Notes for The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

We were discovered and complained of; several of us were corrected by our fathers; and though I pleaded the usefulness of the work, mine convinced me that nothing was useful which was not honest."

A man being sometimes more generous when he has but a little money than when he has plenty, perhaps thro' fear of being thought to have but little.

"He that would thrive, must ask his wife."

1. Temperance. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

2. Silence. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.

3. Order. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.

4. Resolution. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

5. Frugality. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

6. Industry. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

7. Sincerity. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

8. Justice. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

9. Moderation. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

10. Cleanliness. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.

11. Tranquility. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

12. Chastity. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring,never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.

13. Humility. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Virtue was not secure till its practice became a habitude, and was free from the opposition of contrary inclinations.

"He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another, than he whom you yourself have obliged."

Human felicity is produc'd not so much by great pieces of good fortune that seldom happen, as by little advantages that occur ever day.

"The Secret of The Lord" from book My Utmost for His Highest

"The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him..." (Psalm 25:14).

What is the sign of a friend? Is it that he tells you his secret sorrows? No, it is that he tells you his secret joys. Many people will confide their secret sorrows to you, but the final mark of intimacy is when they share their secret joys with you. Have we ever let God tell us any of His joys? Or are we continually telling God our secrets, leaving Him no time to talk to us? At the beginning of our Christian life we are full of requests to God. But when we find that God wants to get us into an intimate relationship with Himself-to get us in touch with His purpose. Are we so intimately united to Jesus Christ's idea of prayer-"You will be done (Matthew 6:10)"-that we catch the secrets of God? What makes God so dear to us is not so much His big blessings to us, but the tiny things, because they show His amazing intimacy with us-He knows every detail of each of our individual lives.

"Him shall He teach in the way He chooses" (Psalm 25:12). At first, we want the awareness of being guided by God. But then as we grow spiritually, we live so fully aware of God that we do not even need to ask what His will is, because the thought of choosing another way will never occur to us. If we are saved and sanctified, God guides us by our everyday choices. And if we are about to choose what He does not want, He will give us a sense of doubt or restraint, which we must heed. Whenever there is doubt, stop at once. Never try to reason it out, saying, "I wonder why I shouldn't do this?" God instructs us in what we choose; that is, He actually guides our common sense. And when we yield to His teachings and guidance, we no longer hinder His Spirit by continually asking, "Now, Lord, what is Your will?"

Why is Christian Despised?

Recently, I read an article (中国大学生为何信仰基督) about why Chinese college students are becoming Christians. I think it is a good article. It talks about how lost the young generation is and how they try to find belief in a society with all kinds of problems. Believing in Christianity has given them a new way to look at life and live their lives. The rapid growing young Christians in China actually owes to the China government. The no-religion policy throughout 1950s to 1970s cleared out all other religions and made a way for Christianity to prosper in China.

What shocked me is some of the comments for this article. Some people say that the college students who believed in Christianity are stupid or insane. Some say that only losers would believe in Christianity. Some say that Chinese christian are not truly believing but using Christianity as a pretense for following trend, or finding girls, or their worship of western culture. Clearly, the world is not very kind to Christians.

In the contrast, the world is becoming so tolerable with any other things: you can be gay, you can do abortion, you can be a playboy, you can live whatever life you want to. It is only a matter of choice. Many people would say: "I may not agree with such living style, but I respect other people's choices."

The reason that Christians are not respected, not understood is because Christianity is not a life style. It is much more radical. It says "whoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life, who do not believe will be condemned to hell."  This idea is simply too scary. They feel angry---who are you to say that I should go to hell? They feel judged---why you Christians feel you are better than me? So they resort to resent Christians. Surely, they find many ways to justify themselves. "Look at those weird Christians: they are believing in some stupidly insane stuff, they talks all about God, and they try to drag you to their church and conform you to be one of them." I personally felt judged by other Chinese students when I told them I am a christian. They look at me with contempt and think to themselves: "stay away from her, now she is a disease."

But all the judgement from the world is fine with Christian. The joy of knowing Christ prevails over all the sufferings in this world. The hope of being with God forever in heaven is so overwhelming that we can endure through pains and tears in this short life.