拒絕上帝的人，絕不會有平安。
-- Francis Felon
There is never any peace for those who resist God.
我們容易向主要東西，而不要主，顯明了我們想得著主的恩賜，勝於想得著賜下恩賜的主。
-- St. Augustine of Hippo
It is easy to want things from the Lord and yet not want the Lord
Himself, as though the gift could ever be preferable to the Giver.
我們可以到達一個地步，讓我們可能認識與瞭解原罪──那黑暗的掌櫃──我們天性中惡的樞紐。那就是說，雖然它不是我們的天性，但卻是出乎它──就是在我們裡面有著某些東西，當災難落在我們正在努力的目標之時，或在不幸落在甚至我們所愛之人的身上之時，反而歡喜。在上帝裡的生命也不能逃脫這種情形，但卻可得到與之相關的充分的洞見。這並非我們的不幸將一項古怪的宗教解釋強加在我們身上，而是宗教信仰的現實，迫使「黑暗面」暴露在光亮之中。我們站在公義的，窺知全貌的愛的光中，才敢去正視，承認，並在感知中去忍受這在我們裡面的某些東西，在狹窄的自我利益之外，竟然盼望災難，不幸與失敗。
We can reach the point where it becomes possible for us to
recognize and understand Original Sin, that dark counter- center of evil
in our nature--that is to say, though it is not our nature, it is of
it--that something within us which rejoices when disaster befalls the
very cause we are trying to serve, or misfortune overtakes even those we
love. Life in God is not an escape from this, but a way to gain full
insight concerning it. It is not our depravity which forces a fictitious
religious explanation upon us, but the experience of religious reality
which forces the "Night Side" out into the light. It is when we stand in
the righteous all-seeing light of love that we can dare to look at,
admit, and consciously suffer under this something in us which wills
disaster, misfortune, defeat to everything outside the sphere of our
narrowest self interest. ... Dag Hammarskjold (1905-1961), Markings
[1964]
擔心他人怎樣看你的這項毛病，你要矯治，....只要關心上帝對你的想法。
-- Miguel de Unamuno
Cure yourself of the condition of bothering about how you look to other
people. Be concerned only . . . with the idea God has of you.
一切憂慮都是不信有神，因為缺乏了對神的信靠。
- Bishop Fulton Sheen
All worry is atheism, because it is want of trust of God.
真理不是我的，也不是他的，不是任何人的，而是屬乎上帝所呼召享有真裡的人，並可怕地警告我們，不要擁為私有，免得真理被奪去。
... St. Augustine (354-430)
The truth is neither mine nor his nor another's; but belongs to us all
whom Thou callest to partake of it, warning us terribly, not to account
it private to ourselves, lest we be deprived of it.
祈禱乃是孤單的結束。它是與另一位共同生活，就是那位唯有祂能拯救我們脫離孤獨的主。
-- Georges Lefevre
Prayer is an end to isolation. It is living our daily life with someone;
with Him who alone can deliver us from solitude.
上帝不浪費苦難，祂若耕耘，乃是因為祂要收割。
-- J.O.Sanders
God does not waste suffering; if he ploughs it is because He purposes a
crop.
即使是他最大的仇敵犯了錯，他也會從心裡為之難過的人，才是好基督徒。若是如此，除非為了善良的目的。他也就不會再去不必要地暴露它們。
... John Tillotson (1630-1694)
He is not a good Christian who is not heartily sorry for the faults even
of his greatest enemies. And if he will be so, he will lay them bare no
further than is necessary to some good end.
人生中許多小患難與煩惱雖然好似路上的絆腳石，但是我們可以將它們作為幫助我們品格更高貴，進入天國的踏腳石。
苦難常是上帝用以為了更美之事塑模我們的工具。
-- Henry Ward Beecher
The little troubles and worries of life may be as stumbling blocks in our
way, or we may make them stepping-stones to a nobler character and to
Heaven. Troubles are often the tools by which God fashions us for better
things.
