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 sufficient consolation in all circumstances that we suffer for Christ.