並非本質上邪惡的事物，不應怕可能被濫用而將其收起，此一作為會封閉愈顯主榮的路徑。 Nothing that is not in itself evil is to be put away because abuse of it is possible: to do so would shut the way to a great increase of God’s glory.

最好在早上和世俗人交談有關救贖的事， 下午才談俗世的事。 It is best to converse with seculars of matters relating to salvation in the morning, and of profane matters after midday.

如果身體以患病為藉口埋怨克己，盼望舒服，不用聽從，卻要用其他同等的克苦來代替，加以懲戒。 If the body complains of being mortified on the pretext that it is ill, it is not to be listened to in the hope of ease, but chastised by the substitution of some other equal mortification.

照顧靈魂的人正需要勇氣， 以免照料別人的得救時，卻危及自己的得救。 Those who have care of souls need nothing so much as courage, lest, while they are looking after others’ salvation, they endanger their own.

自知本身全部弱點的人絕無僅有， 除非天主對他顯露無遺。 Rare indeed is the man who knows all his weaknesses of all kinds, unless God specially reveals them to him.

無精打彩地服務世界關係不大： 但不冷不熱地事奉天主，是難以忍受的。 Serving the world halfheartedly matters little; but serving God halfheartedly is not to be borne.

戒避固執；但當事情有好的開始，就堅持到底，切勿因疲累或絕望而可鄙地逃避。 Avoid all obstinacy; but when you have begun a thing well, stick to it, and do not basely flee through weariness or despair.

有關近人得救的事，需要權力， 但不是參與世俗的虛幻權力。 In the matter of your neighbor’s salvation authority is necessary, but not the kind that partakes of the vain authority of the world.

倘若你沒法原諒別人太明顯的罪，不要譴責罪人，只怪誘惑猛烈，記住自己亦會同樣跌倒，甚至更嚴重。 If your neighbor’s sin is so manifest that you cannot in honesty excuse it, blame not the sinner but the violence of his temptation, remembering that you yourself might have fallen as badly or even worse.

謀求改革世界的人必先由自己開始，否則徒勞無功。 He who goes about to reform the world must begin with himself, or he loses his labor.

因情感或沮喪導致思想偏差時不作決定，直至焦慮消失，為使你的行為，由成熟的理智而非衝動發號施令。 Make no decision about anything when the mind is biased either by affection or by great dejection. Put if off till the anxiety has disappeared, so that you may do what mature reason, not impulse, dictates.