he who claims to believe in Christ must rejoice in all Christ's judgments. - Jerome

there is no good in frequently seeing objects which may one day lead to your captivity, or in making trial of things which you would find it hard to do without.

I am told that your mother is a religious woman, a widow of many years' standing; and that when you were a child she reared and taught you herself. Afterwards when you had spent some time in the flourishing schools of Gaul she sent you to Rome, sparing no expense and consoling herself for your absence by the thought of the future that lay before you. She hoped to see the exuberance and glitter of your Gallic eloquence toned down by Roman sobriety, for she saw that you required the rein more than the spur. So we are told of the greatest orators of Greece that they seasoned the bombast of Asia with the salt of Athens and pruned their vines when they grew too fast. For they wished to fill the wine-press of eloquence not with the tendrils of mere words but with the rich grape-juice of good sense.

And although to the strong he has pointed out the prize of their high calling, [ Philippians 3: 14 ] yet he suffers none to faint by the way; [ Matthew 15: 32 ] while he applauds those who lead the van, he does not despise those who bring up the rear.