_Of the zealous amendment of our whole life._
*WHEN one that was in great anxiety of mind, often wavering between
fear and hope, once humbly prostrated himself in prayer, and said, O if
I knew that I should persevere! He presently heard within him an answer
from God, which said, If thou didst know it, what wouldst thou do? Do
what thou wouldst do then, and thou shalt be safe.
And being herewith comforted and strengthened, he committed himself
wholly to the will of God, and his anxiety ceased:
Neither had he any mind to search curiously farther what should befall
him; but rather laboured to understand what was the perfect and
acceptable will of God, for the beginning and accomplishing every good
work.
2. Hope in the Lord, and do good, saith the prophet, and inhabit the
land, and thou shalt be fed.
One thing there is that draweth many back from a spiritual progress,
and diligent amendment; the dread of the difficulty, or labour of the
combat.
But they improve most that endeavour most to overcome those things,
which are grievous and contrary to them.
For there a man improveth more, and obtaineth greater grace, where he
more overcometh himself and mortifieth himself in spirit.
3. Gather some profit to thy soul wheresoever thou be; so if thou seest
or hearest of any good examples, stir up thyself to the imitation
thereof.
But if thou seest any thing worthy of reproof, beware thou dost not the
same. And, if at any time thou hast done it, labour quickly to amend it.
4. Be mindful of the profession thou hast made, and have always before
thine eyes the remembrance of thy Saviour crucified.
Thou hast good cause to be ashamed, looking upon the life of Jesus
Christ, seeing thou hast as yet no more endeavoured to conform thyself
unto him, though thou hast walked a long time in the way of God.
A religious person that exerciseth himself seriously and devoutly in
the most holy life and passion of our Lord, shall there abundantly find
whatsoever is necessary and profitable for him; neither shall he need
seek any better thing out of Jesus.
*O if Jesus crucified would come into our hearts, how quickly and fully
should we be instructed in all truth!
An Extract of the
CHRISTIAN PATTERN:
Or, a treatise on the imitation of Christ. Written in Latin
by _Thomas a Kempis_.
BOOK II.
CHAPTER I.
_Of the inward life._
THE kingdom of God is within you, saith the Lord. Turn thee with thy
whole heart unto the Lord, and forsake this wretched world, and thy
soul shall find rest.
Learn to despise exterior things, and to give thyself to the interior,
and thou shalt perceive the kingdom of God to come into thee.
For the kingdom of God, is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the
Holy Ghost.
2. O faithful soul, make ready thy heart for the Bridegroom, that he
may vouchsafe to come unto thee, and dwell within thee!
For he saith, If any man love me, he will keep my words, and we will
come unto him, and will make our abode with him.
Give therefore admittance unto Christ, and deny entrance to all others.
When thou hast Christ thou art rich, and he will suffice thee. He will
be thy faithful helper in all things, so as thou shalt not need to
trust in men.
*For men are soon changed, and quickly fail; but Christ remaineth for
ever, and is with us even unto the end.
3. We ought not to put trust in man, frail and mortal as he is, though
he be friendly and serviceable: nor should we be grieved, although he
cross and oppose us.
*They, that to-day take thy part, to-morrow may be against thee, and so
on the contrary; they often turn like the wind.
*Put thy whole trust in God, let him be thy fear and thy love: he will
answer for thee, and do in all things what is best.
Thou hast not here an abiding city; and wheresoever thou be, thou art a
stranger and pilgrim; neither shalt thou ever have rest, unless thou be
intimately united unto Christ.
*4. Why dost thou here gaze about, since this is not the place of thy
rest? In heaven ought to be thy dwelling, and all earthly things are to
be looked upon as they forward thy journey thither.
*All things pass away, and thou together with them.
*Beware thou cleave not unto them, lest thou be entangled and perish.
Let thy thoughts be on the highest, and thy prayer directed unto Christ,
without ceasing.
If thou canst not contemplate on high and heavenly things; rest thyself
in the passion of Christ, and dwell willingly in his holy wounds.
For if thou fly devoutly unto the Lord Jesus, thou shalt feel great
comfort in tribulation, neither wilt thou regard being despised of men,
but wilt easily bear words of detraction.
5. Christ was also despised of men and in his greatest necessity
forsaken by his acquaintance and friends.
*Christ chose to suffer and be despised; and darest thou complain of
any thing?
Christ had adversaries and slanderers; and wilt thou have all men thy
friends and benefactors?
How shall thy patience be crowned, if no adversity happen unto thee?
*If thou wilt suffer nothing, how wilt thou be the friend of Christ?
Suffer with Christ, and for Christ, if thou desirest to reign with
Christ.
*6. If thou hadst but once entered into Jesus, then wouldest thou
not be careful about thine own advantage or disadvantage; but wouldst
rather rejoice at slanders cast upon thee; for the love of Jesus maketh
a man despise himself.
A lover of Jesus, a true inward Christian, free from inordinate
affections, can freely turn himself to God, and lift himself above
himself.
7. He that relishes all things as they are, and not as they are
esteemed, is truly wise, and taught by God.
He that can live inwardly, and make small reckoning of outward things,
neither requireth places, nor attendeth times, for the exercise of his
devotion.
*An interior man soon recollecteth himself, because he is never wholly
intent upon outward things.
He is not hindered by outward labour or business; but as things fall
out, so he suiteth himself unto them.
He that hath well ordered and disposed all things within, careth not
for the perverse carriage of men.
*So much is a man hindered and distracted, by how much he cleaveth to
outward things.
8. If all went well with thee, and if thou wert well purified, all
things would tend to thy good.
But therefore many things displease and trouble thee, because thou art
not yet dead unto thyself, nor separated from all earthly things.
*Nothing so defileth and entangleth the heart of man, as the impure
love of creatures.
CHAPTER II.
_Of humble submission._
MIND not much who is with thee, or who is against thee: but endeavour
and take care that God may be with thee in every thing thou dost.
Keep a good conscience, and God will defend thee.
For whom God will help, no man can hurt.
If thou canst hold thy peace and suffer, without doubt thou shalt see
the salvation of the Lord.
He knoweth the time and manner how to deliver thee, and therefore thou
oughtest to resign thyself unto him.
It belongs to God to help, and deliver from all shame.
It is often profitable for the keeping us humble, that others know and
reprehend our faults.
2. When a man humbleth himself for his faults, he easily pacifieth
those that are offended with him.
God protecteth and delivereth the humble: unto the humble man he
inclineth himself; unto the humble he giveth great grace; and after
his humiliation he raiseth him unto glory.
Unto the humble he revealeth his secrets, and sweetly draweth him unto
himself.
The humble person though he suffer shame, is yet in peace; for that he
resteth in God, and not in the world.
*Do not think that thou hast profited any thing, unless thou esteem
thyself inferior to all.
CHAPTER III.
_Of a good and peaceable man._
FIRST keep thyself in peace, and then mayst thou pacify others.
A peaceable man doth more good than a learned one.
A passionate man turneth good into evil, and easily believeth the worst.
A peaceable man turneth all things into good.
He that is in peace, is not suspicious of any:
But he that is discontented, is neither quiet himself, nor suffereth
others to be quiet.
He often speaketh that which he ought not to speak, and omitteth that
which he ought to do.
He considereth what others are bound to do; and neglects that which he
is bound to do himself.
*First therefore have a careful zeal over thyself, and then shew
thyself zealous for thy neighbour’s good.
2. Thou knowest well how to excuse thine own deeds, and thou wilt not
receive the excuses of others.
It were more just to accuse thyself, and excuse thy brother.
If thou wilt be borne with, bear also with another.
Behold, how far thou art yet from true charity and humility, which
knoweth not how to be angry with any, but one’s self. It is no great
matter to live peaceable with the good and gentle; for every one
willingly enjoyeth peace, and loveth those that are of his own mind:
But to be able to live peaceably with unquiet and perverse men, or with
the disorderly, or such as cross us, is a great grace.
3. Some there are that keep themselves in peace, and are in peace also
with others.
And there are some, that neither are in peace themselves, nor suffer
others to be in peace; who are troublesome to others, but always more
troublesome to themselves;
And others there are, that keep themselves in peace, and labour to
bring others unto peace.
*Our whole peace in this life consisteth rather in humble _suffering_,
than in not feeling _adversities_.
*He that knows best how to suffer, will best keep himself in peace. He
is a conqueror of himself, a lord of the world, a friend of Christ, and
an heir of heaven.
CHAPTER IV.
_Of a pure mind, and simple intention._
*SIMPLICITY and purity, are the two wings by which a man is lifted up
above all earthly things.
*Simplicity is in the intention; purity in the affection: simplicity
tends to God; purity apprehends and tastes him.
*No good action will hinder thee, if thou be inwardly free from
inordinate affection.
If thou intend and seek nothing but the will of God, and the good of
thy neighbour, thou shalt enjoy internal liberty.
*If thy heart was right, then every creature would be a looking-glass
of life, and a book of holy doctrine.
There is no creature so little and abject, that represents not the
goodness of God.
2. If thou wert inwardly pure, thou wouldst see and understand all
things without any impediment.
A pure heart penetrateth heaven and hell.
Such as every one is inwardly, so he judgeth outwardly.
If there be joy in the world, surely a man of a pure heart possesseth
it. And if there be any where tribulation and affliction, an evil
conscience feels it.
*As iron put into the fire loseth its rust, and becometh all bright
like fire; so he, that wholly turneth himself unto God, is purified
from all _slothfulness_, and is changed into the likeness of God.
3. When a man beginneth to grow lukewarm, then he is afraid of a little
labour:
But when he once beginneth to overcome himself, then he esteemeth those
things light, which before seemed grievous unto him.
CHAPTER V.
_Of the consideration of one’s self._
WE should not trust too much to ourselves, because we have often
neither grace nor understanding.
There is but little light in us, and that we quickly lose by negligence.
We reprehend small things in others, and pass over greater in ourselves.
We quickly feel and weigh what we suffer from others, but we mind not
what others suffer from us.
He that rightly considers his own work, will find little cause to judge
hardly of another.
2. The inward Christian prefereth the care of himself before all other
cares.
*He that diligently attendeth unto himself, easily holds his peace
concerning others.
Thou wilt never be inwardly religious, unless thou pass over other
men’s matters, and look especially to thyself.
If thou attend wholly unto God and thyself, thou wilt be little moved
with whatsoever thou seest abroad.
Where art thou, when thou art not with thyself? And when thou hast run
over all, what hast thou profited, if thou hast neglected thyself?
If thou desirest peace of mind, thou must reject all other cares, and
look only to thyself.
3. Thou shalt profit much, if thou keep thyself free from all temporal
cares.
Thou shalt greatly fail, if thou esteem any thing of this world.
*Let nothing be great, nothing high, nothing pleasing to thee, but only
God himself, or that which is of God.
*Esteem all comfort vain, which proceedeth from any creature.
*A soul that loveth God, despiseth all things but God.
*God alone, who is everlasting, immense, filling all things, is the
comfort of the soul, and the true joy of the heart.
The End of the SEVENTH Volume.