à Kempis Thomas

“ O happy mind, and blessed soul, which deserves to receive thee her Lord God devoutly; and in receiving thee to be filled with spiritual joy!
Oh! how great a Lord does she entertain! how beloved a guest does she bring into her house! how sweet a companion does she receive! how faithful a friend does she accept of! how beautiful and how noble a spouse does she embrace, who deserves to be beloved above all her beloved, and beyond all that she can desire! ”

“ When wilt thou be all in all to me? O when shall I be with thee in thy kingdom, which thou hast prepared for thy Beloved from all eternity?
I am left a poor and banished man, in an enemy's country, where there are wars every day, and very great misfortunes.
4. Comfort me in my banishment, assuage my sorrows; for all my desire is after thee: and all that this world offers for my comfort is burthensome to me.
I long to enjoy thee intimately, but cannot attain to it.
I desire to cleave to heavenly things, but the things of this life and my unmortified passions bear me down. ”

“ It is no small prudence to be silent in the evil time, and to turn within to me, and not to be disturbed with the judgment of man.
2. Let not thy peace be in the tongues of men; for whether they put a good or bad construction on what thou doest, thou art still what thou art.
Where is true peace, and true glory? Is it not in me?
And he who covets not to please men, nor fears their displeasure, shall enjoy much peace.
All disquiet of heart, and distraction of our senses, arises from inordinate love, and vain fear. ”

“ Preserve me, I beseech thee, O my most merciful God, from the cares of this life, that I be not too much entangled by them; from the many necessities of the body, that I may not be ensnared by pleasure; and from all hinderances of the soul, lest being overcome by troubles I be cast down.
I do not say from those things which worldly vanity covets with so much eagerness; but from these miseries, which by the general curse of our mortality, as punishments, weigh down and keep back the soul of thy servant from being able, when it will, to enter into liberty of spirit. ”

“ For thou, O Lord my God, art the best above all things: thou alone most high, thou alone most powerful; thou alone most sufficient, and most full; thou alone most sweet, and most comfortable:
Thou alone most beautiful, and most loving; thou alone most noble, and most glorious above all things; in whom all good things are found together in all their perfection, and always have been, and always will be. ”

“ Would to God thou wert worthy to suffer something for the name of Jesus! how great a glory would be laid up for thee, how great joy would it be to all the saints of God, and how great edification to thy neighbour!
All recommend patience; but, alas! how few are there that desire to suffer!
With good reason oughtest thou willingly to suffer a little for Christ, since many suffer greater things for the world.
14. Know for certain that thou must lead a dying life; and the more a man dies to himself, the more he begins to live to God. ”

“ I labour indeed in the sweat of my brow, I am tormented with grief of heart, I am burthened with sins, I am troubled with temptations, and am entangled and oppressed with many evil passions; and there is no one to help me, no one to deliver and save me, but thou, O Lord God, my Saviour, to whom I commit myself, and all that is mine, that thou mayest keep me and bring me to everlasting life. ”

“ Lift up my mind, oppressed with the load of sins, and raise my whole desire towards heavenly things; that having tasted the sweetness of the happiness above, I may have no pleasure in thinking of the things of the earth.
10. Draw me away, and deliver me from all unstable comfort of creatures, for no created thing can fully quiet and satisfy my desire.
Join me to thyself with an inseparable bond of love; for thou alone canst satisfy the lover; and without thee all other things are frivolous. ”

“ To glory in tribulation is not hard to him that loves: for so to glory is to glory in the cross of our Lord.
That glory is short lived, which is given and taken by men.
The glory of this world is always accompanied with sorrow.
The glory of good men is in their own consciences, not in the mouths of others.
The joy of the just is from God, and in God: and they rejoice in the truth. ”

“ For every lover prepareth the best and fairest room for his dearly beloved; and hereby is known the affection of him that entertaineth his beloved.
2. Know nevertheless, that thou canst not sufficiently prepare thyself by the merit of any action of thine, although thou shouldst prepare thyself a whole year together, and think of nothing else.
But it is of my mere goodness and grace that thou art suffered to come to my table; as if a beggar should be invited to dinner by a rich man, who hath nothing else to return him for his benefit, but to humble himself, and to give him thanks. ”

“ Let me love thee more than myself, and myself only for thee: and all others in thee, who truly love thee, as the law of love commands, which shines forth from thee.
7. Love is swift, sincere, pious, pleasant, and delightful; strong, patient, faithful, prudent, long-suffering, courageous, and never seeking itself; for where a man seeks himself, there he falls from love.
Love is circumspect, humble, upright, not soft, not light, nor intent upon vain things; is sober, chaste, stable, quiet, and keeps a guard over all the senses. ”

“ But blessed is the man, who for thee, O Lord, lets go all things created: who offers violence to his nature; and through fervour of spirit crucifies the lusts of the flesh: that so his conscience being cleared up, he may offer to thee pure prayer, and may be worthy to be admitted, among the choirs of angels, having shut out all things of the earth both from without and within. ”

“ Thou hast not any thing in which thou canst glory, but many things for which thou oughtest to vilify thyself; for thou art much weaker than thou art able to comprehend.
3. Let nothing then seem much to thee of all thou doest:
Let nothing appear great, nothing valuable or admirable, nothing worthy of esteem: nothing high, nothing truly praise-worthy or desirable, but what is eternal.
Let the eternal truth please thee above all things, and thy own exceeding great vileness ever displease thee. ”

“ For it is for thy own sake thou doest this, not for my merits, that thy goodness may be better known to me; that greater charity may be imparted, and humility more perfectly recommended.
Since therefore this is what pleaseth thee, and thou hast commanded it should be so, thy merciful condescension pleaseth me also; and I wish that my iniquity may be no obstacle.
2. Oh! most sweet and most bountiful Jesus, how great reverence and thanks, with perpetual praise, are due to thee for the receiving of thy sacred body, whose dignity no man can sufficiently express? ”

“ Thou oughtest to be so far mortified to such affections of persons beloved, as to wish (for as much as appertains to thee) to be without any company of man.
By so much the more does a man draw nigh to God, by how much the farther he withdraws himself from all earthly comfort.
So much the higher he ascends into God, by how much the lower he descends into himself, and by how much the meaner he esteems himself.
2. But he that attributes any thing of good to himself, stops the grace of God from coming into him; for the grace of the Holy Ghost ever seeks an humble heart. ”

“ I teach to despise all earthly things, to loathe things present, to seek things eternal, to relish things eternal, to fly honours, to endure scandals, to repose all hope in me, to desire nothing out of me, and above all things ardently to love me. ”

“ Son, my grace is precious; it suffers not itself to be mingled with external things, or earthly consolations.
Thou must therefore cast away all impediments of grace, if thou desire to have it infused into thee.
Choose a secret place to thyself; love to dwell with thyself alone; seek not to be talking with any one; but rather pour forth devout prayers to God, that thou mayest keep thy mind in compunction, and thy conscience clean. ”

“ And as for the sayings or doings of others, judge of nothing rashly; neither busy thyself with things not committed to thy care; and thus may it be brought about that thou shalt be little or seldom disturbed.
But never to feel any trouble at all, nor to suffer a grief of heart or body, is not the state of this present life, but of everlasting rest.
Think not therefore that thou hast found true peace, if thou feelest no burden; nor that then all is well, if thou have no adversary; nor that thou hast attained to perfection, if all things be done according to thy inclination. ”

“ All that we have in soul and body, all that we possess outwardly or inwardly, by nature or grace, are thy benefits, and commend thy bounty, mercy and goodness, from whom we have received all good.
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And though one has received more, another less, yet all is thine, and without thee even the least cannot be had.
He that has received greater things cannot glory of his own merit, nor extol himself above others, nor insult over the lesser; because he is indeed greater and better, who attributes less to himself, and is more humble and devout in returning thanks. ”

“ For nothing is lasting under the sun, where all is vanity and affliction of spirit. O how wise is he who considers things in this manner!
5. Give me, O Lord, heavenly wisdom, that I may learn above all things to seek thee, and to find thee; above all things to relish thee, and to love thee, and to understand all other things, as they are, according to the order of thy wisdom. ”

“ And if any one should know who were more holy or greater in the kingdom of heaven, what would the knowledge profit him, unless he would take occasion from knowing this to humble himself in my sight, and to praise my name with greater fervour?
It is much more acceptable to God for a man to think of the greatness of his own sins, and how little he is in virtues, and at how great a distance he is from the perfection of the saints, than to dispute which of them is greater or less. ”

“ A man is never entirely secure from temptations as long as he lives: because we have within us the source of temptations, having been born in concupiscence.
When one temptation or tribulation is over, another comes on: and we shall have always something to suffer, because we have lost the good of our original happiness.
Many seek to fly temptations, and fall more grievously into them.
By flight alone we cannot overcome: but by patience and true humility we are made stronger than all our enemies. ”

“ Be mindful of the resolution thou hast taken, and set before thee the image of the crucifix.
Well mayest thou be ashamed, if thou looked upon the life of Jesus Christ, that thou hast not yet studied to conform thyself more to his pattern, although thou hast been long in the way of God.
A religious man, who exercises himself seriously and devoutly in the most holy life and passion of our Lord, shall find there abundantly all things profitable and necessary for him: nor need he seek for any thing better out of Jesus. ”

“ Be not ashamed to serve others, and to appear poor in the world, for the love of Jesus Christ.
Confide not in thyself: but place thy hope in God.
Do what is in thy power, and God will be with thy good will.
Trust not in thy own knowledge, nor in the cunning of any man living: but rather in the grace of God, who helps the humble, and humbles those who presume of themselves.
2. Glory not in riches, if thou hast them; nor in friends, because they are powerful; but in God, who gives all things, and desires to give himself above all things. ”

“ With the greatest devotion and burning love, with all the affection and fervour of my heart, I desire to receive thee, O Lord; as many saints and devout persons, who were most pleasing to thee in holiness of life, and most fervent in devotion, have desired thee when they have communicated. ”

“ If thou couldst perfectly annihilate thyself, and cast out from thyself all created love, then should I flow into thee with abundance of grace.
When thou lookest towards creatures, the sight of the Creator is withdrawn from thee.
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Learn for the Creator's sake, to overcome thyself in all things; and then thou shalt be able to attain to the knowledge of God.
How little soever it be, if a thing be inordinately loved and regarded, it keeps us back from the Sovereign Good, and corrupts the soul. ”

“ Study therefore to withdraw thy heart from the love of visible things, and to turn thyself to things invisible; For they that follow their sensuality, defile their conscience, and lose the grace of God. ”

“ Thou must in good earnest conceive a true contempt of thyself, if thou wilt prevail over flesh and blood.
Because thou yet hast too inordinate a love for thyself, therefore art thou afraid to resign thyself wholly to the will of others.
2. But what great matter is it, if thou, who art but dust and a mere nothing, submittest thyself for God's sake to man; when I the Almighty, and the Most High, who created all things out of nothing, have for thy sake humbly subjected myself to man. ”

“ If we were perfectly dead to ourselves and no ways entangled in our interior: then might we be able to relish things divine, and experience something of heavenly contemplation.
The whole and greatest hinderance is, because we are not free from passions and lusts; nor do we strive to walk in the perfect way of the saints.
And when we meet with any small adversity, we are too quickly dejected, and turn away to seek after human consolation. ”

“ We might have much peace, if we would not busy ourselves with the sayings and doings of others, and with things which belong not to us.
How can he remain long in peace, who entangles himself with other people's cares; who seeks occasions abroad, and who is little or seldom inwardly recollected? ”

“ Fight like a good soldier; and if sometimes thou fall through frailty, rise up again with greater strength than before, confiding in my more abundant grace. But take great care thou yield not to any vain complacence and pride.
Through this many are led into error, and sometimes fall into almost incurable blindness. ”

“ I know thy secret thoughts, I know that it is very expedient for thy soul that thou shouldest sometimes be left without gust, lest thou shouldst be puffed up with good success, and shouldst take a complaisance in thyself, imagining thyself to be what thou art not. ”

“ By degrees, and by patience, with longanimity, thou shalt, by God's grace, better overcome them, than by harshness and thine own importunity.
In temptation, often take counsel, and deal not roughly with one that is tempted: but comfort him, as thou wouldst wish to be done to thyself.
5. Inconstancy of mind, and small confidence in God, is the beginning of all temptations.
For as a ship without a rudder is tossed to and fro by the waves: so the man who is remiss, and who quits his resolution, is many ways tempted.
Fire tries iron, and temptation tries a just man. ”

“ But the wise of this world, and the admirers of the flesh, are far from the relish of thy wisdom; because in the world is much vanity, and the following of the flesh leads to death.
But they that follow thee, by despising the things of this world, and mortifying the flesh, are found to be wise indeed: for they are translated from vanity to truth, from the flesh to the spirit.
Such as these have a relish of God; and what good soever is found in creatures, they refer it all to the praise of their Maker. ”

“ All men naturally desire to know; but what doth knowledge avail without the fear of God?
Indeed an humble husbandman, that serveth God; is better than a proud philosopher, who, neglecting himself, considers the course of the heavens. ”