I sometimes think people can see that I’m defective, that there’s nothing there. Behind the job and clothes and makeup there’s nothing to know.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-koomson/i-sometimes-think-people-can-see-that-i-m-defective-that-there-s/) [Dorothy Koomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-koomson/) > [“Our bodies aren't strangers,' he said, his voice ragged. 'Our spirits aren't strangers'. He held her face in his hands. 'Tell me what part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/our-bodies-aren-t-strangers-he-said-his-voice-ragged-our-spirits-aren/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [“Sympathy from strangers can be ruinous.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/sympathy-from-strangers-can-be-ruinous/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [I don't accept gifts from perfect strangers - but then, nobody's perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zsa-zsa-gabor/i-don-t-accept-gifts-from-perfect-strangers-but-then-nobody-s-perfect/) [Zsa Zsa Gabor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zsa-zsa-gabor/) [Browse all 1,076 Strangers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strangers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But though this be so, yet since things present and our fleshly appetite are such near neighbours one to another; and again, because things to come, and carnal sense, are such strangers one to another; therefore it is, that the first of these so suddenly fall into amity, and that distance is so continued between the second.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Bunyan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/but-though-this-be-so-yet-since-things-present-and-our-fleshly/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Strangers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/but-though-this-be-so-yet-since-things-present-and-our-fleshly/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99e/john-bunyan-1055_quote_but-though-this-be-so-yet-since-things-p_1131581.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99e/john-bunyan-1055_quote_but-though-this-be-so-yet-since-things-p_1131581.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/99e/john-bunyan-1055_quote_but-though-this-be-so-yet-since-things-p_1131581.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But though this be so, yet since things present and our fleshly appetite are such near neighbours one to…” — John Bunyan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Bunyan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But though this be so, yet...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/but-though-this-be-so-yet-since-things-present-and-our-fleshly/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/but-though-this-be-so-yet-since-things-present-and-our-fleshly/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```