Let temporal things serve thy use, but the eternal be the object of thy desire.

Jesus has many lovers of His kingdom of heaven, but he has few bearers of His Cross. Many desire His consolation, but few desire His tribulation. He finds many comrades in eating and drinking, but He finds few hands who will be with Him in His abstinence and fastingBut those who love Jesus purely for Himself, and not for their own profit or convenience, bless Him as heartily in temptation and tribulation and in all other adversities as they do in time of consolation. And if He never sent them consolation, they would still bless and praise Him.

What else does anxiety about the future bring you but sorrow upon sorrow?

And if thy heart be straight with God then every creature shall be to thee a mirror of life and a book of holy doctrine for there is no creature so little or so despised but that sheweth and representeth the goodness of God.

Set me free from evil passions, and heal my heart of all inordinate affections; that being inwardly cured and thoroughly cleansed, I may be made fit to love, courageous to suffer, steady to persevere.

We should have much more peace if we would not busy ourselves with the sayings and doings of others.

Too many instances there are of daring men, who by presuming to sound the deep things of religion, have cavilled and argued themselves out of all religion.