--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Verily, we know not what an evil it is to…" description: "\"Verily, we know not what an evil it is to indulge ourselves, and to make an idol of our will.\" — Samuel Rutherford" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/samuel-rutherford-3289_evil_verily-we-know-not-what-an-evil-it-is-to_2821719.png" --- # Verily, we know not what an evil it is to indulge… ![“Verily, we know not what an evil it is to indulge ourselves, and to make an idol of our will.” quote by Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/samuel-rutherford-3289_evil_verily-we-know-not-what-an-evil-it-is-to_2821719.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/samuel-rutherford-3289_evil_verily-we-know-not-what-an-evil-it-is-to_2821719.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/samuel-rutherford-3289_evil_verily-we-know-not-what-an-evil-it-is-to_2821719.png) > “Verily, we know not what an evil it is to indulge ourselves, and to make an idol of our will.” [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Indulging selfish will creates spiritual idolatry and moral decay. **In simple terms:** Self‑interest leads to spiritual ruin. Key Takeaway Resist self‑centered desires. Themes idolatry will morality Mood solemn thoughtful Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - personal decision - community guidance - spiritual counseling Key Concepts theology ethics Questions to Reflect On - What idols do we create? - How can humility be cultivated? A Different Perspective Human nature often resists change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Idols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idols/) ## Related quotes > [I make an idol of my moral consciousness. My pursuit of the good is corrupted by the sin of idolatry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/i-make-an-idol-of-my-moral-consciousness-my-pursuit-of-the-good-is/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [How are you gonna make an 'idol' from the type of person you're trying to avoid in real life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-leggero/how-are-you-gonna-make-an-idol-from-the-type-of-person-you-re-trying/) [Natasha Leggero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-leggero/) > [Men can make an idol of the Bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/men-can-make-an-idol-of-the-bible/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [We make an idol of truth itself, for truth apart from charity is not God, but his image and an idol that we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/we-make-an-idol-of-truth-itself-for-truth-apart-from-charity-is-not/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [“We make an idol of our fear and that idol we call God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingmar-bergman/we-make-an-idol-of-our-fear-and-that-idol-we-call-god/) [Ingmar Bergman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingmar-bergman/) > [We make an idol of truth itself; for truth apart from charity is not God, but His image and idol, which we must neither…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/we-make-an-idol-of-truth-itself-for-truth-apart-from-charity-is-not-2/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [WHEN CERTAIN FAMILY MEMBERS SPIKE YOUR DRINK! YOU THEN KNOW HOW EVIL THEY ARE,AND THAT YOU ARE ABOVE THEM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-certain-family-members-spike-your-drink-you-then-know-how-evil/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This is the reality about humanity. We are each born with an evil, God-hating heart. Genesis 8: 21 says that every inclination of man's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-platt/this-is-the-reality-about-humanity-we-are-each-born-with-an-evil-god/) [David Platt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-platt/) > [He who does now know evil will fall into it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-who-does-now-know-evil-will-fall-into-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I know the negative connotation that I get when I look at a Bible or I look at the American flag. I know the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethel-cain/i-know-the-negative-connotation-that-i-get-when-i-look-at-a-bible-or/) [Ethel Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethel-cain/) > [Is it not enough to know the evil to shun it? If not, we should be sincere enough to admit that we love evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/is-it-not-enough-to-know-the-evil-to-shun-it-if-not-we-should-be/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [It's more complicated than that. I know them. They're not evil or cruel. They're not even smart. Hurting them, it's like hurting children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-more-complicated-than-that-i-know-them-they-re-not-evil-or-cruel/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Worst is when you saw people trying hard to be good in front of other people when you know that they are evil in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-reolope/worst-is-when-you-saw-people-trying-hard-to-be-good-in-front-of-other/) [Janet Reolope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-reolope/) > [“Because, you know, evil demon librarians, not so much known for the honesty policy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-knudsen/because-you-know-evil-demon-librarians-not-so-much-known-for-the/) [Michelle Knudsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-knudsen/) > [The Baron, unfortunately, turns it all the way up to eleven." "Seriously? Because, you know, that's one more evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/the-baron-unfortunately-turns-it-all-the-way-up-to-eleven-seriously/) [Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/) ## More by Samuel Rutherford > [The cross of Christ is the sweetest burden that I ever bore; it is such a burden as wings are to a bird, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/the-cross-of-christ-is-the-sweetest-burden-that-i-ever-bore-it-is/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) > [Well's them who are under crosses, and Christ says to them, "Half Mine."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/well-s-them-who-are-under-crosses-and-christ-says-to-them-half-mine/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) > [O, what I owe to the file, the hammer, and the furnace of the Lord Jesus! I know that he is no idle husbandman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/o-what-i-owe-to-the-file-the-hammer-and-the-furnace-of-the-lord-jesus/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) > [If so be that freewill were our tutor, and we had our heaven in our own keeping, then we would lose all. But because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/if-so-be-that-freewill-were-our-tutor-and-we-had-our-heaven-in-our/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) > [“...whether God come to his children with a rod or a crown, if he come himself with it, it is well. Welcome, welcome Jesus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/whether-god-come-to-his-children-with-a-rod-or-a-crown-if-he-come/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) > [Faint not; the miles to heaven are but few and short.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/faint-not-the-miles-to-heaven-are-but-few-and-short/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) > [I perceive we postpone all our joys of Christ, till He and we be in our own house above, thinking that there is nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/i-perceive-we-postpone-all-our-joys-of-christ-till-he-and-we-be-in/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) > [The night will close the door & fasten my anchor within the veil and I shall go away to sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/the-night-will-close-the-door-fasten-my-anchor-within-the-veil-and-i/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) > [There is nothing left to us but to see how we may be approved of Him, and how we may roll the weight of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/there-is-nothing-left-to-us-but-to-see-how-we-may-be-approved-of-him/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) > [I wonder many times that ever a child of God should have a sad heart, considering what their Lord is preparing for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/i-wonder-many-times-that-ever-a-child-of-god-should-have-a-sad-heart/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) > [The hope of heaven under troubles is like wind and sails to the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/the-hope-of-heaven-under-troubles-is-like-wind-and-sails-to-the-soul/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) > [My desire is that my Lord would give me broader and deeper thoughts, to feed myself with wondering at His love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/my-desire-is-that-my-lord-would-give-me-broader-and-deeper-thoughts/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) > [When I am in the cellar of affliction, I look for the Lord's choicest wines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/when-i-am-in-the-cellar-of-affliction-i-look-for-the-lord-s-choicest/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) > [Our little time of suffering is not worthy of our first night's welcome home to Heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/our-little-time-of-suffering-is-not-worthy-of-our-first-night-s/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) > [The devil is but a whetstone to sharpen the faith and patience of the saints.-](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/the-devil-is-but-a-whetstone-to-sharpen-the-faith-and-patience-of-the/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) [Explore all 134 Samuel Rutherford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) ## More Evil quotes > [I've always been fascinated by the idea that there's no such thing as evil; it's all in your point of view. To one group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-roth/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-the-idea-that-there-s-no-such-thing-as/) [Eli Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-roth/) > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [I do conscientiously and sincerely believe that the Order of Freemasonry, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest moral and political evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-do-conscientiously-and-sincerely-believe-that-the-order-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-is-done-out-of-love-always-takes-place-beyond-good-and-evil/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ Evil cannot be "treated" -- nor should it be. Evil has to \[be\] confronted and destroyed and it matters not why the evil is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/evil-cannot-be-treated-nor-should-it-be-evil-has-to-be-confronted-and/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [The evil which does me no harm is like the good which in no wise avails me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/the-evil-which-does-me-no-harm-is-like-the-good-which-in-no-wise/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/attack-the-evil-that-is-within-yourself-rather-than-attacking-the/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. And it is all a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/somewhere-somebody-must-have-some-sense-men-must-see-that-force/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nayler/there-is-a-spirit-which-i-feel-that-delights-to-do-no-evil-nor-to/) James Nayler > [The politician attempts to remedy the evil by increasing the very thing that caused the evil in the first place: legal plunder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-politician-attempts-to-remedy-the-evil-by-increasing-the-very/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [“Water is so friendly when you have it on your palms, but so evil when they have you on theirs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/water-is-so-friendly-when-you-have-it-on-your-palms-but-so-evil-when/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [THE ART OF PEACE is not easy. It is a fight to the finish, the slaying of evil desires and all falsehood within. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morihei-ueshiba/the-art-of-peace-is-not-easy-it-is-a-fight-to-the-finish-the-slaying/) [Morihei Ueshiba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morihei-ueshiba/) [Browse all 11,163 Evil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Verily, we know not what an evil it is to indulge ourselves, and to make an idol of our will.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Rutherford" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/verily-we-know-not-what-an-evil-it-is-to-indulge-ourselves-and-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Evil" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/verily-we-know-not-what-an-evil-it-is-to-indulge-ourselves-and-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/samuel-rutherford-3289_evil_verily-we-know-not-what-an-evil-it-is-to_2821719.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/samuel-rutherford-3289_evil_verily-we-know-not-what-an-evil-it-is-to_2821719.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b4/samuel-rutherford-3289_evil_verily-we-know-not-what-an-evil-it-is-to_2821719.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Verily, we know not what an evil it is to indulge ourselves, and to make an idol of our will.” — Samuel Rutherford", "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": "Samuel Rutherford", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Verily, we know not what an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/verily-we-know-not-what-an-evil-it-is-to-indulge-ourselves-and-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/verily-we-know-not-what-an-evil-it-is-to-indulge-ourselves-and-to/#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 } } ] } ```