8. “The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” A whisperer of false stories makes a great show of harmlesness, if not of love and kindness, when he backbites others; nay seems perhaps to doe it very unwillingly, with great grief of heart, and not without excuses for the persons, from whom he detracts: but his words give them the most deadly wound; and sink deep into the mind of those that hear them.
9. “He also that is slothfull in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.” There is so little difference between a slothfull man and a prodigal, that they may be called Brethren: for he that looks not after his business, must needs come to poverty, as well as he that is a spend-thrift.
10. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” The Almighty power and goodness of the great Lord of the World, is the securest defense in all manner of dangers: unto which a vertuous man may have the confidence cheerfully to resort, and hope to find protection; nay, to be there as safe, as if he was in an impregnable fortress.
14. “The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?” There is a vast difference between outward and inward evils; for a manly spirit will support us under bodily sickness and outward afflictions: but if the mind itself have lost its courage, and become abject, cast down and oppressed with grief and sadness; it is not in the power of man to raise and lift it up.
19. “A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.” But there are no contentions so sharp and obstinate, as those among Brethren: who grow so refractory when they have transgressed against each other, that it is easier to take a strong City, or to break the barrs of a Castle; than it is to compose their differences, and remove all the obstructions that lie in the way to their hearty reconciliation.
S. Patrick (1683)