三 我们若全心注意内心的事，不被外面的事物所缠累，我们就能够尝到属上帝的事的美味和得到思想上面的事的经验。最大的或说是整个的阻碍就在于我们还没有离情欲的束缚，也没有致力于奔走圣徒们完全的道路，所以一遇微小的苦难，我们就极容易灰心丧志，以致于转身去寻求人间的安慰。

四 我们若能象勇士在战场上一样努力守住阵地，就必定会得到上帝帮助的。因为那赐我们战争的机会，要使我们最终得胜的上帝，一定要援助那些作战的和信赖人恩典的人。假如我们认为我们宗教生活的进步，只有赖于外表的遵守仪式，那么我们的信仰即濒于绝境了。但是让我们放斧头于树根上，好使我们脱离情欲的束缚，而得到灵魂的安息。

English Version:

Acquiring Peace and Zeal for Perfection 2

If we mortified our bodies perfectly and allowed no distractions to enter our minds, we could appreciate divine things and experience something of heavenly contemplation. The greatest obstacle, indeed, the only obstacle, is that we are not free from passions and lusts, that we do not try to follow the perfect way of the saints. Thus when we encounter some slight difficulty, we are too easily dejected and turn to human consolations.

If we tried, however, to stand as brave men in battle, the help of the Lord from heaven would surely sustain us. For He Who gives us the opportunity of fighting for victory, is ready to help those who carry on and trust in His grace. If we let our progress in religious life depend on the observance of its externals alone, our devotion will quickly come to an end. Let us, then, lay the ax to the root that we may be freed from our passions and thus have peace of mind.