2
" 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. Here hast thou no continuing city,(3) and wheresoever thou art, thou art a stranger and a pilgrim, and thou shalt never have rest unless thou art closely united to Christ within thee. "
― Thomas à Kempis , Christian Devotionals - The Imitation of Christ, Confessions, Jesus The Christ, The Book of Ruth and How To Become Like Christ (Five Unabridged Classics with Annotations, Images and Audio Links)
3
" Blessed is he who understandeth what it is to love Jesus, and to despise himself for Jesus' sake. He must give up all that he loveth for his Beloved, for Jesus will be loved alone above all things. The love of created things is deceiving and unstable, but the love of Jesus is faithful and lasting. He who cleaveth to created things will fall with their slipperiness; but he who embraceth Jesus will stand upright for ever. Love Him and hold Him for thy friend, for He will not forsake thee when all depart from thee, nor will he suffer thee to perish at the last. "
― Thomas à Kempis , Christian Devotionals - The Imitation of Christ, Confessions, Jesus The Christ, The Book of Ruth and How To Become Like Christ (Five Unabridged Classics with Annotations, Images and Audio Links)
4
" If thou willingly bear the Cross, it will bear thee, and will bring thee to the end which thou seekest, even where there shall be the end of suffering; though it shall not be here. 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. "
― Thomas à Kempis , Christian Devotionals - The Imitation of Christ, Confessions, Jesus The Christ, The Book of Ruth and How To Become Like Christ (Five Unabridged Classics with Annotations, Images and Audio Links)
6
" It is no great thing to mingle with the good and the meek, for this is naturally pleasing to all, and every one of us willingly enjoyeth peace and liketh best those who think with us: but to 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. "
― Thomas à Kempis , Christian Devotionals - The Imitation of Christ, Confessions, Jesus The Christ, The Book of Ruth and How To Become Like Christ (Five Unabridged Classics with Annotations, Images and Audio Links)
7
" Love is a great thing, a good above all others, which alone maketh every heavy burden light, and equaliseth every inequality. For it beareth the burden and maketh it no burden, it maketh every bitter thing to be sweet and of good taste. The surpassing love of Jesus impelleth to great works, and exciteth to the continual desiring of greater perfection. Love willeth to be raised up, and not to be held down by any mean thing. Love willeth to be free and aloof from all worldly affection, lest its inward power of vision be hindered, lest it be entangled by any worldly prosperity or overcome by adversity. Nothing is sweeter than love, nothing stronger, nothing loftier, nothing broader, nothing pleasanter, nothing fuller or better in heaven nor on earth, for love was born of God and cannot rest save in God above all created things. "
― Thomas à Kempis , Christian Devotionals - The Imitation of Christ, Confessions, Jesus The Christ, The Book of Ruth and How To Become Like Christ (Five Unabridged Classics with Annotations, Images and Audio Links)
9
" Write My words in thy heart and consider them diligently, for they shall be very needful to thee in time of temptation. What thou understandest not when thou readest, thou shalt know in the time of thy visitation. I am wont to visit Mine elect in twofold manner, even by temptation and by comfort, and I teach them two lessons day by day, the one in chiding their faults, the other in exhorting them to grow in grace. He who hath My words and rejecteth them, hath one who shall judge him at the last day." "
― Thomas à Kempis , Christian Devotionals - The Imitation of Christ, Confessions, Jesus The Christ, The Book of Ruth and How To Become Like Christ (Five Unabridged Classics with Annotations, Images and Audio Links)
10
" Thou canst quickly drive away Jesus and lose His favour if thou wilt turn away to the outer things. And if thou hast put Him to flight and lost Him, to whom wilt thou flee, and whom then wilt thou seek for a friend? Without a friend thou canst not live long, and if Jesus be not thy friend above all thou shalt be very sad and desolate. Madly therefore doest thou if thou trusteth or findest joy in any other. It is preferable to have the whole world against thee, than Jesus offended with thee. Therefore of all that are dear to thee, let Jesus be specially loved. "
― Thomas à Kempis , Christian Devotionals - The Imitation of Christ, Confessions, Jesus The Christ, The Book of Ruth and How To Become Like Christ (Five Unabridged Classics with Annotations, Images and Audio Links)
11
" Let nothing be great, nothing high, nothing pleasing, nothing acceptable unto thee, save God Himself or the things of God. Reckon as altogether vain whatsoever consolation comes to thee from a creature. The soul that loveth God looketh not to anything that is beneath God. God alone is eternal and incomprehensible, filling all things, the solace of the soul, and the true joy of the heart. "
― Thomas à Kempis , Christian Devotionals - The Imitation of Christ, Confessions, Jesus The Christ, The Book of Ruth and How To Become Like Christ (Five Unabridged Classics with Annotations, Images and Audio Links)
13
" Fear thou the judgments of God, fear greatly the wrath of the Almighty. Shrink from debating upon the works of the Most High, but search narrowly thine own iniquities into what great sins thou hast fallen, and how many good things thou hast neglected. There are some who carry their devotion only in books, some in pictures, some in outward signs and figures; some have Me in their mouths, but little in their hearts. Others there are who, being enlightened in their understanding and purged in their affections, continually long after eternal things, hear of earthly things with unwillingness, obey the necessities of nature with sorrow. And these understand what the Spirit of truth speaketh in them; for He teacheth them to despise earthly things and to love heavenly; to neglect the world and to desire heaven all the day and night. "
― Thomas à Kempis , Christian Devotionals - The Imitation of Christ, Confessions, Jesus The Christ, The Book of Ruth and How To Become Like Christ (Five Unabridged Classics with Annotations, Images and Audio Links)
14
" There are who keep themselves in peace and keep peace also with others, and there are who neither have peace nor suffer others to have peace; they are troublesome to others, but always more troublesome to themselves. And there are who hold themselves in peace, and study to bring others unto peace; nevertheless, 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; that man is conqueror of himself and lord of the world, the friend of Christ, and the inheritor of heaven. "
― Thomas à Kempis , Christian Devotionals - The Imitation of Christ, Confessions, Jesus The Christ, The Book of Ruth and How To Become Like Christ (Five Unabridged Classics with Annotations, Images and Audio Links)
16
" My Son, thou art not yet strong and prudent in thy love." 2. Wherefore, O my Lord? 3. "Because for a little opposition thou fallest away from thy undertakings, and too eagerly seekest after consolation. The strong lover standeth fast in temptations, and believeth not the evil persuasions of the enemy. As in prosperity I please him, so in adversity I do not displease. "
― Thomas à Kempis , Christian Devotionals - The Imitation of Christ, Confessions, Jesus The Christ, The Book of Ruth and How To Become Like Christ (Five Unabridged Classics with Annotations, Images and Audio Links)
18
" 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. Have a good conscience and God will defend thee, for he whom God will help no man's perverseness shall be able to hurt. If thou knowest how to hold thy peace and to suffer, without doubt thou shalt see the help of the Lord. He knoweth the time and the way to deliver thee, therefore must thou resign thyself to Him. To God it belongeth to help and to deliver from all confusion. Oftentimes it is very profitable for keeping us in greater humility, that others know and rebuke our faults. "
― Thomas à Kempis , Christian Devotionals - The Imitation of Christ, Confessions, Jesus The Christ, The Book of Ruth and How To Become Like Christ (Five Unabridged Classics with Annotations, Images and Audio Links)
