Christian Classic :The Imitation Of Christ [Book 2]
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ADMONITIONS CONCERNING THE INNER LIFE
CHAPTER I
Of the inner life
The kingdom of God is within you,(1) saith the Lord. Turn thee
with all thine heart to the Lord and forsake this miserable
world, and thou shalt find rest unto thy soul. Learn to despise
outward things and to give thyself to things inward, and thou
shalt see the kingdom of God come within thee. For the kingdom
of God is peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, and it is not given to
the wicked. Christ will come to thee, and show thee His consolation, if thou prepare a worthy mansion for Him within thee. All His glory and beauty is from within, and there it pleaseth Him to dwell. He often visiteth the inward man and holdeth with him sweet discourse, giving him soothing consolation, much peace, friendship exceeding wonderful.
2. Go to, faithful soul, prepare thy heart for this bridegroom
that he may vouchsafe to come to thee and dwell within thee, for
so He saith, if any man loveth me he will keep my words: and my
Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our
abode with him.(2) Give, therefore, place to Christ and refuse
entrance to all others. When thou hast Christ, thou art rich,
and hast sufficient. He shall be thy provider and faithful
watchman in all things, so that thou hast no need to trust in
men, for men soon change and swiftly pass away, but Christ
remaineth for ever and standeth by us firmly even to the end.
3. There is no great trust to be placed in a frail and mortal
man, even though he be useful and dear to us, neither should
much sorrow arise within us if sometimes he oppose and contradict
us. They who are on thy side to-day, may to-morrow be against
thee, and often are they turned round like the wind. Put thy
whole trust in God and let Him be thy fear and thy love, He will
answer for thee Himself, and will do for thee what is best. Here
hast thou no continuing city,(3) and wheresoever thou art, thou
art a stranger and a pilgrim, and thou shalt never have rest
unless thou art closely united to Christ within thee.
4. Why dost thou cast thine eyes hither and thither, since this
is not the place of thy rest? In heaven ought thy habitation to
be, and all earthly things should be looked upon as it were in
the passing by. All things pass away and thou equally with them.
Look that thou cleave not to them lest thou be taken with them
and perish. Let thy contemplation be on the Most High, and let
thy supplication be directed unto Christ without ceasing. If
thou canst not behold high and heavenly things, rest thou in the
passion of Christ and dwell willingly in His sacred wounds. For
if thou devoutly fly to the wounds of Jesus, and the precious
marks of the nails and the spear, thou shalt find great comfort
in tribulation, nor will the slights of men trouble thee much,
and thou wilt easily bear their unkind words.
5. Christ also, when He was in the world, was despised and
rejected of men, and in His greatest necessity was left by His
acquaintances and friends to bear these reproaches. Christ was
willing to suffer and be despised, and darest thou complain of
any? Christ had adversaries and gainsayers, and dost thou wish
to have all men thy friends and benefactors? Whence shall thy
patience attain her crown if no adversity befall thee? If thou
art unwilling to suffer any adversity, how shalt thou be the
friend of Christ? Sustain thyself with Christ and for Christ if
thou wilt reign with Christ.
6. If thou hadst once entered into the mind of Jesus, and hadst
tasted yea even a little of his tender love, then wouldst thou
care nought for thine own convience or inconvience, but wouldst
rather rejoice at trouble brought upon thee, because the love of
Jesus maketh a man to despise himself. He who loveth Jesus, and
is inwardly true and free from inordinate affections, is able to
turn himself readily unto God, and to rise above himself in
spirit, and to enjoy fruitful peace.
7. He who knoweth things as they are and not as they are said or
seem to be, he truly is wise, and is taught of God more than men.
He who knoweth how to walk from within, and to set little value
upon outward things, requireth not places nor waiteth for
seasons, for holding his intercourse with God. The inward man
quickly recollecteth himself, because he is never entirely given
up to outward things. No outward labour and no necessary
occupations stand in his way, but as events fall out, so doth he
fit himself to them. He who is rightly disposed and ordered
within careth not for the strange and perverse conduct of men.
A man is hindered and distracted in so far as he is moved by
outward things.
8. If it were well with thee, and thou wert purified from evil,
all things would work together for thy good and profiting. For
this cause do many things displease thee and often trouble thee,
that thou art not yet perfectly dead to thyself nor separated
from all earthly things. Nothing so defileth and entangleth the
heart of man as impure love towards created things. If thou
rejectest outward comfort thou wilt be able to contemplate
heavenly things and frequently to be joyful inwardly.
(1) Luke xvii. 21. (2) John xiv. 23. (3) Hebrews xiii. 14. -
CHAPTER II
Of lowly submission
Make no great account who is for thee or against thee, but mind
only the present duty and take care that God be with thee in
whatsoever thou dost. Have a good conscience and God will defend
thee, for he whom God will help no man's perverseness shall be
able to hurt. If thou knowest how to hold thy peace and to
suffer, without doubt thou shalt see the help of the Lord. He
knoweth the time and the way to deliver thee, therefore must thou
resign thyself to Him. To God it belongeth to help and to
deliver from all confusion. Oftentimes it is very profitable for
keeping us in greater humilty, that others know and rebuke our
faults.
2. When a man humbleth himself for his defects, he then easily
pacifieth others and quickly satisfieth those that are angered
against him. God protecteth and delivereth the humble man, He
loveth and comforteth the humble man, to the humble man He
inclineth Himself, on the humble He bestoweth great grace, and
when he is cast down He raiseth him to glory: to the humble He
revealeth His secrets, and sweetly draweth and inviteth him to
Himself. The humble man having received reproach, is yet in
sufficient peace, because he resteth on God and not on the world.
Reckon not thyself to have profited in anywise unless thou feel
thyself to be inferior to all. -
CHAPTER III
Of the good, peaceable man
First keep thyself in peace, and then shalt thou be able to be a
peacemaker towards others. A peaceable man doth more good than a
well-learned. A passionate man turneth even good into evil and
easily believeth evil; a good, peaceable man converteth all
things into good. He who dwelleth in peace is suspicious of
none, but he who is discontented and restless is tossed with many
suspicions, and is neither quiet himself nor suffereth others to
be quiet. He often saith what he ought not to say, and omitteth
what it were more expedient for him to do. He considereth to
what duties others are bound, and neglecteth those to which he is
bound himself. Therefore be zealous first over thyself, and then
mayest thou righteously be zealous concerning thy neighbour.
2. Thou knowest well how to excuse and to colour thine own deeds,
but thou wilt not accept the excuses of others. It would be more
just to accuse thyself and excuse thy brother. If thou wilt that
others bear with thee, bear thou with others. Behold how far
thou art as yet from the true charity and humility which knows
not how to be angry or indignant against any save self alone.
It is no great thing to mingle the good and the meek, for this is
naturally pleasing to all, and every one of us willingly enjoyeth
peace and liketh best those who think with us: but to be able to
live peaceably with the hard and perverse, or with the
disorderly, or those who oppose us, this is a great grace and a
thing much to be commended and most worthy of a man.
3. There are who keep themselves in peace and keep peace also
with others, and there are who neither have peace nor suffer
others to have peace; they are troublesome to others, but always
more troublesome to themselves. And there are who hold
themselves in peace, and study to bring others unto peace;
nevertheless, all our peace in this sad life lieth in humble
suffering rather than in not feeling adversities. He who knoweth
best how to suffer shall possess the most peace; that man is
conqueror of himself and lord of the world, the friend of Christ,
and the inheritor of heaven. -
CHAPTER IV
Of a pure mind and simple intention
By two wings is man lifted above earthly things, even by
simplicity and purity. Simplicity ought to be in the intention,
purity in the affection. Simplicity reacheth toward God, purity
apprehendeth Him and tasteth Him. No good action will be
distasteful to thee if thou be free within from inordinate
affection. If thou reachest after and seekest, nothing but the
will of God and the benefit of thy neighbour, thou wilt entirely
enjoy inward liberty. If thine heart were right, then should
every creature be a mirror of life and a book of holy doctrine.
There is no creature so small and vile but that it showeth us the
goodness of God.
2. If thou wert good and pure within, then wouldst thou look upon
all things without hurt and understand them aright. A pure heart
seeth the very depths of heaven and hell. Such as each one is
inwardly, so judgeth he outwardly. If there is any joy in the
world surely the man of pure heart possesseth it, and if there is
anywhere tribulation and anguish, the evil conscience knoweth it
best. As iron cast into the fire loseth rust and is made
altogether glowing, so the man who turneth himself altogether
unto God is freed from slothfulness and changed into a new man.
3. When a man beginneth to grow lukewarm, then he feareth a
little labour, and willingly accepteth outward consolation; but
when he beginneth perfectly to conquer himself and to walk
manfully in the way of God, then he counteth as nothing those
things which aforetime seemed to be so grievous unto him. -
CHAPTER V
Of self-esteem
We cannot place too little confidence in ourselves, because grace
and understanding are often lacking to us. Little light is there
within us, and what we have we quickly lose by negligence.
Oftentimes we perceive not how great is our inward blindness. We
often do ill and excuse it worse. Sometimes we are moved by
passion and count it zeal; we blame little faults in others and
pass over great faults in ourselves. Quickly enough we feel and
reckon up what we bear at the hands of others, but we reflect not
how much others are bearing from us. He who would weigh well and
rightly his own doings would not be the man to judge severely of
another.
2. The spiritually-minded man putteth care of himself before all
cares; and he who diligently attendeth to himself easily keepeth
silence concerning others. Thou wilt never be spiritually minded
and godly unless thou are silent concerning other men's matters
and take full heed to thyself. If thou think wholly upon thyself
and upon God, what thou seest out of doors shall move thee
little. Where art thou when thou art not present to thyself? and
when thou hast overrun all things, what hath it profited thee,
thyself being neglected? If thou wouldst have peace and true
unity, thou must put aside all other things, and gaze only upon
thyself.
3. Then thou shalt make great progress if thou keep thyself free
from all temporal care. Thou shalt lamentably fall away if thou
set a value upon any worldly thing. Let nothing be great,
nothing high, nothing pleasing, nothing acceptable unto thee,
save God Himself or the things of God. Reckon as altogether vain
whatsoever consolation comes to thee from a creature. The soul
that loveth God looketh not to anything that is beneath God. God
alone is eternal and incomprehensible, filling all things, the
solace of the soul, and the true joy of the heart. -
CHAPTER VI
[]bOf the joy of a good conscience[/b]
The testimony of a good conscience is the glory of a good man.
Have a good conscience and thou shalt ever have joy. A good
conscience is able to bear exceeding much, and is exceeding
joyful in the midst of adversities; an evil conscience is ever
fearful and unquiet. Thou shalt rest sweetly if thy heart
condemn thee not. Never rejoice unless when thou hast done well.
The wicked have never true joy, nor feel internal peace, for
there is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.(1) And if they
say "we are in peace, there shall no harm happen unto us, and who
shall dare to do us hurt?" believe them not, for suddenly shall
the wrath of God rise up against them, and their deeds shall be
brought to nought, and their thoughts shall perish.
2. To glory in tribulation is not grievous to him who loveth; for
such glorying is glorying in the Cross of Christ. Brief is the
glory which is given and received of men. Sadness always goeth
hand in hand with the glory of the world. The glory of the good
is in their conscience, and not in the report of men. The joy of
the upright is from God and in God, and their joy is in the
truth. He who desireth true and eternal glory careth not for
that which is temporal; and he who seeketh temporal glory, or who
despiseth it from his heart, is proved to bear little love for
that which is heavenly. He who careth for neither praises nor
reproaches hath great tranquillity of heart.
3. He will easily be contented and filled with peace, whose
conscience is pure. Thou art none the holier if thou art
praised, nor the viler if thou art reproached. Thou art what
thou art; and thou canst not be better than God pronounceth thee
to be. If thou considerest well what thou art inwardly, thou
wilt not care what men will say to thee. Man looketh on the
outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart
2) man
looketh on the deed, but God considereth the intent. It is the
token of a humble spirit always to do well, and to set little by
oneself. Not to look for consolation from any created thing is a
sign of great purity and inward faithfulness.
4. He that seeketh no outward witness on his behalf, showeth
plainly that he hath committed himself wholly to God. For not he
that commendeth himself is approved, as St. Paul saith, but whom
the Lord commendeth.(3) To walk inwardly with God, and not to be
held by any outer affections, is the state of a spiritual man.
(1) Isaiah lvii. 21. (2) 1 Samuel xvi. 7.
(3) 2 Corinthians x. 18. -
CHAPTER VII
Of loving Jesus above all things
Blessed is he who understandeth what it is to love Jesus, and to
despise himself for Jesus' sake. He must give up all that he
loveth for his Beloved, for Jesus will be loved alone above all
things. The love of created things is deceiving and unstable,
but the love of Jesus is faithful and lasting. He who cleaveth
to created things will fall with their slipperiness; but he who
embraceth Jesus will stand upright for ever. Love Him and hold
Him for thy friend, for He will not forsake thee when all depart
from thee, nor will he suffer thee to perish at the last. Thou
must one day be separated from all, whether thou wilt or wilt
not.
2. Cleave thou to Jesus in life and death, and commit thyself
unto His faithfulness, who, when all men fail thee, is alone able
to help thee. Thy Beloved is such, by nature, that He will
suffer no rival, but alone will possess thy heart, and as a king
will sit upon His own throne. If thou wouldst learn to put away
from thee every created thing, Jesus would freely take up His
abode with thee. Thou wilt find all trust little better than
lost which thou has placed in men, and not in Jesus. Trust not
nor lean upon a reed shaken with the wind, because all flesh is
grass, and the goodliness thereof falleth as the flower of the
field.(1)
3. Thou wilt be quickly deceived if thou lookest only upon the
outward appearance of men, for if thou seekest thy comfort and
profit in others, thou shalt too often experience loss. If thou
seekest Jesus in all things thou shalt verily find Jesus, but if
thou seekest thyself thou shalt also find thyself, but to thine
own hurt. For if a man seeketh not Jesus he is more hurtful to
himself than all the world and all his adversaries.
(1) Isaiah xl. 6. -
CHAPTER VIII
Of the intimate love of Jesus
When Jesus is present all is well and nothing seemeth hard, but
when Jesus is not present everything is hard. When Jesus
speaketh not within, our comfort is nothing worth, but if Jesus
speaketh but a single word great is the comfort we experience.
Did not Mary Magdalene rise up quickly from the place where she
wept when Martha said to her, The Master is come and calleth for
thee?(2) Happy hour when Jesus calleth thee from tears to the
joy of the spirit! How dry and hard art thou without Jesus! How
senseless and vain if thou desire aught beyond Jesus! Is not
this greater loss than if thou shouldst lose the whole world?
2. What can the word profit thee without Jesus? To be without
Jesus is the nethermost hell, and to be with Jesus is sweet
paradise. If Jesus were with thee no enemy could hurt thee. He
who findeth Jesus findeth a good treasure, yea, good above all
good; and he who loseth Jesus loseth exceeding much, yea, more
than the whole world. Most poor is he who liveth without Jesus,
and most rich is he who is much with Jesus.
3. It is great skill to know how to live with Jesus, and to know
how to hold Jesus is great wisdom. Be thou humble and peaceable
and Jesus shall be with thee. Be godly and quiet, and Jesus will
remain with thee. Thou canst quickly drive away Jesus and lose
His favour if thou wilt turn away to the outer things. And if
thou hast put Him to flight and lost Him, to whom wilt thou flee,
and whom then wilt thou seek for a friend? Without a friend thou
canst not live long, and if Jesus be not thy friend above all
thou shalt be very sad and desolate. Madly therefore doest thou
if thou trusteth or findest joy in any other. It is preferable
to have the whole world against thee, than Jesus offended with
thee. Therefore of all that are dear to thee, let Jesus be
specially loved.
4. Let all be loved for Jesus' sake, but Jesus for His own.
Jesus Christ alone is to be specially loved, for He alone is
found good and faithful above all friends. For His sake and in
Him let both enemies and friends be dear to thee, and pray for
them all that they may all know and love Him. Never desire to be
specially praised or loved, because this belongeth to God alone,
who hath none like unto Himself. Nor wish thou that any one set
his heart on thee, nor do thou give thyself up to the love of
any, but let Jesus be in thee and in every good man.
5. Be pure and free within thyself, and be not entangled by any
created thing. Thou oughtest to bring a bare and clean heart to
God, if thou desirest to be ready to see how gracious the Lord
is. And in truth, unless thou be prevented and drawn on by His
grace, thou wilt not attain to this, that having cast out and
dismissed all else, thou alone art united with God. For when the
grace of God cometh to a man, then he becometh able to do all
things, and when it departeth then he will be poor and weak and
given up unto troubles. In these thou art not to be cast down
nor to despair, but to rest with calm mind on the will of God,
and to bear all things which come upon thee unto the praise of
Jesus Christ; for after winter cometh summer, after night
returneth day, after the tempest a great calm.
(2) John xi. 28. -
CHAPTER IX
Of the lack of all comfort
It is no hard thing to despise human comfort when divine is
present. It is a great thing, yea very great, to be able to bear
the loss both of human and divine comfort; and for the love of
God willingly to bear exile of heart, and in nought to seek
oneself, nor to look to one's own merit. What great matter is
it, if thou be cheerful of heart and devout when favour cometh to
thee? That is an hour wherein all rejoice. Pleasantly enough
doth he ride whom the grace of God carrieth. And what marvel, if
he feeleth no burden who is carried by the Almighty, and is led
onwards by the Guide from on high?
2. We are willing to accept anything for comfort, and it is
difficult for a man to be freed from himself. The holy martyr
Laurence overcame the love of the world and even of his priestly
master, because he despised everything in the world which seemed
to be pleasant; and for the love of Christ he calmly suffered
even God's chief priest, Sixtus, whom he dearly loved, to be
taken from him. Thus by the love of the Creator he overcame the
love of man, and instead of human comfort he chose rather God's
good pleasure. So also learn thou to resign any near and beloved
friend for the love of God. Nor take it amiss when thou hast
been deserted by a friend, knowing that we must all be parted
from one another at last.
3. Mightily and long must a man strive within himself before he
learn altogether to overcome himself, and to draw his whole
affection towards God. When a man resteth upon himself, he
easily slippeth away into human comforts. But a true lover of
Christ, and a diligent seeker after virtue, falleth not back upon
those comforts, nor seeketh such sweetness as may be tasted and
handled, but desireth rather hard exercises, and to undertake
severe labours for Christ.
4. When, therefore, spiritual comfort is given by God, receive it
with giving of thanks, and know that it is the gift of God, not
thy desert. Be not lifted up, rejoice not overmuch nor foolishly
presume, but rather be more humble for the gift, more wary and
more careful in all thy doings; for that hour will pass away, and
temptation will follow. When comfort is taken from thee, do not
straightway despair, but wait for the heavenly visitation with
humility and patience, for God is able to give thee back greater
favour and consolation. This is not new nor strange to those who
have made trial of the way of God, for with the great saints and
the ancient prophets there was often this manner of change.
5. Wherefore one said when the favour of God was present with
him, I said in my prosperity I shall never be moved,(1) but he
goeth on to say what he felt within himself when the favour
departed: Thou didst turn Thy face from me, and I was troubled.
In spite whereof he in no wise despaireth, but the more instantly
entreateth God, and saith, Unto Thee, O Lord, will I cry, and
will pray unto my God; and then he receiveth the fruit of his
prayer, and testifieth how he hath been heard, saying, The Lord
heard me and had mercy upon me, the Lord was my helper. But
wherein? Thou hast turned my heaviness into joy, Thou hast put
off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness. If it was thus
with the great saints, we who are poor and needy ought not to
despair if we are sometimes in the warmth and sometimes in the
cold, for the Spirit cometh and goeth according to the good
pleasure of His will. Wherefore holy Job saith, Thou dost visit
him in the morning, and suddenly Thou dost prove him.(2)
6. Whereupon then can I hope, or wherein may I trust, save only
in the great mercy of God, and the hope of heavenly grace? For
whether good men are with me, godly brethren or faithful friends,
whether holy books or beautiful discourses, whether sweet hymns
and songs, all these help but little, and have but little savour
when I am deserted by God's favour and left to mine own poverty.
There is no better remedy, then, than patience and denial of
self, and an abiding in the will of God.
7. I have never found any man so religious and godly, but that he
felt sometimes a withdrawal of the divine favour, and lack of
fervour. No saint was ever so filled with rapture, so
enlightened, but that sooner or later he was tempted. For he is
not worthy of the great vision of God, who, for God's sake, hath
not been exercised by some temptation. For tenmptation is wont
to go before as a sign of the comfort which shall follow, and
heavenly comfort is promised to those who are proved by
temptation. As it is written, To him that overcometh I will
give to at of the tree of life.(3)
8. Divine comfort is given that a man may be stronger to bear
adversities. And temptation followeth, lest he be lifted up
because of the benefit. The devil sleepeth not; thy flesh is not
yet dead; therefore, cease thou not to make thyself ready unto
the battle, for enemies stand on thy right hand and on thy left,
and they are never at rest.
(1) Psalm xxx. 6. (2) Job vii. 18. (3) Revelation ii. 7. -
CHAPTER X
Of gratitude for the Grace of God
Why seekest thou rest when thou art born to labour? Prepare
thyself for patience more than for comforts, and for bearing the
cross more than for joy. For who among the men of this world
would not gladly receive consolation and spiritual joy if he
might always have it? For spiritual comforts exceed all the
delights of the world, and all the pleasures of the flesh. For
all worldly delights are either empty or unclean, whilst
spiritual delights alone are pleasant and honourable, the
offspring of virtue, and poured forth by God into pure minds.
But no man can always enjoy these divine comforts at his own
will, because the season of temptation ceaseth not for long.
2. Great is the difference between a visitation from above and
false liberty of spirit and great confidence in self. God doeth
well in giving us the grace of comfort, but man doeth ill in not
immediately giving God thanks thereof. And thus the gifts of
grace are not able to flow unto us, because we are ungrateful to
the Author of them, and return them not wholly to the Fountain
whence they flow. For grace ever becometh the portion of him who
is grateful and that is taken away from the proud, which is wont
to be given to the humble.
3. I desire no consolation which taketh away from me compunction,
I love no contemplation which leadeth to pride. For all that is
high is not holy, nor is everything that is sweet good; every
desire is not pure; nor is everything that is dear to us pleasing
to God. Willingly do I accept that grace whereby I am made
humbler and more wary and more ready to renounce myself. He who
is made learned by the gift of grace and taught wisdom by the
stroke of the withdrawal thereof, will not dare to claim any good
thing for himself, but will rather confess that he is poor and
needy. Give unto God the thing which is God's,(1) and ascribe to
thyself that which is thine; that is, give thanks unto God for
His grace, but for thyself alone confess thy fault, and that thy
punishment is deserved for thy fault.
4. Sit thou down always in the lowest room and thou shalt be
given the highest place.(2) For the highest cannot be without
the lowest. For the highest saints of God are least in their own
sight, and the more glorious they are, so much the lowlier are
they in themselves; full of grace and heavenly glory, they are
not desirous of vain-glory; resting on God and strong in His
might, they cannot be lifted up in any wise. And they who
ascribe unto God all the good which they have received, "seek not
glory one of another, but the glory which cometh from God only,"
and they desire that God shall be praised in Himself and in all
His Saints above all things, and they are always striving for
this very thing.
5. Be thankful, therefore, for the least benefit and thou shalt
be worthy to receive greater. Let the least be unto thee even as
the greatest, and let that which is of little account be unto
thee as a special gift. If the majesty of the Giver be
considered, nothing that is given shall seem small and of no
worth, for that is not a small thing which is given by the Most
High God. Yea, though He gave punishment and stripes, we ought
to be thankful, because He ever doth for our profit whatever He
suffereth to come upon us. He who seeketh to retain the favour
of God, let him be thankful for the favour which is given, and
patient in respect of that which is taken away. Let him pray
that it may return; let him be wary and humble that he lose it
not.
(1) Matthew xxii. 21. (2) Luke xiv. 10.