Thomas à Kempis

“ His energies were now mainly devoted to his work on Thomas à Kempis, and in 1877 he published 'The Authorship of the "De Imitatione Christi"' (London, 8vo) ; this was followed in 1882 by 'Thomas à Kempis and the Brothers of Common Life' (London, 2 vols. 8vo; 2nd edit. 1884) . These two books were the fruit of much research in England, Holland, and Belgium. Kettlewell maintains the usually accepted authorship of the 'De Imitatione,' and collects all that is known about the life of Thomas à Kempis. ”

“ John and Gertrude Hammerken had two sons, John and Thomas, both of whom found their way to Deventer, and thence to Zwolle and to the convent of Mount St Agnes. Thomas reached Deventer when he was barely twelve years old, was taught by a dame the beginnings of his learning, and in a few months to his great joy entered the classes of Florentius Radewyn. After the fashion of the time he was called Thomas from Kempen, and the school title, as was often the case then, pushed aside the family name. Thomas Hammerken was forgotten; Thomas à Kempis has become known to the whole Christian world. ”

“ And then Frank King, despite the state of the streets and the absence of cabs, made his way along, and was eagerly welcomed. As Mr. Tom's companion he was to spend the whole day there. Billiards, music, lunch, painting—they would pass the time somehow. And meanwhile the gusts of wind rattled the windows; and the whirling snow blurred out the sea; and Mr. Tom kept on big fires.
Nan remained in her own room. When Madge went up to bring her down she found her reading Thomas à Kempis. ”

“ By dwelling with her, thou shalt become more chaste than before; thou shalt remain altogether pure; thou shalt increase in holiness; thou shalt become more and more devout. Her every glance is modesty itself, her every word prudence, her every act justice, her scripture-reading Jesus, her meditation Christ, her contemplation God. The beauty of her countenance bursts forth as light; her looks, though awe-inspiring, keep no one from approaching her; her refinement brings purity to all who behold her; her words drive away every evil thing. ”

“ He told him
likewise, that ever since he was in Sir Thomas's family he had employed
all his hours of leisure in reading good books; that he had read the
Bible, the Whole Duty of Man, and Thomas a Kempis ”

“ O LORD JESUS CHRIST, Author of our Salvation, most gracious Giver of pardon, most patient in Thy long-suffering of man's wickedness, I bless Thee, and give thanks to Thee for all the pain, and for each several blow and bloody wound, so cruelly inflicted on Thy most precious and most tender Body ”

“ I thank Thee, for Thy self-chosen and glorious Nativity, O Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, by Whom we have access to that Grace in which we stand, and trust in the hope restored to us from above of the glory of the sons of God. Thou art the pledge of our redemption: Thou art the everlasting hope of all men; to Thee do we sinners humbly fly for refuge — to Thee, Who didst come to seek us, when as yet we knew Thee not. ”

“ I BLESS Thee, and give thanks to Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, King of Heaven and earth, Who weighest the mountains in a balance, and boldest the earth in the hollow of Thy Hand, Who sittest above the Cherubim and the Seraphim, looking down upon the depths beneath, Who walkest above the stars of Heaven, Who observest the ends of the earth, Who knowest all things before they have their being. ”

“ Strengthen me, O my God, in every distress of my heart, through the merits of Thy most Holy Passion, and through the cruel sorrows and the abundant tears which were shed by Thy most blessed Mother, in her bitter grief as she stood beneath Thy Cross, and beheld Thy Wounds! Make me glad also, I pray Thee, on account of the merits of all Thy Saints who are so dear to Thee, Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, and all the other Saints who are already in bliss with Thee in the Kingdom of Heaven! ”

“ Truly all human glory, all temporal honour, all worldly exultation, compared to Thy eternal glory, is but vanity and folly. O God my Truth and my Mercy, Blessed Trinity, to Thee alone be all praise, honour, power, and glory for ever and for ever. ”

“ May Thy nails be driven through the centre of my heart, and rack me with a wholesome wound, that so I may shed abundant tears of true contrition, and be as it were beside myself with the intensity of my love. Inspire me with sorrow, increase my devotion, till nothing is dearer to me, and nothing closer to my heart than Jesus Christ, and Him Crucified. ”

“ O most sweet Jesus Christ, kindle also in my heart, I pray Thee, the love of Thy Holy Name, more precious than that of all the Saints in Heaven and in earth; that so, with Mary Magdalene and her companions, I may remember it every morning at the break of day, and may seek Thee in the sepulchre of my heart; may be utterly dead to the things of this world, and may cling devoutly to Thee in the silence and the solitude of prayer. Keep my heart from being hard, my body from being slothful, my eyes from being drowsy. ”

“ Draw me and deliver me from every unstable comfort of creatures, for no created thing is able to satisfy my desire and to give me comfort. Join me to Thyself by the inseparable bond of love, for Thou alone art sufficient to him that loveth Thee, and without Thee all things are vain toys. ”

“ O CROSS of my Redeemer and my Cod, how sweet and powerful thou art to heal the wounds of our soul, to comfort our sorrowing hearts! Thou hast brought salvation and joy to the world, and plunged into hell the demons of gloom and despair. ”

“ Blessed is the soul which heareth the Lord speaking within it, and receiveth the word of consolation from His mouth. Blessed are the ears which receive the echoes of the soft whisper of God, and turn not aside to the whisperings of this world. Blessed truly are the ears which listen not to the voice that soundeth without, but to that which teacheth truth inwardly. ”

“ Thy Passion, therefore, O Lord, is of all things the most sacred; it is for all wounds a sovereign remedy; Thy Cross is the downfall of all who are against us; it is the safeguard of all who trust in Thee; Thy death is the penalty by which all our faults are expiated, it is the foundation of all our virtues. I will rejoice, then, in Thy merits and in the fruits of Thy Passion, and I will ever take comfort from the thought that Thou hast redeemed me; but my love for Thee must ever make me grieve over Thy cruel death. It is love that makes me rejoice with Thee in Thy victory over death ”

“ Behold, if all should be spoken against thee that could be most maliciously invented, what would it hurt thee, if thou sufferedst it to pass entirely away, could it pluck so much as one hair from thy head? ”

“ Pierce my heart with the arrow of Thy love, may the soldier's spear pass through my vitals, and penetrate the inmost recesses of my heart, that so, by means of this wholesome wound, my soul may attain perfect health, I may refuse all love but Thine, and out of Thee may nowhere seek for comfort. May my heart be free of access and lie open to Thee alone; may it be estranged from the world, shut to the devil, and fenced on all sides by the sign of the Cross to resist temptation of every kind. ”

“ Painted in scarlet, framed in gold, keep ever before my wandering eyes the picture of Thy sacred Wounds, that I may neither see nor heed the vanities of the world, may be deaf to distracting gossip, and may not listen to those who would speak to me of other things than of Thee, O Jesus, my Lord and my God: for utterly worthless is everything that would keep me from meditating on the bliss of Heaven, and from bedewing with my tears Thy sacred Wounds. ”

“ Retire thou too, O my soul, into thy inner self; mourn with those who mourn, weep with those who weep for Christ; lest thou be found harder than the rocks, and more faithless than the Jews. Blessed are those tears which are shed for love of the Crucified. It is a dutiful and a very pleasant thing to weep for so sweet a Lord. ”

“ I praise and honour Thee, O most gracious Jesus, for Thy exceeding gentleness, and for the loving and comforting words with which Thou didst greet the holy women when they met Thee in the way, allowing them to clasp Thy most sacred Feet — those Feet Which were nailed to the Cross, Which are brighter than the sun, whiter than snow, lovelier than a carbuncle, more precious than gold, sweeter smelling than any balm or chrism. ”

“ Lead thou, then, the chorus of joy, O Adam, our first parent, founder, so far as man can be said so to be, of the human race ; rejoice thou, together with Eve thy wife of high renown, formed from thy side in Paradise ! ”

“ What more joyful words could a dying man hear, in what sweeter sounds could his senses be steeped, than those of that answer of good comfort: " This day thou shall be with Me in Paradise". Remember me, O Lord, in Thy Kingdom; forsake me not in the awful hour of death, when my strength is failing, when my voice is a mere whisper, when my sight is almost gone, when my ears are almost deaf. Then, O my good Jesus, haste Thee to help me, and send Thy holy angels to comfort me in my agony, that the cruel enemy, who lies in wait for us at our last hour, may not prevail against me. ”

“ I long after the joy of peace, the peace of Thy children I earnestly crave, who are fed by Thee in the light of Thy comfort.
If Thou give peace, if Thou pour into my heart holy joy, the soul of Thy servant shall be full of melody, and shall become devout in Thy praise. ”

“ Cease, then, O my soul, to despair, self-accused though thou be of so many sins. Entangled as thou art in the snares of so many evil lusts, assailed as thou art by so many temptations, thou hast still, unhappy one, the hope of life: bowels of mercies yearn for thee — of this the Cross, the Nails, the Lance, all the blood-stained Wounds of Jesus are witnesses. Hide thyself, O my soul, hide thyself within the deep Wounds of the Crucified, kiss the wales of His Stripes, clasp with loving arms the Tree of life, hold fast to that most sure pledge of thy Salvation, Jesus hanging on the Cross. ”

“ Grant that I may die to all worldly things, and for Thy sake love to be despised and unknown in this world. Grant unto me, above all things that I can desire, to rest in Thee, and that in Thee my heart may be at peace. Thou art the true peace of the heart, Thou alone its rest; apart from Thee all things are hard and unquiet. In Thee alone, the supreme and eternal God, I will lay me down in peace and take my rest. ”

“ O Thou Holy and Well-Beloved Son of my Lord, Thou Who art Innocence itself, what hadst Thou done to deserve such bitter pains? Nothing, nothing. Why then was all this? It is I — I a man lost and undone — who am the cause of all Thy misery and distress. Woe be to thee, thou mighty burden of my sins, to rid me of which it was needful that the Son of God should endure such torments! ”

“ For all things, that seem to belong to the attainment of peace and felicity, without Thee are nothing, and do bring in truth no felicity at all.
Thou therefore art all that is good, the height of life, the depth of all that can be spoken; and to hope in Thee above all things, is the strongest comfort of Thy servant.
To Thee therefore do I lift up mine eyes; in Thee my God, the Father of mercies, do I put my trust. ”

“ They never tire, they never cease to sing their Maker's praise; and because they are full of the Holy Ghost they are on fire with love, they glitter like snow in its whiteness, they give forth sweet scent like spices, their chant is joyful, smooth and sweet. They intone evenly; they join in heartily; they keep time; they sing with voices full of love; the joy on their countenances is pleasant to behold; they are, as it were, beside themselves in God.
Who could grow weary or fall asleep in choir, if he kept constantly in mind the blessed and exceeding joy of the Angels in Heaven? ”

“ O loving Jesus, our Helper and Defender in all the trials and temptations of this imperfect life, raise high, I pray Thee, before my eyes the royal standard of Thy holy Cross, the sign of eternal salvation, the Sceptre of Thy Godhead, the shield and the bow of Thy Manhood, the impregnable fortress, the most dread thunderbolt, the most sharp javelin against the roaring and the onslaught of the devil; against the din of the world and the incitements of the flesh; against vices of every kind and every evil thought ”

“ A soul that loveth God, despiseth all things that are inferior unto God.
God alone is everlasting, and of infinite greatness, filling all creatures: the solace of the soul, and the true joy of the heart. ”

“ O how good a thing and how peaceable it is to be silent of others, nor to believe all that is said, nor easily to report what one has heard; to lay one's self open to few; always to seek thee the Beholder of the Heart; and not to be carried about with every wind of words; but to wish that all things both within and without us may go according to the pleasure of thy will! ”

“ Refresh Thy hungry supplicant, inflame my coldness with the fire of Thy love, enlighten my blindness with the brightness of Thy presence.
Do Thou turn all earthly things into bitterness, all things grievous and contrary into patience, all low and created things into contempt and oblivion. ”

“ How cruel was the wickedness which could seek to slay the Author of life, and could drive out, from the land into which He had been born, the King of heaven! What tears would not one have shed, could one have seen the graceful virgin Mother, with her Child, so fair and so beloved, hurrying away, sheltered by the darkness of the night, to take refuge in a land of which they knew nothing! ”

“ Grant me, most sweet and loving Jesus, to rest in Thee above every creature, above all health and beauty, above all glory and honour, above all power and dignity, above all knowledge and skilfulness, above all riches and arts, above all joy and exultation, above all fame and praise, above all sweetness and consolation, above all hope and promise, above all merit and desire, above all gifts and rewards which Thou canst give and pour forth, above all joy and jubilation which the mind is able to receive and feel ”