28 Every intelligent person knows wisdom, and praises the one who finds her. 29 Those who are skilled in words become wise themselves, and pour forth apt proverbs. 30 Do not follow your base desires, but restrain your appetites. 31 If you allow your soul to take pleasure in base desire, it will make you the laughingstock of your enemies. 32 Do not revel in great luxury, or you may become impoverished by its expense.

You give us many things which we pray for; and whatever good we receive before we prayed for it, do we receive from You, and that we might afterwards know this did we receive it from You. Drunkard was I never, but I have known drunkards to be made sober men by You. Your doing, then, was it, that they who never were such might not be so, as from You it was that they who have been so heretofore might not remain so always; and from You, too was it, that both might know from whom it was. I heard another voice of Yours, Go not after your lusts, but refrain yourself from your appetites.