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

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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty one of Compunction of Heart. If thou wilt
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  Speaker 1: make any progress, keep thyself in the fear of God,
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  Speaker 1: and long not to be too free. But restrain all
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  Speaker 1: thy senses under discipline, and give not thyself up to
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  Speaker 1: senseless mirth. Give thyself to compunction of heart, and thou
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  Speaker 1: shalt find devotion. Compunction openeth the way for many good
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  Speaker 1: things which dissoluteness is wont quickly to lose. It is
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  Speaker 1: wonderful that any man can ever rejoice heartily in this life,
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  Speaker 1: who considereth and waiteth his banishment and the manifold dangers
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  Speaker 1: which beset his soul. Through lightness of heart and neglect
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  Speaker 1: of our shortcomings, we feel not the sorrows of our soul,
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  Speaker 1: but often vainly laugh when we have good cause to weep.
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  Speaker 1: There is no true liberty nor real joy save in
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  Speaker 1: the fear of God. With a good conscience. Happy is
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  Speaker 1: he who can cast away every cause of distraction and
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  Speaker 1: bring himself to the one purpose of holy compunction. Happy
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  Speaker 1: is he who putteth away from him whatsoever may stain
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  Speaker 1: or burden his conscience. Strive manfully. Custom is overcome by custom.
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  Speaker 1: If thou knowest how to let men alone, they will
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  Speaker 1: gladly let thee alone to do thine own works. Busy
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  Speaker 1: not thyself with the affairs of others, nor entangle thyself
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  Speaker 1: with the business of great men. Keep always thine eye
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  Speaker 1: upon thyself first of all, and give advice to thyself,
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  Speaker 1: specially before all thy dearest friends. If thou hast not
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  Speaker 1: the favor of men, be not thereby cast down. But
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  Speaker 1: let thy concern be that thou holdest not thyself so
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  Speaker 1: well and circumspectly as becometh a servant of God and
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  Speaker 1: a devout monk. It is often better and safer for
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  Speaker 1: a man not to have many comforts in this life,
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  Speaker 1: especially those which concern the flesh. But that we lack
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  Speaker 1: divine comforts or feel them rarely is to our own blame,
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  Speaker 1: because we seek not compunction of heart, nor utterly cast
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  Speaker 1: away those comforts which are vain and worldly. Know thyself
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  Speaker 1: to be unworthy of divine consolation, and worthy rather of
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  Speaker 1: much tribulation. When a man hath perfect compunction, then all
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  Speaker 1: the world is burdensome and bitter to him. A good
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  Speaker 1: man will find sufficient cause for mourning and weeping, for
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  Speaker 1: whether he considereth himself or pondereth concerning his neighbor. He
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  Speaker 1: knoweth that no man liveth here without tribulation. And the
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  Speaker 1: more thoroughly he considereth himself, the more thoroughly he grieveth.
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  Speaker 1: Grounds for just grief and inward compunction. There are in
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  Speaker 1: our sins and vices, wherein we lie so entangled that
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  Speaker 1: we are but seldom able to contemplate heavenly things. If thou,
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  Speaker 1: thoughtest upon thy death more often than how long thy
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  Speaker 1: life should be, thou wouldest doubtless strive more earnestly to improve.
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  Speaker 1: And if thou didst seriously consider the future pains of hell,
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  Speaker 1: I believe thou wouldest willingly endure toil or pain, and
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  Speaker 1: fear not discipline. But because these things reach not the heart,
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  Speaker 1: and we still love pleasant things, therefore we remain cold
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  Speaker 1: and miserably indifferent. Oftentimes it is from poverty of spirit
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  Speaker 1: that the wretched body is so easily led to complain.
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  Speaker 1: Pray therefore humbly unto the Lord, that he will give
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  Speaker 1: thee the spirit of compunction, and say, in the language
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  Speaker 1: of the Prophet, feed me o Lord with bread of tears,
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  Speaker 1: and give me plenteousness of tears to drink. Psalm seventy five,
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  Speaker 1: verse five, Chapter twenty two, on the contemplation of human misery.
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  Speaker 1: Thou art miserable, wheresoever thou art, and whithersoever thou turnest,
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  Speaker 1: Unless thou turn thee to God? Why art thou disquieted
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  Speaker 1: because it happeneth not to thee according to thy wishes
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  Speaker 1: and desires. Who is he that hath everything according to
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  Speaker 1: His will? Neither I, nor thou nor any man upon
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  Speaker 1: the earth. There is no man in the world free
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  Speaker 1: from trouble or anguish, though he were king or pope.
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  Speaker 1: Who is he who hath the happiest lot? Even he
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  Speaker 1: who is strong to suffer somewhat for God. There are
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  Speaker 1: many foolish and unstable men who say, see what a
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  Speaker 1: prosperous life that man hath, how rich and how great
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  Speaker 1: he is, how powerful, how exalted. But lift up thine
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  Speaker 1: eyes to the good things of heaven, and thou shalt
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  Speaker 1: see that all these worldly things are nothing. They are
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  Speaker 1: utterly uncertain. Yes, they are for wearisome, because they are
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  Speaker 1: never possessed without care and fear. The happiness of man
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  Speaker 1: lieth not in the abundance of temporal things, but a
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  Speaker 1: moderate portion sufficeth him. Our life upon the earth is
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  Speaker 1: verily wretchedness. The more a man desireth to be spiritual,
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  Speaker 1: the more bitter doth the present life become to him,
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  Speaker 1: because he the better understandeth and seeth the defects of
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  Speaker 1: human corruption. For to eat, to drink, to watch, to sleep,
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  Speaker 1: to rest, to labour, and to be subject to the
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  Speaker 1: other necessities of nature is truly a great wretchedness and
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  Speaker 1: affliction to a devout man, who would fain be released
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  Speaker 1: and free from all sin. For the inner man is
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  Speaker 1: heavily burdened with the necessities of the body in this world.
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  Speaker 1: Wherefore the prophet devoutly prayeth to be freed from them, saying,
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  Speaker 1: deliver me from my necessities, O Lord, Psalm twenty five,
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  Speaker 1: verse seventeen. But woe to those who know not their
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  Speaker 1: own misery, and yet greater woe to those who love
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  Speaker 1: this miserable and corruptible life. For to such a degreed
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  Speaker 1: is some cling to it, even though by laboring or
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  Speaker 1: begging they scarce procure what is necessary for subsistence, that
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  Speaker 1: if they might live here always, they would care nothing
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  Speaker 1: for the Kingdom of God, Oh foolish and faithless of heart,
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  Speaker 1: who lie buried so deep in worldly things that they
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  Speaker 1: relish nothing save the things of the flegs miserable ones.
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  Speaker 1: They will too, sadly find out at last how vile
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  Speaker 1: and worthless was that which they loved. The saints of
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  Speaker 1: God and all loyal friends of Christ held as nothing
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  Speaker 1: the things which pleased the flesh, or those which flourish
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  Speaker 1: in this life. But their whole hope and affection aspired
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  Speaker 1: to the things which are above. Their whole desire was
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  Speaker 1: borne upwards to everlasting and invisible things. Lest they should
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  Speaker 1: be drawn downwards by the love of things visible. Lose
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  Speaker 1: not brother thy loyal desire of progress to things spiritual.
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  Speaker 1: There is yet time. The hour is not past. Why
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  Speaker 1: wilt thou put off thy resolution? Arise, begin this very
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  Speaker 1: moment and say, now is the time to do? Now
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  Speaker 1: is the time to fight. Now is the proper time
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  Speaker 1: for amendment. When thou art ill at ease and troubled,
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  Speaker 1: then is the time when thou art nearest unto blessing.
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  Speaker 1: Thou must go through fire and water, that God may
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  Speaker 1: bring thee into a wealthy place. Unless thou put force
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  Speaker 1: upon thyself, thou wilt not conquer thy faults So long
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  Speaker 1: as we carry about with us this frail body, we
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  Speaker 1: cannot be without sin. We cannot live without weariness and trouble.
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  Speaker 1: Gladly would we have rest from all misery. But because
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  Speaker 1: through sin we have lost innocence, we have lost also
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  Speaker 1: the true happiness. Therefore must we be patient and wait
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  Speaker 1: for the mercy of God, until this tyranny be overpassed,
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  Speaker 1: and this mortality be swallowed up of life. Oh, how
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  Speaker 1: great is the frailty of man which is ever prone
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  Speaker 1: to evil. Today thou confessest thy sins, and tomorrow thou
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  Speaker 1: committest to gain the sins thou didst confess. Now dost
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  Speaker 1: thou resolve to avoid a fault, and within an hour
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  Speaker 1: thou behavest thyself as if thou hadst never resolved at all.
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  Speaker 1: Good cause have we therefore to humble ourselves and never
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  Speaker 1: to think highly of ourselves, seeing that we are so
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  Speaker 1: frail and unstable, And quickly may that be lost by
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  Speaker 1: our negligence, which by much labour was hardly attained through grace?
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  Speaker 1: What shall become of us at the end if at
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  Speaker 1: the beginning we are lukewarm and idle. Woe unto us
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  Speaker 1: if we choose to rest as though it were a
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  Speaker 1: time of peace and security, while as yet no sign
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  Speaker 1: appear within our life of true holiness. Rather, had we
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  Speaker 1: need that we might begin yet afresh, like good novices,
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  Speaker 1: to be instructed unto good living, if haply there might
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  Speaker 1: be hope of some future amendment and greater spiritual increase
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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty three of Meditation. Upon death, Very quickly will
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  Speaker 1: there be an end of THEE? Here Take heed therefore
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  Speaker 1: how it will be with THEE in another world? Today
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  Speaker 1: man is, and tomorrow he will be seen no more,
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  Speaker 1: And being removed out of sight quickly, also is he
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  Speaker 1: out of mind? Oh, the dulness and hardness of man's heart.
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  Speaker 1: Art which thinketh only of the present, and looketh not
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  Speaker 1: forward to the future. Thou ughtest in every deed and
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  Speaker 1: thought so to order thyself, as if thou wert to
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  Speaker 1: die this day, If thou hadst a good conscience, thou
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  Speaker 1: wouldst not greatly fear death. It were better for THEE
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  Speaker 1: to watch against sin than to fly from death. If
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  Speaker 1: to day thou art not ready, how shalt thou be
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  Speaker 1: ready to morrow? To Morrow is an uncertain day? And
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  Speaker 1: how knowest thou that thou shalt have her to morrow?
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  Speaker 1: What doth it profit to live long? When we amend
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  Speaker 1: so little? Ah, long life doth not always amend, But
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  Speaker 1: often the more increaseth guilt. Oh, that we might spend
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  Speaker 1: a single day in this world as it ought to
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  Speaker 1: be spent. Many there are who reckon the years since
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  Speaker 1: they were converted, And yet oftentimes how little is the
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  Speaker 1: fruit thereof. If it is a fearful thing to die,
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  Speaker 1: it may be perchance a yet more fearful thing to
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  Speaker 1: live long. Happy is the man who hath the hour
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  Speaker 1: of his death always before his eyes, and daily prepareth
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  Speaker 1: himself to die. If thou hast ever seen one die,
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  Speaker 1: consider that thou also shalt pass away by the same
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  Speaker 1: road when it is morning. Reflect that it may be
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  Speaker 1: that thou shalt not see the evening, And at eventide,
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  Speaker 1: dare not to boast thyself of the morrow. Always be
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  Speaker 1: thou prepared and so live, that death may never find
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  Speaker 1: thee unprepared. Many die suddenly and unexpectedly, For at such
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  Speaker 1: an hour as ye think not the son of man
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  Speaker 1: cometh Matthew twenty four, verse forty four. When that last
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  Speaker 1: hour shall come, thou wilt begin to think very differently
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  Speaker 1: of thy whole life past, and wilt mourn bitterly that
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  Speaker 1: thou hast been so negligent and slothful. Happy and wise
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  Speaker 1: is he who now striveth to be such in life
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  Speaker 1: as he would fain be found in death. For a
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  Speaker 1: perfect contempt of the world, a fervent desire to excel
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  Speaker 1: in virtue, the love of discipline, the painfulness of repentance,
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  Speaker 1: readiness to obey, denial of self, submission to any adversity
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  Speaker 1: for love of Christ. These are the things which shall
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  Speaker 1: give great confidence of a happy death. Whilst thou art
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  Speaker 1: in health, thou hast many opportunities of good works. But
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  Speaker 1: when thou art in sickness, I know not how much
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  Speaker 1: thou wilt be able to do. Few are made better
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  Speaker 1: by infirmity, even as they who wander much abroad seldom
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  Speaker 1: become holy. Trust not thy friends and kinsfolk, nor put
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  Speaker 1: off the work of thy salvation to the future, For
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  Speaker 1: men will forget THEE sooner than thou thinkest. It is
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  Speaker 1: better for THEE now to provide in time, and to
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  Speaker 1: send some good before THEE, than to trust to the
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  Speaker 1: help of others. If thou art not anxious for thyself now,
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  Speaker 1: who thinkest thou will be anxious for THEE afterwards. Now
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  Speaker 1: the time is most precious. Now is the accepted time.
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  Speaker 1: Now is the day of salvation. But alas that thou
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  Speaker 1: spendest not well this time, wherein thou mightest lay up
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  Speaker 1: treasure which should profit thee. Everlastingly, the hour will come
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  Speaker 1: when thou shalt desire one day, yea one hour for
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  Speaker 1: amendment of life. And I know not whether thou shalt
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  Speaker 1: obtain O dearly Beloved from what danger thou mightest free
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  Speaker 1: thyself from what great fear? If only thou wouldst always
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  Speaker 1: live in fear and in expectation of death. Strive now
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  Speaker 1: to live in such wise that in the hour of
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  Speaker 1: death thou mayst rather rejoice than fear. Learn now to
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  Speaker 1: die to the world. So shalt thou begin to live
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  Speaker 1: with Christ. Learn now to condemn all earthly things. And
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  Speaker 1: then mayest thou freely go unto Christ, keep under thy
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  Speaker 1: body by penitence. And then shalt thou be able to
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  Speaker 1: have a sure confidence? Ah foolish one. Why thinkest thou
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  Speaker 1: that thou shalt live long when thou art not sure
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  Speaker 1: of a single day? How many have been deceived and
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  Speaker 1: suddenly have been snatched away from the body. How many
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  Speaker 1: times hast thou heard how one was slain by the sword,
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  Speaker 1: another was drowned, another, falling from on high, broke his neck,
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  Speaker 1: Another died at the table, another whilst at play. One
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  Speaker 1: died by fire, another by the sword, another by the pestilence,
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  Speaker 1: another by the robber. Thus cometh death to all, and
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  Speaker 1: the life of men swiftly passeth away, like a shadow.
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  Speaker 1: Who will remember THEE after thy death, and who will
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  Speaker 1: end treat for THEE? Work work now, o, dearly beloved,
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  Speaker 1: Work all that thou canst. For thou knowest not when
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  Speaker 1: thou shalt die, nor what shall happen unto THEE after death.
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  Speaker 1: While thou hast time lay up for thyself undying riches,
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  Speaker 1: think of naught but of thy salvation. Care only for
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  Speaker 1: the things of God. Make to thyself friends, by venerating
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  Speaker 1: the saints of God and walking in their steps, that
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  Speaker 1: when thou failest, thou mayst be received unto everlasting habitations
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  Speaker 1: Luke sixteen, verse nine. Keep thyself as a stranger and
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  Speaker 1: a pilgrim upon the earth, to whom the things of
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  Speaker 1: the world appertain not, Keep thine heart free and lifted
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  Speaker 1: up to tards God. From here have we no continuing
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  Speaker 1: city Hebrews thirteen, verse fourteen to him directs thy daily
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  Speaker 1: prayers with crying and tears, that thy spirit may be
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  Speaker 1: found worthy to pass happily after death unto its lord Amen.
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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty four of The Judgment and Punishment of the Wicked.
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  Speaker 1: In all that thou doest remember the end? And how
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  Speaker 1: thou wilt stand before a strict judge, from whom nothing
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  Speaker 1: is hid, who is not bribed with gifts, nor accepteth excuses,
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  Speaker 1: but will judge righteous judgment. O most miserable and foolish sinner,
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  Speaker 1: who art sometimes in fear of the countenance of an
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  Speaker 1: angry man. What wilt thou answer to God, who knoweth
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  Speaker 1: all thy misdeeds? Why dost thou not provide for thyself
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  Speaker 1: against the day of judgment? When no man shall be
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  Speaker 1: able to be excused or defended by means of another,
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  Speaker 1: but each one shall bear his burden himself alone. Now
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  Speaker 1: doth thy labour bring forth fruit? Now is thy weeping acceptable,
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  Speaker 1: thy groaning, heard thy sorrow well pleasing to God and
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  Speaker 1: cleansing to thy soul. Even here on earth, the patient
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  Speaker 1: man findeth great occasion of purifying his soul when suffering injuries,
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  Speaker 1: he grieveth more for the other's malice than for his
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  Speaker 1: own wrong, when he prayeth heartily for those that despitefully
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  Speaker 1: use him, and forgiveth them from his heart, when he
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  Speaker 1: is not slow to ask pardon from others, when he
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  Speaker 1: is swifter to pity than to anger, when he frequently
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  Speaker 1: denieth himself, and striveth altogether to subdue the flesh to
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  Speaker 1: the spirit. Better is it now to purify the soul
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  Speaker 1: from sin than to cling to sins from which we
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  Speaker 1: must be purged hereafter, truly we deceive ourselves by the
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  Speaker 1: inordinate love which we bear towards the flesh. What is
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  Speaker 1: it which that fire shall devour save thy sins. The
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  Speaker 1: more thou spareest thyself and followest the flesh, the more
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  Speaker 1: heavy shall thy punishment be, And the more fuel art
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  Speaker 1: thou heaping up for the burning. For wherein a man
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  Speaker 1: hath sinned, therein shall he be the more heavily punished.
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  Speaker 1: There Shall the slothful be pricked forward with burning goads,
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  Speaker 1: and the gluttons be tormented with intolerable hunger and thirst.
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  Speaker 1: There Shall the luxurious and the lovers of pleasure be
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  Speaker 1: plunged into burning pitch and stinking brimstone, and the envious
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  Speaker 1: shall howl like mad dogs for very grief. No sin
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  Speaker 1: will there be which shall not be visited with its
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  Speaker 1: own proper punishment. The proud shall be filled with utter confusion,
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  Speaker 1: and the covetous shall be pinched with miserable poverty and
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  Speaker 1: hour's pain. There shall be more grievous than a hundred years.
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  Speaker 1: Here of the bitterest penitence. No quiet shall be there,
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  Speaker 1: no comfort for the lost, though here sometimes there is
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  Speaker 1: respite from pain and enjoyment of the solace of friends.
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  Speaker 1: Be thou anxious now and sorrowful for thy sins, that
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  Speaker 1: in the day of judgment, thou mayest have boldness with
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  Speaker 1: the blest. For then shall the righteous man stand in
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  Speaker 1: great baldness before the face of such as have afflicted
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  Speaker 1: him and made no account of his labors Wisdom five
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  Speaker 1: verse one. Then shall he stand up to judge he
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  Speaker 1: who now submitteth himself in humility to the judgments of men.
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  Speaker 1: Then shall the poor and humble man have great confidence,
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  Speaker 1: while the proud is taken with fear on every side.
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  Speaker 1: Then shall it be seen that he was the wise
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  Speaker 1: man in this world who learned to be a fool
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  Speaker 1: and despised for Christ. Then shall all tribulation patiently born
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  Speaker 1: delight us, While the mouth of the ungodly shall be stopped.
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  Speaker 1: Then shall every godly man rejoice, and every profane man
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  Speaker 1: shall mourn. Then the afflicted flesh shall more rejoice than
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  Speaker 1: if it had been always nourished in delights. Then the
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  Speaker 1: humble garment shall put on beauty, and the precious robe
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  Speaker 1: shall hide itself as vile. Then the little poor cottage
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  Speaker 1: shall be more commended than the gilded palace. Then enduring
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  Speaker 1: patience shall have more might than all the power of
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  Speaker 1: the world. Then simple obedience shall be more highly exalted
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  Speaker 1: than all worldly wisdom. Then a pure and good conscience
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  Speaker 1: shall more rejoice than learned philosophy. Then contempt of riches
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  Speaker 1: shall have more weight than all the treasure of the
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  Speaker 1: children of this world. Then shalt thou find more comfort
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  Speaker 1: in having prayed devoutly than in having fared sumptuously. Then
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  Speaker 1: thou wilt rather rejoice in having kept silence than in
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  Speaker 1: having made long speech. Then holy deeds shall be far
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  Speaker 1: stronger than many fine words. Then a strict life and
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  Speaker 1: sincere penitence shall bring deeper pleasure than all earthly delight.
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  Speaker 1: Learn now to suffer a little, that then thou mayest
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  Speaker 1: be enabled to escape heavier sufferings. Prove first here what
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  Speaker 1: thou art able to endure hereafter? If now thou art
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  Speaker 1: able to bear so little, how wilt thou be able
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  Speaker 1: to endure eternal torments? If now a little suffering maketh
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  Speaker 1: THEE so impatient, what shall hell fire do? Then? Behold
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  Speaker 1: of a surety thou art not able to have two paradises,
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  Speaker 1: to take thy fill or delight here in this world,
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  Speaker 1: and to reign with Christ hereafter. If even unto this
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  Speaker 1: day thou hadst ever lived in honors and pleasures, what
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  Speaker 1: would the whole profit THEE? If now death came to
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  Speaker 1: THEE in an instant? All therefore is vanity, save to
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  Speaker 1: love God and to serve Him. Only. For he who
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  Speaker 1: loveth God with all his heart feareth not death, nor punishment,
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: nor judgment, nor hell. Because perfect love giveth sure access
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: to God. But he who still delighteth in sin no
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: marvel if he is afraid of death and judgment. Nevertheless,
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: it is a good thing if love as yet cannot
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: restrain thee from evil, that at least the fear of
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: hell should hold THEE back. But he who putteth aside
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: the fear of God cannot long continue in good, but
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: shall quickly fall into the snares of the devil. Chapter
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: twenty five of the Zealous Amendment of Our Whole Life.
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: Be thou watchful and diligent in God's service, and bethink
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: thee often why thou hast renounced the world. Was it
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: not that thou mightest live to God and become a
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: spiritual man. Be zealous therefore for thy spiritual prophet. For
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: thou shalt receive shortly the reward of thy labors, and
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: neither fear nor sorrow shall come any more into thy borders.
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: Now shalt thou labor a little, and thou shalt find
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: great rest yea everlasting joy, if thou shalt remain faithful
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: and zealous in labor. Doubt not that God shall be
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: faithful and bountiful in rewarding thee. It is thy duty
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: to have a good hope that thou wilt attain the victory.
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: But thou must not fall into security, lest thou become
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: slothful or lifted up a certain man, being in anxiety
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: of mind, continually tossed about between hope and fear, and
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: being on a certain day overwhelmed with grief, cast himself
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: down in prayer before the altar in a church, and
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: meditated within himself, saying, Oh, if I but knew that
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: I should still persevere, And presently heard within him a
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: voice from God. And if thou didst know it, what
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: wouldst thou do? Do now? What thou wouldst do then?
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: And thou shalt be very secure and straightway? Being comforted
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: and strengthened, he committed himself to the will of God,
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: and the perturbation of spirit ceased. Neither had he a
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: mind any more to search curiously to know what should
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: befall him hereafter, but studied rather to inquire what was
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: the good and acceptable will of God for the beginning
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: and perfecting of every good work. Hope in the Lord,
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: and be doing good saith the prophet. Dwell in the land,
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: and thou shalt be fed with its riches Psalm thirty seven,
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: verse three. One thing there is which holdeth back many
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: from progress and fervent amendment, even the dread of difficulty
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: or the labor of the conflict, Nevertheless, they advance above
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: all others in virtue who strive manfully to conquer those
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: things which are most grievous and contrary to them. For
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: there a man profiteth most and meriteth great grace, where
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: he most overcometh himself and mortifieth himself in spirit. But
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: all men have not the same passions to conquer and
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: to mortify. Yet he who is diligent shall attain more profit,
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: although he have stronger passions than another, who is more
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: temperate of disposition, but is withal less fervent in the
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: pursuit of virtue. Two things especially avail unto improvement in holiness, namely,
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: firmness to withdraw ourselves from the sin which, by nature
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: we are most inclined and earnest zeal for that good
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: in which we are most lacking, and strive also very
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: earnestly to guard against and subdue those faults which displease thee.
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: Most frequently in others gather some profit to thy soul.
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: Wherever thou art, and wherever thou seest or hearest good examples,
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: stir thyself to follow them. But where thou seest anything
• 31:33
  Speaker 1: which is blameworthy, take heed that thou do not the same,
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: or if at any time thou hast done it, strive
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: quickly to amend thyself. As thine eye observeth others. So
• 31:47
  Speaker 1: again are the eyes of others upon THEE. How sweet
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: and pleasant is it to see zealous and godly brethren,
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: temperate and of good discipline, And how sad is it
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: and grievous to see them walking disorderly, not practicing the
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: duties to which they are called. How hurtful a thing
• 32:11
  Speaker 1: it is to neglect the purpose of their calling and
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: turn their inclinations to things which are none of their business.
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: Be mindful of the duties which thou hast undertaken, and
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: set always before thee. The remembrance of the crucified truly
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: aughtest thou to be ashamed as thou lookest upon the
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: life of Jesus Christ, because thou hast not yet endeavored
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: to conform thyself more unto him, though thou hast been
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: a long time in the way of God. A religious
• 32:50
  Speaker 1: man who exercises himself seriously and devoutly in the most
• 32:55
  Speaker 1: holy life and passion of our Lord shall find their
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: abundantly all things that are profitable and necessary for him.
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: Neither is their need that he shall seek anything better
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: beyond Jesus. Oh, if Jesus crucified would come into our hearts,
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: how quickly and completely should we have learned all that
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: we need to know. He who is earnest receiveth and
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: beareth well all things that are laid upon him. He
• 33:32
  Speaker 1: who is careless and lukewarm hath trouble upon trouble, and
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: suffereth anguish upon every side, because he is without inward consolation,
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: and is forbidden to seek that which is outward. He
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: who is living without discipline is exposed to grievous ruin.
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: He who seeketh easier and lighter discipline shall always be
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: in distress, because one thing or another will give him displeasure. Oh,
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: if no other duty lay upon us but to praise
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: the Lord our God with our whole heart and voice. Oh,
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: if thou never hadst need to eat, or drink or sleep,
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: but were always able to praise God and to give
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: thyself to spiritual exercises alone, Then shouldst thou be far
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: happier than now, when for so many necessities thou must
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: serve the flesh. Oh, that these necessities were not but
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: only the spiritual refreshments of the soul, which alas we
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: taste to seldom. When a man hath come to this,
• 34:53
  Speaker 1: that he seeketh comfort from no created thing, then doth
• 34:57
  Speaker 1: he perfectly begin to enjoy God God. Then also will
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: he be well contented with whatsoever shall happen unto him.
• 35:08
  Speaker 1: Then will he neither rejoice for much, nor be sorrowful
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: for little. But he committeth himself altogether and with full
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: trust into God, who is all in all, to Him,
• 35:22
  Speaker 1: to whom nothing perisheth nor dieth, but all things live
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: to him, and obey His every word without delay, remember
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: always Thine end, and how the time which is lost
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: returneth not. Without care and diligence, Thou shalt never get virtue.
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: If thou beginnest to grow cold, it shall begin to
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: go ill with thee. But if thou givest thyself unto zeal,
• 35:54
  Speaker 1: thou shalt find much peace, and shalt find thy labor
• 35:59
  Speaker 1: the lighter. Because of the grace of God and the
• 36:02
  Speaker 1: love of virtue, a zealous and diligent man is ready
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: for all things. It is greater labor to resist sins
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: and passions than to toil in bodily labors. He who
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: shonneth not small faults, faleth little by little into greater.
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: At eventide, thou shalt always be glad. If thou spend
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: the day profitably, watch over thyself, stir thyself up, admonish thyself,
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: and howsoever it be with others, neglect not thyself. The
• 36:43
  Speaker 1: more violence thou dost unto thyself, the more thou shalt profit. Amen.
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: End of the first book.