The Imitation of Christ

How fast passes away the glory of this world.

At the Day of Judgement we shall not be asked what we have read but what we have done; not how well we have spoken, but how holily we have lived.

Man proposes, but God disposes.

My Son, patience and humility in adversities are more pleasing to Me than much comfort and devotion in prosperity.

All is not frustrated, though thou find thyself very often afflicted or grievously tempted. Thou art man, not God; thou art flesh, not an angel.

Fear God and thou shalt not quail before the terrors of men.

Many men have many opinions, and therefore little trust is to be placed in them.

If thou think wholly upon thyself and upon God, what thou seest out of doors shall move thee little.

What doth care about future events bring thee, save sorrow upon sorrow? Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. It is vain and useless to be disturbed or lifted up about future things which perhaps will never come.

. . . be able to live peaceably with the hard and perverse, or with the disorderly, or those who oppose us, this is a great grace and a thing much to be commended and most worthy of a man.

Love is swift, sincere, pious, pleasant, gentle, strong, patient, faithful, prudent, long-suffering, manly and never seeking her own; for whosoever a man seeketh his own, there he falleth from love.

. . . all our peace in this sad life lieth in humble suffering rather than in not feeling adversities. He who best knoweth how to suffer shall possess the most peace;

Make no great account who is for thee or against thee, but mind only the present duty and take care that God be with thee in whatsoever thou doest.

Dispose thyself to patience rather than to comfort, and to the bearing of the cross rather than to gladness.

A passionate man turneth even good into evil and easily believeth evil; a good, peaceable man converteth all things into good.

He that avoideth not small faults, by little and little falleth into greater.

Simplicity and purity are the two wings by which a man is lifted above all earthly things. Simplicity is in the intention; purity in the affection. Simplicity tends to God; purity apprehends and tastes Him.

For our worthiness and growth in grace lieth not in many delights and consolations, but rather in bearing many troubles and adversities.

. . . there is no means of escaping from tribulation and sorrow, except to bear them patiently.

They who enter the narrow way of life for Thy Name’s sake, and have put away all worldly cares, shall attain great liberty of spirit.

Happy is the man who hath the hour of his death always before his eyes, and daily prepareth himself to die.

If to-day thou art not ready, how shalt thou be ready to-morrow? To-morrow is an uncertain day; and how knowest thou that thou shalt have a to-morrow?

If thou bear it unwillingly, thou makest a burden for thyself and greatly increaseth thy load, and yet thou must bear it. If thou cast away one cross, without doubt thou shalt find another and perchance a heavier.

All therefore is vanity, save to love God and to serve Him only. .

Of two evils, the less is always to be chosen.

And when he is out of sight, quickly also is he out of mind.

There is no creature so small and abject, that it representeth not the goodness of God.

Grant me prudently to avoid the flatterer, and patiently to bear with him that opposeth me;

All things pass away and thou equally with them. Look that thou cleave not to them lest thou be taken with them and perish.

watch thou thyself in godly peace, and leave him who is unquiet to be unquiet as he will. Whatsoever he shall do or say, shall come unto him, for he cannot deceive Me. Trouble not thyself about the shadow of a great name, nor about the friendship of many, nor about the love of men towards thee. For these things beget distraction and great sorrows of heart.

What is it then? That having given up all things besides, he give up himself and go forth from himself utterly, and retain nothing of self-love; and having done all things which he knoweth to be his duty to do, that he feel that he hath done nothing.

And say not ‘I cannot bear these things from such a man, nor are things of this kind to be borne by me, for he hath done me grievous harm and imputeth to me what I had never thought: but from another I will suffer patiently, such things as I see I ought to suffer.’ Foolish is such a thought as this, for it considereth not the virtue of patience, nor by whom that virtue is to be crowned, but it rather weigheth persons and offences against self.

Thou art none the holier if thou art praised, nor the viler if thou art reproached. Thou art what thou art; and thou canst not be better than God pronounceth thee to be.

There is no great trust to be placed in a frail and mortal man, even though he be useful and dear to us, neither should much sorrow arise within us if sometimes he oppose and contradict us. They who are on thy side to-day, may to-morrow be against thee, and often are they turned round like the wind. Put thy whole trust in God and let Him be thy fear and thy love, He will answer for thee Himself, and will do for thee what is best.

Jesus hath many lovers of His heavenly kingdom, but few bearers of His Cross.

How many times hast thou heard how one was slain by the sword, another was drowned, another falling from on high broke his neck, another died at the table, another whilst at play! One died by fire, another by the sword, another by the pestilence, another by the robber. Thus cometh death to all, and the life of men swiftly passeth away like a shadow.

God protecteth and delivereth the humble man, He loveth and comforteth the humble man, to the humble man He inclineth Himself, on the humble He bestoweth great grace, and when he is cast down He raiseth him to glory: to the humble He revealeth His secrets, and sweetly draweth and inviteth him to Himself.

Strive, My Son, to do another’s will rather than thine own. Choose always to have less rather than more. Seek always after the lowest place, and to be subject to all. Wish always and pray that the will of God be fulfilled in thee.

If thou seek rest in this life, how wilt them then attain to the everlasting rest? Dispose not thyself for much rest, but for great patience. Seek true peace — not in earth, but in heaven; not in men, nor in any other creature, but in God alone.

So long as it is hard to thee to suffer and thou desirest to escape, so long it will not be well with thee, and tribulations will follow thee everywhere.

Thou dwellest among foes, and art attacked on the right hand and on the left. If therefore thou use not on all sides the shield of patience, thou wilt not remain long unwounded.

And he who seeketh not to please men, nor feareth to displease, shall enjoy abundant peace.

Know thou that the love of thyself is more hurtful to thee than anything in the world.

First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.

Learn now to suffer a little, that then thou mayest be enabled to escape heavier sufferings.

And because many seek knowledge rather than good living, therefore they go astray, and bear little or no fruit.

Many things there are to know which profiteth little or nothing to the soul.

Be not high-minded, but rather confess thine ignorance.

What will it avail thee to dispute profoundly of the Trinity, if thou be void of humility, and art thereby displeasing to the Trinity?

It is easier not to speak a word at all than to speak more words than we should.

We are ready to see others made perfect, and yet we do not amend our own shortcomings.

Thou art miserable wheresoever thou art, and whithersoever thou turnest, unless thou turn thee to God.

Of a surety, at the Day of Judgment it will be demanded of us, not what we have read, but what we have done; not how well we have spoken, but how holily we have lived.

Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.

Look well unto thyself, and beware that thou judge not the doings of others. In judging others a man laboureth in vain; he often erreth, and easily falleth into sin; but in judging and examining himself he always laboureth to good purpose.

The greatest saints used to avoid as far as they could the company of men, and chose to live in secret with God.

In the morning make thy resolves, and in the evening inquire into thy life, how thou hast sped to-day in word, deed, and thought;

If thou desire to profit, read with humility, simplicity, and faithfulness; nor even desire the repute of learning.

How can he abide long time in peace who occupieth himself with other men’s matters, and with things without himself, and meanwhile payeth little or rare heed to the self within?

Be thou never without something to do; be reading, or writing, or praying, or meditating, or doing something that is useful to the community.

Yet, notwithstanding, temptations turn greatly unto our profit, even though they be great and hard to bear; for through them we are humbled, purified, instructed. All Saints have passed through much tribulation and temptation, and have profited thereby.

If thou knewest the whole Bible by heart, and the sayings of all the philosophers, what would it profit thee without the love of God and without grace?

The proud and the avaricious man are never at rest; while the poor and lowly of heart abide in the multitude of peace.

And so little by little the enemy entereth in altogether, because he was not resisted at the beginning.

A pure, sincere, and stable spirit is not distracted though it be employed in many works; for that it works all to the honor of God, and inwardly being still and quiet, seeks not itself in any thing it doth.

There is no man in the world free from trouble or anguish, though he were King or Pope.

Thou oughtest in every deed and thought so to order thyself, as if thou wert to die this day.

For if he who resolveth bravely oftentimes falleth short, how shall it be with him who resolveth rarely or feebly?

Arise, begin this very moment, and say, “Now is the time to do: now is the time to fight, now is the proper time for amendment.”

Therefore trust not too much to thine own opinion, but be ready also to hear the opinions of others.

No man ruleth safely but that he is willingly ruled.

We desire rules to be made restraining others, but by no means will we suffer ourselves to be restrained. Thus therefore doth it plainly appear how seldom we weigh our neighbour in the same balance with ourselves.

The beginning of all temptations to evil is instability of temper and want of trust in God; for even as a ship without a helm is tossed about by the waves, so is a man who is careless and infirm of purpose tempted, now on this side, now on that. As fire testeth iron, so doth temptation the upright man.

But they that are perfect, do not give ready heed to every news-bearer, for they know man’s weakness that it is prone to evil and unstable in words.

So long as we carry about with us this frail body, we cannot be without sin, we cannot live without weariness and trouble.

To account nothing of one’s self, and to think always kindly and highly of others, this is great and perfect wisdom.

Endeavour to be patient in bearing with other men’s faults and infirmities whatsoever they be, for thou thyself also hast many things which have need to be borne with by others.

He is truly great that is great in charity. He is truly great that is little in himself, and maketh no account of any height of honor. And he is truly learned that doeth the will of God, and forsaketh his own will.

Be not lifted up because of thy strength or beauty of body, for with only a slight sickness it will fail and wither away. Be not vain of thy skilfulness or ability, lest thou displease God, from whom cometh every good gift which we have.

It is good for us that we sometimes have sorrows and adversities, for they often make a man lay to heart that he is only a stranger and sojourner, and may not put his trust in any worldly thing. It is good that we sometimes endure contradictions, and are hardly and unfairly judged, when we do and mean what is good. For these things help us to be humble, and shield us from vain-glory.

Occasions of adversity best discover how great virtue or strength each one hath. For occasions do not make a man frail, but they show what he is.

One hath said, “As oft as I have gone among men, so oft have I returned less a man.” This is what we often experience when we have been long time in conversation.

Peace is ever with the humble man, but in the heart of the proud there is envy and continual wrath.