Let not a spirit of perverseness possess thee, lest He smite thee severely, and bring thee low. Let there be no self-deceit. For the rocks beneath the sea cause the most fatal shipwrecks. Nourish no wild beasts, I mean evil passions, worse than wild beasts. Confide not in things ever flowing, that thou mayest be able to stand firmly.
None can stand upon water, but upon a rock all find a secure footing.
Worldly things are as water, as a torrent, that passes away. Spiritual things are as a rock. For so we shall be able to attain to the appearing of Christ. Whatever may befall us, let us endure. It is a sufficient consolation in all circumstances that we suffer for Christ.