"What doth care about future events bring thee, save sorrow upon sorrow? Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. It is vain and useless to be disturbed or lifted up about future things which perhaps will never come."

"And he who seeketh not to please men, nor feareth to displease, shall enjoy abundant peace."

"Grant me prudently to avoid the flatterer, and patiently to bear with him that opposeth me;"

"Know thou that the love of thyself is more hurtful to thee than anything in the world."

"watch thou thyself in godly peace, and leave him who is unquiet to be unquiet as he will. Whatsoever he shall do or say, shall come unto him, for he cannot deceive Me. Trouble not thyself about the shadow of a great name, nor about the friendship of many, nor about the love of men towards thee. For these things beget distraction and great sorrows of heart."

"Strive, My Son, to do another’s will rather than thine own. Choose always to have less rather than more. Seek always after the lowest place, and to be subject to all. Wish always and pray that the will of God be fulfilled in thee."

"And say not ‘I cannot bear these things from such a man, nor are things of this kind to be borne by me, for he hath done me grievous harm and imputeth to me what I had never thought: but from another I will suffer patiently, such things as I see I ought to suffer.’ Foolish is such a thought as this, for it considereth not the virtue of patience, nor by whom that virtue is to be crowned, but it rather weigheth persons and offences against self."

"I gently bore contradictions and hard words; I received ingratitude for benefits, blasphemies for My miracles, rebukes for My doctrine."

". . . do with me what Thou wilt, for whatsoever Thou shalt do with me cannot be aught but good. Blessed be Thou if Thou wilt leave me in darkness:"

"Grant that I may die to all worldly things, and for Thy sake love to be despised and unknown in this world."

"What is all flesh in Thy sight? For how shall the clay boast against Him that fashioned it?"

"I became the most humble and despised of men, that by My humility thou mightest overcome thy pride."

"There is no more grievous and deadly enemy to the soul than thou art to thyself, if thou art not led by the Spirit."

"Of two evils, the less is always to be chosen."

"O Lord God, I see that patience is very necessary unto me; for many things in this life fall out contrary."

"They who enter the narrow way of life for Thy Name’s sake, and have put away all worldly cares, shall attain great liberty of spirit."

"‘Depart unclean spirit; put on shame, miserable one; horribly unclean art thou, who bringest such things to mine ears. Depart from me, detestable deceiver; thou shalt have no part in me; but Jesus shall be with me, as a strong warrior, and thou shalt stand confounded. Rather would I die and bear all suffering, than consent unto thee."

"Love is swift, sincere, pious, pleasant, gentle, strong, patient, faithful, prudent, long-suffering, manly and never seeking her own; for whosoever a man seeketh his own, there he falleth from love."

"Deliver me from evil passions, and cleanse my heart from all inordinate affections, that, being healed and altogether cleansed within, I may be made ready to love, strong to suffer, steadfast to endure."

"thou art far weaker than thou art able to comprehend. Let, therefore, nothing which thou doest seem to thee great; let nothing be grand, nothing of value or beauty, nothing worthy of honour, nothing lofty, nothing praiseworthy or desirable, save what is eternal"

"For a little reward men make a long journey; for eternal life many will scarce lift a foot once from the ground."

". . . speak Thou, O Lord, who didst inspire and illuminate all the prophets;"

"For our worthiness and growth in grace lieth not in many delights and consolations, but rather in bearing many troubles and adversities."

"So long as it is hard to thee to suffer and thou desirest to escape, so long it will not be well with thee, and tribulations will follow thee everywhere."

". . . there is no means of escaping from tribulation and sorrow, except to bear them patiently."

". . . dost thou seek for thyself rest and joy? Thou art wrong, thou art wrong, if thou seekest aught but to suffer tribulations, for this whole mortal life is full of miseries, and set round with crosses."

"If thou bear it unwillingly, thou makest a burden for thyself and greatly increaseth thy load, and yet thou must bear it. If thou cast away one cross, without doubt thou shalt find another and perchance a heavier."

"What is it then? That having given up all things besides, he give up himself and go forth from himself utterly, and retain nothing of self-love; and having done all things which he knoweth to be his duty to do, that he feel that he hath done nothing."

"Jesus hath many lovers of His heavenly kingdom, but few bearers of His Cross."

"Dispose thyself to patience rather than to comfort, and to the bearing of the cross rather than to gladness."

"As it is written, To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the tree of life. Divine comfort is given that a man may be stronger to bear adversities."

"Thou art none the holier if thou art praised, nor the viler if thou art reproached. Thou art what thou art; and thou canst not be better than God pronounceth thee to be."

"If thou think wholly upon thyself and upon God, what thou seest out of doors shall move thee little."

"As iron cast into the fire loseth rust and is made altogether glowing, so the man who turneth himself altogether unto God is freed from slothfulness and changed into a new man."

"There is no creature so small and abject, that it representeth not the goodness of God."

"Simplicity and purity are the two wings by which a man is lifted above all earthly things. Simplicity is in the intention; purity in the affection. Simplicity tends to God; purity apprehends and tastes Him."

". . . all our peace in this sad life lieth in humble suffering rather than in not feeling adversities. He who best knoweth how to suffer shall possess the most peace;"

". . . be able to live peaceably with the hard and perverse, or with the disorderly, or those who oppose us, this is a great grace and a thing much to be commended and most worthy of a man."

"A passionate man turneth even good into evil and easily believeth evil; a good, peaceable man converteth all things into good."

"First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others."

"God protecteth and delivereth the humble man, He loveth and comforteth the humble man, to the humble man He inclineth Himself, on the humble He bestoweth great grace, and when he is cast down He raiseth him to glory: to the humble He revealeth His secrets, and sweetly draweth and inviteth him to Himself."

"Make no great account who is for thee or against thee, but mind only the present duty and take care that God be with thee in whatsoever thou doest."

"All things pass away and thou equally with them. Look that thou cleave not to them lest thou be taken with them and perish."

"There is no great trust to be placed in a frail and mortal man, even though he be useful and dear to us, neither should much sorrow arise within us if sometimes he oppose and contradict us. They who are on thy side to-day, may to-morrow be against thee, and often are they turned round like the wind. Put thy whole trust in God and let Him be thy fear and thy love, He will answer for thee Himself, and will do for thee what is best."

"He that avoideth not small faults, by little and little falleth into greater."

"All therefore is vanity, save to love God and to serve Him only. ."

"Learn now to suffer a little, that then thou mayest be enabled to escape heavier sufferings."

"And when he is out of sight, quickly also is he out of mind."

"Now the time is most precious. Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation."

"How many times hast thou heard how one was slain by the sword, another was drowned, another falling from on high broke his neck, another died at the table, another whilst at play! One died by fire, another by the sword, another by the pestilence, another by the robber. Thus cometh death to all, and the life of men swiftly passeth away like a shadow."