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05 - The Imitation of Christ - Thomas Kempis · Philosophy and Faith

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  Speaker 1: The Second Book Admonitions concerning the Inner Life, Chapter eleven,
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  Speaker 1: of the fewness of those who love the cross of Jesus.
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  Speaker 1: Jesus hath many lovers of his heavenly kingdom, but few
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  Speaker 1: bearers of his cross. He hath many seekers of comfort,
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  Speaker 1: but few of tribulation. He findeth many companions of his table,
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  Speaker 1: but few of his fasting. All desire to rejoice with him.
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  Speaker 1: Few are willing to undergo anything for his sake. Many
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  Speaker 1: follow Jesus that they may eat of his loaves, but
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  Speaker 1: few that they may drink of the cup of his passion.
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  Speaker 1: Many are astonished at his miracles, Few follow after the
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  Speaker 1: shame of his cross. Many love Jesus so long as
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  Speaker 1: no adversities happen to them. Many praise him and bless
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  Speaker 1: him so long as they receive any comforts from him.
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  Speaker 1: But if Jesus hide himself and withdraw from them a
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  Speaker 1: little while, they fall either into complaining or into too
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  Speaker 1: great dejection of mind. But they who love Jesus for
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  Speaker 1: jesus sake and not for any consolation of their own,
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  Speaker 1: bless him in all tribulation and anguish of heart, as
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  Speaker 1: in the highest consolation. And if he should never give
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  Speaker 1: them consolation. Nevertheless, they would always praise Him and always
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  Speaker 1: give him thanks. Oh, what power hath the pure love
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  Speaker 1: of Jesus, unmixed with any gain or love of self?
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  Speaker 1: Should not all they be called mercenary who are always
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  Speaker 1: seeking consolations? Do they not prove themselves lovers of self
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  Speaker 1: more than of Christ, who are always seeking their own
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  Speaker 1: gain and advantage? Where should be found one who is
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  Speaker 1: willing to serve God altogether for naught? Rarely is any
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  Speaker 1: one found so spiritual as to be stripped of all
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  Speaker 1: selfish thoughts. For who shall find a man truly poor
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  Speaker 1: in spirit and free of all created things? His value
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  Speaker 1: is from afar yea, from the ends of the earth.
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  Speaker 1: A man may give away all his goods, yet that
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  Speaker 1: is nothing. And if he do many deeds of penitence,
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  Speaker 1: yet that is a small thing. And though he understand
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  Speaker 1: all knowledge, yet that is afar off. And if he
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  Speaker 1: have great virtue and zealous devotion, yet much is lacking
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  Speaker 1: unto him, YEA. One thing which is the most necessary
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  Speaker 1: to him of all? What is this, then, that, having
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  Speaker 1: given up all things, besides, he give up himself and
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  Speaker 1: go forth from himself utterly, and retain nothing of self love,
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  Speaker 1: and having done all things which he knoweth to be
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  Speaker 1: his duty to do, that he feels that he hath
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  Speaker 1: done nothing. Let him not reckon that much which might
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  Speaker 1: be much esteemed. But let him pronounce himself to be,
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  Speaker 1: in truth an unprofitable servant, as the Truth himself saith.
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  Speaker 1: When ye have done all things that are commanded, you
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  Speaker 1: say we are unprofitable servants, Luke seventeen, verse ten. Then
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  Speaker 1: may he be truly poor and naked in spirit, and
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  Speaker 1: be able to say with the prophet, as for me,
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  Speaker 1: I am poor and needy Psalm twenty five, verse sixteen. Nevertheless,
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  Speaker 1: no man is richer than he, no man stronger, no
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  Speaker 1: man freer, for he knoweth both how to give up
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  Speaker 1: himself and all things, and how to be lowly in
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  Speaker 1: his own eyes. Chapter twelve of the Royal Way of
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  Speaker 1: the Holy Cross. That seemeth a hard saying to many.
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  Speaker 1: If any man will come after me, let him deny
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  Speaker 1: himself and take up his cross and follow me Matthew sixteen,
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  Speaker 1: verse twenty four. But it will be much harder to
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  Speaker 1: hear that last sentence. Depart from me, ye wicked into
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  Speaker 1: eternal fire Matthew twenty five, verse forty one. For they
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  Speaker 1: who now willingly hear the word of the Cross and
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  Speaker 1: follow it, shall not then fear the hearing of eternal damnation.
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  Speaker 1: This sign of the cross shall be in heaven. When
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  Speaker 1: the Lord cometh to judgment. Then all servants of the Cross,
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  Speaker 1: who in life have conformed themselves to the crucified, shall
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  Speaker 1: draw nigh unto Christ the judge with great boldness. Why
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  Speaker 1: fearest thou then to take up the cross, which leadeth
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  Speaker 1: to a kingdom? In the cross? Is health in the cross?
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  Speaker 1: Is life? In the cross? Is protection from enemies? In
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  Speaker 1: the cross? Is heavenly sweetness in the cross, Strength of
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  Speaker 1: mind in the cross, joy of the spirit in the cross,
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  Speaker 1: the height of virtue in the cross, the perfection of holiness.
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  Speaker 1: There is no health of the soul, no hope of
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  Speaker 1: eternal life save in the cross. Take up therefore thy
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  Speaker 1: cross and follow Jesus, and thou shalt go into eternal life.
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  Speaker 1: He went before THEE bearing his cross, and died for
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  Speaker 1: THEE upon the cross. That thou also mayest bear thy cross,
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  Speaker 1: and mayest love to be crucified upon it. For if
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  Speaker 1: thou be dead with him, thou shalt also live with him.
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  Speaker 1: And if thou be a partaker of his sufferings, thou
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  Speaker 1: shalt also be of His glory. Behold, everything dependeth upon
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  Speaker 1: the Cross, and everything lieth in dying. There is none
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  Speaker 1: other way unto life and to true inward peace, except
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  Speaker 1: the way of the Holy Cross and of daily mortification.
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  Speaker 1: Go where thou wilt, seek whatsoever thou wilt, and thou
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  Speaker 1: shalt find no higher way above nor safer way below,
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  Speaker 1: than the way of the Holy Cross. Dispose and order
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  Speaker 1: all things according to thine own will and judgment, and
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  Speaker 1: thou shalt ever find something to suffer, either willingly or unwillingly.
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  Speaker 1: And thus thou shalt ever find thy Cross. For thou
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  Speaker 1: shalt either feel pain of body or tribulation of spirit
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  Speaker 1: within thy soul. Sometimes thou thou wilt be forsaken of God.
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  Speaker 1: Sometimes thou wilt be tried by thy neighbor. And which
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  Speaker 1: is more, thou wilt often be wearisome to thyself. And
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  Speaker 1: still thou canst not be delivered nor eased by any
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  Speaker 1: remedy or consolation, but must bear so long as God will.
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  Speaker 1: For God will have thee learn to suffer tribulation without consolation,
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  Speaker 1: and to submit thyself fully to it, and by tribulation
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  Speaker 1: be made more humble. No man understandeth the passion of
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  Speaker 1: Christ in his heart so well as he who hath
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  Speaker 1: had somewhat of the like suffering himself. The Cross, therefore
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  Speaker 1: is always ready, and everywhere waiteth for THEE. Thou canst
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  Speaker 1: not flee from it, whithersoever thou hurriest, for whithersoever ever
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  Speaker 1: thou comest, thou bearest thyself with THEE, and shalt ever
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  Speaker 1: find thyself. Turn THEE above, turn THEE below, turn THEE without,
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  Speaker 1: turn THEE within, and in them all thou shalt find
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  Speaker 1: the cross, and needfulz it that thou everywhere possess patience,
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  Speaker 1: if thou wilt have eternal peace and gain the everlasting crown.
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  Speaker 1: If thou willingly bear the cross, it will bear THEE,
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  Speaker 1: and will bring THEE to the end which thou seekest,
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  Speaker 1: even where there shall be the end of suffering, though
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  Speaker 1: it shall not be here. If thou bear it unwillingly,
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  Speaker 1: thou makest a burden for thyself, and greatly increaseth thy load,
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  Speaker 1: And yet thou must bear it. If thou cast away
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  Speaker 1: one cross without doubt, thou shalt find another, and perchance
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  Speaker 1: a heavier, thinkest thou to escape what no mortal hath
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  Speaker 1: been able to avoid. Which of the saints in the
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  Speaker 1: world hath been without the cross and tribulation? For not
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  Speaker 1: even Jesus Christ, our Lord, was one hour without the
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  Speaker 1: anguish of his passion. So long as he lived it behooved.
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  Speaker 1: He said Christ, to suffer and to rise from the dead,
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  Speaker 1: and so enter into his glory Luke twenty four, verse
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  Speaker 1: forty six. And how dost thou seek another way than
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  Speaker 1: this royal way, which is the way of the Holy Cross.
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  Speaker 1: The whole life of Christ was a cross and martyrdom.
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  Speaker 1: And dost thou seek for thy rest and joy? Thou
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  Speaker 1: art wrong? Thou art wrong if thou seekest aught but
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  Speaker 1: to suffer tribulations. For this whole mortal life is full
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  Speaker 1: of miseries and set round with crosses. And the higher
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  Speaker 1: a man hath advanced in the spirit, the heavier crosses
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  Speaker 1: he will often find, because the sorrow of his banishment
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  Speaker 1: increaseth with the strength of his love. But yet the
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  Speaker 1: man who is thus in so many ways afflicted, is
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  Speaker 1: not without refreshment of consolation, because he feeleth abundant fruit
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  Speaker 1: to be growing within him out of the bearing of
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  Speaker 1: his Cross, for whilst he willingly submitteth himself to it,
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  Speaker 1: every burden of tribulation is turned into an assurance of
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  Speaker 1: divine comfort. And the more the flesh which she is
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  Speaker 1: wasted by affliction, the more is the spirit strengthened mightily
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  Speaker 1: by inward grace. And ofttimes, so greatly is he comforted
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  Speaker 1: by the desire for tribulation and adversity through love of
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  Speaker 1: conformity to the Cross of Christ, that he would not
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  Speaker 1: be without sorrow and tribulation, For he believeth that he
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  Speaker 1: shall be the more acceptable to God, the more and
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  Speaker 1: the heavier burdens he is able to bear for his sake.
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  Speaker 1: This is not the virtue of men, but the grace
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  Speaker 1: of Christ, which hath such power and energy in the
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  Speaker 1: weak flesh, that what it naturally hateth and fleeth from
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  Speaker 1: this it draweth too, and loveth through fervor of spirit.
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  Speaker 1: It is not in the nature of man to bear
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  Speaker 1: the cross, to love the cross, to keep under the body,
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  Speaker 1: and to bring it into subjection, to fly from honors,
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  Speaker 1: to bear reproaches meekly, to despise self and desire to
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  Speaker 1: be despised, to bear all adversities, and losses, and to
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  Speaker 1: desire no prosperity in this world. If thou lookest to thyself,
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  Speaker 1: thou wilt of thyself be able to do none of this.
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  Speaker 1: But if thou trustest in the Lord, endurance shall be
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  Speaker 1: given THEE from heaven and the world, and the flesh
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  Speaker 1: shall be subject to thy command. Yea, thou shalt not
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  Speaker 1: even fear thine adversary, the devil. If thou be armed
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  Speaker 1: with faith and signed with the Cross of Christ, set
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  Speaker 1: thyself therefore, like a good and faithful servant of Cross Christ,
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  Speaker 1: to the manful bearing of the Cross of thy Lord,
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  Speaker 1: who out of love was crucified for Thee. Prepare thyself
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  Speaker 1: for bearing many adversities and manifold troubles in this wretched life,
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  Speaker 1: because so it shall be with Thee wheresoever thou art,
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  Speaker 1: and so in very deed thou shalt find it wherever
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  Speaker 1: thou hide thyself. This it must be. And there is
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  Speaker 1: no means of escaping from tribulation and sorrow except to
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  Speaker 1: bear them patiently. Drink thou lovingly thy Lord's cup. If
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  Speaker 1: thou desirest to be his friend and to have thy
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  Speaker 1: lot with him, leave consolations to God let him do
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  Speaker 1: as seemeth best to him concerning them. But do thou
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  Speaker 1: set thyself to endure tribulation and reckon them the best consolations,
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  Speaker 1: for the sufferings of this present time are not worthy
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  Speaker 1: to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed
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  Speaker 1: in Us Romans eight, verse eighteen, Nor would they be
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  Speaker 1: even if thou wert to endure them all. When thou
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  Speaker 1: hast come to this that tribulation is sweet and pleasant
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  Speaker 1: to THEE for Christ's sake, then reckon that it is
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  Speaker 1: well with THEE, because thou hast found paradise on earth.
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  Speaker 1: So long as it is hard for THEE to suffer,
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  Speaker 1: and thou desirest to escape, so long it will not
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  Speaker 1: be well with THEE, and tribulations will follow THEE everywhere.
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  Speaker 1: If thou settest thyself to that thou artest, namely to
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  Speaker 1: suffer and to die, it shall soon go better with THEE,
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  Speaker 1: and thou shalt find peace. Though thou shouldst be caught
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  Speaker 1: up with Paul unto the third heaven two Corinthians twelve,
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  Speaker 1: verse two. Thou art not on that account secure from
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  Speaker 1: suffering evil. I will show him, saith Jesus, what great
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  Speaker 1: things he must suffer for my name's sake. Acts nine,
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  Speaker 1: verse sixteen. It remaineth therefore to THEE to suffer, if
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  Speaker 1: thou wilt love Jesus and serve him continually. O that
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  Speaker 1: thou wert worthy to suffer something for the name of Jesus,
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  Speaker 1: How great glory should await THEE. What rejoicing among all
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  Speaker 1: the saints of God? What bright example also to thy neighbor.
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  Speaker 1: For all men commend patience, although few will be willing
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  Speaker 1: to practice it. Thou artest surely to suffer a little
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  Speaker 1: for Christ, when many suffer heavier things for the world.
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  Speaker 1: Know thou of a surety that thou oughtest to lead
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  Speaker 1: the life of a dying man. And the more a
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  Speaker 1: man dieth to himself, the more he beginneth to live
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  Speaker 1: towards God. None is fit for the understanding of heavenly
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  Speaker 1: things unless he hath submitted himself to bearing adversities for Christ.
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  Speaker 1: Nothing more acceptable to God, nothing more healthful for thyself
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  Speaker 1: in the world than to suffer willingly for Christ. And
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  Speaker 1: if it were thine to choose, thou aughtest rather to
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  Speaker 1: wish to suffer adversities for Christ than to be refreshed
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  Speaker 1: with manifold consolations, For thou wouldest be more like Christ
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  Speaker 1: and more conformed to all saints. For our worthiness and
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  Speaker 1: growth in grace lieth not in many delights and consolations,
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  Speaker 1: but rather in bearing many troubles and adversities. If indeed
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  Speaker 1: there had been anything better and more profitable to the
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  Speaker 1: health of men than to suffer, Christ would surely have
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  Speaker 1: shown it by word and example. For both the disciples
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  Speaker 1: who followed him and all who desire to follow him,
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  Speaker 1: He plainly exhorteth to bear their cross and saith. If
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  Speaker 1: any man will come after me, let him deny himself
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  Speaker 1: and take up his cross and follow me. Luke nine,
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  Speaker 1: verse twenty three. So, now that we have thoroughly read
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  Speaker 1: and studied all things, let us hear the conclusion of
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  Speaker 1: the whole matter. We must, through much tribulation, enter into
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  Speaker 1: the Kingdom of God. Acts fourteen, verse twenty one, end
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  Speaker 1: of the Second Book.