"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."

"For a perfect contempt of the world, a fervent desire to excel in virtue, the love of discipline, the painfulness of repentance, readiness to obey, denial of self, submission to any adversity for love of Christ; these are the things which shall give great confidence of a happy death. Whilst thou art in health thou hast many opportunities of good works; but when thou art in sickness I know not how much thou wilt be able to do."

"Happy is the man who hath the hour of his death always before his eyes, and daily prepareth himself to die."

"If to-day thou art not ready, how shalt thou be ready to-morrow? To-morrow is an uncertain day; and how knowest thou that thou shalt have a to-morrow?"

"Thou oughtest in every deed and thought so to order thyself, as if thou wert to die this day."

"There is no man in the world free from trouble or anguish, though he were King or Pope."

"Arise, begin this very moment, and say, “Now is the time to do: now is the time to fight, now is the proper time for amendment.”"

"So long as we carry about with us this frail body, we cannot be without sin, we cannot live without weariness and trouble."

"Thou art miserable wheresoever thou art, and whithersoever thou turnest, unless thou turn thee to God."

"One hath said, “As oft as I have gone among men, so oft have I returned less a man.” This is what we often experience when we have been long time in conversation."

"The greatest saints used to avoid as far as they could the company of men, and chose to live in secret with God."

"Seek a suitable time for thy meditation, and think frequently of the mercies of God to thee."

"No man ruleth safely but that he is willingly ruled."

"It is easier not to speak a word at all than to speak more words than we should."

"What canst thou see elsewhere which thou canst not see here? Behold the heaven and the earth and all the elements; for of these are all things created."

"Be thou never without something to do; be reading, or writing, or praying, or meditating, or doing something that is useful to the community."

"In the morning make thy resolves, and in the evening inquire into thy life, how thou hast sped to-day in word, deed, and thought;"

"For if he who resolveth bravely oftentimes falleth short, how shall it be with him who resolveth rarely or feebly?"

"We ought daily to renew our vows, and to kindle our hearts to zeal, as if each day were the first day of our conversion, and to say, “Help me, O God, in my good resolutions, and in Thy holy service, and grant that this day I may make a good beginning, for hitherto I have done nothing!”"

"Homo proponit, sed Deus disponit."

"We desire rules to be made restraining others, but by no means will we suffer ourselves to be restrained. Thus therefore doth it plainly appear how seldom we weigh our neighbour in the same balance with ourselves."

"We are ready to see others made perfect, and yet we do not amend our own shortcomings."

"Endeavour to be patient in bearing with other men’s faults and infirmities whatsoever they be, for thou thyself also hast many things which have need to be borne with by others."

"Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be."

"Occasions of adversity best discover how great virtue or strength each one hath. For occasions do not make a man frail, but they show what he is."

"Look well unto thyself, and beware that thou judge not the doings of others. In judging others a man laboureth in vain; he often erreth, and easily falleth into sin; but in judging and examining himself he always laboureth to good purpose."

"And so little by little the enemy entereth in altogether, because he was not resisted at the beginning."

"The beginning of all temptations to evil is instability of temper and want of trust in God; for even as a ship without a helm is tossed about by the waves, so is a man who is careless and infirm of purpose tempted, now on this side, now on that. As fire testeth iron, so doth temptation the upright man."

"Yet, notwithstanding, temptations turn greatly unto our profit, even though they be great and hard to bear; for through them we are humbled, purified, instructed. All Saints have passed through much tribulation and temptation, and have profited thereby."

"It is good for us that we sometimes have sorrows and adversities, for they often make a man lay to heart that he is only a stranger and sojourner, and may not put his trust in any worldly thing. It is good that we sometimes endure contradictions, and are hardly and unfairly judged, when we do and mean what is good. For these things help us to be humble, and shield us from vain-glory."

"How can he abide long time in peace who occupieth himself with other men’s matters, and with things without himself, and meanwhile payeth little or rare heed to the self within?"

"Therefore trust not too much to thine own opinion, but be ready also to hear the opinions of others."