The Imitation of Christ 1 part 3/3

Now your labor is fruitful, your weeping acceptable, your groaning able to be heard, your sorrow satisfying and purgative. 2. A patient man has a great and wholesome purgatory, who, in receiving injuries, grieves more over another's malice than over his own injury; who gladly prays for those who oppose him, and from his heart forgives offenses; who does not delay to ask pardon of others; who is more easily moved to pity than to anger; who frequently does violence to himself, and strives wholly to subject the flesh to the spirit. It is better now to purge sins and to cut off vices, than to reserve them to be purged in the future. Truly we deceive ourselves through the inordinate love which we have for the flesh. 3. What else does that fire devour, but your sins?

The more you now spare yourself and follow the flesh, the more grievously will you afterward pay for it, and the greater fuel you reserve for your burning. In whatever things a man has sinned, in those same things shall he be the more grievously punished. There the slothful shall be pricked with burning goads, and the gluttonous shall be tormented with monstrous hunger and thirst. There the lustful and the lovers of pleasures shall be drenched with burning pitch and stinking sulphur; and like raging dogs the envious shall howl for very pain. There is no vice but shall have its own proper torment. There the proud shall be filled with all confusion, and the covetous shall be straitened with the most wretched want. There one hour shall be heavier in punishment than a hundred years here in the bitterest penance. There is no rest, no consolation for the damned.

Here, however, there is sometimes a respite from toils, and one enjoys the comforts of friends. Be only now solicitous and sorrowful for your sins, that in the day of judgment you may be secure together with the blessed. For then the righteous shall stand in great constancy against those who oppressed and crushed them. Then shall he stand to judge who now humbly submits himself to the judgments of men. Then the poor and humble man shall have great confidence, and the proud shall tremble on every side. Then it shall be seen that he was wise in this world who learned for Christ's sake to be a fool and despised. Then every tribulation patiently endured shall please, and all iniquity shall stop its own mouth. Then every devout one shall rejoice, and every religious soul shall mourn no more but be glad.

Then shall the afflicted flesh rejoice more than if it had always been nourished in delights. Then shall the mean garment shine bright, and the fine raiment grow dark. Then shall the poor little cottage be more praised than the gilded palace. Then shall steadfast patience avail more than all the power of the world. Then shall simple obedience be more exalted than all worldly cunning. Then shall a pure and simple conscience gladden more than learned philosophy. Then shall the contempt of riches weigh more than all the treasure of the children of earth. Then shall you be more comforted by devout prayer than by dainty feeding. Then shall you rather rejoice over silence kept than over long talking.

Then shall holy works avail more than many fair words. Then shall a strict life and hard penance please more than all earthly delight. Learn now to suffer in little things, that then you may be able to be freed from heavier ones. Prove here first what you will be able to bear hereafter. If now you cannot endure so little, how will you be able to bear eternal torments? If now a small suffering makes you so impatient, what then shall hell-fire do? Behold, in truth you cannot have two joys: to take your delight here in the world, and afterward to reign with Christ. If until this very day you had always lived in honours and pleasures, what would the whole of it have profited you, if at this very instant it befell you to die?

All therefore is vanity, save to love God and to serve Him alone. For he who loves God with his whole heart fears neither death, nor punishment, nor judgment, nor hell; because perfect love makes a secure approach to God. But he who still delights in sinning, no wonder if he fears death and judgment. Yet it is good that, if love does not yet recall you from evil, at least the fear of hell restrain you. But he who casts aside the fear of God shall not be able to stand long in good, but shall quickly fall into the snares of the devil. Chapter 25. On the fervent amendment of our whole life. Be watchful and diligent in the service of God, and think often to what end you have come, and why you have left the world. Was it not that you might live to God and become spiritual?

Therefore be fervent toward progress, for in a short time you shall receive the reward of your labours. Nor shall there then be any more fear or sorrow within your borders. A little now you shall labour, and great rest, nay, perpetual gladness shall you find. If you remain faithful and fervent in working, God without doubt will be faithful and bounteous in rewarding. You ought to keep good hope that you will attain to the palm; but you must not take security, lest you grow slothful or become puffed up. For when a certain man, often wavering anxiously between fear and hope, on one occasion, consumed with grief, had prostrated himself in prayer in church before a certain altar, he pondered these things within himself, saying: 'O, if only I knew that I should yet persevere!'

And immediately he heard within a divine answer: 'What if you did know this? what would you wish to do? Do now what you would then wish to do, and you shall be well secure.' And soon, comforted and strengthened, he committed himself to the divine will, and the anxious wavering ceased. Nor did he wish curiously to search into himself, to know what things were to come to him; but rather he strove to inquire what was the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God, for the beginning and the perfecting of every work. 'Hope in the Lord and do good,' says the Prophet, 'and dwell in the land, and you shall be fed with its riches.' One thing there is that draws many back from progress and fervent amendment: the dread of difficulty, or the toil of the struggle.

Those above others most advance in virtues who strive to conquer the very things that are more grievous and contrary to them. For there a man advances more, and merits more abundant grace, where he the more overcomes himself and mortifies himself in spirit. Yet not all have the same things to conquer and to die to. But the diligent striver, even though he have more passions, will be stronger to make progress than another of better natural disposition, but less fervent toward the virtues. Two things especially help toward great amendment, namely: to withdraw oneself forcibly from that to which nature is viciously inclined, and to press fervently after the good one most lacks. Strive also the more to guard against and to conquer those things which displease you more frequently in others.

Everywhere you shall gather profit, so that if you see or hear good examples, you may be kindled to imitate them. But if you observe anything blameworthy, take heed lest you do the same; or if at any time you have done it, strive to amend the more speedily. As your eye observes others, so again are you noted by others. How pleasant and sweet it is to see fervent and devout brethren, well-mannered and disciplined! How sad and grievous it is to see those who walk disorderly, who do not practise the things to which they were called! How harmful it is to neglect the purpose of one's vocation, and to bend the mind to things not committed to us. Be mindful of the purpose you have undertaken, and set before you the image of the Crucified.

Well may you be ashamed when you look upon the life of Jesus Christ, that you have not yet striven more to conform yourself to Him, though you have long been in the way of God. The religious who exercises himself intently and devoutly in the most holy life and passion of the Lord shall find there abundantly all things useful and necessary for him. Nor is there need that he seek anything better outside of Jesus. O, if Jesus crucified would come into our heart, how quickly and sufficiently should we be taught! The fervent religious bears and accepts well all things that are commanded him. The negligent and lukewarm religious has tribulation upon tribulation, and on every side suffers anguish, because he is without inward consolation, and is forbidden to seek the outward.

The religious who lives outside of discipline lies open to grievous ruin. He who seeks looser and laxer ways shall always be in straits, because either the one thing or the other will displease him. How do so many other religious do, who are quite strictly bound under the discipline of the cloister? They go out rarely, live withdrawn, eat most poorly, are clothed coarsely, labour much, speak little, watch long, rise early, prolong their prayers, read frequently, and keep themselves under all discipline. Consider the Carthusians and the Benedictines, and the Cistercians, and the monks and nuns of divers orders, how every night they rise to sing praise to God.

And therefore it would be shameful that you should drowse and be slothful in so holy a work, where so great a multitude of religious begin to make jubilee to God. O, if there were nothing else to be done but to praise the Lord our God with all our heart and voice! O, if you never needed to eat, nor drink, nor sleep, but could always praise God and be free only for spiritual studies! Then you would be far happier than now, serving the flesh under any sort of necessity. Would that there were no such necessities, but only the spiritual refreshments of the soul, which alas we taste all too seldom!

When a man comes to this, that he seeks consolation from no creature, then God first begins to be perfectly sweet to him; then also he will be well content with every outcome of things; then he will neither rejoice for any great thing, nor be cast down for any small thing, but commits himself wholly and trustingly to God, who is to him all in all, to whom in truth nothing perishes nor dies, but all things live to Him and serve at His nod without delay. Be always mindful of your end, and that lost time does not return. Without care and diligence you shall never acquire the virtues. If you begin to grow lukewarm, you begin to be ill. But if you give yourself to fervour, you shall find great peace, and shall feel the labour lighter for the grace of God and the love of virtue.

The man who is fervent and diligent is ready for all things. It is a greater labour to resist vices and passions than to sweat at bodily toils. He who does not avoid small faults little by little slips into greater ones. You shall always rejoice in the evening if you have spent the day fruitfully. Watch over yourself always, and whatever may be the case with others, do not neglect yourself. You shall make progress just so far as you do violence to yourself. Amen.